It's Harvest Time!

Resurrection Sunday 2023

Passover—Ex 12:5 w/ out blemish undefiled

Unleavened bread—1 Corinthians 5:6-7-a little leaven, purge out the old for Christ our Passover

First- fruits— Leviticus 23:10-11 wave offering of the sheaf 2L/harvest/type of a tithe

Pentecost—

Its Harvest Time!

Harvest/resurrection        [This world is hostile to the seed of the gospel]

• Matt 13:1-5 parable of the sower- [fowls, stones, thorns]— man look, there is all kind of stuff against you but what are you going to do sit back and let the devil has his way? — He wants to produce a harvest in you—starts w the seed

• 1 Cor 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, God gives the increase- Lord of the harvest, neither he that plants nor he who waters is anything but God that gives the increase, he that plants and he that waters are one, every man shall receive his reward, we are laborers together with God, you are the field of God               Col 4:12 Epaphras [lovely]—fellow prisoner labours fervently in prayer for you

• Matt 9:38 The harvest is plentiful, the laborers few—Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth laborers                           Spectators many—gate wide, way broad-gate straight, way narrow

• Matt 3:11-12 the fan is in His hand- it requires wind to winnow, the grain is in the barn, the chaff burned up.                                        What does it mean to winnow grain?

He didn’t just resurrect—He is the Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept—the firstfruits  Jesus, it’s ripening-harvest time

                Martha your brother will rise again—I believe in the last day…Resurrection

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live— He raised Lazarus from the dead, before He raised from the dead, because he wanted to help them believe— if you let Him in, He will prove Himself to you, He will live in you, Resurrection will enter your heart

Believing in the resurrection is essential to the faith. You can’t be a believer if you don’t believe in the resurrection

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved-say it-I believe you died, believe u rose

Understand that this is a temporary life, we can spend it on temporary pleasures or we can plan on being resurrected to eternal life—free will choice

Okay, but talk to me about now- Power of Resurrection! Romans 8:11

Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:-Philippians 3:10-11 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

There is hope in Resurrection power when things look dead

Job 14:7-9

7 “For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. 8 “Though its roots grow old in the ground And its stump dies in the dry soil,9 At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant.

Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

Jericho--A Forgotten Stronghold

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Promise— Gen 17

Egypt— world— Passover

Red Sea— salvation/baptism—crossing over into new life

Wilderness— struggle with the [flesh] after salvation

Gilgal— rolled away the reproach/ circumcision— getting right— they had been walking in

Jordan—cross from defeat to victory Joshua 3:3-6 the priests and the are ark lead the way

Jericho— the enemies stronghold attempting to prevent access into the promise

Canaan/ Israel— Promised Land- God’s promises individual victory/ our church the promises God has given

Joshua 5:4

This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way after they came out of Egypt.

Joshua 5:5. Joshua tells them to sanctify themselves and then circumcises the new generation the people of God can’t move into the promises by walking in the flesh

For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

Joshua 5:6 They did not trust the Lord could give them the promise

For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey."’

Joshua 5:7 The first act of disobedience led to another act of disobedience

Their children whom He raised up in their place, Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them along the way.

Demonic lies Casting down-demolish (literally or figuratively): — cast (pull, put, take) down, destroy.

Strongholds— a fortress/argument or reasoning that fortifies an opinion against opponent, lie stands against God

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 imaginations— a reasoning that is hostile to the faith

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down- imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Ephesians 6:11-12

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:13                                                                                              Resist/oppose

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:14.      Joint participation

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

A principle in God’s word

Matthew 13:14-15 ESV

14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

wax gross 2; to make thick, to make fat, fatten metaph. to make stupid (to render the soul dull or callous)

Hebrews tells us that the original rebels never made it in. Their bones dried up in the Sinai sun. I don’t know about you, but I’d not want that to be my testimony (Hebrews 4:1-7)

DISTRACTIONS: Blockers of the Blessing

Luke 10:38-42 NASB

Martha and Mary

38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

We don’t really learn much about Mary from this story alone, but the scripture has certainly enlightened us to what’s going on in Martha’s life:

She was distracted— she had work to do; after all, somebody has to do the work. The KJV uses the word serving instead of preparations, interesting because it’s the same Greek word used to describe how Stephen the martyr and Phillip got started in Ministry. The word in the Greek is διακονία and it’s where we get our English word deacon.

KJV Cumbered, anxious and troubled

Cumbered—dragged all around, dragged away, driven mentally, over occupied, just too busy about a thing

Careful/ anxious—to be troubled with cares, seeking to promote one’s interests

Troubled—τυρβάζω tyrbazō; to make “turbid”, i.e. disturb: — trouble. to be troubled in mind, disquieted

1 Peter 5:7  [Concern/interest (Matt 10:29-31)]

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

To throw cast upon. Anxiety                   2 sparrows, hairs, value > many sparrows

Philippians 4:6-7. [sacrifice] a place set apart/suitable.     Penury>need/hunger vs self suf

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. My life is full of anxiety & turbidity Robert is a giver Does it say make your requests known to Robert or God?

Isaiah 26:3 (mountain of the Lord perfect peace to the one whose mind is stayed upon Him And that is where I transition from Martha to Mary)

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, (Unbelief)

whose mind is stayed on thee: the mind must be stayed upon Him (it cannot be Him & ?…)

because he trusteth in thee.

Luke 10:42 ESV

but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Truth for your life

There is one thing necessary: but I have clothes to do, dishes to wash, the kids have to be bathed, I have to drive them to school, I’m single, I’m not married, I don’t have any help, or the husband I do have doesn’t help— side note: There are a lot of distractions in our lives that were never God’s will. His word is so clear in so many areas, and we blatantly ignore it, and do our own will and then ask Him to bless it. That’s not how it works church. It works like this: we seek His will through His word and prayer, we submit to His will, where we’ve transgressed His will, we repent and then He sends refreshing and healing and provision and guidance moving forward.

We can get mad or we can receive the word of the Lord and recognize the areas  of our lives where we have been in rebellion against God.

