Spiritual DNA

Roots

Romans 5:12 NASB

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—|

Kosmos- Greek for world- meaning--order or arrangement.

The order was arranged by God earthly or physical to inhabit the earthy man. Satan, a spiritual creation who was the originator of sin, had to have an earthy vessel through which to introduce sin, which is spiritual and doesn’t come from God into the creation that was created in the image and likeness of God. The entry of sin affected the nature (spiritual DNA/at its core) of the entirety of God’s physical creation.

Adam’s yielding or presenting himself to the submission or service to Satan’s wishes caused a change to everything. The sin shift resulted in death to the entirety of creation. All creation groans or has an anxious longing awaiting the manifestation or revealing of the sons of God.

Romans 8:18-22 NASB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

8:18-22 KJV

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Romans 5:14 NASB

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Adam’s sin resulted in bondage for all humans. Even though, all humans didn’t commit the sin of Adam, which was the first sin, now, the spiritual DNA has been changed, because sin has entered the creation. The image has been changed.

Adam was a type of Jesus who was to come in that He was created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus, as God, was the image and likeness of God, and being born of a woman, He clothed Himself in human flesh for the purpose that He could die to pay the wage of sin, which had corrupted the natural creation.

First Adam and last Adam. First Adam created in the image and likeness of God disobeyed and reproduced after His own kind, giving to his offspring a sinful nature.

Jesus the Last Adam, came in the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) and through new birth, He reproduces offspring after His kind.

Romans 5:15 NASB

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

The free gift is not like the transgression in this way... it results in life instead of death.

The free gift of Jesus is like the transgression in this way. The transgression brought sin and death to the the human creation.

The free gift brings grace and life to all humans that are willing to receive the offer by faith.

Romans 5:17 NASB

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

βασιλεύω--king, reign to be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign

βάσις basis; from βαίνω bainō (to walk); a pace (“base”), i.e. (by implication) the foot: — foot.

Adam’s sin allowed entry and was the beginning point, a foothold that gave building rights for the foundation and the preparation of the kingdom of darkness and the reign of sin to begin upon the earth.

Death vs life

I’m no longer a slave to fear

I’m no longer a slave to sin

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Romans 5:21

so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT- in the spiritual realm

On the battlefield of life, we must understand the gospel—how sin works, how grace works, what the cross accomplished in the spiritual realm.

A man can't just be a better man because he wants to. We are born into a kingdom where sin is reigning as king, but we are born again and translated into the kingdom of God’s Son, where we receive back, from God kingdom authority. It was purchased by Jesus on the cross and it’s daily by the minute dispensed into our lives by the person of the Holy Spirit through faith.

Romans 6:5 NASB

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

σύμφυτος symphytos; from 4862 and a derivative of 5453; grown along with (connate), i.e. (figuratively) closely united to:

Built from:

1. Syn-- synonyms together

2. Sprout

Together—sprout

So the NASB says United. Imagine the intertwined DNA helix. When a true conversion takes place, the believer becomes intertwined, sprouts and begins to grow in Christ. In Christ, we have become GMO. Genetically modified into His holiness.

— planted together.

AV (1) - planted together 1;

born together with, implanted by birth

2 Peter 1:2-4

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Romans 6:6 NASB

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

KJV uses “old man” in this verse, the old man, the body of sin are words being used to describe a repeated occurrence throughout Romans 6.

The word sin is used with the definite article 13 times in Romans chapter 6 when searched within Young’s literal translation. The idea of “the sin” is related to the sinful nature. It’s the noun of sin that produces verbs of sin. The power of sin that drives someone to produce acts of sin.

Adam allowing sin into the realm of the natural creation, allowed sin into our being, just as we have been United or planted together in Christ and also resurrected with Him, those who are not born again, remain living their lives bound by the spiritual DNA of their sinful nature. But also Christians can be bound this way, when they do not understand what the word says about spiritual freedom.

Romans 6:7

for he who has died is freed from sin.

Going off of verse 12 through the one man Adam sin entered the natural man. He receives his association w/ sin in his first birth in Adam. Our old man, our association with Adam dies w/ Jesus. Now, being dead to the first birth, we’ve been freed from that connection that we had w/ Adam.

The next questions are:

1. Did you know that?

2. Do you believe that?

Romans 6:3

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Romans 6:11

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The KJV uses Reckon. The thought is that a disciple, which means learner, has been taught and learned and has come to the conclusion that he is no longer operating according to the old standard. He is no longer the previous creation born of Adam. He is a new creation born of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17)

And so now knowing the truth, it is his responsibility to apply this truth to his life. God says that he is new; therefore, he must believe God and not Satan that he is a new creation in Christ.

Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

Even though sin has entered the natural realm through Adam and had kingship previously in your personal life, sin is no longer king in you. It no longer has its dominion over you. You have been translated into the kingdom of Christ, so quit submitting yourself to sin’s authority.

Romans 6:13

and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

KJV Yield

If we willingly yield to the power of sin, we open the door and allow sin to regain power in our lives.

When we do this, our members or body parts become weapons of warfare for the kingdom of darkness. That’s the Greek meaning of instruments (weapons of warfare)

Our minds think evil instead of righteousness

Our mouths speak death instead of life

Our feet walk towards sin instead of holiness

Our hands break instead of build.

Romans 6:16

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

KJV- ὑπακοή hypakoē; from 5219; attentive hearkening, i.e. (by implication) compliance or submission:

Conclusion

Jesus has given us new life. Through our new birth, we with Jesus, our old man died with Jesus and our new man resurrected as a new creation. While we were in the tomb with Jesus, the Holy Spirit was doing some spiritual surgery on us. He did a very technical spiritual procedure where He turned off a switch that disconnected the power of sin received from the natural birth in Adam and He intertwined His divine nature into the helix of our spiritual DNA. New birth activates it. Continued faith keeps it going. If you need your switch flipped pray with me now.

The Cross: The Ministry of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:17-18

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Faith in Jesus and His death: the old life passes away and God’s gift of new life is given.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Financially reconciliation makes an adjustment that corrects the books. Man born in Adam, is born in sin and is in debt. Jesus’ death paid the debt and now the books can be reconciled (Romans 6:23).

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the person. The human spirit is joined with God’s Spirit (John 4:24).

Genesis 3:24

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Sin separates man from God’s presence. God’s ministry of reconciliation begins after the fall with the skins of animals but finds fulfillment at the cross of Christ. Notice how God places Cherubims [angels] with swords to prevent entrance back into the presence of God.

Exodus 25:16-22

16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

The ark was a box made of gold, and within the box, the “testimony,” which was the 10 commandments was placed into the ark. If the Law was not kept completely, it was considered broken.

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

Just as there were 2 Cherubims preventing access to God’s presence, we will see that these 2 Cherubims are associated with allowing access to God’s presence.

19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

The faces of the cherubim are looking towards the top of the mercy seat.

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

“The testimony” is another way to say the 10 commandments. In order to live by the Law every aspect of the Law must be kept (James 2:10). If it’s not kept perfectly, it’s considered by God as broken.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

It’s further explained in Leviticus 16 that on the Day of Atonement, once per year, blood is applied on top of the Mercy Seat, between the Cherubims. This would change this place from judgment (broken law) to a place of mercy. Now, the Cherubims don’t see broken law, they see the blood. Only the high priest was allowed into God’s presence once per year, but God is furthering the ministry of reconciliation.

Romans 3:25

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

The Greek word for propitiation means mercy seat. Jesus is our mercy seat. Because of His sacrifice. We are allowed back into the presence of God. When He dies, the veil that separated the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom signifying that access into the presence of God was now granted to those who come through faith in the blood of Jesus (Matthew 28:5; Hebrews 10:19, 20).

Genesis 3:10

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Because of sin, Adam’s covering of glory was removed and the exposure of his sin produced a separation between him and God’s presence. The forces of darkness are connected to sin and sin and darkness are not comfortable in the presence of God.

