From The Heart

A Simple Study In Faith

Ron Kalenuik — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:08:11 +0000

A Simple Study in Faith

With 9-11 now being remembered the best I can do is offer that which carried my family through those days, many lost much, faith returns more. Please read on, this is part 1.

All scripture from the King James Version (KJV)

1 John 5:1-5 ¹Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. ²By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. ³For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

There is today, a lot of confusion as to what faith really is and how it helps in our walk with God, yet in so many scriptures faith in God is defined as simple trust. Trust God will do what He say’s He will do. He has given over to us an ability just receive Him as our Father, we are told He is Father to fatherless. So when we cry Daddy it is He who responds to us. We have faith that He hear and so we must have faith that He answers as well.

His answers also are vey timely so this study is a refresher on what faith in God our Father truly does for us.

I suppose it is required to define first the word “us”. When I refer to us I am referring to a select group of people known as “born again Christians” As we see above “Whosoever” and “is born of God” well we are all whosoever’s but we are not all born of God. It is the one who believes that Jesus is the Christ who becomes born of God, an instantaneous transformation from death into life but the uttering of a simple prayer “I believe”.

John 3:13-18 ¹³And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. ¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God gave Jesus, Jesus gave Himself, they gave the Holy Spirit, we need but receive and then in turn, by action of the simple prayer, we give ourselves. Then we become that “whosoever”. Then we become one who is in a position of overcoming all that may be thrown against us in an attempt to steal our position. There is no higher promotion than that of being a son or daughter of God. It is that promotion that sets our faith on fire and creates within us the ability to see faiths actions fulfilled within us and upon those for whom the blessing was placed within us.

Look for a moment at a simple definition: 1.confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability. 2. belief that is not based on proof, 3.belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion:

Faith is: Confidence or trust in a person; God places that confidence within us by His strongest action in fact by His very being. That action, His being is what we know as, Love. The very essence of God is Love and He cannot exist except within Love. It is He. Therefore all action of faith will be seeded in and fulfilled through love, without Love then any request of God will go unanswered until it is surrounded in Love. Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; This is the reason we can operate in Love, the reason we can go to the Father knowing that the request we have is already answered. His covenant is that of Love, Grace and Mercy, in fact that is what His name means, “Jehovah” the God who keeps covenant and fulfills promises. Therefore to have faith in Him and His Word should be, and is, the simplest action we do. It becomes so automatic in our very being as breathing.

Faith is: Faith in another’s ability; It is not us, it is God, only through Him do we receive that which we require. Remember He is God, what does He not know or cannot do? What is it that He is unfamiliar with? What can you bring to Him that He has no knowledge of or has never heard before? Of course the answers are nothing, nothing is too big, too hard, or unknown to Him, So we need but place our faith in His ability. A miracle is God’s Love poured into our request.

In faith we require much of God and He enjoys that trust in Him. In exchange, however God requires something of us; Deuteronomy 10:12 the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, What we require of God is that which we ask in faith, our answer therefore lies in God’s faith in you. We say to Him “I believe in you” He in turn says to us “I believe in you”. So therefore what we require of Him is exactly the same thing He requires of us. To love and enjoy each other and walk within the blessing thereof.

Faith is: Belief that is not based on proof. When we challenge another to prove themselves or that which they say we are showing that we have zero faith in them. So too with God, what He has said He will do, period, no further discussion required, no proof needed. If we stick to God like glue in fact closer than glue our faith will be rewarded with a life of needs granted, and love gifts poured out upon us. Deuteronomy 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers His proof is in His action but so is ours, By clinging to Him all we require for a good life and a long life will be found. To cleave to Him means to stick like glue, in doing so we never leave His side and therein we find all we require, and in us He finds all He requires.

The simple facts are belief in God or faith in God can only bring the blessings of God. In life we require many things All are found in trusting God. Trusting or faith in God brings healing:

Matthew 8:1-10

1When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 5And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel

The will of God is always that those who believe live a life that is whole. The leper asked Jesus a simple question “If you will”? Jesus gave a simple answer “I will” so there should be no debate God’s will is your healing. He not only demonstrated this for the leper but for the army commander as well. Jesus was not only willing to heal but He was willing to go out of His way to bring healing. Notice that the verse says the commander showed such strong faith that Jesus “marvelled” at it. The word marvelled is the Greek word “thaumazō“ which means: to be held in admiration. Jesus admired the faith of the commander the result…………..healing for the servant. Faith brings healing, no question, Just show God how much you admire him and receive your answer.

Staying Matthew 8 look at verse 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! 28And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

Once again Jesus is confronted with needs, asleep during a violent storm He arises to speak a rebuke and brings complete protection of a disaster to all with Him. Then arriving on the shore demon possessed persons sought to bring harm to Him. But by faith and with faith filled words He set them free, protecting the formerly possessed and all others there. So faith grants a life of protection from those who want to bring harm to you.

Continued next writing.

The Way, My Testimony

Ron Kalenuik — Sun, 15 May 2011 23:59:12 +0000

I have had some interesting questions and opinions posed to me this week. The most important of these are, what do you believe and why? Weren’t you a Jehovah’s Witness at one time why you would you leave? So this weeks writings are an attempt to respond to the questions. For my belief and stance I have labelled an apostate and a liar, yet as much as this words cut I can only stand on the fact that Jesus is my way. Have we not all heard or quoted the words of Jesus found in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to Father but by me”. Jesus is the only way unto God, He can be the only one through whom we may have fellowship with the Father. By providing us with the Holy Spirit we gain access to the throne room of God. Once there we find Christ Jesus ready to accompany us into the presence of God revealing to us all He is to us.

As the way, (the path by which we travel), He may only bring us to the Father while we live along that path. In other words the living and abiding that He continually encourages us to have with Him is our guarantee that His path is the only one that leads to His promise of salvation.

We must keep in mind that there is a huge difference in living a certain way or “Living in the way”. On October 14, 1975 at 10:00 pm in the Fort Point Lodge, Jasper Alberta room 201 I said a simple prayer in faith and life in the way began for me. This was the moment I walked out of death and into life, an everlasting and joyful life in the anointing of Jesus.

Before this yes, I was a member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society or better known as a professing Jehovah’s Witness. But having struggled with certain issues of life I received a letter about a year earlier stating that I have been disfellowshipped on the grounds of “conduct unbecoming a Christian”. So now I was no longer a Christian, no longer had family (To this day many of my own brothers and sisters will not speak to me). Everyone I grew up with, all cousins, every friend, all considered me as dead.

So what had just happened in this little room, it goes back to the day of the disfellowshipping, I began a life of travelling, driven off like someone with a deadly contagious disease. I could not come to grips with this term “unbecoming a Christian”. So they forced me to ask questions of this religion and was there any conduct unbecoming a Christian within their leadership, were they ever or should have been disfellowshipped?

Charles Taze Russel, the founder, sold miracle wheat (could grow 5 times other wheat) for 60.00 a bushel (a huge amount in the late 1900’s) it actually grew less the regular wheat. Also sold a cure for cancer and the millennial bean (another super producing plant). His wife declared he was a paedophile and womanizer. He wasn’t disfellowshipped for conduct unbecoming a Christian (a flim flam man) Called himself Pastor yet never earned the title, didn’t finish high school, had no formal theology training. Lied in court as to his abilities in understanding the languages of Hebrew and Greek. (conduct unbecoming a Christian) Predicted the end of the world in 1914 and 1915, it didn’t happen.

Judge Rutherford, was never voted in or given the title, he stood in a for an absentee judge at times. A title unearned by assumed. Predicted in 1918 (later changing it to 1920) the world’s churches would be destroyed along with millions of their followers. Stated that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David would come back in the flesh in 1925 who he build a huge mansion for them. They didn’t arrive but he moved into the mansion during the great depression, sipping 60 dollars a bottle of scotch. Not conduct unbecoming a Christian?

Or How about the men that destroyed the life I knew from childhood.

One who stole from the company he worked at,(conduct unbecoming a Christian)

One who spent each Friday evening at a hookers house in Niagara Falls NY (conduct unbecoming a Christian)

One who was a paedophile and child abuser (conduct unbecoming a Christian)

So if these are the examples of Christians I need a better answer.

That better answer came in the form of a man stricken with MS yet a became a wealthy man after a career as an RCMP officer. It was at his feet I sat during a bible study. He turned to me and asked one simple question,

“Ron, no debating John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (was a god, NWT) what came before the beginning”? Therefore if Jesus is the Word (and He is) He was already there (past tense) at creations, making Him the creator and not the createe as the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. He handed me a small booklet which I read when I return back to room 201. At the back of the booklet was a prayer which simply said if you believe in Jesus say this prayer. He will come into your heart and you will be changed forever, I did, Jesus did AND SO IT HAS BEEN. My conduct was mine, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and they’re scourge no longer mattered, I found the Way. Which I follow.

Throughout scripture we are inspired to live in the way, perhaps our expression should not be “get out of the way” but rather “get in the way and stay in the way”. We should never have a desire to depart from the way in Jesus, Romans 3:12, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one”. There is a life outside of Jesus that becomes heavy, dreary and distasteful. The Amplified version of this verse says, “they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless”, self worth, self satisfaction, and fulfilment only come through remaining in “the way”. So then the one way revelation may come is for us to examine how we may live within “the way of Jesus” so that we may see the Father, deepening our fellowship and strengthening our relationship with Him, and certainly not departing from it.

We begin in Psalm 119:1, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord”. This scripture reveals three values by which we may continue living successful lives as:

A) Blessed, to be blessed is to be supremely happy, regardless of all the circumstances, trials and situations that will arise by living for Christ Jesus we are given the promise of being blessed. To be supremely happy we will have to have been granted power, and all power has been given unto Jesus in heaven and earth and He in return gave that same power unto us. Kenneth Copeland says that to be blessed is to “have power in you, on you, and around you to prosper”, and certainly this is a most accurate definition of being supremely happy. No matter what the enemy may throw against us, we through the power, (which comes through the application of His name and the use of His redeeming blood) drive all of the devils assignments and weapons far from us.

B) Undefiled, To be defiled is to be; dirty, spoiled, stained, tarnished, degraded, disgraced, dishonoured and violated, all of which we were BEFORE we committed our lives to Christ Jesus and made an unchangeable decision to walk in the way. That life changing decision caused the blessing to flow and the power to perform its cleansing ability within us. We become undefiled which is to be; clean, pure, spotless, unsullied, unadulterated even virtuous. We may best call it “living in grace”, receiving that which we were not entitled to have but having it granted unto us anyway.

C) The law of the Lord, No matter what we require, whether an answer to a prayer, healing, financial release, or just day to day fellowship with God will not be accomplished unless the law of the Lord is deep within our hearts. We must get over that word “law” as something harmful, it is not. Its purpose is not to bring us into some kind of heavy bondage but rather just the opposite of that, the bringing of release from the hardship of Satan’s bondage.

The law is the Pentateuch or the first five books of the bible, contained therein are many blessings and curses, but Jesus bore and destroyed all the curses for us doing away with them forever. However the blessings of the law are still enforce for those who will walk in the way. Listening and following after the life style that is rich and fulfilling. Deuteronomy 28:1-14, gives us a list of great blessing that we will live in for heeding the lifestyle of the way. There is no other way than Jesus.

VANITY, ALL NOT OF GOD IS VANITY

From verse 37 of Psalm 119 we learn yet another key of walking in the way, which when given heed keeps us free and open to what God would reveal unto us. “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way”. Vanity becomes the downfall of many persons, once they have tread in its lifestyle all other things begin to fade and unfortunately one of the first to go is the revelation of the Lord.

The Hebrew word for vanity is, “shav’”, which means; ruin, guile, destructive evil, desolation all of which is caused through the leaving of the way of Jesus and living in the way of the devil. His ways are those of vanity, ways of; conceit, egotism, narcissism (the love of self), pride, strife, futility, uselessness and folly.

Yet because a person says, “I am an individual” they are lead through their vanity into destruction. To keep their individuality they trust in themselves deceiving themselves into believing that alone they can become all their vain heart desires, they trust is misplaced. Job 15:31, (Amplified version), “Let him not deceive himself and trust in vanity-emptiness, falseness and futility; for these shall be his recompense [for such living]“. When one spends his life seeking those things which are empty and futile then the only revelation that they will gain is how to continue in the empty things. God create each person in His likeness, therefore we should all be striving to obtain the life style that He has for us, in other words to go His way. When we do we achieve the greatest level of individuality that one may have. An individual completely sold out to God Himself.

Too much time is spent in the pursuit of the things of life when the simple fact is that these pursuits are also vanity, for all belongs to God. Psalm 24:1-5, “The earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in the Holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation”. We need not spend our lives searching out those things of life for one thing is necessary, that living in the way of Jesus Christ. His ways will lead, guide, teach and reveal how we are to go so that revelation knowledge flows from us.

Pursuit of things leaves one shallow and empty with the result that the things of the vain are given over to those who are not. Ecclesiastes 2:26, “For God giveth to a man that is good in sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and a vexation of spirit. What a price one must pay for rebellion to God, the very work of ones hands given over to the righteous because one could not seek and serve the Lord.

The way of God is the way of life, the way of the vain is that of death, one need but choose which they will serve and then do so knowing the consequences of their decision. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 sum up the choice that we face best, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and thy length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give them”. All heaven and earth stand as witness as to what you decide daily to follow, God or that which is vanity. Choose God, choose life, choose blessing and live, it is His way. Swallow your pride, evict strife, leave folly behind and go the way of life, so that all may be well with you. Revelation knowledge can only be found through a life completely sold out to God, this is His way.

THE WAY OF PEACE

The way is Jesus, His is the way of peace, it is only those who live in the peace of God who receive the revelation knowledge of God. The quite spirit is the spirit which is trained to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit by whom revelation knowledge comes.

It seems like mans quest on earth is find where peace lies and then to live within that place. Peace is no further away than a prayer of faith and a confession of the way of Christ. Peace is a servant given over to man to help him establish himself in the Son. John 14:26-27, ” But the Comfortor, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. Here Jesus is not only leaving us peace but also giving us His. However if we have no understanding of what exactly peace is we will have no way possible to live within it. So let’s examine peace to know what Jesus really did give us.

The word peace is translated comes from several different words in the bible. The Hebrew word for peace is, “shalom”, it means; to be safe, well, happy, to have health, prosperity, and to fare well. The Greek words for peace are; phimoo (fee-mo-o) which means to muzzle, Mark 1:25. Siapao (see-o-pah-o) which means a involuntary stillness, a hush Mark 4:39. Eirene (i-ray-nay) which means; A) a harmonious relationship, B) friendliness, C) freedom from molestation, D) to have rest and contentment, E) to be prosperous. So then when Jesus said that His peace He was leaving us, He was leaving us all these attributes. To live in less is to live outside of the goodness of God Himself, it is to exist within the turmoil of the a Satanic controlled world.

To have peace we must live in the way of Christ Jesus. His words are to abide in Him. Turn to John 15:4, Amplified version, “Dwell in Me and I will dwell in you.-Live in Me and I will live in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me”. Peace is a fruit produced by the living and dwelling within Jesus as made possible through the Comfortor or the Holy Spirit of God. Galatians 5:22-23, “Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”. None of these may be separated from the other therefore the living in Christ Jesus would enable one to experience and use all these as required. Peace flows in conjunction with all the others. Once one is at peace or flowing in that harmonious relationship then and only then is one ready to have revelation knowledge given over to them.

Some people look to others who call themselves prophets for revelation knowledge but if the prophets life is without the peace of God therein, do not trust what he or she may speak and say. Peace is the result of every prophetic statement given via the Holy Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 14:3, “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation and comfort”. There is no other reason to speak a prophesy other than for these reasons and each one of these will minister peace to the recipient of the prophesy. So too revelation knowledge will bring the admonishment, guidance and contentment.

The operation of peace comes to us in the form of what we develop in Him when we are abiding in Him, to understand peace we must know our place of residence. Just we know the home that we dwell in we must come to know our spiritual address or residence equally as well. Our sense are so well refined in our home that even with lights off we know exactly where things are placed and what to avoid in order that we do no harm to ourselves. So too Jesus would have understand the way to His lifestyle and His dwelling place of peace in like manner. What is that we have in Him?

IN HIM

Romans 3:24, In Him we have redemption.

Romans 8:1, In Him there is no condemnation.

Romans 8:2, In Him is freedom from sin and death.

Romans 8:39, In Him is perfected love.

Romans 12:5, In Him is oneness.

1 Corinthians 1:2, In Him is sanctification.

1 Corinthians 1:30, In Him is wisdom, righteousness and sanctification.

2 Corinthians 2:14, In Him is triumph over the enemy.

2 Corinthians 5;17, In Him old things die away.

Ephesians 1:3, In Him are all spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 2:6, In Him we are seated in heavenly places.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, In Him is Gods will for you.

To abide outside of Christ is to choose confusion over peace, and that of course will never do.

Psalms 37:11, Amplified, “But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace”. The “meek” refer to those who have a good or positive attitude toward the things of God, and perform from within that attitude without disputing or resisting. Peace in abundance gives us great assurance that when we face difficult times and trials that God is going to see us through them.

We know that Satan is an enemy that seeks to steal, kill and destroy and he may do so if we follow any other way other than “The Way”, allow your ways to be those of Jesus and even then Satan will not be able to create havoc within your life. Proverbs 16:7, “When a mans ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him”.

The quickest way for one to lose his peace is for that one to enter into a life of compromise.

Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power”. There is no compromise with God toward Jesus, all that the Father is Jesus is. Therefore there is no compromise in Jesus toward you, He has made you complete, that means there is nothing lacking in your life. If you “feel” that there is you simply have not learned to receive from Jesus that which you require to overcome the lack. If you are complete, then your complete go to Him and find out what you need, receive it and then put it in operation in your life at once.

There is also no compromise in the attitude and actions that Jesus took against the devil in assuring that we would be able to live the peaceful life in Christ, Colossians 2:14-15, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against you, which is contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it”. If Satan wants a fight give it to him. Don’t settle for less than the best because that is what Jesus bought for us upon the cross. Be single minded about the quality of life that you expect to live, Jesus never compromised in His action giving His very life so that you could have the best life possible, His. Meet every challenge that the devil places before you with the Word that God has placed in you.

To live without compromise is to live by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith not by sight”. Forget what it looks like, see what Jesus has already done and said about then His peace will give you the ability to walk in your faith not compromising it due to what the devil may show and tell you. Simply decide that no manner what Gods Word is the only way to go, peace will give you the assurance that your decision is the right one.

Hebrews 10:35-39, “Cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”. To compromise is to cast away your confidence, (your beliefs, trust, faith or your reliance), all of which is Jesus, so then with each compromise we walk away from the way and into danger. Compromise means to; discredit, endanger, jeopardize, risk, concede, and yield; what is that you are putting at risk? It is “your faith“. Notice verse 38 says that if any man draws back that Gods soul is given displeasure. There can be no peace in the soul of the compromising person.

By not compromising we find that we are able to live free from worry, stress, and all anxiety that comes from attempting to go another way other than Jesus’ way. Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. Peace of God can only come as one decides that there can be no compromise in His life. Dwelling in Christ Jesus and meditating on all that is healthy for mind, spirit and soul as we see in verse 8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are lovely, what soever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. Truly as we place all that is honourable in our lives, dwelling in the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) we come to know His way and through that knowledge revelation knowledge is given to us.

THE WAY OF SALVATION

On that fourteenth night in October I got saved. None could ever change that nor take it away from me. No one ever comes to any revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ, His Father or His Word had it not been for His provision of salvation. Acts 16:17, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation”. Although Paul was at the moment being harassed by a demonically controlled girl, what she was saying was nevertheless true. He did have the way of salvation to offer to any who would receive it. That way is Jesus Christ.

In order to appreciate salvation we must have a full understand as to what exactly it is. We find the words salvation or saved are translated from three Greek words: A) Soteria; which means to rescue, bring to safety, deliver and be in health, B) Soterion; the one who rescues, delivers or produces health, C) Sozo; to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well (prosper) and to be made whole. So then Jesus is the Soterion who delivers us, protects us, heals us, preserves us, causes us to prosper and makes us whole. All these working together within us constitutes our being complete and finished works of God able to walk in the ways of our Soterion.

Closer examination of our salvation by the Soterion Jesus shows to us that these gifts of deliverance are not just for the moment of regeneration but are designed to carry on within us until we step into the heavenly kingdom of God and receive the fullness of them there.

As Soterion Jesus’ first concern was that He put to flight the works of the enemy of God in man. No longer would we serve the destroyer instead willingly and freely we choose to serve on the side of the one who brings to us deliverance, the Soterion Jesus. Luke 1:71-74, “That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To preform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear”. Any who discredit the ministry of deliverance have not come to the revelation knowledge of the Soterion Jesus. His hearts desire is that all be delivered from all bondage that comes from within the realm of darkness. Salvation is deliverance, so go free.

Then we see that salvation as provided by Jesus shows us the great mercy that is within the heart of the Father. Titus 3:4-7, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved (sozo) us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life”.

The mercy of God in offering us salvation is then five fold, 1) Kindness, 2) Love, 3) The washing, regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 4) Justification by grace, 5) We become heirs. So what we are seeing is that God loved us so greatly that He was willing to show us the greatest kindness ever offered to man, the redeeming power of Jesus as offered to us through His death and resurrection. In order to secure us and give us confidence in His work of salvation He poured out generously His Holy Spirit. Knowing that we could never do anything that would be worthy of vindication from sin He simply He forgave us showing that although He is a just God He is also a gracious God, one worthy of all love, praise, adoration and faithfulness. Once He gave us His grace He then brought us into His covenant and granted unto us all the benefits that are within that covenant.

Salvation shown by mercy is not something we turn and walk away from but rather seek ways as how to deepen it within us. Romans 1:16, “for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power unto salvation to everyone who believeth”. How could anyone be ashamed of the which provides deliverance, heal, prosperity, wellness and wholeness? Shame only will come when it is rejected and envy of the free takes root in ones heart.

SALVATION & FAITH

We also know that way of salvation is the way of faith. Faith in all that God has promised in His Word and faith in all the Jesus provides through His redeeming work on Calvary. Galatians

3:9-14, “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for the just shall live by faith. And the law is of faith, the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the cruse of the law, being made a cruse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”. Being set free from malediction found within the stringent rules set out for all, yet no-one ever being able to obtain or fulfil them. Christ came and took upon Himself all of the curse, freeing us into the blessing of the law.

Does this now mean that we need not do that which pleases God? Of course not, the freedom Jesus offers to all who call upon His name for salvation is that of living by faith. The exoneration that faith brings from the worse sin can only be found in the acceptance of the shed blood of Jesus Christ which may be received by any who may call upon Him through faith. The goal of all who walk in the redeeming power found in that blood is to do at all times that which pleases the Father. In order to please we must go to Him, believing all that His Word demonstrates in love, power, strength and victory. The rewards of faith can never be outweighed by the rewards of anything the systems of the world may have to offer. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”.

This faith is a most powerful key to the gaining of revelation knowledge through salvation, we must not let the principals set forth within this verse of scripture to ever slip from us. We see four simple yet profound fundamental truths for those of faith.

1) Please God, Acceptance of the way of salvation is the beginning of pleasing God, God is not interested in your past as much as He is in your future. In the past you could do nothing that was pleasing unto Him for you were not of faith. Once you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour faith recreated your heart and God then granted forgiveness, cleansing the heart and justifying you through your Soterion Jesus Christ. Deliverance came into the heart and no longer could Satan whisper condemnation into the heart, freeing you to take faith to new realms using it as a tool that at all times in all situations pleases God. 1 John 3:18-24, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. But if our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment. And he that keepeth His commandment dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And thereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us”.

2) Come to God, It is the fallen nature of man that keeps man from coming to God, he thinks (mistakenly) that he has no need for God, or anything else, he’s a man, he can make it on his own. He cannot, for those who will not come to God for salvation will be held in captivity by Satan and forced to do his will, ever living a life locked in strife, confusion, destruction and eventually death. 2 Timothy 2:24-26, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will”. One translation says, “to do his will”, those locked in strife are nothing more than puppets on a string controlled by Satan himself. This certainly is not the plan of God, He would have us come to Him in all circumstances and in every situation. Just as Jesus is the Soterion equipped to deliver, heal, protect, preserve and heal, He is also the one who seeks a very close fellowship with Him in all matters, great and small. In order for us to do so we must come to Him.

All too often men will accuse God of not fulfilling His word, yet we find their request has gone unanswered because of their own failure to come to God and release the entire situation to Him. However for the answer to manifest we must release all of the circumstance to Him right down to the worry and concern over the situation. To hold onto the worry is to say that God is not capable of answering, therefore we actually stay away from God instead of doing what His word says, coming to Him. In all things run to God, come boldly to the throne room, jump into the arms of love and receive healing and freedom, just come. Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in a time of need”.

3) Believe that He is, Is what? Everything you require when you require it. Moses and the Israelites first knew Him not as Jehovah but as the great “I AM“. To them He would say, “I AM all you will ever need or require. Today He is still the same. As the Soterion Jesus brings to all the power of salvation, He becomes the one ever able to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, cause to do well (prosper) and to be made whole. We are able through faith to ask of the Great I AM and know with full assurance that the request is executed and completed just as His Word has promised. John 16:23-24, “And in that ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name, ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full”. There is no revelation knowledge available to those who will not come to God, ask and believe that He will provide for them.

4) Believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Make fellowship with Christ Jesus your primary goal in life, all else should become secondary to your life in Christ. As Soterion He has all that one requires therefore it should be common sense to seek only Him. Too many persons have taken their eyes off Jesus and placed them upon their need, seek not the provision but rather seek the provider. For when the provision has come the relationship with the provider will have deepened, but if you seek just the provision then the relationship will be shallow and less gratifying. He is the rewarder, but the rewards do not flow simply because one has a need, they flow because of the faith that one has placed in Him to answer the need. Seeking the provision will always cause one to be in a place of searching for the answers to the needs, seek the Soterion who is the answer. Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. Matthew 6:33, (Amplified version), “But seek for (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom, and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right], and then all these things taken together will be given you besides”.

The Law of The Lord

Revelation of God is not only dependent upon your having a knowledge of The Way of Jesus Christ, but also in having a knowledge of what scripture terms the law. As we have already stated the law to the Jewish person are the first five book of the Bible, the Pentateuch. It is what they hang their very lives upon. However the law is far more than just the books of Moses, it is the Way of God, placed into ones heart and the evidence thereof in ones life. Therefore it is the entire Word of God as lived on a daily basis by the believer.

We find that the Hebrew word for law is, “torah”, which means a precept or statute. Torah is derived at from the root word, “yarah”, which is to flow as water, to shoot straight as an arrow, to teach, instruct, inform, or direct. This then is what the law of the Lord is, His teaching, and ways of directing, informing, and instructing us, so that we would lay down our lives and walk in these teaching as straight as arrow. It is to have flow like a running river from the very depths of our hearts. It is that example we find in Psalm 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of the sinners, nor sitteth in the sit of the scornful. But his delight is in the law (torah, yarah) of the Lord, and in His law (torah, yarah) does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does prospers”. Therefore if the law is to teach, instruct, lead and guide it would be expedient for us to find out as much as we can regarding the law. Each time you see, think or hear “the law” from here on, think of it as “the tool by which I am taught the ways of God, and the instrument by which I may fulfil my blood bought redemption.

The first thing that grip our hearts is the reality of the law. It purpose as we have said is not to bring us into bondage but to release from Satanic servitude. The law does not confine us but it does just the opposite, it frees us. We must never forget Jesus’ words regarding His mission that centred on the law. Matthew 5:17-18, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am come not to destroy but to fulfil. for verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”.

There can never be any doubt that the Word of God is forever settled in heaven and therefore should be forever settled as well in our hearts. Everything on earth and in heaven operate according to the devine law that God has established for it. Why then do we rebell against a plan that is pure prefection, could it we are just foolish and choose not to allow the Word of God to have it’s tightful place in our hearts? Psalm 119:89-93, “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this according to thine ordinances: for they all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine afflicition. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou has quickened me”.

Many have made large ministries today in condemning the law of God, they are more than just misunderstood, they are wrong. By Jesus Christ fulfilling the law of the Lord, every covenant promise made therein becomes our way unto freedom, deliverance, health and prosperity.

What has been considered by some as restriction on their way of life is actually the way to liberty when received through the knowledge therein. It is the ignorant (unlearned) who reject the law, after all if it is the way, the instructions and teachings of God, why would any reject it? Only those deluded by Satan could possibly do so, only those who have given their lives over to the way of the flesh find little value in living a life of uncompromising integrity that comes from the Word of God.

Many have forgotten that the law of the Lord is exactly that, His way of directing and instructing, therefore it is His performing of His covenant and the promises therein in our lives that cause us to become completely dependent upon Him. Psalm 19:7-11, “The law of the Lord is prefect converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desire are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them is great reward”.

The law is described here in various words causing differing blessing to come and accompanied by a specific promise.

Word for the Law Blessing Promise Given

Vs.7, The law Perfection, Conversion of the soul

Vs.7, The testimony, Surety, Wisdom

Vs.8, The statutes, Right standing, Exultation of the heart

Vs.8, The commandments, Purity, Enlightenment of the mind

Vs.9, The fear, (request) Cleanliness, Patience for eternity

Vs.9, The judgement, Truth, Righteousness

From these then we quickly learn that the intent of God is that those who will be dedicated to the Law of the Lord will live in blessing and the fulfillment of promise. Notice that none are for affliction but rather all are given for your benefit. With the resultant factor being that when they are taken in the fashion given they become sweet, tasty, a tool of protection, the way to the rewards of God.

Anyone who would make the false claim that God is doing nothing for them on their behalf is certainly not following in the law of the Lord. We can be certain of this one thing, those who are faithful to the Law of the Lord, or who live according to it are sure to see their lives come into complete harmony, and enjoy rich heavenly ordained blessings.

We must not allow the statement from the above verse to slip by us, for within it is the key to receiving revelation, the revelation of the law of the Lord. The statement is “More are they to be desired“, What is that you are desiring, if it is not the law of the Lord then perhaps it is time to re-evaluated your priorities. All of what the Lord offers you is His Word, all of your desire should be placed upon it. Psalm 37:3-5, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shall thou dwell in the land, and verily shalt thou be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of your heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass”. All desire must be formulated in God and then finalized according to His Word and then success is sure to have it’s way in your life as it is fuelled from the Word itself, becoming pure, holy, true and righteous.

Revelation of the law may be experience best by a personal study of the Book of Psalms and especially the 119 Psalm. While you study it, be sure to keep your spiritual eyes open for lessons regarding the word of God from the following verses.

Vs.1, The law of the Lord.

Vs.3, Revelation of His ways. Vs.4, The code of His precepts.

Vs.5, A list of His statutes. Vs.9, The source of cleansing.

Vs.24, A ready counsellor. Vs.25, The source of life.

Vs.28, A tower of strength. Vs.30, The way of truth.

Vs.40, The way of righteousness. Vs.41, The way of salvation.

Vs.49, The source of hope. Vs.52, The source of comfort.

Vs.70, A source of delight. Vs.72, Better than wealth.

Vs.76, The promise of mercies. Vs.98, The source of wisdom.

Vs.99, The source of knowledge. Vs.101, Obedience to the Word.

Vs.103, The pathway of life. Vs.111, The source of joy.

Vs.116, A help in a time of trouble. Vs.130, The source of light.

So cling to the word and know that through it you will be established, in all the gifts and calling of God, including revelation knowledge.

Walk in the Ways of the Lord

All too often we are negligent of not walking in the ways of the Lord, this basically because we are not informed enough to know such ways. The lack of information comes through choice, simply not wanting to know, through lethargy, simply not doing what we know or a combination of both. In order to receive revelation of God, we not only must know God as the Way, know the Law (Word of God), and do that which we know. We must also know the ways of God which come through knowing the Way and doing the Law of God. By having both the Way and Law settled forever within our hearts we will automatically walk in the ways of God.

TRUTH

3 John 2-4, “Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”. The first key we learn is that we are to walk in truth. Not temporal truth that is subject to change according to the whims and wishes of the one projecting what they call truth. All truth will withstand one test, does it come in line to what scripture has to say. If it does not then reject it entirely for it is not truth.

This is the reason that we should learn not to trust our senses, for they will surely bring us to ruin. You see the senses will show you only that which you desire to see. The eyes may say to you that all you can see is all the world is made up of. We of course know that such a statement is false, yet we insist on saying “I’ll believe it when I see”, most of us have never seen the North or South poles yet we know that they exist, simply because they have been proven to do so. Truth is much deeper than the senses, truth always shows the senses that there is a greater, much deeper way, the way of the Word. Should we not therefore walk in it, of course we should.

Isaiah has reminded us that Gods way is the better way to go. Isaiah 55:8-9,”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are ways your ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts”. God way is the way of truth, then we must force ourselves if need be to walk in truth at all times.

Truth is the reality of any matter, or situation. It takes the Word of God instilled in our hearts to bring us into such reality. We must develop the attitude that all else is false and only God is truth, therefore we walk in the way of truth as given to us by God through His word and granted by the Soterion Jesus Christ, for He is the embodiment of truth.

Jesus has declared, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”, John 8:32. However many have twisted this scripture and formed the opinion that “the truth will make you free”. Not so, it is the truth that you know that makes you free. Many have died from what Jesus as Soterion freed them from, not because of His redeeming did not work but rather because they lacked knowledge of that work. To say “Jesus saves”, but not believe that Jesus heals is rejecting His work and therefore it is rejecting truth openly, causing the way to death by sickness and disease. It is the truth you know that makes you free.

Remember that as Soterion Jesus has declared, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me”. John 14:6. Therefore the truth that we know we must continue in, that our life in Jesus Christ is one of victory making Him Lord over all our ways. We must walk daily in His ways, following His steps, so that truth flows from us like a river of life.

We must choose to make the words of our mouth to be only that which is truth. We cannot establish any part of our lives upon that which may not be truth. By speaking forth the Word of God we cause ourselves ever to live in the covenant of God, we say like Solomon said in Proverbs 12:19a, “The lip of truth shall be established forever”. Choose the way of truth then speak it as if your entire life was dependent upon it, because it is.

We will find that truth will work it’s way of life within our hearts, we need not however concern ourselves as some do, that just speaking the truth at all times will cause us to appear harsh, or unkind, cacophonous in nature, dictatorial in personality, deceived by the very truth we seek to walk in, for Jesus has never been either. We emulate His life, we live like He lives. He has coupled truth with several other important ingredients so that as the free we may remain so.

The Companions of Truth

Psalm 85:10, “Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other”. If we are to walk in the way of truth we must do so through the power and ability of the Word of God, where the Word is, truth will always be accompanied by her three companions, mercy, righteousness and peace.

We must never forget that God showed us great mercy by sending Jesus as Soterion to us, giving us life, victory and success. This same mercy was then infused into our hearts by the Holy Spirit at the moment we chose to live our lives in Christ Jesus. This same mercy should therefore be granted to all who may require it. Mercy coupled with truth becomes a power that nothing Satan has can overcome it.

Mercy is: compassion, forgiveness and kindness. Compassion is: the ability to experience what another is going through and have the power to change it. Forgiveness is: the wiping away of all wrong, the remission or pardon of all debt, to give up all claim on an account. Kindness is: showing one’s self as useful in any situation. Combining these, we formulate mercy.

Coupled, mercy and truth become an unstoppable force, used to bring great freedom to the heart of all who may walk in the their pathways. Psalm 25:10, “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies”. Mercy and truth become unstoppable because God is unstoppable, His truth is marching on.

Walk in the Ways of the Lord \ Righteousness

Kenneth Copeland has said, “Righteousness is the ability to stand in the presence of the Father without a sense of guilt, condemnation, or inferiority–as though sin had never existed”.

