Prayer of a Pauper and Declaration of a King

Read Matt 18:1-4

Introduction

Sometimes there seems to be a dichotomy or contradiction within the teachings of scripture. He said this… but then He said this…

Ex. …unless you are converted and become as one of these little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. What does He mean by that? Does He want adults to become literal children. The child is the illustration, a believer is supposed to behave like a child when they approach kingdom business. The context is: who will be the greatest in your kingdom, Lord? The response is, unless you become converted like one of these little children, you can’t enter.

Converted- Strong’s: turn quite around, twist, a change of direction. Oxford American: having been adapted to be suitable for a new purpose. The house was converted to a duplex, and you Christian must be converted to a child.

This is talking about learning how to live in His kingdom now, so we can enter His kingdom then. What attribute of a child would Jesus want—What is it about a child that Jesus wants His followers to emulate? The simple answer, one word—dependence! Quit being independent and doing things your own way and learn how to depend on God!

Juxtapose- to place close together or side by side in a way that invites comparison or contrast

Juxtapose that against this: Proclaim the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Cast out devils, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers (MT 10:7)…What I say to you in the dark, tell it in the light. What you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim it from the rooftops.

Proclaim- a public crier, herald the king’s declaration

Father in the name of Jesus help me to teach/ preach the:

Prayers of paupers: declarations of a kings!

Let’s talk kingdom how it ended

Matthew 27:28-29 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

The beginning

Matthew 3:1-4 1 -- In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Then He starts speaking and He says:

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor- lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian helpless, powerless to accomplish an end

The citizens of the Lord’s Kingdom are expected to come to the conclusion that this kingdom operates differently; this is not the American dream, the strength is not we the people, the power is the Holy Spirit working through His people!

Matthew 5:4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Mourn- means to feel deep sorrow or regret. As a citizen of your kingdom, I am sorrowful Lord that man has rebelled against you. I am sorrowful that so many churches and so many leaders have not taken heed to your word, that we your people have fallen asleep and not stayed spiritually sober. Wake us up Lord, cause our hearts to mourn with you over this lost generation, over the souls that are perishing.

Jesus was humble and bold, and His people are called to be the same way. Both of these traits will make God’s people look different than the world around them.

The world puts faith in their own strength and resources. God’s people draw from Him. The world builds its own kingdom. God’s people work with Him, as He builds His. In the purest form of the word, we all have an  Apostolic calling, and what I mean by that is, the strict definition of the term is that an Apostle is a sent one, also, an ambassador. Ambassadors are a representative of another nation as they live in a foreign land. The American ambassador to Italy, lives in Italy but represents and conducts American business on that foreign soil. An ambassador for the Kingdom of Christ, lives on earth, but represents the heavenly realm

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Meek- mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness - Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good.

Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit. There will be many circumstances in the life of the believer that he will not like. The thorns and thistles hurt and bristle; however, the believer cannot afford to become angry or bitter towards God.

Galatians 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

What are we hungry for? What are we thirsty for? In life what do you crave? Is your appetite that your son or daughter make the travel ball team? Is everything thing in life focused so much about your business and your job that you have to forsake the gathering of the brethren? Do you find joy in the fellowship of the saints?

Jesus was hungry to do His Father’s will. Those that are citizens of His kingdom hunger and thirst for what their King desires. He desires that this wicked world be made right. The citizens of His Kingdom are called to live in a different realm. They are called to seek the things that are above:

The letters of the Apostles repeatedly remind the saints to keep their eyes and minds on the things God  and the more we study His word, it becomes clear that this world is not our home.

1 Peter 2:11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Philippians 3:20 NASB For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

The kingdom of darkness has power and is destroying people’s lives. Jesus has come so that people can have abundant life. In order for that to happen, He had to give His people power that is greater than the powers of darkness.

1 John 5:19 NASB We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

The demons knew who He was and were fearful of His presence— Now, we’re talking about the authority of Jesus!

Matthew 8:29-32 29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

The people of His Kingdom are called to be humble and meek but they are also called to walk in His kingdom authority:

Matthew 28:18-19. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 10:7-8 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

The Lord’s kingdom is already but not yet. It means that Jesus has already come to earth and taken authority over the world of darkness. He has already established His kingdom on earth. He will rule and reign physically on earth in the future and He is ruling and reigning now, through us…

Until then He told the Pharisees:

Luke 17:20-21 20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

If He is the kingdom, and the King is in us, then the kingdom and all its power and authority are in us!

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The prayer of a pauper and the declaration of a king!

The submissive prayers of kings

Psalms 18:27 For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.

Psalms 77:1-3 ESV In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. 2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. 3 When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

Matt 27:46 …My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”

Matthew 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Hebrews 5:7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. (KJV “Feared”)

I still don’t feel like we properly reverence the presence of the Holy Spirit in our church. I have tried to say things and I want you to know that I don’t want to be controlling its one thing if you talk while I’m preaching. It’s still not right. I wouldn’t do it to you, but what about when we’re asking the Spirit of God to show up and inhabit the praises of His people and instead of worshipping the Lord, we’re in here talking to earthlings, we’re looking at our phone as though we’re bored with God. “Well, I don’t feel Him!” Maybe you don’t feel Him because you have no reverence for His presence!

Declaration of a king

1 Samuel 17:45-46 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day  the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

1 Chronicles 28:20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

Psalms 23:4-5 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Access

2 Chronicles 26:11-15

2Chronicles 29:27-29

2 Chronicles 30:1,5 Passover

2 Chronicles 31:5,6,7 tithes

2 Chronicles 32:2,3,5-8 prepared for war

**2 Chronicles 32:20-22 prayer**

Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Hebrews 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Most of us here tonight understand the idea that the veil was torn so that we can experience God’s presence in an intimate way. There are so many benefits, to having access to the presence of the Lord:

• Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy  presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

• James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded—we have access to his presence

• 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty

From what you’ve learned so far in your walk with God, has everything been given to you all at once, or have you found, like the song says, “the more I seek you, the more I find you”?

Knowing that the veil is torn, Have you even entered in?

Romans 5:1-4

Peace with God Through Faith

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

So we have been granted access. We have been given peace. The veil is torn, and he says: when you seek me with all of your heart, you will find me Jeremiah 29, 13–14

So access is a major aspect of the work of the cross!

1. Through the cross and our being made right in the eyes of God,  we can seek him and enter His presence—do we?

2. When we get in there, do we ask Him to search our hearts and try our reins?

3. When we do that what does he show us?

Do you want God‘s will for your life. For your children’s lives, your family, your church? do you want God to move through you? Through us as a body? More importantly, do you want your heart to be right before him?

• Matthew 7:22 on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’Jesus said there comes a day when those that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth

• Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.

• Psalm 119:105. Your word is a lamp into my feet and a light into my path.

If we have his word in our heart and have allowed him to turn the lamp on, why would we not change? Why do we stay the same?

How do you reckon the Lord works the cross into all of this? How do you reckon the Lord is going to crucify our flesh man or woman of God? If we do not allow him to search us and when we do and when He does, what do we hear? The cross works in multiple ways: once we avail ourselves to the access…

I. Results of access

• Access/presence—Isaiah 6 – don’t tell me you’re OK, or that we all don’t have something new that He’s working on in us.

• Grace- grace to forgive/grace to change—a divine influence on the heart and it’s reflection in the life

• Revelation – because we are made right, we have access to the spirit to be our teacher John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. KJV calls Him comforter—Strong’s “one who brings aid”

II. Revelation results in truth

1. You shall know the truth and it will make you free (John 8:32)

2. Truth about God through the life of Jesus

   1. His character

   2. How he handles business

         a) He is humble – if a brother has ought, we  should go to our brother (Matthew 5:23-24).

         b).He prefers others over himself (MK 10;45)

         c).prays for people that harm him (LK 23;34)

     d). He prays for them and corrects them privately

(MT 18:15)

     e). He helps people and doesn’t get a megaphone so that the whole world knows about it – he looks to the heavenly reward (MT 6:1-5)

      f). He doesn’t let other people’s opinions change his mind, “I rebuke you, Satan“—Peter (MT 16:22)

     e).  He likes to play in the dirt – you without sin cast the first stone (JN 8:7)

     f). He doesn’t want to receive praise from men, because he knows what is in the heart of man (JN 2:24-25;MT 23)—He told the religious, “you are like a bunch of whitewashed tombs filled with Dead Man’s Bones.”(MT23:27)

In the end self is supposed to die, and Christ arises in us. Why doesn’t it work more quickly? Is it the:

• drugs

• alcohol

• ongoing other acts of sin of any flavor of disobedience, that we pretend isn’t disobedience. But the Lord already showed us in the past it was, and we ignored him, so now we are living in sin and disobedience, because he who knows to do right, but doesn’t do it to him, it is… [SIN].

