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

1 Corinthians 2:9-14

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

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Starting question:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalms 20:3

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

Psalms 20:5

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

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

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

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

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

Yahweh— The existing one

Jehovah Rapha—healer

Jehovah Shalom— peace

Jehovah Shammah— presence w us

Jehovah Tsidkenu —righteousness

Jehovah Nissi—our banner

Jehovah Jireh—provider

El Shaddai God almighty—all sufficient—omnipotent

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah 30:1-3

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

PRAY

Isaiah 30:1-2 NASB

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

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

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

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

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

We have an advocate…

1 John 2:1-4

Christ Our Advocate

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

1 John 3:6-7

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

Succor…. Hebrews 2:18

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

What the Lord has placed on my heart this morning are

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

&

Isaiah 30:1-3

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

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

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

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

Alliances and coverings.

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

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

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

Luke 18:1-8

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

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

Our marriage

Our spouse

Our children

Our job

The church we go to

There is so much more that we should pray about

Our nation

Our friends

The rest of our family

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

Matthew 7:7

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

1 Thessalonians 5:17

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

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

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

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

AA, NA, Alanon

It could be a Psychiatrist

It could be a counselor

It could be a medicine

It could be a job

It could be a church

It could be a Pastor

It could be a spouse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back to the things that we should pray about:

• Church

• Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Whole Earth is Filled with His Glory

Discuss the Millennial Reign

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

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

Jeremiah 18:1-6

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

This is what God offers:

Romans 8:29

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

Potter

Conformed

Earthen vessels

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

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

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

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

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

Isaiah 6:4-8

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

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

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

Isaiah’s Commission

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

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

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

But many times they are not…

Isaiah 6:8-11 KJV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While the humble lamb, Hebrews 5:7

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

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

Hebrews 2:10

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

Buy Truth and Sell It Not

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

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

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

John 8:43-47 NASB

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look at this quick conversation

John 18:36 My kingdom is not of this realm

37 “So You are a king?”

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

Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”

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

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

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

John 14:6

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

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

John 8:32

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

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

Danielle’s testimony of the men in actual prison

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

Miracle of Dion

He told the religious

John 5:39-40

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

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

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

Psalms 25:1-5 NASB

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

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

Psalms 40:7-11

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

Proclaim His truth

Psalms 30:7-9 KJV

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

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

Armed with truth for spiritual battles

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

Pilate posted truth with a placard on the cross:

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

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

A Dysfunctional Family

1 Samuel 13

Characters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deuteronomy 32:35

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

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

Matthew 5:44

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

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

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

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

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

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

Galatians 5:4

Justified

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

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

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

Galatians 5:11

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

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

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

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

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

Galatians 5:12

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

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

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

Galatians 5:20

enmity | ˈenmədē |noun (plural enmities)

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

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

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

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

dissension | dəˈsen(t)SH(ə)n |noun

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

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

\Matthew 6:14-15

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

“But I have forgiven them”

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

Galatians 5:20

rivalry | ˈrīvəlrē |noun (plural rivalries)

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

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

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

Judgement Seat

JUDGMENT FOR BELIEVERS? YES!

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

Slide: Isaiah 5:11-12

11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning,

Flemings: wade, rob, Brennan, me

Cares— distractions

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

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

Slide: Isaiah 29:13

Wherefore the Lord said,

Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth,

and with their lips do honour me,

but have removed their heart far from me,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cares for the true Christian also

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

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

Slide: Judgment seat

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

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

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

Slide: Inheritance

Ephesians 1:16-23

Jezebel wants to steal the inheritance of God:

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

1 Kings 21:3

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

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

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

Luke 12:35-48

Use these scriptures for the following Wednesday

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

Jesus

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

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

Faithful servant

Parable of the talents

Matthew 25:14-20

Matthew 25:14

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

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

Matthew 9:38

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

Reward

Matthew 16:27

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

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

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

Matthew 25:34-46

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

Matthew 6:1-4

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

Repentance

Matthew 3:7-8

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

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

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

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

Prayer Matt 6:5

Fasting Matt 6:16-18

Jezebel

There is an alluring spirit of seduction connected to Jezebel. The result of her seduction is that she draws God’s people way from Him and His truth. As spiritual blindness ensues, the seductive spirit gains more power over the life of the believer. The goal of this seduction is to dethrone the power of God at any level that it can. In the individual by separating your heart from the Lord. In the home, by removing the man’s spiritual authority, in the church by removing the Pastor’s spiritual authority. The main purpose is to take the heart of the people away from God. We know this because the word teaches that there were … prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. 1 Kings 18:19

The spirit of Jezebel desires to wrest control of the spiritual authority given by God. I believe many times, we look at a particular person (women) in the physical, and we may say she has a spirit of Jezebel—but I believe often times, when women have this spirit They don’t even realize that they are operating in it.

For instance, Eve was deceived by the serpent. She transgressed the word of the Lord— spiritually, she took into her self the spirit of rebellion —she received a lying spirit. Her influence over Adam was used to steal Adam’s  positional authority.