Righteousness is the view God has of you through Christ Jesus. When the person who is born again in Jesus Christ is seen by God, He does not see that person is light of past errors, He see them as clean, whole and pure, because He sees them covered with the shed blood of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”.

Therefore the ability to receive revelation from and by God must come through righteousness, if one live a life of condemnation or is critical upon oneself there is very little opportunity fro God to speak to that ones heart. They must see themselves as pure and clean respecting the blood that Jesus shed on their behalf. This of course is no licence to sin, but rather it is the ability within to resist sin and see Satan overthrown in their life.

Through His blood sacrifice Christ has been made unto us:

The power of God, 1 Corinthians 1:24

The wisdom of God, 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30

The holiness of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30

The redemption of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30

The righteousness of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30

It is through the righteousness of God that the other four areas are given to us, ho w is it possible for one to believe that he\she has the power of God to defeat the enemy if that one does not believe they are righteous? It is not. So the understanding righteousness is absolutely vital to the well being of the successful Christian life.

The word righteousness is an old English word for “right-wiseness”, it is then more than just doing what is right, it is right thinking, right walking, right living. None of which can be accomplished by living a life outside of Christ Jesus. All the achievement that comes through right-wiseness comes because of the dedicated, sold out living one does to, for and in Jesus Christ.

Righteousness not only requires a life style of right living, but it also demands one of justice or one that is of reality in such areas as being, equitable, fair, faithful and truthful. It is therefore the setting of the standards by which ones moral lifestyle is placed into judgement only to found without reproach. Righteousness would then be living a life of such high standards that even our worse enemies could find no accusing faults within us. This would mean embodying the law of God in all areas of our life.

Justification then is exoneration and vindication of living the right lifestyle which has been instilled into us by; God, Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit, the blood of Jesus, grace, faith, prayer, and obedience. In other words by a commitment to living a life with these areas.

A lifestyle of righteousness can be liken very much to the examples of King Solomon found in Proverbs that he encourages all to live within. One needs but chose to live what he has written in order to obtain righteousness. A study of one Proverb each day will cause a lifestyle of high integrity and morality to abound from one in all areas of living.

Righteousness is by Faith and not by Works

Romans 9:30-32, What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. for they stumbled at that stumblingstone: As it is written, Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and a rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed”.

No matter how much we work to be good we will never acquire the righteousness that could only comes through Jesus Christ. We all come up short, there would always be something within our lives that hold us back from succeeding in doing what is right, until the time when Jesus comes into our hearts. Then it is no longer what I do that wins me favour and makes me pure with God, it becomes all that Christ has done for me.

The ultimate goal of every Christian should be providing God with pleasure, Hebrews 11:6 says that God gets His pleasure from those who do all things through faith. Therefore we must by faith reach forth and receive our righteousness, if the shed blood of Jesus made us clean, we must by faith receive it and then walk in the purity of it in our soul and spirit.

Many attempt to perform good works for God believing that if these are good enough then they will gain favour from God and thus receive that which is necessary to enter into the heavenly realms. Their faith is not in Christ Jesus but rather in a false hope that if the works are good enough and there are enough of them then this will win them that favour they so desperately seek. However Isaiah says in chapter 64 and verse 6, that this is just not so, one who is unclean cannot bring righteousness forth. It is for that reason we must accept the redemption of Jesus’ blood, giving us the ability to stand before God, full of faith, clean and pure.

The acquiesce of faith brings one into a realm that instead of working to obtain righteousness, they are righteous and because they are they then go forth and preform works. We work not because we have to, we work because we know the results of faith and righteousness within us, desiring others to come to the same knowledge. Therefore, although our works will not brings us into righteousness, faith will, we work because we have faith, therefore complimenting righteousness through faith and shown by our works. There is no advancement in Christ Jesus when all one does are works, advancement comes through works that are faith motivated and not soulishly motivated. Therefore the equation is, Righteousness by faith equals works of faith.

James 2:14-18, & 26, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother and sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things needful to the body; what doth it profit. Even so faith, if it hath not works , is dead being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and i will shew thee my faith by my works. (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”.

However, although we work not to achieve righteousness, it is a free gift, we must ever be on our guard to maintain a righteous lifestyle. Satan will ever be attempting to deceive us, trying to cause to fail and thus fall into a lifestyle of unrighteousness.

Righteousness is Living Sin Free

There is a new kind of sin that is finding it’s way into the church today, it does not put on a deceiving appearance, yet it deceives more and more Christians into defeat and death more and more. It is about time the church wakes up to his deception and begins to do powerful warfare against this demonic force.

It is capable of it’s deception because those through whom it works will not admit that they are the possessors of him. Numbers 32:23, has something to say regarding this; “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out”.

So what is this sin that is loose, that will find you out, it is the sin of disobedience. Many are the people who spend great amounts of time in prayer, praise, and in study of the word, yet they constantly commit this sin. Righteousness is first and foremost being obedient to the life and Word of God. Learn the four great principals of conquest over disobedience and all areas that would steal from us our righteousness. 2 Corinthinians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled”.

The four principals found here then are:

A) Destruction of strongholds, vs 4.

B) Casting down imaginations, vs 5.

C) Bringing into captivity every thought, vs 5.

D) Having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, vs 6.

Satan will try to establish certain strongholds in our lives so that we may not obtain the life of victory that God would have us obtain. So what are these strongholds, many of them are the feeble arguments put forth by the flesh as to why one should do or continue doing that which against the righteous way of living. For example strife, it is one of the best strong holds of Satan, for he knows that when he gets one into an argumentative mode they will progress in only one direction, hell, which is really to regress. As long as he can keep others arguing as to who is right, no one will be right. Once an argument has broken out then there is no longer a right one, both are now wrong. God’s way is that of peace, Satan’s way is that of strife, no-one can be right, doing the ways of unrighteousness, the ways of sin, the way of disobedience.

Therefore we must set aside the ways of the flesh, bringing destruction to all strongholds, when we think we just have to have something, question it, is it the way of God or the way of the flesh? If it is God’s way it will come into being, if it is not, we never really required it in the first place, let it go.

Next we learn that we are to “cast down imaginations”, the word imaginations comes from the Greek word, “logismos”, it’s root word is “logos”, which means the thoughts, reasoning’s, computations of the heart.

We are cautioned that once a stronghold has taken hold of us we may be able to break free from it by casting the thought down. Or, rejecting the very essence of the thought, we are not to reason out in our minds how we may be able to walk in the things of the Lord and hold onto whatever the thought is seeding into our hearts. It simply will not work, James says, “a double minded person is unstable in all his ways”. He becomes unstable because he has calculated what his risk may be to compromise the Word in his life, and he is willing to take the risk. Instead he should literally speak to the thought to be removed and go from his mind, guarding his heart from any root the stronghold may be attempting to place therein.

We must heed the same advise that David gave to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9, “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a prefect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, He will found of thee, but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever”. God knows what we are thinking and His desire is that we spend our time in thoughts of Him and His Word. When thoughts contrary to His Word plague our minds we need run to His Word and drive them out by putting the Word to our lips and speaking it forth, this then is process of casting down imaginations and wicked thoughts.

Paul encouraged the Philippian church to think on only those things which would prevent any imaginations of discouragement, grief, frustration, loneliness or anxiety. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. What greater way could any have than to put that which is of the highest standards into ones life. These standards can only flow from the Highest One, Jesus Christ and by His Word.

The third recommendation given to us to free from preforming any disobedience is that we are to bring every thought into captivity. This indicates that we are in a battle, a war over who will rule our minds, will the Word rule or will the thoughts of the flesh fuelled by Satan take control? Certainly the warning is that if we do not lead our thoughts away captive then we will be the ones held prisoner. What is implied, is that we will be the ones lead away and incarcerated in a prison made of bars of negative and dysfunctional thoughts. Thoughts designed to bring us into deaths grip, with our lives on the brink of extinction, simply because of thoughts gone wild.

We may win the battle of the mind by turning all our thoughts toward Jesus. We must remember the worse kind of thoughts one may have are those of worry, distress and care. Jesus showed us in Mark 4:19, that one of the greatest hindrances to walking in faith and therefore righteousness was the influence of the daily cares of this world. The dictionary defines care as: worry, concern, anxiety, solicitude, distress, over charged attention to a certain matter, concern, trouble, and pains.

Is it any wonder that we must take such things captive? But what do we do with such thoughts once we have gained superiority over them? Peter gives us the solution, 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you”. No worries, as the saying goes, when you place all your worries upon Jesus Christ. His is the righteous one, well able to take all care upon Himself. He goes on to say in verse 8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour”. Peter didn’t say he was a lion he said “as” a lion, therefore the devil once again is using deception to appear like he is not. In hopes that you will give in and surrender your thought life over to him, DON”T DO IT. Take all his dirty thoughts captive and cast them up Jesus who is the Loin of Judah, well able to devour the devil and his minions.

The final principal of the four principals was that we are to have a readiness to avenge all disobedience. Our righteousness is dependant upon our willingness to follow after the paths of life that Jesus has set out in His Word. Disobedience will lead us far from that course and the resultant factor will be destruction by Satan as we move into a realm of strife, contention and constant conflict.

Disobedience is translated from two Greek words: apeitheia, to be obstinate, rebellious, in unbelief: parakoe, inattention, heedlessness, negligent. To operate in disobedience to the Lord, His Word or even his servants who minister from the Word is to be in rebellious unbelief. Hebrews 2:1-3, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, leat at any time we should let them slip. for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him”. How do you escape in your rebellion, or unbelief? You can’t.

We cannot continue to place blame on God for our unanswered prayers when the key reason is that we will not listen and obey. To many are whining to their leaders and the leaders are saying “don’t come to me any longer until you are ready to do what you’ve been instructed already”. If one insists on being negligent to the Word and will not pay attention or give heed to what they have been instructed to do, they cannot except that desire to come to pass through God’s intervention. Disobedience is the scourge that steals the hearts of it’s victims carrying them off into eternal captivity. We must come to our Lord and His ministers with a willingness to listen and to act upon their knowledge of the Word. Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch over for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you”.

In Exodus 19:5, we find that it is obedience that brings us into the realm of being Gods own special chosen treasure. “Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all the people, for all the earth is mine”. The Hebrew word for peculiar treasure is “cegullah”, it is more accurately translated as “shut up wealth”. God views those of obedience as His wealth that He has shut up or put away for just His enjoyment. God’s conviction is to always do that which will protect His valuables, the obedient are such.

As we now see that disobedience results in defeat, death and destruction, but what reward is there for obedience. The Word gives to us many promises when we obey, some of the blessing may be found in Deuteronomy 4, we should study these out then make them our goal. For in obedience, righteousness is sealed.

Dake defines the blessings from this chapter as:

1) Long life. vs 1,4,10,40

2) Success. vs 1,5, 40

3) Mercy & Judgement. vs 3

4) Wisdom & Understanding. vs 6

5) Known the world over for wisdom and knowledge. vs 6,7

6) Closer walk with God. vs 7

7) Answers to prayer.

Prefect code of life. vs 8

9) Good and lasting memories. vs 9

10) Given the truth to teach your children. vs 9,10

11) Learning the fear of God, the beginning of wisdom. vs 10, (Pr.1:7)

12) Preservation from corruption. vs 16-19

13) Being a special people unto God. vs 20

14) Share in the inheritance. vs 20,38

15) An unbreakable covenant with Jehovah. vs 23

16) Faithfulness of God. vs 31

17) Manifestation of God. vs 32-34

18) Proof that Jehovah is God. vs 35,39

19) Victory over our enemies. vs 38

20) Prosperity. vs 40

21) Blessing upon our children. vs 40

We must give special continuing consideration to the advise of the Apostle Paul found in Romans 6:12-16, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those alive from the dead, and your instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness”.

Revelation of God therefore comes through living a lifestyle free of sin, being righteous because of Christ Jesus within us. Remember, righteousness by faith equals works of faith, the equation now becomes, freedom from sin equals righteousness by faith equals works of faith equals revelation of God.

Walk in the Ways of the Lord \ Peace

Many expect to receive revelation of and from God yet they live lives that are of complete turmoil, they have no peace, yet they claim that they have the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ living and abiding within them.

Peace, it seems mans quest on earth is find where peace lies, and then to live within that place. Peace is no further away than a prayer of faith and a confession of the Lordship Christ has over your life.

We know that peace is a servant given over to man to help him establish himself in the Son, therefore we should seek a life in Christ Jesus first and foremost. John 14:27, “Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. A life in Jesus enables Him to not only leave us peace but also we receive His, it is perfect. However if we have no understanding of what exactly peace is, we will have no way to live within it, so let’s examine peace to know exactly what Jesus gave us.

The word peace comes from several different words in the Bible. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, which means; to be safe, well, happy, to have health, prosperity, and to farewell. Therefore we may conclude that in Old Testament days God’s desire was that His people live lives which were a blessing, consisting of safety, deliverance, health and prosperity. Psalm 29:11, “The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace”. Has God changed His desire? Let see what the Greek words say.

The Greek words for peace are; phimoo (fee-mo-o) which means to muzzle, Mark 1:25, “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him”. In modern day English Jesus would have said; “Shut-up, and come out”, in other words put a muzzle on your mouth. So then the first thing we see that peace is, an ability to stand against what is wrong without fear of reprisal, trepidation or apprehension.

Another Greek word is; Siapao (see-o-pah-o) which means a involuntary stillness, a hush.

Mark 4:39, He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm”. So we may expect to have calmness in the midst of tribulation while we walk in peace, which flows from God. And yet these two meaning are not the ones we desire to place our attention upon, there is one more word we must look at for the clearest understanding.

The word used in conveying what Jesus meant in transferring His peace to us is; Eirene (i-ray-nay) which means; A) a harmonious relationship, B) friendliness, C) freedom from molestation, D) to have rest and contentment, E) to be prosperous. So then, when Jesus said that His peace He was leaving us, He was leaving us all these attributes. To live in less is to live outside of the goodness of God Himself.

As we have stated, to have peace we must live in Christ Jesus. His actual words are we must abide in Him, by which He means we dwell or have our residence in Him. Turn to John 15:4-7, Amplified version, “Dwell in Me and I will dwell in you.-Live in Me and I will live in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me-cut off from the vital union with me-you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out as a [broken-off] branch and withers. Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned. If you live in Me-abide vitally united to Me-and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you”. Therefore peace is going to be formed into that harmonious relationship by living in Him, (this is a command not just a good idea), our lives become ever charged with Him as we take up our residence within Him.

So to understand peace as our residence or home, we must have first hand knowledge of our place of residence, first hand knowledge of Jesus Christ, what is it we have “In Him”.

Romans 3:24, In Him we have redemption.

Romans 8:1, In Him there is no condemnation.

Romans 8:2, In Him is freedom from sin and death.

Romans 8:39, In Him is love perfected.

Romans 12:5, In Him is oneness.

1 Corinthians 1:2, In Him is sanctification.

1 Corinthians 1:30, In Him is wisdom, righteousness and sanctification.

2 Corinthians 2:14, In Him is triumph over the enemy.

2 Corinthians 5;17, In Him old things die away.

Ephesians 1:3, In Him are all spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 2:6, In Him we are seated in heavenly places.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, In Him is Gods will for you.

To abide outside of Christ is to chose confusion over peace, foolishness over wisdom, poverty over prosperity, sickness over health and death over life.

Psalms 37:11, Amplified version, “But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in an abundance of peace”. The “meek” refer to those who have a good or positive attitude toward the things of God, and perform from within that attitude without disputing or resisting. They have developed this peacefulness through continually spending their time in the presence of the Lord.

Walking in an abundance peace means that we will never be found lacking in any area of life. Just think, you never have to be concerned over any circumstance that may arise in your life again. The power of the peace of God will see to it that you walk in that harmonious relationship ever free from the molestation of the devil. Never again having anxiety, but having rest and contentment as you know that your walk with God is the assurance of His peace leading you into a prosperous life, prosperous in every area, mentally, physically, spiritually and financially.

As we saw in the previous chapter, freedom from sin equals righteousness by faith, equals works of faith, equals revelation of God, however we may add now to this equation. Peace along side of righteousness causes the revelation of God to settled forever within ones heart. Therefore we press forward knowing that the outcome will be that of victory within Jesus Christ. For when righteousness embraces peace we become enraptured in the final victorious result, life everlasting. Psalms 85:10, “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other”. Mercy forgives man from all sin and disobedience, giving man the ability to accept the truth. Truth is sent forth to man so that he might know the will of God. Righteousness demands obedience to the truth, granting the resulting peace with God so that He is able to kiss (embrace) those who have been made righteous because of their obedience to His Word.

The quickest way for one to lose his peace is for that one to enter into a life of compromise. Never allow anything to cheat you into a place of compromise and strife, thus stealing from you a life of great peace. Fight the fight to win, run the race to win, leave Satan knowing he is the one who finishes last, not you.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26; “Know ye not that they which run in race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air”.

We are to run the race to win.

There are no second best’s.

You must prepare to run.

You must prepare to finish.

You must prepare to win.

Colossians 2:9-10, & 15, “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it”.

There is no compromise with God toward Jesus.

There is no compromise in Jesus toward you.

There is no compromise in the attitude and actions that Jesus took against the devil. c/f Colossians 1:9-19.

If Satan wants a fight give it to him. Don’t settle for less than the best. Be single minded about the quality of life that you expect to live in Jesus Christ, then take His peace and go and achieve that life. Meet every challenge that the devil places before you with the Word that God has placed in you.

To live without compromise is to live by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith not by sight”. Peace maintains faith, God is pleased by your placing faith in all that you do, His peace gives you the strength to do so continually.

Hebrews 10:35-39, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul”. To compromise is to cast away your confidence (your beliefs, trust, faith or reliance), (compromise means; discredit, endanger, jeopardize, risk, concede, or yield) what is that you are putting at risk “your faith“. Notice verse 38 says that if any man draws back that God’s soul is given displeasure. There can be no peace in the soul of the compromising person. It is such a person who will draw back, never, never, never compromise your stand of faith for anyone or anything.

Some may ask, Where does one carry His burdens so that they may retain their peace? To God of course, man was never equipped to worry, only since sin came along did Satan have the ability to place pressure upon man, it is one of his tools of destruction. God however desires us to be worry free, by taking all our concerns and yielding to Him and His way of handling all stress and worry. 1 Peter 5:7, Amplified version, “Casting the whole of your care-all anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all-on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully”. Peace of God can only come as one decides that there can be no compromise in His life. c/f Philippians 4:4-9.

Psalms 37:1-40. (PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE PASSAGE FROM YOUR BIBLE) Here is one of the greatest list of promises ever given to any man who will live within the Word of God. It is through the Word that you will ever be able operate the peace of God.

Before we examine the promises lets look very diligently at verses 3-8 which gives us the ways to peace. These are not rules that one must follow, but rather they are steps to the peaceful life.

Trust; lean on, rely on, and be confident in, take custody, have guardianship over. Become liable for your actions, in other words you become justly or legally responsible for your actions and the results that go along with them. You are officially obligated to that trust. You are in a covenant of trust, to break it would result in your down fall. You carried the trust, your responsible to it.

Delight; have enjoyment, happiness, joy, pleasure, and triumph in the Lord. In another word be glad (encouraging, cheering, inspiring, pleasing) in God.

Commit; The Amplified version says “roll and repose each care of your load on Him” Make your pledge and promises in Him, dedicate your ways, assign to Him your worries and frustrations, then lock them up with His Word and see your way come to pass.

According to Dake, David gives to us twenty five guarantees or promises of peace from God in Psalms 37:

1) (vs 3) You abide in a good land.

2) (vs 3) You shall never go without, you will always have the necessities of life.

3) (vs 4) God gives you the desires of your heart.

4) (vs 5) He brings His promises to pass.

5) (vs 6) He brings the righteous to light.

6) (vs 6) He brings judgement as noonday. No darkness.

7) (vs 9) The evil doer will be cut off, a promise of Satan’s defeat.

(vs 9) You receive the earth as an inheritance.

9) (vs 11) There is an abundance of peace.

10) (vs 17) You are upheld by God.

11) (vs 18) You recivce an eternal inheritance.

12) (vs 19) You are not ashamed in evil times, God protects.

13) (vs 19) You are satisfied in times of famine.

14) (vs 24) You are not brought to ruin (cast down) when you fall.

15) (vs 28) You are not forsaken by God.

16) (vs 28) You are preserved (maintained, perpetuated, sustained, and upheld) by God forever.

17) (vs 28) The seed of the wicked shall be cut off from harassing you.

18) (vs 31) All your decisions (steps) will be sound.

19) (vs 33) The Lord gets involved in defending you when the wicked attack.

20) (vs 33) The Lord will not condemn you.

21) (vs 37) The result will be peace.

22) (vs 39-40) Salvation will come.

23) (vs 39) Strength from God will be yours in a time of trouble.

24) (vs 40) Help from God whenever you require it.

25) (vs 40) Deliverance from Satan.

When we have so great assurances from God, is there little wonder that the peace of God can be settled forever in our hearts? There is nothing that can steal that peace away from us.

This peace was once and for all sealed in Christ Jesus when He gave His life and His blood for us. Sealed forever by the Holy Spirit of God. Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise”.

1 Corinthians 11:24-30, as one studies the communion of Christ we find that it is representative and is the fulfilment our covenant in Him. This covenant of peace can be seen closer as you examine for yourself the following:

Psalms 119:165, Great peace to those who love the law (Word) of God.

Proverbs 16:7, When a mans ways please the Lord then he is at peace.

Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is the Prince of peace.

Isaiah 26:3-4, How to obtain prefect peace.

Isaiah 52:7, The ministry of peace.

Isaiah 53:4-5, The cost of our peace.

Isaiah 54:10, Peace is a everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 54:13, Great shall be the peace of your children.

So when all is done I am walking in the way, which still makes me a Jehovah’s Witness only a real one.

Seven Conditions to Acceptable Prayer

Ron Kalenuik — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:57:00 +0000

The Acceptable Prayer

When discussing prayer I have a favourite saying, it goes like this, “God is not interested in holy prayers as He is interested honest prayers”. For it is the honest prayer that gets Gods attention. All too often people get themselves into a rut by believing that God needs to hear only holy sounding prayers, He does not, He seeks honest prayers from an honest heart.

Prayer is simply open honest communication with God. It is an expression of your heart to Him, for He knows exactly the condition of your heart at any given moment. Open dialogue with God will cause the requests of the prayer to be answered.

There are basically two kinds of prayer, A) the prayer of petition, or B) the prayer of praise, adoration or thanksgiving. Each prayer has it’s rightful place and should be used within it’s context, this is brought out for us in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you”. The Lord Jesus is giving clear instruction, to make our demands known, and in doing so we expect the answer to be forth coming. No-one ever received an answer to prayer without first believing that it would happen. Did you notice that if you take the first letter of each word, “Ask, Seek, Knock”, that they form an acronym, once again you get the word ASK. Just put words- to your request and ask, God will grant it.

God is called El Shaddai, The Almighty or the God of More than Enough. No petition, request, supplication or prayer can go unanswered when El Shaddai has sworn that He will see to it. Psalm 50:15, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me”.

Although prayer is communication with God, that communication has certain conditions that should be met in order to achieve the very best in God. These are not conditions of works but rather conditions that “work”. To pray with understanding is to allow these conditions to flow from you.

Condition 1) Pray in the Name of Jesus

To use the name of Jesus in prayer is to take His authority, position and power and infuse your life with them. It is to readily admit that all Jesus is, so too are you in this world.

1 John 4:17b, “But as He is, so are we in this world”. Whatever your circumstance, if it is less than what Jesus is living in right now, then we must place Him into it and see it changed through the power of prayer in His name, AJesus@. Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him”.

We should never pray, “for Jesus sake”, our prayers are for our sake not His. It is His name that makes the change, His power from His name working within us. It is what we have in Him that causes the name of Jesus to work for us. If this be true, and it is, then we must ask ourselves, what is it that we either have or are in Him? The best way to answer this question is to see what He is to us, for all He is so are we in this world.

He is Our Justification

First, He is our justification, or the One who will justify us before the accuser. justification is derived from the Greek word, “dikaioma”, it means acquittal or to be exonerated, pardoned, released or vindicated. Jesus took upon Himself all our offenses (sins). This act made Him the only one who could ever lay any charge against us. yet He choose not to find us guilty, but to grant to us forgiveness from our offense and the charges of the devil. He freed us by and into His grace.

He chose to stand in our stead becoming guilty for us, then destroying Satan and his charges against us. He became our justification. Romans 3:24&26, “Being justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (vs.26) To declare I say at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus”.

We are now able to walk free from all condemnation due to His justifying us through His shed blood and by His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but rather after the Spirit”.

When in prayer we recognize that we have been justified from all past sin, we may go to God with a clear, clean spirit. It is freedom gained by the Justifier, Jesus, and not something that is looked lightly upon. This justification is a free gift given to us, not something we must earn through our works, for our works would bring us into condemnation not justification, they are so puny in comparison to what Jesus freely gave to us.

Romans 5:15-18, “But not as an offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one, (Adam’s sin) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgement was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man’s offenses death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life”.

Freedom from all the guilt that Satan may place upon you because your sin is yours through the justification of Jesus Christ. allow justification to work for you in prayer. Know that in it you can approach the throne room of God with no burdens from any sin.

Now some may say, “I had been justified by Jesus, But I fell back into a certain sin and now I know that God won’t hear me any more. So there is no hope for me and certainly no sense in my praying”. Not so, as we see in the next area of what He is for us and in us.

He Is Our Propitiation

It is true that when we sin is takes from us a part of our relationship that we have with God, thus in prayer we do not believe or have assurance that God is even hearing us, let alone going to answer us. God is ever unchanging, so too is His love, for He is love. He doesn’t just have love, he is love. Therefore He desires that when we do miss the mark (the description for sin), that we run to Him, gain our forgiveness and then move on in the love that He has for us. 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins”. He has all our sins covered, shouldn’t we as well set them aside so that we may increase in our fellowship with God through our prayers.

Some find it difficult to let go of their sin because of the multitude of offenses or the magnitude of the sin. yet if they would only realize that Christ Jesus is the propitiation for not only their sin but the entire worlds, the size of theirs would matter little. 1 John 2:2, “And He is the propitiation for our sins; and not ours only, but also the sins of the whole world”. What sin is it that Christ Jesus through His offering of Himself could not cover? The greatest sinners of all time, Hitler, Capone, Kahn, all could have had their sin covered and cancelled had they only called upon Jesus with a repenting heart and turned and went another way, all because of His being their propitiation.

Don’t allow a lie of the devil to steal from you the relationship of grace and glory in Christ, receive forgiveness right now. Go on in God, live the kind of life that He has for you through the gift of forgiveness. His forgiveness allows you to live a new life designed in Him for your success. Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”. You no longer have worry about your past life, put it behind you, you’ve been redeemed from it. Galatians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the cruse of the law, being made a cruse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree”. Upon the cross He bore your, so now freely you may go to Him.

He Is Our Life

All too often we fail to develop our prayer life in Him because we fail to see Him as our very life. The breath that God blew into man was the very breath of God, His life. The Greek word is “Zoe”, it means; the God kind of life, the kind of life God wants you to live. Thee offering that Jesus gave of himself was to cause that relationship of living in Him to come alive in us.

I like the way Kenneth Wuest says it in His translation of the New Testament, John 15:1-8, “I, in contradistinction to anyone else, am the vine, the genuine vine, and My Father is the tiller of the soil. Every branch in me not bearing fruit He takes away. And every branch bearing fruit, He cleanses it in order that it may keep on bearing more fruit. As for you, already you are cleansed ones because of the word which I spoken to you. Maintain a living communion with me, and I with you. Just as the branch is able to be bearing from itself as a source unless it remains in a living union with the vine, so neither you, unless you maintain a living communion with me.

As for myself, I am the vine. as for you, you are the branches. He who maintains a living communion with me and I with him, this one is bearing much fruit, because apart from me you are not able to do anything. If anyone is not maintaining a living communion with me, he is thrown outside as the branch is and caused to wither. and they gather them and into the fire they throw them, and they are burned. If you maintain a living communion with me and my words are at home within you, I command you to ask, at once, something for yourself, whatever your heart desires, and it will become yours. In this my Father is glorified, namely, that you are bearing much fruit”.

Here the Lord is giving us the most important key to having answered prayer. That key is maintaining a living communion with Him. Communion is: the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation; association, fellowship. The living communion would then be the sharing of everything that is relevant to life itself. Therefore as we place Jesus in our life, we then share with Him all things that would bring us into that oneness or the prefect fellowship.

As much as He is committed to us, He wants us committed to Him. He wants nothing held back from Him, whether good or bad, His desire is that you share it with Him. What will make the difference in prayer or fellowship with Him is His Words. Notice the text says, “My words are at home within you”, the only way His words can come into residence within you is by continual use of them. You at all times, in every situation, allowing only His words to proceed from your mouth.

What takes place is this living communion while His words are being spoken your mouth, a command. But what command, “I command you to ask at once, something for yourself, whatever your heart desires”. God is very interested in granting to you the desires of your heart. Why, because of that living communion or fellowship you have, for within that fellowship there will come a time the only thing which you will desire is greater fellowship with the Father, the son and their Holy spirit. It will be through this living relationship that you will come into fullness of God and all other things will be secondary at best.

It is through this fellowship, this living communion with God that your life in Him grows to it’s fullest. That Zoe life of God comes through close fellowship in Him. The ability to ask what you desire is within that Zoe life that you share in Christ in God.

What does this do to your situations and circumstances? Well if all things are held in common, then God has a share in them as well. God will in no way leave them to bring destruction upon you. For what destroys you will harm God. No, He will see to it that all situations are worked out to His glory. Therefore in prayer don’t hesitate to bring in Him your worries or concerns, your desires and dreams as well, He will look after them all.

He Is Our Mediator

Some might ask, “why do I need a mediator, I can go to God just as I am”, that is not what scripture or Jesus Himself says. They say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto to the Father, but by me”. John 14:6. If Jesus says that He is the only way to get to God then we need to heed that lesson and go to the Father through Jesus, this is the reason we need a mediator.

When we tie ourselves to Him and allow Him to do what He will in our lives we will quickly see new and changing responses to our prayers. Our faith just seems to work that much better, this is because we are no longer getting a answer based upon our faith but rather based upon His. Ephesians 3:12, “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him“. It is not the faith in Him, but the faith of Him, He puts His faith on the line for us. He mediates between God and ourselves to see to it that our needs are truly met.

Why even His name speaks to us of this mediation process. Christ Jesus means: God to man, Jesus Christ means: man to God, Jesus is centre of the relationship. As a mediator He is our arbitrator, our go between. He went between God and ourselves, God looks upon you and sees Him, He sees Jesus as pure, clean and holy, therefore He sees you the same way all because of Jesus’ mediation process.

All God is, Jesus is, all that man requires Jesus is. His being our mediator is much greater, far higher, than just our idea of a negotiator. As mediator, He is also a peacemaker, Christ came and made peace between God and man. through His blood the peace of God has been granted unto us. when there is peace we can go freely to God with no guilt or condemnation, we go with full assurance of life becoming all that He has planned for us.

He through His death and resurrection brought all life, (now and throughout eternity). He has redeemed us, and forgiven us of all wrong doing. we therefore can go to God with freedom knowing our prayers (through meditation of Jesus) will be answered. Hebrews 9:15, “And for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance”.

Surely the first condition of prayer must be praying in the name of Jesus, for He truly is the answer to every prayer we may utter. Do as He said, “Ask, and you shall receive”.

Conditions of Prayer #2 Pray By Faith

After we have learned what it means for us to be able to use the name of Jesus in our prayers we must learn that every prayer, indeed everything, that we do must be done through faith.

Faith truly is a strong condition by which all prayer must be given to God. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. So without faith in our prayer God is not pleased, everything that we do God looks for faith therein. Faith is: expectation, hope, trust, confidence and reliance. Therefore to have faith in God one would possess each one of these qualities. Let’s look at each as to how they relate to our prayers.

Expectation

Expectation in prayer is: the anticipated arrival of exact request. From Hebrews 11:6 we can readily see that we should live our lives in expectation. God is the one who grants to us our expectations. “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. Within that reward is your expectation, however we look not to the reward but rather to the rewarder to bring to us what we are believing for.

We know that nothing is impossible to God, therefore the request that we are asking for will come to us when we look to Him for the answer. Matthew 21:22, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. It is that believing that brings the answers in prayer. We are in a continual mode of looking toward God to bring our answers to our requests. We can have this expectation due to the fact that regardless of how big our request maybe, we know that “with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26b. c/f Luke 13:7

Expectation however works only if a relationship and fellowship in God has been developed. This is quickly realized when see the expectations that God has in us.

In Hebrews 11:6 four expectations that God has of us are given: A) To please God, this is done through our obedience to Him. 1 John 3:21-22, “Beloved if hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight”. What pleases God, our obedience to Him. There is a song that says “In Him we live and move and have our being”, that is exactly what He wants us to do, live in Him. When that residence is made everything we will do will be directed by Him, therefore pleasing to Him.

B) To come to God, this means at the moment the circumstance of the request begins, not waiting until the very last moment and then seeing that all else has failed, we say, “I guess now I’ll go to God”. If you have residence in God He already knows that you have a need, why wait to take to Him? Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. Of course it should go without saying that you’ve got to have a good and right attitude toward God, for if your attitude is wrong you will not even have a prayer life let alone fellowship with Him. “Be careful” speaks to us of this attitude, care is worry, worry is wrong, it’s sin, it therefore is a wrong attitude. Don’t wait until the worry is so heavy upon you that you then think it is time to go to God, run to Him the very moment something seems to be going amiss. Check out your attitude is it right toward God?

C) Believe that He is, is what, everything you will ever need or require. This is where the power of God will come into your circumstance the quickest, when you believe that God is the answer to that situation. John 16:23-24, “and in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full”. He is right there waiting for your request of faith so that He might go forth and grant the answer to it.

God is not interested in your failure to meet your need, because He is the answer, and if you will come to Him believing that He is, then He will be. What you can not do, He can.

D) Believe that He is a rewarder, did you know that you too are a rewarder to God as well. How? God inhabits the praises of His people, His reward is your praise to Him. For what He has done for you, you will praise Him, but what is greater is to praise for who He is in your life. As He sees to it that you gain the reward of faithfulness, He knows as well that He gains His reward of love, praise and fellowship by granting the request that you have of Him. Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion’s fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy (His) faithfulness”. Every morning brings a new opportunity for each of us, God and ourselves to show our great rewards to each other.

This is a good place to explain the word rewarder, it is the Greek word “misthapodots” which means: one who pays wages, (Vines). This carry’s a duel meaning as well; to receive remuneration for performance, or, to receive the results of conduct. Both apply to the expectations that God has in us, He is our source of all our supply, therefore our remuneration is of Him, His remuneration comes through our trusting Him. The result of our conduct, that is the conduct of obedience, to see God grant us our desires and the result of His conduct is our ever growing love that we give to Him. Both are rewarded, both grow and go in one another.

Hope

Next we said that faith is hope, not the wishful thinking kind of hope, but favourable and confident expectation. Hope that will bring happiness and goodness. Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Hope takes on the shape of our desire, as our substance or material, hope builds on faith. Faith sees the requirement, hope is what the requirement is made of. God is author or the instructor of how to use our hope.

Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing (faith), that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”. Your hope is created in God, is God able to fail, of course not, nor is He able to disappoint your hope, He is the one who fulfils it. God is the subject of our hope, He is author of our faith but the subject of our hope. In other words our hope is in Him, He becomes the one to accomplish or complete and finish our hope. In Him we realize the magnitude of our hope, which is always greater than the size of our circumstance.

