R.D SOUZA Saved by faith

Gaze at the Shulamite

Songs of Solomon 6:13 - Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, 
that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it 
were the company of two armies.

Today's message from the book of Songs of Solomon may seem like 
Shakespeare and complicated, but when I give the meanings of the words 
according to the actual Hebrew script, one may not need much help to 
understand this message.

Return, return, O Shulamite [perfect one]; return, return, that we may 
look upon thee.

What will ye see in the Shulamite [perfect one]? As it were the company 
<04246> of two armies<04246> [the same word is repeated twice and means 
encampment - body of people].

Thus can be written as:-

Return, return, O Perfect One; return, return, that we may look upon thee.

What will ye see in the Perfect One? As it were the body of people, body 
of people.

This message can be very simple milk stating the people awaiting the 
return of the Perfect One which is the Lord Jesus Christ. It was He 
alone who was born without blemish and remained without blemish. There 
was no corruption in body, soul and spirit found in Him. He was our 
perfect sacrifice and an example to overcome.

The same message can be made solid food by concentrating at the end part 
of the scripture - "as it were the body of people, body of people" . The 
same word is written twice and thus caused many translations to 
translate it as 2 armies. Let me explain this part.

When we say God - it is a term used for the Godhead Body, which includes 
Father, Son and Spirit - God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. 
That is God the Father and His Spirit and God the Son (who existed in 
the Father as part of the Father and was declared as an individual) and 
His Spirit. Since both have the same Spirit and their Spirit is a being 
Himself that is why they are 3 yet 1. They cannot be separated for both 
the Father and Son share the Same Spirit yet all 3 are individual with 
unique identity. They together are the body of God the Father.

Similar way God the Spirit has a body of 7 Spirit yet is 1 Spirit 
(Isaiah 11:2) and God the Son too had a Spirit body which consist of the 
Cherubs, Angels - the Heavenly beings (that is why some scriptures has 
an Angel appeared and some places the Lord appeared for the same incident).

As we know God is light and when some of the Angels went against the 
plan of God darkness came and this caused the Temple (the body of the 
Son) to be damaged. God is a God whose plans are to prosper, so to 
rebuild this Temple and bring perfection into it this time God made mere 
man who in spite in spirit is same as the Angels but being made in the 
flesh is lower than the Angels. God created us so that we become a light 
that overcomes the darkness.

Man failed again and again and since by ourselves we could not, God the 
Son became man and came from a woman as our sacrifice. Not born of a 
human father He was born without sin and let by the Holy Spirit He 
remained without sin. By His sacrifice He made available for us His 
Spirit and by His Spirit He makes us be a light - as overcomers. In the 
end He comes as Son of Man and leads a team army of Angels (elect men 
who are the first resurrected) and together they destroy Satan, Beast 
and the fallen angels. This battle people think would be like some world 
war or as shown in movies, Angels chasing fallen angels and killing it. 
Sorry nothing like this is going to happen. The battle is more like one 
nuclear bomb which destroys everything evil.

Bible says the Son of Man (the Head of the Angel Army -Arch Angel) with 
come with His army and give a shout which is like a thousand thunders - 
trumpet of God. In this shout He declares His Holy Name - WHO HE IS and 
this causes every being to bow (surrender) unto Him. It is after this we 
who are revived from the corruption of sin become a part of God the Son 
along with the Angels of Heaven. That is why the Bible in some 
scriptures calls us little Gods since we become part of the body of God 
the Son (the marriage). The glory which the God the Son had before is 
not only restored but taken to another level by our Testimony in Lord 
Jesus Christ.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, when the Angels revolted against the light You could have finished 
them there and then, but in your Wisdom You had greater plans. You made 
mere man to overcome the mighty angels. You set forth the impossible and 
to make it possible You became a part of your plan, which the fallen 
angels never dreamt of. They saw You humble yourself and come as mere 
man yet the fallen angels did not change because their hearts were 
hardened even though they knew their destiny. Lord we thank You for 
making us part of your plans. You have greater things set for us in 
Heaven which no human mind can imagine. Lord, we pray we remain in your 
plan and not harden our hearts. That we gaze at the Perfect One and 
await His return...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

1 John 1:5 - This then is the message which we have heard of him, and 
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Genesis 1:1-4

1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the 
face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from 
the darkness.

Revelation 21:23 - And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the 
moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb 
is the light thereof.

John 17:5-12

5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory 
which I had with thee before the world was.

6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the 
world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy 
word.

7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are 
of thee.

8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they 
have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and 
they have believed that thou didst send me.

9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast 
given me; for they are thine.

10And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I 
come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou 
hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given 
me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of 
perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Psalms 77:18The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings 
lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the 
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in 
Christ shall rise first:

17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with 
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be 
with the Lord.

Daniel 12:1-3

1And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which 
standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of 
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same 
time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that 
shall be found written in the book.

2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some 
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; 
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Revelation 3:5 - He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white 
raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I 
will confess his name before my Father, and before his [his / same] angels.

Revelation 21:24-27

24And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: 
and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall 
be no night there.

26And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, 
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which 
are written in the Lamb's book of life.

John 10:35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and 
the scripture cannot be broken;

Revelation 12:3-4

3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red 
dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast 
them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready 
to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Zechariah 13:8-9

8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two 
parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them 
as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall 
call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and 
they shall say, The LORD is my God.
*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

A False Prophet

Ezekiel 13:7 - Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a 
lying [deceitful] divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit 
I have not spoken?

Some months back a group of Pastors approached me to help them organize 
a grand event where many Churches of various denominations came 
together. It was a dream opportunity for me, something I prayed for very 
much and caused me to nearly jump in and say YES, but I chose to tell 
them I would pray and confirm with the Lord and come back to them.

My relationship with the Lord is such that before any serious disaster 
or great event happens the Lord speaks to me through visions or through 
His Word. When this came I was a little surprised how the Lord had not 
spoken of it to me before it came. Before going to bed that night I 
prayed to the Lord to minister unto me, as I was praying I realized the 
night before I had a vision where I saw 3 things. Frist I saw not many 
people gathering in a business location, second I saw myself and my 
family at a place like a restaurant far from this gathering and third I 
saw a terror act like a blast happening far away and I alerting about 
it. When I realized this was a sign from the Lord I opted out of that 
event. But I thought this event would face a terror act and warned of it.

I was not at the event so I do not know how many people and how much 
effect this event did spiritually to people and much commercially it 
made to the people organizing. How much people they were expecting and 
how many did come. Secondly that very day daughter was celebrating her 
birthday with her friends at a restaurant and this was unplanned and 
happened at the last moment. It was after it happened that I realized 
what I was shown. About the third part that day I was praying nothing 
bad happens I even told one of the organizers to be careful. Those two 
days of the event, I watched the NEWS continuously to see if any bad 
news, my heart did and did not want anything bad to happen. I did not 
want people to be hurt but at the same time I did not want to be pointed 
a finger at me. Nothing happened at the event all went well. But that 
day there was a big terror act (bomb blast) in Lebanon that very time of 
the event.

That day I was kind of destroyed and for many days I questioned my 
vision and the Lord if I had walked into the danger zone of 'false 
prophet' ? Many time before the Lord spoke to me in visions and I have 
seen them come to pass. Sometimes I may have over exaggerated at time 
but they come to pass but this time I had messed up totally. Later 
through scriptures I was comforted by the Lord but that mistake of 
mis-linking things has put me on a back seat. When I see a vision I 
speak what is shown and do not add or delete or link according to my 
thinking but to plainly speak what is shown. Till date I have not 
understood why the 3rd part of the vision was shown to me, but that 
incident has caused me to mature more in the Lord.

Today's message says the one whom the Lord calls as a false prophet is 
the one who speaks a deceitful divination. If one goes into the root of 
these words on the lighter side it means they spoke even though God did 
not speak to them. It means they were lying in the name of the Lord. On 
the harder side these words mean they spoke with a purpose to destroy.

In Deuteronomy 13:1-5 the Lord clearly says when these people (false 
prophets) lie with the intension to mislead us to worship other gods 
such a person would receive the punishment of a false prophet.

If we look at the Bible most of the prophecies given by the Prophets 
were not clearly understood by them themselves for they had the Spirit 
of Prophecy but had not received the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit of 
Truth was given to us only after Jesus paid the price. Even after the 
Spirit of Truth was given to the Church there were people like Peter and 
Barnabas who make mistakes and misled people, Paul corrected them but 
did not accuse them to be false prophets.

If we look at Preachers today almost all of them make mistakes, it does 
not make them false prophets. All are limited in our understanding but 
as we share and grow in the Lord our understanding is increasing and we 
are becoming more and more accurate in our understanding of scriptures.

In the book of Joel the Lord says after He gives us His Spirit He would 
speak to His little one in visions (things that are hazy, understood 
little by little) and the those mature in dreams (clear visions, even 
though symbolic but yet accurate).

It is sad when we have people to whom the Lord speaks in vision and 
dreams and then the elders think these people are going astray.

When I started in the Lord and the Lord started ministering to me in 
vision and then dreams and when I shared them with people, they 
literally tried to destroy me. If it was not my passion for the Lord I 
would have become an atheist by now or a Muslim or a mad person.

Let us not be greater fools by pointing fingers at sane people and 
calling them fools. Let us not destroy those who are growing in the 
Lord, but guide and support them when they make mistakes. Let us not 
swallow the fly in an attempt to break away its wings, thinking the 
wings have the disease just because the fly dusts it wings every now and 
then.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, in your Word You said after You give your Spirit to man You will 
speak in visions to the little and to those who are grown in Spirit You 
will speak in dreams. We pray for all those little in spirit to whom You 
speak in visions that things may be more and more clear to them and that 
they may one day see dreams. Lord we pray we do not judge people by our 
understanding but be able to discern their intentions. We pray Lord we 
not be cause for destruction of any soul and that their blood not be on 
our hands...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Prayer Starter]

Deuteronomy 13:1-5

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth 
thee a sign or a wonder,

2And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, 
saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let 
us serve them;

3Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer 
of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love 
the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his 
commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave 
unto him.

5And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; 
because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which 
brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house 
of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God 
commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the 
midst of thee.

Ezekiel 13:4-16

4O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the 
house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

6They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and 
the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they 
would confirm the word.

7Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying 
divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

8Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and 
seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.

9And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that 
divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither 
shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither 
shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am 
the Lord GOD.

10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and 
there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it 
with untempered morter:

11Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall 
fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, 
shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

12Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is 
the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?

13Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy 
wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, 
and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

14So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered 
morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof 
shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the 
midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

15Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have 
daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no 
more, neither they that daubed it;

16To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, 
and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the 
Lord GOD.

Joel 2:28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my 
spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

2 Peter 2:1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as 
there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in 
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring 
upon themselves swift destruction.
-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

The Bridal Dress of the Church of God

Exodus 39: 19And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two 
ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of 
the ephod inward.

When I first read the books of Moses it was very difficult and I could 
only graze the surface of its understanding but later as I studied the 
letters of Paul and other books of the NT I started getting a better 
understanding of the book of Moses and then it was just unbelievable as 
to what the Lord revealed through Moses.

For example the priestly garments as in today's message, on the breast 
plate were the 12 stones which represented the 12 tribes of Israel and 
in the book of Revelation Heaven is made of the same 12 stones (in some 
places the stones are called by its other name). I found that very 
intruding and when I studied a little of gemmology and realized Paul 
wrote of these 12 stones in his letters and they symbolized the 12 
Fruits of the Holy Spirit (9 in Galatians 5:22-23 and 3 in Ephesians 
5:9). The Kingdom of God is a Spirit world made of things more precious 
than earthly gems or gold or pearls.

Even the design of the dress gives insight of the Callings and how each 
Calling inter-coordinates with each other. These Callings are connected 
to the 7 Spirit of the Holy Spirit and its order is given in Isaiah 11:2.

In today's message we read of the gold rings that hold the breastplate 
to the ephod. The ephod is the priest garment and the breastplate the 
callings.

After the Spirit of God was given to the Church at Pentecost and the 
Truth revealed (started to be revealed) through Jesus Christ the Church 
started functioning in the Callings and that is why we see the glory of 
God was in the Church. The book of Acts and letters show the 
interactions between the people of various Callings. But sadly we see 
near the end of the period of the Apostle (disciples of Jesus Christ) 
the Church was infected with heretic teachings and practices fused with 
Jewish traditions known as Nicolaitan teachings and this Nicolatian&# 39;s 
hierarchy is what the Church started following (John called it the 
spirit of the Anti-Christ) .

After 300AD we hardly read about Callings and even in the Believer 
Churches we see the practice of the Nicolatians is still followed even 
though Callings have started to show up. People with Callings are now 
working under the so called priests / Pastors. It is like the ephod 
being worn on top of the breastplate, the breastplate not holding the 
ephod but the ephod holding the breastplate, thinking in the point of 
view of man and not God. Do we think the Groom would like to see His 
bride dressed like that?

The Lord is telling the leaders of the Church to get the dress of the 
bride right, according to the design He has given. Note the Groom will 
not come till the bride is not in the attire that He has asked of her 
and those who are not in the attire as we read yesterday will be thrown 
in the pit of untold suffering.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, when You gave instructions to Moses to make the Tabernacle and its 
things, they did not know they were the shadow of greater things which 
You revealed through your Son. Lord You paid the price so that we 
receive your Spirit and have the ability to understand your Word like 
Jesus did and by it overcome like He did. Lord we pray for your bride, 
that she be dressed in the attire You has designed for her. That there 
be a renewed thinking and this thinking be not according to traditions 
but according to your Word...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Acts 17:10-12

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto 
Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they 
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the 
scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

12Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were 
Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Exodus 28:17-21

17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: 
the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall 
be the first row.

18And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

19And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

20And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be 
set in gold in their inclosings.