Genesis 3:7

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Since the fall, mankind has tried to find a way to escape the guilt of His sin, but there is only one thing that is accepted by God the Father as reconciliation for the sin debt and that is the blood of Jesus, meaning His death pays the wage of sin. It’s important for Christians to understand that if they have accepted Jesus, then they can call upon God, they can enter God’s presence without fear or reservation! The word of God says that Jesus’ sacrifice paid the penalty of your sin. You can trust God’s word.

Genesis 3:21

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

It must be believed that these skins represent the first sacrifice. If you read back in chapter 1 of Genesis, you will realize that man and animal were herbivores, meaning that they did not eat meat. Moving forward in Leviticus, it becomes clear that animal sacrifices were a temporary answer for forgiveness of sin—the innocent animal dying in place of guilty man, until finally Jesus came to die as the sinless man, who made right what the first sinless creation [Adam] made wrong because the blood of bulls and goats cannot remove sin (Hebrews 10:4).

Galatians 3:27

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

When a person puts faith in Jesus, the old man is buried and a new man is resurrected, and the new man is clothed in Jesus in God’s eyes.

1 Corinthians 15:49

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Ultimately, we will receive a glorified body and our reconciliation in God’s presence will be complete.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

In the Old Testament, God promised that He would provide a new covenant where He would change the inside of people and give them a new spirit and a new heart. It was mentioned earlier that when we’re born again, we are joined together with God in our spirit.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

The ministry of reconciliation makes it possible that the blood of Jesus takes away our sin and allows the Spirit of God to come and live within us.

Colossians 2:13

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

In Adam [our first birth], we were born dead. In Jesus [born again], we are made alive through the power of His resurrection.

Ephesians 1:13

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

It’s already been said, but God keeps saying it, so I will also. When a person responds by faith to the gospel, the Spirit of God seals them and comes to live in them and their life will never be the same again.

Luke 9:59-60

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 -- Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

When God created Adam, mankind was created in the image and likeness of God.

Genesis 5:3

And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

After Adam sinned, mankind was born in the image and likeness of Adam [with a sinful nature]

Ephesians 4:22-24

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct or behavior] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

The “old man,” who we were before we were born again, used to live his life a certain way, but new creations are supposed to look differently, talk differently and act differently.

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Our spirit is joined with God’s Spirit. The word says that we are new creations in Christ. The word says that we are not who we used to be. The word says that the old man that we were originally born as in Adam, died with Jesus on the cross, was buried with Jesus in the tomb and was resurrected with Jesus to newness of life (Romans 6:3,4)

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

It’s just that simple. Through faith, the old died and the new was resurrected and now, like an old pair of shoes you take off the old and put on the new. The only thing holding you back is:

1. You don’t know it so you can’t believe it and that’s why we need a renewed mind

2. You’re not ready to give up sin and keep walking the same path In the same shoes

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Jesus, the last Adam, came in the image of God and died to make right what Adam made wrong

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.

Now, being born again, the Holy Spirit lives in me, and as I yield to His will, my old man and his old ways are crucified, and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I am being molded into the image of Jesus.

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.

The ministry of reconciliation cannot happen unless a man is truly born again.

Romans 6:5-6

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

In God’s mind our old man that was sinful, naked and offensive has died and a new man has been resurrected. The new man is clothed in Christ, and he is being molded into the image of Jesus. Jesus is the image of God; therefore, when the Father looks at a Christian, He sees Himself, like He did when He looked at Adam before the fall.

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The renewed mind understands that the old man is crucified with Jesus, he also understands that the power of sin is broken through this spiritual death, burial and resurrection with Jesus, and lastly he understands that he does not have to be a slave to sin.

Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

The ministry of reconciliation takes people that are born dead in the first birth in Adam, kills them and buries them in Jesus and resurrects them through the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in the believer now, and He is there to continuously make changes as the believer cooperates with Him.

A Vineyard and the Inheritance Part 2

2 Samuel 23:9-12 He’s not distracted that his hand is cramped onto the sword. This is not the time for quitting.

9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

Last week Naboth’s stood his ground and refused to give up the inheritance received from his fathers. This inheritance connected to God’s promises was important enough for Naboth to die for. Everything battle you face in life is not worth dying for, but Eleanor, Shammah and Naboth knew when it was time.

Romans 8:37

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Ahab and Jezebel’s approach symptomatic... the serpent deceives. The dragon takes by force. Ahab asked permission. The initial approach was not to take but to entice Naboth to yield. Satan cannot take whatever he wants. 3 problems people have spiritually:

1. Unsaved and blindly walking towards the edge of eternal destruction.                                  Through the word

2. Say, “I love God,” but have no desire to know Him.

3. Know His word, just disobey—not that big a deal

Snake and a plan

Underestimated is the exercise of free will and the trickery of Satan. Satan slithers w/ his traps and tricks into position. His venom paralyzes. He wraps, squeezes and his constriction wraps and entraps. Once the trap is set it’s never as easy to get out [Psalm 91]. One last thing to say about the free will, deception and the strike. A snake repeatedly flicks its tongue many times before it ever sinks its fangs. It’s sensing both the prey and the environment. It’s sensing and adjusting as needed.

Like a snake, Satan hides his real intent until he’s ready to strike. He hides in the shadows watching our responses to situations and circumstances. Satan will put people and situations in our path to position us for the strike.

A Rat and a grape

Believer’s are not supposed to be vulnerable prey. They have access to the truth. He has the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit gives discernment. The more a person yields to the Holy Spirit and focuses on God’s truth, the more discernment they receive. The more a person yields and focuses on what life has brought, the more distracted they become—the more vulnerable they are.

Examples:

1. Two single adults. Both desire companionship. Both love God. It starts innocent. It starts as a friendship. It starts slow. Talking turns to texting, and before you know it texting turns to kissing. And well from there not much more needs to be said. How dare you preacher. I’m an adult, and I am allowed to kiss or make out with someone if I want to! Yes, you can do what you want with your free will. That’s the point. He flicked his tongue, sensed you were ready for a nibble, the paths converged…

2. There are a lot of people who want a new life. Tired of drugs, tired of men or vice versa, just looking for fellowship—need some good social companionship. They seek out fellowship with other believers, and end up in a church full of false doctrine. You think demons of lust are bad? You don’t want to get caught up in doctrines of devils. That serpent will slowly constrict the life out of you.

Jezebel and Ahab are types of spiritual darkness infiltrating the kingdom of God. Adam allowed the serpent into the garden, Ahab allowed Jezebel into the kingdom and Christian’s, have been known to allow darkness into their lives:

But Paul warned

KJV Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

NASB Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.

NIV Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Eleazer the son of Dodo and Shammah were examples of God’s people taking a stand against darkness, not giving into it:

Ephesians 6:10-11

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:13

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

NASB Ephesians 5:8-14 a teenage girl whispers to her friend about what her and her boyfriend did 2 nights ago

8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

Sometimes we feel too weak to stand

David’s men came to serve him before he was given His crown. When they first arrived, they looked weak and pitiful:

1 Samuel 22:1-2

1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

Think about that. They were distressed and in debt. David wasn’t on the throne yet, but he was the rightful king and they came to serve him. After spending time serving him, this is how a couple of these men were described:

Eleazer’s hand grew weary in the battle, but his hand clung to his sword. Paul learned in (2 Cor 12:9) “In my weakness, His strength is made perfect.

God’s word tells us not to grow weary in well doing when everyone else ran away, in fear, God helped Eleazer grip the sword tighter.

Why you want to fight over a patch of peas Shammah? Because these peas don’t belong to the Philistines. This pea patch belongs to God, He gave it to us and the people of God don’t give up their inheritance to the devil.

If New Testament Christian’s would spend more time learning what the scriptures say, so they could believe what God says about them instead of what the world says, they, too, would become kingdom warriors:

This thing we’re seeing with Israel is big. This thing with America is big. The vineyard was big, the pea patch was big, but you do understand that there is something bigger, than the conflict in Israel and what we’re experiencing in America? The snake is flicking his tongue and he’s trying to gain an angle on people’s souls, and more than anything he wants the souls of God’s people:

Luke 17:21

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Satan wants the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is in God’s people and people think that they’re ready, and I so hope that we are.