In God we learn two key points is the area of hope, A) we hope in His Word, B) we hope in His mercies.

We hope in His word, because His Word is everlasting. Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away”. If His words are everlasting then they are what we apply to ever situation regardless of what our senses will tell us. We must remember that the senses will lie to us, God’s word will never lie, it only tells of what the outcome will be. That is why we apply the word to each and every circumstance we face in our lives.

Psalm 119:114, “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy Word”. Pressures of life can be overwhelming from time to time, to run and hide is what most want to do, so if you must, hide in God. For when you come out of hiding the situation will be answered. God is also your shield, this means that He is your protection, in Him your hope is safe through His word that you have spoken forth from your mouth. Isaiah 55:11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”.

We also said that we hope in His mercies, Psalm 33:18, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear (love) Him, upon them that hope in His mercy”. God is there watching out for those who are in love and fellowship with Him. We find that just some of His mercies are listed in Galatians 5:22-23, we take them and live in them, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”. We may sum up God’s mercies as; compassion, forbearance, forgiveness, kindness and sympathy. When we gain this great mercy it becomes easy to place our trust in Him, the giver of all mercies.

Trust & Confidence

We said that faith is trust, but trust in what, trust in God and in His Word. The Hebrew word for trust is “batah”, which means “to confide in”. God is our confidant, He is our companion, our ally, our benefactor and our support. It is for this reason that we can place our complete trust in Him. However we cannot do this unless we have learned everything about Him, we do this by spending as much time as possible with Him in prayer and in His word. More than any of these things that God is, He is our friend. As our friend we do everything together, each protects the other from anything that may come between that friendship. That is trust.

Psalm 37:3-5, gives us the best example of this friendship, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thy heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass”. Three elements that sum up friendship best are found here in this passage, trust, delight and commit.

Trust according to the Psalmist brings: defence and protection 5:11, God’s abiding presence 9:10, deliverance 17:7, goodness 31:19, fruitfulness 34:22, a safe dwelling place 37:3, food 37:3, answered prayer 37:5, freedom from fear 56:11, insusceptibility of evil and plagues 91:4, stability 125:1. All this because of faith exercised in the best friend anyone could ever know.

Trust will put us into overabundance or the very best of God, a safe place in God in all circumstances. Proverbs 29:25b, “whosoever putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made safe”. With that safety comes prefect peace, why, because God is seeing to every trial and situation, He is taking all the worry and confusion and we are allowing Him to do so, to perform it. Isaiah 26:3-4, “Thou will keep him in prefect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength”. Prefect peace and everlasting strength are to be found in the trust or confidence that we place in God. Everlasting strength gives us an indication as to how long this trust will go on, as long as His word is upon it, or forever.

Trust, we find is a matter of good stewardship, or being faithful with what has been placed in your control and then honouring the one granting the trust. Luke 16:10-11, “He that faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is also unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in unrighteous mammon (money, riches), who will commit to your trust the true riches”? He, the Lord Jesus, is teaching us that if we will not do what we know to do with the money that has been entrusted to our keeping, then those true riches of the kingdom of God will not come our way. This is the prime reason that most Christian live lives of failure, poverty, sickness and destruction, they simply have been found untrustworthy in the smallest of matters, their money. All who never receive of God are within this group of people, the untrustworthy.

To have faith is to be trustworthy, or to accept the responsibility for your actions and the conduct that you take part in. God wants His people living lives of faith, therefore He demands that we place our complete confidence in Him and not in our abilities, our money, or our own wisdom. He is sure to come quickly to the aid of all who have developed in Him a trusting heart.

The trustworthy are servants, they use all that they have, all the power in their control to serve God and His family. When the opportunity arises to misuse what they have been entrusted with they never accepted it, thus being found faithful and trustworthy they are promoted by God into greater things. Many desire to serve God in ministry, this can only be accomplished through be found faithful or trustworthy to what He has already given to you.

1 Thessalonians 2:4, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts”. Our purpose is to be found trustworthy in all that has been instilled into us, or in other words be found using what God has given to us. Many seek God for greater manifestations, yet they are unfaithful to use what He has already given, i.e. speaking in a heavenly language, if your not using what He has given, He will not give more.

Reliance

Reliance is also to be found trustworthy. It is the development of trust in the Word of God spoken forth from our mouths. We through faith rely upon God to do what His word says, but as God has taken up His residence within our hearts, His word must come out of our mouths. So then He relies upon us as much as we rely upon Him to spread the word of God, which is the good news of the gospel.

The spoken word of course must be the revealed word, the word that has become real in our hearts, otherwise it is just a exercise in religion which will do no good to any. The best way to concluded part A of this second condition of prayer would be to quote Mark 11:22-24 from three different versions of the Bible.

The Amplified Version, “Truly, I tell you, whosoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt all in his heart, but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe-trust and be confident-that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]“.

The Wuest New Testament, “Be constantly having faith in God. Truly, I am saying to you, Whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and be thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that which he says comes to pass, it shall be his. On this account I am saying to you, All things which you are praying and asking for, be believing that you received them, and they shall be yours”.

The Weymouth New Testament, “Have faith in God. In solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall say to this mountain, ‘Remove, and hurl thyself into the sea,’ and has no doubt about it in his heart, but steadfastly believes that what he says will happen, it shall be granted him. That is why I tell you, as to whatever you pray and make request for, if you believe that you have received it, it shall be yours”.

Have faith in God, speak His word, trust Him to perform and you will quickly see the desired result of your prayer. Notice that each translation puts the receiving of the answer before the granting of it. In other words once the prayer has been spoken in faith we must leave it in God’s hands to complete it or fulfil it. That is faith.

Faith Filled Words

The person who is ruled by faith will be the person who controls the words that they speak. What will proceed from their mouths regardless of what they may be facing will be faith filled words. You may ask, “what’s a faith filled word”? I’m glad you asked that, a faith filled word is a word that has been charged with the power of the Word of God.

The person who has learned this will view every situation with wisdom and then speak words of life into any circumstance they may face. This means over everything only the words of God are what is likely to proceed from their mouths. In actuality they have put into practice the exact same principles that God used in creating the entire universe. These are the same principles that Jesus used in preforming all the miracles that He did. They both spoke faith filled words and the result was exactly what they had desired.

One needs but read the very first chapter in the Bible and will quickly learn this principle. Ten times in thirty one verses we find, “And God said“, all that we survey today was created through the speaking of faith filled words by God. After God had said it, notice that it also say’s “and it was so”, every time God spoke He had “expectation” and expectation became reality. So then, we can say that faith filled words are a spiritual law, working whenever the law is applied. It is these kind of words that please God when we go to Him in prayer.

Keep in mind that in prayer you are engaged in holy communication with God. He is looking for fellowship with you as much as you are desiring fellowship with Him. Prayer requires two actions on your behalf to draw nearer to God. Those two actions are submission & obedience, Isaiah said it this way “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land”. Isaiah 1:19.

Willingness is submission, submission to God is the keeping of His commandments. “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments”, 1 John 2:3. This for some is the hardest of all tasks. Some may make great claims of how much they have a love for God, yet they find it difficult to submit to what He may require of us, John has a response for this as well, 1 John 5:3, For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments”. In keeping of these commandments we show ourselves to be submissive to God.

“What, what commandments do we have to keep”, many ask. Well Jesus sums up all the commandments in a few words. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. Matthew 22:37-39. In other words when we submit everything we think, have, and are, to God, holding nothing back from Him we keep the first commandment. In Him we become everything, in us… He is our everything.

The submissive person is an obedient person. When in prayer, we listen for the voice of God and look forward to hearing Him, however once we have heard from God do we obey? The application of faith is an act of obedience, when we have trained ourselves to listen and obey God the first time He speaks then and only then will we experience instant fulfilment to our prayers. The longer we take to obey the longer it will take to receive.

Prayers are hindered in two fashions A) fallen angels assigned to prevent the answer from coming, and, B) disobedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit. What we need, is to be ready to come against both with the power of the Lord. It is not with others that we battle, it is with Satan, therefore we ought to be ready to tear him down and to avenge any disobedience. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds:) Casting down every imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled”. The intent of the verse is, whether Satanic or disobedience both can be put to flight, yes we must battle, but the victory is ours with our heavenly weapons.

The weapons that we use are three and a threefold cord is not easily broken. They are: A) The name of Jesus, B) the blood of Jesus, and C) The word of God. When these powerful weapons are used against Satan, nothing that he has assigned against us may stand. To not make use of these however is leave ourselves open to certain defeat and possible destruction. To use them we quickly come in agreement with Isaiah when he said, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against thee in judgement thou shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 54:17.

Some may not agree that the only way to pray is the speaking forth of the word of God. They argue that “God knows all, therefore I should tell God exactly the way I feel”. No-one disputes your feelings, especially God, but it is not feelings that bring the answers to prayer, it is the Word. Jesus said “The words I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”, John 6:63. If you allow your feelings to guide you, you will be listening to the voice of lies. Feelings will only paint the kind of picture that they want you to see, they are the imaginations that require the casting down. Allowing the Word of God to do it’s work in prayer is to allow truth to spring forth correcting the situation.

Never prayer how you feel, now that’s not say that you can’t tell God what is taking place, but always pray the desired answer according to the Word of God. Perhaps like this “Lord, today I received a bill that right at this moment I am not able to pay. However your word says ‘that my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory’. Therefore Lord I receive this amount by faith, knowing that God you always honour your word”.

A simple prayer but an accurate one that will get results. The situation gets explained but does not become the object of the entire prayer. Faith is spoken forth, the Word of God applied to the problem, now the patience is exercised until the answer is forthcoming.

It is through the speaking (keeping) of the words of Jesus that we show our love for Him. As He sees this love He will take up residence with God in us making us Their home. “If any man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto Him, and make our abode with him”. John 14:23. How great a promise to have the life that God desires us to have, but greater yet is having God indwell us making certain that we live the life that He has for us. Simply because we chose the higher life, that of living by faith in Him and through the keeping of His words.

The higher life isn’t the easy life, it is the most rewarding life. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”. John 15:7. Verse 8 in the Weymouth New Testament says “By this is God glorified-by your bearing much fruit and thus being true disciples of mine”. The abiding or having your home in Jesus comes through your speaking forth His words, this brings glory to God and that brings answers to prayers, having your prayers answered in evidence of your life in Christ, the circle becomes complete.

The fulfilment of your wants, needs and desires can only be met through faith placed in the word of God then spoken forth as fact regardless of what the circumstance may be showing you. The servant of God will live in Him, having all these wants, needs and desires met. Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”.

Psalm 34:9-10, “O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions (the disobedient) do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing”. How is it then that there is lack in our lives, by not living in that fear or love of God. Why would anyone who may have this knowledge choose to depart from God and live in less than God best? Because they do not want to spend the required amount of time in fellowship with God. They say it’s “hard work”, reality is that when you are in close fellowship with someone you love, it is not hard to spend time in communication with them.

Many also refuse to walk by faith and speak the word of God because they believe another lie of the devil, which is, “God won’t answer my prayer request because He is tiring to teach me something”. Nothing could be further from the truth, GOD DOES NOT use anything harmful or hold back any good thing to teach you something. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them who walk uprightly”, Psalm 84:11. Suffering harm, lack, need, sickness, death or disease IS not in the plan of God. If He needs to teach you something He will use His word to do so. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. 2 Timothy 3:17.

What we need to do settle in our hearts that God really is interested in giving us the best that He has. Learn that when we have asked we receive, not something evil, but the goodness of God. “Ask, and it will given to you: seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For it is always he who asks that receives, he who seeks finds, and he who knocks that has the door opened to him. What man is there among you, who if his son shall ask him for bread will offer him a stone? Or if the son shall ask him for a fish will offer him a snake? If you then, imperfect as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:7-11, (Weymouth New Testament).

“Surely this must cover only the things of spiritual significance, after all the gravity of every situation requires a spiritual solution”, sounds like unbelief to me. That fact is that all things are covered in this kind of prayer, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” Matthew 21:22. Now remember of course that we have residence in Christ, therefore all things that we will ask will be those things that will bring the Father glory. Healing, prosperity can be asked for, God receives no glory when are lives are locked in poverty or sickness.

“Well maybe I can ask for something that is sinful then”, mocks the critic of faith. No, the key word in the verse is “believing”, no person can ever go to God asking for something sinful and believe that they will receive it, it is simply foolishness, like the critic.

“But God must put a limit on answering this kind of prayer requests, He surely does not want us get carried away with this thinking, right”. Nope, sorry wrong again, in fact God encourages us to think big, dream big, then He in return does beyond even that. “Now to him who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams. Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified New Testament).

It soon becomes apparent that only those who have been greatly deceived can truly believe the propagated lie, “God desires us to live a life far below His very best”. This false teaching [God wants you to learn from poverty, sickness and disease] has it’s roots in Hinduism and similar far eastern cults. Reject what man has taught and go with what the Word of God says. Always base your decisions on the Word, your heart will bring you confidence that God will supply, that is what faith is all about, confidence of the heart. “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him (by Loving actions). For if our condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight”, 1 John 3:19-22. Which brings us back to faith as Hebrews 11:6 said, without faith it is impossible to please God.

Conditions of Acceptable Prayer #3 Pray In Sincerity

Sincerity: freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, duplicity, to be genuine, unadulterated and unimpaired.

It would seem that when one discusses prayer that it would not be necessary to encourage those partaking in the discussion to be sincere in their prayer’s. After all, prayer is offered to God, not someone that may be manipulated or deceived into granting a request. Yet many live lives locked away from God due to their failure to come to God in sincerity.

Once again we quote, “God is not interested in holy prayers, He is interested in honest prayers”. Today there are many who have the ability to pray long holy sounding prayers, but from within they pray nothing more than imprecatory prayers. What’s an “imprecatory prayer”, this a prayer used to curse or call down evil on another person. We have an example given to us in Luke. Luke 9:53-56, “And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”.

James and John would have used what we call imprecatory prayer. The main purpose of this kind of prayer is to display the power of God for self gratification, God does not get involved in such stupidity. Many who pray these so called holy prayers are simply using the prayer as an opportunity to lecture or preach to others who may be listening. This is in fact better known as charismatic witchcraft, which of course has no value and certainly cannot be performed in sincerity.

One may ask, “don’t people who pray sincere prayers pray for long time periods”? Yes, many do but it is not how long you pray, but what is the value of the time spent in prayer. The sincere person does something that others do not, that is called praying from the heart. Deuteronomy 4:29, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou shalt seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul”. The length of time spent seeking God is not relevant, it is the quality of that time that counts. Many people go to prayer, but as they pray their minds are thinking about one situation or another, their minds are not on whom they are praying to. In communication, God is not unlike any-other person, He wants us to listen to Him when He talks, He wants our attention when we are talking to Him. Just as we want the same from Him, so the amount of time is not as important as the quality of time.

Sincerity in prayer requires several things, all of which proceed from the heart, humility, integrity, truth, and love. 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves [humility], and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways [integrity]; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin [truth], and will heal their land [love]“.

Humility

“Shall humble themselves”. God knows the heart of all who come to Him, He desires that those who do approach Him will do so in humility. The above scripture is written not to those who do not know God but rather to those whom He has called His. He has placed His name upon them, but there is a problem, they have become prideful.

Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”.

He states that they must humble themselves. Humility is not bowing down to the ground, to show God what a worm you may be. God does not see His creation (His children) as anything less than what His Word declares them to be. The act of bowing is an outward expression of the condition of yielding. Humility is the yielding of all that is proud or prideful to God. The humble are those who are 100% yielded to God.

Yielding is submission, we submit our desires, will and emotions to God, He in turn sees to it that we are given all that He promises in His Word. 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you”. Some believe that God is not interested in rewarding any for submitting their life to His, yet this scripture says that we will be exalted when we walk in humility.

Our best example of any humbling themselves on behalf of others is Jesus. Philippians 2:5-11, (Weymouth New Testament), “Let this same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus. Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped. Nay, He stripped Himself of His glory, and took on Him the nature of a bondservant by becoming a man like other men. And being recognized as truly human, He humbled Himself and even stooped to die: yes, to die on a cross. It is in consequence of this that God has so highly exalted Him, and has conferred on Him the Name which is supreme above every other, in order that in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, beings in heaven, of those on earth, and of those in the underworld, and every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of God the Father”. In humbling Himself He defeated the enemy giving life to all who would call upon Him as Lord and Saviour. In return He is exalted to highest place. Most would say that He had it all before He became man giving it all up, but there is one thing He did not have, and that was the reason He gave everything up. He did not have you and I, man was lost to Him, He had to give His life so that we could be His reward. You mean everything to Him, so much so that He gave His very life, what does He mean to you?

Scripture gives us many blessing for living a life of humility before God. One is redemption as discussed above. Another is honour, Proverbs 15:33, “The fear of the Lord is instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility”. Through humility honour is coupled with riches and life, Proverbs 22:4, “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

Through humility we gain fellowship with God in the highest places, Isaiah 57:15, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones”.

It is the humble that gain the rest of their souls, Matthew 11:28-30, (Phillips), “Come unto me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn of me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Turning your burdens over to Jesus, and leaving them there will produce for you desired results. This means taking on a spirit of humility instead of being proud and saying, “No I’m going to work this out on my own”, that only will lead to disaster. Jesus will produce results causing your soul to be in complete rest.

It is those who operate in humility that will be those who achieve greatness, the proud may appear great but it is a delusion on their behalf. Have you ever notice true heros are those who are humble, they are not those of the Hollywood films, hero’s on screen, prideful deadbeats off. True humility will cause the person to be a servant of others, no not someone to walked upon, (Jesus was never walked upon by any), but someone who freely gives their life into others so that the others lives could become what they desire. Matthew 20:26-28, (Phillips), ” No, whoever among you who wants to be great must become your servant, and if he wants to first among you he must be your slave-just as the Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve, and give His life to set many others free”. Humility is the path to living a victorious life as a Christian.

Many understand that their lives are greater when they are in unity with God and the others around them, unity comes through the spirit of humility. Ephesians 4:1-3, (Phillips), “As the Lord’s prisoner, then, I beg you to live lives worthy of your high calling. Accept life with humility and patience, generously making allowances for each other because you love each other. Make your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will be bound together in peace. Check out your life, is there no peace, rest, contentment or answer to prayers, then there could be an area of pride that you may need to rid yourself of.

Integrity

“Seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways”. Sincerity in prayer requires a life led by integrity, although this sounds like a need of repentance (which it is) it is more of a demand that His people live their lives in integrity. Integrity is; adherence to moral and ethical principals: soundness of moral character; honesty. It is through our integrity that we become established in our lives. As humility will bring peace, promises, rest and contentment, integrity establishes us in them. Psalm 41:11-12, “By this I know that thou favorest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face for ever”. Repentance is but the first step of integrity.

What is absolutely necessary is that once we have set for ourselves a standard of life based upon the Word of God that we never compromise it for anything else. In order to establish these standards we must conform our lives to Christs. Whatever He is we must strive to become, we bear His family title in ourselves “Christian”. Therefore it is both our responsibility, and His, to see to it that live up to that royal family position. Romans 8:28-30, (Phillips), “Moreover we know that those who love God, who are called according to His plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. For God, in His foreknowledge, chose them to bear the family likeness of His Son, that He might be the eldest of a family of many brothers. He chose them long ago; when the time He called them, He made them righteous in His sight, and then lifted them to the splendour of life as His own sons”.

Once you enter into the family, God has certain life patterns that He desire that we live within. His highest desire is that we live like Him. A life of integrity would be to imitate exactly what Jesus is and not jeopardize, endanger or do anything to discredit it. Ephesians 5:1-2, (Weymouths New Testament), ” Therefore be imitators of God, as His dear children. And live and act lovingly, as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up to death on our behalf as an offering and sacrifice to God, a fragrant odour”.

So how does this relate to prayer, simply this, are the words you are offering up to God a true representation of you, or are they something that you are using trying to make you look better than what you really are. God wants you to be you, and wants that you to patterned after Him. Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever”. He ever unchanging, yet He can except change. The change He excepts is that of our changing into what He is. Integrity would never allow change for anything that is less than what He is. We put forth His word in our lives and then we stand upon it, ever settling it in our hearts, He performs it causing the change to be completed. Jeremiah 1:12, (Lamas), “Then the Lord said to me, You have well seen; for I will hasten my word to perform it”.

In order to incorporate integrity into our prayer lives we must live it. To live it, we will do several things so that it is constantly before us. Even when faced with situations that require wisdom that you have not yet gained, cling on to integrity, it will be your defence until knowledge is given and a decision made. Job 2:9-10, “Then said his wife unto him, Doest thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips”. Notice that Job did not say that evil was from the hand of God as some teach, just that he had received it. So as far as Job was concerned he would maintain his integrity until he knew exactly what was taking place. The result of this action of not backing off his integrity was that when it was all over he received twice as much.

We must allow ourselves to come under the judgement of the Lord. For His judgement is true and just, and if we will heed it, it will develop in us a lifestyle of integrity. For once God has spoken and we have performed we will never look back, or be tempted by the things of this world. Psalm 7:8, (Lamas), The Lord shall judge the people; judge me O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me”.

Once we have been established in our integrity, allow it to be your guide. We are often told the “still small voice of the Holy Spirit will be our guide”, this true, but before even the Holy Spirit will give direction the integrity that we have established from the Word of God will lead us first. Proverbs 11:3, The integrity of the upright shall guide them; but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them”. It is, after all, the Holy Spirit that will lead us into integrity.

The very best summation of the person of the highest integrity can be found in, Psalm 15, “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy Holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth theses things shall never be moved”. This the sincere person, this the person who may go to God and know that his prayer shall answered. This is not something that we work to obtain, rather it is the life that we have already obtained in Jesus therefore we live it.

Truth

“Then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin”. In prayer we must live and speak the truth. Why is so much of this writing dealing with lifestyle? because as a Christian our entire life is offered up to God as a prayer itself.

Just as we walk in humility and integrity, we walk also in truth. Truth is; conformity to fact or reality. What reality is there in living a life that below the standard that has been set for us by God? None. What facts are there that are contrary to the Word of God? None. If anything or anyone says that this or that is truth and it is contrary to what the Word of God says then it is a lie and it must be rejected with all the energy one may have.

We call the Word of God truth because it is the tool with which we are brought into the reality of freedom, the reality of the kingdom of God, the reality of the Zoe life of God.

Truth is not common sense, for what is not common to man makes no sense to him. It only becomes truth to him once to has discovered it and made it a reality to himself. We measure truth by the Word as our standard, therefore truth must be the same as God, unchanging. Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I change not”.

So what then are the standards to which truth attaches itself? They are many yet through them all truth becomes the life that we enjoy most. For it is through truth that even gain our life from, this truth has a name, it is Jesus. John 14:6, (Wuest), “Jesus says to him, I alone, in contradistinction to all others, am the road and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. We then must derive our entire lives from within Him as He is the truth that we require to live. It is the continual state of abiding or living within Him that creates our lifestyle of continual prayer. Offering to Him His own Words back as prayer, which is the certainty that brings the answers. John 15:7-8, (Wuest), “If you maintain a living communion with me and my words are at home in you, I command you to ask, at once, something for yourself, whatever your heart desires, and it will become yours. In this my Father is glorified, namely, that you are bearing much fruit. So shall you become my disciples”.

Truth coupled with many of the other attributes of God (placed within us) will always bring us into a realm of victory. Integrity will never allow us to back away from that which is true, in like manner the other attributes will perform as well.

Mercy & Truth, is a roadway that truth leads the righteous down. Psalm 25:10, “All the paths of Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. Mercy is outward expression of compassion, or it is the tool which is used to meet the need of the needy. Truth never denies the power of mercy, nor does it ever turn mercy away from the needful. In prayer we receive the mercy of God into our lives, for ourselves and to enable us to give it out to others. Mercy is said to be pity, but it far greater. Pity may only cause one to experience sympathy, where mercy pushes one forth into action, equipping the individual to live in victory and resolving the situation.

Pray In Sincerity

Kindness & Truth, kindness is best described as; compassionate usefulness. 2 Samuel 2:6, (Lamas), “Now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you”. Compassionate usefulness cannot be given outside of truth, if one is giving it must be completed in such a manner as there are no other motives other than that of the giving. To be useful to someone is not just to be there in a need, hoping that they may give something in return, but just for the pleasure of giving. The rewards of giving will always come, it is God who is responsible to see to it that they come not the recipient of the kindness. We show kindness in prayer by allowing ourselves to be open to any request that the Lord may ask of us. A synonym of kindness is thoughtfulness, exactly what God wants us to be offering up to Him during our prayer time. Our thoughts upon Him, His upon us. Sowing consideration, we reap kindness, we earn respect, making our connection with God in kindness, none of which may be accomplished without truth.

Goodness, Righteousness & Truth, Ephesians 5:9, (Weymouth), “Live and act as sons of Light-for the effect of the Light is seen in every kind of goodness, uprightness and truth-and learn in your experiences what is pleasing to the Lord”. How is that one may be seen as good and upright yet not walk in truth? They can’t. Every act of benevolence, and every act of righteousness can only be accomplished through truth. Is the thief who gives into the hungry by means of thievery seen as a good and upright person? Of course not, they are still perceived as a thief, they’re punishment of restoration of 7 fold is still applicable. (Proverbs 6:30-31) The key factor of goodness and righteousness is truth, anything that is performed as good and right but done deceitfully will be corrupted in the final analysis. If we offer prayer to God based on our goodness or righteousness then we offer corrupt prayer. We must base all that we do on Jesus’ goodness and His righteousness, for this in Him is a perfect prayer.

Meekness & Truth, Psalm 45:4, (Lamas), “Your majesty is triumphant; ride upon the word of truth and meekness and righteousness; your law is upheld by reverence for your right hand”. Meekness is humility in action toward man, from which we derive the word saintly. A saint is a humble person who has placed meekness into His lifestyle. More importantly it is the “inward grace of the soul” into which no man may view but from which God is seen in all. It is this inward grace that gives God pleasure [for it equips us to accept His plan for us] and it is from this meekness that enables such a one to become one of those who will “inherit the earth”. Another description would be forbearance, or the act of standing ones ground in love. Meekness is gentleness, doing what must be done, but doing it with a moderate temperament. Truth allows meekness to take it’s stand, forgiving and giving to all who may require it. Truth coupled with meekness brings you to the Majesty on High, in grace…..triumphantly.

Peace & Truth, 2 Kings 20:19, “Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days”? The very key to living a peaceful life is to live it by the power of truth. When that which is true is spoken forth there is never a need to back away from it. There is harmony, tranquillity, rest and contentment when we live through the power of peace and truth. The Greek word for peace is, “eirene”, which means: peace, quietness, rest, literally and figuratively “prosperity”. 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all”. Paul’s conclusion to this book of the bible still stands today, The Lord of peace will grant such powerful peace to those who are sincere with Him in prayer.

The power of sincerity in prayer is brought to it’s fullest through the these assisting elements of truth, mercy, kindness, goodness, righteousness, meekness and peace. We need but keep in mind that we have chosen this kind of life for ourselves but it has been chosen for us by God. Can anyone truly believe that the life that God has chosen for us would be one of disaster, sick, poverty, lack or any other such things? Of course not, God has chosen you to be fruitful and this will be accomplished by faith in Him, shown forth in the sincerity of prayer. John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you”.

Love

“And heal their land”, speaks to us of the love God has for us. God is so much in love with His creation that nothing Satan could do could stop Him from seeing to it that man was brought back to Him. Things means very little to God, He can always just create more things. However once He has created you, you became the last one exactly like yourself that God will ever make. There is only one of each person, that is why we are called individuals, that is why we are so very precious to God. There could never be another you, if you were to be lost and go to hell, you become lost to God forever, it would grieve Him. That is why He gave the only thing that could insure that you would ever be with Him, His Son. That is love.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the only plan by which restoration of fellowship with God is accomplished. God basically said “I love you so much, all that I have I give you”. What is your response to that love? Many millions reject it, thus they are forever lost, never becoming what they could have been in God, never being, just existing until the ugly hand of death removes them far from God’s great love.

There is a day coming that “no more tears will be shed in heaven”. It is not our tears that are being shed, once we obtain our heavenly life there is no need for us to shed tears. The tears are the tears of God for those who are forever lost to Him. Why does God delay in commanding Jesus to return, simply because He wants all to come to Him gaining eternal life. He wants none to perish, if they should it is their own decision. His love truly is immeasurable.

How does one love God and others? The same way God loves us…..exceedingly. Psalm 119:167, “My soul hath kept thy testimonies: and I love them exceedingly”. This exceeding love is accomplished by our loving the same way Jesus loved us. John 15:12, This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you”.

We hear so much on the topic of love, how to love, when and where to love, what is love? You would think after all the teaching every person on the face of the earth would be the epitome of love itself. However most people have never experienced love of any kind in their life, regardless of the amount of love that has been taught. Why? Because of the lack of sincerity not only in the teaching of love but in the action thereof as well.

Sincerity is lost in love because of the lack of understanding that most have in it, yet God say’s have the “Agape” kind of love. As much as we have heard from the scripture dealing on love, hear it again for the first time. Let us study together the love chapter of the Bible this will give us a working knowledge of “agape love”.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind: charity eniveth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth”.

1) Verse 4, suffers long means this love is patience, it is nonresistant love, love that is not in a hurry to accomplish anything, it has learned to wait on what God wants done.

2) Verse 4, love is kind, kindness, love in performance, this is a useful kind of love, a love that one may be assured of never ending. It is a love that all may rely upon no matter what.

3) Verse 4, love envieth not, magnanimity, love while living, magnanimity is: generous in forgiving an insult or injury, free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness. High minded, noble. Proceeding from or revealing nobility of mind, character, or spirit.

4) Verse 4, love vaunteth not itself is not puffed up, submissiveness, love camouflaged, this is love within love, in other words, this is love that is instilled into another regardless of who or what the other is.

5) Verse 5, does not behave itself unseemly, civility, love in audience, love is the same whether or not it is being watched. It is ever changing and improving so that people are always amazed by it’s power.

6) Verse 5, seeks not her own, altruistic, love of substance, it is the quintessence of love (loves in it’s most purest and most essential form).

7) Verse 5, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, tranquillity, love in integrity, love that is at peace and in truth in all things.

Verse 6, Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth, honourable, love in behaviour, hates iniquity for it brings a separation of love, but will stand for what is pure, true and right.

9) Verse 7, Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, forbearance, love in affirmation, love that will go through it all with God and have yourself come into victory with Him.

Verses 4-6 deals with the love that man will share with other men, however verse 7 is the love that man shares with God. Misunderstanding this verse, many have used it to misuse and abuse others in the body of Christ, especially those in ministry. They believe that it is “their right” to do those things which are ungodly to others and the godly must except them without question. The abuser himself (herself) clearly is not operating within love’s power themselves.

A clearer picture of the power of love is given in the Phillips New Testament in Modern English from which we now quote; “This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience-it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it shares the joy of those who live in truth. Love knows no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love never fails”.

“Love never fails”, It is the sincerity of prayer that brings love into position of never failing. God knows the limits that He has placed upon His love for you [there are none], sincerity of prayer keeps that flow of love happening between God and yourself. To be openly honest with God takes courage, frankness, repentance and a unwavering love. In return God see’s to it that you never fail.

Agape kind of love is not something that is controlled through emotions but rather is a unchangeable decision on the behalf of the giver that they will operate in love. It is the kind of love that can only be identified by the actions

of the persons involved, ie. God’s love toward man, it can only be seen once man enters into that love. From outside it appears as a long list of do’s and don’ts and can’s and cannot’s. Within it is a lifestyle of deliverance, health, prosperity and preservation we the loved know it as salvation.

Scripture tells of another kind of love which in the Greek is called, “phileo”. Phileo love is the outward tender affection given to another. What the intent of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a is both apage and phileo love are to be used in our walk as a Christian. The unwavering, unchangeable love that can be readily seen by the affection displayed for one and another. This is the sincerity of love. This the sincerity of prayer.

Condition #4 Pray In Righteousness

This is often a misunderstood topic, righteousness has been past off as many differing things, the greatest being that of personal works that assist in attaining the favour of God and giving assurance that upon death one receives the reward of gaining heaven. Frankly speaking, works righteousness does not work. There is nothing you can do to buy your way into the kingdom of God. God and His kingdom are not up for sale, your works are but filthy rags when compared to that which Jesus Christ has performed. Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as a unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags”.

What we must gain first is an understanding of what righteousness is: righteousness is an old English word for rightwiseness or right doings. The Greek word for righteousness is, “dikaiosune”, which means: equity of character.

Equity is that which is fair and just. So righteousness is the ability in ones character, constitution, or nature of the qualities of being fair, equitable, impartial, unprejudiced, honest, honourable, scrupulous, ethical and lawful. Once one examines themselves in righteousness they must come to the conclusion that they cannot in themselves attain such a lifestyle. That there is great need for something more in our life than that which we on our own can offer or perform. That was part of the reason that Jesus came and offered Himself up on our behalf. Therefore the righteous of God must be those who are of faith. Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith”.

So then to live righteous we must do so through faith, yes we may be called the just and the righteous, but we cannot do so if we walk outside of the realm of faith. Faith then is the first and most vital key to living the life of righteousness for without faith none of the remaining keys can work.

To obtain righteousness, we live in faith, but faith in more than just our own works or knowledge, it is the faith of Jesus Christ in our own lives. Romans 3:22-26, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all of have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus”. So then our faith is within the works that Jesus did for us. Our righteousness can be held only within the content of the works of Jesus. We were all brought into righteousness upon this bases. All have sinned, this alone is sufficient to keep us away from the life of righteousness, but Christ has through His work brought us into righteousness.

We soon delight ourselves in the work of Christ and therein comes our desire to do what is right. Therein we choose God and do that which is pleasing to Him. Our life of righteousness is for that one reason alone, the pleasing of God, which of course can only be done through faith. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. Righteousness and faith are inseparable, through faith in Jesus we may live righteously thus pleasing God.

Why do we want to please God, isn=t He the one that gave us all the laws that we have to keep and that we can not do, causing us to lose our righteousness? That is still the kind of questioning that keeps one from living righteously. The reason God brought His law to man was not that man would be shown as a sinner, but rather that God would be seen as a great God of love. For all the commandments of God are but to keep the creation He loves most from harms way. We call Jehovah God, “Our Father”, for it is the Father’s heart to do to His children what is best for them. How many fathers desire to harm their children? None, a father wants the very best for his children therefore he instructs them in ways of righteousness, or he gives them certain rules by which they are to live by. If they heed their fathers voice no harm comes their way, thus pleasing their father. The Father God has done exactly the same in what He requests of us. Following after His requests is called living by faith and that is imputed to us as righteousness. Romans 4:1-8, “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifeth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin”.

How then do we gain this righteousness, if it cannot come through what we do, we may never be able to lay hold of it? Not so! Righteousness will come unto you in exactly the same way as does salvation. Romans 10:8-11, “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach. That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with thy heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed”. Faith expressed from a heart of righteousness through our words and our lifestyle will be the evidence of the righteousness of Jesus Christ living within us.

We cannot do this of or in ourselves, in our body, or through our flesh. We must accomplish this through the ability of the spirit of God. Romans 8:8-11, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raise up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raise up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. God’s Spirit the Holy Spirit living in mortality yet the making the mortal righteous.

Righteousness By Faithfulness

Being made righteous by the faith Christ Jesus energizes us into action for Him, as we are of faith we show ourselves faithful. Our works are as filthy rags yet our faithfulness is our offering of self to God into righteousness. So then righteousness is best seen by God and others by faithfulness.

Seven areas of faithfulness are:

Being faithful in the days that God calls holy.