Let us understand this: many people make decisions that will affect their lives for years, one example is to have children outside of God’s prescribed order. Is the child beautiful yes, until they hit two and they start talking and acting out in rebellion and you thought changing diapers was hard. What about raising a child that won’t end up perishing in hell church? What about that? Well, if their daddy would help… You don’t need their daddy’s help. You need your Father to help their daddy. You need your Father to help you. You need your Father to help your children. How do I do that? The world says smoking pot is the answer, taking Xanax, depression medicine, don’t do it by finding another man to have another baby with— those things are distractions, they prevent you from hearing the voice of God. Those things will deceive you into thinking that you’re okay. You’re not okay if you are living in sin! Then what do I do?

You cast your cares on Him! God wants to turn it around. He wants to work in your favor, but He requires something. Listen to me closely, He requires something from you it’s called repentance. He wants you to quit blaming everyone else around you and take responsibility for your rebellion against His word, and He wants you to choose the good portion and to sit at His feet and drink the cup from His hand lean against Him and breathe, feel His heart beat. He wants you to choose the good portion, so what is the good portion that Mary chose?

She chose the River of anointing that was flowing out of Jesus. We weren’t there, but Jesus was in the house, He was speaking, anointing flowing from heaven, oil flowing from His lips and her soul longs for this, and Martha is right there distracted, in the very same geographical space but distracted. You are in here and some of you are tuned in and God is saying something that can help you and you will receive His word and it will help you, and then some of you are distracted—always looking at the phone, a turbid mind with a thousand different worries, cares and concerns.

That’s Martha, she misses her moment of visitation, she chooses something else, something other than the good portion, and the result is that lusts of the flesh manifest: envy, frustration, jealousy, irritation— Jesus ain’t taking this away from Mary girl. He will take away that ugly that’s all over you right now if you let Him, but He will not take this away from Mary, for this is why He came!

The work of the ministry

The presence and anointing of the Lord will always draw attention and a crowd. Once the crowd arrives, there is always work to do. When Jesus is present, people will be present and where there are people, there are Ministry needs. Martha is serving, she is doing διακονία, so she’s trying to do good, she’s trying to serve God, but everything she’s doing is in the flesh, it’s in her own strength, there’s no anointing on this effort, and so we have these two examples of response to the presence and ministry towards the Lord: one scurries and flits around, distracted, irritated, frustrated, can’t really get much done, because she’s consumed with busy work and it only produces jealousy towards others. The other one sits at His feet and receives the oil of His presence, a time of preparation and filling for the purpose of pouring out, later she will return to His feet and bring the oil she saved and pour it back upon Him. That’s work for the Lord, that’s the Spirit of God (Jn 12:1-3 fragrance filled; Mk 14:3-9 alabaster box).

This kind of love, devotion and ministry is not for women only. I have seen this type of love written in God’s word, words from David’s pen, popping off the pages, words that will warm the coldest of hearts and bring tears to the driest of eyes. Most of these Psalms of desperation that cry out and long for God’s presence were written by King David when he was running for his life, and far away from the house of God!

Psalms 42:1-3

1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

Psalms 63:1-4

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

Psalms 143:6-7

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. 7 Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Psalms 43:4-5

4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Maybe the difference between Mary and David is that this is her first time there [in the presence of God] whereas, David has been there. He’s been in the field seeking, writing singing and experiencing the presence of God. He’s been in the temple. Now, he’s on the run. He can’t get to the temple where God’s presence is located. He longs for it. He’s thirsty, he’s hungry

The proper version of a Christian life and servant of God, is a working Martha whose work is an overflow from praise, it’s a pound of spikenard, perfume of praise that comes out out of the overflow of time spent in His presence like Mary.

The Testimony of Jesus: The Spirit of Prophecy

Revelation 19:5-10

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy         

Principle Point

This depicts the end. Blessed are the saints of God who trusted in the testimony of the Lamb. The bride of Christ accepted the marriage proposal. How does one get married to God? Through salvation. (In God’s eyes, a bride is faithful and a harlot is not), in this scene, she is pure. Her garment is white and she celebrates victory with her King.

The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy

When put to canvas, the Spirit of prophecy paints the visual story of Jesus, the strokes applied with the writers quill written over thousands of years, painted through the mouths of multiple prophets, at various times, but all taking their turn to produce the work that is— THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS! The first prophecy of the testimony of Jesus comes from God Himself:

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The rebellion of sin caused devastation for man, the spirit of prophecy provides the solution that his dying spirit needs. Man rebelled, but the source of the rebellion was the serpent, and this prophecy is directed towards towards the serpent. The serpent’s rebellion started long before the garden story, so we must understand that the spirit of prophecy will find its fulfillment in God’s judgement of the fallen angels that rebelled against God before the earth was ever created. God’s plan includes man. He will defeat the angelic rebellion using man as a conduit. When we declare this truth, we preach the kingdom of God. We preach God’s victory over evil and God’s salvation offered to man. God, prophesied that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

The spirit of prophecy will soon find its fulfillment, this age will soon find its end. The Spirit of prophecy was for this time, for these times to prepare God’s people for service, to enlighten them to His plan.  We are the church of the (the last days). The spirit of prophecy finds it’s fulfillment in us. Moses prophesied about [us] church:

Numbers 11:27-29

God has loved/love

…Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest [God’s moving in other churches-praise God]thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

1500 years before the day of Pentecost, the spirit of prophecy, used Moses’ mouth to foretell the day that the Spirit of God would pour out His Spirit upon  the blood bought church, so that all God’s people could have the Spirit on them and so that all God’s people could be prophets, and what is their message— the blood of the Lamb that sets people free from sin, the Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the one— look no further for truth—Pilate-He is Truth!

John 18:38

Spirit of Elijah— important concept to this message

God’s people Israel were living in rebellion, king Ahab married a woman named Jezebel. Jezebel seduced God’s people and moved them away from God, she gave them Satan’s favorite religion truth intermixed with lies. Her name becomes associated with harlotry through the rest of the Bible, her spirit seduces believers away from God. If Elijah represents the spirit of prophecy, Jezebel represents the spirit of harlotry, and the war wages. The harlot and the beast are the dragon’s plan for His final deception against God.

At the time of Elijah, accompanied with great signs and wonders, God used the prophets mouth to force His people to choose how long will you limp- choose who you will serve; the God Jezebel served or the God of Elijah— the time of playing games was over.