But just as the devil offered Adam and Eve a lie, he offers people lies today and wants them to trade their eternal inheritance for something temporary. He tried to do that to Jesus also:   

Luke 4:6-8

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Satan told Jesus that the kingdoms and their glory were delivered to him, and that now, he can give them to whomever he wills. Who do you reckon gave Satan the kingdoms?

Adam yielded his authority to Satan, as a result, Satan has power on earth.

Deliver- to surrender or yield.

God gave it to Adam, but Adam traded his authority to Satan for a lie.

Jesus doesn’t yield to Satan or His friend’s:

Luke 4:8

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Matthew 16:23

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

There is no time to get snared in Satan’s traps

Both Peter and Satan were trying to get Jesus to focus on temporary kingdoms. You might get caught up in temporary problems, but Jesus said that the offense is a trap, the trap is a temporary promise, and he’s telling Satan to get behind him. What is the trap in front of you?

Jesus came from heaven to earth to give us back our power and our inheritance, so that He can resume His plan of filling the earth with His glory.

Inheritance from God

Satan wants to steal what God has given you. In Christ, God has given us great power and an inheritance, and its important that we understand what we have in Christ:

Ephesians 1:17-19

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.

Throughout the Bible, the people that failed God and received a bad testimony from the scriptures are those, who didn’t care about God’s word, didn’t believe God’s word or were somehow deceived related to God’s word.

• Adam, was deceived & delivered his power to Satan

• Esau didn’t care & sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils

• The 10 spies didn’t believe and said they were grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants

• Israel cowered in fear and unbelief as Goliath ridiculed God’s people

• The prodigal son spent his inheritance on prostitutes and pig slop

• Adam failed but Jesus said, “It is written Satan”

• Esau sold out but Jacob wrestled with God until finally his name was changed to Israel

• The 10 grasshoppers died on the other side of Jordan but Joshua and Caleb crossed over and killed giants

• Israel cowered. But then David showed up and sunk a rock in Goliath’s head and fed his flesh to the birds.

• The prodigal woke up one day, lost his taste for pig slop and prostitutes and said I’m going home to serve my father and there, unexpectedly, received again his authority with a ring and a robe

Satan tries to convince us that he has something better.

Better wife

Better husband

Better job

Better car

Lies and distractions he uses to get an entry and keep us away from our purpose for God’s kingdom. There are 2 questions that must be asked before making the deal:

1. How will this affect my eternal inheritance or purpose?

2. Is this decision consistent with the written word of God

The more time that we spend w/ God, the more sensitive to His Spirit we should be, but if we are already distracted, [RAT w/ a grape] it’s easier for him to slip in and take something that doesn’t belong to him.

Conclusion

2 Kings 9:30-33 what does she think, she can seduce the new king? Isn’t that what the devil does though? Tries the same old tricks. How many times does he get the same person w/ the same thing time and again.

30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? 32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. 33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

The serpent is still looking for an entry. Ahab wants the vineyard. If you won’t give in Jezebel is going to try to kill you to take it. Jesus refused to give up the kingdom of God for an earthly counterfeit. Naboth refused to sell the land. The Eunuch said, “Enough!” And threw her out of the window.

I can’t prove what I’m about to say, but it’s hard for me to believe that at least one of these eunuchs didn’t hear what Jezebel told Ahab her plan to set up Naboth. I believe they heard her wicked plan. I believe they heard the news that Naboth died standing up for the inheritance, and I believe that they were ready for a new king!

The Glory 1

Glory— The glory of the Lord is directly associated with God’s presence. When God’s glory and presence enters the natural realm, it affects the atmosphere, it affects people, it changes situations and circumstances. [Leviticus 9:6-7] God’s presence in the New Testament saints is directly related to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the believers acceptance of that sacrifice.

Colossians 1:10-14

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet [qualified] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered [to rescue] us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another] us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption [deliverance or release by payment] through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

The glory of God is associated with the splendor and brightness of God. In the Old Testament, the glory was physical and very dramatic. Today, it can be that way also in that healings and miracles are associated with the glory of God.  The glory is associated with His presence, and when it is released into the atmosphere, it is felt and changes things, even if it’s not as dramatic as a true miracle, when His presence is released, His glory is released, and when His glory is released, it has an affect in the natural realm and it affects the people that are around it.

In the Old Testament,  it often took the form of a cloud, sometimes it was associated with fire (Ezekiel’s Cherubim had fire in the midst). Simply stated the glory of God is the presence of the Lord, and where the presence of the Lord is there freedom, liberty, power. When a person spends time in the presence of God and is affected by the glory of God, they begin to emanate the glory of God. His presence flows from them into others. All sorts of miracles of transformation show up when the glory shows up.

WHAT WAS REMOVED FROM ADAM TO MAKE HIM REALIZE THAT HE WAS NAKED?? Can’t explicitly prove that Adam was clothed in God’s glory, but let’s work backwards a little bit in the scriptures related to God’s glory and see if we can make a case for the fact that God’s intent is that man would be a carrier of His glory.

Because: Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Revelation 21:22-23. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

John 1:4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Other translations say: overcome it. Darkness can’t understand it to lay hold of it, so it can’t overcome or defeat it

John 1:8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

That men might believe through Him vs 7 and that they might become the sons of God vs 12

Philippians 3:21. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

The glorified body

1 Corinthians 15:35-58 NASB

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”

The glorified body: We are being conformed into His image through sanctification. We will be changed into His image through glorification.

36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

The sun, having its own splendor and glory given to it by God, releases its glory into the atmosphere. Then the moon receives the glory of the sun and reflects it outwardly so that it’s glory can be seen, but anyone that knows what’s really up understands that the moon is a reflection of the sun.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;

43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

Vision of privilege and promotion

44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

He releases His life, He releases His glory into us

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.

People who either are not saved or are led by the flesh instead of the Spirit will act like sinful earthlings; whereas, those saved and led by the Spirit, will act like Jesus, because He was always led by the Spirit, and the scripture says that we’re heavenly beings, even now, in that we are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

But, there’s more heavenly glory to come. He’s not done with us. The inheritance will be fulfilled in eternal glory.

50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Exodus 34:29-35 NASB

Moses’ Face Shines

29 It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

Exodus 34:33 KJV

And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.

34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, 35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

Exodus 34:10-14

10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. 11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

God’s glory will not remain forever in a location of wickedness. He is merciful and longsuffering, but He won’t stay there forever—Ezekiel 8:3-6;10:18.

The land/ earth is polluted with sin and darkness, which is the opposite of the glory of God. When Satan has his way with humanity, he is able to do the opposite on earth from God’s original intent. This is only temporary. God is looking for Joshua’s and Caleb’s. He is looking for Naboth’s to hold fast to His promises. In the current time frame that we are living in, this is how He fills the earth with His glory.

Because: Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

The land is filled with corruption, it is defiled, it bears the image of sin. God wants it eradicated. His people aren’t supposed to join them. His people carry the glory of God for heaven’s sake!

2 Corinthians 3:7-13

7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

2 Corinthians 3:13 NASB

and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.

2 Corinthians 3:14-18

14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

μεταμορφόω

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This word in the Greek Metamorphoo is where we get the word metamorphosis. The idea of metamorphosis- a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means_ New Oxford American dictionary. The caterpillar has butterfly DNA in it. Christian has Jesus DNA in them. The caterpillar dies in a cocoon. Christian dies with Jesus on the cross and is buried in the tomb. The caterpillar comes back to life as a butterfly. The Christian resurrects to newness of life, but this is just a partial,down payment. We are being changed from glory to glory into the same image as our Lord. Do you understand this. You’re not a Mormon. You’re not going to ascend into being a god. You’re going to metamorph into a fuller resemblance of the image and likeness and glory of Jesus who is the express image of God’s person and glory (Hebrews 1:3).

Matthew 17:1-3

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

μεταμορφόω

2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

We see this in Jesus. As the deity “Godness” in Him transfigured or “metamorphed”

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

μεταμορφόω

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

Paul exhorts Christians

Moses, in God’s presence radiated God’s glory— Adam used to walk in God’s presence and I believe that he emanated God’s glory and that’s why he knew he was naked after the glory left.