Listen, there is no question that Adam was weak. No question he wasn’t acting like the positional man that he was called by God to be. But let’s not pit Eve against Adam. Let’s not pit Adam against Eve. Instead, let us view the entity behind the scenes: his schemes, wiles, and trickery behind the whole deception.

The serpent doesn’t care about Adam or Eve. The serpent wants the power that has been given to them by God. The serpent will always be the serpent. He attempted to exert authority and elevate himself over God. Jesus saw him fall like lightning to earth. Now, a new heaven, and a new earth. He sees the creation. He sees the dominion and power given to Adam, and he wants that. The closest proximity that he can gain advantage against this man is through the wife. He is using her as a tool to gain access to the delegated authority over God, and co-regent upon the Earth. He uses her to get between the man and his God.

1 Kings 21:25

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

1 Kings 16:32-33

32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Ultimately, it’s purpose is to gain control of power over government and will never stop, because it wants God’s authority for it has a lust to rule over God’s kingdom. This spirit desires to seduce the world away from God:

Revelation 17:1-2

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

The seduction away from truth: flirtation- behaviour intended to arouse sexual feelings or advances without emotional commitment; coquetry

Proverbs 7: wisdom and understanding are the sisters of the children of truth. The strange woman is the harlot that lurks in the dark trying to seduce and entice God’s people away from truth and ultimately destroy them. Jezebel was a stranger and came with seductive religious practices. Her dad was a Sidonian king. The Syrophoenecian woman’s daughter was possessed with a devil for a reason. These people worshipped Baal and Asherah. There is a direct connection to lustful sexual practices with this Canaanite religion. The proverbs 7 woman was found in a place that the man of God should have never been. She allures him through seduction that is painted with enough spirituality that it seems okay, and the sin part smells good, looks good and promises to feel good, but in the end, it’s result is an arrow to the liver….

This woman is contrasted with wisdom in chapter 8 the proverbs 8 woman is named wisdom. She is the sister or kinswoman Solomon was talking about in chapter 7. Unlike the the 7 woman, who hides in the dark in the twilight of night, wisdom sets up shop at the top of the hill, where the paths all converge, in the gate of the city where everyone is doing business out in the open and she says:

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things;

and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

For my mouth shall speak truth;

and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;

there is nothing froward or perverse in my lips

Froward means crooked. Isaiah 27 explains that God will one day destroy Leviathan the crooked serpent.

Revelation 2:20-22

Spirit of Jezebel in the church— I cannot prove my position any more than another person could prove theirs, but I have no reason to believe that this was a literal woman named Jezebel. It seems to me that the very essence of what is being said is comparing what Jezebel did to what the teachings of this prophetess did. The result was spiritual fornication, an introduction of occult practices into the house of God. She taught them to eat things sacrificed to idols. Now, let’s understand this food… offered to idols is talking about meats that have ritualistically invited demons in, the animal is  sacrificed and then eaten and the idea is that the demon is given access through this ritual into the vessel of the person.

How is this that much different than the church celebrating Halloween, Easter, or Santa Clause? How is this much different than the church allowing the spirits of secular music into their person? This is what Catholicism did with Mardi Gras. Nowadays, we don’t even care about that. We act like going to a Marci Gras parade is perfectly normal behavior.

Revelation 2:20-22

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

God has given us great promises in Christ. He has given us an inheritance. It’s important that we study to show ourselves approved. It’s important that we are mindful about God’s word and that we do not allow the enemy to have his way with us.

Jezebel wants to steal the inheritance of God:

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

1 Kings 21:3

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

Ephesians 1:16-23

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

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

• The other side resulting in humans destroying themselves.

One spirit is life – – the other death and destruction.

The character behind this is Jezebel. She was an outsider. She was not one of them. She brought from the outside her witchcraft practices that she received from her father– – Sidonian kings

She infiltrates with her seductive ways – – make up ( ) – – not trying to turn this into legalism and no make up, but the context is that she was going to sway and attempt to gain authority through seductive ways.

The spirit of Jezebel desires to steal from a man, his spiritual authority that was given to him by God. I believe many times, we look at a particular person (women) in the physical, and we may say she has a spirit of Jezebel – – but I believe often times, when women have this spirit They don’t even realize that they are operating in it.

For instance, Eve was deceived by the serpent. She transgressed the word of the Lord – – spiritually, she took into her self the spirit of rebellion – – she received a lying spirit. Her influence over Adam was used to used to steal Adam’s  positional authority.

Listen, there is no question that Adam was weak. No question he wasn’t acting like the positional man that he was called by God to be. But let’s not pit Eve against Adam. Let’s not pit Adam against Eve. Instead, let us view the entity and schemes, wiles, trickery behind the whole occurrence.

The serpent doesn’t care about Adam or Eve. The serpent wants the power that has been given to them by God. The serpent will always be the serpent. He attempted to exert authority and elevate himself over God. Jesus saw him fall like lightning to earth. Now, a new heaven, and a new earth. He sees the creation. He sees the dominion and power given to Adam, and he wants that. The closest proximity that he can gain advantage against this man is through the wife. He is using her as a tool to gain access to the delegated authority over God, and co-regent. Upon the Earth. He uses her to get between the man and his God.

