R.D SOUZA Saved by faith

Burying the dead

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

Just 10mins before I received this message someone sent me a photo of
the grave of one of my aunts who died as a Catholic. The photo showed
her grave filly covered with beautiful flowers and lots of burning
candles placed randomly between the flowers. For any person this photo
looked very beautiful and touching, which showed love and respect. But
is this Christian?

Before I came to know the Lord I was a Catholic. When my father died I
did his burial in the grandest way I could. The tomb was designed using
CAD (computer aided design) and when finished it was among the best in
that grave yard. I used to regularly go to visit the grave at least
twice a year and would make sure the small patch of garden around it was
well kept by the gardener. I used to take lots of flowers and candles
especially by the loads on all-souls-day (a feast of the Catholics to do
with the dead).

Let us look at the Bible and see what the Lord says concerning the dead
and what we need to do with their bodies. Throughout the Bible the Lord
gives value to the spirit-man more than the natural flesh body of the
person. When a person dies the bodies is no longer the person but as
respect to the person gone the body is disposed with respect.

After man sinned God had cursed man to dust which meant not only his
body was going to dust but even his spirit was condemned to destruction.
Man was condemned to hell - a prison for the rest of his spirit life
(which is a few thousand years). In that prison the sins inside him
become like ever burning fire or eternal living worms (both are
figuratively speaking). Jesus by His death and resurrection broke this
curse so today anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and their saviour and
dies, he or she in spirit does not go to hell even though the person at
the time of death has sins. The body may go to dust yet the spirit-man
being under grace by faith is saved from hell.

When we put flowers or candles to the grave of a person we are not
serving the body of the person but also to that person and thus
declaring that person as unsaved. We unknowingly are proclaiming that
this person is under the curse of dust and not only is the body gone to
dust by even the person has. Jesus was the only man who died without sin
therefore He alone was raised not only in spirit but also in the flesh.

In the Old Testament we see the Israelites worshipped the graves of
their ancestors and the righteous, Men of God were very against that. We
have a good understanding of this from the acts of King Josiah in 2
Kings chapter 23.

Even today the so called Christian worship the dead when they put
flowers and candles to the graves of their ancestors, loved ones or even
to statues of the dead. Satan knows how to play with people who are far
from the Truth therefore we see evil spirits or fallen angels come
personating dead people not only towards the people of other religions
but also with so called Christians.

There is no scripture in the whole Bible where the spirit of man other
than of a Man of God coming back after death. Even though the spirits of
the Men of God came yet they did not come to minister to man or to guide
man from danger for God forbid interaction between man in the flesh and
the dead. Therefore to communicate with the spirits of Moses and Elijah,
Jesus had to transfigure (come out of flesh body). But when King Saul
communicated with the spirit of Samuel he was condemned to death. We see
it were the Angels who ministered to man and did the warning not the
spirits of dead people.

We as Christians give respect to the body of the dead especially of the
saved, but we do not put flowers or candles to their graves or even to
their photographs or statues. We are the children of light knowing the
truth of life and do not act like blind people.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, there are many people who believe in You and have even accepted
Jesus Cjrist as their Lord and Master but do not give heed to His Word.
Although they are saved from hell in spirit they are spiritually dead
for they go after the things of the dead. Lord, we pray for these people
that their eyes open to the Truth, that they become spiritually alive
and do not defile themselves with the tings of the dead...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
2 Kings 23:1-18

Matthew 8:22 - But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury
their own dead."

Matthew 22:31-32
31"But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what
was spoken to you by God, saying,
32'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God
is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

Genesis 3:17-19
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of
thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying,
Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt
eat the herb of the field;
19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto
the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto
dust shalt thou return.

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Captivity of His people

Joel 3:1 - For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall
bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,

First warnings of things getting heated for the Christians starting
coming since in 2010 and of late the message has been taking a serious
note stating the time is very near.

The message is both for the Believers as well as the other (lukewarm and
so called) Christians. This problem should not be viewed as other
religions or worldly people coming against Christians. No doubts other
religions are going to be more united among themselves and united
against Christianity, but the message says the Lord would be in judgment
of His people and also against the people of this world.

About 2 years back I was given a warning about a great calamity which
would come in the next year (which I sent in my message at that time).
Of late I have heard for other Men of God about them also receiving a
warning of great disaster but they mistook it for the end of the world
(that gives an idea of the seriousness of the disaster).

There are 3 serious allegations which the Lord has raised against His
people for being lost into this world.

Firstly they believe in chance, in luck or in fate. They know God and
His Christ but yet God is not a Living God who uses the term 'I AM' to
Himself.

Second allegation is against those who are growing in faith. The Lord is
telling us, these people who have some level of spiritual maturity are
yet going after other gods (idols) for their self-pleasure. They have
become spiritual prostitutes.

The third allegation against His people is that the little in faith have
gone after their desires; the desires of the human flesh and desires of
their carnal mind.

Let us understand the purpose of Christianity, what it means to be an
overcomer and what is it that we are supposed to overcome.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we ask for your mercy for your people. We may not be able to hold
back what You gave declared but we know Lord You being a merciful
Father, You will make an exit for your people. Lord, we pray your people
see this exit before it becomes too late...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Joel 3:1-3
1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again
the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
2I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the
valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and
for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and
parted my land.
3And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an
harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

http://www.savedbyf aith.info/ messages/ 240410.html

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We are the witnesses
Acts 5:32 - "And we are His witnesses to these things, and also the Holy
Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

In the above scripture most translations have added the word 'so'
between 'and' and 'also', and also added the word 'is' between 'also'
and 'the' thus changing the whole meaning of the scripture.

Acts 5:32 - "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is
the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Peter and the other apostles were testifying before the Jewish high
priest and other council members about Jesus Christ, His death and
resurrection. They were confirming that they were witnesses to the
event. Paul too testified the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but
Paul was not there with them when Jesus was crucified or resurrected.

Like Paul we too by faith are witnesses to the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. It is because we do not consider ourselves to be there by
faith we do not really believe and thus do not witness the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is only when we realize Jesus died for
us and we were there with Him when He died, then only do we do the first
step towards becoming Christians.

In the translations it is put as the Holy Spirit being another witness
to the event.

We need to understand the Holy Spirit is God and omnipresent, so there
is no doubt that He was witness to the event but that is not what Peter
said before the council.

People think Jesus came to cleanse us of our sins by dying on the
crucifix, and it is this that holds them back from being true,
supernatural Christians.

Dying on the crucifix to cleanse us from our sins is not the main
purpose why Jesus Christ came. Jesus came for the four purposes

1) He came to be a Corner Stone, which means an example of how to overcome.
2) He came to be a sacrifice for our sins thereby making peace between
God and man. Thus He opened the doors of Heaven for us.
3) By He becoming man and calling us His brothers and sisters, He became
a part of us so that by us being a part of Him we may be covered by His
righteousness when He comes back and thus be able to enter Heaven.
4) And most important, He came to give us the Holy Spirit for although
He was the way and a proof that we can overcome, yet it is only by the
working of the Holy Spirit that it becomes possible for us to be saved.
We are saved from Hell by believing in Jesus Christ but we are not saved
from death (enter Heaven to access the Tree of Life) unless we have the
Truth in us and for that Jesus gave us the Spirit of Truth.

Peter was testifying before the council that they have received the Holy
Spirit.

We are witness to this world one for Jesus Christ and second for the
Holy Spirit. It is by our faith that we confirm we are witness to Jesus
Christ and it is by our lives that we confirm that we are witnesses to
receiving the Holy Spirit. Many Christians are witnesses to Jesus Christ
but only few are witnesses also to the Holy Spirit. It is only those who
are witness to both are called true Christians and will have eternal
life in Heaven.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we as Christians are to be witnesses to Jesus Christ and to your
Holy Spirit. Lord, it is only by obedience to our faith and our way of
life we become true witnesses. It is not traditions that define us as
Christians but by our witnessing that we are called Christians. Lord, if
we lack in any of these areas help us, help us become true witnesses...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
John 14:23-26
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye
hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26-27
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he
shall testify of me:
27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the
beginning.

John 16:7-14
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if
I depart, I will send him unto you.
8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
9Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it
unto you.

Romans 6:3-9
3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death
hath no more dominion over him.

Romans 8:16 - The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God:

Romans 9:1 - I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,

1 John 5:10 - He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in
himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has
not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

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Jerusalem to be attacked

Zechariah 12:2-4
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the
people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah
and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all
people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,
though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with
astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes
upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with
blindness.

In the NASB bible the scriptures we received as today’s message are
quoted under the title Jerusalem to be attacked. This message is not
to do with today’s Israel or the city Jerusalem in Israel. If we read
the scripture it speaks of Jerusalem and Judah as 2 different
entities. Geographically Judea was like a district and Jerusalem a
city thus a part of Judea (Judea is a Roman name for Judah).

These names in the message are of the spiritual Jerusalem and
spiritual Judea. Both Jerusalem and Judea refer to the people who
believe in the Lord in other words today it refers to Christians. The
people of Judea are people closer to God for they are people who have
a personal relationship with the Lord unlike those of Jerusalem who
know Him just as God.

The Lord is telling us that those who keep a lukewarm relationship
with Him will face problems in their lives. These problems are not the
usual problems. These are people who keep a Sunday to Sunday
relationship with God. They do not do great bad things but nor do they
do the things which the Lord asks of them. Being a Christian does not
mean to just believe in Jesus Christ but requires us to do at least
the basics which the Lord Jesus Christ asks of us. That requires us to
witness Jesus Christ unto others and bring the lost sheep of the Lord
back unto the Lord.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we are called to be a Christian. Christianity is a mission which
You empower us with. We go in your Name and it is You who do the work
through us. Lord we pray the namesake Christians know their mission
and be saved from your anger. This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.

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

John 20:21-23
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

John 1:8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come
upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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The Ancient of Days

Daniel 7:9 - 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.

The term Ancient of Days is used for God. Many people think it as a term
used exclusive to the God the Father but we understand this when we
compare this scripture with other scriptures.

The books of Daniel and the book of Revelation together help us
understand the books of the Prophets and the Gospels very well.

In Matthew Jesus confirms that it is the Son of Man who sits on the
Throne but not as man, but when He comes in His glory. In John Jesus
prays to the Father that He gives the glory which was before the world
was created. So we see Jesus Christ the man was God the Son who humbled
Himself and became man and at the end receives His glory back again. In
Daniel the glorious God the Son is referred to as Ancient of Days and
the man Jesus who is also known as the Son of Man is identified uniquely
even though they refers to the same Being.

Throne does not refer to a human seat or chair, something we usually
picture with. In scriptures the Lord says the Heaven is His Throne and
earth His footstool. God is not man but spirit.

If we see in Revelation the description of 'garment was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like the pure wool' is given to the Son of Man.
If we look at other scriptures we see even the garments of the Angels
are described as white as snow. Even when Jesus transfigured the similar
description is attributed to Him. If we look at the book of Revelation
there is a special Angel who is given extraordinary description
(Revelation 1:12-16, Revelation 10:1 -3, Revelation 17:1).