Jesus transfigured in front of His disciples and Moses is there

John 17:21-24

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

You have God in you. You have God’s glory in you! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to release some of this out there. 🎼 Day and night, night and day, let incense arise…

Because: Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

I might be coming to your neighborhood soon.

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

__________________________________________________________________________________  μεταμορφόω

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

A Vineyard and the Inheritance: Part 1

1 Kings 21

Jezebel is a foreigner/ she is outsider to the Israelites, which are God’s people on the earth. She enters into the kingdom bringing her ways and beliefs which are against the ways of God. She is a spiritual intruder and she wants to affect God’s plan by introducing her ways into God’s people.

God’s whole plan on the earth hinges on having a people that carry His truth, His image, and His glory upon the earth. It’s because of His love and His grace that He created us to be part of His plans. He did it because He is love and there is no better place for love than within a family unit—God wants an eternal family.

He wants to have a relationship with us. So He created this physical realm as a place for the physical to exist, but the physical journey is a test, and the response in the physical, has a direct impact on the spiritual/ eternal inheritance that He has planned for His children.

In Adam, God gave man power and authority over the physical realm. This was God’s creation and He entrusted its well being to Adam. The spirit of the serpent was already in existence, and like Jezebel in the story, his plan was to intrude. Whether this fallen angel, as a spiritual being possessed the serpent or transmuted into the image of a serpent, I do not know and don’t really care. All I know is that he was a spiritual creation that had rebelled against God at a time somewhere in the past. He was not content as a creation of God and instead wanted to be above God, and so he rebelled against God. Through his rebellion, he brought about his own spiritual death and now, he sees Adam and this new creation. He sees Adam’s authority and he wants it, so he takes on the form of the physical enters, so he can steal the spiritual. He failed his test and now he wants Adam and us to fail ours. Snake analogy from last pm.

Flesh and blood cannot and will not inherit the kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:50); therefore, we will be tested in the physical before entering into the eternal.

So the story has a setting, a physical place where a spiritual battle is taking place—like a garden, a vineyard, a church, a workplace, a home, a family. And then a spiritual intruder disguised in a physical body with plans to steal, kill and destroy.

And the only way that it can enter and cause trouble is if the will in the natural gives permission to the demonic in the spiritual and Adam does, and Adam brings in death, chaos, confusion and rebellion into the narrative of God. The serpent was an outsider, looking for a way into the plan of God. The serpent is always looking for a way into the plan of God and Jezebel is the opening of the serpent’s intrusion into God’s kingdom on earth during this time of Israel’s history. We must remain vigilant:

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

God has a plan for the human race and He is looking for people that will be His people and help Him bring His plan to fruition. There will be opposition, there will be tribulation, but praise God, He is worthy of it all. For from you are all things and to you are all things. You deserve the glory….

We’ve talked enough about Jezebel recently. She isn’t the topic of this message. But she, like the serpent is the intruder on the outside given permission to come on the inside to cause trouble in the kingdom.

The topic of this message is Naboth’s inheritance. God has a plan for His people. His people are His family. According to the New Testament, the son’s of God have received an inheritance.

Matthew 21:33-41 is a good parable to describe what I mean by inheritance and the intrusion by evil to steal it. READ

The direct context is that God entrusted Israel with His vineyard, but religion killed the Son and tried to steal His inheritance. The serpent will use Jezebel, false prophets, Pharisees, false doctrine, the enticements of the world…whatever he can use to steal the inheritance and to spoil the harvest of God.

If you’re saved this morning, you have protection from the deception Satan plans. If you’re truly saved, you’ve experienced God’s entry into your physical realm. He spoke and you responded and invited Him in. He is there now and wants to protect you from the intrusion of the enemy.

Something happened in your heart and like Jesus told Nicodemus, you may not know where a specific breeze originated from but you can feel it’s effects, so it is when a person is regenerated, when a person is truly cleansed by the washing of regeneration and their life is transformed, it is the result of a supernatural move of the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5

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

There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains:

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; And there may I, though vile as he, Wash all my sins away:

If this person continues to grow in truth, and protects the presence of God and God’s will for their lives, the spiritual transformation will be manifest outwardly by the fruit of the Spirit being produced in their lives. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, faith, self control, patience, kindness, … these are outward, physical manifestations of a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. In our new life with Christ, the word says that we’ve been healed, delivered, set free, sanctified. The blood of Jesus cleanses us and makes us a completely new person.

That is really my message this morning. As new creations in Christ, we have received an inheritance of promises. These promises include the future, but they are also true for today. It’s important that we understand that Jesus came to restore to us what Adam lost in the fall to Satan.

This is important! Just as Ahab wants to steal Naboth‘s vineyard and inheritance, Satan wants to steal the inheritance of the saints. He wants to make a deal and if that doesn’t work Jezebel through seduction or violence will try to steal. They want to steal God’s plan for the church and they want to steal, God’s plan for our individual lives. Satan wants to offer Christian a deal. He wants you to serve yourself and trade in your inheritance, exchange what you want in place of the Lord’s plan for your life.

Both Naboth’s name and his home town have spiritual significance

Naboth= fruits

Jezreel= sown of God

To be sown of God means that God planted the seed. This means that the land was God’s, that Naboth was called by God to bear or bring forth fruit for God, and in the story, Ahab wants to take from Naboth what belongs to him. Look at Naboth’s response:

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. REPEAT

The land is very important to God. There is a scripture in Leviticus where God tells His people not to sell the land:

Leviticus 25:23

The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

There is quite a statement being made here.

1. The land is God’s and His people Israel are instructed not to sell it.

2. He explains to them that they are fellow strangers and travelers in the land with Him.

3. While the land belongs to God, He refers to Himself as a stranger

4. The context is God created it and gave it to Adam. Adam lost it, and now God, finding others that will trust and obey His word, is taking it back one piece at a time. His creating the nation of Israel was a plot of land that He used as territory to produce an inheritance through Jesus and says, “Do not sell my land.”

5. The land He is giving them a land has been invaded by inhabitants that were polluting it with their occult practices, and it’s still going on today. He is sending them in to conquer and take over control of the land Leviticus 18:25-27.

6. Adam allowed a deceptive lie to bring darkness into the realm that God had given Him to have authority over. The result of Adam’s decision not only caused a personal problem with sin, but it also brought sin into the land

7. Now, thousands of years later, God is giving land back to His people Israel and He is saying, “Right now, we are strangers together in our own land [it’s bigger than this. It’s bigger than Israel. It’s the whole world, the whole Earth, but it starts here with Israel, it starts here with Naboth’s vineyard, it starts here with Shammah’s pea patch (2 Samuel 23:11), it starts here with your house and family, it starts here with this church and anyone willing to join us in this area and hopefully we will be able to help other churches see it also,  but we’re taking it back one piece at a time, one step at a time. God would say, “You have to trust me. I have a plan. Don’t sell the land. The land is mine. I’m taking back what belongs to me, and I’m allowing you, my people, to work with me, while I’m taking it back.” But you can’t let the snake into the garden and you can’t let Jezebel into the kingdom.

8. Now, Ahab wants Naboth to do what Adam did. Ahab wants Naboth’s vineyard, he wants Naboth’s fruits, he wants Naboth’s inheritance, but Naboth’s said: 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

• Adam gave Satan a foothold  through disobedience

• Ahab gave Jezebel a foothold when he transgressed the written word of God and married an unbeliever.

• Paul said don’t give place to the devil, which means a foothold to the devil

Satan infiltrated God‘s kingdom, but God is reclaiming it all through the lives of His people.