Embracing those things that pleasing to God.

Living in the covenant of God.

Joining yourself to the Lord.

Ministering to the Lord.

Loving the name of Lord.

Being faithful in all responsibilities, (natural, mental, and spiritual).

Isaiah 56:1-5, “Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgement, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; That keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing and evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speaking and saying, The Lord hath utterly sperated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold I am a bare tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keepeth my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give my house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off”.

Condition 5 Pray With Forgiveness

Mark 11:25-26, “And when you stand praying, forgive, If ye have ought against any: that your father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is heaven forgive your trespasses”.

One of the most forgotten keys to answered prayer is this, the principal of forgiveness. All too often those who have harmed or hurt us are quickly lost from our prayer lives. “They hurt me, I can’t pray for them”, yet dying on the cross Jesus said, “Father forgive them”. To the very end Jesus choose to forgive. It very well may be one of the hardest choices we will be faced with will be that of having to forgive someone who has cost us and hurt our hearts. Through granting it we gain personal forgiveness by God, without it we receive personal judgement by ourselves.

Allow me to paraphrase this verse, “And when you pray, standing, knelling or even sitting, forgive, no matter what anyone has done to harm you: absolve, acquit, pardon and exonerate them. For by doing this you will be found free from all that you have done that is wrong, pardoned by your Father, the one with all of heavens power backing Him to see to it that you are forgiven. But be warned that which you will not forgive, absolve, acquit, pardon or exonerate will be charged and held against you on your account. For how you forgive another, God also will forgive you in like fashion and after the same manner. Your forgiveness is held in the balance by your forgiving. Your Father with all of heavens backing will withhold your forgiveness just as you have withheld another’s”. (Ron Kalenuik)

For the lack of forgiving, many hold themselves within their own bondage’s. They do not realize that to retain a hurt only deepens it within themselves. In reality the one who has caused the hurt very well may have more control over their victim after they have left the scene because of this. The continual dwelling on the hurt keeps that one from seeking and serving God to their very best. They hold their hurt in, meditating upon it, causing it to grow larger than it actually was, possibly building on it until it becomes all that they think of, ruining their lives. This kind of meditation leads to many differing sins, no the least of which is idolatry. For if they allow a hurt to take control of their life until it is all that they think of, they have lost God, replacing Him, making Him secondary or worse to their own hurting feelings. Had they chosen forgiveness, then the one capable of healing the broken hearted might have been able to do His work. As it is, they chose to retain their hurt, which will become their sin as well.

It is not unusual that the unforgiving become bitter, jealous, envious and spiteful people. Unforgiveness is a cancer that eats away at the heart of man until his soul is fragmented so badly that they become hard, callous and cruel.

Judgement, condemnation and forgiveness all work arm in arm with each other. When we hurt some one or they hurt us we judge them, and usually we find them lacking and therefore guilty. Once we have placed them under our sentence we meet out what we consider just punishment, we condemn them to our sentence, where they will remain until we choose to forgive. However as long as they remain there, so do we.

Luke 6:37-38, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto to you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall measured to you again”.

We truly are locked to our decision as to whether we forgive or not. Luke is explaining to us that the power to receive from God through men is held consideration of whether or not we do forgive. How much forgiveness we grant is the same quantity that is brought back to us. Don’t forgive, don’t expect to be granted forgiveness, it is that simple. Notice that men give into your bosom or your heart, Jesus is teaching us that when we choose to forgive we protect our hearts. Others will give into our hearts so that we may have and over abundance of love and forgiveness for them. Retain unforgiveness and place the heart in jeopardy.

Forgiveness is not a attribute that is granted just during times of benevolence, it is a way of life. One must continually live therein. There are three characteristics that mark the life of a Christian, they are; love, acceptance and forgiveness. All require great effort on the behalf of the one living the Christian life, but greater still are the rewards of living therein.

As we have already seen forgiveness protects ourselves as much as it frees the one who requires it. As both live within the power of forgiveness a union is formed, this is not a dual union but rather a union of three. God, yourself and the forgiven. It is the exact example that Jesus gave to us. Jehovah, Jesus, and me, so to speak. Jesus being the centre of all, because of this union of three, forgiveness is offered in faith rather than through emotions. If one relies on feeling right or feeling good about another before they will forgive, then they will never forgive.

Keep in mind that forgiveness is tied into your prayer life and that without it no prayer would be answered. Faith will not work in an unforgiving heart and where there is no faith it is not possible to please God.

Much is made of getting even when another does us wrong, but that is the thinking of the world not of God, it is certain to bring one into disfavour with God for there is no faith in revenge. 1 John 5:4-5, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? Set aside all need of revenge, live the higher life of forgiveness. No hurt is too big to be forgiven, no gap to large that can not be bridged by the power of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is a sickness and a violation of a New Testament law bringing one into sin. So then release yourself, be whole and well, forgive and be forgiven.

As much as we are hurt by people, it is not people who are our enemies, they may be nothing more than puppets of Satan living a life full of strife. No one who names Jesus Christ as their saviour need walk in the way of the strifeful but can have complete freedom by choosing to forgive each time a strifeful situation may arise. By ridding all strife in our lives we enable ourselves to fellowship with even the most vial of those who have hurt us. 1 John 1:7-9, “But if walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse from all unrighteousness”. Thus operating in forgiveness defeats the plan, purposes and pursuits of Satan in our life.

Unforgiveness will bring; frustration, aggressive violent behaviour, insecurity, loneliness, uncertainty, resentment and emptiness. However forgiveness establishes one in; success, submission to God’s favour, confidence, friendship, assurance, and completion. All that matters is Christ Jesus, He can and will heal the broken hearted, but His healing salve is forgiveness.

You can make your life fizzle or sizzle! It depends on your choice to forgive or to retain another’s hurt. Forgiving will be the evidence by which your love will be seen and established. 1 John 4:4&7-11, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is you, than he that is in the world. Beloved let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifest the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another”.

Condition 6 Pray The Will Of God

Many do not understand that they can pray the will of God, instead they complete their prayers with, “If it be thy will”. What is promised in the Word is our assurance that it is the will of God, to qualify a prayer with If it be thy will is to deny that God can grant it, and to reject what Jesus has paid for upon the cross. Most would simply say that they don’t know the will of God in a certain situation, they have not gone to His Word then and found out what He has said regarding their circumstance.

Look toward the prayer that Jesus taught as an example of praying to God. Matthew 6:9b-13, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen”.

What appears like a simple statement has throughout the centuries confused and perplexed man. How could the will of God be accomplished here on earth when there is so much evil happening? How is it that we say that God took our babies, made us sick, or caused us to go without, and still we believe that when we get to heaven none of these things will take place? God does not change, Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, I change not”. Either He is the God of good or He is the God of evil, the decision will lie with you, you choose the type of God you would have, which will you serve?

The statement is, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven“, we must therefore conclude that what is happening here now, will also happen when we get to heaven. If this be so, do you really want to go to such a place? Why would anyone want to continue to live the same in heaven as they do now? Well of course no-one would, and that is not the plan of God for us to do so when we do arrive in our heavenly place.

However just as it is not the plan of God to so then, it is not the plan of God to so now.

God’s intent is that what is taking place in the heavenlies would be exactly the same in the earth now.

We must give closer examination to this verse if we are truly going to enjoy God’s best long before we arrive in heaven. After all the verse does say, “in earth as it is in heaven”.

These are Jesus’ words, no man has made them up, nor is any-other able to take from them, they are eternal.

So how do we accomplish this “will of God” in our lives. Look at Romans 12:1-2, (Weymouth New Testament), “I plead with you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present all your faculties to Him as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him. This with you will be an act of reasonable worship. And do not follow the customs of this present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is-that will which is good and beautiful and prefect”. What we learn from this passage of scripture alone will cause us to settle it in our hearts once and for all that God’s will is prosperity. Within these two scripture verses we are given the knowledge as how to live in God’s will forever. So lets examine them, learn from them and never allow them to depart.

First we must, “present all your faculties to Him”. Give God everything you have, your thoughts become His, your desires become His, your emotions become His, you are presenting or holding nothing back for everything that makes you, you become his. This of course is not easy but if we will follow the pattern set out for us then we will achieve God’s will in our lives.

The King James says, “present our bodies”, but if all we offer to God is our bodies then the most important parts that make us beings will be kept back from God. This is a more accurate translation, it reveals that God wants more than just a body that will die and return to dust. He wants our souls and spirits as well, so that He may change them from worthless into glorious, from dead into living. The request is not unreasonable, as we make the same demands upon God. If you desire everything from God then you too must be willing to give up everything. God gave His very best, His Son Jesus, so that you might gain from God all that heaven may offer. So then we too must be ready to give God our very best.

Secondly we must present these faculties to Him as, “a living and holy sacrifice”. What could this possible mean? Simply, we are to cleanse ourselves, spirit, soul and body. Holiness is living a sanctified life before God. It may easier understood by saying that we separate our spirits, soul and bodies from the things of the world and we attach ourselves to the things of the Word, or of God. It is the course of life set for us by God and toward which we strive to attain.

2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”. The intention of God is that we are changed into His glory. We must keep in mind that within the glory of God there is no poverty, no sickness, no disease, no death. God’s glory can only offer to us life in it’s fullest, which is prosperity, which is living in the will of God.

The fact is that even the word, “changed” will reveal to us that promise, it is the Greek word “metamorphoo” from which we get the word metamorphose, meaning transfigured. Have you ever witnessed a caterpillar transfigured into a butterfly, from something ugly into something beautiful. This is the same transfiguration sanctification will bring you into. In the world there is ugliness, go through the metamorphose of God and come through cleansed and beautiful. 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”. By our choosing to cleanse out the filth we will walk in holiness.

Next, once we have cleansed ourselves we present ourselves as, “acceptable to Him”. To be acceptable is to be: believable, credible, fiduciary [to be a trustee or guardian], plausible, trustworthy. We may sum all these up with one definition: to be pleasing.

We must never give into the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. To do these we put our entire lives a risk, there can certainly be no entering into the prosperity of God, for in doing these we cannot be pleasing unto God, certainly we are not acceptable to Him. How then can we be fulfilling His will if we live such lives? We cannot.

It is time for the church of God to return to calling sin, sin. Forget what the world is saying is politically correct, and begin doing that which is correct. We have become so involved with human rights that we have forgotten to do what is right. The world is full of lost and dying people looking to God for salvation. It must be presented to them from the church of God, it was to the church that the Bible was given. It is to the church that scripture such as 2 Chronicles 7:14 applies, “If my people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”.

In order to do the will of God, we must be found walking in the Spirit of God. Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. This is the path to being acceptable and pleasing with God.

We must not forget that in all that we do, it is done through faith. God looks for faith in every breath that we take, without faith we are either living in fear or just drifting along, neither of which will be helpful to us. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”.

We found that Paul say’s in Romans 12:1, “This with you will be an act of reasonable worship”. Some may think that living this kind of sin free life is unreasonable, that they just can’t do it. However Paul says that it is reasonable worship, the key to living a clean and holy life he gives in two words, reasonable worship. When we live a life of worship, we enter into the most holy place of God, if then we are there can any of the outside worlds ugliness affect us, not at all.

It was David King of Israel that exposed this secret to us, we should then live in it. Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth”.

Living in continual praise and worship is to be looking toward Him during every moment of our lives, the very best and the worse. This is exactly what He seek and desires from us.

Those who have cleansed their lives and have entered into worship serving God will find Him to be everything that they could ever want, need or desire. Praise will lead to trust, trust to fellowship, fellowship to communion, communion to praise. Somewhere within that cycle God always meets the requirements that we place upon Him. Psalm 62:8, “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart to Him: God is a refuge for us”. A refuge is: a escape, shelter, sanctuary or even a resort. Through our trust He becomes all these as we require them.

Returning back to Romans 12:2, we find our next area that we look to improving. Paul says, “And do not follow the customs of this present age”, in the King James it says, “be not conformed to this world”. We are not to adapt, agree, comply, yield or accommodate to anything that world has to offer. If it is contrary to the plan and Word of God as to our living a holy life we must be quick to reject it. Many agree that such things as illicit sex, drugs, alcohol, theft and murder must be rejected. Yet it goes much deeper than this, we must set for ourselves the very highest standards, we must decide that if it is what the Word says then we will never exchange it for something temporal, like money made in a borderline ethical business deal.

Paul continues our metamorphose by telling us to “be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds”. Renewing our minds can only be accomplished through one means, that is the Word of God. When we live our lives centred in the Word we find that all required victory is easily come by. Departing from the Word results in departing from God, when we live outside of God we must live inside the realm of Satan. God has more to offer than the devil, therefore remain in God. Ephesians 4:23-24, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”. We begin to think differently, what was attractive in the world is no longer, what was never appealing from the word of God now becomes life sustaining.

The result of this metamorphose is “that you may learn by experience what God’s will is-that will which is good and beautiful and prefect”. Your life in God gives you the experience that you require to live in God’s will. Once having accomplished these we will then know the will of God for us in every circumstance. Not only know it, but also have proved it. In proving it we affirm it to be so, we ascertain it as so, then we demonstrate it establishing it in our hearts, finding it to be good, beautiful and prefect.

It is for this reason that we never pray, “if it be thy will”. If we are walking in light of scripture, we are walking in the will of God, never lacking or doubting where or what God’s will may be.

Thy Will Be Done

Returning now to the Lord’s prayer, Matthew 6:9, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”. The will of God can be obtained in all things when we approach it from the Word of God. This verse of scripture reveals three powerful elements that once realized we may incorporate them into our lives and walk in the will of God in all things.

In order to see these elements in their fullest strength it is necessary to break the verse into three parts. A) Thy will be done, B) In Earth, C) As it is in heaven.

Now we must examine what each part reveals to us. “Thy will be done”, speaks to us of dedication or devotion. We must then ask ourselves, whose dedication, ours or God’s? This is God’s dedication, God’s devotion to us. God is absolutely dedicated to His plan to bring man to salvation. He has devoted all of His resources in heaven and earth to see this plan come into existence in your life.

We know that plan as the plan of salvation, the greatest plan any-one has ever implemented. John 3:16, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish but have everlasting life”. The Greek word for salvation or save is, “sozo”. However sozo carries more than just the meaning of eternal life, it also means: to deliver, to protect, to be made whole, to preserve, to do well or have prosperity.

As we said, God is completely dedicated to bringing this plan forth, within it are all your required results that you demand for life. Examples of the word sozo in scripture may be found in the following scripture verses as well as in more than 130 others.

Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save [sozo] His people from their sins”. Sozo here means: deliver.

Matthew 8:25, “And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save [sozo] us: we perish”. Sozo here means: to protect.

Matthew 9:21, “For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be made whole [sozo]“. Sozo here means: to be made whole.

Matthew 14:30, “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save [sozo] me”. Sozo here means: preserve.

Mark 6:56, “And whithersoever He entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment: and as many as touched Him were made whole [sozo]“. Sozo here means: to be healed.

John 11:12 “Then said His disciples, Lord if he sleep, he shall do well [sozo]“. Sozo here means: to do well or prosper.

It is the “good will” of God to complete His work of salvation in us to it’s fullest and then give us everlasting life. Life forever in the present condition that most live in is not worth living. Thus the plan of salvation was given in order that we may rise above such drudgery. God is devoted to you to see you through your present circumstance, it is His will, it is your salvation.

He didn’t create His plan just for a select few apostles or disciples, He made His will universal or unlimited. This is what we find in the words, “in earth”. God’s will is to be completed in the earth by those who are walking in His plan of salvation.

Jesus prayed “Thy Kingdom come” and then went on to explain that this kingdom had already come, it was within Him. Then He said that He and His Father would come and live within those who love Him causing the kingdom of God therefore to be within them as well. Thus the universal plan of God comes into the earth through those who have Christ ruling and reigning in their lives. Through our continual communion with Jesus all what takes place in heaven comes and has residence in us as well, causing the will of God to be done in the earth. John 15:1-4, (Wuest), “I, in contradistinction to anyone else, am the vine, the genuine vine, and my Father is the tiller of the soil. Every branch in me not bearing fruit he takes away. And every branch bearing fruit, He cleanses it in order that it may keep on bearing more fruit. As for you, already you are cleansed ones because of the word which I have spoken to you. Maintain a living communion with me, and I with you. Just as the branch is unable to be bearing fruit from itself as a source unless it remains in the a living union with the vine, so neither you, unless you maintain a living communion with me”.

We must then ask ourselves what is happening in heaven that we might cause it to happen in the earth as well? What could Jesus the King of Kings be like? What is He offering those in the heavenly realm that I might partake in, in the earthly realm? To answer these we go back to our definition of “in earth”, meaning: universal or unlimited. Universal means: A) a state or quality of being universal, B) unrestrictive fitness or adaptability, C) an all embracing range of knowledge, abilities, etc. All these definitions can be summed up by speaking one word, “Jesus”. He is everything and all things. He rules the universe, He lives in you.

“A state or quality of being universal”,

This being true brings us into concert or harmony with the will of God causing nothing to be impossible to us. As we adapt to the universality of Christ we take on the greater part of the last two definitions, coming into the will of God and then into victory in every situation. Thus the scripture “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” Philippians 4:13. becomes a reality.

Thus we choose to conform to what God through His son, the Word dictates to us. This is the meaning of the third part of our verse, “as it is heaven”. God dedicated to us bringing a universal plan allowing us to conform with it through our obedience to it.

Now conformity means: correspondence in form, manner, or use, agreement, harmony, congruity, compatibility, integrity, oneness. We become one with the plan of God through Jesus, preforming the will of God in it. We conform to the heavenly lifestyle, which proves to be one of health, liberty, freedom, prosperity, the superabundant life in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:20, (Amplified New Testament) “Now to Him who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [ carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams”.

All we need do is but conform our lives to His, live as He is, walk in His love. 1 John 4:17, “Herein is our love made prefect, that we might have boldness in the day of judgement: because as He is so are we in this world”. However Jesus is now, so are we in this world when we have applied the will of God through the power of His love into the kingdom of God here in this world.

Condition Seven to Acceptable Prayer Never Give Up

There are many reasons why the prayers of an individual may seemingly go unanswered. Some may say that one has lost faith, or another is living in sin, while yet another is simply not worthy enough for God to give them audience. These are very poor reasons if not ones that are completely ridiculous. Faith does play a role in prayer as we have discussed in an earlier section of this writing. Sin will keep some from praying, so run to God instead of from Him when you miss the mark. And you are never unworthy for God to give you His attention, for Christ Jesus has made you worthy.

The most singular reason that prayer goes unanswered is that the person has given up, not only on what they know to be fact, but also on the life that they have in God and Jesus. To give up is to give in and accept defeat, believing more in the failure to receive than in the fact that it has already been accomplished for you by Christ Jesus.

Giving up will cause our emotions to run wild with us and will trigger the failure mechanism. Failure is the drawing away from God and His Word and substituting it with religion, or some other empty theory such as secular humanism. It is nothing more than the breakdown of the belief system of an individual. As the belief system deteriorates the person begins to neglect the things of God and His Word until there becomes an insufficiency of the Zoe life of God in the spirit. They become unwilling to do what must be done to draw themselves back to the Lord so they replace their relationship with religion and their fellowship with traditions.

A mechanism is an assembly of situations or circumstances that move together to complete a certain function. So then the failure mechanism would be a group of circumstance that work together to draw one away from God and His Word. These circumstances or action may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Subordinating the spiritual to the material

Routine or habitual actions

Frustration

Strife

Resentment

Insecurity

Loneliness

Emptiness

Before we delve closer into this study keep in mind this one thing, everyone experiences some kind of failure from time to time, however the act of failing does mean you are a failure. To be a failure one would have to live a life that is controlled completely by the failure mechanism.

We find that the best teaching on not giving up comes from Jesus Himself in Mark chapter 4, verses 14 through 20.

“The sower soweth the word.”

The sower is the Lord Jesus and those whom He has called to proclaim His gospel which is His Word.

“And these are they by the way side, where the Word is sown;but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts”.

This represents the group of people who refuse the Word of God, notice that it says that they have heard it. To hear something spiritually is to receive it in your heart and to confirm it as a true fact. But Satan comes at once to cause this group of people to be the first in the failure mechanism, the first to give up.

Subordinating the spiritual to the material.

The beginning of giving up or the failure mechanism is the subordinating the spiritual to the material. What one comes to believe is that what the world has to offer is greater and more attractive than what the Word has to offer. They in fact cause the things of the Word to become inferior or subservient to their materialistic desires implanted into their hearts by Satan. They literally make the Word of God a serf or slave to their hunger for the things of the world using the Word only when it will serve them to gain their own evil way. The devil offers them what appears to be something more attractive than what the Word offers them. His fear is that they may discover that just the opposite is the truth.

Routine or Habitual Actions

“And these are they likewise which are sown in stony ground; who, when then have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so afterwards, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the words sake, immediately they are offended”.

This verse represents the next group of people who give up. The word at one time was a treasure to them, but through routine or habitual actions, the word becomes empty and void of its power.

Many person when they first come to Christ receive Him with great joy but they do not continue in Christ, they let Him go for one reason or another and soon they are very distant form Him. Being distant from Him causes what was once planted within to dry up and wither away, they see that this love is dying but due to their stand in their community, those with whom they associate, or their position where they are employed they jeopardize their place in Christ Jesus.

Once having done this they enter into a lifestyle that is simply routine, or automatic, progressing (actually regressing) in the same direction never wavering from it. The routine is usually made up of a life that excludes contact with the Word of God and with any person who believes it. Bible believing and teaching churches are quickly rejected for those who preach a gospel of no conviction, even those who allow sin because at any given moment it may not be sin right then. Sin is always sin and nothing that extracts from God will change that.

These are the people of situational ethics, the situation is what demands what is right or wrong, no, the word of God is plain as to what is right and wrong and it must be that which we adhere to. Because their action are so routine any whitewashed teaching will sound good to them, they unwilling to seek out Gods word will be led astray by it.

Frustration

The result of the routine actions of this group of people will be great frustration. They enter into frustration because a life that is routine is unfulfilling and eventually meaningless. The frustrated person experiences one disappointment after another while they reject Christ and His Word not realizing that rejection is the obstruction that is keeping them in a cycle that they are bound to repeat. Returning to the Word of God will break the cycle and the frustration, giving a new outlook on life in Christ and taking on the challenges of the word finding life fulfilling not routine and boring.

Strife, Resentment, Insecurity

“And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, choke the word and it becometh unfruitful”.

Strife, there is a tug of war that goes on in the heart of a believer between the things of God and His word and the pressures that Satan applies through the necessities of living life in the world.

These sown among thorns are those whose lives are in constant strife being pulled in one direction but desiring to go another. The “cares of this world”, shows the strife that one carries with them as they are challenged by the Word, as to whether or not they will leave the world behind and go Gods way. Cares of this world means, the worries, concerns, conflicts and struggles and fruitlessness of this present day in age. If we attempt to live in them and exclude Jesus then we truly do live a life of strife. 2 Timothy 2:26, shows that those in strife are bound and held captive by Satan to do his bidding. How sad that they gave up on the word and choose a life of care, a life of strife.

Next we see that it is those who are caught by “the deceitfulness of riches”, they become resentful of God and those who serve Him. Riches are not the problem, the problem is being deceived by riches. Many persons rich and poor are deceived by wealth, however had they not given up on God, prayer and the Word they would not have had to enter a life of resentment.

The resentful person believes that everyone owes them something, but they have earned nothing. The resentful person believes that God is out to destroy them when in fact if they had not given up on Him they would readily see that He desires that they succeed and not fail. The resentful is full of self-pity, blaming others for their failures and never giving credit to those who assist them when they succeed. The resentful person is full of greed, always striving for something better but never content with what they have and usually unwilling to do or pay what it costs to obtain that which is better.

We must keep in mind as well that riches may not necessarily refer to money and wealth, many a poor person are rich in other areas. You can be rich and full in all areas when you remain in Jesus, His Word and in prayer.

Insecurity, “The lusts of other things”, can man not be content with such as he has without viewing what another has and longing after it? Possibly not, at least not until he becomes sold out 100% to Christ Jesus, then all insecurity goes and he receives all that Jesus died for. The insecure person are not that way because of what they do not have but rather because of a poor attitude toward that which they do have. They look on the things of others and believe that if they only had that they too would be happy and content, NOT.

Insecurity is based upon their own inner inadequacies which cannot become fulfilled until Christ is made the centre of their heart. The insecure person will always be a failure in their own eyes due to the constant nagging of the lie of inadequacy. Satan plays upon their mind telling them that they can never meet the challenge that is placed before them so why try. The bible says however that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

The more they fail to obtain their goal, the more they lust after other things, the more they criticize themselves, the more they give up trying to see Jesus.

Loneliness & Emptiness

Those who become caught in the three traps above, (strife, deceitfulness and insecurity) have only lives of loneliness and emptiness to look forward to. Although every person experiences periods of loneliness in life, those who have come to trust Jesus know that he will never leave them nor forsake them therefore the feelings is a lie and they can go on in life in victory. If however we dwell on that loneliness it can take over our lives and push us further into giving up on God and ourselves.

Once loneliness has created the feelings of being forsaken, friendless, rejected, withdrawn and isolated the person becomes plagued with an empty, abandoned, vacant feeling in the heart. This is the place where Satan creates the hopeless feeling that God has given up upon them and therefore it is no use to continue in the things of God.

This is one of the most dangerous lies ever put forth by the devil and is the cause of many ruined lives. The person who has given up not only has their own life effected but also that of friends, family and church members who have come to rely upon them. Stability in the Christian life is rare, those who are hurting because they have given up need those who have not to stand with them, to love them and see them through.

The lonely empty Christians are the ones who subject themselves to many harmful things, they are the backslidden ones. They, in this state need to be loved and encouraged in the Lord. Not condoning that which they may be involved in, but not writing them off as well. The church needs to heal their wounded not leave them to die in the Satanic system. Some may choose death, but this only comes because they have given up on themselves as well as God, but through love we just may be able to offer them the grace of God, and bring them to a place where they once again see themselves as the forgiven.

Forever Winners

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

The final result of never giving up in prayer or fellowship with God or sowing the word is that there is an abundant supply that God has for those who are found faithful. Hearing the word of God is not enough, it must be received in the heart and acted upon. Yes, Satan comes to steal away that which is sown but if we never give up we will never fail and the devil will never be able to steal the word from our heart.

These are they who rid themselves of all frivolous, impractical, insignificant, careless and superficial actions and begin to act responsibly to what the Word has instilled within their hearts. They set aside all the cares, worries concerns, all the deceitfulness of riches and all lusts and push ahead with God. In other words these are those who mature in Christ and remain in Him in fellowship through a strong prayer life.

Riches God’s Blessing Or A Cruse

Ron Kalenuik — Sun, 01 May 2011 20:32:47 +0000

True riches; this phrase is the one that we need to keep in mind at all times in dealing with this study of riches. We will discuss the need of wealth and material riches however lets just centre in for now on the phrase true riches.

True Riches Are: Ephesians 1:7, “the riches of His grace”. The grace of salvation. The first type of riches we should possess are those of Grace. It is through the grace of God that we are able to live a life of salvation. If it had not been for that grace we would exist today. Our life and sin would surely have destroyed us.

Grace is God’s greatest example of riches. Through grace the world (you & I) were saved by our receiving it through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord in our lives. (Eph. 2:8-9) Grace is the provider of all good things. (Psl.84:11) Grace imparts unto man great blessings. (Acts 4:33) Grace develops faith within us. (Acts 18:27) Grace provides for us justification in God. (Rom.3:24-25) Grace helps us to overcome sin. (Romans 5:20) Grace makes us to be the elect of God. (Rom.11:5-6) Grace gives one boldness. (Rom.15:15) Grace makes to be partaker in the inheritance of Christ. (1 Cor. 10:30) Through grace we acquire power. (1 Cor. 15:10). Through grace we gain liberty. (2 Cor. 8:1-2) It is the grace of God that gives us the ability to endure. (2 Cor.12:9) Our strength comes through grace. (2 Tim.2:1) Our hope is founded in grace. (2 Thess.2:16) This list could continue on into much more. Surly no-one could dispute the fact that grace is a example of riches that all should be walking in.

The next example of true riches would be found in Ephesians 1:18, “the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints”. What is this example of riches, Knowledge, the beginning of the verse says “that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened”. Not just knowledge however but the kind of knowledge that leads into wisdom. This could only be the understanding of the Word of God. We seek answers to life’s questions then we need to know that the riches of God has been poured out upon us in the Word of God. Notice that verse says that it is part of our inheritance to live in this amount of riches. In Christ Jesus we have been given an inheritance that is so great that we cannot even imagine it’s fullest extent. Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us”. That power is the Word of God flowing from us according to the knowledge of it placed within our hearts. For information on our riches in knowledge and wisdom study Romans 11:33.

Ephesians 3:16, Here we find yet another example of riches. “The riches of glory”. What are the riches of glory. The greatest one is the anointing of Jesus Himself. When you walk within His anointing you find that nothing is impossible to you. All the attributes of Christ are found in His glory and they are part of the riches that you inherit when you receive Him. These are not something that is hid from you, you may obtain them at any time you desire. When you require mercy, it’s there. If you need for forgiveness, it’s been granted already. Do you require the power of love, it’s in the glory. Romans 9:23 “And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, (you & I), which He had afore prepared unto glory”. It’s already been settled, you have been chosen to live in this glory. Enjoy the riches of glory in your life.

Romans 2:4, gives us yet another example of riches that we may live within, “the riches of His goodness”. Goodness is one of the fruit of the Spirit. When we are walking in the realm of the spirit we walk in the fruit of the spirit. Goodness would just flow from us. Goodness is decency, honesty, morality, virtue and excellence. The scripture verse says that it His goodness that we acquire. Our goodness couldn’t compare to the goodness of Christ. It is His goodness that makes us a decent person, it is what causes us to be honest and forthright. Christ’s goodness flowing from us gives us moral strength so that we are able to stand against the immorality of this world. He places in us His virtue and His excellence so that we may show these in all that we do. Then He says that we become rich in these through Him. We really do have incredible riches in Christ Jesus.

We must not forget the riches that come to us when we receive the Holy Spirit. Here are the riches that make us more than conquers. As we walk in a world full of deceit and bend on all that is ungodly making it’s way head long into destruction God has given us His very Spirit to be sure that we emigre unscathed. Not to use the gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows upon us is tantamount to denying His great outpouring of His love toward us. All of the gifts of the Spirit must be considered as the riches of God poured upon man, there can be no other description other than His riches.

The gift of wisdom……riches. The gift of knowledge……riches. The gift of faith……riches. The gift of healing……riches. The gift of working of miracles…..riches. The gift of prophecy……riches. The gift of discerning of spirits……riches. The gift of divers kinds of tongues……riches. The gift of interpretation of tongues……riches.

This is consistent throughout all scripture, and if the gifts are riches then so too are the fruit of the Spirit. You, certainly have great riches in Christ Jesus.

So then it is without question that we have great spiritual riches in Christ. Of course this not a point that the faithless argue. To them all these riches they will gain someday when they arrive in heaven. Yet scripture is clear that we gain these riches and material riches in this world now during this time. Mark 10:29-30, “Jesus said, Truly I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and the Gospel, who will not receive a hundred times as much now and in this time, houses, and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life”. Amplified We do not make the boast that riches are for your own personal use, yet this scripture is clear that when we set all aside for the cause of Christ then personal wealth and riches are ours, and they are in the here and now as well as when we go on to glory (heaven).

Lets refer back now to our verse found in Luke 16:11, Notice that there is a clause in this verse. That clause is faithfulness. Many people want the riches and wealth as promised in scripture, yet they are not capable of being faithful in what God has already given over to them. We need to cultivate stewardship in our lives. We must be found faithful in all that God gives to us.

Here’s an example, many believe that the cheques that we earn are ours. Yet scripture says that it is God who gives you the power to get wealth. Deut. 8:17-18. Therefore the entire cheque belongs to God. We should then be sure that we spend it wisely and not wastefully. The tithe is the first thing that comes from it. Why, because He said so (Deut.26). Then that which is left so should be spent in ways that would be honouring to Him. Pay our bills on time, cover our rent, feed our families, enjoy some (not all) of it and even give to yourself (at least 10%). However when God calls and says to do this or that with your increase be quick to obey and don’t hold on to it.

Let’s now answer our questions A) Does God provide riches for His children? Yes, Yes, and Yes again.

Look with me to Proverbs 3:1-10, My Son (that’s you and me) forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days, and years of a life [worth living], and tranquillity [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall add to you. Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness], and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you. Bind them about your neck; write them upon the tablet of your heart. So shall you find favour, good understanding and high esteem in the sight [or judgement] of God and man. Lean on, trust and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind, and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain, your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord, and turn [entirely] away from evil. It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones. Honour the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labours], and with the first fruits of all your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats be overflowing with new wines”.

There can be no doubt that as long as God is placed first in ones life that He desires to give the goodness of glory to His children. God lives in great riches and His intent is that we live in the same as He. He created us in His image, that is a image of wealth and prosperity. In God there is no lack, so in His children there is no lack. Every father that ever lived and loved his children has always wanted them to do better than he, have better than he did. No one could ever out do God but to live in His image is to have the good that is of the Father. He made no change in His plan for His children. 1 John 4:17b ” as He is so are we in this world” He is not poor and doing without. His riches are unimaginable.

Next we asked “Isn’t poverty really the spiritual way to come to God? Let’s answer that with a question, If you were about to meet the Queen of England would you put on your best and offer Her your best? Of course, God is no different, poverty does not glorify God. There absolutely no scripture for this disgusting theory. Yet there is volumes of scripture to show Gods wealth and His desire that His children live in much the same.

We also asked “Doesn’t the bible say riches will destroy us”? No, lets look at scripture to get the right facts here as well. Proverbs 11:28 “He who leans on, trusts and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough”. It’s not the riches that destroys you but rather the trusting in them that will bring destruction upon us. God’s intent is that His children trust in Him and not in the blessing and benefits that He gives them. Always keep your eye on the Provider not the provision.

Isaiah 45:3 “And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and the hidden riches of the secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord which call thee by thy name am the God of Israel”. This something to believe for so that you may bless the Lord and give into every good work.

Psalms 37 certain guarantees of God.

(vs 3) You dwell in a good land forever.

(vs 3) You shall never go without feeding or food.

(vs 4) God gives you the desires of your heart.

(vs 5) He brings things to pass.

(vs 6) He brings the righteous to light.

(vs 6) He brings judgement as noonday. No darkness.

(vs 9) The evil doer will be cut off, a promise of Satans defeat.

(vs 9) You receive the earth as an inheritance.

(vs 11) There is an abundance of peace.

(vs 17) You are upheld by God.

(vs 18) You receive an eternal inheritance.

(vs 19) You are not ashamed in evil times, God protects.

(vs 19) You are satisfied in times of famine.

(vs 24) You are not brought to ruin (cast down) when you fall.

(vs 28) You are not forsaken by God.

(vs 28) You are preserved (maintained, perpetuated, sustained, and upheld) by God forever.

(vs 28) The seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

(vs 31) All decisions (steps) will be sound.

(vs 33) The Lord gets involved when the wicked attack.

(vs 33) The Lord will not condemn.

(vs 37) The result will be peace.

(vs 39-40) Salvation will come.

(vs 39) Strength from God in a time of trouble.

( 40) Help from God.

( 40) Deliverance from Satan.