2 Kings 2:9-15 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

I have been praying, but I believe that it’s been more of a prophetic declaration: for this church, but also for His church— God allow the mantle of Elijah to fall upon us, and that we would receive a double portion anointing of Elisha because God is just getting started and the spirit of prophecy has been moving forward through the ages of human history for such a Time as this!

The Bible tells us that the spirit of Elijah was the spirit that rested on John the Baptist.

Malachi 4:5– last prophet

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

And after Malachi Nothing – – 400 years of prophetic silence.

After 400 years of silence, the angel of the Lord comes when Zacharias is burning incense in the temple and tells him that he and Elizabeth will have a child, and this is what the angel says about John:

Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

How many times have we heard the story throughout the scriptures of supernatural birth? Abraham and Sarah too old, Zachariah and Elizabeth too old, Jesus born of a virgin and for the Christian, new birth in Christ. Zacharias doesn’t  believe it because of their age, and his mouth is silenced until John the Baptist, his child is born. At this point, the Spirit of prophecy returns and Zechariah’s, mouth is opened and he begins to prophesy Jesus

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 71 That we should be saved from our enemies,and from the hand of all that hate us;     [Jezebel hates God’s people]

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,  

Gen 22:16 By myself I have sworn

18 Because you have obeyed my voice

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, [he said it to John, I’m saying it to you] shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways** 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring [dawn/hope of light]from on high hath visited us, 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And so he did, and so we will, John the Baptist prophesied and his message was.

Luke 3:3-4 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4 As it is written in the book of the words of

In the Spirit of Elijah and the message of Malachi and Isaiah and the voice of the Lord now will say: you [us, today’s church]will be a voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The world and the governments that were in power hated his message. The Jezebel spirit of antichrist hates this prophetic voice and will stop at nothing to shut its mouth Herodius— Herod’s wife deceitfully asked for John’s head severed and served on a silver platter.

But the true king fulfilled his prophetic mission. He went to the cross, and there he offered his sinless life in the place of sinful man. His sinless sacrifice produced a sweet smelling savor in the nostrils of God, because it was salvation For all mankind. Three days later, he rose from the dead, the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. And 50 days later, in that upper room, the Holy Spirit descended in cloven tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost, and a revival broke out that changed the world as we know it.

                              Peter’s voice of prophecy: Acts 2:17-18

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Elijah’s mantle is falling on this house. Elisha’s double portion anointing is being poured upon this house

AND SO IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING AND SO IT SHALL BE AT THE END. THE LORD HAS SPOKEN, AND HE SHALL NOT LIE. ELIJAH‘S MANTLE IS FALLING ON THIS HOUSE. ELISHA‘S DOUBLE PORTION ANOINTING HAS BEEN POURED UPON THIS HOUSE, AND NOT HERE ONLY, BUT ALL ACROSS THIS EARTH. THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH, THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY THAT IS SENT TO CONFRONT THE SPIRIT OF JEZEBEL – – THAT MANTLE IS BEGINNING TO FALL. ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING WHAT I’M SAYING CHURCH? ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING HERE?

Moses’ prophecy will come to pass on God’s people  “I would that all God’s people would be prophets and that the Holy Spirit would be upon them.

Conclusion

Now, He is seated on His throne. He is at the right hand of the Father. He is making intercession for us, but soon, He will stand.

He will stand up in preparation to mount His white stallion.

I see Him there is no look of joy on his face when I see Him. There is a moment before he gets into the saddle. He’s standing by maybe holding the horses reigns, in His other hand is the sickle that He will use to reap the vine of the earth to put them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. This is not the day that He was looking forward to, it’s the same mindset He had when he was longsuffering and waiting one more day for one more to repent and be saved, but those days are over. The slaughter is about to begin:

His hair is will is white like wool…his eyes are aflame with the fire of judgment out of his mouth protrudes a sword. The sword is the power of His word and with it He will slay the rebellious with that sword . His garment is crimson, it’s been dipped in blood

At that point of human history, there will be no turning back.

There will likely be a small remnant of people that have survived and you’re hiding that do not have the mark, but the people that the king will be focused on at that moment will be those that have received the mark of the beast.

It would be the most gruesome, scene that the earth has ever seen. It’ll be a bloodbath.

The Bible says that the valley of Armageddon that the blood will come to the height of the horses bridle.

Those eternal human souls be destroyed their names are not written in the lambs book of life. They will spend eternity in a hell that was created for the devil and His angels.

Now do you see the importance of the spirit of prophecy? Now, can you see why it’s so important that the Lord give us the mantle of Elijah and the double portion anointing of Elisha, so that we could be empowered by the spirit of God to carry the last day prophecy of the testimony of Jesus Christ that says prepare ye, the Way of the Lord, make his path straight because the king is coming— you must prepare your heart for his return

The Renewing of the Holy Ghost

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

regeneration is spiritual renovation— renovation of regeneration > renovation renewal

Do you understand that?                                                             Search me O God and know my heart Psalm 139:23

It’s Spiritual surgery (Ezekiel 36:25-27)— “Let me crack this chest open, [take a look around]—heart of stone, won’t need that anymore, scalpel, replace w heart of flesh that can be worked with, renew the human spirit and place My Spirit in them. Okay, that will work for now…

Now, the Renewal of the Spirit can begin— the sinful man in Adam is born again and now the Spirit can begin renewal. It’s like a cardiologist doing angioplasty. The clot prevents blood flow to parts of the heart. The parts of the heart on the other side of the clot are dying. Once the balloon is inflated and the stent is placed, oxygenated blood can bring life, so it is with the Spirit of God, it’s like rivers of living waters, it’s like the river of living water that feeds the tree of life in the kingdom age. Everything He the Spirit touches, He gives it life.

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

…renewing of the Holy Ghost— He’s doing the work

In order for this process to continue and function according to God‘s will, the new man or woman of God, must agree with God’s word and give permission to the Holy Spirit to continue the renewal process.

2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the [communion] of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.                                                                                                               [Joint participation- I yield to Him!]

• Saul did not participate  with Amalek— 1 Samuel 15:19                    

Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst [fly] upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

• David [did participate] made sure he had the mind of God on the matter 1 Samuel 23:1-5 The Lord told him to fight the Philistines. The people we’re fearful. David inquired again. God gave the same answer. David listened to God, and victory was won.