When we look at the book of Daniel there is an Angel who is given the
aspects of a man (Daniel 12:5-10). In the tenth chapter (Daniel
10:20-21) there is the Arch Angel or Chief of Princes - Michael who
battles Satan(s) (princes of Persia and of Greece). Revelation
(Revelation 12:7-8) confirms this event. Then in chapter 12 (Daniel
12:1-3) we read and Arch Angel Michael shown as the saviour of the
people and when He comes at the end days there is the Book of Life
opened and those who are asleep resurrect and are judged, something that
is attributed with Jesus Christ's coming the second time. Paul also
states this event in his first letter to Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians
4:16).

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about Him being greater than
Abraham, Jesus answer something that angers them very much. He said
Abraham saw Him and was pleased. The Lord came as man Jesus only after
being born through Mary so whom did Abraham see?

John while ending the Gospel makes a statement saying all that Jesus did
if were written the world could not hold those books. John was not using
a superlative word, immaturely, out of context. What he said he meant.

It is only when we know our Lord Jesus Christ would we know the
sacrifice He has done for us. We get moved by the exhibition of the
suffering which we see on the crucifix when Jesus died, but we do not
see all that He had done from the foundation of earth when He humbled
Himself for us so as to save us. Neither His sacrifice nor His love can
be ever measured by any human.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, man lacks faith because he walks by sight, what we see we believe.
The teachings of the world have bound our minds that we do not hear what
the Spirit speaks. Lord people do not know your sacrifice therefore do
not have the smallest idea of your love. They are far from You because
the worldly corrupt knowledge keeps them away. Lord, renew the minds of
your people that they may know You and have power in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Matthew 19:28 - So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in
the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,
you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.

John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Matthew 17:1-3
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother,
and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun,
and his raiment was white as the light.
3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Revelation 1:12-16
12Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I
saw seven golden lampstands,
13and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man,
clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with
a golden band.
14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes
like a flame of fire;
15His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His
voice as the sound of many waters;
16He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp
two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its
strength.

Revelation 10:1 -3
1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with
a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and
his feet like pillars of fire.
2He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the
sea and his left foot on the land,
3and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out,
seven thunders uttered their voices.

Revelation 17:1 - After these things I saw another angel coming down
from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with
his glory.

Daniel 12:5-10
5 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on
this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the
bank of the river.
6And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of
the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the
river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and
sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times,
and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of
the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
8And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall
be the end of these things?
9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed
till the time of the end.
10Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked
shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise
shall understand.

Daniel 10:20-21
20Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I
return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo,
the prince of Grecia shall come.
21But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth:
and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your
prince.

1 Thessalonians 4:16For 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:

Revelation 12:7-8
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Daniel 12:1-3
1 And 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.

John 8:56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw, and was
glad.

John 21:25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the
which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the
world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

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Behold your Deliverer your King
Deliverer your King

Mark 11:8 - And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut
down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

When the Israelites were in Egypt the Lord used Moses to deliver them,
later as a nation the Lord used David to make the Israelites a great
nation. Before it was the Prophet Moses who was the Idol of the
Israelites and later it was King David who became their idol. But the
works of their idols were short lived and during the times of Jesus the
Israelites were under the rule of the Romans and they were looking now
for another deliverer greater than Moses and king greater than David.
Their hopes were on the prophecy of Zachariah which spoke of an anointed
king. In all scriptures there was no scripture that was announcing of
another king for the Israelites like was in Zachariah and other prophets
therefore they knew that this anointed king would be far greater than
David and a Prophet greater than Moses. The only sign given to them was
that their King would come into Zion (city of Jerusalem was called Zion
during the time of David) sitting on an ass and it's little one.

Mark in his short and sweet Gospel does not do justice to this event
giving a half cooked recording of it event. Luke surprisingly also does
not get into all the aspects of the event. On the other hand Matthew who
was more of a first-hand witness to many events of Jesus does a good job
on recording this event. But then we see Mark and Luke touch on parts
which Matthew did not, like that of the colt never been ridden by anyone
else (meaning it was a very small ass).

When Jesus did great miracles and made claim to great things the Jews
thought Jesus was that King, that deliverer who Zachariah spoke of (Jew
is a term used more for the Israelites of Judaea for 2 Kings 16:5-6
talks of a war between Israelites and the Jews, the very first time the
term 'Jew' is used in the Bible).They first though John the Baptist was
the one then after John denied they had their hopes on Jesus. It was
only when Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Zachariah their joy knew no
bonds and they exploded with ecstasy. They put their robes before His
path announcing Jesus as their deliverer and others cut branches of
trees laying them on the way announcing Jesus as their coming king.

In today's message the Lord is telling us if we want the Lord to be our
deliverer we need to lay down our garments before Him and if we want Him
to be our King then we need to lay branches before His path.

Garments symbolize the righteousness of man and lay of garments means
putting our righteousness before the Lord and seeking His righteousness.
Branches symbolize surrendering one's decision before the Lord and
seeking His guidance (the Greek word branch comes from the word meaning
step).

If we want change in our situation then let us put forth our
righteousness before the Lord and surrender our desires seeking His
guidance in our lives.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we call You Lord and King in our lives but these are just words.
We try to do things by our efforts, trying to prove ourselves as being
someone capable. Lord we call You King but do not let You rule over our
lives for we put ourselves as part rulers in our lives, giving
importance to our desires. Today, Lord we ask You to give us the grace
to lay down our righteousness before You and the grace to not do our
will but seek your will in our lives...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Mark 11:1-10
1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at
the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,
2And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and
as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon
never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
3And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath
need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in
a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye,
loosing the colt?
6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and
he sat upon him.
8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches
off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying,
Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of
the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Matthew 21:1-11
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage,
unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway
ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring
them unto me.
3And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of
them; and straightway he will send them.
4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying,
5Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek,
and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and
they set him thereon.
8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut
down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying,
Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying,
Who is this?
11And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Luke 19:28-38
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
29And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany,
at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
30Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your
entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose
him, and bring him hither.
31And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto
him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
32And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said
unto them.
33And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them,
Why loose ye the colt?
34And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
35And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the
colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
36And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
37And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of
Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise
God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace
in heaven, and glory in the highest.

Zechariah 9:9 - "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter
of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having
salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

2 Kings 16:5-6
5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came
up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
6At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave
the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto
this day.
Having God in us

Luke 10: 35 - "On the next day, when he departed, he took out two
denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of
him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay
you.’

In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus shows us that a Samarian
(Samaritan) was passing by a man who was robbed and beaten, he did not
ignore him like the priest and the Levite did before him but helped
him. His helping was not just to do something for the man and overcome
the gilt of having done something.

We all mostly give alms to the poor not because we want to really want
to help them but because there is guilt in us that we cannot ignore
them and we call it pity, therefore we give something so as to cover
that guilt then walk away and continue our lives being satisfied we
did something.

When the Israelites came into the land beyond the river Jordan after
Joshua, they spit into 2 groups one which lived in Judah and the
remainder became another group. The ones living in Judah were known as
Jews and the others were called according to the place they dwelled
in. Many Samarians were Israelites, they believed in Jehovah but were
called hated by the Jews because the Jews believed themselves to be
only true followers of Jehovah and considered other Israelites as
corrupted.

In today’s message Jesus through the parable tells us religion is like
what the Jews did. By their traditions and heritage they called
themselves people of God but were far from Him. On the other hand the
Samarian whom the Jews thought as corrupt showed the Nature of God in
him.

We see the Samarian did not just show pity but true compassion. He was
in a hurry to reach someplace for some important work but yet he took
time to help the victim. He gave him first aid, putting him up in an
inn left for his important work. While leaving he gave the inn keeper
sufficient money to take care of the victim until he finishes his work
and returns. By this he shows us the means of having God in us.

In today’s message the Lord is telling us not to give charity just to
satisfy and overcome our guilt, or duty. We need to truly help as much
as we can. It is not that Christians need to become social worker,
which is a wrong understanding. We Christians are first called to
witness Jesus Christ and that calls us to give the Gospel, baptize
people in the Lord’s Name and while doing this we need to also show
the Nature of God in us by helping those in need both natural and
spiritual.

My daughter sometimes askes me ‘why God does not provide for the poor,
does He not love them?’

We need to understand God made us in the flesh so as to overcome it
and to have victory over darkness by His Light. The greatest evil of
the flesh is greed (people think pride is the greatest but before
pride Lucifer was hit by greed). To overcome greed God teaches us to
give. As a statute God instructed us to Tithe. Tithe or giving 10
percent are just baby steps towards overcoming greed. There is no
place where God has challenged man to test Him other than concerning
tithing.

The Church misleads people by telling them tithing means giving 10
percent on one’s income to the Church. On the other hand the Bible
says it is about giving 10 percent unto the Lord and it also specifies
part of this needs to be given to the needy like widows, orphans etc.
If one sees in the New Testament the way the Apostles used the money
given by the people and also the instructions given by people like
James they insist on giving more towards the needy. If we read most of
Jesus’ parables had some connection to finance.

Let us understand by giving we are doing more a favour to ourselves
than that person, for we are exercising our spirit-man to become
stronger and overcome our flesh. By this we are growing in the image
of the Lord in us.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, if there were no needy we would not have been able to come to
You. We do not thank You for the needy but thank You for the
opportunity that by serving them we can grow more in You and thus, by
becoming overcomers come to You. Lord, You specified if we do not show
loyalty in small things then we would not be trusted for greater
things. Lord we prayer we realize the things of this world are nothing
to the things set for us in Heaven with You. Let our eyes be focus on
those precious things and not on these valueless things...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Genesis 14:19-24
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high
God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine
enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and
take the goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto
the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that
I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I
have made Abram rich:
24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of
the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take
their portion.

James 1:23-27
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a
man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what
kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in
it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one
will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle
his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to
visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself
unspotted from the world.

1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits
me nothing.
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Speak you the same thing

1 Corinthians 1: 10 - (AV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that]
there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Continuing the concern the Lord has with regards to our faithlessness
and the divisions between us, due to our lack of faith and
understanding of scriptures; in today’s message the Lord is giving us
steps towards overcoming our differences and divisions.

The greatest problem with the Church (not going into the problems with
the shepherds of the Church) is the word ‘doctrine’. The Greek word
translated as doctrine means teaching. We need to first understand
that there are no two persons having the same understanding of the
Bible. One should not misunderstand this sentence of mine. It does not
mean all have totally different understandings of the Bible. It means
most people have a less or more understanding of the Bible. Thus if
our understanding is less or more, there is sure to be a difference in
the teachings that we give. So for the one who knows less the
teachings he or she does not know becomes a different doctrine. Paul
says we need to be clear of the basics of our belief and thereafter it
is a process of learning for all of us depending on our exercising of
faith.

In today’s message the Lord is telling us even though we have
different levels of understanding, our basics should be common and
what we speak out to the people (congregation) should be the same.

There is a nice phrase which states when a person tells the truth he
or she does not need to remember what he or she said the last time.

When people go to a Bible College they are taught less of the Bible
and more of what he said and she said (wrote). It is amazing when
people are quoting so called ‘Bible scholars’ who had a different
understanding with some basic beliefs of the scriptures.