Now, there is a counterpart that I believe God has shown me where the man reacts towards his sister – – Amnon. He threw laws for his own flesh injects a spirit into her where she loses all self-worth. Her beauty is stained. Her purity is torn. She is left outside. Her spirit fractured.

Back to Jezebel. She was not one of them. Spiritual warfare always begins with a spiritual foothold. Satan has no power over us until we allow him a place. The sacrifice of Jesus gives us access to the promises of God. In Christ— we have victory.

Jezebel‘s plan is to bring her influence from the outside— the world—into the inside—let’s just say the people of God. Once she accomplishes the fracture between God and the man (person). The spirits now have access to wreak havoc.

Harlot’s vs Wisdom— Proverbs seven vs proverbs eight.

Harlotry tactics: physical deception: her attire is obvious yet, he still wants it – – she makes sin look good (Egyptian linen… Cinnamon, aloe, spices – – she brings the feeling that it’s not that big of a deal. The good man (the husband) is on a long journey.

In a moment, he opens himself to a separation from God and God‘s purpose over his life – – he takes a liver shot!

Jezebel ultimately wants to steal the inheritance – – Naboth’s vineyard

Fast Car

Song by Luke Combs

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You got a fast car

And I want a ticket to anywhere

Maybe we make a deal

Maybe together we can get somewhere

Any place is better

Startin' from zero, got nothin' to lose

Maybe we'll make something

Me, myself, I got nothin' to prove

You got a fast car

And I got a plan to get us out of here

Been working at the convenience store

Managed to save just a little bit of money

Won't have to drive too far

Just across the border and into the city

And you and I can both get jobs

Finally see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem

He live with the bottle, that's the way it is

He said his body's too old for workin'

His body's too young to look like his

So mama went off and left him

She wanted more from life than he could give

I said, somebody's got to take care of him

So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car

Is it fast enough so we can fly away?

Still gotta make a decision

Leave tonight or live and die this way

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged

I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car

We go cruisin' to entertain ourselves

You still ain't got a job

So I work in the market as a checkout girl

I know things will get better

You'll find work and I'll get promoted

And we'll move out of the shelter

Buy a bigger house, live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged

I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car

I got a job that pays all our bills

You stay out drinking late at the bar

See more of your friends than you do your kids

I'd always hoped for better

Thought maybe together you and me'd find it

I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere

Take your fast car and keep on driving

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car

Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk

City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder

And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged

I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car

Is it fast enough so we can fly away?

Still gotta make a decision

Leave tonight or live and die this way

The Drink Offering

Read in KJV

Leviticus 1:1-9 NASB

1 Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5 He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6 He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9 Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus 1:3

If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

Numbers 15:8-10 KJV

8 And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD: 9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil. 10 And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Numbers 28:6-8 NASB

6 It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 7 Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

We have covered some of these thoughts recently regarding the preparation of the sacrifice. When we discussed the thought of allowing the Lord to search our hearts and to try our reins, we came to the understanding that the sacrifice was cut open and inspected. The animal would have undergone a thorough examination both internally and externally to look for blemishes or any defects that would have made the sacrifice unacceptable in the eyes of God. Once the insides were inspected, they would be washed. Then, the animal would be separated into its individual parts and arranged in specific order on the altar, the legs, the head, the fat, the insides.

The KJV and a couple other translations phrase verse 3 slightly different: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will. The Numbers passage adds that both a hin of oil and a hin of wine were poured out upon the offering. Oil is a type of the Holy Spirit and its relationship with the sacrifice is a reminder to us of the closeness and working of the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. You can’t have one without the other. Most specifically, I want to talk to you about the hin of wine that was poured out upon the whole burnt offering. All of this together: the fat, the oil, the wine produced a smoke that rose towards the heavens, and it is recorded in the word that this smoke resulted in: a soothing aroma to the LORD. The KJV says: a sweet savour unto the LORD

The Strong’s dictionary claims: odour of soothing (technical term for sacrifice to God)

I can’t help but ask, why was it a sweet smelling Savor unto the Lord and what is being soothed when this offering is brought before the Him? Certainly the thought that this sacrifice was a type of Jesus’ sacrifice would have made the offering sweet in the nostrils of God. After all, if God is love and He so loved the world that He sent His only Son to die for their sins, it makes perfect sense that every time these sacrifices were offered that it would bring great pleasure to God. It was a reminder that Jesus was coming.  It also makes perfect sense that the technical term would be the odor of soothing, and that the answer to the question asked earlier would have to be that it’s His anger that is being soothed. His

                We should feel great gratitude and our hearts should be filled with mercy and grace for others.