• Jesus only did what He saw His Father do and said what He heard His Father say John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

• John 12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

There is competition with the voice of God from old mindsets and the ways of the world, but it’s more than just the music industry and the way the spirit of error entices us towards lustful actions, what about the way the world does business? Is cheating on your taxes okay? Is telling a small lie okay? Is repeatedly disobeying God’s word okay?  Is taking small amounts of things from the office without permission okay? If someone does something wrong, should we immediately call an attorney or should we pray, and if we should pray, do we ever ask God to show us where we might be wrong in a situation or circumstance, or is it always the other person that is wrong?

Romans 12:2.  We aren’t learning to cheat on taxes, tell little lies or think everyone else is wrong from God

And be not [conformed to this world]: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

—— the renewing of the mind and receiving the mind of Christ is actually the Spirit of the Lord giving us the wisdom of heaven to help us on earth. I’ve heard many people say “You’re  so heavenly minded, you’re no earthly good. But what is it that we want on earth? Are we seeking earthly, rather than heavenly treasures? Is it possible that our prosperity can shift our focus on our pleasures— will we pounce on the spoil, earthly things  and be enticed, rather than yielding to His voice?

And when this happens, is it possible that we start getting deceived and enticed, where we start walking in the flesh based on earthly desires? Also, is there more to the thought of walking after the flesh vs walking after the Spirit? Who is leading us? We have determined that we understand exactly what that means. We have determined that this passage means that to walk after the Spirit means to keep faith in Christ crucified and not put faith in our actions or works for victory? Obviously, this is true, but what about the rest of the word, what about the teachings of the Bible about temptations? What is the source of the temptations— do these desires come from heaven or do they come from earth. Our flesh desires things of the earth, our renewed spirit one with the Spirit of God wants the things of heaven and the things of God. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. You are seated in Christ in heavenly places

What about the lusts of the flesh vs the fruit of the Spirit?

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, [variance], [emulations], wrath, [strife], [seditions], [heresies], Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings— these temptations are fleshly, and yes, they’re sinful, but the source of their temptation is earthly.

• variance

• emulations

• Strife                     DIVISION

• Seditions

• heresies

At the heart of all of this is pride— self wants to be right, but that’s not good enough. Self wants to be right, and self wants others to agree that it is right and others are wrong.   😊 We act like this isn’t a big deal, but it is. It’s rebellion against God’s word. Rebellion against God’s word, results in a calloused heart (Isaiah 6:9; Matt 13:10-16 READ).    GOD MADE IT THIS WAY—slippery

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.                   These are from the heavenly realm

Galatians 5:24-26.  Have we? Or do we pretend we have because certain things-we have

24 And they that are Christ's [have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts]. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 6:14

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world— yielding to God, submitting to the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:14-16.   So saved people never operate with a natural mind

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ— in one sense, we have the mind of Christ and there is the truth that we have an anointing from the Holy Spirit that will lead us and guide us, but what about when it comes to the things in our lives that we don’t want to obey? What about when it comes to the times that we want our own will rather than the will of God? What happens to the sensitivity of hearing the Spirit of God then?

The old man and his old ways will keep us from being being able to hear. The old man and his old ways, get in the way of fellowship with the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:22-24

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 8:22-26.     In this world…

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26 -- Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Sometimes we don’t understand what we should pray for but if we are in communion with the Holy Spirit and we are actively seeking His face, He will pray for us. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. We need more of the Holy Spirit. Are you baptized in the Holy Spirit? If not, you need to let us pray for you to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit

Stones in the Soil

He’s not making another Solomon. He’s going to enhance the call of Matt Hebert. Whatever God does in me, it will be what God wants it to be in preparation for what He’s calling me to be and do. The days are getting dark. It’s not going to be what you want it to be. It’s going to be what He wants it to be. Let me let you in on a little secret I’m not preaching in a stadium in Costa Rica tonight. I’m preaching at 113 Lydia St. Patterson, La. And God was already moving before Solomon showed up, and if we keep plowing in prayer, hallelujah, Oh glory! There is literally no telling what He will do.

So I started praying God give me the mouth of a prophet, the zeal of an evangelist, the heart of a Pastor, the mind of a teacher, and the second day, I added and I don’t know what to do with the word Apostle, but it means sent one ambassador.

Yes, it’s true that the written word can remain letters on a page and lie there dormant, but they were inspired by the Spirit. The Spirit of the living word moved through the hand of the man with the quill in his hand, and there he scratched out on papyrus the written word of God for man to behold with his terrestrial eyes because while he is a spirit, he is in a physical body, and while he is in Christ in heavenly places, he is right here at 113 Lydia St. in Patterson, La and someone says I want to live up there all the time. You’ll get your chance, but right now you’re here. The lost souls are here they need to be saved and God have you the inspired written word and without it you don’t even know the living word. Solomon said it. “You search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life but they testify of me and you won’t have me ( )

I’ll have you Lord! Once the living word hit the written word and the written word came to life. It’s called the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Without it, the written word stays on the page.

But I heard what my Lord said to me. Present my word for the way that it’s written. When it’s presented for the way it’s written it’s presented with life, because it’s written that the words that He has spoken, they are Spirit and they are life.

The living word illuminates the written word and the written word validates the Living word. Without the written word, you don’t know the Living word. Without the written word, you’re left with another Jesus, another Spirit, and another gospel.

Stones in the soil—

A harvest starts with what? …Plowing. The Jeremiah 4:3-4

3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Sometimes it’s not just breaking up fallow ground it’s removing stones in the soil. Well, what are the stones. I don’t know it doesn’t say, but what it does say is that the end result is that it fruit withers. When the sun hits it (persecution) it withers— no root: withered fruit,

Matthew 13:21

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He didn’t know the word. Had he known the word, he would have been prepared. He would have known that believers are going to be persecuted. You see we have to have the instruction of the word of God.

1 Timothy 4:16

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

And if we can’t instruct people in doctrine here. Then where are we supposed to do that? Are we supposed to do that when we carry the cross in the streets amongst worldlings? No, but

This is the place where we speak for God— when they come here, they receive it for the way it’s written. Here, we sing to God, we pray to Him, we worship Him. This is the place we tell the truth, and we believe God that the conviction power of the Holy Spirit knows what He’s doing. He calls a man to preach, and he gives him a message. He becomes the message. The message is the same…. My people err for they do not know my ways.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:because thou hast rejected knowledge,I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,I will also forget thy children.