• or is it our response to what he tells us. I honestly believe there are people in churches who, when they hear a message, think about someone else, Yep, that right there is for Bill, that is for Brennan or Matt’s mom. Or when They pray, and the Lord does speak. All right, I will tell Pastor about what you showed me about him Lord:

– you who just said amen in your head. Like (yeah, there are people like that. They just won’t listen to what the Lord is trying to tell him, you may be the one he’s preaching to right now!“

He was obedient to the point of death!

Have we become obedient to the point of death? Has the death of Christ entered our members to produce sanctification or has it remained a theory on the page? Until we yield to this great truth, it remains that— a great truth!

• truth to be trusted

• a truth of hope.

• a truth of God

• but it’s not ours yet.

  * it’s paid for

  * he willed it to us— it’s our inheritance

But until it comes alive for that sin or that situation, it lies dormant on the page.

What will make it come alive— Jeremiah 29:12,13 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes….

**2 Chronicles 32:20-22

2 Chronicles 26:11-15 Uzziah- the strength of a warrior— soldiers, war machines that throw arrows and stones

Hezekiah 2 Ch 29:27-29 commanded that the burnt offering be burned and offered praise at the same time

2 Ch 30:1-5 sent letters to keep the Passover

2 Ch 31:5,6,7 they brought their tithes

2 Chronicles 32:2,3,5-8 Hezekiah worked hard to do the practical things for war and preparation, prevented the flow of water, great military tactic, armies need water, he rallied the troops and told them the truth that God was able to give them the victory

2 Chronicles 32:20-22 when it was all said and done it was when Isaiah and Hezekiah prayed that the Lord sent an angel and brought the victory

Vision of prayer and bombs hitting a beachhead and then a fortified city.

You are a Vehicle for the Glory of God!

Numbers 13:23-14:21

Numbers 14:21

but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD

Numbers 14:6-10

6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

I titled my message: You are a vehicle for the glory of God! Originally, I was going to title it: God couldn’t do it, because Christian wouldn’t let Him. Then I struggled with the title. I couldn’t figure out why the struggle, was it because it was too negative and God didn’t want me to be negative? Then, I realized, no it wasn’t that. The reason why is because it simply wasn’t true. The truth was that God promised He would fill the earth with His glory, and the way that He is doing it is by using His people to bring his glory where He asks them to bring it. But it is also true that He could not do it through the 10, because they would not let Him, so with that said, which one will we be?

Will Christian let God work through Him?

When we face something that looks impossible, we need to remember that God’s work is performing the impossible. Christian’s work is believing God to do the impossible.

I can only imagine the chaos and confusion that was going on at that time. Fear had stricken the majority and confusion had gotten the best of the 10 spies, there was no turning back for these guys. Their faith was destroyed! They saw the enemy and gave up. Joshua and Caleb tried to speak godly truth, but it just made them more angry. They wanted to stone them.

• hatred,

• variance

• wrath

• strife

• seditions

Troubles sometimes arise in our lives like a sudden storm on open water, and there are other times that there are chronic problems in our lives that never seem to go away. And whether it’s acute or chronic, there is danger that the believer will not keep his part of the agreement for the circumstance, and his part is to trust, believe, surrender and act in faith.

As I was praying and thinking about the tactics of the enemy: fear and chaos are tools Satan uses to bring doubt and unbelief. These feelings can quickly spread amongst God’s people like they did in the story. The purpose of the enemy is to focus the eyes of God’s people on the problem instead of God’s power and without even realizing it unbelief takes root and faith  erodes.

We can be certain God watches over His people:

Psalms 121:5-8 NASB

5 The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun will not smite you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all evil;

He will keep your soul.

8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever.

Psalms 33:18-20 NASB

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

19 To deliver their soul from death

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

In prayer, God reminded how, His presence is poised and ready to move in chaos

…without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep…

• without form- waste; a desolation. A place of chaos

• void- ruin, waste, emptiness

…And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

As I prayed, I also heard: “Haman’s gallows”

Haman built a 75 ft high execution device to kill Mordecai because he refused to worship anything but God.

3:14…A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province..3:15…Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews…the city of Susa was in confusion…

In the end, God turned the whole plan around and Haman was executed on his own device. When it looks like the devil is winning child of God, we must remember that God is faithful to deliver! God is planning to turn the whole situation around. His job is to deliver and our job is to believe, surrender and pray!

Believe and trust God… Job 39:11  “Will you trust him because his  strength is great And leave your labor to him?

Surrender… Surrender your will to God’s will—James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Make self subordinate, bring self under subjection to the will of God

Pray- 2 Kings 6:17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha—you’re not alone child of God, it  might feel like it sometimes, just pray, “open my eyes Lord”

Seek the face of God, call on His name and put Him in the battle. But it’s getting worse! That means it’s time to press in, not retreat. But the more I seek God, it seems worse. You’re in an ongoing battle for your faith— Satan wants to make you quit and walk away.

In the end, anything that can be shaken will be shaken.

Hebrews 12:25-29

25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

There is true Christianity and there is something else, that something else will be shaken and will not remain, the something else will lead you to focus on yourself and your best life now, and then, there is Jesus! True Christianity will always result in the magnification of Jesus,

But I just want to go to a church where all my girlfriends are like me and we sip coffee and get our toenails done together. Hold on, I thought of something. That’s not a bad idea.

There is nothing wrong with you and your girlfriends sipping coffee and getting your nails done, as a matter of fact, could you do me a favor and try to arrange something like that for the ladies that would be interesting, but do me one favor when y’all go, we can add verses to the song. “Jesus on the mountain, Jesus in the streets, Jesus with our coffee and while they do our feet, Jesus for my family. I speak the Holy name Jesus!

Jesus when you pick up your kid from school speak Jesus, but they’re going to think that I’m weird. They won’t think that you’re weird if you’re filled with the Holy Spirit and when you say His name, it sounds like honey dripping off your lips. No! They will want what you  want, or they will think your weird then, and when they lie in bed at night, they will toss and turn as the Lord reminds them of your words and He speaks Jesus to their hearts.

Jesus on the mountains. Jesus in the streets. Jesus in the darkness over every enemy. I speak the holy name Jeeessus. Your name is power!

Unbelief will cause death to the promise

Hebrews 3:17-19

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Carcasses- a member of a body, particularly the more external and prominent members esp. the feet a dead body, corpse, in as much as the members of a corpse are loose and fall apart—the scattered corpses like individual members that didn’t make it, but it represented a whole portion of the congregation

Jacob wrestled with God

Genesis 32:24-25

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

Chaos, Esau was around the corner…the story says that God could not prevail. The mind asks what kind of God can’t win a wrestling match with a man? It’s not that He can’t. He will not transgress man’s free will.  Jacob refused to give in, and the word says that when God saw that He could not prevail, he touched him in his hip. It’s not that God can’t out wrestle a man. And if you choose to refuse to surrender, at some point, He’s going to allow something to touch you to the point that you will give in to Him.

Paul said that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood; instead we wrestle against spirits It’s not always spirits that we’re wrestling, many times, it’s our own will and our own flesh

Galatians 5:24

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Luke 9:23

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

I love Caleb

Numbers 13:30

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.”

Doesn’t that sound like the voice of faith? The HOLY spirit speaking to the child of God and encouraging him to trust and put his eyes on Jesus, to move forward with the plan, instead of looking at the problems, look to the solution.

The Lord has been telling me in prayer I want my Son magnified. I want the name of Jesus preached. I want to pour out my Spirit and move in the lives of my people, and I want this church exalting HIM. I have a hard time believing that He doesn’t want that from every church. I have a hard time believing that he doesn’t want to speak to every Pastor and tell him the same thing, but I’m not them, I’m me and all I know is that this is what a he’s telling me.

The voice of unbelief, is a voice that displeases God

God is asking His people to carry His glory into the land and the  question is… will He find someone faithful to do what He is asking? Will people have the fortitude, the tenacity, the sticktoitiveness to finish the race? Not without the help of the Holy Spirit they won’t, but even with His help, if they want their own will rather than the Lord’s will they won’t endure, because part of learning God’s will requires a willingness to let the cross have its way, a willingness to let self and self desires go

Numbers 14:19-24

Moses: 19 “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

The LORD Pardons and Rebukes

Yahweh: 22 Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23 shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.

Sometimes the battle looks too fierce, the enemy seems too big, the chaos and confusion starts to wear us down and for a moment, we wonder if we will make it. Some points that we should be made aware of:

1. God made promises in the past v23

2. People who refuse His voice, will not see the promises

3. When people don’t listen, he takes it personal spurn-treat w contempt

A dream – the glory of the Lord is in the earth, it is going deep into the mud deep into the earth, The glory is moving through the depths of the earth, in and out of the earth and it’s breaking up the earth. It’s breaking up the fallow ground!

A Vision, a man on an old plow. He’s plowing the earth. He seems alone to the eye. He seems weak, he seems feeble and small, he plows with an old plow, I can’t see the animals, there are no animals, there is something else that cannot be seen pulling the plow.