Wrath can be held back for a period of time until He sends Jesus, and once He sends Jesus His wrath can be held back a little longer also, which makes Him joyful because He’s longsuffering. He is not willing that any, not even one will perish. But what about the additional thought of this drink offering, especially when it’s mixed with the idea of this New Testament passage:

2 Timothy 4:6-8

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

The Apostle writes this 2nd letter to Timothy at the end of his journey. He is in the Mamertine Prison in Rome. Nero is about to call his name and when he does,  his head will be placed on the chopping block. His body, through the years has been shredded and torn. He explains in this very letter that many believers have forsaken him and become ashamed of his chains. I wonder if these other believers began to question the validity of the Apostle’s faith at this point? How could the life of a man of God like this, one who believed God and rose the dead, how could his life end like this in such tragedy? You will be able to ask the Lord one day, but for now, just let it be understood that the Apostle likened it to being a drink offering that results in a pleasing aroma to God:

2 Corinthians 2:12-15 ESV

12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, while the smoke was rising, the smoke represents judgment towards the guilty and pardon for the innocent.

Jesus’ entire life was a drink offering in that He poured out Himself and that is what our lives are supposed to be also

1. It seems appropriate that Jacob poured out a drink offering on the rock at Bethel Genesis 35:14– the house of God. The place where a portal to heaven opened and heaven and earth came together in the form of a ladder. Upon that ladder the angels of God were ascending and descending upon the ladder. Jesus said: John 1:51.

2. Jesus willingly laid His life down, Like a lamb led to slaughter Isaiah 53 John 10:17-18 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

3. Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Paul’s understanding of the drink offering was that the people of God were to be like Jesus:

I. Philippians 2:5-- Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:— He couldn’t serve the Father the way God was asking unless He let self die

II. Gal 2:20, Romans 12:1

This message has been in my heart for at least 3 weeks and I had forgotten that I had mentioned the Rich young ruler (Matt 19:16). I thought it interesting when I reviewed my notes that Angie mentioned him also. There was that one thing that he wasn’t willing to give up and allow to be poured out of himself. He gripped his riches with a tight fist—But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22).

The man that was given the one talent buried it in the ground and it just laid there unproductive waiting for Jesus to return.

Between being an ICU nurse and experiencing personal tragedies, I have been around more human death than what I would have preferred by this time in my life. But this is part of the path chosen for me by God.

One thing that I have noticed regarding human death is that, at times, it is slow and insidious. What I mean is that at the end of a life that goes through the course of some disease process and not some type immediate tragic event, the body tries to continue its functions. The brain signals the lungs to breathe, the cells craving oxygen struggle for more. The weakened state of the body reflexively gasps in agony for another breath. I can remember being by the bedside speaking to family members removed from life support when they would say, “Look, he’s breathing!” And I would have to say, “Yes, ma’am, it’s called an (agonal) breath. The body is trying to continue, but it’s inefficient to support life. These breaths are inefficient to provide oxygen to the cells as needed, that’s why the heart is beating so rapidly. It’s trying to distribute the little bit of oxygen to the cells that are desperately needing oxygen. Please let me know if you need something. I will be right outside. I’m going to check on my other patient.”

Several minutes would pass, and they would come and find me and ask, “Why, does the heart monitor look like that now?”

“That’s what we call an agonal heart beat. Now, the heart is weakened after overworking for so long trying to distribute the oxygen. It won’t be too much longer now.”

From there the electrical impulses will slow even more to where there may be a blip across the screen only every now and then at some point it may not even beat an actual pump of the heart, just an electrical impulse caught on the monitor, the last breath and then the body loses all muscle tone once the spirit leaves.

This makes me consider our spiritual lives and how so often we cling to self. I’m not talking necessarily about open and blatant sin. I’m talking about self. What self wants. What self thinks is right as opposed to what the Spirit wants to reveal to our lives. But there are parts of us that really want what we want, so like that agonal breath or agonal heart beat, we cling to signs of life, but spiritually we are going through the motions of what we want for our own lives, our own plans.

With a drink offering the whole vessel is poured out. I will be the first to tell you that I have not arrived, but that’s what I’m asking, that my life would be a living sacrifice for the Lord, that He would use me as a vessel that would be pleasing to Him.

I think that most of us would agree that we are living in the last of the last days?

• Do you believe God is looking for people willing to be poured out and used by Him?

• Do you think that God is looking for churches that are willing to let HIM work through them?

• Do you think that God has been telling us here that He wants to use us that way?

What is your part in the pouring?

• Teach

• Pray— healing

• Intercede

• Release a prophetic word

• Release an interpretation

• Pour your heart out in worship and invite the presence of the King to show up in our services so that people’s lives will be set free

• Help finance the move of God

Are you doing the part that He has called you to do? Have you obeyed His voice completely or have you gripped tightly to something that is your own will and not the will of God?

I. I pour self out

II. I ask to be filled with you

III. I will go where you send me so you can pour YOU out of me into others

IV. I remember always that the drink offering is always related to the whole burnt offering. Everything I say, everything I do is to remind others of what you have done for them. You made the way: miracles are available, filling with your Spirit, restored marriages, our children made whole, increase, souls… it’s all in the whole burnt offering so I give myself to your work O Lord. Make me a drink offering God.

Discerning: The Soul vs The Spirit

Genesis 2:7

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1 Corinthians 15:44-45

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Brain and the body vs Mind and members

(Somatic nervous system) controls the body through the brain. Members for the purposes of this illustration controlled by the mind.

Soma- Greek origin, noun, plural so·ma·ta [soh-muh-tuh], /ˈsoʊ mə tə/, so·mas.Biology.