21And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, 
twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every 
one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

Revelation 21:19-20

19And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all 
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, 
sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the 
eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the 
eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

Galatians 5:22-23

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 
gentleness, goodness, faith,

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

Ephesians 5:9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and 
righteousness and truth;)

1 Corinthians 12:27-28

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

28And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily 
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, 
helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Isaiah 11: 2And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit 
of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit 
of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

2 Timothy 4:5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the 
work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

1 Timothy 3:1-13

1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he 
desireth a good work.

2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, 
sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, 
not a brawler, not covetous;

4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection 
with all gravity;

5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take 
care of the church of God?)

6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the 
condemnation of the devil.

7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he 
fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to 
much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a 
deacon, being found blameless.

11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in 
all things.

12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and 
their own houses well.

13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to 
themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in 
Christ Jesus.

1 John 4:3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come 
in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, 
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in 
the world.
-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

The Wedding - are you going? as what?

Matthew 22:2 - The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which 
made a marriage for his son,

I have heard many people preach this parable and till date I have not 
heard one person get the basics right. All of them I have heard have 
made 2+2=5 where the 1 extra that they add is their worldly understanding.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a king arranging a wedding of his 
son. Yes, the king sends his servants to invite people to the marriage, 
now the place where everyone makes a mistake is servants are sent to 
invite people not to be a guest to the marriage but to be the bride to 
the son.

In the Kingdom of God at the grand wedding which awaits us in Heaven 
will have no guest. The people who are planning to be guest will be in 
the pit where there is untold suffering. To be invited to the marriage 
one need to be the bride and be dressed in the bridal gown. In 
translations people used the word guest for the Greek word that means 
one seated at the table and this has caused all to be misled in 
understanding it.

God is asking us those who plan to attend the marriage, what are we 
planning to attend the marriage as? If we are planning to attend as 
guest we are going to be thrown into the pit where there is untold 
suffering awaiting us, but if we are going to attend as bride we will 
sit at the table of the Lord set for His bride. This table has not food 
as in earthly food but things spiritual which are beyond the most 
precious things existing on earth or in this world.

If we plan to attend the marriage as bride we need to be wearing the 
bridal gown and this gown is not made or bought by us, nor do we have to 
work for this gown. This gown is made available to us by the Groom 
Himself and all we need to do is wear it. Our work is only in wearing it 
and remaining in it.

The essential bridal dress of a Jewish bride is a white dress with a 
veil. The dress covers the bride but the groom knows the beauty of the 
bride. The dress makes the bride look pure and untouched that is what 
the Lord prepares us here on earth through His Spirit. Let us start 
today and put on the bridal dress and remain in it, if we do not want to 
be caught at the wedding without the dress.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, You came as man and died for us not only to save us from spiritual 
death but to give us life and life in abundance. You have set forth a 
great blessing for us in Heaven which we can avail of only when we come 
to You as your bride. Lord we pray we prepare ourselves for the wedding 
today and be covered in the truth and in your righteousness. ..

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Matthew 22:1-14

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a 
marriage for his son,

3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the 
wedding: and they would not come.

4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are 
bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are 
killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

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

6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and 
slew them.

7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his 
armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which 
were bidden were not worthy.

9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to 
the marriage.

10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together 
all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was 
furnished with guests.

11And when the king came in to see the guests [one seated at the table], 
he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

12And he saith unto him, Friend [mate], how camest thou in hither not 
having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take 
him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeth.

14For many are called, but few are chosen.

Revelation 21:2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down 
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 22:17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that 
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, 
let him take the water of life freely.

SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Mercy to Favour, Compassion to Passion

Hosea 1:8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

In the book of Hosea the Lord speaks about the 3 children of Hosea who 
symbolize the relationship between the Lord and His people who are far 
from Him and disobedient to His Law.

God causes the children to be named Jezreel, Loruhamah and Loammi.

Jezreel means God sows, this was the first child

Loammi means not my people, this was the third child

And Loruhamah mentioned in today's message is translated mostly as no 
mercy, this was the second child.

The Lord was telling His people what He would do with them out of His 
anger on them. I have spoken about this in my previous message. Today I 
would concentrate on the second child mentioned in today's message. As I 
was reading the scripture I went deeper into the name and its meaning. 
The word Loruhamah is made of 2 Hebrew words 'lo' and 'racham&# 39;, the 
first word means no and the second word what I noticed, although is 
translated as mercy but is not. The word means compassion and comes from 
the word 'chamal&# 39;. The word Hebrew word for mercy is 'checed&# 39;.

One would ask, what is the difference between mercy and compassion.

Mercy is to do with ministering to the guilty while compassion does not 
necessary require the recipient to be guilty. To understand compassion 
one needs to understand passion.

Passion can be defined as a burning or uncontrollable desire. Compassion 
on the other hand does not mean opposite of passion but means lack of 
passion and can be defined somewhat as pity.

Mercy is by which all creation exists. Grace is what came through Jesus 
Christ and means the required amount of mercy to get the job done. Grace 
is midway of mercy and favour is the extreme end. Only a son is assured 
favour always.

From mercy we move to grace when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and when we abide in Him by the help of the Holy Spirit we come into the 
favour of the Lord (become Sons). From mercy to grace to favour the 
recipient is directly involved in the change but in the case of 
compassion to passion the recipient cannot influence the donor in any 
way, it all depends on the heart of the donor. Even though we cannot 
claim the compassion or the passion of the Lord, but since we know the 
Lord is a keeper of His Word we can have confidence to receive it. All 
we need to abide by the conditions of the promise.

The reason why the Lord got angry with His people and denied them His 
compassion is because they went spiritual whoring behind other gods.

Like we can move from mercy to grace and grace to favour by believing in 
Jesus Christ and abiding in His Word, similarly we can move from 
receiving compassion to passion of the Lord by worship Him and Him alone 
in Spirit and Truth.

We may not be making physical idols and worshiping them, but even 
spiritual idols can block us from receiving compassion or moving to 
passion. Let us not idolize any man, or money, or riches, or status, or 
job, or respect of men, etc. by make sure the Lord alone is seated on 
the throne of our hearts.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray we not be like people of the world who live on your mercy. 
We ask You to help us to move from grace to favour by our abiding in 
your Word with the help of the Holy Spirit and also move from compassion 
to receiving your passion by our true worship to You and You alone. Help 
us to seat You alone on the throne of our hearts and put the rest of our 
world as your footstool...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Exodus 20:4-6

4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any 
thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that 
is in the water under the earth:

5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD 
thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the 
children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my 
commandments.

Exodus 2:6And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, 
the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of 
the Hebrews' children.

Romans 9:15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have 
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

John 1:17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by 
Jesus Christ.

*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

The Lord alone is our Rock of Salvation

1 Samuel 2:2 - There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside 
thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

There is one word which is least understood in the Bible and that is the 
word Holy. Most people confuse it with being righteous or being good.

We read this word is by which God is honoured in Heaven by the Cherubs 
as the Lord takes His Throne (comes in glory).

The seriousness of this word can be only understood by understanding the 
word 'good' in the NT. The word good seem a normal English word that 
speaks of a level of comparison. But in the Gospels we read of an 
incident when a person calls Jesus good and Jesus rebukes the man saying 
only the Father in Heaven is good. This word is not the good we 
understand in English. The Greek word for good is 'kalos&# 39; but the word 
which the person used in this incident is 'agathos&# 39;. In the New 
Testament Jesus alone used the word kalos the most and Paul also does 
use this word mostly in Romans to describe the things of God. In 
Ephesians 5:9 Paul states this as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit, but keeps 
it along with Righteousness and Truth as separate from the other nine 
other Fruits which he listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

The word Holy is described as being sanctified or separated to God. God 
again and again tells us to be Holy for He is Holy.

Some of the Christians put hallows around people to show they are holy, 
but the reality is none of us can be Holy, we can only pursue Holiness 
same like Righteousness and Truth for these Fruits are beyond the reach 
of man that is why Paul did not include them in the list in Galatians. 
But God made it possible for man to receive them through His sacrifice. 
That does not mean now we can have Holiness, Righteousness and Truth. We 
need to understand by the sacrifice God made it possible for man to 
receive His Spirit and it is by the working of the Spirit of Truth in us 
that we receive the Fruit of Truth. It is only after Truth in us, do we 
receive the Fruit of Righteousness from the Son and then the Fruit of 
Holiness from the Father.

We should remember unless we do not pursue them we will not receive 
them, that means as we grow in knowledge and understanding of God and 
His Kingdom, we need to walk in that understanding and separate 
ourselves from things that are not of the Kingdom of God. If man tries 
to be righteous or holy without knowing the truth, it is not possible. 
That is why we read in Romans since none were found righteous that the 
Lord had to humble Himself and come as man to pay the price so that His 
Spirit may dwell with man.

God is telling us today if we need to be righteous and holy unto God we 
need to know the truth, and we cannot know the truth with our wisdom or 
knowledge, for that we need His Spirit. So it is only by our accepting 
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we receive His Spirit and by our 
surrendering to the Spirit of God and letting Him reveal the truth unto 
us and letting Him by His Spirit help us walk in His truth can we pursue 
holiness. That is why the Lord is called the Rock of our salvation.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, many of us try to be Christians but they do not understand none 
can be Christians, for it is You who make us Christians when in 
surrender to You and let You be seated on the throne of our hearts. 
Lord, help us pursue truth, righteousness and holiness so that we may be 
part of You when You come in glory...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Revelation 4:8 - And the four beasts had each of them six wings about 
him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, 
saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is 
to come.

Matthew 19:17 - And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is 
none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep 
the commandments.

Ephesians 5:9 - (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and 
righteousness and truth;)

Galatians 5:22-23

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 
gentleness, goodness, faith,

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

Leviticus 11:44 - For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore 
sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall 
ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth 
upon the earth.

Romans 3:9-26

9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before 
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become 
unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used 
deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17And the way of peace have they not known:

18There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them 
who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the 
world may become guilty before God.

20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in 
his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being 
witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto 
all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in 
Christ Jesus:

25Whom 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;

26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be 
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

What is the reason of your blessing?

1 Samuel1:21, 22 - And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to 
offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went 
not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child 
be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the 
LORD, and there abide for ever.

In the start of the book of Samuel we read about the great Prophet 
Samuel and his birth. His mother Hannah cries to the Lord and she is 
blessed with a child who becomes a great Man of God and one of the most 
important Prophets. Samuel was the first to start a school for the 
anointed of God. He also had a great hand in getting the books of the 
Bible (before him and during his time) together and maintaining them. He 
started the tradition of forming a group of people who gave their lives 
to preserve the Word of God through the centuries.

I must have read this starting part many times before but today as I sat 
to write on this message there was something interesting I noticed for 
the first time and it was to do with the attitude his mother Hannah.

Hannah became desperate to have a child all because she was taunted by 
her husband' s second wife Peninnah. We notice Hannah lives in good 
relation with her and they all went to the annual feast where everyone 
makes an offering for the vows they made for the year (some consider 
this as the feast of weeks). Yet we see in the dedication of the child 
at the temple in Hannah's prayer she still speaks of the enemy who spoke 
against her when her womb was barren.

We read after weaning her child she takes him to the temple and hands 
over the child Samuel to Eli. The word translated as young in verse 24 
is not the young we think in English like lad or preteen. The Hebrew 
word 'naar' used here comes from the word to be tossed to and fro, which 
means he was still at cradle stage.

If one reads the words of Hannah carefully it is more about how the Lord 
kept her self-respect and saved her dignity before those who spoke 
against her and we know before Elkanah her husband married the second 
time, she was living comfortably and was never desperate for a child. It 
was only when Peninnah came in the picture and taunted in directly or 
indirectly that Hannah desired a child.

Scriptures say the Lord shut the womb of Hannah before and later it was 
the Lord who blessed her womb later when she cried to Him. Even though 
her purpose for a child was not really the child but her self-respect 
and dignity, yet the Lord answers her prayer when she desperately prays 
to the Lord.

We read in today's message even though we may have not the right purpose 
of God's blessing yet at times God answers our prayer when we pray 
desperately to God like Hannah. We see a similar case in the Luke 
chapter 8 where Jesus explains about prayer through a story. In the 
story a judge who has no regards for man or God is sitting over a 
judgment of a matter and we read the woman concerning this matter keeps 
on persistently petitioning the judge day in and out. The judge out of 
irritation does concede to the petition of the woman. Jesus says through 
the story there are times God will hear our prayer if we continually 
keep on pursuing it with God. But then Jesus ends this story saying when 
the Son of Man come will He find faith?

We should realize a short prayer of faith is more powerful and effective 
than a long persistent prayer. The most powerful prayers of Jesus were 
just simple 'Thank You, Father', for one to say such a prayer one 
requires great faith and it is only when our purpose and desire is 
according to the will of God, can we have such faith. Jesus said first 
believe to receive; and we can have the assurance to believe that we 
have received before we actually receive only when our purpose is right 
- according to God's plan.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, there are times when we struggle and struggle to receive from You. 
We keep praying and praying for it. Lord help us to be aware of the 
purpose of our petition with You and we prayer Lord that we desire all 
things according to your will and your plan in our lives. Although You 
turning all things to our good but because we do not desire or do 
according to your plan and will, we land up struggling and facing 
hurdles in our lives...

[Reference Scriptures]

1 Samuel 1:1-5, 9-16, 20-28

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and 
his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of 
Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

2And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of 
the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice 
unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and 
Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

4And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his 
wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

5But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the 
LORD had shut up her womb.

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had 
drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the 
LORD.

10And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept 
sore.

11And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed 
look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not 
forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, 
then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there 
shall no razor come upon his head.

12And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that 
Eli marked her mouth.

13Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice 
was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

14And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy 
wine from thee.

15And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful 
spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out 
my soul before the LORD.

16Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the 
abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

20Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah 
had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, 
Because I have asked him of the LORD.