It doesn’t look like much to the physical eye, but the same one that is pulling the plow is the same one that is releasing his glory into the earth, and breaking up the fallow ground!

Don’t take your hand off the plow child of God! Then the seed starts flying, the seed is raining in the air and falling onto the broken ground, entering into the broken ground. The Spirit is plowing hearts, the Spirit is breaking the fallow ground, in the breaking, ugly is revealed, confusion, chaos, irritation, it’s because it’s within the heart, within the heart, things are being exposed: your heart, my heart. Its being exposed, so it can be moved out of the way, wrong intentions, wrong thoughts, God wants them gone!

And then the seed enters the plowed earth, and what looked like gallows for the hanging, for my hanging, for the church’s hanging is suddenly turned into a victory. For a while, the chaos and confusion looked momentarily looked like an opportunity for Satan to prevail, it was an opportunity allowed by me, says the lord for you to trust me. Trust me, child of God, trust me, Church, let me cleanse you deeply, let me reach into the depths of the soil of your heart include you in preparation for your personal harvest, so I can use you in my harvest!

Let my glory, fill the Earth!!

Houma Bible Study Notes: Salvation History #1

The Flood

Genesis 6:9

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Satan and the fallen angels intermarried/ intermingled with the human creation— what would be the purpose for that? 1). War against God and His plans for the human creation 2). They knew that through the seed of the woman (Jesus), God would destroy their authority. Genesis 3:15 … it (seed of the woman ‘Jesus) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God instructed Noah after the flood to replenish the earth. It is His will that the earth be filled with His glory. There is a day coming in the future where Jesus will sit on the throne of David and literally rule the world as King. God’s presence will dwell on a new heaven and new earth. This time is called the Millennial reign of Christ. At that time, God’s glory will completely cover the earth. The presence of evil will be locked away for 1,000 years. Until that time comes, God’s plan is that the earth be filled with people, that His truth be preached, that they receive His truth in themselves, and that in this way, the earth is filled with His glory.

Genesis 9:7

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

Revelation 5:8-9

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 10:8-10 8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

Genesis 11:1-9

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The Tower of Babel is a tale of many Biblical truths: 1) direct rebellion against what God told Noah—multiply in the earth, 2) Man coming together to help man without the help of god, creating a society without God, 3) there are pyramid and ziggurat (tower) structures all over the world and near some of these structures, it’s been proven that there was human sacrifice involved, 3) so when they say, “Let us build a tower that reaches into the heavens, do they mean into the sky, or through occult worship to engage the power of fallen angels and demon spirits? 4) there is more to think about but one last thought: At Babel, man is trying to build his own city and a tower that reaches the heavens. But the Bible says that God is building a city in heaven and will bring it down to man (John 14:2,3; Revelation 21:10)

"About 101 years after the Flood we find a vast number of 'em [the offspring of the sons of Noah], if not the whole race of Noah, in the vale of Shinar, employed in building a city and large tower, in order to make themselves a name and to prevent their dispersion. And tho' they carried on the work to a monstrous height, and by their vanity provoked God to confound their devices, by confounding their speech, which occasioned their dispersion; yet their skill in Masonry is not the less to be celebrated, having spent above 53 years in that prodigious work, and upon their dispersion carried the mighty knowledge with them into distant parts, where they found the good use of it in the settlement of their kingdoms, commonwealths, and dynasties. And tho' afterwards it was lost in most parts of the earth it was especially preserved in Shinar and Assyria, where Nimrod, the founder of that monarchy, after the dispersion built many splendid cities, as Ereck, Accad and Calneh in Shinar, from whence afterwards he went forth into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calch, and Rhesin— Masonic Encyclopedia

"At the makinge of the Tower of Babylon, there was Masonrye first made much of. And the Kinge of Babylon that height Nemrothe was a mason himselfe, and loved well the science as it is said with masters of histories. And when the City of Ninyve and other citties of the East should be made, Nemrothe the Kinge of Babylon sent thither three score masons at the rogation of the Kinge of Nyneve, his cosen. And when he sent them forth he gave them a charge in this manner. . . . And this was the first tyme that ever Masons had any charge of his science."— Masonic Encyclopedia

The last thought from Babel is that God confused their languages, which forced them to be spread across the globe into separate people groups. This resulted in establishment of multiple nations. We should be reminded that it was God’s will that the whole world would be filled with His glory and the way that He does that is by having the world inhabited with humans that willingly accept Him as Lord and are filled with His presence

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And as we saw in Revelation chapter 5, the song praises God because Jesus redeemed humans back to God with His blood from every tongue, tribe and nation.

Abraham

The next major move by God is the calling of Abraham, which led to the creation of His own nation Israel.

Genesis 12:2-3 2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy  name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Abraham> Isaac> Jacob [Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10), Jacob had 12 sons. His sons/ grandsons— Joseph’s sons {Ephraim & Manassah} became the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 tribes ofIsrael became the nation known as Israel. God brought them into the land of Canaan after the Exodus and the 40 years in the wilderness. When Moses died, God allowed Joshua to bring them into the Promised Land— formerly known as Canaan.

Let’s focus on Abraham. The New Testament calls him the Father of the faith ( ). God asked him to leave his father’s house ( ). Jesus said that we are to leave our old life and live in the new ( ).

The new life starts with death to the old one through faith. The old man dies in Christ and the new man resurrects in Him.

Genesis 22

The story of Abraham and his son Isaac in this chapter is undoubtably parallel to the story of God the Father and His Son Jesus. Scholars or commentators call these OT findings types and shadows. Abraham waits his whole life for the promise of God. He waits for the fulfillment that God will send him a son so that the promises that he will be a great nation. It is quite a long story, but there were many times along the way that Abraham became weary in his journey and seemed, momentarily, to question God, and even at one point took matters into his own hands when he and Sarai, his wife made a plan to have a child with Hagar their Egyptian servant ( ). The name of this child was Ishmael. The Muslim religion comes from the descendants of the Ishmaelites, Mohammed was an Ishmaelite. Christian’s are constantly being tested to either make decisions in the flesh (Ishmael), where they try to fix their situation their way, but it’s outside the will and word of God; instead of patiently waiting on the promises of God.

But God told Abraham that the promised seed would be Isaac a child born to Sarah, and that even though she was 90 and he was 99, the child would be born the way that God said— under supernatural circumstances. There are are multiple supernatural births in the pages of scripture, at least four I can think of off the top of my head: Isaac, Samson, Samuel, Jesus. Why? I believe it’s because God’s plan of new birth in Jesus is so supernatural! Have you been born again? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you? Have you experienced new birth? You will know you have when a love for the things of God and a desire towards obedience in His word have entered your heart.

After all this time Abraham finally had his promised son and, now, in Genesis 22, God requires of Abraham to take Isaac, the supernatural child and to offer him as a sacrifice on a mountain that God will show him. It is the details of the story that are so intriguing to me. The details intrigue me because 2,000 years before Jesus, God the Father was already writing the story of His only begotten Son. Look at these similarities:

Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Genesis 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

In both stories, a son of supernatural birth, carries wood up a hill on his way to being offered as a sacrifice in obedience to his Father’s will.

Next time, we will talk more about Abraham and his connection to the New Covenant, but, just a couple points:

God has a plan for humanity. He is love and He created us with a free will so that we could choose to love Him, so that He could pour out His love on us. Creation shows me that all this that He did, He did for love!

God has an enemy. The enemy of God is full of hatred. His choice to rebel against God, resulted in a perversion of his purpose. He was intended to bring God glory. Now, he is driven to get his own glory and to take God’s glory for his own.

God looks for people to believe His truth and obey. Through these people, He performs His will upon the earth and His plan is manifest through the hands and mouths of His people as they preach the truth about His kingdom,  Matthew 7:14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. NASB—the Lord said that the laborers are few to work in the fields of the kingdom (Matthew 9:37-38). There will also be few that follow the straight and narrow path that leads to life.

Satan and his kingdom of darkness use the free will and hands of man also to build his kingdom on earth, like Babel, they make bricks and build a name for themselves, instead of building the name of God. Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. NASB— the majority of people and the majority of the church world today is building this kingdom. There will be many of that day that will say, “but Lord Lord—didn’t we…” (Matthew 7:21-23)

God called Abraham to leave the life he knew before: Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: KJV

When you believe God’s word, the Bible says we become born again: John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

When we are born again, we are translated into the Kingdom of God: Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, NASB

LOVE

First Corinthians 13

V1 NASB, …tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.:

maybe there’s a distinction in sound that would be noticed by a percussionist, but most people would not take notice at the difference between those two sounds.

Clanging sounds would become irritating, the of a believer speaking if God’s word whether it be through prophecies, tongues, preaching, if it’s done without the love of God it just doesn’t sound right, but how do we define God’s love in the day we live in, what is the definition of God’s love in these modern times? Many people talk about love, but how do they define it? Ex of when the youth pastor said that about the Samaritan woman.