• the body of an organism as contrasted with its germ cells.

There is a difference between the brain and the mind and a difference between the body and the members. When the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul uses the word for members, it’s more than just a body part, there is a deeper meaning and a spiritual application to the uses of these body parts. For the believer, they’re either being used as instruments of warfare for the kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness.

Back to the brain vs the mind. The brain functions like a processor in a computer. For the human separate from God, it’s the highest level of functioning. However, at the same time, the brain is not exactly the mind. The brain is an amazing network of neural tissue, a vast system of neurons that are like electrical wires connected to nerves, responding to chemicals in the brain, creating and carrying impulses through the central nervous system, which is your brain and spinal cord and then these signals are dispersed into the peripheral nervous system, which is our external body parts.

Illustration: [Brain and body] I want to open the door. The chemicals in my brain create a task, the task is sent as a signal through my central nervous system and from there into the periphery and my eyes lead the way, my feet bring me to the destination, and voila my hands open the door. Doesn’t really take much high level intellect for this human function to take place.

Illustration: adding a spiritual element [mind and members] I want to excite my flesh because it feels good, so I want to open a spiritual door to see what is on the other side. My brain is controlling all the somatic or bodily functions (somatic/soma)

So the brain controls the body functions, but the mind is at another level, the mind has its own will, and it wants to open the door. Whatever is on the other side of the door, it wants it. Yes, this is also directly related to the sinful nature. The sinful nature is supposed to be dormant in the life of the believer, so why is it that so many believer’s still struggle with their precious little sins? Unbelief, ignorance, rebellion, demonization, all the above…? That is another topic for another time. Right now, I’m not even necessarily talking about a believer vs a non-believer, I’m simply trying to differentiate the different functions of brain & body vs mind & members so I can set a context to better reveal the difference between soul & spirit. So my finger turns on the computer and my hand guides the mouse where my mind tells it to go and my finger clicks on the page that my mind and my will tell it to click on and now my eyes view the images and then whatever my body does with all that afterwards. Let’s just turn that off and move to the next illustration.

Illustration: [soul ψυχή Psuche] The soul of a man is part of the inner man in that it’s associated with the animated (living) aspect of a man, not necessarily spiritual life, but just the physical functioning aspect of life. Therefore, the soul’s primary function, while on earth is it’s connection to the natural or earthly realm the members or body parts touch the world and hold it, but the conceptual elements those things that shape our thoughts or mindsets like (music, knowledge, images, movies, videos…) of the physical world are accessed into the vessel through the soul. Again, the physical parts of life that are needed to sustain our physicality do not require a higher level of soulish engagement ex I’m dehydrated. I have water. I can bypass the soul and drink. In this scenario, it’s only my brain and body needed to work, but if I want Fiji water, now, I’m engaging my soul (my mind and my will are now employed).

The soul and its earthly connection: 1 Corinthians 2:14 {natural man= ψυχικός psuchikos}; James 3:15 {here psuchikos is translated sensual instead of natural}. All animals are souls Genesis 1:21 (Living creatures are the same two words to describe Genesis 2:7 Adam became a living soul). There are at least two main differences that I can see between the soul of man and beast. The human has higher intellectual capacity, but more importantly, the spirit of a man has the potential to come alive to God (Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:9;1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:21) and in the New Covenant, the believer’s vessel becomes the temple of God, and it is here that worship/ communion with God truly takes place (John 4:23-24).

I have heard extremely intellectual doctor’s describe the fact that they do not believe in God. When pressed about the issue, they simply believe that we are highly intellectual creatures and when we die, we will become organic matter absorbed into the dirt. One doctor took it a step further and said, “Like a dog. I will die and decay.”

Illustration of music from the perspective of an intellectual atheist: case study a young girl who is also an atheist and just likes Marilyn Manson music. I don’t believe in God. I don’t believe in demons. I don’t believe in the after life. I am an intellectual being and when I die, I will become dirt, and my will is that I want to listen to Marilyn Manson, and so my brain creates a task, and my hand engages the device and the sound waves enter the air and I bring the music from the outside world into my brain through my ears where it’s processed and filters through my soul as it engages my mind and now it begins to influence my thoughts. From there thoughts of depression start to pervade my mind, suicide. The words to the song infiltrate and dig deeper, she has friends now, but we will keep it non spiritual for now, and she begins to cut herself. [my question the the smart doctor would be If demons aren’t real , why did that happen?] [His intellectual response to me might be. I postulate that it’s the power of suggestive thought. She thought and so she did]. Never will they imagine that they’re playing with spiritual problems. Take a Prozac and come see me in a couple months.

So that is unregenerate man thinks about these things (Titus 3:5) unregenerate man is dead to God. But the born again believer is cleansed by the sacrifice of Jesus and a spiritual renovation takes place. The Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of Him and now, he is alive to God! Hallelujah to the lamb, but why is he like a 2 year old child in a sand box playing with a dead possum carcass that stinks? Why if he is alive to God, does he still meddle with sin? And let’s get off the sin kick. Why, on earth, when the Spirit of God that created heaven and earth and lives in his vessel, would he depend on his own logic and intellect when he has access to the voice of God right there in his vessel? That is the purpose of this teaching…

Illustration of Liberty clinic:

Psuchikos— soulish man

Sarkikos — natural man

Romans 8:5-7 NASB

5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,

1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV

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.