Right now The Crossway Minsitry should not continue to believe that we will always have to keep delivering the same old people. And we have to learn the difference, between manifestation of a demon and repentance from sin. Remember that one? Repentance of sin?

it’s not supposed to be like a Greg Locke service. I mean come on, hold on a second. We are a sanctuary full of blood bought, Spirit filled Christians. We are Christians that

You go out there and bring ‘em in. Or you come here on Tuesday and Friday nights, before services and you pray em in. But once you get them in here, I can promise you that there will be plenty of deliverances. I imagine that it may look like a snake nest sometimes. But it’s not supposed to be like that with true believers.

When we’re considering deliverance let’s not get things confused with conviction and repentance.

Let us reverse engineer this thought: deliverance…

1. Deliverance in unbelievers

2. Deliverance in believers

• Rooted and grounded?

• No roots in the soil because there are rocks in there— well, what are the rocks ? I reckon anything, maybe excuses, but whatever they are, it prevents root and that results in withered fruit… no root, withered fruit. What is Christianity?

What happened to good old fashioned preach the Bible? Let the Holy Spirit convict of sin, a man repents, he gets filled with the Holy Spirit and gets into the word, and the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in his belly towards holiness. Man, you say you’re filled with the Holy Spirit and all you do is speak

In tongues and you don’t have a desire to obey God and let Him burn out your chaff. You better go get a different baptism of the Holy Spirit or you better start praying.”I pray, he shouts from the back,” No! I’m not talking about no outer prayer, I’m talking at least a Holy Place prayer, but I hope you’ve entered into the Holy of Holies before.

I’m talking about entering into a place where God grabs a heart and deals with it.

Peter: Submission, 3/8/2023

The word means to be submissive, it’s clear throughout God’s word that He has a certain order to society. The family unit is the foundation of His society. His family is perfect in that He, as the Father has a plan, and in that Jesus, as the Son always obeys His Father’s will. Imagine God’s plan where the family lines up under His word. The wife submits to the husband and the husband submits to God and the children obey their mother’s and fathers, and the mothers and father’s pray together as a family for their kids and the father does not exasperate his children (Ephesians 6:1-4). If we do not teach our children to honor us, it will not go well with them. Now, this is more than just whipping their tails, this goes to the depth of giving them something to honor. Do I honor God in my work, my house, my marriage, my finances?

Who do you think is watching us the closest? These kids we have aren’t dumb. They watch us.

He desires that the family structure be strong. His plan for family structure includes the husband as the leader and the wife willingly submits herself under the delegated authority that God has placed in the home, and the husband willingly submits his life under the hand of God!!

A godly husband is called to humble himself under the word of God by loving his wife the way that Jesus loved the church. Honestly, I have heard many times, through the years a woman say, “When he starts acting the way that Jesus tells him to act, I will start submitting.”

No, you won’t! You will submit now! That’s if you want to be a woman of God. You will submit right this very second, not to me, not to your husband, but to the will and the word of God.

Let’s take a little closer look at this passage. Verse 1 is speaking to a saved wife and gives them a command to subject themselves to their own husbands. There is no talk about qualifiers here. God does not say on the slick, “Look, I’m going to put this in here, but just between you and me, I don’t expect you to really do this if he refuses to do what he’s supposed to do.” There is no talk of this at all. It says, “Wives submit to your husband, but it does give more information. He is actually speaking to wives that are saved who are married to husbands that aren’t doing what is right. Look at the wording, “that, if any obey not the word,” so these husbands aren’t following the word of God, but God is talking to you right now woman of God. As a matter of fact these first 6 verses are all about you. God loves you and He wrote specific info here to help you. He goes on to say that certain behavior will actually win your husband over.

But you won’t read on. I know I’m not talking to any women in here, so I’m going to preach to the camera. God is trying to help you by giving you a plan for the problem that you’re having with your husband. But you won’t even read past this first verse. You see submit, and your response is “Yeah, when he starts listening, I will start listening.”

You hard hearted, stiff necked, rebellious, little piece of marred clay. Will you contend with the most high! Will you a piece of clay tell the potter what to do as He fashions the vessel for honor?

God wants believing wives to know that even though your husband is not currently willing to be ruled by the word, if you will be ruled by His word, He will, through your [pure] lifestyle of faith and reverence and fear towards God and His word, heal you, heal your husband. He will work in your home and in your family.

Now, moving forward, a little more instruction for the wife. If you’re trying to please your husband and entice him towards God by adorning yourself with outward beauty according to the ways of the world. You’re wasting your time. Even if the husband says that he wants you to don whatever the latest fad of the day is currently.

If your desire is to get your husband saved. If your desire is to get your husband to a spiritually mature, man of God, on fire for God, praying for his marriage, his children, his home, winning souls for Jesus, living for God, if that’s what you want, then hallelujah, let’s all get to work, but if that’s not what you’re looking for, then you might be in the wrong place. If you’re looking for crown molding, a Gucci and bouji girls to chill with, you definitely came to the wrong place. I am praying that God will raise up men on fire for Him! I am praying for those kind of men, because those are the kind of men that God is looking for.  If your desire is listen to God and His word and adorn yourself with inner beauty. Take your heart out of your chest and put it in the hands of your loving Father. Let God have His way in your heart and in your life.

Meek/ quiet— humility/ peace— this is of great value in the eyes of God. According to God’s word, Holy women, women that were separated from the world around them and were servants of God, subjected themselves to their husbands and adorned themselves with a meek and quiet spirit.

Husbands are to honor the wife— there is a special value that is affixed by God on the wife. I know that for myself when I have done wrong in my marriage and then gone to the Lord and He deals with my heart. He refers to Danielle as His daughter, and there have been times that those words have really sobered me. The husband is to acknowledge the wife as the weaker vessel but to also realize that the husband and wife are heirs together, and if she’s treated that way and the husband is treated that way, then the prayers won’t be hindered, so if he doesn’t and she doesn’t— doesn’t what? Doesn’t obey the word of God!, so if that happens, does that mean that there prayers are hindered??