So is the new definition of love that we never tell anyone that sin will destroy them? We never say homosexuality is wrong, transgender, fornication, adultery, gossip, lying slander, smoking, vaping, drugs, alcohol? Is it not love to tell the truth? So is it love to let people go to hell without them knowing they’re on their way to hell and not tell them they don’t have to go?

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, , nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

It’s true that sometimes God’s love is uncomfortable, but God’s love heals and restores. God so loved He sent His Son into a fallen world. How bad is this world church? How hostile towards God and HIS Son do you suppose this place is? What a love, that in the face of hate and bitterness and jealousy and anger, as they wag their  head and cast in His teeth, “Save yourself!” His response, “Father forgive them”, It’s not a pretty, clean or romantic love. It’s heartbreaking, it exposes, it convicts of wrong, but this love is so full of passion, selflessness, sacrifice  it’s  unforgettable; yet, so many carry on without change. “Don’t talk about change, I don’t like change”, but He died, so we could change. The world was dark and He is light. God is light in HIM is no darkness at all.

What kind of love is this?

Numbers 21

Well, it’s a love like you’ve never seen, a love like you’ve never heard of:  “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. The people are perishing for their murmuring and complaining against God and rebellion against God’s will. He sends the poison of asps. God is not opposed to chastening His people. They rebelled, they murmured, they complained. He sent the serpents, but He also made a way of healing.

Look to HIS plan child of God – look to God‘s plan Christian on that pole sin was judged. The son of God was placed, upon that pole, and there He bore the weight of man’s sin. Your body can be healed— that is love, the bitterness in your heart healed, the brokenness of your heart healed, what love! Remember the problem began with— murmuring and complaining. This is the love of God. It doesn’t look like it, it doesn’t make sense, it’s bloody, it’s dirty, but if you accept that it’s for you, if you let it into your heart, love will flood your heart and change your life.

John 1:12

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Children reflect the image of their father. True children of God are molded into the image of his son and His Son is the image of the invisible God Colossians 1:15

God is love 1 John 4:7-9 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

When the sacrificial love of Jesus enters our heart, it changes everything because the revelation of His love changes everything. Lost and hopeless, humanity was stuck in a world of darkness. We don’t think much of history, we tend to only view the world through our personal experience, but what you and I were born into is far different than the rest of human history. If we could really understand the light of His love, the transformation power of the Love of God, we would so appreciate the Lord more. Without Jesus, there is only sickness, sin, disease, darkness and trouble, nothing but hopelessness; we were without him: yet, he loved. In spite of ourselves, he still loved us. He showed us his love (demonstrated) his love in that, while we were sinners, Christ died for us. When did he die for you? I would say he died for you when you were your worst.

Was that when you were doing drugs, and living a lifestyle of sexual sin or was it when he saved you and then you cheated on him again? You can figure that out between you and God. He and I will figure that out for myself. But while we were yet sinners, he died for the ungodly:

Selfless, sacrificial, relentless, a pursuing love that refuses to quit. Refuses to give up— He will not give up on you child of God. Please, let us agree in the Holy Ghost, we never want to give up on you Lord!

Until that love enters our heart. We will sound no different than the rest of the world. We will just be another noisy sound in the middle of a noisy world – it is the love of God that will give our words distinction.

Unless that love is in our hearts and manifesting the fruit produced from the Holy Spirit in our lives, you can have all the gifts you want, you will still be a gong or a clanging cymbal.

1. v2 you can have faith to move mountains. No love – you have nothing.

2. v3 give all your money to feed the poor – no love – nothing!

Visual manifestations of love:

1. It suffers long— it’s patient.

2. It is kind – useful

3. It’s not jealous or full of envy.

I’m happy God is using you. I am thankful to God that he is blessing you. I was praying for you brother or sister while you were in that spot. It is good to see that he pulled you through.

4. Not easily provoked – man you really hurt me. I don’t really understand why you did that to me. But 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.… you hurt me but you can’t really hurt a head man.

4. Love does not rejoice in iniquity.

5. Love rejoices in truth not lies.

• Prophecies will fail

• Tongues will cease

• Knowledge will vanish away

Remember Because there is coming a day when those things will no longer be needed, because all those things are currently simply tools used by God for the purpose of revealing Himself to a world that is sick with sin, and full of hate towards God.

But one day love will come, that which is perfect will come— when He comes, the fulfillment of God‘s plan— Jesus, when the manifestation of God’s love returns to this earth, The part will be done away with.

You see right now the love is only partly seen, and can only partly be seen by others through us. It’s sad that there is a world out there that is hurting so bad and need His love so much. They are drowning in hate and sin, and His own people called by His name struggle to love one another:  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10 We must always be on guard: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Matthew 13:25 But Jesus said not to pluck up the tares, because in plucking out tares, we could damage the wheat that is around the tares and the wheat is O’ so precious to our Lord; for the wheat are the very souls that He purchased with His blood.

**John under the tree crying and saying with tears in his eyes, “The Master told us to love”

Currently, we see His love through a glass darkly but when love comes, we will see him face-to-face.

So what is the revelation?

The revelation is the manifestation of God’s love. His love manifested on the earth in the form of His Son. Now being ascended, the great Comforter has descended and the great love has entered our hearts through the person of the Spirit. The revelation is that it’s not about my gift being greater than the next person, my tongue or interpretation, being more important than the next person. It’s never about me, it’s always about HIM. That’s why I can’t afford to be:

Provoked

Envious

Seeking my own or full of jealousy

That’s why I have to embrace truth and not lies

That’s why I would rather patiently bear with you rather than display your sin in front of the world (13:7) Proverbs 17:9 He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.

That is why I have to endure all things – – which means not to recede— erosion, reveals the root

Revelation 3:2 Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.

Because you see anything else is me acting like a child. When I was a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child but now I have love I have the love of the father and the heart of God, and in Christ, I am made a mature man or woman of God! I no longer act like a child or act like: you take my toy, I take yours. You’ve be mean to me, I be mean to you. No, I learn to allow my old man to die and allow God’s love to live through me.

The love of God made me a man, and when I became a man I put away childish things.

1 Corinthians 14:1

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Lord, it’s a big deal, please help me get it right!

1 Corinthians 2:9-14

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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.

Starting question:

Question: in everyday life situations, how do we go about comparing spiritual things with spiritual things?

Answer: A right understanding of God’s word mixed with the discerning help of the Holy Spirit!

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but [WE] will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Israel is about to go to war and before they do, King David does a wise thing. He goes to the house of the Lord and along with the congregation, they all pray together for victory.

This is what some of the rest of the prayer sounds like:

Psalms 20:1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

Psalms 20:2 Send thee help from the sanctuary —this is where His presence dwells…Zion/sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Zion;

Psalms 20:3

Remember all thy offerings, Sing praises to the Lord O ye His saints & give thanks His holy name ps 30and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah—God remembers and accepts the worship of His anointed!

Psalms 20:5

We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.

Psalms 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Praise God. The Lord saves His anointed. In the New Testament you are the anointed of the Lord. He wants and expects you to do more than just come to church and sit down. And when you go out there to minister, you will be covered by the Lord. He desires for you to walk in the plans that He has for your life. You have been smeared with the oil of His presence. His word says that He will hear from heaven and He will save with the strength of His right hand. Your enemies may come against you. Family members, people that you thought were brothers and friends may come against you. People may secretly and maliciously want to see you fall, they may feel animosity in their heart towards you, say one thing to you and something else to someone else, but the God of Jacob will hear in the day of your trouble and He will deliver you. If God be for you who can be against you. Watch it! Watch how you treat the anointed of the Lord. That goes for everyone in this place. Look around, the eyes that you make contact with— these are the eyes of the people of God. The people that are anointed by their God.

The King said, “Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but [WE] will remember the name of our Lord!

Man, that’s good—- remember the name of Jesus!

Yahweh— The existing one

Jehovah Rapha—healer

Jehovah Shalom— peace

Jehovah Shammah— presence w us

Jehovah Tsidkenu —righteousness

Jehovah Nissi—our banner

Jehovah Jireh—provider

El Shaddai God almighty—all sufficient—omnipotent

Adonai— Lord God— you are my master— Abraham called him that

Life as a Christian would be so much simpler if there was a period at the end of that saying:

“Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but [WE] will remember the name of our Lord!

or better yet an exclamation point. I mean there is literally a form of punctuation, at least in the translation, but I’m talking faith. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of our God [exclamation point— period]!.

But O’ God, we your people repent. I repent Lord for myself and for all your people of all times when we place: a semi colon, a comma, a dash-dash, a comma and a coordinating conjunction comma [and] comma [but]

Isaiah 30:1-3

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 2 That walk to go down into Egypt— going somewhere else and haven’t asked the Lord about it and have not asked at my mouth;to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

PRAY

Isaiah 30:1-2 NASB

1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; 2 Who proceed down to Egypt without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh. And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

Isaiah prophecies and Israel lives in rebellion. They are no longer serving God. They go through the rituals of religion while living in rebellion and sin, like a Christian in church hearing the word but living in sin. People in the world and the church live like one day it’s not going to come to an end, like there won’t be any judgment to face, whether it’s a great white throne judgment or a judgment seat of Christ, both are final, and they are both rapidly approaching.