1 Corinthians 3:1 KJV

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:1 NASB

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.

There is a purpose— My will vs His will (5/31/23)

Fasting— discipline

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NASB

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises [[self-control]] in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as

Best the body

not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified

Gladiators fought to the death and our warfare is for the eternal soul

Ephesians 6:12 The word wrestle is:

πάλη palē; from πάλλω pallō (to vibrate; another form for 906); wrestling: — + wrestle. AV (1) - wrestle 1; wrestling (a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to hold his opponent down with his hand upon his neck)

Who will be the victor saint them or us? One of the fruits of the Spirit is self control. It’s the Spirit’s fruit, but it’s the self cooperating with the Spirit. Is this not the case with all of the Spirit’s fruit? Does God not require the vessel of self to joint participate with the prompting of the Spirit in order for the harvest of fruit to become realty in our lives? Christian’s are supposed to have the fruit of the Spirit— right? God wants to display His fruit in our world that is driven by self.

I can assure you that God wants His place in the lives of Christians, and He starts right here with me. He starts with you and that is why fasting is a part of the Christian life, because it’s the practice of denying self so we can have more of Him.

Listen to me closely because if you don’t you’re going to be deceived, thinking I’m preaching a works based message and turn me off. I’m not preaching a works based message. Works for victory is false doctrine, so let’s dig a little deeper. Victory over sin was provided through what Jesus did at the cross. Our faith in His work aligns us with the Spirit of God, who provides grace into our lives that gives us the supernatural strength that we need to overcome the power of sin.

So why can’t we get free from that one thing? Why can’t we get free from that: Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

We all agree what Jesus did was enough, so what’s the problem? Is it because it’s just a struggle that we have to wait around for the victory? We will get into that a little more, but first I want I want to make a point about fasting with the thought of self denial and really Christian disciplines.

It requires self denial to pray, go to church, read the word, because all these require time and time is like money, if I’m not careful, in my mind, it’s mine. I give my time, boss gives me money. My time is valuable. Don’t mess with my time. I don’t like you to mess with my time. I don’t like you to mess with my money, and I don’t like you to mess with my butterfinger Reese’s sonic blast and I sure nuff don’t want you telling me I can’t eat what I want and when I want. I heard one person say early in this 45 day fast, “I mean… I’m not going to make it legalistic!— and I could tell, just from that little comment the way that it was said, that there had been conversations about this.

Legalistic? Give me a break, you haven’t even gone 4 hours without food. I don’t mean to be rude, but when you’re fasting, you’re either fasting or you’re not fasting. You determine between you and God how long you will fast and then you fast. If it’s 4 hours, then you fast 4 hours, and if something happens and you have to eat in 3.5 okay, you broke the fast. The reason may have been legit, you might not have been had a bad headache, whatever the reason, you broke the fast, but you don’t go into each day saying, “Okay, Pastor asked us to pray about this 45d fast thing, and this is the answer I got. I will fast 12 hours per day from 6 to 6 for 1 week” but then everyday at 4 you say, “I mean, I’m not going to be legalistic about it, so I’m going to go ahead and eat now.” Can I just say this, that’s not a fast, that’s disobedience.

Do what you want man. It’s your body. It’s your life. It’s your choice. Eat what you want, when you want, how much you want, but don’t call it fasting. You’re either fasting or you’re not fasting. Part of fasting is connected to endurance. This brings me back to Paul saying I discipline my body. Fasting and prayer is connected to endurance and I’m sorry endurance is important in battle. Mental tenacity is important in battle. Am I going to always be a person that just always gives in to temptation? I mean I’m doing okay from 6-4, but boy those last two hours, man that’s rough. I do okay with the porn for a week or so, but man after 8 days, the weed… I’m good for about 3 months or so, the whatever it is… in the message of the cross, we have learned a loop hole out of consecration. I have been preaching sanctification through the cross since 2002 and I have poured over these scriptures and I have something to say.

The loophole out of consecration is our struggle. What I mean is this. Jesus did it on the cross. We believe that by faith and so when we’re not free in an area of our lives, we chalk it up to, “I just have a struggle in this area.” The struggle is the loophole. Well, Jesus set me free 2,000 years ago and I believe it, but I just have this struggle. I can’t wait until He frees me from my struggle. 10 years later I’m still in my struggle….

This is different than the blanket of justification where I use justification as a pardon for my ongoing sin. He declared me innocent, so even though I’m still in sin, I’m still justified. Well, yeah that’s true until it’s not. It’s not true anymore when you stayed in sin so long that now you’re just deceived by demonic spirits, your conscience is seared in that area of your life, your conviction receptors need repair and you think you’re good but your not good. No, you’re living in disobedience.