One would realize the Word of God started to move among the people
when William Tyndale translated the original Hebrew and Greek test for
the masses (people) in 1500s. He did not take different translation
like that of Latin but stuck to the foundational scriptures.

When we speak what this or that person wrote or said about the Bible
we will surely have differences but when we stick to what the Bible
says then we will be of one mind and of one understanding.

Everything we speak of the Kingdom of God needs to be proven in
scripture and when we do that then alone would we be of one mind
speaking the same thing. I can assure you God did not miss anything
that is necessary to know of His Kingdom that is not in the Word of
God. It is only our lack of understanding that is restricting us from
knowing it.

Let us take today’s message of the Lord and everything we hear let us
confirm them with scriptures. Let us not speak of things which we have
not confirmed with in scriptures.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, man due to many reasons distorts the Truth. It may be due to
their lack of understanding or they hiding the weakness of their
flesh. Lord we ask You to cleanse your Church from people who distort
the Truth on purpose and also ask You to heal the minds of those who
are victims to the deceit. We ask You Lord for an outpouring of your
Spirit of Wisdom on your people. Let them be of one mind and of one
understanding, speaking the same thing...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
1 Corinthians 1:10-15
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among
you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them
which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I
of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized
in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

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

Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that
one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of
God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those
who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil.
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us
go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith toward God,

1 Corinthians 13:9-12
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish
things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

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Faithless and perverse generation

Luke 9:41 - And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse
generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son
hither.

I am sharing something not to put down any person but to understand how
faithless and perverse we can be when we believe man more than God.

One sister sent me a mail stating Peter was the first Bishop of Rome and
the first Pope. When I asked her where she got her information from she
referred to the website of the Roman Catholic Church.

Firstly there are no records of Peter being an operational head of any
institutional Church. The Bible also does not state him to be the head
of the Church after Jesus. He was given the honour to lead by not as a
head of the Church. Paul's letters are a proof that the Church had no
head other than Christ, unless Paul was not of the same Church which
Peter was.

The first institutional Christian Church in records (which I know of - I
may be wrong here) was the Church of Jerusalem of which James the
brother of Jesus was the Bishop of. One should remember Peter as well as
Paul along with the other 12 Apostles were all martyred excluding John
who was put to death in a pot of boiling oil yet miraculously survived.
The first early Church during the time of Peter operated more from
houses since the persecution of the early Christians started in Jerusalem.

The first earliest records of elections of a Pope were in 418AD when
Boniface became Pope. The concept of the Bishop of Rome being the head
of the Church was made many years after the Apostles died. The word
'Pope' comes from a Greek word which means 'father' and all Bishops were
called by that term (the Catholic Church priests are not official
priests, only the Bishop is, but they receive permission to do 'the
priestly duties' from the Bishop they are under). The first records of
the title 'Pope' was in 233AD (if Peter was the first Pope he would have
been at least 250 years old by then, that is if he had not died). It was
in 217AD that infighting began of who headed the Church in Rome for the
Bishops started fighting among themselves and that led to the concept
that was later known as 'antipope'. According to RC Church records there
were least 30 antipopes of the 266 Popes till date. The worst period was
between 950AD- 1150AD which saw 12 antipopes, this period also saw Pope
Benedict XI being disposed twice and again restored. Again in
1350AD-1450AD there were 5 antipopes in a period of 100 years. It
institute was less an institute to do with God and more a political
power center. Even today if you know of people in the Vatican the story
has not changed. Of late it has come out in the media.

If one reads the Bible the scriptures show the Apostles did not report
of any one person being head, they worked together as one unit. Paul at
no place took permission from the other Apostles for any activity once
his ministry took off; nor did they dispute with him or each other in
the book of Acts. In only place is recorded of a dispute between them
and this was of a serious nature; something very important which the
Lord wanted us to know. It was between Paul and Barnabas concerning
Mark. When one reads the ending of Gospel of Mark one would understand
Paul's displeasure against Mark (whose real name was John). The Gospel
was incomplete and later completed by someone else; Mark's original
Gospel spoke of Jesus' death and His body missing but did not record the
witnessing of His resurrection.

If one goes by logic Barnabas was one of the 12 selected Apostles and
Paul was not, so that incident would make Paul a rebel of the Church!
The 12 Apostles and so also Paul knew the concept of twelve was as
symbolic as the twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve were not a council
or a board of directors of the Church. They worked together as one body
and this is shown even with Paul and the others who were with him,
including those who did not have callings of Apostleship. In fact even
though an Apostle is top among the calling (but below Christ the Head)
yet an Apostle has to serve the lowest in the calling not like how the
Pope who sits like a king on a throne wearing crown (he has a triple
crown which declares him as king of kings, having authority over heaven,
earth and hell).

We people become perverse because we are filled with distorted
information and we prefer to believe in them more than believing in what
the Bible states. We prefer questioning God than questioning man whom we
have made king over our lives.

This message is not only for the Catholics but also for Believers who
prefer to believe preachers and Pastors blindly but do not verify their
teachings with scriptures. Jesus said today's words to those with Him at
that time but today the Holy Spirit is saying the same to us. How long
has He to bear with our faithless and perverseness?

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You have again and again warned us against trusting man more than
You. You do not change nor does your Word change. Everything will move
but your Word holds Truth and never changes. Lord, help us to trust You
more and not to put our trust in the words of the worldly man. Help us
to discern what comes from your Spirit and that which comes from the
mind of man...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Acts 15:36-41
36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and
visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the
Lord, and see how they do.
37And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from
them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed
asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto
Cyprus;
40And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren
unto the grace of God.
41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Ephesians 1:20-23
20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set
him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which
is to come:
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Colossians 1:16-18
16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

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Rejoice you in thy tents
Deuteronomy 33:18 - And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy
going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.

In the Bible almost all names have meanings and all are purposefully put
to give us an understanding.

I would translate today's message including the names.

Deuteronomy 33:18 - And of the exalted he said Rejoice [in] the exalted,
in thy going forth; there is reward in thy tents.

In the Bible the travel of the Israelites from Egypt to the crossing of
the river Jordan is symbolic of one's spiritual life journey, of the
things that one would face through this journey. Throughout this journey
the Israelites never stayed in proper houses but always dwelt in tents.
Not only did the people, even the Lord (His glory) also dwell among them
in a tent. This tabernacle is also referred to as the Temple of God and
Paul puts our bodies as the Temple of God.

In today's message the Lord is telling us the flesh body we dwell in is
not our permanent home but as temporary as a tent. Till we reach our
destination we dwell in this tent, but when we reach our permanent home
we will not dwell in tents.

God Himself came as man and dwelt in a tent but He kept His tent perfect
and therefore was resurrected in the flesh till He comes in glory on the
Day of the Lord, when we all go to our permanent home which is our
Father's House. The tent of the Lord was glorious for all things even
though were symbolic they were designed according to God's Word and had
purpose.

The Lord wants us too to also have our tents in order and put things in
our lives with purpose so that we may go forth (prosper) and receive His
reward, although our reward is in Heaven but our working for the reward
in while we dwell in our tent.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You made us in this body of flesh but You showed its value by
making is from dust. Our bodies may go back to dust but we have been
released from the curse of going to dust by the sacrifice of your Son
Jesus Christ. We dwell in this tents but our real home is with You in
Heaven. Help us Father while we dwell in this tent we may do so as per
your design, setting all things with purpose and understanding of things
hidden to worldly man. May your glory also be on our tent like it did in
your Tabernacle.. .

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scripture]
2 Samuel 7:6Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I
brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but
have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

Jeremiah 10:20My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my
children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to
stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you?
17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
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Fellowship between Paul and Luke

Lucas born in a gentile family (assumed to be of Antioch) being of slave
origin was later known as Luke discarding his slave origin name. He is
believed to have accepted Christ through Paul and is first recorded to
be working with Paul in Toras. Luke was a physician by profession and
was one of the most valuable companions for Paul in his ministry.

Other than being of ministerial help Luke was also of professional help
to Paul. Paul is said to have been suffering from an ailment which at
one stage nearly took him to death and Luke was of great help to Paul at
that time. In Paul's ministry Luke was like his right hand man.

Luke is among the writers of the 3 books that concentrate on the
teachings of Jesus and are known as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and
Luke respectively. The Gospel of John on the other hand is an
autobiography of Jesus Christ.

Luke also wrote one of the most important books of the New Testament
that is the book of Acts which gives us the chronology of the early
Church and lots of guidance on how the first Christians understood
Jesus' teachings and followed the Word of God.

Matthew was an eye witness to many events which he recorded so gave more
of a first-hand recordings of the events. Mark was close to Peter and
was born in Jerusalem, he was the second best closest to Matthew. He was
related to Barnabas and thus being close to the Apostles his recordings
are more of second hand. Luke on the other hand lived far from Jerusalem
and was connected to Paul. He knew Christ and the events more from Paul
than anyone else. People think Luke recorded the events from the
Apostles since he got access to them through Paul. No doubt Luke did
meet the people who were witness to the events but when we see Luke's
Gospel it compliments both the Gospels and at some places covers up
those areas which were omitted.

Luke's primary source was Paul and Paul's primary source was not the eye
witness disciples of Jesus but the Lord Himself. Paul was shown things
of the Lord through visions. He was a hard core Jewish Lawyer (one who
studied the Law at an advance level) and when he came in the Lord the
Lord When one understands the calling of Paul and of Luke, one can see
the beautiful harmony between two callings one of an Apostle and other a
Teacher, the dependency of one another and their support for the
ministry. Luke is recorded to have died a martyr but before he died he
did great work of spreading the Gospel and brought many to the knowledge
of Jesus Christ.

In today's message the Lord is telling us to learn from Paul and Luke
two great Men of God and among the greatest contributors to the New
Testament and the early Church. To learn how they depended on each other
and how they focused on their mission yet worked with each other without
stepping on each other's feet.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You did not give all the callings to a person because You wanted
to teach us how to work in harmony being of one mind and one purpose.
Lord, we pray that we learn to be humble and put forward our Cross
before ourselves. That we be focused like Paul and Luke and learn how to
fellowship with each other...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Luke 1:1-4
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a
declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were
eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all
things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent
Theophilus [associate of God],
4That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou
hast been instructed.

Acts 1: 1 - The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that
Jesus began both to do and teach,

Acts 16:10 - And after he had seen the vision, immediately we
endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had
called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

1 Corinthians 11:23 - For I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was
betrayed took bread:

Colossians 4:14 - Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

2 Timothy 4:11 - Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with
thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

Philemon 1:24 - Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow labourers.

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Moses and all the Prophets wrote of Him

Luke 24:27 - And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

I have written on this message before but since our God is an ever
new, of whom we see something new every moment and who always creates
something new in our lives, thus I would share something new that I
learned connected to this scripture.

As I stated before I am currently teaching on Acts at a place in
Mumbai and as I teach I too learn a lot from the Lord. Currently I am
on the justification of Stephen before the council but him to death.
In his argument Stephen summarizes past events highlighting the
important parts all in a nut shell. At one place he quotes Amos with
regards to Israel’s walk in the wilderness. He quotes the Lord telling
the Israelites that they never made offerings and sacrifices to Him,
but when we read the books of Moses the Israelites did make many
offering and sacrifices in the wilderness. If they were not making to
the Lord then who were they offering these sacrifices to?