Much of the church world today doesn’t want to talk this way. It sounds mean, too harsh. We’ve been trained to accept the worlds ways in the church because we’ve grown accustomed to accepting the world into our lives.

Israel had been in sin, Judah, was also in sin, and their sin will result in bondage. Anytime, a child of God finds themselves in sin, or anytime they have a problem, they should go to God, no-one else, nothing else— Okay, if you have a friend or a spouse that tells you to go to God, that’s good, but YOU MUST GO TO GOD!

If you are living in sin right now and hear my voice, you need to know that you have an advocate waiting for you, but do not let a preacher lie to you and convince you that it’s okay.

We have an advocate…

1 John 2:1-4

Christ Our Advocate

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

1 John 3:6-7

6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

Succor…. Hebrews 2:18

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (Give aid) them that are tempted— it doesn’t mean that He wants to comfort you while you’re in your sin! No He has come to rescue you from its chains and fetters. He has come to release you from the snare of the Fowler

What the Lord has placed on my heart this morning are

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

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Isaiah 30:1-3

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me;and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth;

The word that the Lord gave me this morning started with the thought of alliances that we make for ourselves. From that thought, the Lord gave me this scripture about improper coverings and alliances.

But in this case, they’re not going to God. They’re being tempted to go to Egypt to form an alliance or agreement to get help from another source instead of God and God calls that adding sin to sin.

God is chastening them because of their sin, and instead of them being willing to hear the rebuke of their Father and receive His correction— the correction is captivity, it’s what God has chosen, sin has consequences. Their consequence is a foreign country taking them into captivity— it’s going to happen Christian! If God plans a course of chastening, its coming, and the word clearly states to trust Him through it and endure the chastening of the Lord, endure and understand that the Lord chastens those whom He loves.

Alliances and coverings.

In my mind, prayer is one of the most powerful things that Christians can do and when we consider our own lives, we can probably admit that there have been seasons that we have neglected the privilege of bringing our petitions before God?

He already knows what we need, but He wants us to bring our needs before Him. Wednesday night they were singing that song, “You tore the veil! You made a way when you said that it is done!”

That means to me that you and I can bring our needs before the Lord. Jesus chose a parable about a wicked judge and widow that refused to stop asking:

Luke 18:1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

You know there are some really important things in our lives that we should pray about:

Our marriage

Our spouse

Our children

Our job

The church we go to

There is so much more that we should pray about

Our nation

Our friends

The rest of our family

Christians should pray all the time about everything. If that makes you feel irritated in your spirit because you don’t pray much, I’m not sorry! Get your heart right and what I just said will feel better!

Matthew 7:7

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing.… whatever your definition of praying without ceasing is, it’s probably safe to say that most of God’s people are probably not praying as much as they should.

I didn’t say that they aren’t talking— Christians I mean— I didn’t say that they’re not talking. They’re talking, just a lot of the time, they’re talking to someone else besides God.

***Israel planned to sit down and talk to Egypt. God saw what they were doing. They were about to make the world (Egypt) their covering.

The word for alliance, more specifically the word covering used in the KJV is used multiple times to describe a molten image. The idea is that people are putting something before God. The covering is something that they are using for protection or comfort, support or even advice instead of God. It could be a multitude of things. It could be:

AA, NA, Alanon

It could be a Psychiatrist

It could be a counselor

It could be a medicine

It could be a job

It could be a church

It could be a Pastor

It could be a spouse

A friend. It could be a friend at work. It could be a spouse or a friend that mean well.

The point is, you’re talking to them instead of God. So, I can’t talk to my friend or my spouse? I’m not saying that we never talk to friends or spouses. I’m saying that it’s a slippery slope when alliances and coverings are trusted instead of God. When I speak to earthlings instead of God!

READ: This amazes me. Five different Christians, filled with the Spirit, have read the Bible for years, and all five have a differing opinion about the topic, and each will leave the situation convinced that they are right and the others are wrong. The reason that they believe that is because they pray and hear from God, but what if they all pray and they all hear. The only answer left must be that I am more spiritual than them, and they can’t see what I see. What about a spirit of humility? What about a teachable spirit that says, “Maybe, I’m wrong about this situation, or better yet, maybe all of us have some elements right and some elements that need to be tweaked and we all need to keep seeking Him and humbling self and when we do, we all may get closer to His truth? O’ Hallelujah I feel the Lord on that. We might be on to something church. The answer is to humble self, have a teachable spirit, talk less to earthlings and talk more to God! And everything must be aligned with the written word.

How should a Christian determine an answer to a situation? God’s word and God’s Spirit? All this garbage about, “I think or I feel needs to go!” It’s okay to think or feel a position on scripture but bring your biblical position, not just your opinion. That’s how the natural man makes a decision, not the spiritual man. Now, in the end if you don’t like something that’s fine too, that’s called an opinion, but that’s what it is an opinion, not the word of God.

Okay, I will stop, and leave you with this, since God’s people can’t agree that we all have the ability to hear from God, can we at least agree that we would be better off talking to God than other earthlings when we have an issue regarding important matters?

What is this covering or alliance that you have placed over yourself? It could be anything that you have in a place that is positioned between you and God and prevents you from going directly to God for the things that you have need of or the things that you have concerns about

Back to the things that we should pray about:

• Church

• Family

What happens when something good like a friend, more specifically a brother or sister in the Lord becomes my source of information regarding God’s will about my marriage or the way that things are going at the church? Maybe they agree with me in my frustrations. Yeah, I agree with you about the way that your husband does that, that needs to stop or you need to get rid of him, or vice versa, that needs to stop or you need to get rid of her. I’m not saying that there is never a scenario where this could be true, but do you realize how easily we can manipulate our own story in our mind and share it with others who will agree with us, and just because we agree with each other it doesn’t mean that the Lord agrees with us.

We can take this scenario into the church. I don’t agree with Pastor on that. I don’t like the way that is being done. I believe that is wrong, what about you what do you think? Yeah, I kind of agree with you about that. Let’s see what he says or she says… We all agree that Pastor is wrong about this, and surely we’re right because look how many of us agree with each other. We have formed an alliance, and there is a bunch of us, so we must be right. And we pray and we hear from God.

In your experience in the world, when things aren’t going the way you want to, what is the normal course of action that you have moved towards? Say for instance you go to work or even a family get together and you’re around people that you’re familiar with and something is heavy on your heart, what is it that you’re likely to do at that moment?

You will likely begin to talk about the things that are concerning you—right? And  then the person that you’re talking to, what will be their likely response? They will likely give their opinion on the matter. They may not influence your thoughts on the matter, but it’s hard to think that their opinions or words and your opinions and words would not likely influence the thinking on the situation. And if we have allowed our opinions to influence our thinking, is it possible that we have influenced our thinking and brought it outside of the will of God?

David was about to go to war and at that time, he knew what to do, and he wrote:

Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will remember the Lord our God!

The Whole Earth is Filled with His Glory

Discuss the Millennial Reign

Isaiah 6:1-3 Numbers 14:21, Psalm 72:19

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Jeremiah 18:1-6

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

This is what God offers:

Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Potter

Conformed

Earthen vessels

God is molding clay, conforming people into the image of His Son that they might be vessels used for His glory. Earthen treasures. Go to the potter’s house and allow yourself to be conformed from married clay into a vessel that is made worthy to contain the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

…and while God offers this fashioning with His hands, so that His glory can fill the land, man, like at Babel, uses his own hands to form bricks and with clay and mortar forming his own will. At least he thinks it’s his will, but in reality, if it’s not the will of God, then it’s the will of evil, the will of evil to take from God His plan and His (God’s) glory from the earth.

Isaiah 6:1-3 The earth is filled with the glory of God Isaiah 6. Who will I send? Send me Lord!

Isaiah 6:4-8

4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

Isaiah’s Commission

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Okay, now, I’m excited. God is going to send me and He is going to use me to speak truth to those who are lost! And they are going to receive God’s truth, and they are going to be thankful that I told them truth, and many times they are.

Isaiah 61:1-3 1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

But many times they are not…

Isaiah 6:8-11 KJV

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not;

and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered,

Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach truth. The same anointing that results in salvation, is the same anointing that brings conviction, and the feeling of conviction brings the opportunity for repentance, or refusal to repent, but he who refuses today may accept tomorrow. The gospel is a seed and sometimes lies dormant in the soil until it’s watered again by the Spirit.

If they reject you, it’s not you they reject but me.