For further study on this subject examine “1 Sam. 17:25, 1 Kings 3:11-13, 1 Kings 10:23, 1 Chr. 29:11-13, 1 Chr.29:28, 2 Chr. 1:11-12, 2 Chr.20:25, 2 Chr.32:26-30, Psl.62:10, Psl.112:1-10, Prov.3:16, Prov.8:18, Prov.11:28, Prov.13:7, Prov.14:24, Prov.19:14, Prov.22:1, Prov.22:4, Prov.23:4-5, Prov.24:3-4, Ecc.5:12-13, Ecc.5:19, Ecc.6:2, Isa.45:1-3, Isa.61:6, Jer.9:23, Jer.17:11, Mark 4:14-20, Mark 10:17-30, Eph.3:8, Eph.3:16, Phil.4:19, Col.1:27, 1 Tim.6:17-19, Rev.5:12.

Scripture is consistent Riches and wealth are for you through Christ Jesus.

He Is Jehovah

Ron Kalenuik — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:42:44 +0000

Hey Jehovah, Hey Jehovah, We know your out there, we’re gonna find you.

Not if I could help it, I had become too proficient in hiding, the large shrubs, could conceal me well if I laid as flat as possible on the ground and didn’t move an inch. Of course this was only when time would not allow me to get to the nearest tree, I could climb an Oak, Maple or even a Pine as fast as any squirrel could.

No, today I would escape the beating, no, today was not going to be the day that they would catch me. I’d been beat with sticks, ball bats, 2 x 4 boards, whatever any body could get their hands on. Stoning was not uncommon, whipped with Weeping Willow branches, set on fire, tied up to a tree and left there. Hung by my heels and left dangling over the edge of a cliff. All because my family were Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Growing up in the a northern Canadian town, life was a daily challenge to avoid the anger, bitterness and fear embodied in the people of this community. They didn’t understand that the door to door preaching of the Witnesses doctrine would lead them to eventual life eternal in a prefect paradise. They would lash out with tongue and violence in an attempt to protect their religious beliefs. In so doing try to torture us out of ours.

Jehovah to them was just a name of another god, they didn’t understand, nor would they be willing to serve. Their God was Jesus and nobody could tell them they were wrong in serving Him. They for the most part did not know Jehovah as Father God, they did not want to know.

They thought that one could be persecuted out of their faith when in reality persecution drives the believer deeper into their faith. They thought that they were doing God a favor. Rid the world of Jehovah’s Witnesses and it would be a better place. They’re thinking was “after all we are Christians surely these are not”. How could they be so intense on exposing this group as a cult, yet not have any idea as to who the Father is?

It is, however, the Father that Jesus always pointed to. It is the Father who was well pleased in all that Jesus did. It was the Father that Jesus desired man to have personal intimate relationships with. It was the desire of the Father to reestablish this fellowship through His plan of salvation implemented by His Son who willing left the dominion He possessed over heaven and earth

HIS NAME

PSALMS 83:18 “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth”.

ISAIAH 12:2 “Behold God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, He is also become my salvation”.

ISAIAH 26:4 “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength”.

The title God is translated from the following seven names. The first six are Hebrew and the last one Greek. This is the beginning of our understanding of the Father.

A) ELOHIM – is translated God or Lord 2,701 times. It means the Supreme God, the Creator.

B) YEHOVAH – Jehovah is translated God or Lord 6,437 times. It means the Self Existence One, The Creator who keeps Covenant and fulfils His promises.

C) EL – is translated God 200 times, it means strength, there is nothing stronger than God, this where He acquires the Name The Almighty.

D) ELOAH – is translated God 56 times, it means deity, the Divine One.

E) ELAH – is translated God 76 times, it means God.

F) TSUR – is translated God 1 time, Isaiah 44:8, it means the rock or refuge.

E) THEOS – is translated God 1,284 times, it means Deity, Supreme One, Supreme God.

THE GREAT I AM

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto to them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, what is His name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, thus shall thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you”. Exodus 3:13-14 MALACHI 3:6a, HEBREWS 13:8

ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Having fellowship with God takes on a whole new light when we see God as an individual that we can see, walk with and talk with. Anthropomorphism is simply the seeing God as we see ourselves, with human like parts, thoughts, emotions, and passions. A study of the Word reveals all these to us.

God has a: Spirit body, Dan. 7:9-14. Shape, Jn.5:37, Form Phil.2:5-7, Back Ex.33:23, Heart Gen.6:6, Hands Ps2:25-26, Fingers, Ps.8:3, Mouth, Num.12:8, Lips, Isa.11:4, Tongue Isa.30:27, Feet, Ex.24:10, Eyes, Ps.11:4, Ears,Ps.18:6, Head,Dan.7:9, Hair, Dan.7:9, Arms, Ps.44:3, Voice, Ps.29, Countenance, Ps.11:7 , Soul, Mt.12:18

God has soul passions, as grief (Gen.6:6), Anger (1 Ki.11:9), Repentance (Gen.6:6), Jealousy (Ex.20:5), Hate (Pr.6:16), Love (Jn.3:16), Pity (Ps.103:13), Fellowship (1 Jn.1:1-7), Pleasure (Ps.147:10), Joy (Ne.8:10), Peace (Gal.5:22), Longsuffering (Gal.5:22), Gentleness (Gal.5:22), Goodness (Gal.5:22), Faith (Gal.5:22), Meekness (Gal.5:22), Self-Self-control (Gal.5:22).

God has spirit faculties, as a Mind (Ro.11:34), Intelligence (Gen.1:26), Will (Ro.8:27), Power (Eph.1:19), Truth (Ps.91:4), Faith (Ro.4:17), Hope (1 Cor.13:13), Righteousness (Ps.45:4), Faithfulness (1 Cor.10:13), Knowledge (Isa.11:2), Wisdom (1 Tim.1:17), Discernment (Heb.4:12),

God, Wears clothes (Dan.7:9-14), Eats food (Gen.18:1-8), Rests (Gen.2:1-4), dwells in city (Jn.14:1-3), Sits on a throne (Isa.6), Walks (Gen.3:8), Rides (Ps.18:10). control (Gal.5:22).

God, Wears clothes (Dan.7:9-14), Eats food (Gen.18:1-8), Rests (Gen.2:1-4), dwells in city (Jn.14:1-3), Sits on a throne (Isa.6), Walks (Gen.3:8), Rides (Ps.18:10).

Name Change

“And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, and unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (El), but by MY name Jehovah was I not known to them”. Exodus 6:2-3

Jehovah: The Creator who keeps covenant and fulfils promise.

Jehovah Elohim: The Supreme God, The Eternal Creator

Genesis 1, Colossians 1:15, Revelation 3:14

Jehovah Adonai: The Lord Our Sovereign, Having supreme authority

Psalm 40:17, Psalm 41:1-2

Jehovah Jireh: The Lord will see to it, The Lord will provide.

Genesis 22:14

The New Testament lists 250 promises of Jehovah Jireh, Some promises found just Matthew are:

Salvation from sin. Mt.1:21 Life by the Word. Mt.4:4

Protection by angels. Mt.4:6 Earth as an inheritance. Mt.5:5

Blessing for persecution. Mt.5:11 Forgiveness from sins. Mt.6:14

Necessities of life. Mt. 6:30-33 Answers to all prayers. Mt.7:7-11

All good things. Mt.7:11 Punishment in hell for all rebels. Mt.7:22-23

Bodily healing. Mt.8:18 Answers to prayer according to faith. Mt.9:29

Exposure to secret things. Mt.10:26 Power to bind and loose. Mt.18:18

Rewards according to works. Mt.16:27 Unlimited power. Mt.17:20

Material blessing. Mt.19:29 Eternal life. Mt.19:29

All the promises of God are provide for us and to us by Jehovah Jireh, The Lord will see to it. Are there any guarantees, only the greatest guarantee ever written, the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God”. Now did you catch that, every promises God has given has a yes answer to it. There can only be success IN HIM, that is where the key to every promises lies, in Him. So just take up your residence in Him and receive all the promises of God.

Jehovah Nissi: The Lord our Banner, The Lord our Captain

Exodus 17:15, Psalm 35:1, Malachi 3:11, Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:9-10, Romans 8:31

Jehovah Ropheka: The Lord the heals you, the one who gives you health.

Exodus 15:26, Psalm 103:2-3, Isaiah 53:5, 2 Peter 2:24

Jehovah Shalom: The Lord our Peace

Judges 6:24, John 14:27

The operation of peace comes to us in the form of what we have in Him when we abide in Him. So to understand peace we must know our place of residence, or what we have in Him.

Romans 3:24, In Him we have redemption.

Romans 8:1, In Him there is no condemnation.

Romans 8:2, In Him is freedom from sin and death.

Romans 8:39, In Him is perfected love.

Romans 12:5, In Him is oneness.

1 Cor. 1:2, In Him is sanctification.

1 Cor. 1:30, In Him is wisdom, righteousness and sanctification.

2 Cor. 2:14, In Him is triumph over the enemy.

2 Cor. 5;17, In Him old things die away.

Ephesians 1:3, In Him are all spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 2:6, In Him we are seated in heavenly places.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, In Him is Gods will for you.

To abide outside of Christ is to chose confusion over peace, and that of course will never do.

Psalms 29:11, Peace is a blessing.

Psalms 37:11, Amp, Peace in abundance. The “meek” refer to those who have a good or positive attitude toward the things of God, and perform from within that attitude without disputing or resisting.

Psalms 85:10, Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth is sent forth to man so that he might know the will of God. Righteousness demands obedience to the truth.

Mercy forgives man from all sin and disobedience, giving man the peace with God so that he is able to kiss (embrace) righteousness.

Psalms 119:165, Great peace to those who love the law (Word) of God.

Proverbs 16:7, When a mans ways please the Lord then he is at peace.

Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is the Prince of peace.

Isaiah 26:3-4, How to obtain prefect peace.

Isaiah 52:7, The ministry of peace.

Isaiah 53:4-5, The cost of our peace.

Isaiah 54:10, Peace is a everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 54:13, Great shall be the peace of your children.

Psalms 37:1-40.

Here is most likely one of the greatest list of promises ever given to any man who will live after the Word of God.

Trust; lean on, rely on, and be confident in, take custody, have guardianship over. Become liable for your actions, in other words you become justly or legally responsible for actions and results. You are officially obligated to that trust. You are in a covenant of trust, to break it would result in your down fall. You carried the trust, your responsible to it.

Delight; have enjoyment, happiness, joy, pleasure, and triumph in the Lord. In another word be glad (encouraging, cheering, inspiring, pleasing) in God.

Commit; Amplified says “roll and repose each care of your load on Him” Make your pledge and promises in Him, dedicate your ways, assign to Him your worries and frustrations, then lock them up with His Word and see your way come to pass.

David give to us in Psalms 37 certain guarantees of God.

1) vs 3 You dwell in a good land forever.

2) vs 3 You shall never go without feeding or food.

3) vs 4 God gives you the desires of your heart.

4) vs 5 He brings things to pass.

5) vs 6 He brings the righteous to light.

6) vs 6 He brings judgement as noonday. No darkness.

7) vs 9 The evil doer will be cut off, a promise of Satan’s defeat.

vs 9 You receive the earth as an inheritance.

9) vs 11 There is an abundance of peace.

10) vs 17 You are upheld by God.

11) vs 18 You receive an eternal inheritance.

12) vs 19 You are not ashamed in evil times, God protects.

13) vs 19 You are satisfied in times of famine.

14) vs 24 You are not brought to ruin (cast down) when you fall.

15) vs 28 You are not forsaken by God.

16) vs 28 You are preserved (maintained, perpetuated, sustained, and upheld) by God forever.

17) vs 28 The seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

18) vs 31 All decisions (steps) will be sound.

19) vs 33 The Lord gets involved when the wicked attack.

20) vs 33 The Lord will not condemn.

21) vs 37 The result will be peace.

22) vs 39-40 Salvation will come.

23) vs 39 Strength from God in a time of trouble.

24) vs 40 Help from God.

25) vs 40 Deliverance from Satan.

Jehovah Tsidkienu The Lord Our Righteousness

Jeremiah 23:6, Psalm 119:142-144, Psalm 119:145-149

Hope as an acronym:

H) Harmony: to be in accord or agreement with someone or something, Matthew 18:18-19

O) Optimism: cheerfulness, confidence, enthusiasm, Colossians 1:15

P) Prospect: a future probability based on present indications, 1 John 4:17b

E) Expectancy: to look forward to as a certainty, Proverbs 22:21

So Jehovah Tsidkienu is the Lord our Righteousness the God of all hope. It is not through our works but rather through His works. Jesus Christ by His offering of Himself on our behalf became our righteousness.

Jehovah Mekaddishkem The Lord our Sanctifier

Exodus 31:13b, John 17:17-19

Romans 15:13-16, “Now the God of hope fill you with all (1) joy and (2) peace in believing, that ye may abound in (3) hope, through the (4) power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are (5) full of goodness, filled with all (6) knowledge, able also to (7) admonish (minister) one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more (8) boldly (boldness) unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the (9) grace that is given to me of God. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles might be (10) acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost”.

Jehovah Shammah The Lord is Present, The Lord is There

Ezekiel 48:35, Psalm 46:1-2

Present means: Favour, nearby, current and to demonstrate, Proverbs 3:4 Psalm 5:12

Jehovah Elyon The Lord Most High

Psalm 7:17, Psalm 97:9

Jehovah Rohi The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23

Jehovah Hoseenu The Lord our Maker

Psalm 95:6-7

Posted for my brother Tim

Who Really Is To Blame

Ron Kalenuik — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:52:41 +0000

Who is Really Behind all Your Troubles

Who really is behind all your problems in life. Many believe that God is the one who causes things to go wrong. Others believe that although God did not make the problem he certainly knew about it and he should have put a stop to it, but because he did not, it had to be okay by him.

Psalms 46:1-3, 1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

How is it that a God who is a help in a time of trouble could possibly be the same one that causes the trouble. Wouldn’t that mean He would be of two minds. Which of course is impossible with God.

The verse says that He is our refuge, this means that He is our escape, haven, resort, retreat, sanctuary and shelter. Which is exactly what one would seek in the midst of trouble, not the source of the trouble.

Notice too, the word “selah” this word means, stop, wait a moment and contemplate, view the trouble from all points of view. Get a clear picture on the situation before making any kind of decision.

Back in verse 1 the next word we need to examine is the word strength, He is our energy, courage, fortitude, effectiveness, concentration, foundation, and our ability.

“A very present help” always near, why? To enforce His word against the trouble that you are in. But from where will His word proceed, from your mouth of course. If you speak out that God has done this trouble to you then how is He going to solve it. For then you will be siding with the one responsible for your problem, Satan.

“Therefore we will not fear”, we are not alone in this problem. God is with us leading and guiding us, what can cause us to fear in the very presence of God? Nothing, Romans 8:37-39 sums it up in another way. We win.

Romans 8:37-39

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So then if it is not God who is responsible for all the problems that we face on the earth today, and if is not God who allows them, then who? The word of God declares the trouble maker to be Satan, the god of this world system.

The word Satan means, adversary, opponent, the hater, accuser, one who resists, obstructs and hinders anything that is good.

Satan’s ability to work within an individual lies in the reception of that person in allowing him to do any of thing which would hinder their walk with God.

Many people become the instrument by which satan can perform his evil work, but he is the convict, the law breaker the one who fell and can never be redeemed.

We must understand that there is a difference between an instrument and a culprit.

Mark 8:31-33 Peter was the instrument, satan the culprit.

Luke 13:10-17, Satan had bound this daughter of Abraham 18 years.

John 6:70, Judas was an apostle with all the power and abilities of the apostle (Matthew 10:1) yet Satan could take him.

Acts 5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira spirit filled members of the first church, yet lost their lives because they became instruments of the devil. In some cases it is not enough to just blame the devil, we need to own up to our own involvement with him so that we might get free.

2 Corinthians 12:7 A messenger of Satan sent to cause Paul trouble.

1 Timothy 5:9-15 Women who were turn aside after satan, called silly.

1 John 3:8, If you commit sin you are being used as an instrument of the devil.

WHEN YOU BEGIN TO BLAME SATAN FOR YOUR PROBLEMS THEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.

BUT WHY

But why all the problems, the answer is simply jealousy, Satan is jealous of man for God has given to man what was once Satan=s.

Ezekiel 28:11-19: (Lamas Translation ) Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of wisdom and the crown of beauty. You have been in Eden, the Garden of God; you were decked with every precious stone, the sardius, the topaz, and the emerald, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire and pearls; and have filled your treasuries with gold and your chests with precious stones; you had all these things from the day you were created. You were with the anointed cherub that shelters; and I have set you on the holy mountain of God; and you were safe in the midst of the stones of fire. You were prefect in your ways from the day that you were created till iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise you have filled your land with iniquity and you have sinned therefore I will cast you from the mountain of God; and I will destroy you, O sheltering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Since your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, now your wisdom and your beauty are corrupted; I will cast you to the ground before kings, that you may be a spectacle before them. By the multitude of your frauds, and by the iniquity of your traffic, you have defiled your sanctuary; therefore I will bring forth a fire from the midst of you, and it shall devour you, and I will reduce you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all those who see you. All who know you among the people shall be astonished at you; you shall be brought to destruction and you never shall be any more.

As Satan twisted his purpose he also twisted the reason he was created, from sheltering to bring destruction. As with all fallen being they cannot lose their nature or what the purpose was for their creation. If the being was created for worship then a fallen being will be one of twisted worship. Instead of worshipping God they will induce worship to anything that is not of God thus forcing idolatry upon their victim. If the fallen being was one created for protection then their purpose becomes twisted and they seek to harm. If the fallen being was originally created to serve and give their twisted thinking is now that of taking and stealing.

The entire battles continues to blaze over the anointing. For as the verse describes the entire purpose of the anointing is to shelter, shelter you from all the problems and situations of life. The anointing was the reason for Jesus to come and bring back the anointing to man.

Luke 4:18-19

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The anointing releases you from all your troubles and come to bring you into life, not just the get by kind of life, but the ZOE life of God. The God kind of Life. All burdens and yoke are destroyed and you walk into victory.

Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

John 8:30-32,

30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It is not the truth that makes you free, it is the truth that you know that will make you free. So go to the light of the world and use His words and come to know them then you truly will be free.

You have the power to render the trouble that Satan brings in your life powerless.

Luke 10:19

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. speak the word and Satan must obey.

It is the speaking and living in the Word that God uses to bring you into victory.

Mark 16:15-20

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

19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

It is always the word that the Lord will work with and confirm or establish. If you speak the word in faith He will work with that word for if gives Him something to base the desire answer upon. It is His base to build thereon. Then once He has build the solution He establishes that as the indisputable fact in your life. What He says is the final word the ever needs to be spoken over it from that point forward.

Our worries are over when we come to belive and place our dependence in God that He will do as His Word declares, His Word says:

He will rebuke the devourer on our behalf when we tithe: Malachi 3:11

He will crush satan under our feet. Romans 16:20

He will hold the devil in chain 1000 years. Revelation 20:2 c/f Isaiah 24:21

He will forever destroy all the work and influence the enemy has. Revelation 20:7-10

We maintain the power through the Blood, the name of Jesus to continue to defeat the enemy

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give

Mark 6:13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Something to Ponder on the End Times

Ron Kalenuik — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:13:03 +0000

The Sign Of The Times

There can be little doubt left in anyone’s mind that we are now living in the final ages, the last times, the end of the age. As this century comes to a rapid conclusion many of the prophecy of scripture are taking place before our very eyes. Those who ignore what they see are in danger of losing their lives forever. Those who will heed and act upon the warnings will see the Kingdom of Christ ushered in and will rule for a thousand years along side of the Prince of Peace, The Lord of Lords and King of Kings, His name is Jesus Christ.

Those who have chosen to remain with their heads in the sand as an ostrich will of course miss the last day signs, and therefore place themselves in jeopardy of losing their very lives. All of the end time signs of are given to us in scripture. Many of them Jesus showed us in His instruction given to the disciples found in Matthew 24.

From Matthew 23 we find the disciples, confused and perplexed over the scathing judgement that Jesus had just pronounced upon the Jewish rulers and those of the priesthood. They took Jesus over the brook Kidron to the Mount of Olives to show Jesus the splendour of Jerusalem, the great temple. There Jesus began to tell them of the events and destruction that would soon come upon the city and country. In an attempt to understand greater what Jesus had just explained to them the disciples asked Jesus a three cord question, “When shall these things be, What will be the sign of your coming, and the end of the world”? Then Jesus went into what is now known as the Olivet discourse to answer these three very important questions.

Question 1, When will these things be? Jesus had just told His disciples that Jerusalem would be destroyed and Herod’s great temple would be pulled down with not one of it’s magnificent marble stones remain standing. These stones were so great that it took 1,000 wagons and 10,000 men to work with them. They were 25 cubits long (94 ft), 8 cubits high (10 1/2 ft), and 12 cubits wide (13 ft) of solid marble, see Josephus, (Antiquities of The Jews, book xv, chapter xi, paragraph 3). So to comprehend such a great destruction was certainly difficult, therefore the question was very fair, although Matthew quotes the question asked he does give the response Jesus gave, for that we must go to Luke.

Luke 21:12-24, The destruction Jesus told of, happened in A.D.70, verse 22 sums it up as the days of vengeance. Had the Jews accepted Jesus and the mercy that He came to give, no vengeance would have been necessary, however they did not, therefore these days would be known as the days of vengeance for the rejection and rebellion against Christ Jesus. From 605 BC (during the days of Nebuchadnezzar) until today Israel has had some kind of Gentile control placed upon it. Today that pressure and control comes via the finances of America and western countries. One example is that Israel had to do as they were instructed to do while under attack from Sadam Hussien during the Gulf war, something that Israel does not usually listen to. This no doubt took place under the threat of an American withdrawal of their wealth. Although it was excused as the Arabians would side with Sadam if the Israelites entered the war and possibly cause an escalation of the war. Time after time God has delivered this nation from their enemies and would have done so as well during that war.

Since Israel became a nation again on May 14 1948 they have been besieged with war. The day after becoming a nation they were attacked by five armies, God delivered them. Yet they have been under attack since, politically or economically or in actual battle, always seeing the delivering hand of God working for them, yet one must ask, Do they recognize it as such?

Although what Luke said here deals with the Roman siege of Jerusalem, much of what Matthew said deals with the second coming of Christ and the days just prior to His return, the days of the great tribulation. (We examine these topic later).

All of what Luke has quoted was fulfilled and the temple destroyed, right down to the stones being removed and the ground ploughed under so even the marking of the foundation would be lost from sight.

Question 2, What shall be the sign of thy coming? This question also had a response that the disciples possibly did not want to hear, for Jesus went on to give many prophecies that would be difficult at best to accept. For those who would have to go through the fulfilment of them just living would become life’s greatest challenge, and to die a blessing.

The debate over this question continues to rage, Were they enquiring to the second coming of Christ or does this refer to the rapture? Having the luxury of hindcite many today believe that what was in discussion here is the second coming of Christ, (a subject we will deal with later).

First we must deal with the signs and the first sign is a warning of great deception.

Duplicity, The Gleaning Away the Believer

From verse 4, 5, 11 & 23-26 we find that Jesus first warns the listener of Duplicity in man. This is chicanery, crafty guile, deception, fraud, or trickery. The Greek word used here is “plano”, which is: to cause another to roam from safety, truth or virtue, it is to seduce one out of the way and to cause one to wander and err. The root word is, “plane”, (plan’ ay) which means: fraudulence, a straying from piety (spirituality), to deceive by deceit, delusion or error. Such a person would have been known as a “plans”, one who is a roving deceiver (a tramp), an imposter, or a misleader, a seducer. In today’s language such a one who be called a con-man, Fagin, deceiver, a swindler, or even a pimp as the church deceived prostitutes itself with the system of the world established by the anti-christ.

The world is full of duplicity, today many false Christs have appeared and lead to their deaths untold thousands of deceived people. David Koresh, Jim Jones, Sun Yung Moon, those of the New Age, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and many others have deceived much of the world into believing that there are other ways to God rather than going through Jesus Christ His Son, they are dead wrong, He is the only way.

There arises out of California alone one new religion every three days, many of which are leading the masses into final and everlasting destruction. Man has been deceived in many ways, believing that Satan is the brother of Jesus and therefore will obtain eternal salvation, believing that they may contact God through the means nature, finding God in the rocks (ie. New age crystal gazing) or trees, (totem poles) they in reality are just recycling very old and worn out ideas that Satan has used for thousands of years to bring man into his dark realm.

All who trade in duplicity attempt to masquerade it as the seeing of Christ within themselves or that they too are christs and therefore gods. Therefore we see many false christ arise today. They are simply the signal that Jesus had warned us of, beware of those who claim He is here or there. Although they possess the ability to work what appears to be miracles they are living under delusion and are frauds in the sight of God. Such a person is Reveen who filled the Jubilee Auditorium five times . Deceiving thousands of people here and wherever he goes.

But Reveen is but a small trickster in the scheme of things. There is coming one who we will know as anti-christ, for he will stand in opposition to all that Jesus Christ stood for. Scripture gives many warnings of such individuals, 2 Thessalonians 2-3:3-16, here we find the Apostle Paul giving fair warning of who we should follow or not.

Verse 2:3-12 The Anti-christ:

vs.3, He is called the man of sin, because he will embody all that is sinful. He will permit and even influence those who choose to live sinfully. He most likely will be a homosexual as this will be one of the eminent sins of man foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24 and Paul in Romans 1.

vs.3, He is called the son of perdition, the Greek word is “Apoleia” which means damnable, damnation, ruin or loss, destruction or waste. This man possessed by Satan himself will lead all mankind into damnable lifestyles which will result in their destruction. c/f 2 Peter 2:1-12

vs.4, He will be an opposer to God, as such he will make war against the church and cause all of his followers to persecute the church in all ends of the earth. Anti-christian attacks will become equal to anti-semitism, Christian and Jew will be held in equal disgust by the world. Notice that today both are held in ill light and continue under great stress from media and Hollywood, whereas eastern religion and cults are held in high esteem, ie. the Dali Lama paraded through Hollywood as some kind of superstar.

Because the anti-christ is an opposer of God he will think nothing of believing himself to be above God and even god. Therefore he will make man to worship him as god and will even set up an idol of himself in temple of God in Jerusalem. Causing delusion in himself and his worshippers. Fascism will be his instrument of rule.

vs.7, He will be possessed with a spirit of lawlessness, He will be the law into Himself. As God’s laws mean nothing to him and he considers himself above them, mans laws therefore will mean even less. His path and way will be ushered in by those who are possessed of Satan and who believe that the law is only for their benefit. Many practising witches, Occult followers and the like will occupy positions of power in all governments, enabling the anti-christ to take power of all countries. This should of little surprise when we see such parties as The Natural Law Party running for office, a party completely possessed by the influence of Satanic worship through transcendental meditation. Many politicians have had sooth-sayers, seers, and such as advisors on their paid staff. McKenize King of Canada, Ronald Regan of United States are just two examples.

The anti-christ will thrive in realms of lawlessness, for he will show himself as the defender of the law and will come and take possession of lands given freely over to him if he will control the law breakers. Crime will run rampant, weak and meaningless laws such as the Canadian young offenders act will be passed giving lawlessness strong root to grow. If not for the gospel and those who will stand unashamed for it, the anti-christ would have possession of this world today. c/f Romans 1:15-32

Lawlessness will not however have its complete way until He who prevents it is removed out of the way of the anti-christ. Who is he who will be removed, is it the Holy Spirit? No, the Holy Spirits work must continue as the anti-christ is revealed and then right on through his seven year reign. The one that must be removed is the church, before the anti-christ can gain control over the world the church will be taken away in rapture. Then and only then will the anti-christ be able to totally control the governments of this world.

vs.8, He will remain in charge until the return of Christ Jesus, at which time he will be destroyed. This will occur at the battle of Armageddon, we see this in our study of Revelation.

vs.9-12, He will be completely at Satan’s bid and will be Satan’s last attempt of world domination. This will be Satan’s final dictator, fascism is: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, segmenting all industry, commerce, etc. and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism. (Websters dictionary) Satan will equip him with supernatural powers enabling him to do wonders which enforces the deception and therefore misleads even more people. The 16th century prophet; Nostradamus, predicted a third anti-christ, born in Jerusalem on February 04 1962 of non-Jewish parents. He is scheduled to appear some time in 1995 according to this prophet. His name according to Nostradamus is Mabus, mabush, or maw-boosh, in Hebrew the name means secret parts, the male pudenda, thus a direct reference to his homosexuality lifestyle.

We know that the antichrist rule will be one of fascism because fascism is a twisting of God’s theocratic kingdom or rule. God will rule in theocracy, a theocracy in it’s purest sense is a society where there is complete harmony in church and state. Harmony because it is ruled by God, c/f Isaiah 33:22. No matter who has stewardship over Gods property they are still subject to God and will answer to God, ie. the kings of the old testament although in charge answered to the God inspired prophets. God maintained authority, therefore when something was not as it should be, or an enemy would show their ugly heads, their right was to go to God and expect Him to deliver, heal, or make them prosperous so that they would have any and all needs supplied.

The theocracy of God will be based upon two things, A) His covenant with man and B) Eschatology or what His Word has said the final days will be like. It is the fulfilment of all that Christ Jesus has said that will take place at His second coming. The millennium reign of Christ Jesus will be the perfecting of that theocracy before man is placed into a new heaven and a new earth.

Todays church in its purest sense is the theocracy of God here on earth now (although not the complete theocratic kingdom). It is God who rules the church and therefore it is God who provides all that His covenant promises to the body of Christ today. It is from the theocratic kingdom we rule over Satan and his cohorts. It is because the theocratic kingdom of God in church today that prevents the lawlessness of anti-christ from taking complete control now. As long as the church remains, lawlessness can not overcome and rule, but is suppressed and restricted to do the works of darkness in darkness.

Men will follow the anti-christ because they will possess a passionate hatred for the laws of God. They will reject Christ and His theocratic kingdom by the masses. Fuelled by such groups as the Jesus Seminar, ERA, Gay Liberation, Pro-Abortionist, Feminist and the New World Order of New Age groups they will be convinced through the twisting of scripture that Jesus was at the best a good man and at the worst a deceiver of any reasonable thinking, “enlightened” person. Even the church (the deluded church) will get in line to be part of the antichrist campaign against Jesus and His followers.

Others Who Use Duplicity

Verse 3:6, Withdraw from any brother who is found to be disorderly or rebellious. This is a person who markets in duplicity.

Verse 3:11, Stay away from busybodies, the Greek word is “periergazomai” those who interfere with the domestic affairs of others. Those who are meddlers into what is none of their concern or responsibility. These too, market in duplicity, for they through their constant gossip deceive others into believing lies. In most churches this is a conspicuous situation as some persons traffic heavily in another’s circumstances.

Verse 3:14-15, Avoid those who rebel against the word of God, those who merchandise in religion instead of offering a relationship with God.

Let them find shame in what they do so that they may learn from it.

Although you may disassociate yourself from such a one continue to give them the word so that they may come to see true brotherly love. 1 John 2:18-19,

Verse 3:16-18, Unlike any other New Testament book Paul finishes by encouraging us that we must stand against those who trade in duplicity whether it be the great anti-christ or any of the little rebellious ones that come before him.

Although the first sign of the end that Jesus gave was the coming of duplicity that does not mean we live in fear as we have seen gripping the nations today. We have great assurance that those who belong to the theocratic kingdom of God will ever live with Him and ever be loved by Him. We stay knowledgable to the works of satan through anti-christ type persons avoiding them and remaining in love with all who seek after the Kingdom of God. One day very soon we will be like Him and with Him if we remain in Him. 1 John 2:24-29.

SIGN TWO THE FIGHT IS ON

Matthew 24:6-8

Now Jesus gives the second sign, “the beginning of sorrows”. Jesus says that this will be a time for global pain. The Greek word compares it to great travail or like child birth. There will be affliction, grief and hardship like none has ever seen since the beginning of time.

Verse six tells us of the possibility of wars and of course the extent of the rumours of wars. No other time in history has there been such turmoil, fighting and strife between the nations of world.

Jesus begins by telling us that nation would rise against nation, but upon closer examination we find that the Greek word for nation is “ethnos” which means a race of the same habits, in other words a ethnic group of people. Today we see a continual rise in ethnic groups attacking one another. The disastrous situations of Bosnia and Somalia are both caused through ethnic groups at war with one another. In fact the war in Bosnia has made way for a new term that was perviously unheard of, that term is “ethnic cleansing”. Although the term is new, the cause has been around for many centuries, this of course the driving force behind all Holy wars, middle eastern Jihads, or even the attempt to eradicate entire nationalities as Hitler did with the Jews.

There is hardly a nation of the world that does not some kind of internal fighting, Canada and the Natives, English against French, Whites against Blacks, ethnic against ethnic as foretold by Jesus as one of the end times signs.

Then Jesus says kingdom against kingdom, or those of the international community fighting others of the same community. We in this century alone could not count the amount of wars there have been nor the amount of lives and dollars spent in fighting these wars. During the eight wars that U.S.A. has been involved in they have lost more than 652,769 lives at a cost of 1,406,811,000 (1 trillion, 406 billion, 811 million) dollars in today currency. This is just one country, and does not take in account the other countries involved in the conflict. One was not even listed officially as a war but rather as a policing action. (Korea war).

Canada passed a temporary taxing measure to help pay for the cost of world war 1, today we call it the income tax act of Canada. What happens when they begin to pay for World war 2? Jesus gave us clear warning what will happen, and He just called them the beginning of sorrows.

No other time in recorded history has there been as many wars as the 20th century. Since Jesus gave us His warning wars (not local battles as was the destruction of Jerusalem) have numbered as follows: Year A.D. Amount

167 1

406-441 2

533 1

711-787 3

1000-1096 3

1207 & 1267 2

1337-1494 3

1519-1598 3

1642-1697 7

1700-1789 12

1801-1899 18

In Last 100 years:

World War I
Russian Civil War
Finnish Civil War
Cristero War
Spanish Civil War
Irish Civil War
World War II – Germany vs. Poland
World War II – Germany vs. France
World War II – Germany vs. Russia
World War II – Allies vs. Germany
World War II – Allies vs. Italy
World War II – Allies vs. Germany in Africa
World War II – Allies vs. Italy in Africa
World War II – Japan vs. Korea
World War II – Japan vs. China
World War II – Japan vs. Philippines
World War II – Allies vs. Japan
World War II – Japanese theatre
China Civil War
Greek Civil War
Costa Rican War
1948 War of Independence (Israel)
Sinai War (Israel)
Kasmir War (India/Pakistan)
Chinese Occupation of Tibet (whether this is a war is a contested subject)
Korean Civil War (involving Russian, China and the U.S., too)
Sino-Indian War
Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
Vietnam Civil War (involving France and then the U.S., too)
Cambodian Civil War
Guatamalan Civil War
Six Day War (Israel/Many middle-east countries)
War of Attritian (Israel/Egypt)
Yom Kippur War (Israel/Egypt/Syria)
Nigerian Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
Algerian Civil War
First Sudanese Civil War
First Lebanon War (Israel)
East Timor (Indonesia/East Timor)
Russia-Afghanistan War
Salvador Civil War
Ethiopian Civil War
Falkan War (Britain/Argentina)
Iran-Iraq War
US-Iraq Kuwait Liberation War
Sierra Leone Civil War
Serbian War
Rwandan Civil War
Kargil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
US-Iraq Occupation War
Second Lebanon War (Israel)
US-Afghanistan War

These are just the most major wars, if all the battles were to be listed it would take two 1000 page volumes.

World War 1 was the war to end all wars, or so they said. Yet only two decades later the world was reeling in the next war to end all wars, and since then there has not been a single month in this worlds present history where man was not at war with other men.

Jesus went on to say that man would be plagued by famines, and natural disasters during the time before His return. Famines are listed first for with every natural disaster comes a shortage of food or what is necessary to sustain life. Jesus said this would greatly increase during the last days, and just as we saw with wars during the last century there have been more than any other time in recorded history it is also true with natural disasters.