Do you honestly think that God is playing that game with us where he’s winking at sin. God isn’t winking at sin. Jesus had to die because of sin. God hates sin. No, reality is that sometimes that’s why our lives are gripped with chaos, fear, and anxiety because of our sin and disobedience. But we call it our struggle.

Anyway, the struggle is a loophole and it’s different than the blanket of justification. It’s still a blanket but it’s a snuggle with my struggle.

Christian disciplines like fasting, prayer, studying the scriptures and the basic idea of resisting temptation. Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. What does that mean submit to God, well, submit to faith in the cross— yeah, but it also means, now go and sin no more.

Paul said it not me. He said, I make my body a slave, because I’m engaged in a spiritual battle. I live here right now, but this is not my permanent dwelling place, so throughout the day, throughout the week, I leave this place so I can go where I want to be. Where do you want to be? I want to be with Him.

So I go to church

I go to prayer

I worship

I fast

I sleep less, so I can pray more

I give material things to support spiritual work: I give my time and my money to the work of God

You’re weird and why do you do that, because I believe some things. I believe that if I will give my time and money, He will reward me. I believe that He will reward me some today or tomorrow, but I believe my greatest reward lies ahead. So that’s why you do it out of selfish ambition? No way, Jose. I do it because I had an encounter with Jesus in that church, and He changed me. I was writing this last Wednesday, and I remembered something from 36 years ago, when I stood up she said something to me. She put her hand on my right shoulder and she said, “If you keep coming back, He’s going to do something brother.”

And boy He really has. I have no regrets about the amount of money that I’ve given to the work of God other than I wish that I would have given more.

I have no regrets about the amount of time that I have given, except I only wish that I had given more.

I wish I would have read more and studied harder. I really, really wish that I would have prayed more. I wish I would have asked some of you to pray on Tuesdays and Fridays and before service sooner than when we started. I wish that I had fasted more and wish that I would have asked you to fast more with me.

Listen close, because I think that this is the most important thing that I’m going to say tonight we are all going to wish that we had given more when we had the chance. Once we see Him in glory, we will really understand, and we will wish that we had not been so selfish with our time and money. We will realize what a waste all our excess was. How we spent so much on our earthly pleasures. It’s hard to see it right now with these terrestrial eyes, but I can promise you that if you will start reading the whole counsel of God’s word and not just stay in your little pea patch where you like to dwell, you will begin to realize how true what I’m telling you is.

We like to say that we’re separated from the world, but I can tell you that we’re more connected than what we realize.

Proper Attire Required

There are several kingdom of God parables in the book of Matthew. The word parable comes from a compound Greek word paraballo, when the word is separated into its two parts, it’s para, which means side and ballo, where we get our English word for ball, but ballo means to throw— the idea is to throw along side, so two thoughts are placed side by side for comparison. The kingdom of God is God’s heavenly kingdom and is also referenced in the word as the kingdom of heaven; therefore, the words kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven are used interchangeably. The kingdom of God is like…. Each parable contains a hidden measure of truth regarding a specific aspect of God’s kingdom.

These comparisons help our physical minds perceive spiritual truths. The world we live in is temporary. The life we live now is an interview for an eternal position. The temporary kingdoms built on earth by temporary physical lives will one day be abolished and all the industrious efforts of the work that was employed in the physical realm will be judged. The work for eternal purpose will last and be rewarded. Whereas, the work for self gain and pleasure will incinerate and evaporate into a vanished wisp. It takes time for these thoughts to permeate into our spirits, that deep place where we are one with God. Our soulish man is a close neighbor to our renewed spirit that has become one with God. The soul is also a close neighbor to these members that engage the physical realm, and here, in the physical, our self breathes, feels and lives it’s temporary life. Self is connected to this temporary, physical realm as long as he remains in this earthly house.

True believers love God; however, there remains a danger of also loving self. Self can battle against the Spirit of God within us and bring us towards an even greater danger, a love for the world or the things of the world. For, we are told: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15). The love of the Father in the life of the believer will produce the Jesus diet in the child of God— what is the Jesus diet you ask: Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (John 4:34). A good prayer would be, “Lord please don’t let the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches get in the way of my eternal reward.”

God’s goodness gives us the parables to enlighten the eyes of our understanding on this side of heaven, so we can more properly navigate the journey, so we can make it to the destination and receive a lasting reward when we get there: eye hasn’t seen, ear hasn’t heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man— the things that God has prepared for those that love Him.

The parables like: goats and sheep and tares and wheat and the separation of fish remind us that narrow is the way and few there will be that journey the path towards eternal life. Parables of the treasure and pearl direct the work of our lives, only when we slow down enough to ponder what the king is saying will we perceive the value of eternal life in His words. A merchant sails the seas in a quest for the best of pearls. He is driven as he crosses every ocean and scours every cove for goodly pearls and then one day, he finds the pearl and realizes that every other pearl he ever saw, ever handled, ever thought was beautiful was meaningless in comparison— now that he found this pearl. Oh how he wishes he would have found this pearl sooner. He could have saved so much time, he could have worked so much more efficiently, he could have saved himself so much stress, but what’s important now is that he found the pearl! It is the treasure in a hidden field, and it’s so brilliant, valuable, precious and real, he begins a “going out of business sale. Everything must go!” All else must take a back seat to this pearl, to this treasure that he found. His family will think he’s lost his mind: Father, mother, brother, sister, even spouses may say he’s gone too far, but if they get in the way of this endeavor, it is they who must go, not the pearl, not the treasure. He will cling to the pearl and the treasure like it is his next breath and heart beat that will oxygenate his cells. It is life, it is reality, everything else was a mirage, how could have he been so blind for so long, how could have he wasted so much time, but what is important is that he finally found it and now nothing else, nothing else will do!