His plan includes partnering with people that He has given authority and dominion on the earth to occupy until He comes. When you, as a born again believer with the Spirit of God in you, believe God and pray God’s will, it has power on earth. When you, a Spirit filled believer work with God by planting seeds of truth on earth, it has the power of heaven behind it, it’s going to bring a harvest, you don’t have to see it, you just need to believe it. Story of what Stephen told me

I believe that true Christianity is us walking with God and reclaiming the land, advancing the Kingdom of God, learning His word, believing His word and doing His word. If Jesus said:

Matthew 28:19-20

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: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Then that is what we believe, teach and do

If Jesus said:

Luke 10:19-20

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Then that is what we believe, teach and do

If Jesus said:

Mark 16:15-19

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Teach it, believe it, do it

God created Adam and Eve in the image and likeness of God. And God told them to reproduce after their own kind and to have dominion over the earth and to spread His glory over the earth. Sin may have changed man’s image (Genesis 5:3), but it didn’t change God’s plan. Sin may have caused them to lose their authority and stripped them naked of God’s glory. But Jesus gives believers His glory (JN 17). Sin may have left them banished outside the presence of God in the darkness of night, but God has a plan of grace, and He’s looking for a people that will finish the race.

He started showing us the plan by clothing Adam and Eve with the skins of an innocent animal:

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God created the earth for Adam to reproduce and replenish the earth with the image and glory of God. Satan offered light and life but his lie brought death and darkness. Now, with the power that he’s taken from Adam, he fills the earth with his plans. Then comes Jesus:

John 1:14

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

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

READ John 1:1-13

And conclude w/ the Luke 19:11 parable

Divorce

Matthew 19:3-8

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Last Sunday, the topic of divorce came out. I wasn’t planning that. Through that night and the next morning, I felt God wanted the topic exhumed not buried. Anyone who has been divorced has a unique story, and all the details can be complicated.

I don’t expect the world to keep a covenant with a human when they have no covenant with God. Roman’s 1 when truth suppressed, a form of God’s wrath is released, causing a spiraling of societal morality.

Part of that spiraling is that people become covenant breakers. These are the times that we are living in now. Anyone that is honest must admit that divorce has become rampant in the church.

People that are considering divorce, please seek the Lord! Humble yourself before God and get his heart on it first.

Romans 14:12

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10

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.

Judgment seat of Christ

Paul’s awareness of the judgment seat of Christ motivated him. and he wants his readers to be motivated. God's grace to us in forgiving sin does not mean He's careless about how Christians live their earthly lives. We will stand before Him and be held accountable for our choices we made in this body.

With that said, I am really just using the thought of marriage and other relationships as a springboard to describe gods plan of doing a deeper work in the hearts and lives of his people.

Our ❤️ belongs to the Lord, it’s the place He lives. He likes clean places

Today’s message is really more about relationships and how God uses them to work in our personal lives.

Longsuffering [Galatians 5:22] is a fruit of the Spirit that is learned through having patience with other people. In spite of their shortcomings, in spite of their wrong doings in my life, endurance in these relationships teaches me longsuffering. And longsuffering is the character of god.

The alternative is divorce! Divorce from my wife, my husband, my children, my cousin, my workplace, my Christian brother’s and sisters because they all aggravate me And I’m done,

The scripture says that God is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance [2 Peter 3:9]. All I can say is thank god he didn’t divorce me when he didn’t like what I was doing.

We must really seek God's wisdom regarding relationships. It is likely there are times that we are trying to separate ourselves from people that we shouldn’t while maintaining relationships we shouldn’t.

The beauty is that the Spirit in us will lead and guide us in all truth, and always, I mean always in consistency with His word!!

In Ephesians 5, Paul uses marriage between a man and a woman as an illustration of the relationship between Jesus and his bride.

   φόβῳ χριστοῦ. [fear/reverence for Christ]

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  [Reverencing Christ]

    Hupo=Under

hupotasso- submit self unto/under

Ephesians 5:22

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ  [Submitting to the Lord]

Submission requires meekness

1. Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

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

3. Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love

4. Colossians 3:12-13 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Meek— praus, which is translated as “strength under control.” In ancient Greece, war horses were trained to be meek — strong and powerful yet under control and willing to submit.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Gave Himself

• sacrifice                     Deacon/servant

• Servant/ minister/ ++diakonoe— The son of man came to minister/serve -one who executes the commands of another

He puts us into an environment of relationships where we can practice learning his ways.

Ephesians 5:29

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:

Ephesians 5:30

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Ephesians 5:31

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Husband and wife are so different to start w/ and we, as His bride, are so different than Him in the beginning of our relationship. Individual Christianity starts w/ a biblical truth—faith in Christ kills the “old man” [ephesians 4:22] and resurrects the “new man”. But that’s just the ceremony and now the “one flesh” begins.

He doesn’t have his own personal flesh here anymore, except that’s not exactly true, because we are here, and we are his body, and if we are truly saved, his spirit is in us.

According to 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. We are one w/ him in spirit, but does our mind think like him? And does our body/flesh act like him?

What causes the body to move? [mind]. What is the helm that drives the mind, causing the body to move in a certain direction? Could we say that the will of man is like the helm of a ship sailing on the sea and wherever the helm pulls the rudder, in that direction, she goes?

Father not my will but your will be done [LK 22:42].

Let “My kingdom come, let my will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That’s what he said, right? No, he said, “father, in heaven…let your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We might can say that we are married to god through salvation and we can definitely say that our spirit is one with his if we are born again, but our mind and our will needs a whole lot of cross work done to our old man and a whole lot of resurrection power for our new man. And the more we and our will dies, the more he and his will lives.

So why don’t I act like him—the new man? There are a lot of different men running around out there.

1 Corinthians 2:14 - 3:1

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

1. ψυχικός— 1 cor 2:14 the | natural man | is the soulish man the one who operates with his mind and his will his emotions. He perceives and engages his world through his thinking. His soul is leading not the spirit

2. πνευματικῶς— 1 cor 2:15   He that is spiritual

| spiritual man |. He engages the world that he lives in through the eyes and mind of the Spirit of God. The spirit is preeminent over his own mind and thinking. His mind is subject to the mind of Christ — Gal 5:23- love, joy, peace, longsuffering

3. σαρκικός— 1 cor 3:1the  |fleshly man |. The sinful nature arouses the human to want what he wants rather than what the Spirit of God wants. 1 cor 3:3 envy, strife and division.

Romans 8:6

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

1Corinthians 2:16

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Family describes closeness. Israel was broken down into families, clans, tribes and a nation. The church is a larger whole broken down into local bodies, but the bodies are supposed to be his body.

There is nothing like the closeness of a family unit. In the church setting, there will be things that will happen that will frustrate the believer and Satan will convince them that they need to leave, but god wants to do something on the inside of us, and he places us in an environment where he can put his finger on some things in our lives that he wants to deal with.

A real church provides an atmosphere and opportunity where closeness of relationships can take place. But There isn’t a more intimate relationship than husband and wife.

they are one flesh and what man will harm his own flesh? Who would tear his own flesh apart? Jesus allowed his flesh to be torn, but his body was torn, so that ours could be healed. His flesh was ripped like the veil, so that we could gain access into the presence of God. Hebrews 10:20

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

Jesus tore his flesh, so that his bride could be brought closer to him not to put her away. These relationships that we have in marriage, with our children and in a genuine church setting, they cause a closeness that god uses to expose things in us.

Instruction from the Apostle Paul

Romans 8:12-14

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Illustration: second person shooter vs 1st person

active voice- the subject is active in the verb…

You, through the Spirit. It’s almost like a search and destroy mission where we allow the Holy Spirit to search the heart and try the reins. Okay, Lord we’re going in: lust, fear, pride, contention, anger, arrogance, condescending attitude. Unteachable Spirit. You’re not like my Jesus. Get out of here.

Passive voice- the action of the verb acts upon the subject

But we’re not just sitting on the couch

In order to walk in ch 8, one has to be crucified in ch 6

Romans 6:3-7 3 -- Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

4:22-24]. Which means that you have become a new creation in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Colossians 3:1-3

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Seed Time and Harvest

There are numerous references to harvest in the Bible. Oftentimes harvest surrounds fields of grain, but the reader must also remember that Israel was also full of vineyards and revelation 14:14-20 describes two personages each having a sickle, representing two harvests. One reaps because the harvest of the earth is ripe— rapture [15]. The other reaps the vine of the earth and that harvest is placed in the winepress of the wrath of god—judgment [19].