Look at just the earthquakes recorded in the past 100 years alone beginning with the latest in Japan.

2011 03 11 – East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 9.0 Fatalities c24,000 (tbc)

2011 01 18 – Balochistan, Pakistan – M 7.2 Fatalities 2
2011 01 13 – New Caledonia – M 7.0
2011 01 02 – Araucania , Chile – M 7.1
2011 01 01 – Santiago del Estero, Argentina – M 7.0
2010 12 25 – New Caledonia Vanuatu – M 7.3
2010 12 21 – Bonin Is , Japan – M 7.4
2010 10 25 – Sumatra – M 7.7 Fatalities 435
2010 09 03 – West of Christchurch, New Zealand – M 7.1
2010 08 13 – Mariano Islands, – M 7.2
2010 07 23 – Moro Gulf, Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.6 (max)
2010 07 18 – New Britain, Papua New Guinea – M 7.3
2010 05 09 – Northern Sumatra, Indonesia – M 7.2
2010 04 04 – Baja California, Mexico – M 7.2 Fatalities 2
2010 02 27 – Offshore Maule, Chile – M 8.8 Fatalities 507
2010 01 12 – Haiti region – M 7.0 Fatalities 222,570
2010 01 03 – Solomon Islands – M 7.1
2009 11 09 – Fiji – M 7.3
2009 10 07 – Santa Cruz Islands and Vanuatu – M 7.8 / M 7.7 / M 7.4
2009 09 30 – Southern Sumatra, Indonesia – M 7.5 Fatalities 1,117
2009 09 29 – Western Samoa – M 8.1
2009 09 02 – Java, Indonesia – M 7.0 Fatalities 72
2009 08 10 – Andaman Islands, India region – M 7.5
2009 08 09 – Near the South Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.1
2009 07 15 – Off West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand – M 7.8
2009 05 28 – Offshore Honduras – M 7.3 Fatalities 7
2009 03 19 – Tonga region – M 7.6
2009 02 11 – Kepulauan Talaud, Indonesia – M 7.2
2009 01 15 – East of the Kuril Islands – M 7.4
2009 01 03 – Near the North Coast of Papua, Indonesia – M 7.6 Fatalities 5
2008 11 24 – Sea of Okhotsk – M 7.3
2008 11 16 – Minahasa, Sulawesi, Indonesia – M 7.3 Fatalities 6
2008 09 29 – Kermadec Islands, New Zealand – M 7.0
2008 07 19 – East coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0 Fatalities 30
2008 07 05 – Sea of Okhotsk – M 7.7
2008 06 30 – East of the South Sandwich Islands – M 7.0
2008 05 12 – Eastern Sichuan, China – M 7.9 Fatalities 87,000+
2008 04 12 – Macquaried Island region – M 7.1
2008 04 09 – Loyalty Islands – M 7.3
2008 03 20 – Xinjiang-Xizang border region – M 7.2
2008 02 20 – Simeulue, Indonesia – M 7.4 Fatalities 3

2007 12 19 – Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska – M 7.2
2007 12 09 – South of the Fiji Islands – M 7.8
2007 11 29 – Martinique Region, Windward Islands – M 7.4 Fatalities 1
2007 11 14 – Antofagasta, Chile – M 7.7 Fatalities 2
2007 10 31 – Pagan Region, Northern Mariana Islands – M 7.2
2007 09 30 – Auckland Islands, New Zealand region – M 7.4
2007 09 28 – Mariana Islands region (Japan) – M 7.4
2007 09 12 – Southern Sumatra, Indonesia – M 8.4 Fatalities 25
2007 09 02 – Santa Cruz Islands – M 7.2
2007 08 15 – Near the Coast of Central Peru – M 8.0 Fatalities 450
2007 08 08 – Java, Indonesia – M 7.5
2007 08 01 – Vanuatu – M 7.2
2007 04 01 – Solomon Islands – M 8.1 Fatalities 40
2007 03 25 – Vanuatu – M 7.1
2007 01 21 – Molucca Sea – M 7.5 Fatalities 4
2007 01 13 – East of the Kuril Islands – M 8.1
2006 12 26 – Taiwan Region – M 7.1
2006 11 15 – Kuril Islands – M 8.3
2006 08 20 – Scotia Sea – M 7.0
2006 07 17 – South of Java, Indonesia – M 7.7
2006 05 16 – Kermadec Islands Region – M 7.4
2006 05 03 – Tonga – M 8.0
2006 04 20 – Koryakia, Russia – M 7.6
2006 02 22 – Mozambique – M 7.0
2006 01 27 – Banda Sea – M 7.6
2006 01 02 – East of South Sandwich Islands – M 7.4
2005 11 14 – Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0
2005 10 08 – Pakistan – M 7.6 Fatalities 80,361
2005 09 26 – Northern Peru – M 7.5
2005 09 09 – New Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea – M 7.6
2005 08 16 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.2
2005 07 24 – Nicobar Islands, India Region – M 7.3
2005 07 13 – Tarapaca, Chile – M 7.8
2005 06 15 – Off the Coast of Northern California – M 7.2
2005 06 13 – Tarapaca, Chile – M 7.8
2005 03 28 – Northern Sumatra, Indonesia – M 8.6 Fatalities 1,313
2005 03 02 – Banda Sea – M 7.1
2004 12 26 – Sumatra-Andaman Islands – M 9.1 Fatalities 283,106
2004 12 23 – North of Macquarie Island – M 8.1
2004 11 28 – Hokkaido, Japan Region – M 7.0
2004 11 26 – Papua, Indonesia – M 7.1
2004 11 22 – Off West Coast of South Island, N.Z. – M 7.1
2004 11 15 – Near the West Coast of Colombia – M 7.2
2004 11 11 – Kepulauan Alor, Indonesia – M 7.5
2004 09 05 – Near the South Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.4
2004 07 25 – Southern Sumatra, Indonesia – M 7.3
2004 02 07 – Irian Jaya, Indonesia – M 7.3
2003 12 27 – Southeast of the Loyalty Islands – M 7.3
2003 11 17 – Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska – M 7.8
2003 10 31 – Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0
2003 09 27 – Russia-Kazakhstan-Xinjiang Border Region – M 7.3
2003 09 25 – Hokkaido, Japan Region – M 8.3
2003 08 21 – South Island of New Zealand – M 7.2
2003 08 04 – Scotia Sea – M 7.5
2003 07 15 – Carlsberg Ridge – M 7.6
2003 06 20 – Amazonas, Brazil – M 7.1
2003 05 26 – Halmahera, Indonesia – M 7.0
2003 05 26 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0
2003 03 17 – Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska – M 7.0
2003 01 22 – Tecoman, Colima, Mexico – M 7.8
2003 01 20 – Solomon Islands – M 7.3
2002 11 16 – Kuril Islands, Russia – M 7.5
2002 11 03 – Denali Fault, Alaska – M 7.9
2002 11 02 – Northern Sumatera, Indonesia – M 7.5
2002 10 10 – Irian Jaya, Indonesia – M 7.6
2002 09 08 – New Guinea, Papua New Guinea – M 7.6
2002 08 19 – Fiji Islands – M 7.7
2002 06 28 – Priamurye-Northeastern China border region – M 7.2
2002 04 26 – Mariana Islands – M 7.1
2002 03 31 – Northern Taiwan – M 7.1
2002 03 05 – Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.5
2002 03 03 – Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan – M 7.4
2002 01 02 – Vanuatu Islands – M 7.3
2001 07 07 – Near the Coast of Peru – M 7.6
2001 06 23 – Near the Coast of Peru – M 8.4 Fatalities 75
2001 01 26 – Gujarat, India – M 7.7
2001 01 13 – El Salvador – M 7.7 Fatalities 844
2001 01 01 – Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.5
2000 11 16 – New Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea – M 8.0
2000 06 18 – South Indian Ocean – M 7.9
2000 06 04 – Southern Sumatera, Indonesia – M 7.9
1999 11 12 – Duzce, Turkey – M 7.2 Fatalities 894
1999 10 16 – Hector Mine, California – M 7.1
1999 09 30 – Oaxaca, Mexico – M 7.5
1999 09 20 – Taiwan – M 7.6 Fatalities 2,400
1999 08 17 – Izmit, Turkey – M 7.6 Fatalities 17,118
1999 06 15 – Central Mexico – M 7.0
1999 05 16 – New Britain region, Papua New Guinea – M 7.1
1999 02 06 – Santa Cruz Islands – M 7.3
1998 08 04 – Near Coast of Ecuador – M 7.2
1998 07 17 – Near North Coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea – M 7.0 Fatalities 2,183
1998 05 03 – Southeast of Taiwan – M 7.5
1998 04 25 – Balleny Islands Region – M 8.1
1998 01 30 – Near Coast of Northern Chile – M 7.1
1998 01 04 – Loyalty Islands Region – M 7.5
1997 12 05 – Near East Coast of Kamchatka – M 7.8
1997 10 14 – South of Fiji Islands – M 7.8
1997 07 09 – Near Coast of Venezuela – M 7.0
1997 05 10 – Northern Iran – M 7.3 Fatalities 1,560

1996 06 10 – Andreanof Islands, Alaska – M 7.9
1995 05 27 – Sakhalin Island – M 7.5 Fatalities 1,989
1994 06 09 – Bolivia – M 8.2 Fatalities 5
1993 08 08 – South of the Mariana Islands – M 7.8
1992 12 12 – Flores Region, Indonesia – M 7.5 Fatalities 2,500
1992 09 02 – Nicaragua – M 7.6 Fatalities 116
1992 06 28 – Landers, California – M 7.3 Fatalities 3
1992 04 25 – Cape Mendocino, California – M 7.2
1991 10 19 – Northern India – M 7.0 Fatalities 2,000
1990 07 16 – Luzon, Philippine Islands – M 7.8 Fatalities 1,621
1990 06 20 – Western Iran – M 7.7 Fatalities 50,000
1988 03 06 – Gulf of Alaska – M 7.7
1987 11 30 – Gulf of Alaska – M 7.8
1987 03 06 – Colombia-Ecuador – M 7.0 Fatalities 1,000
1986 05 07 – Andreanof Islands, Alaska – M 7.9
1985 09 19 – Michoacan, Mexico – M 8.0 Fatalities 9,500
1981 07 28 – southern Iran – M 7.3 Fatalities 1,500
1980 11 08 – Humboldt County, California – M 7.2
1980 10 10 – El Asnam (formerly Orleansville), Algeria – M 7.7 Fatalities 3,500
1979 05 20 – Alaska Peninsula – M 7.0
1979 02 28 – Mt. St. Elias, Alaska – M 7.6
1978 09 16 – Iran – M 7.8 Fatalities 15,000
1977 11 23 – San Juan, Argentina – M 7.4
1977 03 04 – Romania – M 7.2 Fatalities 1,500

1976 11 24 – Turkey-Iran border region – M 7.3 Fatalities 5,000
1976 08 16 – Mindanao, Philippines – M 7.9 Fatalities 8,000
1976 07 27 – Tangshan, China – M 7.5 Fatalities 255,000
1976 06 25 – Papua, Indonesia – M 7.1 Fatalities 5,000
1976 02 04 – Guatemala – M 7.5 Fatalities 23,000
1975 11 29 – Kalapana, Hawaii – M 7.2 Fatalities 2
1975 02 04 – China – M 7.0 Fatalities 10,000
1975 02 02 – Near Islands, Alaska – M 7.6
1974 10 03 – Near the Coast of Central Peru – M 7.6
1972 07 30 – Sitka, Alaska – M 7.6
1972 04 10 – southern Iran – M 7.1 Fatalities 5,054
1970 07 31 – Colombia – M 8.0
1970 06 24 – S of Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada – M 7.0
1970 05 31 – Peru – M 7.9 Fatalities 66,000
1970 01 04 – Yunnan Province, China – M 7.5 Fatalities 10,000
1969 02 28 – Portugal-Morocco area – M 7.8 Fatalities 13
1968 08 31 – Iran – M 7.3 Fatalities 12,000
1967 07 22 – Turkey – M 7.0
1966 10 17 – Near the Coast of Peru – M 8.1
1966 08 19 – Varto, Turkey – M 7.1 Fatalities 2,520
1966 08 07 – Rat Islands, Alaska – M 7.0
1965 03 30 – Rat Islands, Alaska – M 7.3
1965 02 04 – Rat Islands, Alaska – M 8.7
1964 06 16 – Niigata, Japan – M 7.5 Fatalities 26
1964 03 28 – Prince William Sound, Alaska – M 9.2 Fatalities 125
1963 10 13 – Kuril Islands – M 8.5
1962 09 01 – Qazvin, Iran – M 7.3 Fatalities 12,230
1960 05 22 – Chile – M 9.5 Fatalities 5,700
1959 08 18 – Hebgen Lake, Montana – M 7.3 Fatalities 28
1958 11 06 – Kuril Islands – M 8.3
1958 07 10 – Lituya Bay, Alaska – M 7.7 Fatalities 5
1958 04 07 – Huslia, Alaska – M 7.3
1957 12 13 – Iran – M 7.3 Fatalities 1,130
1957 12 04 – Gobi-Altai, Mongolia – M 8.1 Fatalities 30
1957 07 02 – Iran – M 7.4 Fatalities 1,200
1957 03 16 – Andreanof Islands, Alaska – M 7.0
1957 03 09 – Andreanof Islands, Alaska – M 8.6
1954 12 16 – Fairview Peak, Nevada – M 7.1
1954 03 29 – Spain – M 7.9
1953 08 10 – Kefalonia Greece – M 7.2 from 8th to 12th. Fatalities 476
1953 03 18 – Western Turkey – M 7.3 Fatalities 1,103
1953 01 05 – Near Islands, Alaska – M 7.1
1952 11 04 – Kamchatka – M 9.0
1952 07 21 – Kern County, California – M 7.3 Fatalities 12
1950 08 15 – Assam – Tibet – M 8.6 Fatalities 1,526
1949 08 22 – Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada – M 8.1
1949 08 17 – Turkey – M 7.1
1949 07 10 – Khait, Tajikistan – M 7.5 Fatalities 12,000
1949 04 13 – Puget Sound, Washington – M 7.1 Fatalities 8
1948 10 05 – Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – M 7.3 Fatalities 110,000
1948 06 28 – Fukui, Japan – M 7.3 Fatalities 5,390
1947 10 16 – Wood River, Alaska – M 7.2
1946 12 20 – Nankaido, Japan – M 8.1 Fatalities 1,330
1946 11 10 – Ancash, Peru – M 7.3 Fatalities 1,400
1946 08 04 – Dominican Republic – M 8.0 Fatalities 100
1946 06 23 – Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada – M 7.3
1946 04 01 – Unimak Island, Alaska – M 8.1 Fatalities 165
1945 11 27 – Off the coast of Pakistan – M 8.0 Fatalities 4,000
1945 01 12 – Mikawa, Japan – M 7.1 Fatalities 1,900
1944 12 07 – Tonankai, Japan – M 8.1 Fatalities 1,223
1944 02 01 – Turkey – M 7.4 Fatalities 2,800
1944 01 15 – San Juan, Argentina – M 7.8 Fatalities 5,000
1943 11 26 – Turkey – M 7.6 Fatalities 4,000
1943 11 03 – Skwenta, Alaska – M 7.4
1943 09 10 – Tottori, Japan – M 7.4 Fatalities 1,190
1942 12 20 – Erbaa, Turkey – M 7.3 Fatalities 3,000
1942 11 26 – Turkey – M 7.6 Fatalities 4,000
1940 11 10 – Romania – M 7.3 Fatalities 1,000
1940 05 19 – Imperial Valley, California – M 7.1 Fatalities 9
1939 12 26 – Erzincan, Turkey – M 7.8 Fatalities 32,700
1939 01 25 – Chillan, Chile – M 7.8 Fatalities 28,000

1938 11 10 – Shumagin Islands, Alaska – M 8.2
1938 02 01 – Banda Sea, Indonesia – M 8.5
1937 07 22 – Central Alaska – M 7.3
1935 05 30 – Quetta, Pakistan – M 7.5 Fatalities 60,000
1935 04 20 – Formosa – M 7.1 Fatalities 3,280
1934 05 04 – Chugach Mountains, Alaska – M 7.1
1934 01 15 – Bihar, India – M 8.1 Fatalities 10,700
1933 11 20 – Baffin Bay, Canada – M 7.4
1933 08 25 – China – M 7.4 Fatalities 10,000
1933 03 02 – Sanriku, Japan – M 8.4 Fatalities 2,990
1932 12 25 – Gansu, China – M 7.6 Fatalities 70,000
1932 12 21 – Cedar Mountain, Nevada – M 7.2
1931 02 02 – Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand – M 7.9 Fatalities 256
1930 05 06 – Iran – M 7.2 Fatalities 2,500
1929 11 18 – Grand Banks, Nova Scotia, Canada – M 7.3
1929 05 26 – South of Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada – M 7.0
1929 05 01 – Iran – M 7.4 Fatalities 3,300
1929 03 07 – Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska – M 7.8
1927 11 04 – Lompoc, California – M 7.1
1927 10 24 – Southeast Alaska – M 7.1
1927 05 22 – Tsinghai, China – M 7.9 Fatalities 200,000
1927 03 07 – Tango, Japan – M 7.6 Fatalities 3,020
1925 03 16 – Yunnan, China – M 7.1 Fatalities 5,000
1923 09 01 – Kanto (Kwanto), Japan – M 7.9 Fatalities 143,000
1923 03 24 – China – M 7.3 Fatalities 5,000
1923 02 03 – Kamchatka – M 8.5
1923 01 22 – Humbolt County, California – M 7.2
1922 11 11 – Chile-Argentina Border – M 8.0
1922 01 31 – Eureka, California – M 7.3
1920 12 16 – Gansu, China – M 7.8 Fatalities 200,000
1918 12 06 – Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada – M 7.0
1918 10 11 – Mona Passage – M 7.5 Fatalities 116
1918 02 13 – Kwangtung (Guangdong), China – M 7.3 Fatalities 10,000
1917 01 21 – Bali, Indonesia – MMI of IX . Fatalities approx 15,000
1915 10 03 – Pleasant Valley, Nevada – M 7.1
1915 01 13 – Avezzano, Italy – M 7.0 Fatalities 30,000
1912 08 09 – Marmara Sea – M 7.8 Fatalities 1,950
1912 07 07 – Paxson, Alaska – M 7.2
1910 09 09 – Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska – M 7.0
1909 01 23 – Iran – M 7.3 Fatalities 5,500
1908 12 28 – Messina, Itlay – M 7.2 Fatalities 70,000
1908 05 15 – Gulf of Alaska – M 7.0
1907 10 21 – Tajikistan – M 8.0 Fatalities 12,000
1906 08 17 – Valparaiso, Chile – M 8.2 Fatalities 20,000
1906 04 18 – San Francisco, California – M 7.8 Fatalities 3000
1906 03 16 – Kagi, Formosa – M 7.1 Fatalities 1,300
1906 01 31 – Off the Coast of Ecuador – M 8.8 Fatalities 1,000
1905 09 08 – Calabria, Italy – M 7.9 Fatalities 2,500
1905 07 09 – Mongolia – M 8.4
1905 04 04 – Kangra, India – M 7.5 Fatalities 19,000
1904 08 27 – Fairbanks, Alaska – M 7.3
1902 04 19 – Guatemala – M 7.5 Fatalities 2,000
1901 12 31 – Cook Inlet, Alaska – M 7.1

Once again these are but just a few as they are only the most major recorded events. Along with each comes a great toll in lives and the to rebuilt. The most recent earthquake in Japan cost an estimate of 13 billion dollars in damage. How terrible are the times we now live in, yet how much better they truly will be as compared to that of the tribulation period.

We of course have an understanding that the wars and disasters we face today will be much worse during that final days leading up to the real war that will end all wars “Armageddon”.

Revelation 16:13-16.

So let us examine this final war, in order to so we must first go to Ezekiel, the 38th & 39th chapters. Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39

Verses Statement

38:1-7 History and grouping of the attacking Anti-christ lead army.

38:8-9 The strategy of the attack.

38:10-13 The purpose of Gog.

38:14-16 The attack.

38:17-22 The destruction of Gog.

38:23 God’s glorification, sanctification and declaration.

39:1-6 A reiteration of God’s fury and Gogs destruction.

39:7-10 The spoils of war, the fuelling of a nation for seven years.

39:11-16 Seven months of burning the dead then steady employment thereafter for some to clean up any remains.

39:17-20 God’s celebration.

39:21-24 Israel’s justification through-out the world.

39:25-29 Israel’s return and conversion.

Much of this we will examine closer as we study Revelation chapters 16-20. For now though we must ask this one question, who is Gog? There has been much speculation as to who Gog is, many believe that Gog and Magog will be the country of Russia however examination of scripture will show that Gog is not a country but rather the Anti-christ who fuels the countries of the world and leads them to destruction.

The prophet Daniel shows that he will rise from within the divided kingdom of the new Roman Empire the will be a part of the 10 nations ruling power over which the anti-christ is the dictator. Daniel 7:19-25, 8:20-25

Russia is not nor has ever been a part of this empire. Although Russia may be a part of the attacking armies sent against Israel scripture shows clearly that she is not instigator of the attack, that it is Gog.

He descends from the Roman empire which came about from the spilt of the Greek empire lead by Alexander the Great. The division of the Greek empire was made up by four, Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. (Old Syria is modern day Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran).

Gog has been named in other parts of scripture as:

The Prince or King of the North Daniel 7,8,9 & 11

The man of sin, the son of perdition 2 Thessalonians 2

The King of Babylon Isaiah 13 & 14

The Assyrian Micah 5

The Anti-christ 1 John 2

The beast Revelation 13

We must not forget that the anti-christ comes from the final world power of Daniel’s prophecy of seven world powers:

Daniel 2:38

Two came before Egypt and Assyria

The head Babylon

Arms & Breast Medo-Persian

Belly & Thighs Grecian

Legs Old Roman Empire

Feet & Toes Modern Roman Empire

As the Anti-christ comes out from the Modern Roman Empire represented by the clay and Iron feet and toes we see that he is an elected official. Clay is representative of democracy and iron of dictatorial rule. So then the Anti-christ then is placed into power by the people, once there he will change all rules and laws giving himself supreme power.

We saw from Ezekiel that Gog is the chief prince of Meshech. In order that we have a clear understanding that this man Gog is anti-christ we must trace his roots.

So then Gog is the son of Meshech the son of Japheth the son of Noah. Japheth means enlargement, this we certainly see as Japheth sons spread across the world forming many nations from their descendants.

NOAH, means rest.

Father of: Shem, Ham, Japheth

──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Japheth, son of Noah, means enlargement

Father of: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Tiras

Gomer, means completion

Father of people’s or nations such as: Galatians, Phrygians, Some Northern Europeans, ie. Gauls, Celts, Germans, French, Welsh, Irish, and Britons most Anglo-Saxon races.

Magog, meaning unknown

Father of people’s or nations such as: Scythians, Tartars from whom came Russians, Muscovites, Tibarenis, Cappadocians, some Northern Asian and small parts of European nations.

Madai, meaning unknown

Father of people’s and nations such as: Medes, Persians, some Hindu countries and central Asian nations.

Javan, meaning effervescent, hot and active

Father of people’s and nations such as: Greeks, Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese and other Mediterranean nations.

Tubal, meaning unknown

Father of people’s and nations such as: Iberians, Georgians, Cappadocians, and other Asiatic races.

Meshech, meaning a sowing, precious price

Father of people’s and nations such as: Muscovites, and Slavic nations as, Poland, Ukranie, Bosnia, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, Bulgaria and others of the Black Sea area.

Tiras, meaning fearful

Father of people’s and nations such as: Thracians, Etruscans, parts of Italy, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, India and those of the Causcans mountain countries.

Shem, son of Noah, means shame

Father of Elama, Assar, Arhaxad, Lud, Aram

Elama, meaning hidden

Father of people’s and nations such as: Elamites, some Persian gulf nations

Assar, meaning successful

Father of people’s and nations such as: Assyrians

Arphaxad, meaning unknown

Father of people’s and nations such as: Israelites, Arabians, Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites, Midionites, nations of the middle east.

Lud, meaning unknown

Father of people’s and nations such as: Lydians, Ludims of Chaldea

Aram, meaning elevated

Father of people’s and nations such as: Aramaens and some Syrians

Ham, son of Noah, meaning hot

Father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, Canaan

Cush, meaning unknown

Father of peoples and nations such as: Ethiopians and other southern African nations.

Mizraim, meaning besieged places

Father of people’s and nations such as: some Egyptian tribes and the Philistines

Phut, meaning unknown

Father of people’s and nations such as: Libyans and North african tribes, some Persian tribes

Canaan, meaning humiliated

Father of people’s and nations such as: Palestine, Arabian, Tyre and Sidon

In the final analyst the anti-christ is shown as coming from the division of the Syrian branch of the divide old Greek empire. Daniel 11:35-45

Sign Three

Matthew 25:9-39

Verses 9-11; Refer to the tribulation period of man just prior to the second coming of Jesus but after the rapture of the church. The indication is of great anti-semitism and anti-christian attacks will take place. No Jew or Christian will be safe from the wrath of the anti-christ, he will fuel the entire world against those who will not give into his way and rule.

Verses 12; The illegal activities, lawlessness, and utter disrespect for what is right, true and righteous will cause men to depart of trying to do what the scripture says and thus many will be led away into destruction.

Verse 13; Those who have set their eyes on obtaining the goal of righteousness through Christ Jesus will be the overcomer’s of the end time. Surviving until the return of Jesus.

Verse 14; The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached even during the tribulation period. That means the message of salvation and deliverance, the message of healing, the message of true prosperity. All will be preached and offered to the ruling power nations during the worse time the earth has ever known.

***World; is the Greek word, oikoumene, oy-kou-mem-ay; which means the then known world, the Roman Empire, which of course is what the anti-christ will be ruler of. The gospel is preached around the entire planet earth today, but during the rule of the anti-christ as special endeavour will be made by the 144,000 Jewish martyrs to p[reach the good news to this area as it will be the focal point of everything that takes place else where around the globe.

***Nations, once again we see the Greek word, ethnos, meaning ethnic groups, or those of various ethnic persuasions found within the new Roman empire.

Verse 15; The abomination of desolation, This is the anti-christ and his attempt to establish himself as god within the temple of God at the mid way point of the tribulation, this then is known as the great tribulation.c/f Daniel 9:24-27 Lamas version Verse 24 & 27 are yet to be fulfilled whereas verses 25 & 26 have been completed.

Verses 16-20; The anti-christ will come down upon Israel so quickly that no man will have time to pack and take his valuables with him, he needs just to flee leaving everything behind, for his very life is on the line and death is what the anti-christ is seeking. Verse 19 even gives a warning to those with small children for they will slow down their flight. Verse 20 warns that this should be prayed against it happening on a sabbath day for then their destruction will come even as they are in worship, and perhaps their religious traditions will cause them not to flee for fear of breaking their religious laws.

Verses 21-22; These actions begin the marking of the final 3 1/2 years of the anti-christ rule upon the earth. This is the breaking of the peace agreement that he will have made with Israel and a prelude to the destruction that he has planned for Israel. How is that he may move upon the people so quickly? We may see the beginning of this plan in action today with the so called peace agreements of the Palestine and Israelites.

Once the land is granted to the Palestine they will form an alliance with the anti-christ and he will move his armies into those lands, from which he may attack with missiles in less than 2 minutes. From the ground in less than an hour.

However God will intervene, causing the persecution of the nation to be lessened, as the anti-christ becomes distracted by the armies of China, and Russia. Daniel 11:21-44, Lamas version

After he defeats these armies he will once again re-group and begin a new attack upon the nation of Israel and upon Jerusalem it is called the battle of Armageddon, half the city will fall before Jesus will return as indicated in verse 27. Zechariah 14:1-14, Lamas version

Verses 23-26; Then will the people of Israel be diligently seeking the Messiah to come and bring the promised rescue, and because of their cry many false Christs will be sent against them, deceiving many.

Verse 27-51; Now come the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, this is the actions at the time of the second coming of Jesus. The anti-christ will have caused his sights to be returned to the destruction of the nations and the nations will rise against him to come to battle at Megiddo, in valley of Armageddon.

Just at the time when he thought that the entire nation will be his the anti-christ will be crushed by Jesus, His return will be so swift that the city is split in half and Jerusalem becomes a seaport.

Jesus returns to:

A) Take vengeance upon the anti-christ and all rebels. 2 Thess.1:7-10, Jude 14 & 15

B) To judge the remaining nations, and punish all sin. Matthew 25:31-46, Isaiah 26:21, Rev.11:18,

C) To deliver Israel. Zech.14:1-14

D) To establish His universal theocratic government. Psalm 72:11, Isaiah 2:1-4, Dan.2:44-45

E) To re-establish the throne of David. Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 30:7-11

F) To manifest the Glory of God upon all the earth. Isaiah 4:2-6, 35:2, 40:5, 60:1-9

G) To bring salvation as the Soterion. Isaiah 11:9, 49:6, 52:7, 1 Peter 1:5-13, Romans 11:25-29

H) To rebuild Jerusalem and the temple of God. Ezekiel 43:7, Zech.6:12-13

I) Remove the curse from the earth. Isaiah 35, 65:20-25, Micah 4:1-7, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, 21:1-7, 22:3

J) To bring peace and prosperity. Isaiah 2:1-4, 35:1-8, Micah 4:1-7

K) To heal everyone. Isaiah 32:1-5, 33:24, 35:5

L) To finally cause man to fulfil the original plan of God. Genesis 1:26-31, 8:22, Rev.20-22

JESUS WILL REIGN 1000 YEARS

Matthew 24:37-25:46

As we saw Jesus returns for many and various reasons, the greatest being that of setting His children completely free. Seeing God’s plan come into fruition He mow prepares to take His Kingship and rule on earth for 1000 years.

To explain His return, Judgement and then Reign He uses a series of parables. A parable is an: allegory, lesson or a morality tale. The one thing a parable is not is a made story, for that is a lie, and it is impossible for Jesus to lie.

Verse 24:37-39; Jesus gives us an indication as to moral state of the world at His return. He likens it to that of the days of Noah. Then the world was filled with debauchery, illicit sexual encounters, devil worship to the point that man began even to call themselves Jehovah. They had degenerated into less than the animals of the earth over whom they were once given authority. Thus man had become so adulterated in spirit, mind and body that they had no self-worth remaining within themselves, thus those who have no value of self will have no appreciation for the things that God values, such as righteousness, praise and fellowship. The greatest act of love that God could have ever preformed up to this time in history was to bring the deluge upon the earth and her rulers.

However God had promised never to destroy man again in such a manner, thus as man has been left alone to do his own bidding and to be controlled by the god of this age, he will have once again regressed into his state of debauchery. At that time when man is about to completely destroy himself worldwide, Jesus Christ will return ushering in a time of great peace, a time of 1000 years of joy.

Only He could provide the time of everlasting peace, only He will. Jude 14-25. As the world will be living in sensual sin during the end times, we are encouraged to live lives of righteousness, that is doing seven things up until the time of the rapture.

A) Build up yourselves in your holy faith. 1 Timothy 1:4

B) Pray in the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 6:18, Romans 8:26

C) Keep yourselves in love of God. 2 Timothy 1:14, Romans 8:35-39

D) Look for mercy to flow from Jesus and Jehovah. Hebrews 12:15

E) Have compassion. Verse 22

F) Provide the way of salvation to all who are willing. Verse 23

G) Hate anything that operates in the flesh. James 1:27, Ephesians 5:27

Matthew 24:40-42, Now the Lord begins to explain that there is a judgement coming upon those who are in rebellion to Him, those who have rejected the Word of salvation which was proclaimed to them.

Just as the flood did not spare any expect Noah and his family, only those who deserve God salvation will be spare. These are not examples of the rapture, this an on going occurrence at the coming of Christ Jesus.

Verses 43-44, Now Jesus emphasizes once again the urgency of standing guard over that which you have acquired in Him, so that it may not be stolen from you and you end up destroyed.

Verses 45-51, Next parable of those who Jesus is looking for at His return, those who are faithful and wise. Faithful to God, His Word and the following after righteousness, wise enough not to break faith for a moment of living in the flesh. Those who do receive a reward of ruling and reigning, those who are unfaithful receive a reward of eternal judgement and confinement into hell.

Jesus expects to receive His reward of faithfulness from all, He expects it because he gave His life and has been faithful to all who have received him. There is an indication here that this faithless servant knows and understands the meaning of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is a servant, Jesus is the Master, not to be found faithful at His coming is tantamount to rejecting all that He has done on our behalf.

This person is not one who does not know the Lord, but, rather is one who the Lord has placed in charge and keeping of God’s people, this is a pastor, a man who is misusing and abusing his authority in the house of God. Many will be found misapplying the authority in the last days for personal gain, using duplicity to further personal greed, believing that they have time to get their own lives in order before the return of Christ Jesus. They will be wrong, and will account greatly for their deceptions.

They are the end times Nicolaitanes. The Nicolaitanes were a group of gnostic followers of the heretic Nicolaus (victorious over people). He was a manipulator of people and their emotions. His teaching are not unlike the warped grace message that is taking root in the world to-day,

ie. wilful sin is okay because God’s grace will cover it, not so. Communal living where wives belong to all men for their use or abuse. They were the followers of the Balaam doctrines, witchcraft, idolatry, adultery, fornication, and using of bribes to subjugate the will of God and the speaking of curses on others.

A Study of Revelation

Introduction

Chapter 1:1; within the very first verse of the Book of revelation many things are revealed. It is based upon these disclosures that we are able to formulated the entire remaining scripture.

“The Revelation”, The first thing we learn is found in the name of the book itself. Revelation: the English word means the act of revealing or disclosure. Webster also goes on to say: a revelation is God’s disclosure of Himself and His will to His creatures. The Greek word for revelation is: apokalupsis, which carries the meaning of uncovering that which is hidden, to reveal or make clear. Therefore the very name of the book shows us God’s intent for the reader is to have clear and accurate knowledge of the passages they are about to examine. No longer does the argument hold true that man was not to know and comprehend the mysteries of the book.

“Of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him”, Then the next thing we learn is this is not the Revelation of John as many bibles have subtitled it, but rather the revelation from Jehovah given to Jesus Christ. This then gives the reader the sense of looking ever carefully at what is about to be said, for these are the inspirations of Jesus, simply penned by John as they were given to him by Jesus.

“To show His servants”, Next Jesus confirms the purpose of Revelation, which is to make open and clear to those who are in right relationship what He is about to do upon the earth. The fact is that Revelation is the clearest warning given by Jesus to His servants as to the coming events of the last days. This then is a direct charge to those who follow Christ Jesus, one may compare this with the charges given the servants of Mathew 24:46

“Things which must shortly”, He says that these things are about to happen shortly, so many have interpreted this as a meaning as to a certain time line. But they miss it by not interpreting the word shortly accurately for it does not mean a length of time by rather the speed of time. Once these events begin they will all happen with such speed that it would appear that nothing will stop the utter destruction of the earth, and if not for Jesus, nothing will. Just as this judgement is poured out upon the earth God’s salvation is also poured, be sure both will be swift and complete. Know also that when the translation of this line is made, it may accurately read, the things necessary to demonstrated the relationship of rest. Therefore the Revelation of Jesus Christ is a revelation given o His servants to bring them into rest.

“Come to pass”, this too, gives confidence to us, for here we see that what is about to occur is a complete guarantee. This will occur, there can be no doubt whatsoever that what the reader is about to be exposed to will take place just as it is revealed.