And so he immerses himself in this new industry he has found. He partners with a land owner who is also the son of a mighty king. He is offered an opportunity to put his hands to the plow, put a hammer to a nail, engage in an investment opportunity and join in this endeavor. Graciously, he is given a certain value by the landowner with which to start his investment plan. And the landowner goes away on a long journey but will one day return to assess the work that was done. His work will be inspected, it will be scrutinized. Every angle, cut and measurement will be evaluated and that which was handled with great care and excellence for the right purpose, with pure motive of what was best for king and kingdom, will be gloriously rewarded; whereas, all else will vanish like a flitted wisp of an extinguished candle— that portion of the work will be consumed by the fire of God. There will be no residual or evidence that it ever existed. It will not make it into the next life.

In the parable of the wedding feast is the invitation, the opportunity to be able to participate in the joy of the king. The landowner has returned. The goats and sheep, tares and wheat, the fish in the net—it’s all been separated. The work has been assessed, the rewards are ready and they will be distributed at the banquet. Won’t you come and partake of this most joyous occasion of the king? Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye… You are invited to the most glorious banquet ever experienced by the human creation. Join the festivities, no really, YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!!

P.S. RSVP by faith— proper attire required!

So let’s start there—

1. You’ve been called but you must be dressed for the occasion

V 12, …Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless

Isaiah, come let us reason together though sins be scarlet they can be made white as snow

Speechless- to close the mouth with a muzzle— talk time is over

Connect thoughts of the light w this parable—how did they get there knowing they weren’t saved—then the videos

Talk about those videos that describe people going towards the light and then realizing that once they got to the light, they found out that they were rejected. Imagine that moment, the human spirit rushing through a tunnel towards the light, every second drawing you closer to the light and the closer to the light the greater your heart fills with hope, and then to hear, how did you get here friend? You don’t have the right covering. You clothed yourself with the things the world had to offer. You chose your way and rejected my invitation. I never knew you: cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth— speechless

Only God can judge me

So what is this wedding garment. Its not made by Armani, Perry Ellis or Calvin Klein. It’s the apparel that the Father has been weaving since He found Adam and Eve naked in the garden and hiding within the trees— the skins of an innocent animal, skins representing a sinless sacrifice that would be fulfilled in His sinless Son— Jesus is His name.

Galatians 3:27 KJV For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Galatians 3:27 NIV/NASB …for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

II. The problem is you can’t just try to get in any way you want to

You have to have your name written in the book, you have to have on the right attire, and you have to go through the right door to get in:

John 10:7-11 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

“But I didn’t know screams a voice out of the throes of Hell,” That’s not true ma’am or sir. You did know. You knew, but you didn’t care. I know you knew because the Spirit has been calling since the beginning. 6 times in this story the word call or bidden was used, each time, it’s the same Greek word in all cases kaleo, where we get our word call. The Spirit is calling, wisdom is calling

Proverbs 8:1-8

In Verse 3 of the parable, the king sent His servants. He’s been sending His servants. He sent Wisdom, you heard the concern in her voice, He sent Enoch, He sent Noah, He sent Abraham, He sent Moses, He sent, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Nehemiah, He sent John the Baptist, He sent Jesus man, He sent Peter, James and John, He sent Paul, Silas, Barnabas, Matthew, Mark and Luke. He sent all them and He’s sending me and He’s sending you. He’s sending people all over the world. The problem isn’t that no one knew, the problem is that they didn’t care   

Matthew 22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

Make light of- to be careless of, to neglect. I don’t really have any regard for that, because it’s not really relevant to me.

One went to his farm and the other to his merchandise. “Okay, it’s not really that I didn’t know, and it’s not exactly that I didn’t care. If I’m really honest, I was just really, really busy and compared to what I had to get done… I mean come on man. Little Jimmy had baseball, Billy Jiu Jitsu and Sally had dance and soccer. Both Tommy and I worked. It was really busy.

I want to spend a little bit of my time on the merchandise word. The Greek is Emporia. Ever heard of Drug Emporium

noun, plural em·po·ri·ums, em·po·ri·a [em-pawr-ee-uh, -pohr-]. /ɛmˈpɔr i ə, -ˈpoʊr-/.

• a large retail store, especially one selling a great variety of articles.
  

• **a place, town, or city of important commerce, especially a principal center of trade: New York is one of the world's great emporiums.

Ezekiel 27:1-3 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2 Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus; 3 And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.

Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen…

Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

She’s got people trapped and many of those people are people that say they love the Lord, but they don’t even realize that they are serving self and serving her and it’s a little bit harder to see than what people are willing to admit.