Luke 10:16. “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

Man rejects because he makes his own bricks and builds and rebels against God’s will to multiple on the earth. If man follows the will of God, and receives God’s truth then God’s glory fills His people and He sends them where He wants them to go: Noah (replenish the earth), Israel (enter the land of Canaan), Isaiah (wherever he tells him to go), the disciples (where He sends them), you and I, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel— and the earth is filled w His glory

There will be a day when my King, your King will sit on the throne of David and rule on the earth as Sovereign. At that time God’s glory will literally fill the earth. Today, there is an earnest in the air, a down payment for the future, a down payment for us individually as believers, so our lives can produce that sweet smelling fragrance, but that earnest also reminds of the final deposit when you receive your glorified body, but it also represents the truth that His glorified body will conquer evil and rule and reign on the earth. And, at that time, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

At Babel, they came together in one mind and in one language under the command of Nimrod in rebellion against the word of God! God confused their language.

In the upper room they came together in one mind and one accord and the spirit of God fell and they were all filled and they were not drunk as you suppose, but these men be filled with the Spirit of God. This is what the prophet Joel spoke of that in the last days the Spirit of God would be poured out and you sons and daughters would prophesy and your old men would dream dreams and what you hear them say in your own tongue even though you all come from different nations and speak with different tongues caused by the rebellion at Babel. Now, through this miracle of God, through the outpouring of the Spirit of God, you hear them speak the wonderful truths of God! The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ that is the manifestation and fulfillment of God’s plan that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

Joel said that judgment is coming, the day when grace ends and judgment begins is vastly approaching, will you be part of God’s plan of salvation, will I? Will we allow God to use us, no matter how small or big? Or will we, with a spirit of rebellion allow the voice of evil draw us towards the rebellion of Babel that says, “Come let us make a name for ourselves”

While the humble lamb, Hebrews 5:7

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Let’s worship the one who pioneered the way for us

Hebrews 2:10

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Buy Truth and Sell It Not

The very first act of rebellion recorded in God’s word was the result of the serpent’s deception. He caused her to yield to his will through veiled lies. The serpent of the garden is the dragon in the end. If the pages of scripture contain any clue to the diet that causes his growth, it would seem that his ability to deceive the nations would be the main dish. Furthermore, with the attention that he places towards deceiving Israel, it is apparent that God’s people are a delicacy in His diet. It is believed by many that the entire world has been evangelized with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, the entire world remains bathed in lies, and America, who has the most knowledge of truth, is accepting more lies everyday.

Everyday, some new frenzy takes us by storm and attempts to change the way we were taught to think. There was a time, not long ago, that America agreed that when we talked about God, we referred to the God that sent His Son to die on a cross for the sins of the world. The gates have been opened and laws purposefully passed to dilute the Christian values that once dominated our society. It was what we knew, and it was what we believed. And now the American people are force fed lies. And each generation grows weaker as the dragon grows stronger.

There is a remnant of people on earth who hold to truth. The words in this book supply a foundation for a building called the church that will not crumble, because it has as its power, the Spirit of God! Even religion that masks itself in holiness lies according to Jesus:

John 8:43-47 NASB

43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

Comparing a Biblical history of Jesus’ time in the Roman Empire to the current state of American culture, reveals some similarities. The Roman Empire was full of commerce and multiple cultures travelled the roads of Rome. The various cultures carried with them the differing forms of worship connected to their gods. I turned 10 in Singapore, so I was exposed and made aware at an early age to other deities. I saw images of the Buddha everywhere. I saw them dancing in the streets with the dragon costume as the multiple bodies in unison caused the dragon’s body to writhe through the streets. I didn’t understand it, but I knew it wasn’t God. I was a privileged little American boy and didn’t understand how significant the privilege of knowing Jesus was to me.

It seems like I started to notice a change in the late 80’s early 90’s, a change that revealed America was being influenced by the other cultures that were crossing our borders, seeking opportunity in this nation that has allowed me so much freedom to seek after prosperity. A land that I firmly believe, no matter the complete back story, has been blessed by the hand of God, he has used our great nation to send more missionaries throughout the world, and much of the American church still partakes in that endeavor.

But she has become like Ezekiel’s prophecy. She has played the harlot with corruption. It’s so much worse than I would ever attempt to expose on a Sunday morning, but I think that the church world as a whole should be made aware that we are responsible for the current condition of the state of our nation. I’m not saying that you personally haven’t prayed for the leaders or the nation, but as a whole, the church has fallen asleep, and while she sleeps an enemy has entered in and sown tares amongst the wheat. And what concerns me most is that the church has  allowed political opinions to divide her from her main purpose on earth, which is to seek God in unity that His kingdom, not our kingdom would come upon this earth. That Jesus would establish His reign as sovereign upon this land.

When I was a young man in the 80’s I was influenced politically by others around me. I will say that there is right and there is wrong in the political world. But this is just an example of the deception that I want to expose. The Republican Party championed Ronald Reagan as the answer for the day. Mostly, because of his trickle down economics. He cut taxes, and the thought was that the increased revenue in the average American pocket was used to purchase, and the purchases increased revenue for businesses and through prosperity, everyone benefited. He told Gorbachev to tear down the wall of communism, but let me ask you this, “How did we Christians so conveniently ignore the fact that the Regan’s practiced the occult through astrology, calling on demons for wisdom?” Was it easy to ignore because we believed he put more money in our pockets?

The connection point so far is that Israel as a nation was deceived. Jerusalem as a city had given herself over to idolatry and allowed her self to be sold into the lies of the dragon. America today has allowed the same. The corruption in the land is so grave and yet we have become so anesthetized that we act like it’s not even here. Let me tell what is in the land: deception and lies are rampant in the land, but let me tell you what else is present… you are here my friend. You a vessel of truth, a vessel of honor. You that carry the light of God in the last of these darkened days that we live in. I firmly believe that God plans to allow the light to burn brightest before the end.

I want to transition from introduction to scripture, but my transition is Pontius Pilate. History says that he was the cruelest of men, but I kind of feel sorry for him. He ruled at a time when there was so much deception and lies. There were so many options for gods to be served. Israel was God’s people and the only nation that held truth, but their rebellion resulted in a position of weakness, no one could see the power of their God. And one day, out of nowhere he is face to face with Jesus. The King of the Jews. The person who called Himself Truth:

Look at this quick conversation

John 18:36 My kingdom is not of this realm

37 “So You are a king?”

37 “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”

What a stressful situation! History claims that Pilate was under Caesar’s microscope because the Jews had been causing trouble and skirmishes. The zealots looked for a King that would free them from Roman tyranny, so they caused trouble when they could to the Roman Empire, and here comes Jesus, talk of a king, talk of miracles, now, the Jewish leaders want His blood and Pilate’s wife has a dream, and truth stands in his face… I used to think he said it this way, “What is truth—with a smirk?” Now, I imagine, he runs his hands through his hair or rubs his bald head with uncertainty in his heart and stress on his chest, when he asks, “What is truth? All my life I was told as a Roman to pray to my dead family members. The Greeks introduced us to the pantheon of gods and we can choose Zeus, Apollos, Bacchus, so many to choose from, they offer so many promises, and you Jews only believe in one, O’ what is truth?”

How many times has that question been asked through the years since that memorable day? How many world leaders, how many mothers or fathers, how many Christians have asked that question? How many times have you been in a pressured situation and were faced with truth, Jesus standing before you? Faced with a pressured decision on whether you will choose truth or a lie?

Jesus said to His disciples that He was going away but they knew the way, because He was the way and the truth and the Life. The way to the Father’s house is through Him.

John 14:6

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

He has been telling them the truth, but they don’t want to listen. When you don’t have patience with someone else because they don’t see the truth you see, do you stop and consider your own shortcomings and failure to see the truth that is before you? Or do you only see the spots where they are wrong and you harbor truth?

John 8:32

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The vision the Lord gave me— the truth unlocked the door, and you can walk out free, and by the way, His name is Jesus.

Danielle’s testimony of the men in actual prison

The truth that comes from the Father’s house  has the power in it for Physical healing, emotional healing, psuchological healing, deliverance, freedom from sin. The grace of God that is poured out from heaven through the Holy Spirit, made available to us by Jesus through the cross is available to us. His kingdom is not of this realm, His truth is truth of another kingdom. God is not governed by the rules of this earthly realm. He can break in any moment and anytime He chooses and do whatever He wants to do:

Miracle of Dion

He told the religious

John 5:39-40

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

Is it possible for Christians to become so accustomed to the word of God that we become apathetic? That we can know the written word so well that we would no longer believe in the life that it produces. The supernatural change that it holds, the life that it is ready to release.

The Psalmist said: Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.

Psalms 25:1-5 NASB

1 To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me.3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. 4 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

God has a people and He places truth in their hearts and He asks that the Truth placed in the heart be spoken out of the mouth.

Psalms 40:7-11

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. 11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

Proclaim His truth

Psalms 30:7-9 KJV

7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit?Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

The truth is that God doesn’t want you to perish. Don’t believe the lies of evil. God has placed His truth in your heart. It’s not His plan that the rocks or the dust praise Him and tell the world of His wondrous works. It’s His plan that you tell the world of His truth. His truth will make them free.