Peter: Lively Stones Make a Spiritual House

1 Peter Chapter 2

Malice

Matthew 6:33-34

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Acts 8:22-23

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Romans 1:16-23

Romans 1:29

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Malice is an adjective that describes a deep condition of the heart. It’s synonymous with evil in general, and it’s directly related with rejection of God’s truth! Peter says lay it aside. It’s the ways of an evil world, it’s of the spirit of error, it’s the opposite of the good that comes from the Spirit of God.

Lay aside malice but desire, like a baby, the sincere milk of the word.

Desire= crave, lust after

Sincere= pure and unadulterated

1 Peter 2:2 ESV

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

The word of God allows the Christian to receive the nutrition needed for growth. Without it, the believer will not advance to a young man or adult in the faith.

Have you ever seen a baby crying for milk? Screaming, and you’re feverishly trying to stick the scoop of powder in so you can shake it up. You’re fumbling, baby screaming, and finally, you give it to the baby and they hold it so tenderly, and with complete contentment, they look at you with eyes of gratitude.

V3 “If so be” If so be that you actually have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. If you haven’t then you need to get saved. I can’t save you, but I can keep telling you about it, and I can inform you that once you are, you will know, because the Holy Spirit will give you the deposit and the word of God will start to taste oh so good!

A cornerstone in ancient construction was the foundation upon which the building was founded. Instead of a cement slab, it was a cornerstone. Jesus is the foundation of the spiritual house that God is building. Just as a literal tent was erected and a literal house/ temple was built to house the presence of God, in the New Covenant, God is building a spiritual house, a place where His presence can live, a place where He can be found on earth.

The cornerstone was rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the eyes of God. The Spirit calls us stones also. He is the Living stone, and when that stone touches us, we become lively stones. Lively meaning life. It’s the word Zoe in the Greek, and it means He breathed His life on you and in you. You were dead and now you’re alive. You’re a lively stone and you, and you, and you, and me, and God is building a house where His presence can dwell, and He is the head and we are the body and His church is the house and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

God’s house is on the move again church. It was in a tent where it could move and then it became a stationary structure in the temple and people would come to it, and now it’s both. We, as lively stones come to this place, and He is in us, we bring Him with us. He brings people here, and when we’re all here, maybe it functions like the temple, but when we leave it’s more like the tent of meeting. Wherever we go, church is about to take place. Wherever we go, revival is about to break out. Any minute, any day, any place, it’s about to happen. He’s about to pour out His Spirit! Expect Him to move church!

Priesthood- you’re a holy priesthood.

Hebrews 7:26-27

26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

The Old Testament priest made intercession for the people through sacrifice, that’s what they needed. They needed to be cleansed from their sin, an exchange from sin to righteousness. Their work of intercession was never done, because the blood of bulls and goats cannot remove sin. His work is Is the sinless man who died for all sinful men, and now, in His exalted state, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, ever making intercession for you, for me.

Now, under Him, we are made a royal priesthood. The people of God, the body of Christ, offering up, spiritual sacrifices to Him (Romans 12:1).

He laid a cornerstone in Sion— Zion is the highest hill in Jerusalem, the hill upon which the temple of the Lord was built in the city of God’s choosing. The city named Jerusalem, the city of peace. But the stone He’s talking about here is not the literal stone upon which the temple was built. The stone He’s talking about here is the stone, the rock, Christ Jesus. There is a heavenly Jerusalem that awaits the saints of God. The writer of Hebrews speaks of it:

Hebrews 7:26-27

Hebrews 12:22-23

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Confounded—dishonored, disgraced, ashamed, blush

This isn’t the kind of blushing where some pretty girl tells you that she thinks that you are cute or good looking, or vice versa some attractive dude tells you that you are beautiful. No! This is the blush of shame. That spot where you thought you were right and you were so bold about it, but come to find out, you were wrong, and it’s that direct moment when your consciousness realizes that you were wrong and embarrassment and shame floods you, hormones are released that increase blood flow to your face, your face is reddened and depending on how serious the situation, other emotions are to follow, heartache, sorrow, a desire to get right, or embarrassment turns to bitterness and the heart is hardened and the neck is stiffened and rebellion enters in. There is coming a judgment day, and everyone will face Jesus, and if we let the Living stone touch us now, if our glorified body blushes, we may blush for joy, but we will not blush for shame. Oh God let us help others. Let us be used by you to help them not experience the bad blush, only a good blush. Please Lord!

To the person that exercises faith in the truth, Jesus becomes the most precious possession on earth. His presence is something that He will allow us to possess. He becomes the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl of great price. To those who reject the truth, He becomes a stumbling block. This is God’s plan. Jesus is the head of the corner. He is the foundation of God’s intervention for rebellious, sinful man. I don’t believe that God predestined people to be disobedient, reject the word and stumble. Instead, I believe that He gives His word, knowing that some will believe and some will reject. The ones that believe will see Jesus as precious. Those that reject will stumble and this is the appointment of the people’s: one or the other. There is no in between. Yet, in His grace and His mercy, He who rejects today, may still have hope tomorrow, as long as there is breath in the lungs and time on the prophetic clock, there is hope for a soul to go from unbeliever to believer and from rejector to embracer of truth— I believe that, and that is why I preach!

The people of God are seen as a special people group. Their unity and togetherness is based on the commonality that they have believed in the word of God. They are a royal-priesthood. This makes believers different than the Levitical priests of old. They were of the tribe of Levi. From Levi came no king. Jesus is a priest after a new order. The order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a king-priest. We have been given the delegated authority of the Christ to operate as a co-regent with our king. We have been given delegated authority to operate under the dunamis of God. To pray and intercede, to believe God for the miraculous and to take authority over the works of darkness.

We are peculiar in that God has created us and separated us out from the rest of the world as a people that belong directly to Him. Our purpose is to operate as kings and priests within the kingdom realm that He has translated us into. He called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light and our purpose is to show forth praises to Him. The gentile nations were not previously the people of God— Israel was. We were not previously the people of God—other Christians were but thank God a believer somewhere, somehow told us the truth. Thank you Lord for sending someone to tell us the truth.