“And He sent and signified by His angel unto John His servant.”, Jesus was the one issuing forth the scripture, transferred to His angel to be given to the scribe John who then gave it to the chruches for the very reason that all prophecy is given, for comfort, edification and exhortation. So believe that because the word signified is used that it means that the writing was to be in symbols and therefore difficult to read and understand. Although much of revelation is written in symbols, their meaning and intent are clear. Most of the book is written after the manner and style of the title of the book, revelation, to unveil and make and clear. Confusing is not what the book is about, revelation of the end times is.

Chapter 1:2; John now gives reason why He should be believed as to the writing of this book.

“He bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things he saw”. He had first hand experience with Jesus, not only through divine vision, but in the actual physical realm. This was the Apostle known as John the beloved, author of the gospel of John, the books of 1,2, and 3 John as well as Revelation. He is brother of the Apostle James. In the gospel of John 1:1, He wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. His experience with Christ Jesus as man and as God is without question one of the greatest examples of love any has experienced with Jesus.

This man walked with Jesus, ministered at His side, stood before Him at His trial, saw Him die, witnessed the empty tomb, touched His resurrected body, and received the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus. He suffered great personal torment for Christ, some say he was boiled in oil and they could not kill him, so they exiled him to Patomos, from where he wrote Revelation. He is believed to have died of natural causes at the age of 100, a true miracle for an apostle in the early persecuted church day.

Chapter 1:3; Now John shows that there is a blessing that will come upon those who take up the challenge of the Book. The blessing however is not one which belonged just to those who read the book. The blessing comes upon those who follow after a three cord instruction, A) read, B) hear, and C) keeps, the instruction found with the pages of the book.

Reading requires more than just a brief skimming of the pages. To read means to come to full and complete comprehension of what is expressed upon the pages. This requires time spend in meticulous study, as the langauge used greatly differs from that which we speak today.

Then he says we must hear, the pages will speak to us. Not verbally, but rather in a loud warnings within our spirit. We must listen, for in listening we establish ourselves as able to hear what the Spirit is saying, and as we delve further into this study we will see the great importance for the reason of listening with the spirit.

Once he has read and heard, he must keep them, in others words act upon them, do them with all his heart. Proclaim them as being so. Then and only then is the abundant blessing going to come upon him.

“For the time is at hand”, the first sense of urgency given by the writer. Do miss it, time is short, and the prophecies are about to happen. When they do they will happen quickly.

Chapter 1:4, John now shows exactly to whom this writing is directed, the seven churches of Asia Minor. The seven churches were: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. These churches became a representation of the seven basic divisions that have taken place since the inception of the church age. Chapters 2 & 3 are given over in their entirety to each churches charge, therefore when we arrive at the appropriate verses we examine what they say regarding our world today.

Seven is the number of God, the number of perfection, and although there were many more than just seven churches in existence at the time of this writing, the churches listed along with their charges could be seen as what is necessary for the church to come to completion. The Greek word for seven is “hepta”, which means full in abundance and completion. Therefore the time that the seven churches would go through would bring them into abundance, making them complete in Christ Jesus.

After the third chapter the church is no longer mentioned in any fashion with the expectation of Revelation 22:16 where once again they are given the same charge to heed what has just been written to them. The warning can only be that there is a certain time in thee history of man when God will bring the church into completion, remove her and then pour out His wrath upon those who remain. Such is the warning of the entire book of Revelation.

“Grace be unto you”, before John begins to show the sufferings of judgement about to befall those who remain after rapture, he reassure’s those of the church not to get caught up into worry, grief and concern, as they live lives of grace and peace.

Some have used the acronym of; God’s riches at Christ expense” for the word grace. For the greater part it is true. Grace is the gratuitous favour of God, bringing the completion of the works of salvation in ones life. God’s grace prefects, healing, deliverance, prosperity, and wholeness.

The Greek for grace here is, “charis”, which means the divine influence upon your heart and it’s reflection within your life, what is acceptable, beneficial, favourable, joyful resulting in what is most pleasurable.

Grace is the free gift of God brought to us by the dead and resurrection of Jesus Christ the one to whom this revelation was given. Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”.

Although grace has been bestowed upon us, chapters 2 & 3 are clear warnings that we are not to abuse that grace. Grace always reassure’s our faith, faith in turn completes our hope, hope fulfils our love and love brings to us salvation, thus no-one should, would or indeed could live a life where grace could be abused. A wilful sin, no matter how great or small is the abusement of the grace that is provided for us through the love of the Father and given to us by the love of Son. Romans 6:1-16

“Peace”, John couples along with grace peace, having a full understanding as to what is about to take place and knowing that although great tribulation is about to befall those who are left, he assures them to be peaceful. Take the “eirene” peace of God, peace that insures quietness in the midst of the tribulation, peace that guarantees rest when all else are disquieted, peace that in the very nucleus of poverty, prosperity can be found. Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27

“From Him, which is, and which was, and which is to come; This is a direct reference to the triune nature of God. This expression used only 2 times in all scripture, is found here and in verse 8, which gives the exact interpretation that this could only be the triune God. The book then is not just the revelation of Jesus and what He is about to do upon the earth. But it is the unification of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will bring into existence. Isaiah 42:1-8, 48:16-17, 59:21, 61:1-3 USE THE AMPLIFIED VERSION FOR THESE SCRIPTURES

“And from the seven Spirits which are before His throne”. Once again the number of perfection comes into being. As the seven church are encouraged to overcome, the seven Spirits are sent forth to assist in their enduring and their victory. What are these seven Spirits? They are seven applications of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 11:2, names them as:

A) The spirit of the Lord, or the deity of God.

B) The spirit of Wisdom, to be skilful, The Advocate, 1 John 2:1

C) The spirit of understanding, comprehension, discernment, The Helper, Hebrews 13:6

D) The spirit of counsel, direction, guidance, etc.The Counsellor, Isaiah 9:6

E) The spirit of might, authority, The Strengthener, Philippians 4:13

F) The spirit of knowledge, to be prudent, circumspect, watchful in all direction. The Standby, Zech.4:12-14

G) The spirit of the fear of the Lord, love incarnate (The Comfortor) John 14:26

REVELATION 1:5

Here the King of Glory is about to reveal Himself and His great power, first before He does one see that there is great reward in store for those who follow after Him.

Before His arrival upon the earth there had been four hundred years with out the voice and works of a true prophet of God. From the days of Malachi to John the Baptist it was as if God had completely stilled His voice. What He wanted was for His people to hear Him from Hi Word.

Instead the people took the word and twisted it, making it a thing of bondage and hardship instead of a tool of freedom.

When the blinders are removed from one’s eyes all they will see in the word of God is Jesus. For He is the word.

During Jesus’ day on earth He had deal with the differing religious sects that would all come into agreement for one reason, to see Jesus put to death. Thus fulfilling prophecy and bringing redemption unto man.

Revelation 1:9-20

Verse 9: John the oldest of all the living Apostles had a complete understanding of what tribulation was all about, he had watch countless others die for the faith, yet there could be no turning back, Jesus is Lord. John must cling to Him. Like Paul, John was ready to give his life for Jesus, like Paul, Peter and John, the end times saints (for the faith) will also give their lives for Jesus Christ, they lose nothing, they gain…..everything. Hebrews 11:32-40

Verse 10: In the Spirit, nothing is gained in the flesh, many seek visions from God, yet spend no time with Him in the Spirit. In the Spirit is everything, outside the Spirit is nothing, in the Spirit all things work together for those who love the Lord. Romans 8:26-31

The Lord’s Day, this is a direct reference to the first day of the week. The scripture John is about to give is to the seven churches, the idea is the even though he is imprisoned he did not stop doing that which is vital concerning the Lord’s day. Romans 14:5-6, Colossians 2:16

Verse 11: These seven churches were actual churches of the day. What was to be revealed of the vision was not to be selective for just one church but for all who would read it. Thus the sects who had control over the people of Israel of the day would no longer have their influence.

The sects were:

Sanhedrin: These men were the supreme religious leaders of the Jews, they also acted as the social governing body, but they were nothing more than puppets of the Roman government.

Pharisees: These believed the Jews were the superior race of people upon the earth. It is their seeds of hate that has caused a world-wide harvest of anti-semitism. Their legalistic views on all of mans life deepened the bondage man is held within. Their ignorant belief that they were God’s favourites held them in darkness, thus Jesus called them blind leaders of the blind.

Scribes: The historians of the day, were also the ones who had charge of copying the scriptures. They’re legalistic views were closely related to that of the Pharisees, they’re legalistic interpretation of scripture made all what was spiritual void.

Rabbis: These men often gave differing and multiple interpretation of scripture causing confusion in the people. The were the hands on ministers of the people and they word in the lives of the people was the final one.

Sadducees: This were the wealthy people of the day, considered as modernist, felt that scripture was situational at best. They denied miracles, angels or the resurrection. Often they held the position of High Priest. Therefore because of they belief of doubt cause the people to move only deeper into despair.

Essenes: These were the commune people of the day. They held ultra legal views, and believed that they should not inter-mingle with any others for any reason.

Zealots: These were hateful radical who were self serving. They were destroyers of anything that would not bring to them their ultimate goal, of their complete control of Israel.

As much of the worlds teaching were creeping into the churches so to were the teaching of these sects. Revelation chapters 1-3 were given as much as to free these as it was given to free them from the dangers that lie ahead or that lie within.

The selection of these seven churches could have been due to what they represented, each one a different phase within church life and church history. Or, possibly seven different divisions within the church or even seven characteristics of a local church.

The seven golden candlesticks, once again a reference to the seven churches. Gold means precious, candles, refer to light, and sticks to who supports the light. Those of the church are considered most precious to God, they are to be the light of the world shining forth the light that was instilled within them by Jesus Christ who their support and source of that is needful. Matthew 5:14.

The actual Greek word for candlestick is “luchnia” which means a lamp stand rather than a candle stick. The lamp again gives the connotation of light, but unlike a candle which provides light but is also self consuming, a lamp is fired oil and a slow burning wick, the oil may be symbolic of the Holy Spirit which is always referred to as the Oil of God. Here once again we see a parable of Jesus come into being. The cross reference of Matthew 25 and the parable of the 5 wise and 5 not so virgins, who required oil for their lamps.

Verse 12-20 Description of Jesus

Ten characteristics of Christ envisioned by John.

A) “one like the son of man” This title always referred to Jesus in His state of man, being the Messiah and having under gone all that man could suffer, He took upon Himself so that we may be freed from it. This is the title Jesus gave unto Himself, it indicates His authority over the entire universe. John 3:13, 1 Corinthians 15:47

B) “clothed with a garment down to the foot”, This a reference to the power that Jesus has as the Son of man, for His garment is representative to those worn by the Priests giving spiritual authority and like those worn by kings giving Him political authority. It also refers to His robes of righteousness. Isaiah 61:10

C) “grided about the breasts with a golden girdle” Again a reference of both His authority and His priesthood. Both the garment and the girdle that Jesus wears are the prefect ones that were worn by the priest. Exodus 28:2-29

D) “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”, this communicates to us the close relationship the Son as with the Father, for the Father is describe in like fashion, as the Ancient of Days, Daniel 7:9-13.

“white as snow” always refers to the purity of being completely clean, having no sin, which of course Jesus defeated all sin. Psalm 51:7, Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 28:3

E) “His eyes were like a flame of fire”, the actual reading of this verse is “His eye’s shot fire” this is an indication of the rage and anger He had with these seven churches and His indignation with having to rebuke five of the seven for their waywardness from His Word, for their compromising their stand in Jesus Christ. In chapters 2 & 3 we feel this flame come upon them.

F) “His feet like fine bronze” Kenneth Wuest translates this as, “His feet were like sliver bronze, when it is white-hot in a furnace”, refinement and judgement is what the white hot feet will bring, those who are in Christ will be refined, and those who call themselves by His name but have disobeyed will be judged. Another thing that could be found through this is that the feet and meant to place the brand of Christ upon His people. For they are representative of His body, and Satan is beneath His feet. His feet as white hot refining furnace would certainly crush Satan’s head, the anti-christ with hot judgement.

We must keep in mind that He is found walking among the churches, and therefore this stomping of impurities and deliverance from the works of Satan is being done within the church. Nahum 1:2-3, Lamentations 3:31-40, Psalm 8:4-6

G) “His voice like the sound of many waters”, when God speaks His voice will be like the sounds of a great water fall, like Africa’s mile long Victoria Falls, or where I grew up Niagara Falls, when one stands on the Maid of the Mist and the boat go right up to the base of the falls nothing many be heard but the roar of the falls. All attention is turned to falls, all who are in the boat at left in awe of the power of the great amount of water, 5520 cubit meters (194,940 cu ft) of water per second. So too will the voice of God leave all who hear Him in awe, all attention will be fixed upon Him and He will pronounce His judgement upon Him.

Like the power derived from Niagara’s massive hydro-electric generating plants, (just the Sir Adam Beck generating plant alone provides over 1,815,000 kw of power alone) So too can be picture the massive amount of power that is derived from spending ones life in Christ Jesus. Romans 1:16-20, John 1:12, Acts 1:7-8

H) “He had in His hand the seven stars”, Jesus explains this Himself in verse 20. The word angels, is the word messengers. So of this and according to chapters 2 & 3 these messengers were those who had the charge of the care and keeping of the church. Therefore it may refer to both the actual angel over the church and the pastor of the church. With all the Spiritual attack that is sent against the church it would require both the angel and the Pastor working together to see to it that the church is not destroyed.

I) “Out of His mouth went a two edged sword”, This is the Word of God. Jesus is the ultimate judge, who does so according to His word and by nothing less. Those who cling to the word and will not compromise it will be judge in favour, those who compromise it will be judged in harshness, for they will be judge according to their own words regarding Jesus’ Word. Matthew 12:37, 24:35

J) “His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength” Malachi call Jesus the Son of Righteousness, for in Him all the world may stand right. All those who receive Him that is. Malachi 4. Once all has been accomplished Jesus will shine with the joy that He has for all who live within His righteousness.

THE CHURCHES OF REVELATION

Chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation deal with the seven churches, these seven churches are a type of the modern day church. For within the church today one can readily see the circumstances of the earlier churches coming into light.

The church is the greek word “ekklesia”, (ek-klay-see’-ah), which mean: the called out ones.

The church has been called out from the works of Satan, the have been called out from the destruction that lurks for the those who remain in the realms of despair, desolation, emptiness and loneliness.

Matthew 16:18, And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, (patros, a little stone, or a fragment of a rock), and upon this rock, (petra, a massive unmoveable rock), will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.

The church is or should be:

Build by God Acts 2:47

A place for instruction and fellowship. Acts 11:26

Comprised by the blood bought redeemed people of God. Acts 20:28

The church should have structure. 1 Cor. 12:28

Edify it’s members by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 14:12

Have Christ as the head, giving the body His authority. Ephesians 1:22

Have the rulers of darkness in subjection to it. Ephesians 3:10, 6:12

Have the highest standards of integrity. 1 Timothy 3:5

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION

The seven churches of Asia Minor and what type they represent are:

Ephesus The apostolic church 2:1-7

Smyrna The persecuted church 2:8-11

Pergamum The indulged church 2:12-17

Thyatira The pagan church 2:18-29

Sardis The dead church 3:1-6

Philadelphia The loved church 3:7-13

Ladodicea The lukewarm church 3:14-22

THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Ephesus; The desired one.

Commendation Rev.2:2-3

Condemnation Rev.2:4

Counsel Rev.2:5

Reward Rev.2:7

COMMENDATION

No church, or church age has ever been able to accomplish what was accomplished through the Apostolic church age. This church age spread the gospel throughout the entire world. Even with modern communication the results of this church age go unrivalled.

Romans 10:18, 16:26, Colossians 1:6 & 23. The purpose of the church is to spread the gospel, many churches have left this main purpose of Jesus Christ. As did the church of Ephesus.

The church of Ephesus eventually grew to be approximately 30,000 in numbers. This was a incredible feat, as Ephesus was a very demonic controlled city. They worshipped the sex goddess Diana, and committed all sorts of detestable acts. In the most wicked of sin this church preached against it and held onto the faith.

“I know thy works, and thy labour and thy patience” This was a hard working church for God, but they departed from the spreading of the gospel, this was the first love of they had, tell the world of Jesus Christ, this should be the first love of every church today. To come to Christ cost nothing, to follow Christ cost something, to serve Christ cost everything. But never does one ever lose anything that is of value when serving Christ Jesus. Christ today is calling upon all to serve Him. Matthew 10:32-42, 19:28-29

“I know-how thou canst not bear them which are evil” This church believed in remaining separated from those who practised the ways of the sinful world, but they hated those who named themselves as christian yet lived the life of the world as were the “Nicolaitans”. Romans 16:17, was a standard in their life.

“I know- thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars”, This was a unblemished church. Some self-seeking, self-promoting men came into their midst and were exposed as “blind leaders of the blind”, this church would not be taken in by them. Although under attack of Satan, they would not depart from the message that Paul proclaimed unto them. That message was the message of Faith, Deliverance and Warfare. Ephesians 6:10-18.

“I know-thou hast borne, and hast patience, and for my Names sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted” This is a tolerate church, a uncompromising church. This church was established because of faithfulness and grew for the same reasons. They were faithful to the gospel, regardless of what was taking place around them.

“I know-thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans” This was an independent church,they dependency was upon Jesus Christ and only Him. Not any structure of man such as the Nicolaitanes, a group of gnostic followers of the heretic Nicolaus (victorious over people). He was a manipulator of people and their emotions. His teaching are not unlike the warped grace message that is taking root in the world to-day, ie. wilful sin is okay because God’s grace will cover it, not so. Communal living where wives belong to all men for their use or abuse. They were the followers of the Balaam doctrines, witchcraft, idolatry, adultery, fornication, and using of bribes to subjugate the will of God and the speaking of curses on others.

Through Nicolaitanism a structure of bishops, arch-bishops, cardinals and a pope was established. This is not a scriptural structure for the church. Through such a structure men would look to men for their leading and guidance making the Holy Spirit and His gifts of no effect. God desires that men seek Him for all things and not other men. The church of Ephesus would not compromise itself, thus saw through the works of men, and chose to hold onto the works of faith. Zechariah 4:6.

CONDEMNATION

“Nevertheless I have some what against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”.

This church did what all churches do, they begin to take the gifting and works of the Holy spirit of God for granted. They became complacent in their attitude toward the life that they had gained in Christ Jesus. The great Apostle and Pastors that they once had were now gone, Paul, Timothy, and others. Their lives had become routine, “this is the way we have always done this”. Their love for God was real, true and genuine, but it had lost it’s zeal, it’s fire, it’s effervesce like excitement.

This is done by living the things of God by routine, doing the same things, the same way at all times. God wants us to live in Christ Jesus, always doing what He does, meaning; always following the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:20-25

COUNSEL

Jesus counsels the church to do three things, Remember, Repent, and Return to Doing the First works. They were to remember the life they had when the Holy Spirit lead them into all the ways of life.They were to repent of their indifferent attitude. They were to return to the life of the Holy Spirit rekindling the excitement they have in Christ and that He has in them.

REWARD

The reward comes by two actions, A) Hear what the Spirit saith, and B) Overcoming the enemy.

This was a church that knew the life of being Spirit lead, it was through departing from this lifestyle that their problems came. It would be through returning to it that they would be able to regain their sparkle for Christ Jesus. Hebrews 5:9-16

Their return to their first love would be marked with the reward of God, “to Him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God”. This is the same tree that cost Adam is Kingship and his life. Adam could not eat of it, but those who will not allow their love of God to stolen from them and who will not compromise their stand will be able to eat from that tree.

One may ask if they are an overcomer, a simple qualifying test may be applied to ones self, check yourself daily with 1 John 5:4-5.

THE CHURCH OF THYATRIA

Revelation 2:18-29

The church of Thyatria is the representation of the pagan church. those who once knew Christ and allowed their compromising to lead them into witchcraft and other demonic practices.

Thyatria means – continual sacrifice. This however did not become sacrifice to God but the sacrifice of works.

The Thyatrian church is the pagan church or the church of the Dark Ages.

After the compromising of the church of Peragmos, this church continued in the compromising lifestyle. soon the compromising lead to many false and heretical doctrines that people would put more faith in rather then a the Word of God.

Some of this doctrines are:

A.D. 607 Boniface made the first pope.

709 Kissing of the pope foot was installed

786 Worshipping of images and relics

850 Use of Holy water

995 Canonization of saints

998 Fasting on Fridays, (Fish on fridays was a method the church use to procure monies from the people as they would have to buy fish from fishermen who were complaining that they could not give because people were not eating as much fish.

1079 Celibacy for priests made mandatory

1090 Introduction of prayer beads

1184 The Inquisition began (an attempt to wipe off the earth all non-christians)

1190 Sale of indulgences

1215 Transubstantiation (communion elements actually change into part of the body and blood of Christ.

1220 Adoration of the wafer

1229 Bible forbidden to laymen

1414 Cup forbidden to the people at communion

1439 Doctrine of purgatory decreed

1439 Doctrine of seven sacraments affirmed

1508 The Ave Maria approved

1545 Tradition granted equal authority with the Bible

1546 Apocryphal added to the Bible

1854 Immaculate conception of Mary

1870 Infallibility of the pope declared

1965 Mary confirmed as the Mother Of the Church

All this just leads man from God and deeper into death and destruction. This the dark age church continually feels the need to offer up sacrifices. Praying for the dead, burning of candles in the dark, speaking in latin to cause mystery, idolatry, chanting, crucifixes all practices of the occult all embraced by the Jezeblic church.

Jesus does bring some praise to this church.

COMMENDATION: Revelation-2:19 Six words:

A) Works, there can be no doubt that the dark age church is a church of works, inspite of it’s self many have come to a saving knowledge within the darkness. Most however do not remain within that darkness once light has come upon them.

B) Love, many of this church do have a genuine love mankind, they have sent such missionaries as Mother Theresa and other around the world to serve those who are needy. At one time most hospitals were founded through the compassion of the church recognizing the need to healing in people.

C) Service, simply the ministry offered to the people through those whose hearts were toward the people.

D) Faith, by faith many remain in Christ, yet lost in tradition.

E) Patience, meaning endurance, this church age has lasted more than 1000 years.

F) Works, more good works, but many have lost the idea that salvation is offered by grace and not by works.

CONDEMNATION: Revelation-2:20-24

There is a two fold condemnation upon this church.

A) Condemnation for permitting false teaching.

B) Condemnation for not repenting when given the opportunity.

The result was this is the church that misses the rapture goes on into the tribulation.

COUNSEL: Revelation 2:25

Given to those who are found to be faithful during this church age.

REWARD: Revelation 2:26-29

THE CHURCH OF SARDIS

Revelation 3:1-6 THE DEAD CHURCH

Sardis means “escaping ones”.

This church is representation of the Protestant Reformation, those who desired to escape from the pagan dark age church, only to take with them many of the same practices, doctrines and beliefs.

Whereas the Roman church was the main state church all these as well began state churches. Germany’s Lutheran Church, England’s Anglian church. Unfortunately people of state churches lose all love of Christ and His Word choosing to place the dependency within the state and it’s provision over that of Jesus. This is especially true in regards to economics.

COMMENDATION: Revelation 3:1

Works, of those who were willing to die to be free from the death grip of the pagan dark ages church.

That thou hast a name, their name was held only in their early days, today they represent the most vile of satanic practices ie. Homosexual priests.

That thou livest, some life exists within the church, but it does not come based on the church but rather on the life spend in Jesus Christ.

CONDEMNATION: Revelation 3:1

“Thou art dead”, This church age began well but very quickly has regressed into something worse even than the Roman church.

COUNSEL: Revelation 3:2-3

Be watchful; points to serious problems in the doctrine and teaching that they were receiving.

And strengthen the things that remain, build yourself up on those things that are of the Word and are Christ centred.

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard; recall how salvation come and return to it.

Hold fast; hold onto those doctrines that are clearly the word of God, reject all else.

And repent, there is always life waiting even for those who are dying if they will be repent.

REWARD: Revelation 3:5,

Hold fast will give life, a clothing of white raiment, shows the purity of life when no compromise is given in Christ Jesus. for a no compromise stand, for not denying Jesus before man, He embraces you to the Father.

Study in Faith

Ron Kalenuik — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:20:38 +0000

FAITH BY PLEASING GOD

Hebrews 11:6 ” Now, without faith it is impossible to please Him at all. For he who comes to God must of the necessity in the nature of the case believe that He exists, that He also becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out.” Wuest Version. Without faith, a firm persuasion, a moral conviction, reliance upon Christ and constancy in the profession of Christ and His system of truth, assurance, confession, faith and fidelity. It is impossible, you become unable, you could not do any thing, to please, or gratify entirely, GOD, Jehovah, Father and Creator of all you are and shall become, the one who supplies for you your every need. He who is , was and shall always be. The great I AM, He who answers every request and grants your every desire, He has given over to you His very Son that you may be free from all the works of the enemy. He who has destroyed the thief from adversely affecting you. You must approach, come near and visit, worship, assent to, come unto, consent to, draw near to and go unto Him, you must believe, be needful, committed to, and find it necessary to trust in the fact that He is all and everything. However not only that He is all and everything but also in the fact that He is a rewarder, a remunerator, a gift giver, a prize awarder, a refunder of goods lost or stolen and that He brings adequate compensation to you, one who has justified you and brought unto you profitable and lucrative return for this faith. As well as for seeking after, for thoroughly investigating, demanding, craving, worshipping, enquiring, requiring, for committing to a careful and diligent search of Him. Hebrews 11:6. [ a expanded verse by R. Kalenuik ]
To please God is not such a difficult task to live by. For after all God is not a task master of those who are called His children but of those who are rebellious who turn from Him to follow after Satan. Whether they server Satan via actively following him or by means of self. Believing in themselves over God neither is pleasing to God. So how does one please God. Look to Romans 8:18.So then to please God one must not walk in flesh or in the ways of the world, but walk in the Spirit of God. Be filled to an over abundance of this same Spirit. c/f Romans 8:14-17, 26-28,
Pleasing God means following after Christ and the works that He performed. [John 14:1921.] To do the works of Christ is also performed through the Spirit of God yet they are for those who follow after Him. His will, desire is to set free all who come unto Him. Of this there can be no mistake.
The scripture says ” must believe that He is ” it is so surprising to find how many people do not believe in the very existence of God. Those who do not can of course not receive from Him. Yet believing in His existence is not limited to the nonchristian, even Christian have some difficulty in believing in God in many areas of their life. This much the same problem Moses faced when he was sent to lead Israel out of captivity, many did not believe God let alone Moses as His servant. They did not believe that God was, God of course knowing this sent Moses with a name that they would recognize . That name ” I AM ” . This was to show the Israelites that everything they required, God was. Food, clothing, land, homes, family their very existence, God was.
For the Christian, Christ made the same bold statement.John 8:58. We come to know that Christ is saying here EXACTLY the same thing Jehovah told Moses. Don’t fear all you require is within my very being. Only believe that God is. The scripture also says ” He is a rewarder ” of those who perform a diligent search. Understand that this require time spent in study of His Word, in prayer and in worship. This can be the only way that God becomes involved in the situation that you find yourself within. What is the reward for performing this diligent search? Why it’s the answer to your very need that you are searching God out for. c/f Phip. 4:19 The word “according” is one of the key words in this verse. For it is according to your agreement with Gods Word that He is able to supply your need by Christ’s riches.
So in recap of this entire study; we found out that; faith comes by hearing and confession of the Word of God. We also that faith is now not at some time in the distant future that if we are to walk in faith we must believe God now, today. We found that Christ destroyed the works of Satan then gave us the power to stay free from the influences the that devil would try to bring upon us. But only the influences but He also gave us the very power to destroy the works of Satan. To day we find that to have faith in God is to believe that He is the source of our very supply and that for that belief His is also a rewarder or the answer to our need, situation, or circumstance. It really is quite simple to live in faith when we begin to operate this way.

Romans 5:15, (Amp. Version)
Hope is the power and influence that keeps the Christian walking in the Word, desirous of a life spent with Jesus in a heavenly paradise kingdom. However that may not be or happen until either Christ returns or we die. That is the common fallacy that is blended into the minds of most.
We are to walk by faith not by sight, this alone sums up what hope is. For hope means “to anticipate usually with pleasure, expectation, confidence” if we have confidence in receiving from God we have hope.

Hope is best described as the vessel that faith uses to accomplish and gain it’s goal. One does not continue to exercise faith for something once one has receive the desire.So one stops hoping for something once one has received.Romans 8:2425, However one should never stop hoping for the desire until it has been received. No one who has been saved never stops hoping to spend eternity with Christ. Yet until that happens we receive it completely by faith. No one and nothing can dissuade us from this hope. Romans 8:2839. Hope is the power that one exercises in the word believing that this confession will take place. Mark 11:23 24.

Hope is the power which never disappoints when held onto. Abraham had such a hope. Romans 4:18. Hope given up on, allows Satan to bring defeat to the believer. Proverbs 13:12. When the heart is sick then nothing works right. A sick heart will need hope to be healed. When one examines a desperate person one will always find that person is one with out hope. It is hope that brings rest to the flesh in any given situation. Psalms 16:9.
Hope in the LORD brings the rewards of faith. Psalms 31:2324. Psalms 119:114116. The power of faith works in conjunction with hope and love. 1 Corinthians 13:13. The statement that love is the greater of the three forces could not be truer for it is through love we find all things work, not just the forces of faith and hope. However do not leave out any other of the forces when walking in love. All three are the power force to bring the Christian into victory over the enemy.

James described hope like this. ” Be constantly rejoicing. Consider it a matter for unadulterated joy [ without any admixture of sorrow ] whenever you fall into the midst of variegated trails which surround you, knowing experimentally that the approving of your faith, that faith having been put to the test for the purpose of being approved, and having met the test, has been approved, [ that this approving process ] produces a patience which bears up and does not lose heart or courage under trails. But be allowing the aforementioned patience to be having its complete work in order that you may be spiritually mature and complete in every detail, lacking in nothing.” James 1:24 ( Wuest version )

Hope is seeded through the word you choose to speak. Like all requirements of faith , we must guard over our confession. This confession should always be exactly what the word declares, nothing more. Psalms. 119:114116, 130:5. The operation of bible type hope will cause one constantly to live in freedom. As stated previously the life filled with fear will destroy ones hope, once hope is destroyed this will in turn destroy ones faith leaving a ruined life.

Man tends to drift from God to man as his hope. this only brings one into control by another draining away the faith and hope within. Setting another on high over God is nothing less than worship and it goes without saying that one can not have any other Gods before the Lord. This person always is missing the boat so to speak. When ever good comes or something worthwhile proceeds they are always somewhere else. They are constantly viewing the good of others wondering why it never comes their way. The reason is simple they trust others rather than trusting God. The person whose trust is in others are the ones who continue to drift never coming to peace, their life is liken to that of dry uninhabited, parched wilderness places.

However the man whose hope is in the word of God is exactly the opposite. He is stable in the Word. Goodness follows him and he has the prosperity of the word in his life. Jer.17:58, Psalms.1:13. Psalms.118:89. A major key for the hopeless is to recall the things and times when God was first real to you. Bring back to your remembrance the things God made real to you. Look to Lam.3:1626. The Lords compassion never fails, why because the compassion of the Lord is what moves Him. What is compassion, it is best described by it’s own meaning ” the experiencing of what one is suffering and having the power to change it ” this is why one should never become hopeless in God. HE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE ANYTHING.

God receives no joy from the person who places no hope in Him. He cannot move on that persons behalf. Hope must be a continual force that flows from you to God and it is best done through the act of praise. Psa.71:14. Praise brings one into the presence of the Lord so that one may see for ones self the fact that is Gods will to answer ones hope. It is not wrong to have hope, it is not wrong to have desires in the Lord, He is very willing to grant and answer those desires. Psa.37:35, Prov.3:16.

Hope although seeded through faith and brought into reality by confession must be established on the Word. For without the Word fulfilling it’s power within a individual, that ones hope is simply natural hope or in better words wishful thinking. The Word will bring supernatural hope or a foundational truth to which faith may take hold of. The bases of any hope must be the Word.

So how does one create the Word type hope within. One must remain within Christ. Within means to abide in. Take up your residence in the word, never allowing it to depart from your mouth. Taking all opportunity to allow the to become big within. Lets look to the word and examine some of its most powerful scriptures that bring hope. John 1:7, faith comes through Jesus, this was His reason for coming to the world, to give man hope and something to believe in. John 3:17, without condemnation man then can see hope. Satan brings condemnation which destroys any hope for we begin to see only the circumstance and no father. Romans 5:9, Hope begins to see that if Christ died for us while we were yet sinners enemies of God and ungodly, if by His death He saved us and gave us hope. How much more through His life will He give to us, and how much more will our hope in Him be established.

Romans 8:37, a conqueror cannot have victory if in fact he is hopeless, in all of lifes battles, satanically induced or otherwise we have this hope. A) That Christ first experienced the situation in His life gaining victory in it, Therefore B) in all things we become more than conquerors. How can one be more than a conqueror, doesn’t that mean totally victory has already been gained? To be more than a conqueror is to a complete assurance that victory is yours even before the battle has begun. The mind of the conqueror has thoughts like ” Christ has already fought and won this battle therefore I place my hope in Him knowing that I cannot be at a loss, I’ll stand and see my hope fulfilled in Jesus “.

Romans 11:36, all things are wrapped in Christ nothing may exist in His presents that is not of Him. However if there are areas in your life that you’ve not made Him Lord over then He may be powerless in that area to do anything about gaining you victory. The decision is yours, allow Christ to be Lord and live victorious, or hang on to the area and be defeated in it or by it. There cannot be both. We receive of God by taking part in His hope that being Christ. Gal.4:7.Eph.2:7. We live the life of victory and hope trusting in the fact that through Christ we have be rich in the things of God. Our inheritance is the very gifts of the Word we need only to seek them out and receive them through faith and hope.Gods desire is that we receive from Him all that will bring us into a place of victory. His exceeding riches of course can not even be fathomed. However He is certainly rich enough and powerful enough to overcome any of my life circumstances. His kindness to us through Christ Jesus simply defined means “His usefulness”. He cannot be useful or creative in the areas where we hold back from placing our hope in him.

When we place that hope and do not hold back He comes and fulfils our desire. We become restful in Christ knowing the answer is ours and we have it even though we may not at the moment see it. Phil.4:719. There can be no greater hope than in Christ for if we have peace of mind, know we can do all things and that God supplies the answer to every circumstances then fear cannot take root destroying the victory. Fear goes when faith comes.

This is not to say that the walk of faith and hope will be a easy one. It is to say that it can be a victorious one. 1 Peter 5:511.” Moreover, all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes himself to those who set themselves above others, but gives grace to those who are lowly. Permit yourselves therefore o be humbled under the mighty hand of God, in order that you He may exalt in an appropriate season, having deposited with Him once and for all your worry, because to Him it is a matter of concern respecting you. Be of a sober mind, be watchful. Your adversary who is a slanderer, namely the devil, as a roaring loin in fierce hunger, is constantly walking about, always seeking someone to be devouring. Stand immovable against his onset, solid as a rock in your faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being accomplished in your brotherhood which is in the world. But the God of every grace, the one who summoned you in Christ with a view to His eternal glory, after you have suffered a little while, shall make you complete, shall establish you firmly, shall strengthen you, shall ground you as on a foundation. To Him let there be ascribed this power forever and forever “.

NOTE; suffer means to experience a sensation or impression.