Armed with truth for spiritual battles

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Just as a belt is worn close to the body, we should hold God’s truth close to us and allow it to surround us. When we remain in His Word, we can distinguish what is true from what is untrue.

In a world full of lies and unrighteousness, we must be armed with truth. The belt girded the loins. It provided support and security. It supported the loins in that it prevented interference from obstacles. I’ve said it many times, but the long, flowing clothing had to be moved out of the way for travel or movement in the right direction to be able to take place. So many things get in our way in life and there are so many lies that try to pull us in so many directions. The belt of truth helps to keep the obstacles of the world’s lies out of the way, so that we don’t trip in our travels as we war in the spiritual battle.

It supports the breastplate of righteousness. God’s truth is righteousness. God’s truth is Jesus— Jn 14:6. God’s righteousness is Jesus— Romans 3:2,22

Conclusion

Pilate posted truth with a placard on the cross:

John 19:19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

20 and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek

A Dysfunctional Family

1 Samuel 13

Characters:

Amnon— He is a child of the king. But is vexed to the point of sickness. There is one spot in the  meaning of one of the words in the story that describes…he was singular in focus. This “love” the word can mean immorality, had gotten him so bad that it became clear to everyone around him that he was vexed. When you are overwhelmed by demonic spirits, it shows. It shows in your countenance. It shows in your language. Like a diagnostician, one, who is practiced in discernment can begin to receive the clues of countenance and conversation and determine the condition of the heart.

When sin grips your heart, you become compelled by the thing. Whether it’s a person, a drug, a job, a child, a house, a car, a business… it doesn’t matter what it is, once it has you, it becomes bigger than God. He wasn’t supposed to have her. The written word said it:

Leviticus 18:9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.

This is where God’s people go wrong. They are the only ones with the hope of His word; yet, armed with His word, they still don’t fear Him and treat His instruction as though it were a recommendation and not the word of God!

Tamar- She is a child of the king. She is pure. Her heart is right. I see her character as a young, sweet, innocent girl who wants to please her Father and serve her brother in his need. Typologically. She is an awesome sister in Christ, or she could be one of our own daughters. She has so much promise. Raised in the house of the king, access to all of its privileges. She proudly wears the virgin’s coat. It reminds me of a garment the garment of righteousness. You know who hates this varied colored coat? Satan hates this coat, because it represents godliness. He wants this coat torn and stained, just as he wanted Joseph’s coat torn and bloodied because he has a plan of destruction and sadly for her and Joseph, Satan uses their own brothers to do the harm. How sad it is when, we God’s people cause harm, instead of help, to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

A deceptive trap is being set for her. She doesn’t know it but she’s walking into a trap of Satan, and once the trap is sprung, she will not be the same. It doesn’t mean she can’t be restored, but she will not be the same. Depending on her response to this scenario, she can be made whole and used to serve or she will be destroyed and perpetually live under the cloud of the condemnation and guilt of the horrible sin that has ravaged her life.

Will she lie in her room in the palace from here on out and ask the servants for a daily ration of wine. Will she ever be married, or instead, will other brothers or cousins prey upon her brokenness, will she repeatedly find herself, because of the guilt and shame and torment and the wine a target for Satan to have his way in her life? This is not God’s plan. Rise up Tamar! Rise up and allow God to heal you sister. Allow God to mend that garment and cleanse those ashes off your head!

Jonadab— the Bible says that he was subtile, another translation says crafty. It seems like I’ve heard  those adjectives used for a Bible personality before. Oh, yeah, that’s how the Bible describes the serpent. Jonadab orchestrates the sinful trap behind the scenes. He helps Amnon. From a spiritual perspective, he uses Amnon as a pawn to release torment into a believer’s life.

What kind of dysfunctional family is this? I would hope that there wouldn’t be this type of drama within a church, but don’t you imagine that through gossip, slander and the lusts of the flesh that wrong can by done by one believer towards another believer?

Absalom- He is rightly angry. He loves his sister, but boy did he handle this wrong. He did not embrace forgiveness. He did not call out for help from God. He methodically planned out his own retribution.

Deuteronomy 32:35

‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them.’

But Absalom didn’t live according to God’s word in this instance. He said in his heart, “Vengeance is Absalom’s and retribution belongs to me!” Anger, deception and unforgivness led to murder. I wonder how long it takes for unforgivness to perform murder in the heart of a New Testament Christian. This is my thought on this: Someone does me wrong. I’m supposed to forgive them:

Matthew 5:44

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

And Peter says, “how many times Lord seven?” Matthew 18:22

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

I’m supposed to forgive, and I say I forgave, but when I see them, there is ought in my heart. Deep inside I’m full of the bitterness of Cain. The thought of them being hurt flits through my mind and instead of praying protection over them my soul smiles. No one sees it. No one hears it. No one but the Lord. I wonder how long it takes for that spirit of Cain to enter?

King David— like a pastor, he was supposed to have discernment. He is the one called by God to manage the kingdom. God had trained him for his job in the fields with the sheep. Why didn’t he see a symptom when Amnon asked specifically for Tamar to feed him by putting the food in his mouth with her hand? Why did he not have any discernment in that moment? Why did he not discern when Absalom asked that everyone would come to the sheep shearing and then when David said it wasn’t feasible financially, Absalom pleads that only Amnon would come— why didn’t David discern a problem at that moment?

Was it because it was too hard to believe that the children of God in the kingdom, even in the church could have such mischief in the hearts? He was supposed to be able to see the big picture. Did he have too much on his plate? Was he too distracted to be able to see that the music ministry needed prayer? That certain people in the church were struggling with blatant sins, or was he so unaware that that he was unable to imagine that people that loved God could have hidden things in their hearts and be so deceived themselves that they could not even see the damage that they were doing to the church, to their brothers and sisters and to the kingdom of God?

Galatians 5:4

Justified

There is more to the cross than just justification. But that is what Tamar needed. She needed a revelation of justification. Most women that are victimized are lied to by Satan and told that in some way they’re guilty. And honestly, it’s possible that many times sinful choices put a person in this position of compromise. Let’s be clear what the preacher is saying. It’s never okay for a woman to be treated this way. Furthermore, I am not speaking to a world of women’s activists who do not understand the concept of sin. I’m talking to Christian’s and I’m saying that many times, not always, but many times, sinful choices, lead to compromising situations that result in tragedy.

Tamar needed the freedom from guilt side of the cross—sin had ravaged her life and she needed that burden lifted and that’s what the truth of justification teaches. God no longer holds your failures over your head somebody else may Brennan, Jeremy, Matt, Shane, Wade, Michelle, but God does not, it’s just as if you never sinned!

Let’s just take the story at face value and when we do, we can certainly see where she is the victim. As a literal person, she was done so wrong, as a type of believer, she represents those who have been imprisoned by sin and once sin is done with them, they’re left full of guilt, shame and hopelessness. These people need so badly to understand the the justifying truth of the word of God. The truth that says, “No! You’re not guilty, because Jesus bore your guilt. In God’s eyes, you’re free from sin. You’re forgiven, the stain is removed, you can stop with the ashes, you no longer have to carry the burden of guilt, the feeling of worthlessness. You can, in Christ, rise up, trust God, and believe Him for healing and restoration and hope for new life.

Galatians 5:11

But there is more to the cross than just justification. You will not be able to experience the feeling of freedom from guilt and shame and heartache and pain from the past, if you do not let the cross have it’s first work, and what is it’s first work you ask? It’s first work is death to self, death to the past. The old man must die in order for the new man to resurrect to newness of life.

But I didn’t do anything, my brother raped me. I was wronged, I was mistreated, I want to wear my tattered and stained robe.

If you want to stay in misery and bondage then you can hold onto every hurt that has ever been committed against you. Every lie spoken, every dollar stolen or not repaid, every slander gossiped, every hurtful word, but if you do, you will not be being faithful to your Lord. Instead, you will be selfishly clinging to your sad little world because that is what you have become, you like the attention, you like the people feeling sorry for you, and until you can allow the death side of the cross to have it’s way, you will not be able to allow the justification side where the removal of the burden of the guilt and the shame and the sorrow and the heartache becomes reality.

We don’t really know what she did to solace her pain. They didn’t have psyche drugs or benzos like we do now, but I wonder, what she looked like in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years.... If she remained in this state of sorrow. I wonder if she had the servant bring her more wine than usual, or maybe even strong  drink. I wonder if maybe in her shame, she became vulnerable to more attacks, or if in her possible state of turning to the wine, she repeatedly put her self in vulnerable situations, that led to other brothers doing the same to her because now that she sees herself this way, I mean this is how she sees herself, worthless, dejected, full of grief and

Isaiah 53:5 The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. With His stripes we are healed. Verse 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was oppressed and He was afflicted. You can release the burden of the power of the offense that clings to you. You can be free from the sorcery through sin that Satan holds sway over you. Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!” Tamar or whatever your name might be. You don’t have to keep living this way. You can rise up and be healed.