Matt 3:12 says: His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” The idea is that there is a separation coming. He will separate goats from sheep, good fish from bad fish and here, grain from chaff. Jesus said that during this part of the kingdom age, the tares and the wheat will grow together, but there comes a day….

Matthew 13:30

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Luke 10:2

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

John 4:34-37

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps.’

Luke 12:16-21

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

the candle

In the OT, Leviticus 23 speaks of firstfruits/ Pentecost. these feasts were harvest feasts: 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

The book of Ruth takes place in Bethlehem during harvest time

Bethlehem—house of bread

The book of Ruth takes place during the barley harvest. Where after a famine in Bethlehem, which means house of bread, there is a great barley harvest and Ruth, a gentile becomes the bride of Boaz, a Jewish man, whom the Bible calls a kinsman redeemer. Hebrews 2:14 states that he [Jesus] became flesh and blood, because we were flesh and blood. In Hebrews 2:17, it is stated that he is our brother. A kinsman is a blood relative. He became like us, so he could die for us, so that we could be part of the harvest of God.

Jesus is seed planted by God, that seed went into the ground and died and rose and the truth of that seed is the seed of the gospel. The seed of the gospel is sown and is producing a harvest for God. There is a harvest coming. This harvest is the fruit of the seed sown by Christ.

John 12:23-26

23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

For him to be glorified, that means he must die. Then he will receive his glorified body. He was God in spirit who became flesh. He died as a man and was raised as the glorified god/man.

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

In order to reap a harvest of glorified humans that will inherit eternal life, he is planted as seed, which will produce a harvest of human souls.

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. He didn’t say my Father will honor the one who loves me. He said, “My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Serve/Servant— διακονέω/διάκονος this is where we get the English word deacon. Serving is what you do and a servant is who you are. The first deacons, Phillip, Stephen… were table servers, waiters. One of the sentences in the definition in Strong’s Greek dictionary was…to supply food and drink. Imagine that…supplying food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty. Jesus said that he was the bread of life and that he was living water. People are dying of starvation but not just physically. People are dying without Jesus.

Mark 4:1-29

Parable of the sower

1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: story of the Venezuelan watermelon. Two miles wide and two inches deep. 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any

Isaiah 6:8-10

time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Taketh away-Take up or away, sail away “I will be taking that- thank you!” Is what Satan says. You can’t have that seed. That seed will mess up my plan for your life.

This part of the parable is very reminiscent of Genesis 15:3-14, where god made covenant w/ Abraham. In that story fowls attempted to eat the carcasses of the covenant. Within that covenant was the promise of the seed, which ultimately was Jesus. And the seed of the parable of the sower is the gospel or good news about Jesus. Satan never stops what he does. He will always try to steal the promise of the seed. Just like Abraham shooed away the fowls off the carcasses, you better learn to shoo away Satan off this word. Get off my word you lying devil! You can’t have this seed! God gave it to me and I’m going to cling to it like a treasure.

Well, how do I do that preacher? Listen, write, study, pray, worship, engage yourself in everything god and do your best to reject everything that is the world.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

They receive it w/ joy but don’t want to give it a good environment to grow.

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Watermelon story

A seed needs earth for root. Without root there is no stability, because it’s like a foundation. People put roots in the world. They go to school and get better jobs. Invest in friendships. They will even find themselves a church that is good for their social life, but Isaiah talked about a root of Jesse and the book of revelation talks about the root of David and both those passages are talking about Jesus, and they won’t really put that root in their heart. Isaiah says that the spirit of the lord anointed him to bring good news to the meek, bind up broken hearted, set at liberty those that are captive, beauty of ashes, 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. ______________________________________________

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Choke— strangle and cut off the flow. in Jiu Jitsu prevents blood flow to the brain, resulting in an inability to think properly before you finally pass out. When these other things take root on the side of the gospel and start to choke the blade of grain that is the word, God’s word in us is choked and it begins to affect the way we see and think spiritually, ultimately, with time if allowed to continue, it will choke the life of the gospel out of us.

The world is hostile to God’s seed, but God created it to receive seed

The sower did his part. The seed does what it’s supposed to do. It’s the earth that we live on and the way that we allow it to affect us that’s the problem: fowl, stones and thorns they are the problems. The earth, in its current condition, is hostile to God’s seed.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

It is extremely important for believers to understand that they must treat the seed of God’s word with special care in their hearts. The Holy Spirit will reveal to us the things that are hostile to God’s word in our lives: addictions, relationships, entertainment… once revealed, they must be removed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot afford to allow things to remain in our lives that jeopardize the seed of the gospel.

|James 4:7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.|

the candle

Mark 4:21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

|Matthew 5:14-16] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.|

Sharing the gospel and good works that are done in the name of Jesus are some of the ways that we sow seed for the harvest.

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

The disciples wanted to understand the parable. Locked within this parable is the mystery of the kingdom. Jesus wants people to know God’s truth, but only those that treat truth like a treasure will truly receive.

The light of god reveals gods truth but also exposes darkness:

|John 3:19-2119 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”|

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

There is always a response to the word: do we listen to it? Receive it? Do it? Vs ignore, reject or sit on it?…

                                    Heed- look, turn the eye, beware, perceive

24 And he said unto them, Take heed [care] what ye hear: with what measure ye mete [measure], it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

1. Mete- measure, the amount you measure to what you hear, is the amount that will be measured back

2. Hear- to give ear to a teaching.

3. The response you give to the word, is the response you get back

25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

1. God rewards those that believe Him and he is His word & takes away from the unbelieving

2. When seed is received, there is evidence. Seed results in fruit. A woman that receives seed will begin to show.

4. Diligence causes the seed to grow; whereas, negligence destroys it

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

1. God casted seed into the ground. The evidence is growth.

2. Jeremiah 2:21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

1. We don’t really always understand exactly how seedtime and harvest operates under God’s heavenly laws. We just simply know that if we will cast/ sow, godly seed, there is great potential, that seed will be received.

2. Gail’s testimony

3. Glen’s testimony

4. I’m starting to realize that I don’t need to understand everything. The way my mind works, I will try. I want to know God and His ways, and the best way for that to happen is for me to understand His word, but sometimes things happen that I don’t understand. In those moments, I’m going to look at the fruit and say, okay, is this God’s DNA springing up from the ground or another DNA? If it’s God’s, then I’m going to learn how to accept it.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

1. If you’re uncertain whether something or someone is of the Lord, sit back and watch it grow. It’s/their fruit will be revealed

2. The NASB uses some words that are more understandable: blade, head vs ear, mature grain in the head vs full corn in the ear

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

1. In the end, the farmer may not understand exactly how it all works, but he understands harvest time. God definitely works on the seed principle. God is going to reap a harvest, and He has and is sowing seed in the fields of the world. The seeds that He sows are kingdom seeds. As believer’s we study God’s word and believe that God gave the seedtime and harvest principle to earthlings. Therefore, we must be faithful and diligent to sow seed, water seed and believe with faith that He is the Lord of the harvest.

2. There are multiple types of spiritual seeds:

   a) there are gospel seeds [good news],

   b) seeds of prayer, for deliverance, healing, faith to believe God for miracles, “Faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain.”

   c) there are financial seeds. When we give to the kingdom of God financially, there is a reciprocation from heaven. I am not trying to take your money out of your pocket. Seriously, it’s your money, well, technically, the Lord said that you can keep 90% of it and the 10th belongs to Him, but I will let you work that out between you and God. I just want you to know that there is a spiritual financial principle that works on earth. If you give to the work or God, He will in return bless your finances!

Vision. A single man with a sickle in a grain field where the heads of grain are so full that the stalks are bent over. The wind causes the grain to sway. The farmer grabs an armful of wheat and thrusts in his sickle and then, as though now, seeing through my eyes, I look up and see either 6 or 7 harvesting combines rolling through the field and coming to help.

Knowing Who You Are

Pastor Matt Hebert, The Crossway Ministry, 9/20/23

How does one become intimate with the Lord?

Prayer

Reading

Fasting

Repentance and turning from sin

Not earning, but seeking!