21And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD 
the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go 
up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may 
appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.

23And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; 
tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So 
the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three 
bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him 
unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman 
that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

27For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which 
I asked of him:

28Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he 
shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

1 Samuel 2:1-10

1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn 
is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because 
I rejoice in thy salvation.

2There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither 
is there any rock like our God.

3Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your 
mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are 
girded with strength.

5They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that 
were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that 
hath many children is waxed feeble.

6The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and 
bringeth up.

7The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from 
the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the 
throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he 
hath set the world upon them.

9He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in 
darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven 
shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; 
and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his 
anointed.

Luke 18:1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to 
pray, and not to faint;

2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither 
regarded man:

3And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, 
Avenge me of mine adversary.

4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, 
Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her 
continual coming she weary me.

6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto 
him, though he bear long with them?

8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son 
of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

-- 
*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Becoming a son of Abraham

Luke 19: 8,9 - And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord,
the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from
any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto
him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a
son of Abraham.

Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector but he was the chief tax collector,
more like a Commissioner of the tax collection department. His coming to
Christ was not a small incident but something that must have cause great
ruffles in the social circles. This happened in Jericho and Jericho and the
place where the richie rich of society lived. Zacchaeus being a chief tax
collector of this place made him more than important than otherwise.

We see thus this man must have been really rich and also of great status
yet he did not care of his social status but climbs a tree like a child to
get a glimpse of Jesus. He was not aware of who Jesus was but he had heard
somewhat about Him. Even the little he knew of Him made him desire to see
and know Him.

Being short he knew he needed to get to some high level to see Jesus and
know who Jesus is. It is written he did not walk but ran to climb the tree
to see Jesus. Imagine a very rich man well dressed and of great social
status running and climbing a tree to see an ordinary citizen like Jesus.
He had not climbed just a few feet to overcome his height problem but
climbed a good high above, for it is written Jesus looked up to talk to
him. Jesus instructs him to come down quickly and he did obey. Jesus seeing
the enthusiasm of Zacchaeus tells him that He would be staying at his house
for the day. Jesus did not say that He would just drop in for lunch or
dinner, or spend some time with him at his house but said He would stay at
his place, this made Zacchaeus realize his social and financial status was
very little compared to the spiritual status of Jesus and he was unworthy
to have Jesus come and stay at his place.

Zacchaeus on hearing that Jesus would come to stay at his place did not
think of how clean his house was or if the things were in place for Jesus
to be comfortable, but Zacchaeus thought of his heart if it was clean
enough for Jesus, he knew now that Jesus would spend time with him, he
could not continue the sinful life he lived, so immediately without anyone
asking Zacchaeus repents for his past life and declares he would give half
of his holdings to the poor and compensate 4 times to the people he has
cheated. When Zacchaeus does that Jesus declares that now Zacchaeus is a
son of Abraham.

Note nowhere is it Zacchaeus was a Jew or an Israelite, yet we see Jesus
declares him as a descendant of Abraham all because He believed in who
Jesus is and truly accepted Him. Paul says we become descendants of Abraham
by our faith in Jesus Christ. What kind of faith which is needed to be a
descendant is what we see in Zacchaeus.

Today the Lord is telling us to see if we are struggling in our lives and
we do not see the blessings on Abraham in our lives, we need to ask your
selves have we responded to Jesus as Zacchaeus did. The blessings of
Abraham are only for those who are truly descendants of Abraham by faith
and not by blood or by religion or by legality.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, make our hearts always like Zacchaeus’ heart. That we realize what we
are in this world has no value before You. That we be as anxious as
Zacchaeus to know You and understand how to prepare ourselves to receive
You. We pray that the blessings of Abraham be always on our lives...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Luke 19:1-9

1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among
the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press,
because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for
he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said
unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at
thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be
guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of
my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by
false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house,
forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Romans 9:6-8

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not
all Israel, which are of Israel:

7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:
but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Galatians 3:6-9

6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness.

7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the
children of Abraham.

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all
nations be blessed.

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Time of fulfilment of prophecies

Zephaniah 2:4 - For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: 
they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

In the timeline of history there were period of happening and periods of 
silence where nothing historical happened.

The Bible notes and speaks of historical events that happened and will 
happen. It is not necessary that all world historical events would be 
found plainly written in the Bible (unless one gets into Bible Codes) 
but one would find certain events written not just once but repeated in 
many books through the mouths of many Prophets.

Understanding the Bible is not a historical book or a prophecy book, but 
is a book that is concerning the salvation of mankind, it does include 
historical records and prophecies which affect the walk of man according 
to the law of God. Now some of the prophecies are repeated because they 
have a great importance and ramification spiritually and worldly on the 
people of God.

We live in a time of happening, a time of prophecies wherein many good 
and bad both are happening. We find many people shaken up with the 
things that are happening in our era. They think that the end time is 
near. If these people look at the prophecies in the Bible we are in a 
time of grinding, polishing and filtering, where God is working on His 
people preparing them for the next stage wherein His Church comes in 
glory, united as one Church, a Church of power and authority.

Today's message talks of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron, how the wrath 
of God would fall on them. The common thing between all four of them is 
that they are cities of the then Philistine. To understand the prophecy 
with regards to our time we need to get into word study, getting to the 
Hebrew / Greek meaning, grammar, history etc. of each word.

Philistine means immigrants

Gaza means strong / fierce (among immigrants)

Ashkelon means I will be weighed / paid out

Ashdod means powerful (among immigrants)

Ekron means emigration or torn up by the roots

Today's message talks of the immigrant Christians. People who call 
themselves Christians but have no relationship with Christ and His 
purpose, they are following a religion called Christianity. They are 
people who think all religions lead to one God, people who think being 
good is the most important thing above all things, they are people who 
think Word of God need not be followed verbatim (in spirit) but doing a 
part of it is okay, they are people who think all will be saved because 
Jesus came to save all mankind irrespective they accept Christ or reject 
Him what is important is they do some rituals in the name of God and do 
not harm anyone.

Christianity is about overcoming, overcoming spiritual corruption with 
the Truth (God's Word), it is about overcoming one's carnal nature by 
walking in the way of the Lord, it is about carrying the Cross of Christ 
-- purpose of Christ of bringing His sheep to Him, it is about building 
each other in the Lord so that everyone reaps great in the Kingdom of 
God, it is about having authority in the Kingdom of God. In short 
Christianity is about the Family of God and being active part of it.

When a person who is not a family member stays in the house he is 
treated well for a few days, after that he is tolerated for another few 
days and then he is no longer welcome. If that person desires to have 
good relationship in the house he needs to be part of the family and 
cannot continue to be guest.

Today's message goes out to all those guests who dwell in the House of 
God and have not yet become family member. All these who think their 
rigorous rituals, or their social status or their worldly works or their 
worldly peace efforts will keep them in the House of God under the Name 
of Christ are in for a disappointment. God is saying He is going to deal 
with them they are no longer welcomed in His House, He is going to get 
rid of them.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray for all those who call themselves Christians but are far 
from Christ, they do all king of pagan practises like idol worship in 
the name of a religion called Christianity. There are also those who 
think their social service work will save them. Lord, if man could be 
saved by good works, then You coming as man, becoming a sacrifice for us 
and giving us your Spirit of Truth would have not been necessary. Since 
there was no way for man and the gates of Heaven were close for man You 
became the way, the only way. Lord, we pray that Christian understand 
what it means to be a Christian and live it...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant 
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the 
day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; 
which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith 
the LORD:

33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of 
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their 
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and 
they shall be my people.

34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man 
his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the 
least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will 
forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Isaiah 42:1-4

1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul 
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment 
to the Gentiles.

2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the 
street.

3A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not 
quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the 
earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

John 8:35 - And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the 
Son abideth ever.
* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Marriage and Divorce and Adultery

Matthew 19:9And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife,
except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth
adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

We read many people including Christians breakup their marriage due to
many reasons like they do not get alone with each other some of them are
more of the serious type but as Christians can we do that?

Today's scripture we read Jesus gives just one reason for breaking up a
marriage and that is fornication. To understand this one needs to
understand marriage.

Marriage is not the ceremonies that one performs in a Church or in the
exchange of rings. Marriage happens when 2 people (a male and a female)
commit to have a family and therefore come together. The commitment may
happen in a Church before witnesses but the marriage gets sealed when
they come together and have physical relationship with each other. That
is why Jesus says anyone of them having physical relationship with
another is considered breaking of the covenant of marriage and can be a
reason for divorce. Other than that every other reason is not eligible
for divorce between a Christian husband and wife.

A couple that comes together but do not want to have a family their
relationship is not considered a marriage. Similarly if a couple does
not come together in physical relationship they are not considered married.

Let me be clear again between 2 Christian couples the only reason for
divorce is fornication, but when one is a Christian and the other not
then they can break up the marriage if the Christian finds that the
other is hindering that person's relationship with God and there is no
hope for that person to change. Understand God can do the impossible but
God follows His rules and does not break them. He has given man a free
will and those who do not have the seed of faith and have harden one's
heart against God will only get destroyed when God works in them. This
is a very sensitive issue and needs to be handled spiritually by a
mature person in Christ. If the non-believing person could be a child of
God and just needed time and efforts, a wrong decision could be a
disaster the blood of the person would be on the head of the partner and
the one who advised the wrong decision.

We need to understand why only the relationship humans (male and female
since it is about having a family) coming together in the Lord are
considered a marriage, animals coming together is not considered
marriage. So also couple who are non-believers, their come together and
may be called husband and wife yet their union is still is not called a
marriage.

The Hebrew word for marriage talks of leading a marriage so also does
the Greek word means to led a wife. Marriage is just not a covenant
between two people. People think it is a covenant between 2 people and
God that too is used for good preaching and to please people. True
marriage is a statute to do something Heavenly so that we can understand
and fulfil the purpose of God. When we do it well we glorify God and
when we do not we do the opposite, thus marriage is a serious matter.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, people do things without understanding and later cry when problems
come. They think the problems that come between them are persecutions
blaming the world or blame the devil for it. Lord, your people make You
little and so also the thing of the Heavens. Lord, we pray you people
understand this relationship called marriage and thus understand its
purpose and understand the wedding we will have with You in Heaven...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Matthew 22:29-30

29Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God.

30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage,
but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Matthew 1:24-25

24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his wife [Greek word 'gune' which has the
base 'ginomai&# 39; which means to be, therefore meansto be wife]:

25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he
called his name JESUS.
-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Judgment before the Son of Man

Acts 5:8,9 - And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the
land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto
her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the
Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the
door, and shall carry thee out.

Today's message is a very good example of how judgement of all mankind
will happen before the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again.

Here we see Peter was just a man, even though Peter sat on the judgment
throne yet it was the Holy Spirit who played the important role of
confirming the harsh judgment.

The Lord made a covenant with man starting with Noah and thus it was
written when Jesus went to Hell, He preached to the souls from the time
of Noah, and those who accepted Him were raised (freed from Hell with
Him, they did not go to Heaven but went to Grave which is a level in the
spirit world).

Most people think God will judge us at the end, but they do not realize
if God judges us none will go to Heaven, all will perish. God in His
mercy has appointed son of man to judge all mankind. Since none were
righteous God the Son humbled Himself and came as man not only to be a
sacrifice but also to become the only person eligible to judge all mankind.

Jesus says He will sit on the Judgement seat because He is a son of man.
Like Peter, Jesus also will not judge according to His human ability
(since He is son of man) but relies on the one who is true and that
being is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit in turn judges us by the Word,
therefore it is written the Word in us will judge us.

Revelation 20:12 talks of the books would be opened and the dead will be
judges according to the books. One needs to understand what these books
are and then one will understand how the judgment will happen.

If we read today's message Peter asks Sapphira (the woman in today's
message) the value of the land she sold the proceedings of which she was
supposed to give unto the Church, and she lied. In her heart she was
aware of the price but yet she confesses a lie. When Peter led by the
Holy Spirit passed the judgment on her, she had no justification to
argue for she knew the truth and the reason why she was punished. The
same way on judgment day the open books will not give us a chance to
justify ourselves when we are judged. These books are records of our
words, thoughts and works which are recorded in our inner-man (heart -
not natural hearts) and also in the book of the Lord; on the
confirmation of the recording of the two books we will have no
justification.

Peter could have simple told her 'since you cheated and tried to tempt
the Holy Spirit you will die right here' but Peter instead chose to
confirm the judgment out of her own mouth. Similarly when the books are
opened the judgment is reconfirmed with us.

One would say with all the wrong words we speak daily, the lies we have
said or do say at times and the mistakes we make is it possible we can
be saved?

Yes, we can be saved because firstly we are judged according the
righteousness of man and not of God. Secondly all the sins before we are
born again are forgiven and the sins we commit after that for which we
ask forgiveness are forgiven and they will not exist in the records.

Now even though there will be records against us, we will still have
hope to be saved from the judgment based on the fact if we did make
efforts to keep the Word of God or not. Even if we failed, the failure
will not be held against us but if we have not tried then that will be
held against us.

When David entered Jerusalem as king and called it Zion there were 2
types of people who were not allowed to enter the city, they were the
blind and the lame and these two types were killed. This was symbolic to
the Day of Judgement when we enter the New Jerusalem (Heaven), all those
who are spiritually blind or lame would not enter it, all those who are
ignorant of the Word of God and those who have not made efforts to walk
in it.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, it was impossible for man to enter Heaven, but You Lord in your
mercy made a way for man to come back to You. Even the Angels do not
have knowledge of how You will accomplice such an impossible feat, but
Lord, You are God of the impossible and we know we can trust in You as
the Rock of our salvation. We pray Lord that we do not be spiritually
blind or lame. That we know the value of your Word and we make efforts
to walk in it. That we do not tire but continue this race to our
salvation...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Revelation 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
for them.

12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works.

13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.

14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.

15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire.

Romans 14:10-12

10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought
thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to
me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Matthew 13:40-43

40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall
it be in the end of this world.

41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out
of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth.

43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

John 5:19-25

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

20For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself
doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so
the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son:

23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He
that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear
shall live.

John 12:48 - He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him
in the last day.

2 Samuel 5:5-8

5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in
Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites [means
"threshing place" - where the harvest is separated from the waste/hay],
the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou
take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither:
thinking, David cannot come in hither.

7Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city
of David.

8And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and
smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of
David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The
blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

Daniel 7:9-14

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did
sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the
pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as
burning fire.

10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood
before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn
spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed,
and given to the burning flame.

12As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken
away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him.

14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that
which shall not be destroyed.

John 8:14-18

14Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet
my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye
cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and
the Father that sent me.

17It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me
beareth witness of me.
-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Woe unto the Cherethites, Canaanites and Philistines

Zephaniah 2:5 - Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of
the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land
of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no
inhabitant.

The Cherethites were among the bodyguards of David yet we read the Lord
saying they would perish and it will be the Lord who will destroy them.

To understand today's message we need to get into word study
understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word and their root meaning.

Cherethites means executioners

Canaanites means lowland, it comes from the root word being humble

Philistine means immigrants

Cherethites: -

There are people who work for God's Kingdom like the Chererites worked
for David. These people may be great in the doing God's work, but they
like the Chererites are hired men. They work not for the purpose of the
Kingdom of God but work for the worldly blessings of the Kingdom of God.
They are the prosperity preachers.

Canaanites:-

It may surprise many when I state God hates humble people. I state this
because when God says humble it is not the humble what worldly people
understand. God hates people who think nothing of themselves or consider
themselves as doormats for others. This is not the humility God speaks of.

In Philippians 2:3 the word translated as 'lowliness of mind' actually
means not to think little of one's self but to be aware of the lacking.
We are called to be realist of what we have and what we do not have.
Think we have or are that we do not have or are not is called pride or
boastful. The words 'let each esteem other better than themselves&# 39; does
not mean to think of others being better than them but actually means to
make others better than them.

A humble person is a person who knows that he or she knows partly and
understands that God builds His people gradually and reveals things
gradually. Everything God has set for us but as we grow in Him we
receive and God does it so that we do not perish.

God did not allow steps to be built to enter the tabernacle so that the
nakedness of man is not revealed. God is not man to see the nakedness
like a man does. God is spirit and clothes do not hide anything from
Him. God knows man is weak and sudden growth or sudden abundant blessing
exposes the carnal nature / nakedness of man. That is why blessed is the
man whom the Lord gradually builds.

Philistines: -

These are people who are Christians because of reasons like they were
born in a Christian family, or people around them converted them or
convinced them to be Christians and reasons like that. They are not
Christians who have taken refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ for their
salvation; they are not Christians because they have not had an
encounter with the Lord; they are Christians who do not know the meaning
of the Cross of Christ and think it is either a symbol or suffering
which the Lord wants them to endure in their life; they are not
Christians who have founded their faith on the Word of God but on things
like traditions or words of man. The moment someone promises them a
better life (even social) or prospects in another religion they would
not hesitate to cease being 'Christian&# 39;.

God is warning in today's message such people, who are Cherethites,
Canaanites and Philistines would be consumed by Him. Let us be people
who have a relationship with the Lord, knowing who He is and who we are
in Him, people of faith who have a strong foundation on Truth which is
the Word of God, people who know without God it is vanity and there no
life far from Him.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we pray for people who give more value to things of this world and
sacrifice the rewards of the Kingdom of God for the rewards of this
world. Lord, we prayer all those people who have a wrong understanding
of humility may know who they are in You. That they reach out to others
to build others better than themselves, that they know the real meaning
of giving and blessing others. Lord we also pray that your people have a
firm foundation build on the Truth and your Spirit. That they not be
shaken or destroyed when tribulation or temptation comes...

This prayer we make in Jesus's Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Philippians 2:3 - Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but
in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-5

3We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every
one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye
may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Matthew 7:29 - For he taught them as one having authority, and not as
the scribes.

Luke 9:1 - Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them
power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

2 Corinthians 10:8 - For though I should boast somewhat more of our
authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for
your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

The story is written before
Daniel 5:18 - O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy
father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

In the Bible we find God takes His people through situations to tell a
story which is of utmost importance.

Jonah was put into the belly of the whale so as to give an idea of death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So also was Abraham made to almost
sacrifice his son Isaac to show the sacrifice of God the Father for His
people. Same is the walk in the wilderness of the Israelites and their
crossing the river Jordan to enter the Promised Land; all of them tell a
story which is greater than the act. The story of Nebuchadnezzar the
king of Babylon is also the same case, a story told beforehand.

We read God in His anger delivered His people into the hands of the
Egyptians and then to other kingdoms. During the time of Jeremiah God
warned the people about worshipping other gods like the Queen of Heaven
and showing of the riches of the Tabernacle, thus delivered His people
into the hands of Babylon. God chose Nebuchadnezzar and appointed him to
oppress and rule over the Israelites. Then later when Nebuchadnezzar
made a golden idol and made all the people including God's people to
worship it, God let His wrath come down on Nebuchadnezzar and made an
example of him and all this happened very quickly, just overnight.

Revelation talks of Babylon the Great, the Mother of All Fornication a
kingdom unlike the kingdoms of this world and how God deals with her. In
my previous message I stated how this Babylon was the Roman Catholic
Church.

In Revelation 2 letters to seven stages of the Church, we see in the
first stage Ephesus (meaning permitted - a Church set by God), God warns
this church about forgetting its first love. If we read about Church
history after the death of the Apostles and the disciples of the
Apostles, this church took a back seat in reaching out to the people.
There was a slowdown of spreading the Gospel to the different corners of
the world, the Church stopped expanding. This period called the
ante-Nicene (pre Council of Nicaea - the first council of the organized
Church). The activity of the church was so little that even historically
very little is known of it in this period (but most of the heretic
writings like the Gospel of Judas, Thomas , Mary Magdalene etc. are
dated to this period). Before that even though the Church was persecuted
it spread throughout.

People think the conversion of Emperor Constantine was a good era for
the Church, they do not realize the teaching of Nicolaus (a Jewish
heretic of Antioch who became a 'Christian&# 39; and later fused teachings of
other religions into Christianity like he did when he was a Jew -
Nicolaitans -- 'Mother of God' title for Mary is his handiwork) got
boasted by the support of this man. This man Constantine infused Roman
pagan beliefs and traditions into Christianity and caused the birth of
Catholicism and the Church of Smyrna (meaning myrrh a sweet smelling
poison) was born. This church is said to be the seat of Satan. This
church ruled for about a 1000years (also known as the dark ages of the
Church). It ended with Pope Clement V in 14th century, who made himself
the Triple Crown declaring himself (a Pope) as ruler of Heaven, Earth
and Hell. He succeeded Pope Boniface VIII who had repeated incest
relationships with his children, male and female. Thus came the Church
of Pergamos (meaning height or elevation), a church that lifted itself
above the Heavens. This church is part of the Catholic Church but
another phase like the kingdom of Babylon too went to a change of phase
in between. This church is said to continue to hold the doctrine of
Nicolaitians but now it is also referred as doctrine of Balaam showing
more of the spiritual ramification of Nicolaitians doctrines.

Then came the stage of the Church of Thyatira (meaning 'affliction&# 39;),
the protestant / reformation movement. This church saw many Believers
been martyred for following the Bible and not the Catholic Church
teaching. After that came the Church of Sardis (means red ones) a church
that evangelizes Christ to the world - a period we are in. Even though
the next two stages had come to existence the church of Babylon -
Pergamos continues. The church of Pergamos / Catholic Church receives
the wound (the fall of Babylon the great) before the coming of the
Church of Philadelphia (meaning brotherly love) where all various
Believer Churches will come together as one, a church that has spiritual
authority and a church which exercises it.

Then comes the Church of Laodiceans (meaning justice of the people) a
phase before the Judgement day. A stage when the False Prophet, the Son
of destruction, the lawless one is revealed and brings into existence
'the chip - coded as 666' (some ancient manuscripts put it as another
number) that controls the people. He kills the last spiritual leader /
Pope (a Church which is in exile in one of the current communist
countries) and becomes its head (the healing of the wound of the Beast
by the power of the Dragon).

People have a wrong idea of this chip they fail to understand it comes
in a boon to take away violence and evil of the world, a solution to all
problems, a blessing to mankind. It causes the time of world peace. But
internally it also controls things like faith and love for this chip
works on logic and things like faith and love are illogical. The false
prophet whose behind this chip also hold powers not seem before by any
evil man on earth, he bring to life an idol (of the Catholic Church) and
cause all mankind to worship it, anyone not doing so would be hunted and
killed. Then comes the two witnesses who bring the fear of God to the
whole world. They are killed and after 3 days comes the Rapture where
some people of God are taken up. After that the Dragon (Satan) is
released to cause worldwide destruction. After that comes the second
coming of Christ with His Angels (those who are of the first
resurrection including those raptured, they deal with Satan and his
goons) and resurrection of the dead - the Judgement of all mankind.

This is what today's message talks of the life of the King of Babylon.

We are children of light, although we cannot change what written but we
can caution the children of God and save ourselves from the evil things
that are ahead of us. We also can also take advantage of the windows
wherein we can reap greatly and bring to fulfilment the work of Christ
our first love.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we pray your people walk in light and not in darkness. We pray
they give due attention to the Word and work in the Word and not against
the Word. That they do not find themselves working against You. Lord, we
pray harvest greatly and save others of your children from being
deceived by the things coming...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Daniel 5:18-21

18O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a
kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

19And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and
languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and
whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he
would he put down.

20But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he
was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like
the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with
grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he
knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he
appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

Acts 6:5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a
proselyte of Antioch;

[Spirit of Anti-Christ - that does not confess God (the Son) humbled
Himself and came as man but was God-man a man having divine Godly
powers, what the Catholic Church believes]

1 John 4:2-3

2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is
the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and
now it is in the world already.

2 John 1:7For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they
that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the
deceiver and the antichrist.

Revelation 2 and 3

Revelation 17 and 18

Revelation 13

Thessalonians 2

-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Gate to prosperity through the crown of thorns

Nehemiah 3:3 - But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who
also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks
thereof, and the bars thereof.

Theologians have great difficulty in understanding why the gates in the
wall of Jerusalem were given different names, like in today's scripture
we see the gate completed by the sons of Hassenaah was called the Fish
gate. Some believe it was called so because this gate was the way to the
sae coasts and most of the fish came from this gate.

Was the Lord giving so much importance to the fish diet that the Bible
names a gate after it?

In some scriptures this gate is also connected to Hebron because it was
also the way to the mountains of Hebron.

Gate is a figurative term in the Bible; Jesus used the term gate for
Hades not that Hell has a compound and a gate. Isaiah personifies the
gates are lamenting and mourning which causes the city to be desolate.
Heaven is said to have gates made of pearls; when Heaven cannot be
measured how it can be enclosed by gates? Psalms talks of gates of
righteousness, could gate keep the Law to be righteous. Proverbs talks
of not oppressing the afflicted at the gate that did not mean they could
be oppressed elsewhere. So the term gates did not really gates but
symbolic to understand things hidden from man.

Jerusalem city had many gates in its wall and some of them are listed below.

Valley gate, Dung gate, Fountain gate, Sheep gate, Old gate, Water gate,
Horse gate, Gate of Ephraim, Gate of the guard, Prison gate, Fish gate,
East gate and Corner gate

Today's message talks of the Fish gate and it being built by sons of
Hassenaah. To understand this we need to get to do Word study, find the
meanings of the Hebrew words and its root meanings.

The Hebrew word fish comes from the root meaning 'to multiply' and the
word Hassenaah means 'thorny&# 39;.

In Genesis we read when man sinned God cursed man and one of the curses
were that thorns and thistles would grow in his field. Thorns in the
field symbolize problems in work and thistles lack of profitability/ loss.

Before sin Adam did farming and hardly had to work for its up keeping.
The field was watered from the underground water table. He just needed
to till the ground, sow and reap its harvest. He did not even need to
protect his harvest since nature was not against him but for him. But
after sin came into man and due to the curse of God man has to struggle
in his work to reap for his needs.

Jesus through His sacrifice dealt with all the problem areas and this
curse was one of the areas which Jesus dealt with. We read before He was
crucified people put a crown of thorns over His head and reed [thistles]
were given in His hands. This had to be done so that the curse of thorns
and thistles be broken in our lives. Jesus took the curse on Him and now
anyone who believes in the complete sacrifice of Jesus will be also free
from the curse.

Today's message is telling us if we are facing problems in our work, it
may be business, profession or even the work of the Lord. Let us
remember Jesus took the thorns on His head and freed us from the curse.
Let us tell our problems "we are free from this curse for our Lord has
dealt with you, you have no place or power in our lives".

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, even though in your anger You cursed man but in your love You paid
the price on behalf of man and freed him from the curse. Time and again
Lord we forget that You freed us from the curse and allow the curse to
come into our lives. Let us remember whom the Son as set free is free
indeed. Jesus took the crown of thorns on His head and also took hold of
the thistles, and set us free from problems in our work area. Today we
will sow and we will reap a good harvest, not because we are great but
because You are great and your Hand is over us. You Lord, work in hidden
ways, ways unknown to man but your children reap the fruit of it...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Zephaniah 1:10 - And in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the
noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second
quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.

Matthew 16:18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it.

Isaiah 3:26And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate
shall sit upon the ground.

Isaiah 60:9-12

9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto
the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he
hath glorified thee.

10And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings
shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour
have I had mercy on thee.

11Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut
day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles,
and that their kings may be brought.

12For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea,
those nations shall be utterly wasted.

Psalms 118:19 - Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into
them, and I will praise the LORD:

Proverbs 22:22 - Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress
the afflicted in the gate:

Genesis 3:18thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and
thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Matthew 27:29And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his
head, and a reed [thistles] in his right hand; and they kneeled down
before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Tempting the Lord

Acts 5:9 - Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed
together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which
have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

The Greek word used for tempt and test is the same word 'peirazo&# 39; /
'peirasmos&# 39; (temptation) which means to prove or examine. There is also
another word 'ekpeirazo&# 39; which also means 'tempt&# 39;, it comes from the
combination of two words 'ek' (which means by or out of) and the word
'peirazo&# 39;.

In English tempt and test as we understand means 2 different thing. To
know if the Greek word means tempt or test one needs to read the context
of the scripture. The purpose towards the result of the test /
temptation defines the translation of the word 'peirazo&# 39;, if it is test
or tempt.

We need to understand, God as well as Satan put us through tests. God
does it to increase us and Satan to destroy us. When God puts us through
a test He assesses us, builds us and promotes us, although the result is
good but the way is hard therefore Jesus asks us to pray that God does
not test us but by His grace we grow and not by being tested. Satan on
the other hand put us in tests with the purpose to get us to fall and be
condemned before the Lord. Satan wants us to be destroyed but since he
cannot harm our spirits he tries to get us condemned by the Lord and
thus get us to fall in the wrath of God and our spirits be consumed.

To test us Satan makes us to get attached to out carnal man and on the
other hand when God tests us He sets us to be led by our spirit man. God
also strengthens our spirit man by His Spirit so that we do not fail.

James puts it well in James 1:13-14, he says let on one state God puts
them through a test for an evil result; when man falls to the temptation
of Satan it is because one operates in the lust and enticement of one's
carnal man.

God is Holy and perfect in Spirit. It is the craziest thing or
unthinkable thing to do when one tries to tempt God or test God for an
evil purpose. God does have a carnal nature that He be tested for evil.
The Nature of God or the Name of the Lord is lifted above all things and
that is what He upholds as most valuable and would not spare anyone who
tries to bring His Name down. He tolerates people when they do things
out of ignorance or weakness but when they have the knowledge of things
and yet try to do it God does get very angry and His judgment is quick
and harsh.

In today's message we read how Ananias and Sapphira who were in a Church
that had great fellowship with God, tried to tempt God to gratify their
carnal selves and then God's judgment came instantly on both of them.
First the husband and then the wife died instantly when they tried to
deceive God in their Givings as one deceives a man.

Jesus told us not to tempt God and so also many scripts tell us not to
think God is a man that we can deceive Him. He does understand our
weakness, weakness of the flesh and lack of knowledge but when we are
knowledgeable of His Word and His Kingdom and have receive His Spirit
then His wrath is great and quick when we try to deceive Him. Overcoming
His Spirit is the ultimate foolish thing for a person in Christ to do.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, You are a merciful God. You are slow to anger and forgiving, but
not a forgetful God, nor a God who does not have any standard. You hold
your Righteousness high, and your Name above all things. Lord, we pray
that we are not put to test but live and grow by your grace. We also
pray Lord we hold on to your Word and your Spirit when we are tested by
Satan, that we do not operate in our carnal nature but be led by our
renewed spirit man...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Matthew 4:1 - Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to
be tempted of the devil.

Mark 1:13 - And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan;
And he was with the wild beasts; And the angels ministered unto him.

Luke 4:13 - And when the devil had completed every temptation, he
departed from him for a season.

Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mark 14:38 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he
hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord
promised to them that love him.

2 Peter 2:9 - the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of
judgment;

1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as man
can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way
of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.

1 Thessalonians 3:5 - For this cause I also, when I could no longer
forbear, sent that I might know your faith, lest by any means the
tempter had tempted you, and our labor should be in vain.

James 1:13-14

13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot
be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed.

--
*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Heaven and Earth will rejoice the fall of Babylon

Jeremiah 51:48-50

47Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the
graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and
all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

48Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for
Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the
LORD.

49As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon
shall fall the slain of all the earth.

50Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the
LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

This prophecy of Jeremiah on Babylon was fulfilled when Medes and
Persians invaded it and having no regards of its temples destroyed them.
But yet we see when the Lord opened the eyes of John (Revelation) and
put it as the real Babylon was yet not dealt with. The real Babylon was
not an earthly kingdom but a religious kingdom which would mislead the
people and cause many to be destroyed taking the name of Christ.

When one takes scriptures from Daniel of the little horn (symbolizing
kingdom) which was unlike the other horns (kingdoms) and the things
regarding this horn, with cause one to have no doubts that this little
horn is the Vatican. Daniel records about the things the leader of this
little horn would do and also how this little horn becomes great.
Historical records of the kingdoms confirm the scriptures of Daniel.

In Revelations also the Bible states this woman sits on the seven heads
representing the seven hills on which Rome is built (the ten horns were
the ten kingdoms the Roman Empire got divided into).

This Church says it follows Christ but stands on 3 pillars which
according to it are scriptures, traditions and church authority. One
would say what is wrong with this? It is only one when we understand the
order in which they set these pillars stand, then we see its deceit.

For this Church traditions are over scriptures, even if these traditions
evolved a thousand years after the Apostles. So what scriptures (God)
say in not important, but the traditions claimed by this Church are.
Over traditions is the Church authority and head of it is the Pope. The
Pope has authority to change traditions and scriptures and we have many
evidences of this, like the Ten Commandments of this Church are modified
to enable idol worship (the 2nd Commandment is deleted and the 10th
split into two) and also the breaking of the Lord's bread, the bread was
replaced with a wafer in 1200AD a clear sign of tradition being changed
by the Pope. People are so blinded by her deceit that they are made to
believe wafer is bread, by that logic biscuits, cakes, toast and other
bakery products also become bread.

Today's message talks of a time when the Lord takes account of the
doings of this Church. People have no idea of the atrocities of this
Church against Christians (Believers) like in Germany where thousands
were killed, in some cases whole villages were wiped out for following
the Bible and not the rules of this Church. Any person other than a
priest having a Bible would be imprisoned and even killed. Bibles other
than those of the Catholic Church editions were burnt. It would be
surprising to note many of the Bible manuscripts available today were
saved by Muslims rulers. It is more interesting to note that the bed for
Islam to take birth was made by this Church. Pope Clement gave orders in
500AD to punish people who did not worship Mary. That is why we see in
the Quran Mohammad mistake Mary to be the 3rd person in the Godhead
(Trinity).

I was going through the statistics of natural disasters among the list
to top ten countries where the largest population of Catholics dwell.

#CatholicsPopulatio nPercent CatholicCountry


114,54,46,00018, 42,27,00078. 95%Brazil

212,33,93,00014, 23,64,00086. 67%Mexico

36,96,30,0008, 59,30,00081. 03%Philippines

46,46,21,00028, 55,38,00022. 63%USA

55,76,65,0005, 97,25,00096. 55%Italy

64,44,99,0005, 89,05,00075. 54%France

73,84,06,0004, 45,08,00086. 29%Colombia

83,71,65,0004, 23,35,00087. 79%Spain

93,50,10,0003, 71,09,00094. 34%Poland

103,44,80,0003, 86,31,00089. 25%Argentina

If one goes to the following website
(http://www.preventi onweb.net/ english/countrie s/) which records natural
disasters in various countries one would notice there is something
happening.

The Bible states through prophecies during these times the Lord would
deal with Islam and also with Catholicism. We already see the work
started in Islamic countries and on the background work has also started
on the Catholic countries.

It is interesting to note USA was formed by people fleeing the
atrocities of the Catholic Church and today this country houses the
fourth largest Catholic population. It shows how people of this country
moved away from God and chose religion over God.

In Revelation 18:4-5 we see the Lord tells us, those who are within her
to come out of her and flee the punishment due to her and today's
message again is on the same grounds. Flee this woman and be saved.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, when the time came for a prophecy to come to past You sent
messengers after messengers warning your people of it. Today we see You
are time and again warning us through mouths of many of what is set to
happen soon. Lord we pray for your people who are still within the
deceits of this woman, we pray their blindness be removed and lameness
be healed. That the truth is visible to them and they have the courage
to walk on the path of truth...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Daniel 7:7-8

7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron
teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the
feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it;
and it had ten horns.

8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another
little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up
by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man,
and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 8:7-14

7And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler
against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was
no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the
ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the
ram out of his hand.

8Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the
great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the
four winds of heaven.

9And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding
great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

10And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some
of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

11Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him
the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was
cast down.

12And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of
transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it
practised, and prospered.

13Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that
certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the
daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the
sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

14And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then
shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Revelation 17 & 18

*-*-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Christians doing business
Luke 3:12,13 - Then came also publicans [tax collectors] to be baptized,
and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them,
Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

In today's message we see some tax collectors came to be baptized in
water. They repented for their the sinful lives they lived and wanted
the forgiveness of God in their lives and as per the teaching of
repentance of John the Baptist they were wanting to be baptized in
water, declaring the repentance to themselves and unto others.

While they came to be baptized they were worried about continuing their
profession as tax collectors, a profession that was most hated by
people. People knew by default the tax collectors always collected more
tax than required and that extra they would pocketed by themselves.

As explained by a historian for the people of Judea an annual tax was
partly paid with money and partly in salt since salt was a very valuable
asset for the Romans. The Romans also had taxes for other things like
when one got married or divorced. It was these taxes that hurt the Jews
more than the annual tax.

The tax was not a fixed amount but a variable amount depending on the
tax payer's income and race, Jews were maximum taxed and it was up to
the tax collector to assess the amount if tax the person needed to pay.
So the Jews were at the mercy of the tax-collector.

Today in business we have a variable factor called profit. Profit is not
illegal but a legal variable amount a person adds to the cost of a
product or service a person provides unto others.

As Christians we are to live a life of example, thus our profit margin
also needs to be justified. In the book of Moses God gave instructions
of how to do business between Israelite themselves and between others
dwelling them.

Between themselves (that means our brethren) they were told not to
charge extra. That would mean sell at the cost, not our purchase cost
but cost to owner that would include overheads and labour. But to those
who dwelled among them (other people who were not brethren) they were
told to be reasonable and to not rob them. That meant the profit margin
should be justified and not that like of an opportunist, putting
ourselves in their place as customers / buyers.

Today it is very rare to see people doing business with ethics. Everyone
wants to make hay when the sun shines and this hay includes taking what
is of others. It is sad to see even Christians behaving like worldly
people whose profitability depends not on the product or service but on
the customer, how innocent or shrewd he or she is. Jesus tells us in
today's message to be true to our guilt and not to behave like
opportunist feeding our greed.

Let us always remember God is our provider our Father and customers are
just vessels through whom God provides. Trying to rob customers is like
a child whom its father gives a chocolate and is not satisfied, so puts
his or her hand into the father's every pocket to see if he or she can
get more chocolates. When the child is very little and innocent it may
look sweet but later this sweetness becomes sourness and shows the greed
and carnal nature of the child. This behaviour is never appreciated by
the father, especially when the father is also providing good food and
clothing to the child.

Let us not be carnal children, when we do we declare ourselves as
children of Adam and not of Christ. Paul a full time minister also did
business of making and selling tents. He did make profit and used this
to cover not only his own expenses but also the expenses of people with
him. He also managed to save some money with people for emergencies.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, even though we live in this world we pray we do not behave like
the worldly people. Let us be an example unto others. Let us not be
opportunist in worldly thing but in spiritual things. Teach us to desire
things we need and not things we want. Help us to always remember greed
was first things that bought a very anointed Cherub like Lucifer to
become evil. We pray Lord for your guidance in every deal we do...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Exodus 22:21 - Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for
ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 23:1-12

Leviticus 19:33-37

33And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born
among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in
the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

35Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or
in measure.

36Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye
have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and
do them: I am the LORD.

Acts 18:1-3

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

2And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from
Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all
Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

3And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought:
for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

Acts 20:33-35

33I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

34Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my
necessities, and to them that were with me.

35I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to
support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he
said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

1 Timothy 6:10 - For the love of money is the root of all evil: which
while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.
-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Sons not to drink wine (daughters can?)

Jeremiah 35:14The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded
his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink
none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken
unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.

In today's message we read from the book of Jeremiah where God speaks of
the Rechabites and shows them as an example of obedience and commitment.

There is one point that is caught my attention since I was just
discussing with someone on the differences between man and woman. Before
I get to it, in today's scripture we see Jonadab had commanded his sons
not to drink wine. The Hebrew word used for wine as noted here is Yayin
which was a wine that was fermented from mild to moderate. Drinking the
mild version of this wine is not forbidden for Jesus Himself did drink
it. It did not intoxicate a person unless it was drunk in large
quantity. Getting intoxicated is cautioned but drinking mild wine is not.

God has given us wisdom to discern, like a child is forbidden to play
with fire so also those weak in spirit are forbidden fermented wine.
Paul suggested Timothy to drink a little mildly fermented wine as
medicine as one grows old.

Coming to the point I spoke of, we see in the English translation it is
written Jonadab commanded his sons not to drink wine; that did not mean
his daughters could drink wine.

This scripture is a classic example of translations causing a wrong
picture of situation between genders in the Old Testament. The Hebrew
word used here is 'ben' and if used in plurality included both boys and
girls, in other words it means children.

The customs of men in the Old Testament were gender based but God
wasn't. There were some things God did instruct gender based but they
were for us to understand spiritual things hidden. We read the Spirit of
God is written in feminine gender that does not mean God's Spirit is
feminine, for God the Father's Spirit is also the Spirit of the Son. We
need to also understand God the Father is called Father and God the Son
as Son does not mean they are male in gender as man is. They are Spirit
and the gender refers to the image in spirit. They cannot be compared or
understood as the human gender we understand. Similarly the Church is
called bride. We are the Church and that does not make the men of the
Church females. These gender terms are more spiritual and not natural.

Being male of female gender is the temporary body or tent we dwell in
when we live in this world, on the inside we are the same. Even in
Heaven we will be alike with no difference between one and another.
There will be no boy, girl, man or woman in Heaven, we will be like the
Angels - spiritual beings. Even though Angels are called Sons of God yet
they are not male as we understand in human terms.

In today's message God is telling us we are equal in Him when we are
obedient to Him and all these who are obedient to Him become Sons to
Him. In the Gospel of John it is written Jesus came to give power to
those who believe in His Name to become Sons. This power is the Holy
Spirit, for without the help of the Holy Spirit it is just impossible
for man to abide by the Word of God and be obedient unto it.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, You made us in the flesh but when sin was not in us flesh was
never a factor for us. But when sin came in man flesh became a factor
and man realized the nakedness on the flesh. The corruption of the truth
in us due to the fruit of doubt eaten by our fathers has caused us to
misunderstand many things. Lord, open our minds to the Truth as written
in your Word, with the help of your Spirit. Make us, your sons and
daughter into your Sons when Christ comes; make us like Him...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, to them that believe on his name:

Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God.

Romans 8:19 - For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation]
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Galatians 4:5-7

5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons.

6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an
heir of God through Christ.

1 John 3:2 - Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Matthew 22:30 - For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are
given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Judas
Luke 6:16 - And Judas [the brother] of James, and Judas Iscariot, which
also was the traitor.

In the Bible there are almost 9 Judas, 5 in the Gospel alone. Jesus was
surrounded by 3 Judas, 2 were among His 12 chosen and one was His
brother (son of Mary and Joseph).

Today's message talks of the 2 Judas who were the Apostles of Jesus one.
The words [the brother] are not part of the scripture and added for
readability in KJV. But they change the meaning of the scripture.

When we read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew and in Luke, in Luke 'son
of' is not written but just 'of' is written since in some cases the
person was not blood son but a relationship like son, like in the case
of Joseph and Heli. It is written Joseph of Heli. Joseph did not have
two fathers in Matthew the name of his real father Jacob is written.
Matthew writes Jacob begat Joseph specifying he was the offspring of
Jacob while Luke writes Joseph of Heli stating they had a son and father
relationship.

If goes into the list, there are case where the grandfather adopts the
grandson listed in the genealogy. Heli was the father-in-law of Joseph,
being Mary's father he was a father to Joseph also, that is how the
Bible sees marriage and relationships in marriage.

Judas the Apostle may have been son of James or his son-in-law or even
adopted, this scripture does not state anything much. The other Judas
Iscariot was the son of Simon the leper and was from Carioth or Kerioth
a city in Judah therefore named Judas Iscariot.

The 3rd Judas in the Gospels was the (step) brother of Jesus and brother
of James, Joses and Simon (the brothers of Jesus). Both Judas also
called Jude (the author of the last letter in the New Testament) and
James (who was the first head of the Church of Jerusalem in the absence
of the Apostles since some died and some had left Jerusalem) believed in
Christ only around His crucifixion or after His resurrection. Judas was
younger to Joses and Joses was younger to Jesus. They may have had
sisters between them, Jesus was around 30+ years so that gives an idea
of Judas' age, James may have been younger than him, for people called
James the brother of Jesus as James the little (there were also other
James along with Jesus therefore the tagging).

Out of the 9 Judas only one failed terribly and lost. He did not get
lost just because he was thief and had hardened his heart to the
teachings of Jesus. He was lost because even though he did wrong by
delivering Jesus for a sum of money, he failed to repent and come to
Jesus for forgiveness. He was sad for his wrong but chose to give up his
life rather than ask forgiveness of Jesus.

Today's message is telling us our earthly name is not what God records
in the book of life. The name humans give us is not the name God knows
us by. We may be called a fool by people of this world or even given
earthly names that may sound foolish and not liked by us. God is saying
He knows us by our spiritual name which is unique to us. We may be named
John and there may be 1million Johns worldwide but still our name will
be unique in the Book of Life, that is if we are believing in Jesus
Christ and are His disciples, walking in His Word. Even if our name is
Judas, Hitler or anything, God knows us by our true unique name.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we are born in a family on earth and given a name here on earth
for a reason and that reason is limited to our earthly lives only. Our
spiritual name and spiritual family is not limited to our earthly lives
but our eternal lives. You God are the Head of our family and we are one
in You. We pray Lord we are set back or disheartened by what people call
us but remember You alone know us and how unique we are...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Matthew 1:16 - And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was
born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Luke 3:23 - And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,
being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was of Heli,

John 12:1-6

1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus
was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

2There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of
them that sat at the table with him.

3Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and
anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the
house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

4Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which
should betray him,

5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to
the poor?

6This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a
thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Matthew 26:6-7

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious
ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

Matthew 27:56 - Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee' s children.

Luke 6:16 - And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which
also was the traitor.

Acts 1:13 - And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room,
where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and
Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

Psalms 147:4 - He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all
by their names.

Hosea 2:17For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and
they shall no more be remembered by their name.

Revelation 3:5 - He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I
will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail
Stoning to death

John 8:8-11

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went
out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was
left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said
unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn
thee: go, and sin no more.

In this incident recorded in the Gospel of John, we read when some people
came to condemn a woman to death by stoning according to the Jewish law
Jesus saves her.

These people were not taking the law in their hands. They were just
following the Law given by the Lord through Moses and as understood by
them, which stated an adulterous woman or man should be stoned to death.

There were many other laws given in the books of Leviticus, Numbers and
also Deuteronomy wherein people were to be stoned to death for many other
reasons, like worshiping idols or other gods, blaspheming God. Some of the
craziest among them were if a son does not listen to his parents and if the
parents were fed up with him, all they needed to do was bring him to the
elders and declare him stubborn and rebellious, not obeying their voice;
being a glutton, and a drunkard, then they would stone the son to death.
Also as person found doing work on a Sabbath day was to be put to death by
stoning. There is one where a young girl married and proved to be not a
virgin as committed by the girl’s father then the girl would be stoned to
death at the door of the father’s house. Even a person having an evil
spirit was to be stoned to death.

But we see Jesus did none of these things, He delivered people from evil
spirit, saved sinners from being stoned, yet it is written He kept the Law
of Moses and was without blemish (did not break the Law).

When I debate with Muslims many of them jump to these scriptures and it
becomes difficult to explain to them. I have seen many Christian simply
state these laws are old and not to be followed, but we see Jesus said He
did not come to change any Law but fulfil it.

One important thing we need to understand all the Laws of God even those
given by Moses still stand. But then what the Jews understood of the Law of
the Lord given through Moses is not what the Lord meant. Jesus kept the Law
in its true meaning. The Bible says Jesus added Grace other that Truth.
That means He showed us the true meaning of the Law and also gave us the
grace to be saved from the consequence of the Law.

We all will be judged as per the Law of the Lord given through Moses and
other Prophets but the virginity as stated in the book of Moses for which
we will be stoned (killed) for will not be the physical virginity but our
spiritual virginity. God calls going after other gods as whoring so also
worshipping of idols. The murder we will be stoned for will not be more the
natural murder but the spiritual murder we do when we cause people to fall
spiritually. Jesus said it is better to put a large stone round our neck
and jump in the sea rather than harm any spiritually little one.

It is very scary when we understand the terms in which we will be judged on
the Day of Judgment but then Jesus also saves us that day like He did to
the woman in today’s message.

The most amazing thing I learnt of late, as the Bible says on Judgment Day
we will be judged not by God but by man - the Son of Man Jesus. Jesus said
God has given Him the authority to judge for He is man and He is found
worthy to judge. He also fulfils the Law of the Lord given through Moses
that no one be put to death unless there is more than 1 witness. That is
why Jesus says He will not judge according His human understanding (since
He sits on Judgment Seat as Son of Man) but says the Word of God will judge
us and the Spirit of God will be also witness to our judgment. Therefore 3
will be in Judgement over us, the Son of Man, the Word and the Spirit of
God.

But the most, greatest good news for us is that we would not be judged
according to the righteousness of God but according to the righteousness of
man since it is Son of Man who sits on judgement seat. If we were judges
according to God and by God none of us would go to Heaven, but since we are
judged by man we have hope to go to Heaven.

On Judgement day we would not be able to speak or defend for ourselves
since the books would be open. These books means the records of all that we
did, spoke and thought as recorded by the Lord and also the same as
recorded in our hearts (inner-man). The things we are forgiven for would
not exist in both but that which we haven’t repented for will be there.

Like today’s message says the woman was condemned according the Law but yet
was saved for she took refuge in Jesus Christ. She did not argue or try to
defend herself. She knew according to the Law she was due to be stoned to
death but her hope in Jesus Christ saved her. So also all of us who take
refuge in Christ on the Judgement Day will be saved. Those who try to
justify themselves by the works will be condemned, but those who realize it
is not their good works that erases their wrong doings but the only thing
that saves them is taking refuge in the grace of Jesus Christ and they
alone will be able to enter Heaven. Bibles says those who have the Truth in
them and are covered by the Blood of Christ which symbolizes Righteousness
of Christ will enter Heaven.

Let us be like the women and like Jesus was writing on the ground, what God
has written will be fulfilled.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we thank You for You are a merciful God. You know none of us would
stand any chance to be saved but in your mercy You made a way for us. Lord,
we thank You for the Word, your Spirit and for your Son Jesus Christ
through whom we have the hope of salvation. We know if we take refuge in
Him we will live and have life in abundance for your Word is true...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Starter]

Leviticus 20:27 - A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that
is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with
stones: their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall
surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him:
as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth
the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Leviticus 21:21-23

21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a
man, he shall be put to death.

22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one
of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.

23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth
him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the
children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 15:32-36

32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a
man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and
Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be
done to him.

35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all
the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him
with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Deuteronomy 13:6-10

6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or
the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice
thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not
known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto
thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the
other end of the earth;

8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall
thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal
him:

9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to
put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath
sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of
the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Deuteronomy 17:2-7

2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy
God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of
the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,

3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the
sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently,
and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is
wrought in Israel:

5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed
that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt
stone them with stones, till they die.

6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is
worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall
not be put to death.

7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death,
and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away
from among you.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the
voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have
chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out
unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is
stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a
drunkard.

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die:
so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and
fear.

Deuteronomy 22:20-24

20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for
the damsel:

21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house,
and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because
she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house:
so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they
shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the
woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man
find her in the city, and lie with her;

24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye
shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried
not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his
neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

John 5:26-27

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is
the Son of man.

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that
judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the
last day.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Romans 2:26-29

26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law,
shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law,
judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men,
but of God.
*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Jezreel - Loruhamah - Loammi
Hosea 1:2-11

2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to
Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms:
for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

3So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and
bare him a son.

4And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little
while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,
and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of
Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

6And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him,
Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of
Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by
the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by
battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

9Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I
will not be your God.

10Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the
sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass,
that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people,
there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

11Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be
gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come
up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

When we read verse 2 to 9 these 8 verses can bring shiver to any person
if that person knows these children of Hosea symbolize those who call
themselves God's people.

The first name Jezreel means - God sows.

The second name Loruhamah means - no mercy.

The third name Loammi means - not my people.

The name Gomer means - complete.

The name Diblaim means - double cake.

The name Jehu means - Jehovah is He.

One needs to read 1 Kings 21:1-29 to understand the background of
today's message. In Revelation again the character Jezebel is mentioned.
As we know the book of Revelation is a book that reveals more of
prophetic times or times beyond the time the writer wrote the
scriptures. Thus this name is not to do with the person Jezebel but with
the characteristics of the person.

Today's message also is not to do with the persons named but with the
characteristics the names represent. In the Old Testament the blood
descendants of Abraham - Isaac - Jacob were known as Israel, in the New
Testament we read those who believe in Jesus Christ by faith are the
true descendants of Abraham and inheritors of the promises given to
Abraham, faith is thicker than natural blood.

People think these scriptures of Hosea are concerning the Israelites -
the blood descendants, but in reality these scriptures are concerning
the true descendants of Abraham those who believe in Jesus Christ.

Without going too much in details - today's message, the scriptures says
children of whoredom who consider themselves complete and who are
pursuers of pleasures of this world and also of the Kingdom of God and
who killed to fulfil their desire. They killed people of God in
deceiving ways, accusing them of blasphemy against God. God says He will
take revenge of their blood.

He says He will show no mercy against them. We see for the blood of
Jesus the wrath of God came on the Jews after many years in 70AD. That
day still brings shiver in the body and grief to those who know the
details of it, especially the Jews. Imagine what God would do for the
blood of the thousands of Jesus, people who were like His Son since they
truly believed in Him and followed Him.

God gave time to the Jews in Jerusalem to repent and those who were
amongst them to be saved by abiding in His Word. Those who remembered
the words of Jesus at that time were saved for they acted on it. These
people to whom today's message goes have less chance of being saved
because they have rejected the Word of God so there is lesser hope for them.

God is saying He will declare these so called people of God as not His
people and His true people will be lifted up.

When we read the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation, we
see a great change happens in between the fifth and the sixth stages of
the church. The fifth stage is the stage of evangelization of Christ and
we see we are in this stage. Today the way Christ is evangelized is done
worldwide as it was never done before. We have stepped in this stage
just a few years back and this will accelerate further. Then comes the
stage where all churches come together as one, it is written as the
Church of the Brethren. Between these stages is the time when the false
Church - the Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots falls, the time when
God tells His wrath fall on her. God says He will deal with her worse
than He did in 70AD with the Jews for the blood of His Son.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord we pray that this message goes to the hearts of those who are still
under the deceit of Jezebel. We pray they be saved from your wrath like
some of the Jews who abided to your words on that day and took refuge in
the mountains by jumping from root top to roof top. Lord, may You be
glorified in all this, your Name be lifted up and people know your Word
is true...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Luke 20:18 - Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but
on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Revelation 2:20 - Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee,
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication,
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

1 Kings 21:1-29

Revelation 17, 18
-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Attending funerals
Acts 5:6 - And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out,
and buried him.

A few days back someone at my Bible class put a very dicey question to
me. As Believers do we attend funerals?

In the Bible we have Jesus stating 'let the dead bury their dead'.

As people in the light we know people really do not die. Their body dies
but they continue living. Mourning for someone who died believed in the
Lord is like mocking the salvation of the person.

On the other hand we have some Christians who carry the dead with
musical band and rejoicing as if the person was in prison serving a life
term and was set free.

In India we have a region where Catholics have a party after burying the
person and the main highlight of the funeral where is body is taken in a
grand procession with musical band leading and even with people dancing,
is the party where people are served unlimited alcohol. If there is a
shortage of good food or alcohol the family is mocked for not loving the
dead person enough. People take loans to do funerals like they do to
marriages.

In the Bible we see a similar situation at the funeral of Lazarus. The
family had hired professional mourners to cry for the dead at the house
of Lazarus. When Jesus saw this and what they had done to the body of
Lazarus in the name of traditions, Jesus wept. People think He wept
because He loved Lazarus, but they do not understand Jesus knew he died
long time before and He also knew He came there to bring Lazarus to life
again, so it did not make sense for Jesus to cry for Lazarus. But when
He saw what was going on, on His arrival He wept. It is written He was
troubled before He cried.

We as Believers should cry for people when they are alive and not when
they die like David did. Yes we need to respect the body of the dead and
make sure it is given a burial or put away with respect (like at sea one
cannot bury so can submerge the body or if land is not available one can
also cremate).

Since we lack knowledge of the Truth we feel the loss of people. Jesus
called His mother 'woman&# 39; not out of disrespect, neither as great
respect also, but because He was aware of the Truth. He did love His
mother at the same time He loved all the others around Him the same
(that is why He called many by His mother's name). Being part of the
family He was put in He did do His duty towards them. But at the same
time He knew He was part of the greater family the Heavenly family. That
is why He first fulfilled His duty towards them, at the same time
growing in Spirit and wisdom and then He started His ministry according
to the Father's plan.

It is a hard truth but we need to remember relationship of father,
mother, brother, sister, wife, husband, daughter, son etc. are all
earthly. When a person dies that spirit is no one's father, mother,
sister, brother, wife or husband or any earthly relationship.

In Heaven Jesus stated we would be like the Angels not given in marriage
for in Heaven there is not gender like we have on earth. The Angels are
called Sons not because they are all male. Angels are spirit being, the
term Sons is to do with the spiritual image of God in them not earthly
gender.

In today's message we see when the Church was in one accord and one mind
and the Spirit of God was great on the Church, they sent the youth to do
the task of burying the dead. The person who died did make mistake but
he was a Believer so they did respect the body by wrapping it in cloth
and took it out of town where the dead are buried and buried it.

Ideally funeral is a task for the youth (spiritually young) and not for
the spiritual mature. But when the question was put to me I did also
explain them the other part of it. Like Jesus went to the funeral of
Lazarus to glory God (by bringing Lazarus to life), I too go to funerals
only to glorify God. I have not bought any dead to life like Jesus did,
but I speak to those who around who are spiritually dead and bring light
in them. I will share 2 occasions...

One was a funeral of a Catholic friend's father who died of cancer but
when alive had harden his heart against God. He was almost an atheist.
He thought himself to be very intellectual. I wanted to meet him but my
friend did not allow me since he was a very strong minded person and she
was scared if I would be hard with him. At the funeral we were in 2
buses, in one which I sat with the family I came to know his daughter in
law with and my friend sister in law with whom I would also interact
gave him the Gospel just before he died and the person repented for him
sins and accepted Christ just before he died. When I came to know of
this I opened their minds to understand what a great news it was. Soon
the bus was no longer a funeral bus but was more a picnic bus. There was
joy and laugher in our bus, the family members no longer were mourning.
Even at the grave they did not cry.

Also at the death of my brother in law who died a month back was far
from knowing God. He was a Catholic and neither religious or spiritual.
For him belief was not essential. He worked in the Gulf and was here for
a few days. I was trying to meet him the day he died to share the Gospel
with him. But unfortunately he died in a drastic accident. His wife (my
sister) and her children we greatly heart broken. Since there was none
to help them at the time I did take care of the procedures of the
funeral but left all the ritualistic (unbiblical) things for others to do.

I spoke to them about life and death just before the funeral. After the
funeral when people meet each other, they were very upset with me
because I behaved as if no one died and was my usual joyful self. Later
they realized their mistake and called me the next day to apologize.
After that their attitude towards the loss changed. They no longer were
mourning.

For Jesus' own funeral the people around tried to do the rituals of men
(traditions) to the body of Jesus but were not allowed. They had put
spices around the body to keep the body from smelling since they had to
keep it for 2 days in the tomb shut. The next day (Friday) was a High
Sabbath and the day after that was the weekly Sabbath. But when they
came on Sunday to do the traditions of the Egyptians which the Jews
followed like they did to Lazarus they did not find the body. This
embalming as I learnt the way Egyptians did was remove the internal
organs and stuff a paste of spices in the body. Mary Magdalene was so
obsessed with doing the rituals (traditions for they had prepared the
paste and bought it) that she did not realize she was asking Angels for
Jesus' body and the height of it was when she was asking Jesus himself
for His body. She did not realize He had resurrected for her love took a
wrong form, she thought by doing the tradition she was expressing her
love to Jesus.

Let us not be children of the darkness having no truth in us, but let us
be children of light with knowledge and understanding in us. Let us know
this life is just a process of exposing the precious metal from the not
precious metals, filtering God's children from the children of Satan by
the exposing of hearts of people. Let not traditions of man take away
the truth from us.

Like I wrote yesterday we become a living soul when we come alive in our
mother's womb, until we die this earthly life. The word used for living
soul when Adam was made means a mouldable soul. That means before our
birth although we existed and our soul existed, it was not mouldable and
was corrupt due to our fore fathers and when we die before or soul again
becomes unmould able we have a choice of what we do with our soul. Do we
accept Christ and let the Holy Spirit bring the Truth in us and make our
soul like that of Jesus so that we go to Heaven? That is our choice.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we were created by You in the beginning. You knew us even before
we came alive in this world. You planned the best for us because You
know us and your wisdom is beyond measure. You put us among certain
people not by change but with knowledge, knowing what is best for us, to
change us and help us overcome. You put us to test Lord, but do not let
us to be broken. We go through real bad situations only when we remove
You out of our lives. Lord, help us understand live better and walk in
light...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Acts 5:5-6, 10

5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and
great fear came on all them that heard these things.

6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost:
and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth,
buried her by her husband.

2 Samuel 12:16-20

16David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went
in, and lay all night upon the earth.

17And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up
from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

18And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the
servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they
said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he
would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we
tell him that the child is dead?

19But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that
the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child
dead? And they said, He is dead.

20Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and
changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and
worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they
set bread before him, and he did eat.

John 11:32-36

32Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at
his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had
not died.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which
came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35Jesus wept.

36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Luke 9:60 - Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go
thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Matthew 22:30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given
in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

--
*-*-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Free from the bondage of the flesh
Luke 24:40,41 - And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and
his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said
unto them, Have ye here any meat?

We read in Luke 24 Jesus appears to people after His death. They think He
is a spirit therefore asks them to touch Him. He also shows then the wounds
on His hands. We see to reconfirm that He is resurrected in the flesh and
was not just a spirit He tells them to serve Him some food and thus He
consumes the food.

Let us be cynical of these scriptures and raise questions and then find
their answers to really understand what Jesus did.

Firstly we need remember the way Jesus was wounded and bruised when he was
hung on the crucifix it is written they could not recognise Him to be
human. It is written pieces of His flesh were torn out at many places such
that His bones were visible. His face too was bruised with the crown of
thorns that pierced Him and the way people punched and slapped Him in His
face it was sure to be swollen.

These are just a few of the things that are recorded in the Bible leaving
aside all that which is not recorded. Thus if Jesus resurrected in His
bruised body then there is no way the two people who spoke to him on their
journey and His disciples could not recognised Him.

Also I like to ask how come only the wounds on His hands were visible and
not the wounds all over His body and face when He met His disciples?

To assure them He was not a spirit and had resurrected in the flesh He
asked them for food and ate them. This act assures His disciples.

Did not the disciples know that Angels who are spirit beings can come as
humans and eat like it is recorded in Genesis 24?

These questions are not raised to doubt Jesus' resurrection or that He
resurrected in the flesh, but to understand what flesh is so that we
understand Jesus and His resurrection.

Let us go back to how God created man. It is written God made the body of
man out of wet dust (mud) and put in it his spirit and man became a living
soul. Here most people think God put in this body His Spirit (God’s Spirit)
they are mistaken, God put in man a human spirit and not His Spirit. If God
had put His Spirit in Adam then Adam would have been called Christ and so
also all of us. The word Christ means in whom God's Spirit dwells. Bible
says Jesus was The Christ and after we receive His Spirit we too become
like Him. But since we start with a token of the Holy Spirit and grow in
Him, we are called little Christs (Christians) .

We need to note we were all created together in the beginning in spirit and
we are bought in this world according to the plan of God. We are not
created by our parents. We existed even before we were formed in our
mother's womb. We existed from the beginning of this natural creation and
that is why God says He knows us from the beginning.

Knowing human life and spirit life I was stuck for a long period on one
point. If we have an x thousand years of spirit life then how is it we are
alive today and there are many who are yet to come? This question the Lord
answered me through my little daughter. She was told to grow small plants
and bring to school as project work. In my young days I have plants many
plants for I love plants but never gave a thought to the process. It was
only when I was explaining the process to my daughter I realized the Lord
was answering my question of human life.

A plant comes from a seed. When seed is watered it breaks out and a plant
grows out of it. Plants have a life period some few days, some few weeks,
some few months and some years. There are trees that live hundreds of years
yet all grow from seeds. Their lives are similar according to the care
given unto them and the type of seed they originate from. The life period
is measured from the time the seed comes to life. The seed was not dead
before but yet the plant comes to life when the seed transforms into a
plant. Seeds can be kept for years and years depending on the seed and how
one keeps it. Yet when they become plant the plant will live its due age.

Bible says when God put a human spirit in the body of flesh which God had
created from wet mud, man became an active soul. That means his spirit and
soul existed before and became alive when put in the flesh like a plant
becomes alive when the seed transforms.

In our mother's womb when the egg gets fertilized and starts to break and
multiple we come alive and become living souls. We existed before but now
our soul (inner man) comes alive and so is our human life start. Our inner
man / souls which were in Adam when he was created got corrupt when he
sinned and was cursed by God. Therefore like corrupt plants come from
corrupt seeds so also our body of flesh and soul becomes corrupt because of
the corruption of Adam (I explained before why Jesus was born of a virgin
and not with a human father just to avoid this corruption).

Now let us understand the corruption.

We read Adam and Eve were naked when they were created but they never
noticed their nakedness until they sinned. Why did that happen?

Let us note in Genesis 2 there were 2 gardens. One garden was the Garden of
Eden and then there was another to the east in which God put Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve had access to both these gardens. Where were these gardens?

You would be surprised to know one was in Heaven and the other on earth.

Note when God threw then out of Eden He put two Cherubim and a Flaming
Sword to the east of Eden to guard it. What about the west, north and south?

East is not an earthly direction, neither the Flamin*g* Sword nor the
Cherubim are earthly swords or human watchmen they are spirit things or
beings. Right Hand of God means the Righteous Hand (side) of God and the
Higher Heavens are to the righteous side of God while earth and hell are
towards the left (east) away from the righteous / Higher Heavens. Paul
talks of the different levels in Heaven in the vision he had.

When sin came into man the Truth in man was corrupted and thus man lost
Truth and righteousness. The loss of Righteousness caused man to realize he
was naked.

To understand this further we need to understand transfiguration of Jesus.
Jesus was righteous for He did not sin and was not born with sin (since His
earthly father was the Holy Spirit) therefore His flesh too was not
corrupt. Transfiguration was the ability to overcome the flesh or the
physical body more like out of the physical body into spiritual body like
an Angel.

Understand Jesus did not need to take Peter, John and James to see Him
transfigure and speak to Moses and Elijah. Firstly we need to note Jesus
had to transfigure to speak to them since in the flesh if He had it spoken
to them then He would have broken God's Commandment of not to communicate
with the dead souls (physically dead) when in the flesh (the words used is
Adam as an adjective). Those who are unsaved go to Hell so most of the time
it is a fallen angel / evil spirit that fools people to think they are dead
people.

Jesus must have done this many times before but He wanted Peter, John and
James to see Him this time so that they are witnesses of His overcoming.

Adam and Eve before they sinned also were not restricted in their bodies.
They could move been Eden and the earthly garden (which happened to be a
place in east Europe before the continents separated). Sin caused man to be
imprisoned in the body of flesh since the Truth got corrupted in man.

We read Paul talks of in the end days around the time Jesus comes again,
some would be lifted up in the clouds. This lifting up or rapture is
nothing but man overcoming the flesh like Jesus and able to transfigure and
meet the Lord in His coming in glory. That happens only when the Truth is
complete in man. The Hebrew word translated as comes from the root word
meaning message or Word.

If we go through the depths of the Bible and the construction of the
physical human one would be surprised at the image of the Word of God in us
right up to the molecular composition. Jesus had the Truth in Him with no
corruption; therefore it is written He was Word (perfect) made flesh
(perfect). Disease is nothing but the manifestation of the corruption of
the Truth in us that is why when the Word is spoken it causes healing of
the person. That means the Word needs to be spoken in spirit to the
person's spirit so as the healing to manifest in the flesh. Jesus before He
humbled and came as man was Elohim (plural) and One who gave the Word.