Galatians 5:12

Paul’s point is that these false teachers were teaching the church in Galatia to add Circumcision to their faith for right standing with God. When a person adds anything to their faith in the work of the Christ, they are adding some form of self work for righteousness, in doing this, they hinder the work of God in their lives.

Can we do something weird with our faith in the cross like this? Do you think it could be possible that somehow, upon finding a great revelation in the word of God that we, who have believed in truth have learned a truth that so many in the church have not yet found, and then suddenly from this mindset, started to put faith in our own faith in the message of the cross, and in so doing have done the very thing that many of the word of faith teachers did when they went from faith in the word, to faith in their confession of the word? Or faith in their faith? Before you answer too quickly, let us ask ourselves why then, why do we still struggle with the same things over and over again when it’s very plain in the word that we are free in Christ? That the old has died and that the new man has been resurrected!

Well, something is wrong when we find ourselves as believers that have revelation of the finished work of Jesus and we find ourselves floundering in sin. It goes the same for healing. Did He heal us in the atonement or not? Did He heal our emotional torment at the cross or not? Did He give access to grace that heals our broken heart or not? Did He only die for our righteousness or sanctification? Or did He die that we could be made whole, healed in every area of our lives? Healed and filled in the name of Jesus!!

Galatians 5:20

enmity | ˈenmədē |noun (plural enmities)

the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something:

Let me ask you something... Do you think that it’s possible that someone could have done something to you to hurt you, I don’t know—taken advantage of you in some way. They worked for you, a family member, a friend, you trusted them, you gave something to them and they did you wrong, but instead of you really praying for them and guarding your heart, without realizing, you allowed enmity into your heart?

Do you think that’s possible for believers? And enmity turns to strife, which turns to bitterness...

Turns into jealousy that even when it appears that the person is trying to repent, instead of you being happy and joyful for your brother or sister in the Holy Spirit; instead, you are full of

dissension | dəˈsen(t)SH(ə)n |noun

disagreement that leads to discord, fits of anger and in your heart, instead of letting it go and giving it to God, you let it fester, you let it fester into bitterness?

And the whole time it’s drawing you away instead of closer to God, and the spirit’s of deception tell you that you’re okay, but you can’t be okay, because the word of the Lord says:

\Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

“But I have forgiven them”

No, you haven’t, not if in your heart you see them making a move towards the Lord and from a self righteous attitude, you can’t wait until the next time they fall, so you can talk about them or be right in your own mind instead of wanting to see them restored.

Galatians 5:20

rivalry | ˈrīvəlrē |noun (plural rivalries)

competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field

What a travesty, if Angie or Ross, or Niya preaches an awesome message, or Wade gives a great testimony that gets more views than my last message and instead of me, being secure in my calling, I secretly have envy and rivalry in my heart.

Or I have a business, and someone sets up shop across the street, and instead of me doing inventory and determining in my heart whether there is something that God wants to show me or change in me, and to trust Him, I want them to fail. I want them to fall on their face and then I will take it a step further and help the lord make them fail and instead of spending time on my knees and letting God have His way in my heart, I try to find something that they’ve done wrong, so that I can shut them down. That is a spirit of rivalry and that is not the Lord. That is division, dissension and the ways of the world. That is flesh, not Spirit. That is walking outside of the cross.

Judgement Seat

JUDGMENT FOR BELIEVERS? YES!

Slide: Revelation 20:10-13 Great White Throne Judgment —Judgment of the dead— not teaching that

Slide: Isaiah 5:11-12

11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning,

Flemings: wade, rob, Brennan, me

Cares— distractions

There are many cares causing distractions and concerns in the the world today.  Jesus said take no thought for tomorrow. Times have changed and so many believers are not in the word, not being in the word and learning how to trust God, causes people to resort to what the world trusts in. When God’s people get entangled in the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, it rob them of time that could have been devoted to God. Temporal time is precious. James called it a vapor and once it’s gone, there’s no more and then the accounting of God begins.

There are many in the church living their lives exactly like the world, acting like there is no tomorrow. Focused on what they think makes self happy, or what seems to be the most important at the time, but it’s momentary. There is little regard for God and the things that God has done for them. I have noticed that approaching them with the Lord produces irritation. If there isn’t overt irritation, then there is no spark for the things of God. They say they love Him, but it seems they are just giving lip service to God and their hearts are far from Him—God sees that. I want you to know that He is watching us and has something to say…

Slide: Isaiah 29:13

Wherefore the Lord said,

Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth,

and with their lips do honour me,

but have removed their heart far from me,

It’s not in their hearts as God’s word. It’s only the teaching of men

and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Slide: Luke 12:33-35– Jesus said.                  (a depository)

33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

2 Timothy 4:6-8 JUST READ IT, NO REFERENCE

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Cares for the true Christian also

I can’t stress enough the importance of us living for the Lord and raising our children to know Jesus and training them to serve Him. How do we balance all these truths, being a witness to the lost, being faithful to church, so we can function as the body of Christ, no I mean be a real church according to what the scriptures say. How do we do that: live for Him, work, raise our children so that their souls are not lost? PRAYER, seeking God for His will over our lives. But the distractions of life and the opinions of the world influence our decisions.

This also is not going unnoticed by the Lord. How will we explain to the Lord that we loved Him but football practice was more important than the house of God? We, His people will also be judged. We will be judged based on our works:

Slide: Judgment seat

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

We must pray individually as believers about God’s will for our lives, our jobs, our children, but I have to emphasize that we have an excellent opportunity to join forces together with heaven and concern ourselves with the work of God, if we will intercede together to do the work of the Lord, and if we will, we are promised that He will concern Himself with our business— I would like to see the people who are doing outreach from the church to come to at least one intercessory prayer time per week if possible.

Slide: Inheritance

Ephesians 1:16-23

Jezebel wants to steal the inheritance of God:

1 Kings 21:1-7 Ahab wants Naboth’s (Fruits) vineyard. Naboth doesn’t want to give up his inheritance. Jezebel takes it by force.

1 Kings 21:3

And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Luke 12:35-48

Use these scriptures for the following Wednesday

As a Pastor, a large part of what I feel in my heart is that I want you delivered to the Lord as a chaste virgin ( ) that you receive your inheritance that Jesus paid for you to have. But no matter

Jesus

John 4:32 I have meat to eat that you know not of. John 4:34 My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work, and then He talks about harvest again…4m until harvest but look, lift up your eyes and look the fields are white and they are ready

how hard I try, and even with the Holy Spirit moving, I’m sorry, but this is true, you have to want what God wants for you. You have to choose to believe the word of God and the promises that God has for His people that He communicated in His word. It’s your choice to believe the woman of wisdom over the spirit of Jezebel. If you choose to believe a lie and live a life plagued by fear and anxiety that will be your choice, if you choose to stay out of the house at God and pretend to yourself, convincing yourself that you’re okay whenever you are blatantly disobeying the will of God, then that is your choice. By the grace of God, I will study and I will plead with God that He move in our services so that His -expel that He loves will experience His hope and power, but if, even with all that, His people choose to do their own thing, to their demise, it will be what they chose.

Faithful servant

Parable of the talents

Matthew 25:14-20

Matthew 25:14

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

His people, called by His name have a primary purpose in this earth. The purpose of His people is that they would partner with Him and be committed to the work that He has called them to engage. He said that:

Matthew 9:38

Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Reward

Matthew 16:27

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.1 Corinthians 3:12

with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire— also check out the NIV & YLT

This one and James religion pure and undefiled in these passage we realize that God’s heart is to serve without expecting anything in returnn

Matthew 25:34-46

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 -- When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 -- Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew 6:1-4

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Repentance

Matthew 3:7-8

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Paul really believed the word of God! He believed that we are in a spiritual battle. He believed that souls are important to God. I have read the story so many times. I understand what happened, I just can only compare what I read to what has happened to me in an attempt to really try to understand what he may have felt. He sat blind for some period of time. Blind and somewhat isolated in this house on a street called strait. He may not have been completely alone. Surely, as a high ranking Pharisee on his way to do official business, he would have had others with him. Maybe some of them were also at this house as he tried to work through in his mind what just happened— before Ananias got there to lay hands on him, so he could recover his sight. Before his encounter with Jesus, he thought he was so right. I wonder how much anguish he was feeling during that period. The bright light had shone from heaven and Jesus directly spoke to him and told him that as he persecuted Christians, he persecuted Jesus. His whole life was planned out for him. He had the best education, the best life could offer a Jewish man at that time, but it was all for nothing. This encounter will transform his life. I would love to know what he saw or what he realized in his own heart, how it made him feel to have thought he was right and the realized that he wasn’t.

Prayer Matt 6:5

Fasting Matt 6:16-18