The Lord called the Israelites His people not because they behaved as
His people or pleased Him in any way but called them His people
because He saw His Son coming out from them. Even when the Lord
blessed Abraham, He blessed him keeping his seed (Jesus Christ) as the
focus. So the Israelites were really not Israel-the people of God for
they never abided by the Lord or truly worshipped Him.

I was reading today about Latin manuscripts written by Pope Damascus I
in 372AD as note to his secretary Jerome who later was known as St.
Jerome by the Catholic Church. In these notes Damascus writes about
the various religions that existed during the times of Jesus in
Judaea. In it he also wrote about the variations in Judaism due to the
influx of beliefs and ideology of other religions. This corruption of
Judaism was not only during the times of Jesus but from very early
days. Judaism is believed to be based on the Law the Lord given
through Moses but the Bible tells us the contrary. The Bible says the
Israelites never understood what the Lord gave through Moses and they
did their own. Even though at many times the Lord was angry with them
on this factor yet He never consumed them for the Lord saw Jesus
amongst them. Jesus came out from amongst them when they rejected Him
and His Spirit led His early disciples to form Christianity.

In today’s message also the Lord is pointing out to the Old Testament
to the books of the Prophets including Moses. Although Moses was a
Prophet himself yet his books are always named separately and the
books of the other Prophets as another lot. The books of all the
Prophets excluding Moses collectively are a copy of what the Lord
spoke through Moses (Psalms are also arranged accord to the books of
Moses) but when we read it in text we do not see this. It is only when
the Spirit of the Lord expounds them to us we will realize the Lord
confirm things at least twice in the books and later manifested them
through Jesus Christ.

The Bible is called the Word of God and there are no old and new Laws
but only one Law that is the Law of the Lord which was given through
Moses and the Prophets and then manifested, explained and complied by
Jesus. If we need to understand the books of the Prophets and the
books of Moses we need to understand them through Jesus Christ and to
really know Jesus Christ we need understand these books. The only way
out of this catch 22 situation is when the Spirit of the Lord reveals
the scriptures to us. It is the Father (Holy Spirit - the Father of
man Jesus) Who reveals the Son (Jesus) and it is the Son (Lord Jesus
Christ) Who reveals the Spirit (Holy Spirit) that is why when Jesus
instructed His disciples to baptize people in the Name of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, yet they baptized people just in the name of
Jesus. Not going against the command of Jesus but knowing it was an
expanded instruction of being baptized in the knowledge of Jesus
Christ.

Today the Lord is telling us we will know Him and His Word only when
we are baptized (immersed) in the knowledge of Him. So let us ask the
Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus Christ to us and to know His Word.

[Prayer starter]
Lord, your instructions to man was existing from the foundation of
creation. Terah, Abraham and Jobs knew You even before the Word was
spoken unto them. Lord, your Word existed from beginning and was
manifested in Jesus Christ in the flesh. Lord we pray You expound the
books of Moses and the Prophets to us that we may know Jesus better...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Acts 7:42 - Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of
heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of
Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space
of forty years in the wilderness?

Amos 5:25 Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the
wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

Acts 3:25 Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which
God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall
all the families of the earth be blessed.

Matthew 12:2-8
2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy
disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was
hungry, and they that were with him;
4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which
it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him,
but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests
in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
6 But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not
sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

Matthew 23:13-36

Luke 2:22-24
22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of
Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him
to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth
the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the
law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake
unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be
fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets,
and the psalms, concerning me.
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The one whom Jesus loved

I have read and heard people giving many possibilities to the person
written in the Gospel of John as being one of the following people:John
Zebedee, Lazarus or James (Jesus's brother).

Today as the Lord put this before me I was surprised to see this as
being so simple and wondered why people complicated it so much.

Yesterday someone shared a video with regards of Israel and Jesus as the
first Israelite for He alone kept the instructions the Lord had given
through the Prophets and in that video the preacher gave a good
illustration of how we study scriptures.

He spoke of a man who sees many arrows and all of them hit the perfect
center of the targets and he was surprised as to how excellent that
archer was so he approaches the archer to congratulate him. After some
query he found out that the archer would blindly shoot the arrow and
then draw the target around the arrow. That is exactly what we do with
scriptures. We first conclude and then twist and turn scriptures to
support our conclusions.

We need to list all the scriptures in John quoting the person/s Jesus loved.

John 11:5 - Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Here Jesus is stated as He loved not only Lazarus but also Martha and
her sister Mary.

John 13:1 - Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that
his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the
Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto
the end.

Here Jesus is stated as loving His own which are in this world that
includes every child of God.

John 20:2 - Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the
other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken
away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid
him.
John 13:23 - Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples,
whom Jesus loved.
John 21:7 - Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter,
It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt
his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself
into the sea.
John 21:20 - Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus
loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said,
Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Here we see John the coordinator or narrator of the Gospel (during
Jesus' time education was free and must so every girl and boy had to
study up to the age of 12 and 14 respectively, so almost all knew to
read and write unlike what people assume) is talking of himself as being
the one whom Jesus loved and this he is doing so, not because Jesus did
not love the others but simply because he did not want to put his name.
If we read the New Testament there are names like Simon, James, Judas
and even John where either a substitute name was given to them (like the
name Peter was given to Simon) or the place of their origin or their
father's name was always linked to their names. Simon and John were very
common names at that time that it is said if one threw a stone in a
market place there were very high changes of the stone hitting a Simon
or John. That is the reason John Zebedee preferred to refer to himself
as 'the one Jesus loved'.

John 19:26 - When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Here is the only scripture where there are issues as to who this person
'whom He loved' is referred to there, if we go by thumb rule taking the
previous scripture than this person would be John. But when if we read
the scriptures before and those of the Old Testament with regards to
this event which state none of His disciples stood by Him for all (ALL)
forsook Him. Thus like some historians claim this person who was
companying the women would very well be James the brother of Jesus who
was yet not a disciple believing in Jesus as the Saviour. Jesus being
the elder (head) of the family handed over the responsibility of taking
care of His mother to the next elder son that is James. That is why in
Jesus' absence (when He went to Hell/Hades as spirit and was not in the
flesh Mary was referred to as not Mary the mother of Jesus but Mary the
mother of James and Joses in all the 3 Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

In today's message the Lord Jesus Christ is telling us He loves us also
very much as He loved John Zebedee, James His brother or Martha, Mary
and Lazarus. We too can call ourselves as 'the one whom Jesus loves' and
He has already demonstrated His love for us. What greater love is there
than what He did for us.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You loves each and every one of your own as such as the other. Our
missions may wary, the grace on our lives may wary according to our
faith and mission, but the love does not vary for all are given the same
quantity of love. It is only the lack of knowledge that makes us not to
experience it. Lord, let us every day of our lives remember your love
and confidently call ourselves like John Zebedee did as the one whom
Jesus loves...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Matthew 26:31 - Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended
because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

Matthew 26:56 - But all this was done, that the scriptures of the
prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

Ephesians 4:7 - But unto every one of us is given grace according to the
measure of the gift of Christ.

Ephesians 5:2 - And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath
given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour.

Philippians 2:2 - Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the
same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

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He is Lord over the seas

Zachariah 9:10
10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from
Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace
unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and
from the river even to the ends of the earth.

I received this message on Saturday (23rd June) but for some reasons I
could not send the message, so firstly I would apologize for the delay.

This message is to do with global situation that is taking place and as
to where it is trending towards. A horse in the Bible has been a symbol
of progress or moving into the next stage and a chariot symbolizes
abundant progress (the word is also translated as milestone - a landmark
on the way). In this message the Lord is telling us He is causing the
world's speed of prosperity / development to slow down.

The past years the world has seen rapid development. The Lord is saying
there will be a worldly slow down and this will also affect His people.
But there is good news to this and that is countries will not battle
with each other for they will not be able to afford it.

This is a short phase between a great turn which will cause dramatic
events to take place. Like we received a message on the 12th about the
reconciling between the heathens, today's message also tells us the
about the coming together of those who do not believe in the Lord. We
will not only see things like Chrislam but even other religions building
strong bonds with each other. This is not happening by the powers of
Satan but is been allowed by the Lord. This does not mean the Lord is
against His people or has forgotten His people.

We need to understand when God created man He knew sin would come into
man and it would increase yet the Lord allowed it to increase, but then
He did not just fold His hands and sit back but He had set a limit to
the extent that sin flourishes so that His people do not perish in it.
He also made a way for them to be saved from sin, not only be saved from
sin but also to overcome sin and destroy the power of sin.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, there are times we see things not going our way, in fact going
against us. But Lord You allow these for even an arrow needs to be
pulled back to go far, far ahead at great speed. Lord, let your Word be
written in our hearts and let us do not be disheartened when we see
things happen around us. Let your Spirit strengthen us and our testimony
in You hold us...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Ezekiel 27:32-36
32And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and
lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in
the midst of the sea?
33When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people;
thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy
riches and of thy merchandise.
34In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the
waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.
35All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and
their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their
countenance.
36The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a
terror, and never shalt be any more.

Isaiah 40:12Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and
meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth
in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a
balance?

Isaiah 43:2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest
through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee.
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Shaking the place through prayer

Acts 4:31 - And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they
were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Today's message talks of the power through prayer and to explain this I
will share a personal experience.

This happened many years before when I yet still with the Catholic
Church and had just come to know from the Lord how misguided I was as a
Catholic thinking that I was a Christian. It was through the exposure of
the deceitful prayers like Rosary and Divine Mercy Novena which are
against the Word that I realized the real powers behind Catholicism.

At that time I had just been baptized in the Holy Spirit and was
struggling in between coming out of that church and declaring myself as
a Believer. My family at time would do all things as devote Catholics
like saying the daily Rosary in the evenings this also including at time
reading the Bible (but not understanding it for no one explained it).
That particular day I had certain people visiting my house, they were
hard-core worshippers of Mary. They would believe that not saying the
rosary 'N' numbers of time a day would displease their goddess Mary like
Muslim do with their prayers. These people would read the Bible, but I
would wonder what they understood from it, for they were told lots of
nonsense and lies about the Bible by the Catholic Church.

That evening when they sat to say the rosary I sat with them out of
respect for them but was not saying their 'prayers', I was doing my
communication with God. After the rosary got over they started their
'Charismatic' praying. This too is unholy but better than the mill
grinding prayers like Rosary and Novenas. Catholics who seek God land up
in a Charismatic movement but since it is not a Word rooted movement but
one that only seeks anointing, they easily fall prey to deceit. Only
those who seek God through the Word and relationship find Him.

So as the charismatic prayers started I realized that they were praying
for my deliverance. Then the Lord asked me to go into tongues for their
deliverance. As I started in a short time the person who was the
'wisest' among them started coughing non-stop and was almost out of
breath. Then suddenly after sometime all of us suddenly stopped for we
all felt the place shake like there was an strong earthquake, this was
not just a feeling for the plates that put on the rack in the kitchen
suddenly fell. I stay on the third floor and none of my neighbours
experienced any shaking. From that time these people stopped coming to
my house.

As we read in today's message after they finished praying the place was
shaken. We too can cause shaking of a place and it does not need to be
an earthquake. We may live in a tower and the people in the room would
feel the shaking of the room and yet the neighbours in the houses
attached would not feel anything.