We now know what hope is, how hope works, how hope comes what hope is not, and even who our hope is. In this study we will concentrate on the promises of hope in the Word. If in fact our hope is Christ Jesus and His Word then we need to take up residence within Him. That means our complete life must centred in Him. If he said it, then it must be true. If it is true then it is fact, if fact then it will effect our lives in one form or another. Any time the facts of the Word come in to reality in our lives then we readily is the resulting effect, that effect is always victory.
We hear much about the promises of the Word, and they are great and effectual. But only when you realize they are yours and you receive and act upon them. They are more than promises however. They are fact for Christ bought and paid for each and every one so that you may receive from Him your freedom in the area that Satan has kept you hostage.

It is these promises that will create that hope within so that faith has the power to work your answer or miracle for you. Many person are held in chains those chains have links and therefore can be broken with enough pressure. That is what the Devil is placing upon you to break and defeat you, PRESSURE. Break it by the force that is great than those chains. That pressure is called the Word of God, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, in other words our testimony. That testimony should always be what the Word declares over that given situation, regardless of how we feel, what we see, what we even think. Once the Word has made the statement we MUST get our confession in line with it. Our confession is not only what we have to “say” about our circumstance but it is also what we “say” to our circumstance. There lies a great difference. We may say what we see are seeing instead of what the Word is seeing. Speak the Word and watch your victory come. Speak the problem and watch yourself go down in defeat. Don’t deny that it exists, deny it’s right to exist in your life. For if the Word says its been overcome don’t become overcome by it.

The following is a list of scripture you may find do bring victory in areas that are seemly without victory.

VICTORY COMES BY THE WORD

FOR HOPE IN SCRIPTURES
ABILITIES

Ex.32:3; Rom.12:6; 1 Cor.12:47 2 Cor.1:4.
ABUNDANCE

Deut.15:6,7; Deut. 28:114; Deut.30:9; Ps.1:13; Ps.92:12; Matt.4:11; Matt.18:10; Phil.4:1023; 3 John 2.
ASSURANCE

Gen.26:3; Ezekiel 34:16; John 14:18; Ro.8:28; Heb.6:17,18; 13;6.
AUTHORITY

Gen.1:27,28; 9:2; 2 Sam.22:30; Luke 10:19, Eph.6:1018.
CONFIDENCE

Isa.40:31; 2 Cor.3:5; 9:8; Phil.1:6; 1 John 4:4.
DELIVERANCE

Exod.3:8; Ps.18:19; 34:9; Isa.10:27; 2 Tim.4:18.
ETERNAL LIFE

Job 19:25,26; Matt. 16:25,27; John 3:16; Rom.6:23; 1 John 5:11; Rev.22:5.
FAITH

Mark 9:23; Mark 11:2325; Luke 17:6; Rom.1:17; 5:1,2; Gal.3:11; Heb.11.
FAMILY

Gen.15:4,5; 22:17,18; 28:14; Ps.68:6; 127:3; Acts 16:31.
FAVOR

Gen. 12:2; Ps.5:12; Prov.3:4;16:15.
FORGIVENESS

Ps.103:3,4; Isa.43:25; Matt.6:14; Luke 15:20; 1 John 1:9.
FREEDOM FROM FEAR

Ps. 46:1,2; 56:3,4; 118:6; 2 Thess.3:3; 2 Tim.1:7.
FREEDOM FROM WORRY

Ps.3:5,6; 55:22; Matt.6:34; John 14:27; Pet.5:7;Rev.1:1718.
FRIENDSHIP

Prov.18:24; Isa.41:8; John 15:13,14.

GUIDANCE

Ps.25:9; 32:8; 73:2325; 139:10,11; Prov.3:6; Isa.30:21;49:10
HAPPINESS

Ps.37:4,5; 63:4,5; 64:10; 84:11; John 10:10; John 13:17.
HEALTH

Exod. 15:26; Ps.103:2,3; 147:3;Jer.30:17; Matt.9:35; 2 Pet.2:24.
HOPE

Ps.71:5; Rom.5:4,5; 8:24; 15:13; Heb.6:19.
JOY

Neh.8:10; Ps.3:3; 16:11; 30:5; 118:24; 26:5,6;Isa.12:3;51:11; Gal.5:2223; Heb. 12:2.
LOVE

John 15:10; Rom.8:3839; 1 Cor.13; 1 John 4
MARRIAGE

Gen.2:24; Ps.128:3; Prov.18:22;31:11,12; 1 Cor.7:14.
PEACE

Lev.26:6; Ps.29:11; 72:7;Isa.26:3; 54:13; Phil.4:7;2 Thess.3:16.
POWER

Exod.9:16; Deut.4:37; 11:25; Ps.44:5,7; Isa. 59:19; Matt.10:1,8; John 14:12; Acts 1:8.
PROMOTION

Deut.1:10; 28:13; 1 Sam.2;8;Ps. 71:21; Matt.5:5; 23:12.
PROSPERITY

Gen.13:14,15; Lev.20:24; 26:9;2 Chor.26:5; Ps.1:13; 35:27;3 John 2.
PROTECTION

Gen.15:1; Deut.1:30; 2 Chor.20:15; Ps.27:5; 91:27; Isa. 3:2; Nahum 1:7; Luke12:7.
PROVISION

Deut. 8:79; 28:114; 1 Kings 17:14; Ps. 37;3,25; 68:19; 145:15,16.
REST

Ps.4:8; 23:2; Prov.1:33; 3:24;Isa.14:3; Jer.30:10;Matt.11:28,29.
RICHES

Deut.8:18; 1 Chron.29:12; Prov.8:18,19; Prov.22:4;Eccl.5:19; Isa.45:3; 2 Cor.8:9.
SECURITY

Ps.26:1; 57:3; 62:2,7; 105:14,15; Jer.17:8; Matt.7:25.
STRENGTH

Josh.1:69; 23:9; 1 Chorn.16;27 Ps.18:2,29,32; 125:1; Isa.40:29
VICTORY

Ps.60:12; 108:13; Eph.6:1317;1 John 5:4.
WISDOM

1 Kings 4:29; Prov.2:6,7; Luke 21;15; James 1:5.

Your Darkest Hour Is God’s Greatest Victory

Ron Kalenuik — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:01:12 +0000

Ever suffer a loss? It could be a family member, close friend, job, home but always something very close and dear to your heart and soul, perhaps someone or something that has been tied within the heart. Often, in fact usually our suffering becomes our darkest hour, within that hour however is our time to show who we truly are. The great thing is to know that we never suffer alone, in fact be we go there, this would be a great place to look at the definition of the word. From the Greek we have πάσχω, it’s transliteration is paschó it’s definition: to suffer or to be acted upon.

So what are you facing today and within it you must ask yourself what am I doing to defeat it? How am I acting in the midst of it, or am I just acting up. Yes pain may be involved but it too is just for a moment, part of the definition of the root word is “experience a sensation or impression” we may take that sensation of one the has disadvantage to one that is for our advantage. Bringing us back to we suffer not alone. Psalms 118:6, The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? Never acting upon the fear that may come with the circumstance, never allowing what any man will do or say to persuade us upon any route that is less that what God has to offer. The Lord is on my side, lock that down within your soul that it may come forth in the time of great need. When you are suffering the most, when all looks hopeless and lost then it will shine forth like a beacon of hope which will force the darkness far from the circumstance and you will know that you are not walking alone nor do you ever have to. Another Psalms gives the hope of the Lord being on our side in our suffering and the burdens that comes with those sufferings. Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

In every one’s life there comes a time when all seems completely lost and there looks like there is no hope or future. When these times come take heart for it is within these that God is able to do His greatest work. It through listening to His word and heeding and speaking what we learn that victory comes in our lives.

From the moment that you remove your hands from the situation you are giving God the opportunity to do for you far above all that you can ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Ephesians 1:1-23. Here we find nine things or gifts that God has done or given us to show us that we need but trust in Him to overcome our blackest hour. These nine elements or gifts are:

A) He has blessed us. verse 3

B) He has chosen us. verse 4

C) He has predestined us. verse 5 & 11

D) He us made us accepted. verse 6

E) He has redeemed us. verse 7

F) He has abounded toward us. verse 8

G) He has made known unto us the mystery of His will. verse 9

H) He has given us an inheritance. verse 11&14

I) He has sealed us. verse 13

Now let us examine these one at a time to see how they possibly relate to being set free from our darkest hour. He has blessed us. The Word blessed means, “the power in you, on you and around to prosper”, or to be supremely happy. Certainly we have to be ready to admit that when we are in our darkest hour of need we are not usually very happy let alone supremely happy. That is what God is saying that you need His power to bring blessing upon you.

He reminds us that we are already blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Not to say that this where they will remain but to encourage you that what takes place in the heavenly realm will also take place here on earth.

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ¹ The power to live in victory lies right there in your heart. Just keep God first.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you”.

God is just as interested in your present situation in life as He is in your future life in heaven. This is the reason that He has already placed these spiritual blessings into our lives so that we could concentrate on what would take place here and now.

Matthew 6:10 “Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven”

1 John 4:17b, “because as He is , so are we in this world“.

If His desire was to only bless us when we get to heaven then we should all simply give in and go on now, so that we could live in those blessings. However there is just too many promises to show us it is His desire to grant us these heavenly blessings now, here, in this time.

Notice the small word hath, this word is past tense. So the work is completed already, the blessings may come from heaven but they have already been poured out upon us now. When it is the blackest time in your life, remember You Already Are The Blessed.

Our second gift given to us to help defeat the darkest times in our lives is the promise of God that He has chosen us.

We have heard the scripture “many are called but few are chosen”. So take heart that you are counted as some of the few. But what does it mean to be chosen. If you were to study out this word in the Greek you would find that it is a compounded word “eklegomai” ek meaning: the point where motion or action proceeds from, and the word lego, which is to lay forth or to break silence.

So the verse is saying “we are the place where God’s breaks silence over us and His action begins within us”. When we are chosen God goes into action on our behalf declaring before our angels what we are and have in Him. Then our angels lays these forth so that we may acquire them.

He didn’t wait for this to happen when we got to heaven but rather planned it for us before He even created the earth. So that we would be able to overcome all that the enemy would throw at us.

Notice too the remainder of the verse “that we might be holy and without blame before Him in love”. God sees what we are going through and all the errors that we have made up until we’ve reached that point of darkness. Yet He says that we are holy or dedicated to

Him and without blame. He does not see us as failures, which we surely see ourselves as when we reach the darkest times in our lives.

He says “I am going to lay before you a plan, then I’m not going to keep silent about what I want you to do. Then I am going to get you moving into action because I’ve already equipped you with all the heavenly blessing that you need here on earth to finnish it and come into success”.

Next we find out that He has predestined us. He did not preordain that we should come into a place of failure or destruction. But through Jesus we would be redeemed into a life of victory and goodness. He prearranged it so that we would be able to face all onslaughts with the most powerful tools ever given to man.

The Name of Jesus, The blood of Jesus and The Word of God.

He looked after all the arrangements of becoming His children. He paid the greatest price ever to be paid. It would be complete folly to believe that He would pay such a price only to have us live far below His own standard. We very well may quote Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ¹again to give us what His will is.

Not poverty, sickness, destruction and death, but rather prosperity, heath, preservation and life. When we become Sons of God we come into the lives that Jesus would have us live.

Even the name from which we are called shows us that life should be fuller and greater. For we call ourselves Christians, to be Christ like, yet what do we find the title Christ to mean, The anointed of God. Therefore by the name we share, we are the anointed of God. All we do, speak, and perform should show forth that anointing. He predestined us to live the anointed life that Christ lived.

His desire was that all problems, situations and adverse circumstances (allow they come and are burdens and yokes to us) be overcome by the anointing. Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. ¹
Now in verse 6 we find that He accepted us, not after we qualified for His acceptance. Nor after we preformed

something earning it. But just as we are.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new”.

Colossians 2:10-15, And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (KJV)

You are complete in Him. There is nothing lacking within you. When you face your darkest moments you can take comfort in the fact that you are entire in Him. Then just in case the enemy decides to harass you with thoughts of destruction, this same passage shows you that it is not possible for his harassment to succeed for Jesus has already completely defeated all principalities and powers.

After He shows us that we are the accepted He then shows us that He redeemed us. We have been bought out of destruction by the blood of Christ Jesus. When we find ourselves faced with our blackest moments we need to be mindful of the price that Jesus paid so that we would not have to live in that condition. But that we may live in victory through that shed blood.

We have the forgiveness of sins. Our mistakes wiped away and we are given new chances to change the threat of destruction into preservation and life. God sets aside what we’ve done wrong. We need to do the same and press on in Him so that we gain the surpassing victory that He promises us is there for us.

We walk head long into the riches that God has for us. Riches in the spirit, riches in the mind, riches in the body. All spiritual blessings having already been poured out upon us.

Yet He does not wait for us to walk in this redemption, the next gift He gives us reveals His desire toward us. The verse says He abounded to us. What is it that this could mean? We get this word from the Greek word “perisseuo” which means: to superabound in quantity or quality, to have a superabundance. So God is going to super abound toward us in wisdom and prudence.

Not just any kind of wisdom however. This wisdom here is the kind that enables you to judge what are the best

ends and the best means of achieving those ends. Prudence is practical wisdom applied in the best time and manner to attain the best ends. So God is going to give you a super abundant amount of wisdom to achieve what is best for you in your situation.

Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Having made known unto us the mystery of His will.

Should there arise a question as to whether something is the will of God or not this verse alone is enough to cause us to stand. He has made know unto us His will. When things do look dark we need not feel we cannot know what God desires of us, for we know what His will is.

We should keep in mind that His will provides Him pleasure. Now we know that the person who lives in faith is the one who provides God pleasure.

Hebrews 10:38-11:1&6.

10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (KJV)

So we live in “like precious faith” or that which gives God pleasure and so we obtain the rewards of living in faith.

Just as our eighth gift states “WE have already obtained our inheritance”. this inheritance is that of having God work out His will in our lives. So why worry even in the midst of your trouble, it will work out. God getting all the glory. Our inheritance is all that was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and if this was enough He said that we would also share in that of Christ Jesus’.

Romans 8:17

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint‑heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (KJV)

Finally we need to understand that we have been sealed. Sealed by the Holy Spirit of God to see to it that we live in the promises of God.

The word earnest here means: the first payment. So then the Holy Spirit is but the first payment in our inheritance. The reason He came first is to see to it all the rest of the inheritance would follow. Much of it are the gift’s and the fruit of the Spirit. Neither of which we should ignore or place on a shelf not making use of them.

This sealing is our endorsement of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit working though us His calling, giving us the riches of His glory, and the greatness of His power. So then when trouble comes we need but look to God and His full assurance that the problems would be solved by Him.

When things look their blackest God brings in the greatest light.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (KJV)

Now that we have seen how to overcome in our hours of need, we must learn how to begin to climb up out from the damage that has been done and then maintain the victory that we gain in it.

The climb begins with the verse Ephesians 1:13-14; In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (KJV)

“In whom” We go no further than this, we must come to grips of our position . We are IN Christ Jesus. This means that there is no longer a wandering looking and searching for acceptance. Then we can settle down and begin to live the lives that we know would be the one that God desires us to live.

It is through the understanding of being In Christ or In the Anointed of God that we settle down and live our victorious life. Scripture shows us many blessing or freedoms that we have in Christ allowing us to live an overcoming life. Some of which are:

A) No condemnation, Romans 8:1

B) Freedom from the law of sin and death, Romans 8:2

C) The love of God, Romans 8:39

D) Truth, Romans 9:1

E) Union of the body, Romans 12:5

F) Wisdom, Righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor.1:30

G) Resurrection of the body, 1 Cor.15:22

H) Triumph, 2 Cor.2:14

I) Abolishment of the law, 2 Cor.3:13-14

J) New Creation, 2 Cor.5:17-18

K) Simplicity, 2 Cor.11:3

L) Liberty, Gal.2:4

M) Sonship, Gal.3:26

N) Made nigh unto God, Eph.2:13

O) Higher calling, Phil.3:14

P) Faith & Love, 1 Tim.1:14, 3:13

Q) Grace, 2 Tim.2:1

R) Salvation, 2 Tim.2:10

S) Eternal life, 1 Jn.5:11

T) Preservation, Jude 1

U) Answer to all prayer requests, John 14:10-14

There can be no question that all we require to live in Him has been provided by Him. Therefore why would any chose to live apart from Him.

“You also trusted” This is the obvious key to live in Him, no-one will ever grow or live to their fullest if we do not trust. Trust is to place complete reliance upon, have faith in, to believe in. That is what we do when we live in Him. All that He say’s, we have, place your trust in Him so that you are able to continue your life of victory.

“After you heard the Word of truth”, once again the hearing of the word is shown forth into the development of faith. Without the hearing of the word there can be no trusting. If we will not settle this word in our hearts we will not learn to trust it.

Now this is the word “Rhema” or the living word of revelation, founded in your spirit. A rhema word is a word that once and for all finnish’s the subject in question. Never backing away from it, for you know there is no question as to it’s power, it always works.

This is the rhema word that you have heard “the gospel of your salvation”. So you’ve heard and trusted in the good news, for that is what the gospel is. But the good news regarding what, the scripture says salvation. Yet this is not the Greek word sozo which we know to mean salvation, preservation, prosperity and health. It is the Greek word “soteria” which means rescue or safety. So in the midst of your problems you take up your residence in Christ Jesus, you’ve developed faith and trust because you have received the rhema word of God that says you will find rescue and safety in the midst of your problems.

“In whom (again we see the need for living in Christ) also after that ye believed”. Now there is an action here that takes place after faith has be exercised. This will not happen until you have believed. Believed what? Believed Christ. Believed His rhema word regarding your rescue and safety. Believed that he has the ability to rescue from your dark despair, and believed that He can bring to you the answer you required, now.

“Ye were sealed” God has placed His stamp upon you declaring that you are His. He has bought you with the price of Jesus’ blood. He has placed on you his security, no-one would ever dare to break a seal of a king’s signet ring. You have been sealed unto the King of Kings. In ancient days the slave would work for a certain amount of time until their release. However should that slave develop a great love for the good master he could refuse his freedom. If he did this he would be marked or sealed for all to know that he belonged to a certain master as a love or bond salve. You too have been chosen to be a bond salve unto Christ, His love sealing you forever into Him.

“With the Holy Spirit of promise” Some were sealed with cutting marks, or metal ear rings, or branding irons. You are sealed with the very Spirit of God. All that is God’s is within His Spirit. Living in you, as a sealed individual unto God.

“Which is earnest” Once again this word earnest means “a down payment”.

So what’s a down payment, 10%. What is the tithe, 10%. I believe that God is giving to us His tithe or down payment in the form of the Holy Spirit.

“Of our inheritance” an inheritance is our security against the future. So then the Holy spirit is our down payment against all future payments of security. You have heard of stocks and bonds, they are called securities. The Holy Spirit is our security or our inheritance given in advance as a down payment until we come into our full possessions.

“Until the redemption of the purchased possessions unto to the praise of His glory”. Or we could read this more accurately “until the complete deliverance of all the acquisitions you have in Christ Jesus come, bringing great praise to Him giving Him much pleasure”.

The next four verses could read like this “wherefore I also gave audience to your firm persuasions and reliance in the Lord Jesus and the agape kind of love unto all the saints. I do not restrain my gratefulness that I have in you, making all recollection of that gratefulness in you to God in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the rational of wisdom to the acquiring of the best means at the best time to fulfil the best ends through the disclosure and recognition of him. By opening the eyes of your deep penetrating thoughts revealing the bright rays of His knowledge, causing you to see what is the pleasurable anticipation of this invitation set before you. And what is the abundance and wealth in honour of His possessions found in those who He has made blameless through the shedding of His blood. Ron Kalenuik paraphrase.

Now in verse 19 we find the secret to maintaining our deliverance from our darkest hours. Here we find four of the five Greek words used for our word power. It is imperative that we understand these words so that the meaning of this verse is clear to us.

The five words are: dunamis, meaning: power stored up in something, this is the miracle working power of God stored up in His Holy Spirit, it flows from Him and explodes in us, dynamite comes from this word.

energia, meaning: outward power or overt power, energy comes from this word.

kratos, meaning: ruling power, or the one who rules or has dominion, combined with the word demos (people) we get demoskratos or democratic, rule by the people.

ischus, meaning: endowed power, or the power that is given due to the position held or the ability contained within one.

exeusia, meaning: authority.

Each of the first four words are found in the 19 verse. “What is the exceeding greatness of his (dunamis) power (the power stored up within Him) to us ward who believe, according to the working (energia, the power that flows out of his stored up power) of His mighty (kratos, the power to rule) power (ischus, that was given to Him from the Father because of His Sonship).

Understanding this scripture will allows us to always move within the power of God. The scripture could read as “And what is the surpassing greatness of His miracle working power contained in us who have faith, respect and trust in Him. Joining us to the energy found in His forceful ability to rule in full dominion”. Ron Kalenuik paraphrase.

With our understanding of this scripture we gain the ability to move in power.

For the next verses show the chain of command.

First the Father gives this power to Jesus (verse 20) then through His crushing of Satan the power is given to us (verse 22).

Continuing our paraphrase the verse could read as follows, “Which the Father caused to be (energeo) mighty in His Anointed Son, Christ Jesus. When He raised Him from the dead. To forever settle in Him a relationship of rest always to be beside Him on His right side, established in all three heavenly places. which is higher than all ruling (exousia) forces of the violent found in the fallen Satanic governments. And above every other presumed authority that gives to themselves unjust authority, not only here in this present time but in all that may be expected to come. He has brought all into obedience placing them beneath His feet. Giving Him ruling power (kratos) over all, to the called and chosen found to be His church. which is His body the completion of Him, causing Him to be fully satisfied in everyone and in complete contentment in all that are His”.

All this power is found in you, so that when the enemy has been defeated by His mighty explosive, ruling power found in his authority you may maintain your victory when Satan comes at you.

Let all God’s delights settle your mind down and then maintain the Word. Learn that this power allows your mind to be at peace and ease in the lifestyle that God has given over to you.

Psalms 94:19, In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. (KJV)

The taking of communion will bring into your remembrance all that Christ has done on your behalf including the granting of this power and strength.

Hebrews 6:17-19,

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (KJV)

Those immutable things are the bread representing the body of Christ Jesus, wounded, bruised and battered for your life of health and peace. And the blood of Jesus shed for your redemption from this life of misery placed upon you by Satan.

Through these two things the mighty power of Jesus the Anointed reside within you.

Finally be reassured that God will never remove His power from you, as you walk in faith and trust.

Romans 11:29; For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (KJV)

Every Godly gift is your’s forever whether you chose to use it or not. Many will continue to live in a life of blackness even though the great light of God has been shone on to us for eternal redemption.

God has given to us many promises (gifts) that He expects us to make good use of. How would you feel if you gave a gift to someone who never unwrapped it and therefore never made full use of it, terrible. Well God is the same about all His gifts, He greatly desire His children To make full use of all the gifts and promises found within the scriptures.

Just remember when the enemy tells you times are going to be rough, he lies and that you are more than a conqueror in Jesus Christ and His anointing abides within you taking you from blackness to light.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Hero, Part 3

Ron Kalenuik — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:26:24 +0000

There is way for all to be a hero to any who requires one. That way of course is to walk in the footsteps of the greatest hero ever to live. His name Jesus.

Psalms 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear; what can man do to me?

There is no fear (read blog on fear) in Christ, if He is on your side, then He is not on the enmy side.

In order to receive revelation of God, we not only must know God as the Way, know the Law (Word of God), and do that which we know. We must also know the ways of God which come through knowing the Way and doing the Law of God. By having both the Way and Law settled forever within our hearts we will automatically walk in the ways of God.

TRUTH

3 John 2-4, “Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”.

The first key we learn is that we are to walk in truth. Not temporal truth that is subject to change according to the whims and wishes of the one projecting what they call truth. All truth will withstand one test, does it come in line to what scripture has to say (and that, cover to cover). If it does not then reject it entirely for it is not truth.

This is the reason that we should learn not to trust our senses, for they will surely bring us to ruin. You see the senses will show you only that which you desire to see. The eyes may say to you that all you can see is all the world is made up of. We of course know that such a statement is false, yet we insist on saying “I’ll believe it when I see”, most of us have never seen the North or South poles yet we know that they exist, simply because they have been proven to be so. Truth is much deeper than the senses, truth always shows the senses that there is a greater, much deeper way, the way of the Word. Should we not therefore walk in it? Of course we should.

Truth is the reality of any matter, or situation. It takes the Word of God instilled in our hearts to bring us into such reality. We must develop the attitude that all else is false and only God is truth, therefore we walk in the way of truth as given to us by God through His Word and granted by the Soterion (He who brings salvation) Jesus Christ, for He is the embodiment of truth.

We will find that truth will work it’s “way of life” within our hearts, we need not however concern ourselves as some do, that just speaking the truth at all times will cause us to appear harsh, or unkind, cacophonous in nature, dictatorial in personality, deceived by the very truth we seek to walk in, for Jesus has never been either. We emulate His life, we live like He lives. He has coupled truth with several other important ingredients so that as the free we may remain so.

The Companions of Truth

Psalm 85:10, “Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other”. If we are to walk in the way of truth we must do so through the power and ability of the Word of God, where the Word is, truth will always be accompanied by her three companions, mercy, righteousness and peace.

Mercy is: compassion, forgiveness and kindness. Compassion is: the ability to experience what another is going through and have the power to change it. Forgiveness is: the wiping away of all wrong, the remission or pardon of all debt, to give up all claim on any account. Kindness is: showing one’s self as useful in any situation. Combining these, we formulate mercy.

Coupled, mercy and truth become an unstoppable force, used to bring great freedom to the heart of all who may walk in their pathways. Psalm 25:10, “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies”. Mercy and truth become unstoppable because God is unstoppable, His truth is marching on.

HOW TO RECEIVE REVELATION FROM GOD

Walk in the Ways of the Lord \ Righteousness

“Righteousness is the ability to stand in the presence of the Father without a sense of guilt, condemnation, or inferiority–as though sin had never existed”.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”.

Therefore the ability to receive revelation from and by God must come through righteousness, if one live a life of condemnation or is critical upon oneself there is very little opportunity for God to speak to that one’s heart. They must see themselves as pure and clean respecting the blood that Jesus shed on their behalf. This of course is no licence to sin, but rather it is the ability within to resist sin and see Satan overthrown in their life.

Through His blood sacrifice Christ has been made unto us:

The power of God, 1 Corinthians 1:24

The wisdom of God, 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30

The holiness of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30

The redemption of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30

The righteousness of God, 1 Corinthians 1:30

Justification then is exoneration and vindication of living the right lifestyle which has been instilled into us by; God, Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit, the blood of Jesus, grace, faith, prayer, and obedience. In other words, by a commitment to living a life within these areas.

A lifestyle of righteousness can be liken very much to the examples of King Solomon found in Proverbs that he encourages all to live within. One need but choose to live what he has written in order to obtain righteousness. A study of one Proverb each day will cause a lifestyle of high integrity and morality to abound from one in all areas of living.

Righteousness is by Faith and not by Works

Romans 9:30-32, What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. for they stumbled at that stumblingstone: As it is written, Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and a rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed”.

The ultimate goal of every Christian should be providing God with pleasure, Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he who to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. God gets His pleasure from those who do all things through faith. Therefore we must by faith reach forth and receive our righteousness, if the shed blood of Jesus made us clean, we must by faith receive it and then walk in the purity of it in our soul and spirit.

The acquiesce of faith brings one into a realm that instead of working to obtain righteousness, they are righteous and because they are they then go forth and perform works. We work not because we have to, we work because we know the results of faith and righteousness within us, desiring others to come to the same knowledge. Therefore, although our works will not brings us into righteousness, faith will, we work because we have faith, therefore complimenting righteousness through faith and shown by our works. There is no advancement in Christ Jesus when all one does are works, advancement comes through works that are faith motivated and not soulishly motivated. Therefore the equation is, Righteousness by faith equals works of faith.

James 2:14-18, & 26, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother and sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things needful to the body; what doth it profit. Even so faith, if it hath not works , is dead being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and i will shew thee my faith by my works. (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”.

Righteousness is Living Sin Free

There is a new kind of sin that is finding its way into the church today, it does not put on a deceiving appearance, yet it deceives more and more Christians into defeat and death more and more. It is about time the church wakes up to his deception and begins to do powerful warfare against this demonic force.

It is capable of its deception because those through whom it works will not admit that they are the possessors of him. Numbers 32:23, has something to say regarding this; “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out”.

The four principals found here then are:

A) Destruction of strongholds, vs 4.

B) Casting down imaginations, vs 5.

C) Bringing into captivity every thought, vs 5.

D) Having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, vs 6.

Satan will try to establish certain strongholds in our lives so that we may not obtain the life of victory that God would have us obtain. So what are these strongholds, many of them are the feeble arguments put forth by the flesh as to why one should do or continue doing that which against the righteous way of living. For example strife, it is one of the best strong holds of Satan, for he knows that when he gets one into an arguementive mode they will progress in only one direction, hell, which is really to regress. As long as he can keep others arguing as to who is right, no one will be right. Once an argument has broken out then there is no longer a right one, both are now wrong. God’s way is that of peace, Satan’s way is that of strife, no-one can be right, doing the ways of unrighteousness, the ways of sin, the way of disobedience.

The third recommendation given to us to free from performing any disobedience is that we are to bring every thought into captivity. This indicates that we are in a battle, a war over who will rule our minds, will the Word rule or will the thoughts of the flesh fuelled by Satan take control? Certainly the warning is that if we do not lead our thoughts away captive then we will be the ones held prisoner. What is implied, is that we will be the ones lead away and incarcerated in a prison made of bars of negative and dysfunctional thoughts. Thoughts designed to bring us into deaths grip, with our lives on the brink of extinction, simply because of thoughts gone wild.

Dake defines the blessings from this chapter as:

1) Long life. vs 1,4,10,40

2) Success. vs 1,5, 40

3) Mercy & Judgement. vs 3

4) Wisdom & Understanding. vs 6

5) Known the world over for wisdom and knowledge. vs 6,7

6) Closer walk with God. vs 7

7) Answers to prayer.

Prefect code of life. vs 8

9) Good and lasting memories. vs 9

10) Given the truth to teach your children. vs 9,10

11) Learning the fear of God, the beginning of wisdom. vs 10, (Pr.1:7)

12) Preservation from corruption. vs 16-19

13) Being a special people unto God. vs 20

14) Share in the inheritance. vs 20,38

15) An unbreakable covenant with Jehovah. vs 23

16) Faithfulness of God. vs 31

17) Manifestation of God. vs 32-34

18) Proof that Jehovah is God. vs 35,39

19) Victory over our enemies. vs 38

20) Prosperity. vs 40

21) Blessing upon our children. vs 40

Walk in the Ways of the Lord \ Peace

Another Greek word is; Siapao (see-o-pah-o) which means a involuntary stillness, a hush.

Mark 4:39, He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm”. So we may expect to have calmness in the midst of tribulation while we walk in peace, which flows from God. And yet these two meaning are not the ones we desire to place our attention upon, there is one more word we must look at for the clearest understanding.

So to understand peace as our residence or home, we must have first hand knowledge of our place of residence, first hand knowledge of Jesus Christ, what is it we have “In Him”.

Romans 3:24, In Him we have redemption.

Romans 8:1, In Him there is no condemnation.

Romans 8:2, In Him is freedom from sin and death.

Romans 8:39, In Him is love perfected.

Romans 12:5, In Him is oneness.

1 Corinthians 1:2, In Him is sanctification.

1 Corinthians 1:30, In Him is wisdom, righteousness and sanctification.

2 Corinthians 2:14, In Him is triumph over the enemy.

2 Corinthians 5;17, In Him old things die away.

Ephesians 1:3, In Him are all spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 2:6, In Him we are seated in heavenly places.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, In Him is Gods will for you.

To abide outside of Christ is to chose confusion over peace, foolishness over wisdom, poverty over prosperity, sickness over health and death over life.

Psalms 37:11, Amplified version, “But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in an abundance of peace”. The “meek” refer to those who have a good or positive attitude toward the things of God, and perform from within that attitude without disputing or resisting. They have developed this peacefulness through continually spending their time in the presence of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 9:24-26; “Know ye not that they which run in race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air”.

We are to run the race to win. There are no second best’s. You must prepare to run. You must prepare to finish. You must prepare to win.

Colossians 2:9-10, & 15, “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it”.

There is no compromise with God toward Jesus.

There is no compromise in Jesus toward you.

There is no compromise in the attitude and actions that Jesus took against the devil. c/f Colossians 1:9-19.

Hebrews 10:35-39, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul”. To compromise is to cast away your confidence (your beliefs, trust, faith or reliance), (compromise means; discredit, endanger, jeopardize, risk, concede, or yield) what is that you are putting at risk “your faith“. Notice verse 38 says that if any man draws back that God’s soul is given displeasure. There can be no peace in the soul of the compromising person. It is such a person who will draw back, never, never, never compromise your stand of faith for anyone or anything.

1 Peter 5:7, Amplified version, “Casting the whole of your care-all anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all-on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully”.

Peace of God can only come as one decides that there can be no compromise in His life. c/f Philippians 4:4-9.

Psalms 37:1-40. (PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE PASSAGE FROM YOUR BIBLE) Here is one of the greatest list of promises ever given to any man who will live within the Word of God. It is through the Word that you will ever be able operate the peace of God.

Before we examine the promises lets look very diligently at verses 3-8 which gives us the ways to peace. These are not rules that one must follow, but rather they are steps to the peaceful life.

Trust; lean on, rely on, and be confident in, take custody, have guardianship over. Become liable for your actions, in other words you become justly or legally responsible for your actions and the results that go along with them. You are officially obligated to that trust. You are in a covenant of trust, to break it would result in your down fall. You carried the trust, your responsible to it.

Delight; have enjoyment, happiness, joy, pleasure, and triumph in the Lord. In another word be glad (encouraging, cheering, inspiring, pleasing) in God.

Commit; The Amplified version says “roll and repose each care of your load on Him” Make your pledge and promises in Him, dedicate your ways, assign to Him your worries and frustrations, then lock them up with His Word and see your way come to pass.

According to Dake, David gives to us twenty five guarantees or promises of peace from God in Psalms 37:

1) (vs 3) You abide in a good land.

2) (vs 3) You shall never go without, you will always have the necessities of life.

3) (vs 4) God gives you the desires of your heart.

4) (vs 5) He brings His promises to pass.

5) (vs 6) He brings the righteous to light.

6) (vs 6) He brings judgement as noonday. No darkness.

7) (vs 9) The evil doer will be cut off, a promise of Satan’s defeat.

8) (vs 9) You receive the earth as an inheritance.

9) (vs 11) There is an abundance of peace.

10) (vs 17) You are upheld by God.

11) (vs 18) You recivce an eternal inheritance.

12) (vs 19) You are not ashamed in evil times, God protects.

13) (vs 19) You are satisfied in times of famine.

14) (vs 24) You are not brought to ruin (cast down) when you fall.

15) (vs 28) You are not forsaken by God.

16) (vs 28) You are preserved (maintained, perpetuated, sustained, and upheld) by God forever.

17) (vs 28) The seed of the wicked shall be cut off from harassing you.

18) (vs 31) All your decisions (steps) will be sound.

19) (vs 33) The Lord gets involved in defending you when the wicked attack.

20) (vs 33) The Lord will not condemn you.

21) (vs 37) The result will be peace.

22) (vs 39-40) Salvation will come.

23) (vs 39) Strength from God will be yours in a time of trouble.

24) ( 40) Help from God whenever you require it.

25) ( 40) Deliverance from Satan.

When we have so great assurances from God, is there little wonder that the peace of God can be settled forever in our hearts? There is nothing that can steal that peace away from us.

1 Corinthians 11:24-30, as one studies the communion of Christ we find that it is representative and is the fulfilment our covenant in Him. This covenant of peace can be seen closer as you examine for yourself the following: