Christ’s Love Endures Forever

 “And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.”

‭‭Ezra‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of God, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God in the tradition of David king of Israel. They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to God: Yes! God is good! Oh yes—He’ll never quit loving Israel!  In the new covenant Jesus Christ is our foundation. This foundation has already been laid for us to build upon.  When the Jews returned from exile to Jerusalem and laid the foundation, they were so happy that they praised God.  Now that Christ has laid the foundation of our faith in the finished work of the Cross, we worship Christ as Lord of our life with great joy and happiness.  And if someone asks about our hope as a believer, we must be ready to explain it.  Let’s have thanksgiving in our heart to Christ, Yes! God is good! Oh yes—He’ll never quit loving us!  Amen!

Always Thirsty for the Living Water

 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

‭‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then on the most important day of the feast, the last day, Jesus stood and shouted out to the crowds—“All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!”  When man’s feasting is over, there is still thirst.  Jesus comes at the last day of the feast to satisfy the thirst of those who seek God.  Only the Lord Jesus can quench the spiritual thirst of men by giving them His living water.  A drink becomes a river of living water!  As God said through the prophet, “I will pour refreshing water on the thirsty and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your children, my blessing upon your descendants.”  Let’s continually drink from the living water.  Amen!

The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 “And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place:”

‭‭Ezra‬ ‭2‬:‭68‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Some of the heads of families, on arriving at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, made Freewill-Offerings toward the rebuilding of The Temple of God on its site. They gave to the building fund as they were able.  These were exiled people returning back to Jerusalem who couldn’t have had much.  Yet they gave for the rebuilding of the Temple.  Today, we believers of the new covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ, are the Temple of God the Holy Spirit Who is building us, the Church, to be the spotless Bride of Christ.  Our opportunity is to give cheerfully and generously toward the Kingdom of God.  For we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich.  If exiled people could give free-will offerings, how much more we in the new covenant.  Amen!

The Bread of Life Who Satisfies Mankind’s Hunger

 “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus then took the barley loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to the disciples to distribute to the people. Miraculously, the food multiplied, with everyone eating as much as they wanted!  Barley is the first crop to harvest in Israel and is a picture of the resurrected Christ.  Moses had been told by God that the children of Israel were to celebrate the feast of firstfruits when they reap the barley harvest and to bring a sheaf of the firstfruit to the priest.  Resurrection life has been given to all who believe in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.  Jesus Christ is the firstfruit of resurrection life.   When tempted by the devil, Jesus refused to turn stones to bread to satisfy his own hunger.  Yet here Jesus multiplies bread to satisfy the hunger of others.  Jesus is the Bread of Life Who satisfies mankind’s hunger.  Amen!

Our Free-Will Surrender to God Almighty

 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”

‭‭Ezra‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—this fulfilled the Message of God preached by Jeremiah—God prodded Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom. He wrote it out as follows: From Cyrus king of Persia, a Proclamation: God, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build Him a Temple of worship in Jerusalem, Judah.  How could God accomplish His will through a gentile?  God accomplishes His will through anyone.  Cyrus heard God, chose to obey Him, and is commended for it.  God blessed this king of Persia.  When people come to faith in Jesus Christ, they do it out of conviction, because God never interferes with mankind’s free-will.  God loves mankind so much that He doesn’t want any to perish but all to come to faith in Christ.  Thank You Father!

The Triune God

 “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV

This infuriated them and made them all the more eager to devise a plan to kill Him. For not only did He break their Sabbath rules, but He also called God “My Father,” which made Him equal to God.  Jesus did not break the Sabbath, He “loosed” it from the bondage of tradition and man-made rules.  Jesus’s critics clearly understood that He was claiming God as His Father in a unique way.  At Jesus’s baptism, the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.”  It was no doubt unique that Jesus is the Son of God the Father, equal to Him.  We worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Three Persons and One God.  Amen!

The Sure Word of Prophecy

 “And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭36‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple of God and killed the Jews.  Any survivor was taken prisoner into exile in Babylon and made a slave to Nebuchadnezzar and his family. The exile and slavery lasted until the kingdom of Persia took over. This is exactly the message of God that Jeremiah had preached: the desolate land put to an extended sabbath rest, a seventy-year Sabbath rest making up for all the unkept Sabbaths. Jeremiah, the prophet had prophesied this, “And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”  Today, we have the prophetic word confirmed, which we will do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Daystar, our Lord Jesus Christ, rises in our hearts.  All  prophecy will be fulfilled as we even see it happening right now in our generation.  Let’s not despise prophecy but be ready.  Jesus is coming soon.  Amen!

Christ in Us the Spring of Life Everlasting

 “Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.”

‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wearied by His long journey, He sat on the edge of Jacob’s well, and sent His disciples into the village to buy food, for it was already afternoon. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”  The well was a “spring-fed well”.  This is a picture of the “spring” of the Jacob-life inside of everyone of us.  Fed by Adam’s fall, this spring has flowed through all of humanity.  But Jesus sat as a “lid” to Jacob’s well, sealing its polluted stream.  In Christ, Jacob’s clever striving has ended.  A living well became a lid to Jacob’s well as Jesus sat there ready to give His living water to all who would come and drink.  A well sitting upon a well!  The “water” Jesus wanted was the refreshing, satisfying pleasure of her devotion.  He says to each one of us, “Nothing satisfies Me except you”.  The sinner drank of the Saviour and the Saviour drank of the sinner and both were satisfied.  Neither ate or drank, but both were satisfied.  Let’s be satisfied with our Saviour for He is our sufficiency.  Amen!

Christ, our Passover

 “So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭35‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Everything went without a hitch in the worship of God that day as they celebrated the Passover and the offering of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar of God. It went just as Josiah had ordered. The Passover hadn’t been celebrated like this since the days of Samuel the prophet.  Josiah ruled six hundred years before Jesus the Messiah was born in the flesh and he restored the temple.  Passover under Josiah was the last time at the temple.  Because the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world came and was sacrificed once and for all. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. By God’s will we have been purified and made holy once and for all through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, the Messiah! Christ suffered and died for sins once and for all—the innocent for the guilty—to bring you near to God by His body being put to death and by being raised to life by the Spirit.  Hallelujah to the Lamb!

In Christ Heaven and Earth is One

 “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 told Nicodemus, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man Who is in heaven.”  Jesus shares a mystery with Nicodemus.  While He was on earth ministering, Jesus was also in heaven in the spirit realm.  Being in two places at the same time is also the privilege given to every believer.  We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realm and living our earthly life to please Him.  This is what it means to be “in Christ”.  In the realm of the Spirit, heaven and earth is one.  Jesus is telling Nicodemus that only those who are seated in the heavenly realm will understand spiritual truths.  However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.  Amen!

The Word of God Endures Forever

 “And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭34‬:‭19‬, ‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When the king heard what was written in the book, God’s Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay. Josiah ordered them all: “Go and pray to God for me and what’s left of Israel and Judah. Find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! God’s anger must be burning furiously against us—our ancestors haven’t obeyed a thing written in this book of God, followed none of the instructions directed to us.”  Josiah chose to follow the written Word of God.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us - Jesus Christ is the Word of God.  As the Word of God says, “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the Word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the Word which by the Gospel was preached to us and saved our souls for eternal life with God.  Amen!

Worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth

 “But he spake of the temple of his body.”

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But the Pharisees failed to understand that Jesus was speaking of the “temple” of His Body.  Resurrection power would be the sign of Jesus’s supreme authority.  Jesus’s death and resurrection effectively dismantled the need for the temple, for now His powerful Gospel of the Kingdom realm builds us into a holy temple not made with hands.  This symbolic form of speaking was so different from the teachings of the Pharisees, as it is to the understanding of many Christians today.  The God Who was once worshipped by animal sacrifices is now to be worshipped in spirit and in truth with every believer as a priest.  Let’s worship Him, Who is Ruler over every nation, every government, every authority and all creation, in spirit and in truth.  Amen!

Christ Nailed All Afflictions on the Cross

 “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭33‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Manasseh was Hezekiah’s son but didn’t learn from his father but worshipped strange gods.  So he was taken into captivity.  Now that he was in trouble, he dropped to his knees in prayer asking for help—total repentance before the God of his ancestors. As he prayed, God was touched; God listened and brought him back to Jerusalem as king. That convinced Manasseh that God was in control.  Why learn the hard way through affliction!  David prophesied about the Lord Jesus Christ, “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hid His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard.”  Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  Christ has carried on the Cross all our afflictions and set us free.  Hallelujah!

The Fullness of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John writes that the Living Expression became a Man and lived among us! We gazed upon His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth!  God became visible in Jesus, “God with us” our Immanuel, a Man for all eternity.  God became visible and “pitched His tent among us.”  That’s what God said to Moses in the wilderness, “Let them construct a Sanctuary for Me so that I can live among them.”  As John wrote, “we gazed upon His preciousness, the unique and beloved Son of God, full of lovingkindness, goodness, grace, favour sweetness, pleasure, delight, tender mercy.”  Words are not enough to say it like it is.  Truly, Jesus Christ is full of everything that our hearts crave.  Amen!

Boast Only In the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 “Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand….And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭15‬, ‭21‬ ‭KJV‬ 

Sennacherib threatened Hezekiah and his army, “Don’t let Hezekiah fool you; don’t let him get by with his barefaced lies; don’t trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?”  God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him.  When one boasts, it becomes a prophecy of a future failure. The higher you lift yourself up in pride, the harder you fall in disgrace.  As Paul said, “boast only in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Amen!

God’s Word is to be Humbly Received

 “And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then the two disciples told the others what had happened to them on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus had unveiled himself in the breaking of bread.  Luke’s Gospel begins and ends with a similar story.  In the beginning of Jesus’s life, his parents are walking off from Jerusalem and leaving Him in the temple, unaware that they had left Jesus behind.  Luke ends with a story of Jesus walking alongside two disciples and they weren’t aware of who was walking next to them.  Both accounts were after the Feast. In both stories they were leaving Jerusalem.  And both the Jewish scholars in the temple at the beginning and the two Emmaus road disciples at the end were astonished at what Jesus taught them.  We join in worship with king David in the psalm, “I bow down before Your divine Presence and bring You my deepest worship as I experience Your tender love and Your living truth. For Your Word and the fame of Your Name have been magnified above all else!”  Hallelujah!

Blessed to be a Blessing

 “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭31‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Hezekiah carried out this work and kept it up everywhere in Judah. He was the very best—good, right, and true before his God. Everything he took up, whether it had to do with worship in God’s Temple or the carrying out of God’s Law and Commandments, he did well in a spirit of prayerful worship. He was a great success. Hezekiah prospered because he chose to obey and follow God.  God had told Moses, “Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.”  In the new covenant, for those who are born again, we are co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God.  Our purpose is to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added to us.  Now we bless others with the God-given prosperity to extend the Kingdom of God.  Let’s obey God and prosper so that we are blessed to be a blessing.  Amen!

Forgiveness is the Power to Overcome and Move Ahead

 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭34‬ ‭KJV‬‬

While they were nailing Jesus to the Cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” The soldiers, after they crucified Him, gambled over His clothing.  Jesus was praying intensely as they crucified Him.  He did not pray “forgive me”, but “forgive them”.  As the centurion crushed Him to the ground and tied His arms to the crossbeam, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them”.  When the spikes tore through each quivering palm, He prayed again, “Father, forgive them”.  When the soldiers parted His garments and gambled for the seamless robe, again Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them”.  Only God knows how many times that prayer was spoken.  Jesus, when He rose from the dead and met His disciples the first time, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”. Paul understood the Gospel clearly, as he preached, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;”. Only Jesus can forgive us our sins, there is no one else who can do that.  Let’s only believe.  Amen!

The Blessed Kingdom of God

 “For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭30‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

There were a lot of people, who did not eat the Passover meal because they had not prepared themselves adequately. Hezekiah prayed for these as follows: “May God Who is all good, pardon and forgive everyone who sincerely desires God, the God of our ancestors. Even—especially!—these who do not meet the literal conditions stated for access to The Temple.” God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.  Some leaders and kings do not seek the good of the people they rule and come to a sad end, but Hezekiah sought to do what was written in the Word of God.  When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.  Hezekiah prayed for his people, but God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  Amen!

Thank You, Jesus, for the Cross

 “saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭42‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup of agony away from Me.  But no matter what, Your will must be Mine.”  Jesus asked the Father to be spared from death in the garden so that He could go all the way to the Cross.  His prayer was answered.  The Blood that dripped in the garden would not redeem.  Jesus had to carry the Cross and fulfil all that was written of Him. During Christ’s days on earth He pleaded with God, praying with passion and with tearful agony that God would spare Him from death. And because of His perfect devotion His prayer was answered and He was delivered.    It was the crown of thorns that gave us the mind of Christ, which He bore to the Cross.  It was the nail-pierced hands and feet; the scourging on His back; till He said, “It is finished”, and committed His spirit to God, that gave us our salvation.  Thank God He rose again from the dead.  What a wonderful Saviour and Deliverer we have.  Hallelujah!

Jesus, Our Faithful High Priest

 “and the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As much as Ahaz had done wickedly, his son Hezekiah as king restored, reconciled and sanctified the temple of God.  He then asked the priests to making atonement and they killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made for all Israel.  God blessed Hezekiah thereafter.  In the old covenant, only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, once a year, offering blood for his own sins and for the sins the people who had committed in ignorance.  In the new covenant, it was necessary for Jesus Christ to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Unlike other high priests, He does not first need to make atonement every day for His own sins, and only then for His people's, because He already made atonement, reconciling us with God once and forever when He offered Himself as a sacrifice.  Amen!