What is the purpose of the shaking, why desire it?

The Greek word 'saleuo' translated as 'shaking' also means 'to cast
down'. Peter and John were put under pressure by the Jewish church
authorities to not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This worldly
authority they cast down spiritually by their coming together in prayer,
Holy Spirit and Word.

The Lord is telling us if we are under pressure from outside that
hinders our work in the Lord it is time we come together in prayer, Holy
Spirit and taking the promise of God we cast down these worldly
authorities.

Like it happened then after the shaking they came together in one mind
and one soul. They truly lived a Christian life sharing and caring for
each other in the Lord. There was no rich or poor among them for all
things were common between them. Ask any Christian to follow this today
and they will think you are gone crazy. That is why the Lord says a
shaking is required.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You said the world will be against us because it is first against
You. But You also said Lord not to fear this world for You first
overcame it and now we in You also can become overcomers. Lord, it is
time for us to cause some shaking down of these powers. Help us Lord not
fall to authorities or powers of this world but to cast them down
through prayer, through your Spirit and through holding on to your Word...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Acts 4:18-21
18And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach
in the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in
the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding
nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men
glorified God for that which was done.

Acts 4:31-33
31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were
assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one
soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he
possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

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The Marys - mothers of James

Luke 24:10 - It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary of James, and
[the] other with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

Before I come to today's message I like to get into some basics. I am
doing this because the lack of this understanding causes many to be
deceived.

We humans are spirit being living in a flesh body. When God made man and
woman in spirit He referred to both in the same gender which is
masculine. When Jesus answered about life after death He said we would
be like the Angels who are also referred to in the male gender as Sons.

Bible puts the sole purpose of Jesus to come is to make us into Sons of
God. It is the Angels who are referred to as Sons of God. So after we
resurrect in Christ when He comes again, we will be like Angels in
Heaven. The new body we receive in not of flesh but a spiritual body (soul).

Then why did God create us as humans in the flesh?

God is Light and His plans are Light (good). When Lucifer went against
the plans of God he caused darkness, so to bring down this darkness God
created a more inferior being 'man' who was lower than the Angels
through whom He will eliminate the darkness. Although same as the Angels
in spirit yet since man was created in the flesh he was lower than them
(thus God took dust to make the flesh to symbolize this).

When created man was not restricted by the flesh (Jesus showed this by
His transfiguration) therefore never felt naked. But when sin came into
him he got corrupted and this caused him to be restricted to the flesh
body. The Bible is a book of Instruction of overcoming the flesh through
the Spirit and becoming Angels therefore said as ordained by (for)
Angels. Jesus paid the price for man (Church) to receive the Holy
Spirit, before that only the elect received the Holy Spirit.

When God showed Abraham his descendants He showed him the stars
(symbolizing the hosts of Heaven - Angels). Zachariah (13:8-9) states
two third of them would be cut off and only a third would survive, when
they are put through fire. Therefore Jesus said many are called but few
are chosen and not all that who believe in Him (become Abraham's
descendant by faith) will enter Heaven but only those who do His
Father's will (Word).

If we read in Revelation in connection with Ezekiel after greed and
pride came into Lucifer the Cherub (also called the dragon or serpent or
king of Tyrus), deceit entered him and he caused a third of the Angels
to fall along with another Cherub (known as the beast or the young lion
or prince of Tyrus) who surrendered himself to Lucifer. If you put the
picture together it is all about building again of the Heavenly Temple.
The Angels were part of the Body of God the Son, we after becoming part
of the body of Jesus Christ would become part of the Body of God the Son
when Jesus Christ comes in former glory (the wedding). So in simple
terms in Heaven we will not be man; neither male nor female but will be
as Angels. That is why God uses only the term Sons of God for us, which
is not an earthly gender but spiritual.

Now coming to today's message. We read in today's message Luke talks of
Mary the Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other who
went to the tomb and saw Jesus' body was not there. In many translations
it is given to seem as other women went with these two Marys, but when
this scripture is put along with the records of Mark and Matthew we get
a clearer understanding.

Matthew talks of Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and mother of
Zebedee (mother of James and John Zebedee - her name was Salome but
Jesus called her also as Mary like He did to Mary of Magdalene whose
original name was not Mary)

Mark talks of Mary the Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome
who was Mary (Salome) the mother of James and John.

So we see both Matthew and Mark talked of 3 Marys who went to the tomb.
Luke also talks of the 3 Marys and Joanna, for 'the other' does not talk
of other women but talks of the other Mary the mother of James.

Now we see although Jesus' mother Mary was with them she was not
referred to as Mary the mother of Jesus but as Mary the mother of James
and Joses who were of Jesus' (step) brothers and sons of Mary through
Joseph.

Between the period Jesus died and resurrected again in the flesh He
ceased to be man and therefore Mary ceased to be His mother, thus all 3
Gospels record her as just Mary the mother of James (and Joses). But
after He resurrected again in the flesh Jesus is known as Son of Man and
thus we find Paul and others refer to her as Mary the mother of Jesus.
But again when Jesus ceases to be man after His second coming when He
comes in His true glory, we will become a part of His Heavenly Body then
He will no longer be man but God. And Mary who was His mother when He
was a human will no longer herself be a human or His mother but will be
an Angel like us and part of the Body of God the Son as we would be.

It is the lack of this understanding that we find people are deceived to
believe in myths and deceits that existed from the times of Noah till
date. This concept of Queen of Heaven and Mother of God is not new, but
existed since that time. It is throughout different religions since
those days that Satan has been playing with man's lack of knowledge to
mislead him. He has come as different identities to be this character.
It is due to our lack of this knowledge Jesus told us we erred and were
misled.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You created all things for a purpose and your purpose for the
good. Lord when we go against your purpose we cause darkness in our live
and Satan father son of darkness wants us to to be destroyed with him
for he hates us. He does not want us to receive what he had before his
fall that is why he causes us to be confused and lost. Lord, You came
and paying the price You gave us your Spirit of Truth so that we know
the Truth and overcome the darkness. Lord, we pray all those who are
deceived with lies may see the Truth and overcome sin...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them [the same word as 'him'
- male gender].

Genesis 15:5-6
5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and
tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So
shall thy seed be.
6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 4:16Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the
end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is
of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is
the father of us all,

Zachariah 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.

Revelation 12:4a - And his tail drew the third part of the stars of
heaven, and did cast them to the earth: ...

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

Mark 16:1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might
come and anoint him.

Mark 6:3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of
James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here
with us? And they were offended at him.

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.

Acts 7:56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God.

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

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.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed,
52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

John 17:5 - And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with
the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

James 5:19-20
19Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of
his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
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Did Jesus promote violence?

Luke 22:36 - Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let
him take it, and likewise his scrip [wallet]: and he that hath no sword,
let him sell his garment, and buy one.

We read of different religious figure heads that preached peace but had
either violence brewing beneath their teaching or else foolishness like
that of an ostrich towards this aggressive world.

Jesus' approach towards violence was different. Sayings of Jesus include
'if someone slaps you show your other cheek to that person', 'love your
enemy' and 'using non-violent protest towards violence' are very famous
but yet not understood well.

If one sees Jesus' teachings and the example He showed by His life, He
was counter intuitive. His preaching of peace was full of violence; this
violence was not worldly or physical but spiritual. He is called Prince
of Peace. The word 'Prince' is a royalty, a person of authority and
power. It was by the power of His authority He would disable the
spiritual powers of this world and its principalities.

There are many scriptures that highlight the aggressive spiritual
approach of Jesus towards worldly aggression this approach called for
the opposite reaction to the aggression but with knowledge,
understanding and authority. It is when we understand this we will
scriptures like Matthew 10:34, 35.

Jesus never told us to submit to violence but to counter the spirit of
the aggressor and overpower it. Just approaching violence with
non-violence is not the solution. Jesus showed how to convert the
predator of violence by drastic methods that looked non-violent in
natural but were very violent spiritually, but for this we need Jesus in
our lives.

In today's message Jesus tells His disciples something that seems very
odd to His normal teachings. Here instead of telling them the usual of
not relying on things of this world, or riches of the world and not
using violence to protect oneself, we read Jesus telling them to do just
the opposite. This He did just before He was going to be away from them
by His death. It was the same Jesus who once sent His sixty disciples
with just the clothes they wore and a staff in hand.

In John 17:12 we read Jesus telling the Father He kept them under
protection. In only a few translations the right translation is given.
In most it is written as 'keep through your own name those whom you have
given me' but the right translation is 'kept them in thy name, which
thou hast given me'. Jesus Himself used His Name which was the Name of
the Father to protect His disciples. By this we will understand the true
meaning of the word name and why in the Bible when a name was translated
from one language to another the phonic was not maintained but the
meaning was. In Jesus' absence or the absence of His Spirit Who also
carries the same Name, there is no protection. In such situations we
have to restore to worldly means and rely on worldly protections.

Today we have been given the Spirit of the Lord therefore we do not need
to come to a stage where we need to rely on worldly riches for security
or use violence or things to protect us. We have the Name through the
Spirit of the Lord that protects us and keeps us. It is only if we do
not have the Spirit of God then only we will behave like the people of
the world.

Peace does not mean absence of violence but means not been affected by
the violence. We may live in an environment which surrounded by violence
but when we have the peace of the Lord with us by the Name of the Lord
we will not be affected by any violence natural or human.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, Jesus there are many times we behave like the people of the world
who do not have You - your Name in their lives. Lord, You have given us
your Spirit and authority. By your Name Lord we overcome the
principalities of this world. We counter worldly violence in ways that
look non-violence but are in fact bringing down the powers of darkness
by force. Lord, help us grow in understanding of the power of your Name...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Matthew 10:34, 35
34"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to
bring peace but a sword.
35"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against
her mother, and a daughter-in- law against her mother-in-law' ;
36"and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'

John 17:9-15
9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast
given me; for they are thine:
10and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am
glorified in them.
11 And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come
to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me,
that they may be one, even 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.
13But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that
they may have my joy made full in themselves.
14I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil one.

Luke 22:35-38
35And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and
shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take
it, and likewise his scrip [wallet]: and he that hath no sword, let him
sell his garment, and buy one.
37For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished
in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things
concerning me have an end.
38And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto
them, It is enough.

Matthew 11:12"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Colossians 2:14-15
14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which
was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them
openly, triumphing over them in it.

Ephesians 6:12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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Counter intuitive

Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of man came not to be ministered (served)
unto, but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.

About 2 Sundays back someone came to our church and preached the
beautiful message on how the Bible is counter intuitive.

In today's message we read about the Lord came not to be served like
other gods. He did not come to receive like other gods do. The Lord
showed us by His coming as man and His life on earth as man that He did
not come to be served but came to serve. He came not to receive but to
give. He came not to judge but was judged by man.

When He said serve it was not about washing people's feet or doing
social serve; social service is an integral part of Christian life but
not the purpose.