When we understand this we would understand many scriptures and situations
in the Bible.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, sin (eating of the fruit of doubt) caused man to be trapped in the
flesh. When we overcome our fleshy desires by doing your mission (carrying
the Cross of Jesus) and when the Truth comes back in us we would overcome
corruption and be set free. For this You came as man Jesus to give us The
Cross (the mission) and your Spirit of Truth. Lord, help us carry The Cross
and by allowing the working of the Holy Spirit in us, come to the knowledge
of the Truth from your Word...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Genesis 18:1-8

Luke 24:30-43

Genesis 2:6-8,25

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of
the ground.

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

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the
man whom he had formed.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:6-7,23-24

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took
of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her;
and he did eat.

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

23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till
the ground from whence he was taken.

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

Isaiah 40:21 - Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told
you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the
earth?

Isaiah 41:4 - Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from
the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

John 15:20-27

Ephesians 3:9-12

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all
things by Jesus Christ:

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly
places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord:

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for
you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth:

Psalms 139:13 - For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in
my mother's womb

Galatians 1:15-16

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and
called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen;
immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that
his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

Romans 8:21 Because the creature [creation] itself also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God.

1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*

SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Reconciled in His body of flesh through death

Colossians 1:21-23

21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved
away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made
a minister;

We need to understand the mission of the man Jesus to understand how we
are saved.

In Genesis 5:1,2 we read God called all the generation of Adam as Adam.
This is when the nature of Adam was imparted to those born out of the
flesh of Adam. That meant all those born of Adam and his generations by
birth have the sinful nature of Adam and also the curses on Adam. The
sin was not passed but the sin nature and curses were. God does not
punish one for the sins of the other but when someone born of the
corrupt flesh, the corruption gets passed unto its generations.

God in His mercy towards man in Exodus was more specific as to the
number of generations the sin nature would be passed down; God states
from man unto his fourth generation. That means if one is born of a
corrupt human being and does no sin and his 3 generations also do not,
then that sin nature will die. But the flesh of man is so weak forget
next 3 generations even one generation could not be without sin. Bible
says no man was found righteous (meaning walking right according to God
/ without sin).

Sins and sin nature made man an enemy of God for God hates sin. That is
why sins caused man to be cursed by God and one of the greatest curses
was man being condemned to hell a prison where he would live the rest of
his spirit life after natural death, till his spirit life perishes.

The love and plans of God could not see man being destroyed so God
Himself had to solve this problem. Since no man would, so God the Son in
the beginning humbled Himself and came as man to be the perfect
sacrifice and make a way out for man. Since the sin nature and curses
were from father to son (the mother's sin nature and curses go via the
father since they become one) therefore God the Son had to be born a
human, of a human, yet not of a human father. That is why the man Jesus
was born of a virgin. As man His Father was the Holy Spirit, for the
virgin Mary conceived when she was filled with the Holy Spirit. That
means Mary did not need to be without sin for Jesus to be born of her
and be without sin; even though she was with sin her sins could not be
passed to Jesus since His Father was not a human and was Holy without
sin also the Holy Spirit did not have human relationship with Mary to
cause Jesus to be born. That is why Jesus being 100 percent man, born
out of the womb of a woman with sin was yet without sin.

Being born perfect was not the only criteria for the perfect sacrifice,
Jesus had to remain without sin / blemish unto death. And it was the
Holy Spirit who helped Him to remain without sin. Jesus was 100percent
man; He did not have any of His God powers for He humbled Himself before
becoming man which means He gave up His God powers. The powers He had
and those which He demonstrated were as Christ - a man with the Holy
Spirit. That means any person filled with the Holy Spirit would be able
to do what Jesus did. The only reason we who are baptized in the Holy
Spirit are not able to do all things which Jesus did, is because we are
growing in the Holy Spirit while Jesus was The Christ - the man in whom
the Holy Spirit dwelled in full.

Since Jesus took all the sins on Him when He died He was forsaken and
went to hell. The sins of the world (all those who believe in Him)
covered Him and the Father's face was turned away from Him and He became
a curse for us and went to hell but He could not be kept there for in
Him there was no sin. That is the reason He resurrected / rose from hell
and came back.

Also when He was man in flesh He had not committed even one sin His
flesh was perfect. Therefore when He rose, He rose in His flesh. This
was a promise given unto David that his seed would be raised in His
flesh. We see it was by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus
resurrected. This power was not enacted in hell but enacted here on
earth while Jesus was alive.

Being Born-again is must for us to enter Heaven because by believing in
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we are saved from hell, but
only by the working of the Holy Spirit we overcome the sin nature of
Adam in us and corruption that is in us and thus able to do the will of
God. This overcoming brings the Truth back in us and after we receive
the gift of Righteousness from the Son when He comes back (we lost Truth
and Righteousness in the Garden of Eden due to sin) we are transformed
back into Sons of God, which means those who have the perfect image of
God in them, the image which Adam and Eve lost when they sinned.

Today's message tells us every one of us are born of Adam and as
children of Adam we are far from God but as we accept Jesus Christ as
our Lord and Master we are spiritually disconnected from Adam and
connected to Jesus Christ who was not born out of an earthly father.
This is not a process that happens instantly but is a gradual process, a
journey which every Believer is taken. It is a long journey what is more
important is not when or where one has reached on the journey of
becoming Sons of God but most important is being on the journey. As
mankind moves along the journey progressing day by day as the Bible says
2 of us will reach the end point and just those 2 satisfy God. It causes
Him to declare all those on the journey as Sons. Like He declared the
generation of Adam as Adam just because of the doing of 2, here too He
declared all those on the journey of becoming Sons also as Sons just by
the success of 2. Taking the journey and helping each other on the
journey is the Cross Jesus spoke of us carrying as His disciples.

Yesterday' s message we saw that our desire for God is our spiritual legs
that take us on the journey. Believing in Jesus will put us on the
pathway but only those with desire will move and only those moving on
the pathway will be declared Sons. That is why God says we need to have
a desire for Him, to do His will.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we pray for all those people who are deceived to believe without
baptism in the Holy Spirit they will enter Heaven for it is only by the
help of your Spirit we can abide in your Word. Lord, keep us grounded
and settled in our faith in You. Help us not to lose hope in the Gospel...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Genesis 5:1-2

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God
created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

2Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their
name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Exodus 34:6-7

6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD
God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth,

7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and
sin, and that will by no means clear; visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children, and upon the children' s children, unto the
third and to the fourth.

Jeremiah 31:29-30

29In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour
grape, and the children' s teeth are set on edge.

30But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth
the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Ezekiel 18:1-24

Matthew 1:18 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his
mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she
was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:20 - But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of
David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:35 - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow
thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called
the Son of God.

John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, to them that believe on his name:

Matthew 7:21 - Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who
is in heaven.

Matthew 18:3 - and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and
become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of
heaven.

John 3:5 - Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except [if
not] one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God!

Matthew 21:28-31

28 But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and
said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard.

29And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented
himself, and went.

30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and
said, I go, sir: and went not.

31Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first.
Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the
harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

--
*-*-*-*-*-*- *-
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

Seek Him and He will give you rest on all sides

2 Chronicles 15:15 - And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had
sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and
he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

In the world we see problems on every front - economic, terror, climate,
food, relationship, financial and the list goes on and on.

In 2 Chronicles 15 Judah and Benjamin faced a similar situation. They
too faced problems at all sides and then a Man of God Azariah was sent
by the Lord to speak to their king. If we read verses 15:1-7 we see the
reason of their suffering was not their problems but they themselves
were the cause. The Lord tells them because they did not seek Him
therefore they were suffering.

God did not tell them that because they were not good people or because
they did not do the things He had commanded them that's why they faced
problems. God told them just because they did not seek Him therefore
they did not find Him, they did not find a good teacher of His Word and
thus they could not keep His Law.

People have a wrong idea they think if they live a good life, keep God's
Word and walk in His ways they will find God, it is only when we are
good God will be good to us and we will have close relationship with Him
and will be blessed.

We need to understand our flesh is week, even if our spirit is strong
yet our flesh does not allow our spirit to live a righteous life. God
Word tells man in no way by himself can be good. The only way for man to
be good (righteous) is when God is with Him. We do not need be good to
have God with us.

Bible tells us even before we knew Him, God loved us and Christ died for
our sins. Bible tells us to be have God with us or to be good all we
need to do is seek God. Now God is not a human that we can go to some
place to find Him. Although He exists everywhere yet there is no place
we can find Him. The only place or way we can find Him is via His Word
and when the Word is in us.

The Word of God is not a physical map but a spiritual map and to be on
the map one need to have a desire for God. Our desires are like our
spiritual feet that keeps us walking on the spiritual map which is the
Word of God.

God says all we need to do is seek Him with all our hearts and in all
our ways and everything else He will take care of. Every problem in
every direction, they may be natural, emotional or even spiritual, the
Lord says He will take care of them, He says He will give us rest in all
directions.

People of God, let us not think our strength, our religious rituals even
our mechanical prayers or our worldly knowledge and wisdom will solve
our problems. There is also nothing like luck, for God does not sleep
nor is anything not in His control. The only thing that He allowed
freedom to is our heart. If we set God on the throne of our heart which
is our will then nothing will harm us or affect us. Problems may exist
all around us but still we will be at rest, we will experience the peace
of the Lord in our lives.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we try with all our strength to overcome the problems around us
and many of us are faint. We fight and may overcome one but another even
bigger stands up in another direction. Lord, we also struggle to walk in
your ways but fall every time, we then feel your wrath is on us because
we have not been good. God as You have said we cannot be good without
your help. It is only when You are seated on the throne of our hearts
that we will see your peace in our live and see change in our lives.
That throne which You desire to sit is our will our desire. Lord we pray
we set aside all things worldly and carnal and set our desire for You
alone. That You be seat on the throne of our hearts...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

2 Chronicles 15:1-7

1 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

2And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and
all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and
if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will
forsake you.

3Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and
without a teaching priest, and without law.

4But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel,
and sought him, he was found of them.

5And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him
that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the
countries.

6And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex
them with all adversity.

7Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work
shall be rewarded.

8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet,
he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land
of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from
mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the
porch of the LORD.

9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out
of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of
Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

10So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month,
in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

11And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they
had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

12And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers
with all their heart and with all their soul;

13That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to
death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

14And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and
with trumpets, and with cornets.

15And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their
heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them:
and the LORD gave them rest round about.

16And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her
from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut
down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

17But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless
the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

18And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had
dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

19And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the
reign of Asa.

Psalms 23:5 - Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

-*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail

O house of the king, judgement is towards you

Hosea 5:1 - Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel;
and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you,
because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

During the time of Samuel God was King over His people; but then Israel
saw the people of the world and wanted a human king like people of the
world had. All the kings that came from Israel failed, even the best
among them like David did not last long. So God came as man Jesus to be
eternal King over His people.

But we see even Jesus gives all glory to the Father. And since none have
seen God, the only way to Him is by His Word. In the book of Revelation
chp 19 notes the Word of God (the Rider on the White Horse) as King of
Kings and Lord of Lords. Even the man Jesus gave back the crown to rule
God's people unto God, because there is no true King for the people of
God other than God / God's Word.

In my previous messages I have noted the 2 gods that tagged man
throughout ages and throughout religions, the god (or goddess) of
fertility and the man god (king god). All religions are infected with
these 2 characters, a religion like Islam which boasts of one god
worship is also a victim of these 2 gods. We see Allah the moon god and
Mohammad being their king god. Mohammad had the right to change words in
the Quran as he felt fit for he was final authority, even though he said
the words were from Allah yet he changed them many a times.

Not only Islam even Judaism is not spared. We read Stephen exposed the 2
gods the Jews worshipped. Today we may say they have changed but that is
not so. Even today Judaism is infected with these 2 gods. So also in
Hinduism which boasts of millions of gods yet all gods are rooted to 2
deities which are Kali and Shiva.

Catholics who claims to be Christians too are not spared they too have
this goddess Mary (who is not related to the mother of Jesus although
she claims to be so) and they have the Pope who is their king god. The
Pope has right over the Word of God, to modify it and he also has right
to change the other pillar of the Catholic Church -- traditions, so his
authority is the pillar above both the others pillars of Catholicism.

Yesterday this king announced 800+ saints mostly people of 1500AD. I
would not debate how each one was, even taken they were godly people,
how did it change yesterday when he declared them saints, were they not
saints before? What about the Pope himself is he not a godly person
according to the Catholics so why do they not call him saint, why do
they have to wait for him to die to be announced a saint. Do they doubt
he would do some un-saintly thing in the near future? Paul called people
alive and living Christian lives as saints.

These past few months again and again the message is coming from the
Lord of what He is going to do to this house of king. The judgment on
Babylon the Great is very near.

From Nov / Dec 2012 the process has accelerated to bring the little
horn down, it may happen this year end, or next year, or a year after
that; but the time is very near when this Great Babylon will fall.

Along with her God also declared He would deal with the Prosperity
Gospel preachers and we have seen things happen with many of them.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, time and again You are warning about the great things You are
about to do. Since ages the judgment on Jezebel and her prophet is been
due. Lord we pray these warning reach those who are yours and still in
her deceit. That their hearts change and they turn to You and your Word...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
1 Samuel 8:6-7
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to
judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in
all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they
have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the
Son of man should be glorified.

John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may
glorify thee:

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father
with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow
perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying
that he himself is Christ a King.

1 Timothy 6:14-15
14 that thou keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until
the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 which in its own times he shall show, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Revelation 19:11-16
11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that
sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge
and make war.
12 And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems;
and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself.
13 And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is
called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and pure.
15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he
treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.
16 And he hath on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KINGS OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 17:14 These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they also
shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful.

-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*-*-* -*-*-*-*- *-*-*
SavedbyFaith. info - Daily Mail