Faith and Patient Endurance

 “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus told His disciples, “You will be hated by all because of My Life in you. But don’t worry. My grace will never desert you or depart from your life. Stand firm with patient endurance and you will find your souls’ deliverance.”  When we accept Jesus’s love and forgiveness on our behalf, we will experience His grace.  Only the redeemed can respond to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of our Heavenly Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, with total surrender.  In spite of the persecution, all of Jesus’s disciples endure with patience and faith because we know His grace will never leave us.  So let’s not allow our hearts to grow dull or lose our enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance, and walk in our inheritance.  Amen!

Following Jesus Christ Alone

 “Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭28‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king and didn’t live right in the eyes of God.  Instead he followed in pagan worship and—incredibly!—indulged in the outrageous practice of “passing his sons through the fire,” a truly abominable thing he picked up from the pagans.  He also joined in the activities of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines that flourished all over the place.  Ahaz took the Jews to another level of apostasy, abandoning the God of Israel.  When we encounter the resurrected Christ and His grace of forgiveness, we cannot help but to love Him.  Therefore we cannot deny Him.  Yet it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.  In the last days of this age we’re living in, many will depart from faith in Jesus Christ.  Let’s not be in this category but deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ.  Amen!

Jesus Christ is Victorious, Righteous & Lowly

“And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭42‬-‭44‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus told the scribes, “Haven’t you read in the Psalms where David himself wrote: The Lord Yahweh said to my Lord, ‘Sit near Me in the place of authority until I subdue all Your enemies under Your feet!’ ” Jesus explained, “If David calls this One ‘my Lord,’ how can he be His Son?”  This is the most oft quoted psalm in the new covenant.  Jesus said, “The LORD God said to My protecting Lord Messiah.” The right hand is the position of authority and honour.  The footstool symbolises what is subdued, where all the enemies become a footstool under the feet.  Jesus is challenging them to consider that Christ will be both God and Man - David’s son and David’s Lord.  This is a challenge to all mankind that God became Man to conquer sin and death to make all His sons and daughters.  This is His love for mankind.  Jesus Christ is victorious, righteous and lowly.  It is mankind’s free will to believe it or not.  Let’s choose to believe.  Amen!

Blessings and Success

 “So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭27‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jotham was the next king after Uzziah and having learned his lesson well, he decided to govern according to God’s ways.  Jotham’s strength was rooted in his steady and determined life of obedience to God.  That’s why he was successful.  Jesus, our example, learned obedience through what He suffered, which is why He became the Victor for our salvation.  That’s why He said, “..blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!”  When Peter was stopped from preaching Jesus, he replied to the authorities, “We must obey God than men!”  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. Those who obey God's Word truly show how completely we love Him.  That is how we know we are living in Him.  Let’s lead blessed, successful and happy lives led by the Holy Spirit Who helps us obey the Word of God.  Amen!

Jesus is Coming Again

 “And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭KJV‬‬

After they brought the colt to Jesus, they placed their prayer shawls on its back, and Jesus rode it as He descended the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. As He rode toward the city, people spontaneously threw their prayer shawls like a carpet on the path in front of Him.  This was done to signify Jesus was King.  This was how David had Solomon his son anointed as king, “Take Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’  Prophecy, hundreds of years before when the Jews were in exile, was made about the Messiah Who would come, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”  God fulfils what He says. Jesus Himself said about His coming back again, “For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”  He will come again, Amen!

The Pride of Life is not from God

 “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭26‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV

When Uzziah became king of Judah, he did what God said.  So God made him strong and he won his battles against his enemies.  But then the strength and success went to his head. Arrogant and proud, he fell. One day, contemptuous of God, he walked into The Temple of God like he owned it and took over, burning incense on the Incense Altar, and was instantly struck by leprosy.  It was pride that caused the devil to fall like lightening from heaven and that’s how he deceives people in the world for he claimed, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God..I will be like the Most High”.  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  The pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world from the devil. It is a warning to all the rich of this world, that they be not proud over their prosperity, or rely on their  wealth, for their riches are unreliable and nothing compared to the living God. Trust instead in the One Who lavishes upon us all good things, fulfilling our every need.  Let’s not glory in our pride; all such glorying is of the devil.  So let’s humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt us in due time.  Amen!

The Mercy Seat of the Cross of Christ

 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The tax collector stood alone in a corner, away from the Holy Place, and covered his face in his hands, feeling that he was unworthy even to look up to God. Beating his breast, he sobbed with brokenness and tears saying, ‘God, please, in your mercy and because of the blood sacrifice, forgive me, for I am nothing but the most miserable of all sinners!’  The publican was in the temple toward the mercy seat when he truly repented and smote his breast as if he was saying to God, “Look at me as You look at the blood-sprinkled mercy seat.”  The same word ‘smote’ was a violent term written of Jesus as He was scourged before He went for His crucifixion, “And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and smote Him”.  The mercy seat was the place of transference of sin for forgiveness, of reconciliation between God and His people. As long as the blood was there on the mercy seat, God saw only the blood and accepted the people.  As Jesus bore mankind’s sins on the Cross, God saw only the Blood of Jesus, and forgave.  Only God sees the true repentance from the heart.  Let’s learn to truly repent and receive mercy and grace for the forgiveness of our sins.  Amen!

God Protects His People

 “Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

During those last days, after Amaziah had defected from God, they cooked up a plot against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he had to flee to Lachish. But they tracked him down in Lachish and killed him there.  Amaziah turned away from God and his end was tragic.  To those who trust God and are loyal to Him, He is our true help.  Our protection is only from the Lord, our Creator Who made the heavens and the earth. In the new covenant, our protection is to be in Christ because there is a war in the spiritual realm.  Though we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought, insisting it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.  Christ alone is our protection and our victory.  Amen!

Have Faith in God

 “and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests…And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭17‬:‭13‬, 14 & 16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The lepers shouted to Him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t You have mercy on us and heal us?” When Jesus stopped to look at them, He spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.” One of them, a Samaritan, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back and found Jesus, falling down at His feet and thanked Him over and over, saying to Him, “You are the Messiah.”  The lepers when they saw Jesus, addressed Him as “Master” for they saw that He had supernatural authority and power Who would heal them.  It was faith on their part to step out only on the word Jesus spoke to them.  They were to go to the priest, who would confirm their healing and declare them ceremonially clean and approved to go into the temple to worship God.  For a Samaritan man to return to give thanks to a Jew was indeed peculiar.  Since he likely had no “priest”, he turned to the only One he knew to be a priest for Him - Jesus Christ.  Let’s have faith in Jesus.  Amen!

Judgment Belongs to God Alone

 “And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭24‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then the Spirit of God moved Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest to speak up: “God’s word: Why have you deliberately walked away from God’s commandments? You can’t live this way! If you walk out on God, He’ll walk out on you.” But they worked out a plot against Zechariah, and with the complicity of the king—he actually gave the order!—they murdered him, pelting him with rocks, right in the court of The Temple of God.  Those who speak and act against God’s anointed servants and ministers come to a sad end.  Jesus spoke of the murder of Zechariah who served in God’s temple, “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.”  Let’s speak peace and not judge God’s servants, for judgment belongs to God alone.  Amen!

Only Believe that Jesus Rose from the Dead

 “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭31‬ ‭KJV

Jesus gave the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the poor beggar, when both died and the rich man was in hell and Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom.  Abraham said to the rich man, ‘If they wouldn’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither would they be convinced if someone were raised from the dead!’  That “Someone” is Jesus, Who rose from the grave, yet many will still not listen and believe.  Jesus removed the sin of the whole world and yet many find it hard to believe.  A child will believe but the older ones find it difficult.  Jesus said, “Mark this: Unless you accept God’s Kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”  There is only one life, and after that is the judgment.  Those who believe and are in Christ, have passed from judgment.  Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”  Amen!

Rejoicing in Restoration

 “And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭23‬:‭21‬ ‭KJV

This was a time of restoration in Judah as the temple and the land was corrupted all over by ungodly man-made images.  There was cleansing as the unclean was removed.  Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed—Athaliah had been killed; no more Athaliah terror.  When God created, He blessed day seven and made it special-an open time for pause and restoration, a sacred zone of Sabbath-keeping, because God rested from all the work He had done in creation that day.  The children of Israel went far away from God.  But God had the marvellous plan of sending His Son Jesus to bring the perfect restoration through His sacrifice.  Jesus Christ Who descended is also the One Who ascended above the heights of heaven, in order to begin the restoration and fulfillment of all things.  Our part is to rejoice, and aim for restoration by comforting one another, agreeing with one another, living in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with us.  Let’s bow down and worship Him for He is worthy.  Amen!

Each Repentant Heart is a Celebration to God

 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This was a parable of the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins.  Jesus used the woman in the parable as a metaphor for God.  Jesus shows the extraordinary value He places on every lost soul. Although the coin was lost, it never lost its value.  That’s the way God responds every time one lost sinner repents and turns to Him. He says to all His angels, ‘Let’s have a joyous celebration, for the one who was lost, I have found!’”  The silver coin had an image of Roman authority on it.  We have been stamped with the image of God.  Even when we are “lost” that image is still present, needing only to be “found” by grace and redeemed.  There is a glorious celebration in heaven over the rescue of one lost sinner who repents and turns to God through the Blood sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.  Hallelujah!

The Devil’s Future is in the Lake of Fire

 “And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭22‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬

Jehu, already at work, executing doom on the dynasty of Ahab, came upon the captains of Judah and Ahaziah’s nephews, part of the Ahaziah delegation, and killed them outright.  Jehu was Ahab’s army captain, an unlikely candidate whom God would choose to anoint through a prophet to fulfil God’s plan and destroy satan’s schemes.  God raised Jehu to restore order and execute vengeance on Ahab's house, even though Jehu came from within a corrupt system.  God is sovereign and omnipotent, provident in His Kingship, to reveal His freedom, goodness, righteousness, holiness, and impeccability, when He exercises His ruling power over creation.  The devil tries to stop God’s will to be done.  It was for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Jesus destroyed the works of the devil and then gave the authority to the Church to continue to proclaim the victory of the Cross through the preaching of the Gospel which is the power of God to salvation.  The devil is a defeated enemy whose end is in the lake of fire.  Amen!

Putting Jesus Above All

 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬ ‭KJV‬

Jesus taught, “When you follow Me as My disciple, you must put aside your father, your mother, your wife, your sisters, your brothers; it will even seem as though you hate your own life. This is the price you’ll pay to be considered one of My followers.”    Many are offended by this, but this is an Aramaic and Hebrew metaphor for putting Jesus above every other relationship.  Can the God of love, Who is love, ever ask to hate?  Jesus, the King of Love, here is not saying to hate, but to put aside every other relationship into second place. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 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. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and they who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.  Let’s know and believe the love that God has for us.  Amen!

Light & Darkness Are Never Together

 “Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David. Jehoram his son was the next king.  After Jehoshaphat, his son Jehoram became king with his sad life of turning away from God and worshipping other gods.  Jehoram was the king of Israel, Ahab’s son-in-law.  Jehoram’s wife turned his heart away from God.  In the new covenant, Scripture says, “Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives... Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for Myself.” That’s the Word of God.  Incase you married when you were not a believer, and then came to know Christ, God says, “..the unbelieving husband has been made holy by his believing wife. And the unbelieving wife has been made holy by her believing husband by virtue of his or her sacred union to a believer.”   Let’s take the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all these matters.  Amen!

Influencing Society & Culture for Christ

 “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus taught the parable, “God’s kingdom is like the smallest seed that one might plant in a garden. When it grows to a huge tree, with so many spreading branches that various birds make nests there.  To describe God’s kingdom, it is like something as small as yeast that a woman kneads into a large amount of dough. It works unseen until it permeates the entire batch and the loaf rises high.”  Jesus explains that God’s Kingdom begins small but it will expand, grow and mature.  People from every nation will come and “nest” in God’s Kingdom.  The prophet Ezekiel had already prophesied that God will plant the seed which will grow and put out branches and bear fruit and become a stately cedar tree. Every kind of bird will find a home in its branches and will make their nests.”  Something that is so small can impact and penetrate something great.  God’s Kingdom influence of virtue and truth brings transformation and impacts every culture and society around us. Amen!

The Battle Was Won at the Cross

 “and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your's, but God's.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then Jahaziel, the Levite of the Asaph clan, was moved by the Spirit of God to speak from the midst of the congregation. He said, “Attention everyone—all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat—God’s word: Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours”.  This happened in the old covenant, when the Spirit of God moved a person to prophesy.  Jehoshaphat believed God as spoken through Jahaziel, and led his army to victory.  In the new covenant, Jesus Christ has already defeated evil through the Cross. The battle has already been won.  For those who believe and have faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work, we are called to overcome evil with good and declare the victory of the Cross every time. For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.  Amen!

You Are Valuable to the Almighty God

 “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus was teaching to the multitudes, ‘What is the value of your soul to God? Could your worth be defined by any amount of money? God doesn’t abandon or forget even the small sparrow He has made. How then could He forget or abandon you? What about the seemingly minor issues of your life? Do they matter to God? Of course they do! So you never need to worry, for you are more valuable to God than anything else in this world.  The value that God places on each human is the Blood sacrifice of His Son by which we are redeemed.  God knows everything about every human being and yet He loves us.  All He wants is for us to believe in what Jesus did on the Cross.  Through His Blood, Christ redeemed us from the hands of satan; our sins are forgiven; He cleanses us now & continually from all sin; we have been justified before God; we have been made sanctified, holy & set apart for God; the devil is overcome and we are delivered from the power of darkness.  Amen!

Salvation is a Free Gift for All Mankind

 “Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭19‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

After the seer Jehu told king Jehoshaphat not to side with the ungodly, but to do what God says, “Live in the fear of God—be most careful, for God hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery”, he heeded Jehu’s prophecy and did wisely by treating all his people justly and God blessed him.  The blessing of salvation and righteousness towards God is now given to all mankind, through Jesus Christ, and not just for the Jews.  God offers the opportunity to receive blessings through salvation to all people, regardless of social status or nationality.  Let’s give this awesome good news to all, for God sees us all without partiality.  Let’s not keep it only to ourselves.  All spiritual blessings in heavenly places are for everybody.  Amen!

Unconditional Love Changes Hard Hearts

 “The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬ ‭KJV‬

Jesus spoke to the crowd, “Yes, the people of Nineveh will also rise up on the day of judgment to accuse and condemn this generation. For they all repented when they heard the preaching of Jonah, but you refuse to repent. Yet there is one greater than Jonah who is preaching to you today.”  Jonah was reluctant to speak to Israel’s enemies but just one sentence from him - to repent for in forty days they would all die - was enough to cause them to repent.  From the king to the least of them, even their animals, repented and were not destroyed!  The Ninevites were of Semitic origin, and though they were pagans, after the preaching of one prophet they converted.  The people of Israel had many prophets throughout their history, and the greatest Prophet of all was now preaching to them, yet they refused to listen.  Jesus says to love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully treat us.  It is the power of unconditional love that changes hearts and not vengeance.  Let’s practice the teachings of Jesus for in His words there is life.  Amen!

Building Others Up

 “Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab. And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

But even though Jehoshaphat was very rich and much honoured, he made a marriage alliance with Ahab of Israel. Some time later he paid a visit to Ahab at Samaria. Ahab celebrated his visit with a feast—a huge barbecue with all the lamb and beef you could eat. But Ahab had a hidden agenda; he wanted Jehoshaphat’s support in attacking Ramoth Gilead.  The trouble with riches and honour is that pride and selfishness are not far behind.  Jehoshaphat aligned himself with rebellious Ahab and that war ended with Ahab’s death and Jehoshaphat retreating.  In the new covenant agreeing with the Word of God and doing it, is true humility.  In the Body of Christ, Paul exhorts that nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Jesus showed this by His Life.  Amen!

Christ Stooped Down to Lift Us Up

 “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭33‬-‭35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Finally, another man, a Samaritan, came upon the bleeding man and was moved with tender compassion for him. He stooped down and gave him first aid, pouring olive oil on his wounds, disinfecting them with wine, and bandaging them to stop the bleeding. Lifting him up, he placed him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn. Then he took him from his donkey and carried him to a room for the night. The next morning he took his own money and gave it to the innkeeper with these words: ‘Take care of him until I come back from my journey. If it costs more than this, I will repay you when I return.’  Jews looked down on Samaritans as mixed racially.  So it was unlikely that a Samaritan would stop to help a Jew.  Jesus is our Good Samaritan Who stoops down to touch, heal, lift us up, carry us on our journey, and pay our debts.  He promises to return and reward those who do His will.  Amen!

The Riches of Christ’s Grace & Glory

 “And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God was on Jehoshaphat’s side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa’s early years. He didn’t fool around with the popular Baal religion—he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn’t like Israel. And God secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored.  In the new covenant, because we have received redemption through Jesus’s Blood and the forgiveness of sins, we now have the riches of His grace.  Also, we receive according to the riches of His  glory, strength with might by His Spirit in our inner being.  Our God meets all our needs according to the riches of His  glory in Christ Jesus.  Hallelujah!

Christ Our Sin-Bearer and Redeemer

 “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭51‬ ‭KJV‬

Jesus let nothing distract Him from departing for Jerusalem because the time for Him to be lifted up drew near, and He was full of passion to complete His mission there.  This refers to the Cross, where Jesus was lifted up on a tree to bear the sins of all humankind.  His exaltation into glory was through the sacrifice of His life on Calvary’s Cross.  Nothing would turn Him aside from being our Sin-Bearer and Redeemer.  For the mystery of righteousness is beyond all question! He was revealed as a human being, and as our great High Priest in the Spirit! Angels gazed upon Him as a Man and the glorious message of His Kingly rulership is being preached to the nations! Many have believed in Him and He has been taken back to heaven, and has ascended into the place of exalted glory in the heavenly realm. Yes, great is this mystery of righteousness!  Amen!

Surrendering to God is Trusting Him

 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Asa the king of Judah had depended on the LORD till he started relying on the king of Syria.  So the LORD sent the prophet Hanani to give Asa a message from God, “God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to Him.  You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.”  Trusting in the LORD with all our heart is what He requires, and not to lean on our own understanding.  In the new covenant, because of the salvation received through Christ, we know from the holy Scriptures that we have been given the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.  The Holy Spirit helps us to surrender to Him, so that the victory of the Cross is manifest through our lives.  Today our enemies are the spirit world that is defiant towards God, and our flesh. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ to overcome and be more than conquerors.  Amen!

Overcoming by the Power of the Cross

 “And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭55‬-‭56‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Instantly her spirit returned to her body and she stood up. Jesus directed her stunned parents to give her something to eat and ordered them to tell no one what just happened.  In this chapter alone are Jesus’s four great miracles.  The first is over nature, for He stilled the wind and the waves.  The second is over demons, for He cast out a legion of evil spirits.  The third is over disease, for He healed a haemorrhaging woman.  Lastly, over death, for He restored the life of this twelve year old girl.  Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, all have received the power of a forgiven and righteous life; the power to be delivered of demonic strongholds; the power of being healed from disease; and the power of the resurrection life within us.  By faith in this God-given power, we can move mountains, please and delight our God, and be overcomers through this victory that is given to us.  Amen!

Prophecy is for the Earthly Age

 “And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Asa heard the prophecy of Azariah son of Obed, took a deep breath, then rolled up his sleeves, and went to work: He cleaned out the obscene and polluting sacred shrines from the whole country of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He spruced up the Altar of God that was in front of The Temple porch.  Jesus fulfilled prophecy.  Whenever Jesus addressed the crowds, He always spoke in allegories. He never spoke without using parables. He did this to fulfill the prophecy: I will speak to you in allegories. I will reveal secrets that have been concealed since before the foundation of the world.  God has given prophets along with the fivefold ministry, to the Church, the Body of Christ, to equip and perfect it so that the fullness of Christ may dwell in it.  This is only for the earthly age of our time. Our present knowledge and our prophecies are but partial, but when love’s perfection arrives, the partial will fade away.  Love never fails nor passes away.  Amen!

Life & Immortality Came When Death was Abolished

 “And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬, ‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Shortly afterward, Jesus left on a journey to the village of Nain, with a massive crowd of people following him, and His disciples. When the Lord saw the grieving mother, His heart broke for her. With great tenderness He said to her, “Please don’t cry.” Then He stepped up to the coffin and touched it. When the pallbearers came to a halt, Jesus spoke directly to the corpse, “Young man, I say to you, arise and live!” Immediately, the young man moved, sat up, and Jesus presented the son to his mother, alive!  The Prince of Life was about to enter the gate of Nain when death came out.  There at the gates where life and death meet, life wins and death is defeated.  Just outside of Jerusalem one day, death and life meet again, and life won forevermore.  Jesus felt the deepest compassion for this widow at the loss of her only son, identifying with her grief and carrying her sorrow. Death has been abolished and life and immortality have come to light through Christ.  Amen!

God Always Gives Us Victory Through Christ

 “And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Then Asa prayed to God, “O God, You aren’t impressed by numbers or intimidated by a show of force once You decide to help: Help us, O God; we have come out to meet this huge army because we trust in You and Who You are. Don’t let mere mortals stand against You!” God defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah; the Ethiopians ran for their lives.  Asa, the king of Judah trusted in God and so he prayed and was not put to shame.  His ancestor David prayed such a prayer, “O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.” David triumphed over his enemies.  Paul also encouraged when he said, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  This is about the Lord Jesus Christ when Isaiah prophesied “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a Precious Cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.”  Let’s give thanks to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.   Amen!

Apostolic Passion

 “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬

After leaving the synagogue, Jesus went into the high hills to spend the whole night in prayer to God. At daybreak, he called together all of his followers and selected twelve from among them, and he appointed them to be his apostles.  Before Jesus made important decisions and before great events in His life, it was His pattern to seek the Father.  Once He saw what the Father wanted, Jesus obeyed as the perfect Son.  So Jesus said, “I speak to you eternal truth. The Son is unable to do anything from Himself or through His own initiative. I only do the works that I see the Father doing, for the Son does the same works as His Father.”  Then He chose the twelve apostles who are the “sent ones”.  They were all different in their personalities and came from different backgrounds.  The people Jesus chooses today don’t all look, act or sound alike.  The first ministry that Jesus established was the apostolic.  May we seek our Father to see exactly what He wants and then to do it, with an apostolic passion.  Amen!

Trusting God Brings Victory

 “Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The army of Israel fell flat on its face—a humiliating defeat. The army of Judah won hands down because they trusted God, the God of their ancestors.  This was one people, one country under God who became divided.  Those who trusted in God and relied upon Him, defeated the others who trusted not in God.  Jesus, just before He was betrayed, comforted His disciples, “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.”  That is why through Christ we have come to trust in God. And we have placed our faith and hope in God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory.  We confess as the prophet Isaiah said, “I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory."  Amen!

Only Christ Has the Lawful Authority to Forgive Sins for all Mankind

 “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said, “To prove to you all that I, the Son of Man, have the lawful authority on earth to forgive sins, I say to you now, stand up! Carry your stretcher and go on home, for you are healed.”  Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man many times.  Daniel had a vision where he saw the Ancient of Days and walking before the Ancient of Days was One like the Son of Man Who would be given the right to judge the world.  “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.”  Calling Himself the Son of Man was Jesus’s claim to heavenly authority.  It was more of an exalted and heavenly concept than being a human, the “son of a man.”  When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, Am?”  Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Let that be our confession that Jesus, the Son of Man is the Son of God.  Amen!

Being Humble and Patient

 “Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous. And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The leaders of Israel and the king were repentant and said, “God is right.” When God saw that they were humbly repentant, the word of God came to Shemaiah: “Because they are humble, I’ll not destroy them—I’ll give them a break; I won’t use Shishak to express my wrath against Jerusalem.“  It is always good to learn patience and humility from a young age.  If Rehoboam had learned it young, he would have avoided the break up of Israel.  But learn humility, he did.  His own father had said that by humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.  Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself to become the Son of Man.  He is our Cornerstone on which we are built to be His Temple.  Jesus told the haughty Pharisees, “Everyone who falls in humility upon that Stone will be broken. But if that Stone falls on you, it will grind you to pieces!”  Let’s be humble and repentant before God lest He grinds to pieces those who are proud before Him.  Amen!

Being Proved by Testing

 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV

From the moment of His baptism, Jesus overflowed with the Holy Spirit. He was taken by the Spirit from the Jordan into the wilderness of Judea to experience for forty days the ordeal of testing by the accuser. He ate no food during this time and ended His forty-day fast very hungry.  The Holy Spirit’s leading is not always into comfort and ease.  The Spirit may lead us, as He did Jesus, into places where we will be proven, tested, and strengthened for our future ministry.  After Jesus’s greatest affirmation from heaven came a great time of testing.  This test was more than proving that Jesus could overcome this ordeal.  It proved that satan was defeated by Christ’s appearing.  Jesus’s baptism and the forty day of wilderness temptations that followed evoke parallels with the historical narrative of the Hebrew exodus through the Red Sea and the forty years of wilderness testing.  As the living Word used the written Word against satan, so we need the revelation of what has been written to stand against satan, the enemy of our soul.  Amen!

Love is Obeying God

 “Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam. And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The prophet told the king, “This is God’s word: Don’t march out; don’t fight against your brothers the Israelites. Go back home, every last one of you; I’m in charge here.” And they did it; they did what God said and went home.  Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem but built up a defense system for Judah all around.  After a haughty spirit comes the fall, and Rehoboam corrected himself by obeying God.  Jerusalem remained the capital and Rehoboam didn’t fight with the remaining tribes who separated themselves.  When there is true repentance and correction, the outcome is obedience to the Word of God.  The Lord Jesus Christ showed this by example that He was a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered.  Because of that obedience, God exalted Him and multiplied His greatness! He has now been given the greatest Name of all!  Let’s love our brothers and sisters, the children of God, and have a passionate love for God by obedience to His commands.  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands, which is that we walk in love.  Amen!

Repentance, Baptism & New Life

 “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

John the Baptist spoke to the multitudes who came to hear him, “Then turn away from your sins, turn to God, and let your changed life be proof. Don’t think for a moment that it’s enough to simply be the favored descendants of Abraham. That’s not enough to save you. I’m telling you, God could make more sons of Abraham out of stones if he chose to!”  God values reformation over ritual.  John’s ministry was to prepare people for the appearing of Jesus Christ through repentance and baptism.  Repentance breaks open the heart and changes our attitudes toward God.  Baptism was a burial of those who repented, preparing them for the germination of Christ coming to live within by the new birth.  Repentance and baptism was a prophetic fulfilment.  “I will sprinkle purifying water over you, and you will be cleansed from all the filth of your past. I will wash you clean from the defilement of worshiping false gods. I will graciously give you a new, tender heart and put a new, willing spirit inside you. I will remove your hard heart of stone and give you an obedient, responsive heart instead.”  Thank God for the new life it brings us to.  Amen!

Arrogance Fails but Love Wins Every Time

 “And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭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!”  Arrogance of those who govern always ends in hate and division.  The result of Rehoboam’s arrogance was that the kingdom was divided and broke into two.  Thankfully, in the new covenant, Jesus has destroyed this work of the devil, through the power of love.  That’s why love is patient, love is kind. Love isn't envious, doesn't boast, brag, or strut about. There's no arrogance in love.  Through the power of Jesus’s Blood, we are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  We are on the winning side and we speak the truth of Christ’s glorious Gospel in love.  Amen!

The Apostle and High Priest of our Confession

 “And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭42‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When Jesus turned twelve, his parents took him to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, as was their custom.  At the age of twelve, a boy was called by the Jews a “son of the law”.  The number twelve in Scripture is linked to God’s perfect administration and our human alignment to it.  God’s family of Israel was made up of twelve tribes, the twelve sons of Jacob.  Jesus chose twelve apostles.  There are twelve months in the yearly cycle.  There are twenty four (twelve times two) elders around God’s Throne.  Jesus coming into the house of God at age twelve points to the perfect alignment He had with His Father as the Apostle of our faith.  Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.  Amen!

Let All See Christ in Us

 “Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.””

‭‭II Chronicles‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The queen of Sheba had heard of king Solomon’s splendour but when she came and saw for herself, she was awed with the majesty of everything and blessed the God of Israel, “And blessed be your God who has taken such a liking to you, making you king. Clearly, God’s love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people.”  Now the greater One than Solomon dwells in us Who is the King of kings and may everyone see Christ in us, the hope of glory.  There is a divine mystery—a secret surprise that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it’s being manifested for every holy believer to experience. Living within us is the Christ, the Perfect One, Who floods us with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ is a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for His  people, and God wants everyone to know it! Christ is our message to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth. Let every one see that Christ dwells in us and magnify our God just as the queen of Sheba did.  Amen!

God Perfectly Expressed Himself in Christ

 “even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Luke says, “Several eyewitness biographies have already been written, using as their source material the good news preached among us by Christ’s early disciples, who were from the beginning loving servants of the Living Expression. Now I am passing on to you this accurate compilation of my own meticulous investigation based on numerous eyewitness interviews.”  Luke included the eyewitnesses who were the prophetic carriers of the promise.  Jesus Christ is the eternal Word, the creative Word and the Word made visible - the divine self-expression of all that God is, contains, and reveals in incarnated flesh.  Just as we express ourselves in words, God has perfectly expressed Himself in Christ.  God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, through Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, upholds all things by the Word of His power. Amen!

God’s Peace and Worldly Peace

 “As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel, but of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites—all non-Israelites), survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of slave labor. The policy is in effect today.  Solomon was at peace with all his surrounding neighbours and allowed non-Israelites to stay in Israel, and they did peacefully.  True peace is only through the Lord Jesus Christ, Who said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”    The peace that Jesus gives is the true, everlasting heart peace for those who believe in Christ’s death and resurrection.  This opens up for us to lead a victorious life.  The God of peace Who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the everlasting covenant, makes us complete in every good work to do His will, working in us what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Walking in the Supernatural

 “they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus told His disciples before He ascended, that they were to bring the Gospel to everyone with signs and wonders in Jesus’s Name, “They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”  They will pick up snakes and be unharmed, and whatever poison they drink will not hurt them.  These are two Aramaic idioms.  To pick up snakes is a picture of overcoming one’s enemies (“snakes”), and drinking poison speaks of dealing with attack on one’s character (poisonous words).  As the psalmist says, “You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.”  Our immediate reaction to snakes and to drinking poison, in the natural, is to recoil.  But as we meditate on God’s Word and abide in it, we realise that we are supernatural.  We are not only a disciple of Christ, we are now in Christ by faith.  Just by believing, we are now supernatural as we put God’s Word into practice.  Help us Lord, to walk in the supernatural by faith that pleases You.  Amen!

Humility is Aligning Your Thoughts to the Word of God

 “if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”                  ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God told king Solomon, after he had finished consecrating the Temple, “and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health.”  With God humility is so priority.  Humbling ourselves would be getting rid of our own opinions and aligning our thoughts with the Word of God.  Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour showed by example.  He existed in the form of God, yet He gave no thought to seizing equality with God as His supreme prize.  Instead He emptied Himself of His outward glory by reducing Himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled Himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in His death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! Because of that obedience, God exalted Him and multiplied His greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the Name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Amen!

The Cross Removed Sin for All Mankind

 “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Because he wanted to please the people, Pilate released Barabbas to them. After he had Jesus severely beaten with a whip made of leather straps and embedded with metal, he sentenced Him to be crucified.  This was a tortuous beating with a leather whip that had sharp pieces of bone and metal at the end of its lashes, designed to inflict severe pain.  The Jewish death penalty was by stoning.  It was the Roman practice to crucify only rebellious slaves and the worst of criminals.  To have Jesus crucified was not only the fulfilment of prophecy but also of Jesus’s own words concerning the mode of His death, which would not have been fulfilled by stoning.  Jesus told His disciples, “From this moment on, everything in this world is about to change, for the ruler of this dark world will be overthrown. And I will do this when I am lifted up off the ground and when I draw the hearts of people to gather them to Me.”  It is the mercy and goodness of God that Jesus Christ took the punishment of sin for all humanity.  Through His crucifixion, sin that separates us from God, was obliterated.  Let’s believe the Word of God with all our heart.  Amen!

The Greatness of Christ in Us

 “Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.  But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬, 18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Solomon prayed, “You’ll always have a descendant to represent my rule on Israel’s throne, on the one condition that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have.” Why, the cosmos itself isn’t large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I’ve built.”  Solomon knew the greatness and wisdom of God, that nothing on earth can contain God.  Thank God for His Son Jesus, on David’s throne forever.  Because through the Cross He came to dwell in us.  We are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us wisdom from God, revealing His plan of salvation; and righteousness, making us acceptable to God; and sanctification, making us holy, setting us apart for God; and redemption, providing our ransom from the penalty for sin.  Greater wisdom and power than Solomon - Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God to us.  Amen!

We are Now in the Kingdom of God

 “Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬ ‭KJV‬

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the day comes when we drink it together in the kingdom feast of my Father.”  We are now in the realm of the Kingdom of God.  The Holy Spirit brings us into the Body of Christ and into the reality of God’s Kingdom realm.  It is growing and increasing in scope, and every time believers drink of the cup of communion, Jesus is present with us.  It is the Lord’s Table not ours.  This is a prophecy of what would happen in just a matter of days from then, as believers would break bread together in remembrance of what Jesus had done for them.  Their hearts were mutually linked to one another, sharing communion and coming together regularly for prayer.  Jesus now drinks it with us in a new way, and not just once a year at Passover, but every time we worship Him by taking communion.  Amen!

Carrying God’s Glory

 “so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When the priest finished dedicating, a billowing cloud filled The Temple of God. The priests couldn’t even carry out their duties because of the cloud—the glory of God!—that filled The Temple of God.  The glory of God is His Presence.  In the new covenant we, the believers - the Body of Christ - are the Temple of God and Christ dwells in us, the Spirit of glory and of God is on us. If anyone defiles the Temple of God, God will destroy him. For the Temple of God is holy, which Temple we are. The glory of God is so powerful that the priests couldn’t stand to minister.  Today, we carry the glory of God, for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.  As kings and priests we minister to those who need the power and glory of God.  Let every knee bow down to the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen!

Be Not Deceived

 “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what supernatural sign should we expect to signal your coming and the completion of this age?” Jesus answered, “At that time deception will run rampant. So beware that you’re not fooled! For many will appear on the scene claiming my authority or saying about themselves, ‘I am God’s Anointed,’ and they will lead many astray.”  In the Hebrew mindset, the end of days is a transition to the new age of the Messiah’s coming that would restore all things.  Jesus spoke this only to the disciples and not to the multitudes.  Those who have a relationship with the resurrected Christ, whose sins are forgiven; who walk in righteousness and holiness; who abide in His Word and are led by the Spirit of God, will not ever be deceived.  There is much deception, for the devil, a defeated foe, knows his limited time and he goes about deceiving many.  Let’s fight the good fight of faith proclaiming the truth of the Gospel that sets people free, and declaring the victory of the Cross of our Lord Jesus.  Amen!

Living In Genuine Heart Peace

 “And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Huram, king of Tyre, also made ash buckets, shovels, and bowls. And that about wrapped it up: Huram completed the work he had contracted to do for King Solomon.  Because of David’s friendship with him, Huram did for Solomon, David’s son, the best that he could.  The best of cedars and cypress trees were used, provided for by the Tyrians, made into rafts and sent by sea to where Solomon desired.  Such was the favour of God upon the building of the Temple of God, that there was much cooperation and peace.  When we work together for the work of God, there is genuine heart peace, not made through treaties or diplomatic negotiations.  Because of Jesus instituting the new covenant through His death, burial and resurrection, the Body of Christ, is called to live in peace.  This is the heart peace that comes from loving and obeying God our Father.  This peace comes from Christ ruling in our hearts. For as members of one Body we are called to live in peace, and to always be thankful. So, while we wait for the day of the Lord, let’s work hard to live in peace, without flaw or blemish.  Amen!

Anointed Truths of the Anointed One

 “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭34‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When Jesus noticed how thoughtfully and sincerely the man answered, he said to him, “You’re not far from the reality of God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to question him again.  Jesus tells the man that God’s Kingdom realm is within reach.  It is a present reality, not just a far-off concept.  Here, the religious scholars (scribes) are mentioned a number of times.  Earlier, it was a religious scholar who questioned Jesus’s authority, and another religious scholar questioned Jesus’s interpretation of Scripture.  Here, Jesus shows that they had taught a theology without knowing the reality of Christ, the Messiah.  Each teaching needs to be weighed by the reality of Christ, not the traditions of men.  Let’s beware that no one distracts us or intimidates us in their attempt to lead us away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One.  Amen!

Pillars in the New Jerusalem Temple of God

 “And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭3‬:‭17 KJV

He placed the pillars in front of The Temple, one on the right, and the other on the left. The right pillar he named Jakin (Security) and the left pillar he named Boaz (Stability).  Our belief is in Christ Who is our Rock against Whom the gates of hell cannot prevail. The  Church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of this truth.  Jesus told John, “I Am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of My God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the Name of My God, and they will be citizens in the city of My God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from My God. And I will also write on them My new Name.”  Let’s overcome and be the pillars of the Church as we await Christ’s coming soon.  Amen!

God-like Faith

 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus replied, “Let the faith of God be in you! Listen to the truth I speak to you: Whoever says to this mountain with great faith and does not doubt, ‘Mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the midst of the sea,’ and believes that what he says will happen, it will be done.”  God-like faith does not doubt or be divided in the heart.  Mountains in the Bible can refer to kingdoms, and the sea to the nations (sea of humanity).  Faith lifts up and brings with us the “mountain” of God’s Kingdom realm when we go into the nations.  This truth is what Jesus brings us, the active power of faith to take and carry the power and authority of the mountain - God’s Kingdom realm - with us wherever we go.  That’s why Jesus said that all authority has been given to Him and to go and make disciples.  Let’s believe and obey Jesus and make disciples.  Amen!

Wisdom is the Principal Thing

 “Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬

Huram, the king of Tyre wrote on, “Blessed be the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, and who gave King David a son so wise, so knowledgeable and shrewd, to build a temple for God and a palace for himself.”  This king was a friend of king David and he continued his friendship with David’s son, king Solomon.  Till Solomon chose to walk in godly wisdom, he succeeded so much that people admired him and came from all over to see this.  Today, the One greater than Solomon has come and made a new covenant with us giving us freely of the mighty Holy Spirit Who gives us wisdom from God.  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, let’s get wisdom; and with all our getting, get understanding.  So let’s be very careful how we live, not being like those with no understanding, but living honourably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Let’s take full advantage of every day as we spend our life for His purposes. Let’s not live foolishly for then we will have discernment to fully understand God’s will.  Amen!

God Perfects Praise Out of the Mouth of Babes

 “And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The parents kept bringing their little children to Jesus so that He would lay His hands on them and bless them. But the disciples kept rebuking and scolding the people for doing it.  This displeased Jesus so much that He rebuked them.  Jesus touched them, as He blessed each one, for this laying on of His hands was an importation of blessing.  Jesus sees each child as important and individual.  Parents should always bring their children to be blessed by Jesus.  The disciples were unable to see people as Jesus sees them.  Jesus goes on to explain, “These children are at the very centre of life in the Kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s Kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”  As David said, “Yahweh, our Sovereign God, Your glory streams from the heavens above, filling the earth with the majesty of Your Name! People everywhere see Your splendor. You have built a stronghold by the songs of children. Strength rises up with the chorus of infants. This kind of praise has power to shut satan’s mouth. Childlike worship will silence the madness of those who oppose You.”  Let’s become as a child in loving and worshipping our Father in heaven.  Amen!

The Power of God’s Love in Christ

 “wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

God told Solomon, “Because of this, you get what you asked for—wisdom and knowledge. And I’m presenting you the rest as a bonus—money, wealth, and fame beyond anything the kings before or after you had or will have.”  This is a shadow of what God’s will is for the Church.  As king, Solomon was given wisdom and knowledge to rule well; in addition he got riches, wealth and honour.  In the new covenant with the Church, through this covenant relationship, God has made us kings and priests of His Kingdom and by Christ’s Blood we are joint heirs with Jesus.  When the Church was birthed at Pentecost, the mighty Holy Spirit was given to the Church.  With Him, we received wisdom, knowledge and power for those who are led by the Holy Spirit.  All this is to establish God’s Kingdom realm on earth as it is in heaven.  This Kingdom is established in the power of love and not of hate and violence.  Our war is not against people, but against the spiritual evil enemy of God and his cohorts whom Jesus defeated through the Cross and destroyed his works.  We have victory through the Blood of Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah!

The Church Moving in Power to Establish God’s Kingdom

 “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here now who won’t experience death until they see God’s kingdom realm manifest with power!”  After six days, Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, Jacob and John, and hiked up a high mountain to be alone. And Jesus’ appearance was dramatically altered, for He was transfigured before their very eyes!  The manifestation of the power of God’s Kingdom realm could be seen in three dimensions.  First, the Kingdom power of God was seen in Jesus’s transfiguration and the appearing of Moses and Elijah on the mountain.  Then, Jesus’s resurrection and ascension into glory inaugurated a new era of God’s Kingdom power.  Thirdly, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which brought the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ, and extended God’s Kingdom realm to all the earth.  May we, the Church, move in God’s power to extend His Kingdom on earth.  Amen!