Jesus said He came to give His life as a ransom for the lives of many. I
will not go into the constitution of life to explain this, how there is
there is difference between an Angel and man but yet in spirit they both
as identical. About the simple spirit being like us and complex spirit
beings like Cherubim. Even if any human being manage to be perfect as
Jesus did, suffers like Jesus did and dies like Jesus did yet he would
only save himself and no one else. But Jesus was God who became man and
His sacrifice was more than sufficient for all mankind, counting the
billions and trillions from Adam to the last being to be born on earth,
but only those who abide in the Covenant initiated with Noah will be saved.

We are called to be His disciples and as disciples we follow the way of
life of our master and leader. That is the reason Jesus said those who
want to have life need to lose it like Him. We are not called to die
like Him but we are called not to desire the pleasures of life of this
world but to overcome them. To live a life void of pleasure and live a
life of needs. This sentence may not be agreeable to most Christians for
they have been taught something else about Christianity. They have been
taught Christianity is all about being blessed and about receiving and
receiving in abundance from the Lord. They have not been told that as a
Christian we are called more to give and give. This giving is not like
religions like Jainism, Buddhism or some other religions which promote
life of penance and solitude. People who do this are not Christians for
they do not know the Christ or His sacrifice.

A Christian is called to give with purpose and understanding that is why
he is given the Spirit of Truth and blessed with wisdom. He is called to
have fellowship to be united with his brethren becoming one in Christ in
mind and purpose. We are called to loose things here on earth and empty
ourselves here so that we receive the greater things that await us in
Heaven and be filled with them.

The race of a Christian is not like races of the world where the goal is
to come first. The race of a Christian is all about winning, not just
winning but getting more and more to win along with us. It is all about
crossing the river Jordan [means descender] which symbolized being sons
of God. Without us overcoming and becoming sons of God with the help of
Jesus Christ [including Jesus and the Holy Spirit] and each other who
become His vessels, none of us will go to Heaven.

Jesus said 'it is finished' on the cross for He knows the success, that
we will indeed crossover but now it is up to us as to how many will we
take across with us.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, Adam and Eve brought in corruption to our souls by their want of
things not of the Spirit. Lord, by your coming as man You showed us that
we need to be counter intuitive to this world and its understanding, for
this world is corrupted by the nature of Adam. You showed us to receive,
first we need to give and to have life we need to lose it. Lord, teach
us to be real Christians, we call ourselves Christians but are far from
living our lives as a Christian...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Mark 10:42-44
42But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they
which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over
them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among
you, shall be your minister:
44And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Matthew 10:32-39
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess
also before my Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my
Father which is in heaven.
34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword.
35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother
in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and
he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not
worthy of me.
39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life
for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:24-27
24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will
lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27For 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.
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Walking into our tornado
Genesis 37:16 - And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee,
where they feed their flocks.

Yesterday a sister called me; she had got in touch with me about 6
months back. Her mother was serious and had to undergo a major
operation. The operation had gone successfully and she recovered
miraculously fast. Shortly after that she spoke to me about her marriage
and that she was getting married to an unbeliever who was also a
divorcee. There was no problem with the man being a divorcee but the
problem was with him being an unbeliever and she was yet to be baptized
fully in Jesus Christ, for she had not yet surrendered to the Lord. I
knew from the Lord that she was not to get married to him so tried to
meet them and council them out of it. But them the man was very smart
and at 2 occasions changed plans and did not let the meeting happen. He
insisted on meeting me after marriage. They did a civil marriage and
after 6 months she called me to tell me all the disasters that happened
in their relationship. Thing got so bad that the husband got her
arrested and put behind bars for a period. She was telling me that the
Lord had got them married so He will take her through this relationship.

From day one I had advised she against it for it was not the Lord's
desire that she marries him. The marriage was her personal choice. She
walked herself into her tornado and now blames the Lord for it.

In today's message we read about Joseph who led a good life of favour of
his father Jacob, was walking into his tornado that day. For from that
day onwards his life was going to change completely. No doubt great
things happened at the end but the disasters that led the good ending
almost crushed him at many occasions.

Some may say if it was not for his going there Israel would not have
been saved from the famine, and all that the Bible says later would not
have been happened. That is true. But just think of it had he not gone
there that day would not have God been able to yet save Israel from the
famine? He is God of the impossible; He is omnipotent and all knowing.

God gives us choices in life and lets us chose. Our chose leads us to
our experiences in life. It is from our experience that our testimony in
the Lord is made. God is all knowing for He not only knows our presents
and knows our past but since He dwells in the future He knows our life
ahead also. When He chose us it was not because of our present but it is
because of our future. For many among us in our present state is so bad
that His anger would consume us instantly but since He sees the finish
job in us He takes pleasure in us. He allows us to walk into our
tornado, to be lifted of our stable ground, twirled around, pulled into
the darkness of the eye of the tornado and be throw away from our
present way of life.

This choice of Joseph to walk into his tornado not only changed him but
also changed the lives of the people around him. This testimony even
today changes people's lives.

I always tell people we have 2 choices as God's children, one to study
His Word have relationship with Him and walk the easy way in life to our
goal or else by our understanding walk into our tornado, have experience
teach us about God and let our helplessness build our relationship with
Him to then reach us to our goal.

We will surely reach our goal by either one of the routes we take, for
the end result of the story is already written. Remember the Book of
Life already has the names of those who will enter Heaven. It is only
the route that we take to the finish that we decide, the easy or the
hard way - God's way or our way.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, when You created all things You already knew what your creation
would do. It did pain You but what You saw the end it pleased You.
Therefore You became our sacrifice from the foundation of creation.
Lord, even before we were placed in the womb of our mothers You knew us.
You knew our every thought and deed and yet You said You love us. We
know Lord You will finish your work in us and we will reach our goal in
You. But Lord we pray that we do not walk into tornadoes by desiring our
will, by walking according to our understanding. Lord, by your Spirit
guide us and by your Word open our minds that we may do greater as we
reach our goal...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scripture]
Proverbs 8:8-9
8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing
froward or perverse in them.
9They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that
find knowledge.

Deuteronomy 30:18-20
18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye
shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over
Jordan to go to possess it.
19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose
life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his
voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the
length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD
sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Exodus 32:
31And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have
sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray
thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him
will I blot out [actually the Hebrew verb is in past tense - Qal] of my
book.
34Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have
spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless
in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment; and I will not blot out [the Greek word translated a 'blot out'
is made of 2 words and implies to remove His anointing] his name out of
the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and
before his angels.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,
whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall
ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that
dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the
book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the
beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

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Be rooted before you start to lead
1 Timothy 3:6 - Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall
into the condemnation of the devil.

There are people who believe in pushing people into the water to teach
them to swim. They consider it a waste of time to tell then the basics
of swimming and movements.

There was a man of great faith who also believed in encouraging people
who had just come into the Lord to lay hands, to do deliverance of
people troubled by spirits and to stand and preach to others. This did
do wonders in the start but then most of these people were on shaky
grounds. As far as healing and deliverance was concern it was good but
then those who were put to preach very few remained in the Kingdom of
God others preached about God but as the worldly kingdom. He did this
because he himself did not have someone to guide him. He claimed the
Holy Spirit was leading him but he did not give the Holy Spirit time to
work in him. What happened to him is what happened to many others, he
too was taken into deceit himself.

We all read Acts 9 about Saul and his becoming Paul later. People assume
it happened in a few day or max months, they do not realize the period
between Saul becoming Paul took nearly 8 years.

If we read in the initial days of the Church the Apostles put new people
even though they were full of anointing to serve the people, like
serving tables and social work. They did not just make anyone stand
before people to preach or to lead people.

Some translations translate the Greek word 'neophutos' translated as
'novice' also as 'recent convert'. The word actually means 'newly planted'.

The Lord is saying we need to be rooted in Him before we start to lead
others. We can help others but we need to take help from well rooted
people to grow. It is foolishness to think today I came to know the love
of Jesus, received His Spirit and tomorrow I am going to go out and
proclaim to the whole world about Jesus and start a Church.

When I was born-again (started) in the Lord, the Lord did not let me go
out to preach for more than 1 year. I sat with Him on a day to day basis
learning from Him and building my relationship with Him. Today I may
preach the Gospel and guide others but yet I cannot boast of being ready
for yet I know the Lord is working in me to set me to my next stage of
spiritual work in Him. Although He told me what I am to do in Him, yet I
know He has His work to finish in me before I do His plan.

We need to give time to the Lord to work in us and build us. We cannot
take the risk of someone else's life on our hands. Like a surgeon we
need to not only have the knowledge but also grow in skill to do the
saving of lives.

For God all things are possible but yet He gave nearly 2 thousand years
to change and become like His Son, even though He gave us His Spirit.
The very same Spirit Who created all things in a moment takes time to
recreate us from within. If the world is so beautiful then imagine the
great beauty He is creating in us that is causing Him to take time.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You created all things by your Word. All things are set according
to your plan and You are in charge and in control of it. Lord, teach us
patience to trust in You and your timing. You know how delicate we are
and how easy it is for us to break so You take time and care to build us
according to your purpose in us. Lord, we pray the leaders of the
congregations guide your people rightly and guide them not according to
their wisdom and plans but according to your wisdom and plan...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Acts 5:1-8
1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because
their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
2Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and
said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve
tables.
3Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report,
full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry
of the word.
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 Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid
their hands on them.
7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were
obedient to the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles
among the people.

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There is no King in the Church

Judges 21:25 - In those days there was no king in Israel: every man
did that which was right in his own eyes.

When Believer Churches were formed, there were various Churches.
Having various churches is not wrong. If we look at the book of Acts
during the time of the Apostles we see Churches were segregated
according to regions and they worked independently. We see some of the
Churches which Paul was instrument in building were also administered
by local bodies and the only hold Paul had over them was spiritual and
not administrative. But one thing that united all of them was Christ
and their purpose in the Kingdom of God. The Churches had a King and
Christ was their King.

Later the Nicolaitan principle was inducted into the Church and the
Churches were unified as one entity calling themselves a ‘universal
Church’ but this unification was not a spiritual unification but a
administrative unification, Christ as King became just a namesake and
man became king, like it happened during the times of Samuel.

It was the Nicolaitan’s ideology which engulfed this unified church
around the late third century which bought in things like idol
worship, carnivals (love-feast) and made sons of Bosor (carnality).
Spirituality was replaced with legalism.

Today we see there are hundreds of Churches and they all claim to be
followers of Christ. Unless this Christ they claim to follow is many
and different, they should not be having differences of understanding
between them.

The Lord is telling us in today’s message that each of the Churches is
doing according to their own understanding and the Lord has nothing to
do with their understanding. They may claim to be led by God but are
led by their human mind.

God’s Spirit is one and the purpose of the Kingdom of God is one like
God is one. We may have different roles to play like the Father, Son
and Spirit do in the Godhead. But yet we do not read of any
misunderstanding between them in scriptures. What unites them is their
Spirit and their Character (Name). Since their Character is same their
thoughts too are same.

Today the parts of the Body of Christ are scattered all over and each
part thinks to be a whole body. They compete with each other and spite
each other. Adam’ nature and Satan no longer is their enemy but the
‘other’ church has taken the position of enemy no. 1.

It is a shame to call ourselves Christians and claim to be led by the
Spirit of God if we cannot live together as one. How are we going to
be an example to others outside when we are bad examples to each other
inside?