The message was about being a son and not a slave. The main thought I believe that God wanted to communicate was the fact that in Christ, we have received a position as a son. And everything lost in the death of Adam, He is giving us back in the resurrection power of Jesus.

In Exodus 4, He said, 22…Israel is my firstborn. Israel is my son. 23 …Let my son go so that he can serve me.

He wants us to serve Him from the position of a Son. Not only the thought of son and it’s relationship to inheritance but a bride and it’s relationship of intimacy. How do we bear fruit without intimacy?

Romans 7:4 you are dead to the Law by the body of Christ that you might be married to another, even to Him that is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit from God.

There is a layer in the word where it becomes legalistic— knowledge puffs up, and that is stated in the love chapter. Head knowledge isn’t the same as heart knowledge. To know Jesus with one’s heart, that is intimacy. Satan wants you to feel hopeless when you’re going through pain. At that moment, he will try to attack you harder, because he doesn’t want you to take the nest step—

What’s the next step? You cry

How does one become intimate with the Lord?

• Prayer

• Reading

• Fasting

• Repentance and turning from sin

Not earning, but seeking!

Intimacy will give us a desire to serve Him from a heart of love instead of obligation.

When we serve Him, we glorify His name. We go where He tells us, do what he tells us to do and say what He tells us to say. As we do this, we bring glory to His name. We preach the kingdom of God to a lost world and help them realize that there is eternal life and an inheritance to gain.

God wants His people to serve Him. I can’t repeat it enough times. When we just say that we love God that holds no merit in His eyes. He said:

25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

The scripture explains that there is a circumcision of the heart:

Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit…

In another place:

Galatians 5:24

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

As His bride, we can’t have intimacy with Him and at the same time intimacy with another!

Ongoing Christianity is marked in a large way by this truth: those that belong to Christ have and are crucifying the flesh.

But many people don’t want their flesh crucified, and they are willing to live a double life. A life that includes a little bit of the Lord and a little bit of the world. A little scripture, a little sin. It’s just a little bit, what’s the big deal? A little leaven leaven’s the whole lump. A little bit unfaithful to God and His word is cheating!

As the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness continue to dwell on the earth, there will be real prophets of God and there will be false prophets of God, and I can tell you that there is a lot more to being a prophet than predicting the future. A true prophet of God is going to tell the truth. He will not manipulate God’s word in an attempt to manipulate God’s people. 1 John:

1 John 4:1-6. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

In order to properly understand what John is saying, it is important to know that he was combating a false doctrine called Gnosticism. The Gnostics believed that he did not come in the flesh, therefore, they did not believe things committed in the flesh were really sin, so the inner man could be renewed, and at the same time they could live sinfully in the flesh and get away with it. Essentially, what this means is that the gnostics rejected a message that required the flesh be crucified.

For some reason, this reminds me of much that goes on in the church. People want to experience the presence of God and feel the love of God, but when the truth is preached about sin or dying to self, they become offended and don’t want to hear what God’s word says.

John 6 they got offended and left Him. They didn’t like what He said

There is a process of growing up in Christ that must take place in all believers. But too often, people that love God allow themselves to become so easily offended by the word of God, that they uproot themselves and never allow themselves to grow up into a son and instead remain a slave:

Sometimes God’s people literally act like a child that has been offended on the playground and they’re like, “I don’t want to play with you anymore.” God help us, what will we do if any real persecution comes our way?

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

There is a process of growth that must take place in the life of believers, a process where we go from slaves to sons.

Galatians 4:1-7. Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant [slave NKJV], though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Whether it’s a son or a bride both must know what their Father/ husband desire, or else they may be divorced or disinherited.

Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. reserved in heaven for you,

Hebrews 3:7-10. 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

Ephesians 4:22-24. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Circumcise Your Flesh: You're a Son not a Slave!

Exodus 4:20-23

20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

The first Passover was the night that God delivered his people from Egypt. A new pharaoh that didn’t know Joseph came into power and enslaved the children of Israel. God told Moses He had seen the affliction of His people. His plan was deliverance, and the deliverance was twofold:

1. Rescue/ Separate the people with the lamb

2. Judge the world without the lamb

Exodus is the story of God’s people leaving the bondage of Egypt. The Passover focuses on the deliverance event where God saves His First born and judges the firstborn of Egypt.

As I’ve been studying these passages again, I have received deeper clarity. I began to see the firstborn of Egypt as a type of the first birth in Adam, which is our natural birth. The firstborn of Israel, which is God’s son, describes the new birth in Christ where we become the  sons of God. God delivers His firstborn and judges Egypt’s.

God will deliver those who are born again through Jesus. He delivers them from the bondage of Satan of whom Pharaoh is a type, at the very least, Pharaoh is (a type of antichrist) in that he is a man on earth that demands the worship of a god and enslaves God’s people.

So God separates His own and judges the world!

We see this truth all throughout God’s word: separation and judgment.

2 Corinthians 6:17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

God‘s plan of separation for the Passover was that they were to take a lamb that did not have any blemish (this is a type of the sinlessness of Jesus). The lamb was to be slaughtered, and then roasted by fire. The blood that was collected, was then painted on each side of the door frame, and at the top of the door. Whoever believed God‘s word was instructed to paint their doors, roast their lambs, and then go inside and eat the roasted lamb.

Exodus 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

Nothing of the lamb was to remain. You can’t just eat the parts of Jesus that you want and leave the rest on the table.

We must understand that Jesus gave His all for our salvation and acceptance of Jesus requires that we give our all. The father is not looking for either part-time lovers or part-time employees. We are either all in, or we are not.

This is what I mean by that:

1. We are either saved, or we are not. We have either painted the door and gone inside or we have not.

2. And if we have, we will either eat the whole lamb, or we will not. You can’t just read the seated in Christ scripture and ignore the go into all the world scripture. You can’t just read the love scriptures and ignore the repent scriptures.

So the doors are painted, the lambs are roasted, the people have entered inside and closed the door, and the process of eating the lamb has begun.

While the Hebrews are inside, obeying God‘s word, the world outside that surrounds them is being judged!

2 thoughts in God’s mind He wants you to know:

I. God demands separation

Ex 4:21 The Lord said unto Moses…

Right now I just want you to see who he’s talking to – – he is talking to Moses

23… Tell Pharaoh…Let my son go, that he may serve me. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

Kill who?– – Moses… Why? We have to keep reading.

25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

The scripture explains that there is a circumcision of the heart:

Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit…

In another place:

Galatians 5:24

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

Could it be possible that people sitting in churches are like Zipporah? Imagine this—God is doing the work of circumcising the heart, and instead of willingly submitting to the process, in anger, they throw it at God and say: (you’re a bloody husband to me. You made me die to self – you demanded that my flesh be crucified, that my heart be circumcised!

In the story of Zipporah Moses’ wife being forced to cut off the foreskin of their son, it should be understood that God is about to judge the firstborn of Egypt, a type of the world. At the same time, he is going to save his own people, the firstborn that he calls his son, which is Israel. He’s about to bring judgment upon the world, and his own people are not living their lives right before Him.

Do Christians imagine that God will wink and ignore their sin, if they’re living a life of blatant and repetitive sin— whether it be sins of lust or the sin of not loving their brothers?

1 Peter 4:17

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The Lord is merciful and long-suffering in dealing with His people, but many times, people that profess Christ, refuse to get right! He is going to judge the world and to His people He says:

1 Peter 1:14-16

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

God went through great lengths in the Old Testament to remind His people about their relationship, so that they would reverence Him and not sin against Him.

1. Circumcision was a lifetime reminder

2. The Passover and other feasts were yearly reminders

3. Every time a firstborn male animal was born they had to kill it that was a reminder

4. Every time a firstborn male human was born they had to redeem it with silver and circ him on the 8th d

5. Every week there was a Sabbath

6. There were daily sacrifices at the temple and every time an individual sinned, he was required to offer a sacrifice

Who does all that? The people of God, who are aware of his word the people of God, who believe his word. The people of God, who want to be His people.

Just like the OT, there are things that NT believers do, they have faith, they read His word and when they realize that their lives aren’t lining up with the word, they repent and pray. They go to church and fellowship with the saints. They worship the Lord together. They treat each other the way that they would want to be treated, because they live their life according to the Bible.