The Greek word means literally "to make around," that is, to make something and then to surround it with a circle, thus indicating ownership. The same verb is used in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 43:21 which reads, "This people have I formed for myself." The word "peculiar" today usually means "odd, strange." But it is not so used here. The Greek word speaks of the unique, private, personal ownership of the saints by God_Wuest

People that are ignorant of God and ignorant of sin continue to engage in the lusts of the flesh. We also know that Christians, at times, do the same, but Peter implores us not to. He calls believers “dearly beloved” the lusts of the flesh is what the world offers, but we are not of the world. We are a royal priesthood and fleshly lusts wage war against our souls. When war is waged against our souls, it will affect our faith, it will affect our mindsets , and fleshly lusts will definitely affect our emotions.

Keep your manner of living honorable among unbelievers. When we live right before them, even though they talk bad about us, they will know that our faith is sincere, they will remember our works and on the Day of visitation—they will glorify God. The idea here for visitation is actually talking about the overseer ἐπισκοπή episkopē. The text is describing the day when the unbeliever will finally believe in Christ and accept Him as the overseer of their soul. When they receive Him and are cleansed, they will remember your honorable life, and they will be thankful that you lived a separated life for the Lord!

Believers are instructed to live their lives in an honorable way: We are to respect the governing authorities that are in place, honor. Our behavior will also silence foolish men. Whenever we are slandered by people for our faithful living, we must be reminded that the slanderers are ignorant. They do not know our Lord. Our prayer is that one day they will.

One thought about Peter saying to obey governors, authorities and laws that are in place. I would also like to point out that this is the same man that preached Jesus, got arrested for preaching Jesus, was freed from prison, and went back and preached again.

We are also instructed to respect the authority of those we work for. He specifically states that we are expected to respond properly to our bosses that are froward (σκολιός skolios; from the base of 4628; warped, i.e. winding; figuratively, perverse: — crooked).

If we respond like the world and are buffeted (to rap with the fist: — buffet.) then we will not receive praise from God for it, but if we are well doers and live our lives honorably in the eyes of God, according to His word, then this is acceptable in the eyes of God— the Greek here for acceptable is charis— grace/graciousness.

Jesus left us an example on earth of suffering for righteousness.  Example—ὑπογραμμός hypogrammos; from a compound of 5259 and 1125; an underwriting. His example is written. He had no sin, He had no deceit (guile). He trusted and committed Himself to the Father, the Father judges righteously. It is obvious from these thoughts that God is pleased and takes notice of what will last in eternity.

His example brought obedience to the point of death, the death of the cross. He bore our sin in His body on the tree. He healed us with the stripes of the lichtor’s lash.

We were like sheep going astray (πλανάω planaō; from 4106; to (properly, cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): — go astray, deceive) we were deceived, but His word and grace drew us back and we had our own visitation. This is why He wants us to live honorably before men. It is His will and desire to do the same for them. The very one that hurt you the worst, is the one He wants to save.

Yielding Not Grieving, 3/1/2023

Romans 12:10

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Kindly affectioned

The concept that when the brothers saw the Cameo, they remembered their mom correlated to the concept that when believers see another believer it should remind them about the Lamb, because the Lamb shed His blood for my brother or sister in the Lord.

Maybe that illustration doesn’t dig deep enough, so let’s try this. The brother or sister in the Lord belongs to God right? I’m talking about a saved person, and whatever interaction you have with them, you imagine, well, “I’m blessed and highly favored of the Lord.” Okay, yeah, but they’re not? Come on man, get off your high horse and quit thinking you’re the darling of heaven. God wants this person ministered to, not destroyed!

So many people are full of the lusts of the flesh in their hearts but they ignore their stuff and focus on how bad other people’s stuff is and then feel better about themselves. We better let God search our hearts church. So maybe here is a better illustration to help us understand what God may feel in all of this when He tells us to be kindly affectioned to cherish our brother.

We gossip and slander and lie on our taxes and we’re critical about others and we’re self righteous. And maybe we wound a brother or sister in the Lord. It’s maybe the self righteous way we said things. It’s the way we made them feel less then. Whatever we did, I don’t care whether we meant to. I don’t care whether they overreacted. It doesn’t matter—they were wounded. Something is about to happen to this child of God and we weren’t part of the solution, we were part of the problem, and God is grieved!

She’s wounded and ventures away from the Lord. You’re not thinking about her anymore. She’s been gone for 10 years. You forgot about her, but her daddy thinks about her all the time. She was his little girl. She hasn’t called in a while. Last he heard she had fallen into a life of addiction and things got even worse. She started selling herself to pay for the habit. Daddy tries to not think about it but he grieves and he prays and he asks God to intervene. At times he has joy at others he hurts.

One day she returns to town, “Dad, I’m home now (prodigal son…), God brought me home, and I have to tell you that He showed me that it wasn’t anyone’s fault. I understand that now that God has revealed His love to me. It’s just that the way all the Christians in my life growing up acted and treated me, I couldn’t see the Lord. What they said was right, but the way that they said it was wrong. They probably didn’t mean to, but it caused confusion.

The devil used it to offend me. No-one means to do it but they do, and the devil uses it. God dealt with me one night a month ago, and He showed me this, and He told me to come home and tell you and forgive you because you did it too dad, but can I please come home, He said He would heal me daddy please I’m sorry, can I come home?”

Imagine the heartache and pain that would cause you if you thought that someone had done that to your child. Now, imagine that you hurt a brother or sister in the Lord. You just shrug it off as, “They’re too easily offended, but hold on a second. You don’t even care that you offended God’s daughter, God’s son. You didn’t even consider how your attitude or your tone of voice could have made them feel unwelcome and now they’re gone. They have pulled away from the presence of the Lord. Your heart is hard. You know that you did something, but it’s not really that big of a deal to you, and this grieves the Holy Spirit, and

God weeps. He weeps, because your heart is too hard to even realize that it’s a big deal. He weeps because a sister or brother in the Lord was offended. He hoped He could trust you. If your heart was softer, you would feel conviction. You would say you were sorry and more importantly, you would pray and ask God to draw them back.

Honor

g5092. τιμή timē; from 5099; a value, i.e. money paid, or (concretely and collectively) valuables; by analogy, esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself: — honor, precious, price, some.