When we say Christ is our King, it is not by a nameplate put up
outside the Church, but it is by the character of the people of the
congregation and the purpose of them as a unified body. The only way
we can be one and claim to be have Christ as our King is when we
imitate Him and be led by His purpose.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we pray for the Body of Christ. Lord we pray we come unified as
one body led by one spirit - your Spirit. We pray Lord that your
people pursue your Nature and not their thinking. Let them be led by
your purpose and experience your glory...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
1 Samuel 8:10-20
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that
asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign
over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for
his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his
chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over
fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest,
and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be
cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your
oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards,
and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your
goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye
shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and
they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may
judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

1 Samuel 10:17-19
17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;
18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of
Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of
them that oppressed you:
19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out
of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto
him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves
before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

Revelation 2:12-16
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things
saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat
is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even
in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain
among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them
that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a
stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed
unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight
against them with the sword of my mouth.

1 Corinthians 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body:
for we are all partakers of that one bread.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made
to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the
body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of
the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the
whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as
it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor
again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more
feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less
honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our
uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body
together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members
should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or
one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
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His people do not seek Him and His Face

Hosea 7:10 - And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do
not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

When we read the interlinear of this scripture it gives a very beautiful
detail and a better view of what the Lord is telling us.

'The arrogance of Israel testifies against him, he notices not it
sprinkling on him and they do not return to Yahweh their God and seek
His face'.

This is the message the Lord has for His Church. The Lord is telling us
what He sees happening in the Church. People are all concern about being
blessed. All they want is to be prosperous, to do well in life, to be
healed and curses being broken. When they think of God the only thing
that comes to their mind is all the things they have received from God.
These blessings the Lord in our lives is telling us has taken the
important place in our lives which He the giver of them should have been.

God desires we seek to know Him more and more and improve our
relationship with Him. Both of these are very, very critical to our
being His people and going to Heaven. If we are just full of knowledge
we may become like Solomon who knew a lot but yet failed. Also if we are
people who only pray and worship Him but do not have the understanding
of His Word and His Kingdom we will not be able to discern spirits and
may someday be deceived and destroyed.

Blessings are something that we all will get as a bag and baggage when
we seek the Lord and His face, but let not the Lord be all about
receiving blessings.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You are Light and when your Light falls darkness cannot remain.
You made all things to prosper, so prosperity with purpose is part of
You. But Lord we do not like to be like Satan who fell because his
desires were for the things and not for You and a relationship with You.
Lord, we pray your people abide to this message that You have given us
today. We pray your people seek You and seek a relationship with You
more than anything...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Hosea 7:10-16
10And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return
to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
11Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt,
they go to Assyria.
12When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them
down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their
congregation hath heard.
13Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them!
because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them,
yet they have spoken lies against me.
14And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled
upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they
rebel against me.
15Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine
mischief against me.
16They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow:
their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this
shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
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The Lord is going to punish people of 'No'

Jeremiah 46:25 - The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I
will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their
gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and them that trust in him:

(I was given this message 2 days back but since I was not very clear on
it I asked the Lord to confirm it with a sign to remove the confusion
therefore had to wait and rewrite the message)

'No' was a city also referred as Thebes. It was built across the river
Nile with half on one bank of the river Nile and the other half on the
other side. Another unique feature of this city was it had hundreds of
gates.

A long time back I was just discussing with an unbeliever about how
things are going to change in the future and how some religions are
growing rapidly. He was a Hindu and at the end the sentence I made took
him by shook. I told him in the future he will have no option but to
convert to either a Muslim or a Christian, his religion has nothing in
it to hold him on for long.

The Lord is saying that soon He is going to change things in the world.
There are many who dwell in 'No' and have many gods or are living in
denial of the Creator and the Lord is going to remove them out from
there. But the sad part is most of them will be delivered into
confusion. They will not come to Him or to the Truth but will be prey to
deception. They will join another religion and think they have come to
know God, religions like Islam and Catholicism, or even Christian sects
who are more of prosperity worshipers and not true followers of Jesus.

Since the Kingdom of God is progressing, soon Satan will also
consolidate his followers. There will be fewer main stream religions and
the Lord is letting this happen so that things would accelerate towards
what is written about the fall of Babylon the Great.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord we pray for all your sheep that are deceived by this World. People
do not know You because your people are deprived of the Truth and do not
see your glory. Lord, we pray your sheep hear your voice and come to You
and are not consumed in the grinding that is about to take place. That
they do not be party to the fornication of Jezebel or of the prophet of
the desert and receive their punishment.. .

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Jeremiah 46:25-26
25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the
multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their
kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:
26And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives,
and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand
of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of
old, saith the LORD.

Mark 3:24-26
24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand,
but has an end.

Matthew 24:26-27
26Why if they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not
forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Revelation 16:18-19
18And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning; and there was a
great earthquake, such as was not since men were on the earth, so mighty
an earthquake, and so great.
19And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the
nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give
to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

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Abuse not our power in the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:17-18
17For if I do this thing willingly [voluntary], I have a reward: but if
against my will, a dispensation [stewardship] is committed [credited]
unto me.
18What is my reward then? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the
gospel of Christ without charge [costing nothing], that I abuse not my
power in the gospel.

I have seen whenever some incident disturbs me the very next day the
Lord has a message for me. Yesterday some characters who have made Jesus
Christ an external lifestyle but are void of His Word and His
understanding disturbed me. They are more of religious people who
practice a religion called Christianity. When they read a message they
do not look at what is there in the message which can bless them but try
to look if they can find any faults. They turn a blind eye to the most
parts of the message but will remove a part of it, out of its context,
which they find can be used for their misuse and try to put people down.
They may ask questions not to hear an answer for they already have an
answer which they want you to listen and abide by. They will not attack
people who give a different Gospel but people who make an attempt to
give the true Gospel, they will not spare.

Also yesterday as I was fellowshipping with a few bothers we were
disappointed at hearing a great Man of God whom we respected very much
had told poor village people during 'collection of offering' if they do
not have money, to put even their gold jewellery into the 'offering
bag'. A year before we heard of him pulling up a music evangelist for
not going on the stage at the last minute because the organizers had not
made a good contribution to him. Today sadly he has become one of them.

The Lord is asking us, what is the purpose of our going out and
preaching the Gospel? Are we doing it voluntarily? Is our going out to
give the Gospel more out of completion or are we doing it out of desire
to save people? If we are doing it to benefit us materially, if so, then
we have no reward in Heaven for us.

The Lord is telling us we will have to pay a price to truly give the
Gospel to His people and to bring His people to Him. We need to remember
we are working in Christ and Christ paid a great price. We are not
called to pay a price like Christ but being part of Him we too are
called to pay a price so that we too may receive a great reward in Heaven.

Did Jesus not know people need to tithe or give an 'offering'? Did He
ever ask people to donate to His work? But we see people willing gave
His ministry to which He did not say no, He accepted it and this was put
in their money bag. But at no time did Jesus and His team rely on the
money bag, to the extent the charge of the bag was given to Judas.

Jesus too faced resistance as He preached from place to place. The
Pharisees and other people like the Jewish priest followed Him not to
hear Him but to trap Him by what He spoke and to bring Him down. The
Lord is telling us if we are in Him we too will experience this for the
world hated Him first and since we are in Him we too will be hated by
people of this world.

Let us be focused on the purpose of our giving the Gospel and let our
reward not be an earthly reward of fame, worldly power or money.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we pray those who are truly working in your Vineyard may not tire.
That they may be focused on the purpose of giving the Gospel, let them
always remember it is all about saving people. Let their reward not be
things of the world, thing that perish. But let their reward be a
heavenly reward that is beyond all the riches of the world put together...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
1 Corinthians 9:16-19
16For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for
necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my
will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
18What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may
make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in
the gospel.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant
unto all, that I might gain the more.

Hebrew 11:24-26
24By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Mark 6:35-37
35And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and
said, The place is desert, and the day is now far spent;
36send them away, that they may go into the country and villages round
about, and buy themselves somewhat to eat.
37But he answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say
unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread, and
give them to eat?

John 13:29 - For some thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus
said unto him, Buy what things we have need of for the feast; or, that
he should give something to the poor.

John 15:18 - If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me
before you.

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Forgive seventy times seven

Matthew 18:21 - Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

This question by Peter is not something which Peter alone had on his
mind; this question is almost on everyone's mind, one moment or other.

When Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive seven times, Jesus answered
with seventy times seven, they were not talking of the actual times
(although Peter at that moment may have not known). When Jesus answered
He did not tell him how many times but how to.

In the Bible the number seven is commonly used and has a very special
place because it is connected to the spirit. God's Spirit is symbolized
in the Tabernacle by the candlestick with the seven branches. Isaiah
goes on to name the seven Spirits of the Lord in Isaiah 11:2.

God's Spirit is one but when The Son humbled Himself so also did the
Spirit of God because He being God and Holy, and in His former glory man
would not be able to receive Him nor also come before Him, for He is
part of the God the Son as much as He is part of the Father God.

The Lord had taught me how His image is in the physical body of man in
the external and internal design and how one can know God by
understanding man. The Lord also taught me about the soul or inner-man
and how it too has a form as given in the Word. I have been taught some
things about the spirit of man but that is hardly anything and have to
learn a lot in that area. But I am very sure like God's Spirit human
spirit too has a design; for God's Spirit although written as breathe is
a being by Himself.

When Peter said should we forgive will all our spirit Jesus opened a
great understanding with His answer seventy time seven.

Understand if I write something in a book and I shut that book does it
mean the writing does not exist? When I do not see it over long period I
may even forget it exist but one day when I open that book and come to
that page I will see what I have written and remember the events
connected to it.

Our heart (mind) is like a notebook and what we hear, see, smell, touch
or things that happen in our life are written in on this book (also what
we speak and do are also written in the records of our hearts). We may
not keep those pages open but some time in our lives we suddenly come to
those pages and relive or revive them. Man does not have the eraser to
erase what is written in this book. When man forgives he just turns the
page and assumes it does not exist. Man does not have the ability to
really forgive. Since God alone has the eraser, so man has to use God's
help to get what is written in his heart to be erased.

When Jesus told Peter seventy times seven, He told Peter not by your
spirit but by the Spirit of God should one forgive. That is why Jesus
gave us the authority to forgive only after He gave us His Spirit.

When we forgive another let us not turn the page and say we have
forgiven. Let us learn to pray for that person and ask the Lord's
forgiveness for that person for He alone has the eraser that can truly
erase what is written. When we do this then we will never revive that
which has passed and be affected by it.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, ever since man has been trapped in this flesh due to sin there is
hardly much man can do in spirit. Therefore Lord You gave us your Spirit
so that by your Spirit the spirit-man may be set free from the flesh
hold. Lord, help us not to just superficially forgive people by vain
words or by turning the pages in our heart, but Lord teach us to pray
for the person and using the help of your Spirit truly forgive people...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Exodus 25:31-32
31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall
the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his
knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of
the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the
candlestick out of the other side:

Exodus 26:33-35
33And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest
bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail
shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
34And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the
most holy place.
35And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick
over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south:
and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

Isaiah 11:2 - And the spirit of the LORD [1] shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom [2] and understanding [3], the spirit of counsel [4]
and might [5], the spirit of knowledge [6] and of the fear of the LORD [7];

John 20:22-23
22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Spirit:
23whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Mark 2:7-10
7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God
only?
8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so
reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these
things in your hearts?
9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be
forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to
forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
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All things are done in parables

Mark 4:11 - And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the
mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all
things are done in parables [means using symbolism]:

Every person who opens the Bible and reads the New Testament will say it
is an excellent book. They will also say Jesus was an excellent teacher,
great man and many other good things. Mahatma Gandhi also said the same
thing. He went to the extent to state if only Christians followed the Bible.