God proved the importance of separation from the world even more when he sent his son in the New Testament to fulfill his word. He demands separation.

II. you are a son, not a slave!

God did not create Adam to be a slave. He created the Earth for Adam and in Adam was the image of God to reproduce that image and carry the glory of God all over the earth.

He gave Adam dominion and authority to rule as co-regent with Him.

It is the fall of man and persistence in that state that prevents mankind from moving back towards his rightful place in God.

God came to Moses and said:

Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

Taskmaster— To cause one to live under tyranny, to harass or oppress.

Affliction— to be under depression, and misery.

This is not the same word that we discussed Wednesday, in relation to the day of atonement, where God told his people to afflict their own souls for the 10 days of awe to let Him try their hearts and reins.

That word means to humble self.

God wants people to humble themselves under his hand. He said it in James and Peter

James 4

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

God did not create humanity to be slaves to pharaoh, Egypt, the world, and definitely not Satan.

He created us to carry His image and glory in the land, to walk in kingdom authority, to see souls saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, the sick healed, people delivered, but we can’t do that while we are still living like slaves in Egypt.

Pharaoh: “let My people go“

You are a son, and not a slave!

In Exodus 4, He said, 22…Israel is my firstborn. Israel is my son. 23 …Let my son go so that he can serve me.

Talking about sonship

In the gospel of John he said:

John 3:16 for God, so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

God sowed a Son seed to reap a harvest of sons…

And the son said:

John 3:3 verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

We have to be born twice:

1. There is a natural birth

2. There is also a spiritual birth.

We are born into sonship in our second birth

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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:

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Galatians 4:1-7

1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant [slave NKJV], though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant [slave], but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

You’ve been made worthy

Pharaoh (you’re enemy) doesn’t want us to know that or believe that. He wants us to stay in bondage. He wants us to stay in bondage to addiction, emotional turmoil, psychological instability, false doctrine, sickness in our body that hinders us from really serving God. None of that is God’s will for our lives.

Colossians 1:12-13

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Feast of Trumpets: I'm Coming Home

Leviticus 23:23-30

Introduction

There is a great deal of tradition associated with the Feast days, and there is a great deal of spiritual insight that can be gained from learning about the tradition of these feasts. But my purpose tonight is to use scripture and communicate what the Lord has put on my heart in this message related to the Feast of Trumpets.

There are a total of 7 feasts 8 if you include the Sabbath, which really we should. The feasts are separated between the Spring feasts and Fall feasts. In the Spring, there were 4, 5 if you include the Sabbath

• Sabbath Ex 31:13 a remembrance or distinguishing sign vs the mark of Cain

• Abib [Nisan] 14th Passover 1st month new life

• Abib [Nisan] 15th Unleavened Bread

• On the first Sunday after the Passover was the Feast of First Fruits

• 50 days later was the Feast of Pentecost

and then 3 Fall feasts which include: Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of booths or tabernacles.

The Fall feasts take place in what was called originally Abib in the Bible and later named Nisan after the Babylonian captivity. God’s purpose for the feasts was that they would be an annual reminder that Israel was God’s people, and He was their God. Every year a reminder constant reminder that starts with Passover [imagine the Shrimp Fest] Passover reminded them that He delivered them from the slavery of Egypt and released them into the Promised Land where His intention was that they could flourish into a great nation. These feasts were given while they were in the wilderness and they are still celebrated today.

Abib or Nisan was the first month on the religious calendar and Tishri is the 7th month where the Feast of trumpets takes place, also known as Rosh Hashana the Jewish New Year.

Leviticus 23:1-2

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

I believe that Abib [opinion/ prophetic interpretation…] was the first month religiously because that’s where they received their freedom as a nation from slavery and it represents our new birth in Christ. Tishri which is the 7th month and the number of completion and fulfillment in the word of God is the civil new year for them because I believe that for Israel, this will represent the beginning of their new position amongst the nations as God delivers on His promises that that all other nations will bow to Israel as Messiah rules on earth as King, which will take place during the Millenial Reign.

• Sabbath Ex 31:13 a remembrance or distinguishing sign vs the mark of Cain

• Abib [Nisan] 14th Passover 1st month new life

• Abib [Nisan] 15th Unleavened Bread

• On the first Sunday after the Passover was the Feast of First Fruits

• 50 days later was the Feast of Pentecost

New moon

Leviticus 23:23-30

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month [[new moon, starts a succession of 7 trumpet blasts that lasts 10d]], shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets,  an holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

• Afflict your soul

• Chasten self

• To be troubled

• Humble self

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. 30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.

In the 7th month, the number of fulfillment month, on the first day of that month is the blowing of the trumpet. First and foremost, let me say that the feast of the trumpets prophetically signals the rapture. There are at least two scriptures in the New Testament that connect the sound of a trumpet with the rapture of the church and we will look at that in a moment.

it signals the beginning of 10 days until the Day of Atonement. If you remember the Day of Atonement: it’s explained in detail in Leviticus 16 where the blood applied to the mercy seat, changed the Mercy Seat from a place of judgment to a place or mercy. Judgment turns to mercy when recognition of the blood is followed by repentance.

The first trumpet signals a 10 day timeframe known as the days of awe. The words days of awe allows time to repent before the Day of Atonement— judgment on the sacrifice, which should have been you:

Psalms 4:4. Stand in awe, and sin not:

awe- tremble 12, move 7, rage 5, shake 3, disquiet 3, troubled 3, quake 2, afraid

These 10 days represent a time of great introspection. Looking deeply into our own hearts:

Psalms 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

It’s a yearly 10 day reminder of how important it is for the people of God to examine their hearts and allow God to speak to them.

Jeremiah 8:4-7

4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? 5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. 7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

Here is a New Testament eye opener

1 John 3:5-7

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

There are 3 specific things that I would like to focus on tonight regarding the blowing of the trumpet:

1. Coronation of a king 1 Kings 1:39

And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

Solomon the rightful heir to David’s throne was anointed king and the trumpet (shofar was blown) was blown. The fulfillment of the rightful Davidic king is Jesus. When the final feast of trumpets shofars are blown, the rightful King will begin the process of taking His throne. The rapture of the church will also signal the day of wrath and judgment on the world. This will be the beginning of Jesus literally taking His spot on the throne. The scriptures say that Jesus will rule on earth from David’s throne (Acts 2:30).

2. Rapture connection:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

• 1 Corinthians 15:52-55 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

2. Warning

This last thought ties together both the repentance and rapture thoughts

There are 2 passages of scripture that I want to use for the point of warning: one is out of Ezekiel and the other is out of Song of Solomon.

Ezekiel 33:1-6.             Spiritually people’s choosing a church are allowing that leadership to be their watchman

1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4  Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

Song of Songs 5:5-8. 5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone:my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

• Myrrh symbolizes both intimacy and death in the Bible. The context shows which. Myrrh had a sweet fragrance and was used along with other spices and aloes to disguise the scent of death. It was used on Jesus’ body. The Proverbs 7 woman put myrrh aloes and Cinnamon on her bed. The King’s bride in this Song of Solomon story had smelled the fragrance of myrrh and it dripped on the knob of the door, but she waited too long to respond, and He was gone. The sinful woman of Proverbs 7 is disguising the smell of death. Her lover seeks intimacy but this is a death bed

• Jesus stands at the door of the Lukewarm Laodicean church and knocks. Who will open? Will it be too late like it was in the dream of the SHULAMITE woman! Or worse, will it be the answer to the 5 foolish virgins

• “Open to us”

• “I know you not”

In the first dream they weren’t hostile towards her. She was looking for her beloved. heart is right. She wants to find him

7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

The Feast of trumpets is here. I believe it will be the trumpet sounded before the rapture, but I can’t prove that. It certainly seems to me to be consistent with how God used the feasts in the past. What I absolutely know is that the sound of the trumpet tells me to get ready. It tells me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. It tells me like Paul said to judge myself so that I do not have to be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we searchingly examined ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we should not be judged and penalty decreed [by the divine judgment].