AV (43) - honour 35, price 8, sum 1, precious 1;

Valuing the price fixed. This means that I recognize the value affixed by God towards Valuing the price fixed. This means that I recognize the value affixed by God towards my brother or sister in Christ! What is that value? The life of Jesus-- what does that even mean to us? What it means to me is that in the Father’s eyes ______________ is worth the life of Jesus. Psalm 133 tells us tha it’s a beautiful thing when brothers in unity dwell

Preferring one another

g4285. προηγέομαι proēgeomai; from 4253 and 2233; to lead the way for others, i.e. show deference: — prefer.

AV (1) - prefer 1;

to go before and show the way, to go before and lead, to go before as a leader

e it stirs, I will roll out that way and stop them, every time they beat you they come from that direction, so I will roll out and stop them, and then you can get your healing.”

Defer, prefer-- “Please you go first!”

Imagine the story a little differently, just to make a point at the pool of Bethesda. Let’s just pretend for a second for the purposes of teaching the concept of preferring your brother or sister greater than yourself, and what we will imagine is the the Lame man had a friend who was also lame, and he said, ‘I have a plan-- the next time you jump into the pool first.’

‘Wait what,” the lame man responds, “What about you, what about your healing?” The Lord spoke to me last night in prayer and he showed me that if I would quit thinking so much about myself and love you this way, then He would send what I need.”

Corinth: 1 Corinthians 4:6

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another (chapter 11–selfishness in communion) vs (Acts 2:45_47 & Acts 4:32-35)

Peter: Temporary Journey with an Eternal Reward, 2/19/23

OUTLINE: Temporary Journey with Eternal Reward

I. V1-2 Strangers, elect, sanctification, sprinkling of blood

• Foreign Land

II. V 3-5 Begotten, resurrection, incorruptible inheritance, reserved in heaven, kept by power

• Eternal life, eternal kingdom, eternal reward

III. V 6-9 Rejoice, Season of heaviness— if need be, manifold temptations, Trial of faith through fire, gold perishes, can’t see but believe

• Hostile journey, faith must be tried—kingdom currency must be tried

IV. V 10-12 Prophets enquired & searched, prophesied of grace, what time?, Spirit of Christ, who was it for, The Holy Ghost & the preaching, angels desire to look

• Eternal plan—unchanging message

V. V 13-16 gird loins of mind, not fashioning of world of lust, Holy, Holy, Holy

• Prepare for travel—get your mind right

VI. Sojourn here in fear, Redemption through precious blood, not earthly, perishing, currency, Foreordained before the foundation of earth

• Travel and tremble (Isaiah 66:1-2)

V1. & Feigned love for the brethren, pure heart, Flowers fade, grass withers, God’s word endures forever

• Heavenly love— perishing world

NOTES: A Temporary Journey with an Eternal Reward

1 Peter Chapter 1

Paragraph 1/ V 1,2 Strangers & elect— this earth is not our home. We are pilgrims on a journey in a fallen land. The earth is fallen and full of lust, but the earth is full of the glory of God, and those that love the Lord will be translated into His kingdom, and they will partake in the glory and power of His divine nature. And as ambassadors, representatives of His kingdom will do exploits for their king.

Elect— how does one become the elect of God? He who is the elect has been sprinkled with the blood. He has been cleansed with the blood of the lamb ( ), sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience

Paragraph 2/ V-5 Begotten through resurrection, now, an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled, awaits! In the kingdom, your garments will never be stained.

Paragraph 3/V 6-9 Resurrection births new life. This is just the down payment of new life. In this life, there will be trial, in the next only triumph. We rejoice, because our inheritance is incorruptible. Rejoice even now in heaviness. Fire’s flame is on the faith, the faith is being tested. Faith is heavenly, more precious than earthly gold that perishes. Gold & Earth PERISH. Our inheritance is heavenly— incorruptible, undefiled and non-perishable. Therefore, the faith must be tried in fire. You can’t see Him, but you believe.  Rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Can you feel that? Say that from your soul— I can’t see Him; yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Paragraph 4/ V 10-12. Filled with the Spirit of Christ, the prophets searched the times. He was coming. He would suffer, then the glory follows. Voice of the prophets was preparing us. The Christ was not then, He is now. The Holy Spirit sent down. The message proclaimed. The angels peering!

They girded loins in preparation for travel. This girding is the mind, because it’s the belt of truth. The truth girds the mind preparing for travel. The truth fills the mind with the glory of the heavenly kingdom and corrects the thoughts for the earthly journey. First correction, the earth is full of lust, in the past, you were ignorant. Don’t go back! God is holy. He says to us, be you Holy also.

We are directed to prepare for the journey. The journey is the work of the Lord, it describes the place where we pick up Elijah’s mantle and we do the work of the prophet. We foretell, but we also forth-tell. The eternal gospel story, and the work will be judged, and it will be judged based upon something of dire seriousness, now, again, this is the judgment seat where works are judged. You’re saved. I’m saved—right? Okay, now this is the works. What did you do for me? This is what I did for you. I redeemed you from the slavery of sin with the precious blood of a lamb foreordained before the foundations of the earth. So I’m back to settle the accounts. Grace and mercy yes, but holy, holy, holy— Isaiah 6. I don’t know what you get out of that, but I get that being in the presence of the Lord is a very serious situation. I get the impression that it’s going to be very sobering and monumental and for some reason I feel like even in my glorified body I’m not going to feel comfortable peering into His eyes. I don’t know how to explain this completely, but I believe that if I did look into His eyes. I would see the purest of joy, the fulfillment of compassion, probably even a tear of happiness to see me, because I believe that He loves me that much, but I believe that when I see His eyes, the most comfortable and appropriate posture that I will be able to find is bowed down with my face at His feet

A purified soul, loves the brethren with a love that is pure and not fake ἀνυπόκριτος without hypocrisy. It’s pure—purified by fire in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit. The seed that we are born of is incorruptible, meaning, unlike this world, it is not perishing. The incorruptible seed, the Living word, which is Jesus, has been birthed in our hearts and has given us new life and results in pure unfeigned love. We cannot afford anymore to fake it until we make it, that will hinder the moving and operation of the Holy Spirit.  Man is like the flower and the grass. It will fall and wither. The word of the Lord will endure forever. Your faith is eternal, His word is eternal, and the love between the brethren starts here in the temporal, but will be perfected in eternity.