Even among people who call themselves Christians hardly understand the
Bible well. There are very few who will tell you that there is not much
difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament leaving for
implementation of the improvements in the covenant between God and man.

Do people really understand the Bible? No and Yes.

In today's message the Lord is reminding us His word as stated in Mark
4:11 - to all people the things of the Kingdom of God is like parables
(spoken using symbolism) but to only those who are of Him are given to
know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

Did those who were seated before Jesus have the ability to know of the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God? No, none of them did. Then was Jesus
lying about them having that ability? No. for later a few from them did
receive the ability to understand the mysteries.

One needs to understand some basic factors in the Bible.

It is only the Spirit of God - the Spirit of Truth Who reveals the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God. This revelation we can share with each
other but then too those who are blessed with wisdom and have a heart
that surrenders to God will really understand them.

Secondly in most places the Lord speaks not only to those present at
that time but to all people across centuries therefore the grammatical
tenses used in many place are tenses like aoristic, present perfect
(across time) etc. many a times even before the actual event took place
the word was given as done.

We need to understand God works not in time like us. He dwells across
time - past, present and future at the same time. Time is not a factor
that binds Him, thus when He speaks and the things He does it is across
time (I explained in my previous message about time). It is only our not
abiding by the conditions that does not let us receive of the things
spoken by Him. Paul about 160 times uses the word 'now' in his letters
but this now will be according to our time only when we abide into the
conditions and connect into His time (flow of events).

We see even the 11 closest students of Jesus really knew Him only after
they surrendered to the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They had received the
Spirit of God when Jesus breath into them before ascending to the Father.

It is only when one understands this and the role the Lord played in the
Old Testament before He came as man Jesus, will one understand how the
Men and Women of God were saved from Hell even before the sacrifice was
actually performed.

In John 3:13 Jesus confirms none ascended to Heaven these included
Abraham, David, Moses, Elijah and others before that time yet we see
Jesus speaks to the spirits of Moses and Elijah later. God had forbid
man with the sin nature (of Adam) not to communicate with the sleeping
spirits of man therefore when Saul spoke to Samuel's spirit he was
punished but Jesus who was without sin was not. Jesus confirmed His
sin-less-ness by his ability to transfigure. The only spirit we can
communicate with is the Holy Spirit because He is God and no other
spirit of any man / woman can we communicate (Jesus was raised in the
flesh therefore He is not just a spirit being and thus yet also referred
as Son of Man).

For those who are asleep will be raised up when Jesus comes and for them
it will seem just a moment from them going to sleep and being raised
(there are much more things that happen in these spiritual rem which
will baffle human mind but since man is restricted by worldly principles
and worldly knowledge thus cannot understand them).

The Lord is telling us unless we surrender to His Spirit the Bible will
be a parable to us. We will learn some things from it but will not
understand the Truth; the purpose of it will not bear fruit in our
lives. But when we surrender to the Holy Spirit, He will unfold
scriptures to us and give us understanding of it unlike ever done. We
need not have great qualification or educational to learn from Him
(there are people who do not know to read or write but can read and
understand the Word of God).

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, when You created us You also made all things needed for us
available right from the beginning. You knew man would sin and lose the
Truth, therefore You made a Sacrifice available from the start. By the
sacrifice You made available your Spirit to man, to unfold your Word -
your instructions for the salvation of man by the Truth coming back into
man. Lord, we pray the Bible does be a good book for us but be words of
life. Holy Spirit, make our bellies flow out rivers of Living Word and
its understanding unto those who are yours...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
John 20:21-22
21Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father
hath sent me, even so send I you.
22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Spirit:

John 14:26 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I said unto you.

John 3:13 - And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down
from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

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When do we go to Heaven?

Luke 23:43 - And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day
shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Yesterday we received a message which bought our attention to the way
scriptures were distorted to mislead people. In today's message the Lord
gives us another example which the early church (RC church) distorted to
influence their misleading of the masses.

The Bible is very clear right from Genesis to Revelation about death and
where we go after death. But this one scripture which was mistranslated
on purpose leads people to assume when we die we go to heaven. This was
done to support Mary's assumption and her being made 'Queen of Heaven'.

We read in the Old Testament all Men of God when they died; it is
written they were gathered unto their fathers / people. Samuel a great
Man of God when his spirit spoke to Saul, he said he was asleep and not
in Heaven. Even in the New Testament after Stephen dies as a martyr yet
it is written he slept.

In today's message the original scripture is very clear and Jesus said
this to the man who was forgiven because of his faith in Him. Jesus said
'Verily I say unto thee, semeron (in Greek) shalt thou be with me in
paradise'.

The word 'semeron' is assumed to be 'today' or 'this day', its true
meaning is 'on the day'. If one looks at the scripture before as to what
the man was telling about Jesus one will know why he was forgiven. He
acknowledged Jesus as Saviour, Lord and King, Who becomes a sacrifice
without blemish, overcomes death and would come again to receive His
Kingdom. Jesus in turn said to him on the day when He comes to receive
His Kingdom, on that day the man would be with Him in Paradise.

We all will be entering Paradise together including that man. No one has
gone to Heaven other than Jesus because He was perfect as man; He had
the Truth in Him and was Righteous.

Without the whole Truth in us we will not be able to receive the
Righteousness of the Son. That is why Jesus is waiting for the perfect
time when man has the complete understanding of scripture in him. The
only way to have Jesus come soon is have the Truth sooner in us by the
working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Truth reveals the scriptures
to us and by our work and testimonies in the Lord we passed on this
Truth (part we have received) to others so that one day the complete
would be known in man and we all will be saved. This is what Jesus meant
by our carrying of the CROSS the same was symbolized by the Ark of
Covenant which held the Law (Ten Commandments) , Testimony (pot of Manna)
and God's selection (Aaron's budded staff).

The Bible clearly states those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ go to Hell which is a prison where they remain till the rest of
their spirit life (which is a few thousand years). In Hell the sins
within them burn and are also described as eternal living worms eating
into them. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are saved from
Hell by His resurrection and break of the curse, thus they go to sleep
in a spiritual place which is called Grave (Jesus called it the bosom of
Abraham and in Revelation John uses the term 'Death' for it).

The Catholic Church who was void of understanding of scriptures, to
cover up their mistakes and assumptions created a place called
Purgatory. This creation is not old but just a few years back when they
had their backs against the wall as they were questioned. This is the
same time Mary was made 'Mother of God'. According to the Catholic
Church this place is a place where a Christian goes to pay for the sins
they committed by bearing torture or doing work there, thus making the
sacrifice of Jesus void.

Their trickery can be caught by the fact that the Pope gave letters of
pardon from Purgatory to those who donated large sums to the building of
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, thus making him greater than Jesus
Christ and his letter more powerful than the Blood of Jesus (this caused
Dr. Luther King who to speak against the Catholic Church and start the
'Protestant movement' 1517).

Every person including those in the Old Testament put it very clear
that, all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be judged by the
Word and only those who have the Word (keep the Father's Word) will
enter Heaven to be part of the Body of the glorious Son (the wedding).

Our work in the Lord is all about adding more and more to those who will
enter Heaven and most important is that the Truth is preached generation
to generation so that one day man may have the whole Truth in them and
by their testifying the Truth we enter Heaven.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, the deceiver tries to deceive your people by distorting the Truth.
Satan uses those who are not rooted in your Word and makes them his
instrument to destroy others. He does want us to receive what he lost
and more. Lord, we pray people receive the Truth and not be misled that
they walk in one understanding, with one mind...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Luke 23:40-43
40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God,
seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but
this man hath done nothing amiss.
42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom.
43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, on that day shalt
thou be with me in paradise.

1 Corinthians 15:16-20
16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable.
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, become the firstfruits of them
that slept [sleep].

John 11:11-13
11These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend
Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken
of taking of rest in sleep.

Acts 13:36-37
36For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God,
fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Acts 7:59-60
59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.
60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep.
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.
18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

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.

1 Corinthians 15:50-57
50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed,
52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.

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Lies about Jesus and Mary

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

William Tyndale (1492 - 1536) was a great Bible scholar who was the
first one to translate the Bible into English for the people to have
access to the Holy Scriptures but this was not liked by the Roman
Catholic Church and they murdered him by beheading him. William
Tyndale's translation became the foundation for the King James Version
and caused the Protestant movement when people got access to scriptures
and realized there was a great difference between what the Catholic
Church was doing and what the scriptures stated.

The RC church did not easily let go of its evil intentions, it
manipulated some parts of the translation even in the KJV that are even
today carried on without realization.

I quoted today's message from the KJV-AV (Authorized Version) which is
used for Bible Study and below I quote the NKJV and also the RSV (the
translation officiated by the RC church).

NKJV: Luke 3:23 - Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty
years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

RSV: Luke 3:23 - Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty
years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

If we read the actual scripture it speaks of Jesus being of 30years when
He was baptized by John in the river Jordan. But the RC church changed
the text to state Jesus started His ministry at the age of 30. If one
looks at scriptures itself in John when Jesus was attending the wedding
along with Him was His mother also His disciples. Without Him starting
His ministry how could He have had disciples?

Also historic records of Jesus trace Jesus' ministry activities to
almost 6 to 7 years. Jesus being a true Jew had to dedicate Himself to
the work of the Temple / work of Israel (God's people) at the age of 21
to fulfil scriptures of Moses which He did and claimed with His own mouth.

Jesus born a normal human being studied scriptures like we do today. The
only difference between Jesus and us is that He was born without sin and
that the Holy Spirit was full in Him. This same comes to us but in
gradual process. We become without sin as we are born again and as we
receive more and more of His Spirit as we grow in Him.

Being born again is a gradual process. People state 'I was born again on
this / that year'. No one can give a date or time to being born again
for being born again is a process they can only state when the process
started and Jesus explained the process well with the process of
renewing the wine (grape juice) leather bottle. We should also
understand although the Holy Spirit is one yet there are 7 spirits of
the Holy Spirit (Candle Stand) and we start by receiving a token of the
Spirit of Truth.

Another lie which the RC Church played and has caused Satan the Beast to
take control of its entire congregation is the many lies of Mary who was
the mother of the man Jesus.

Luke here recorded the genealogy of Mary unlike in Matthew the genealogy
of Joseph is recorded. Both came from David to fulfil scriptures. The
words 'the son' in KJV (AV) is in Italics meaning it is added to
scriptures for easy reading purpose. The father of Joseph was Jacob (not
the Patriarch) as stated in Matthew. Luke states Heli who was Joseph's
father-in-law and by marriage became (like) his son. Heli was the father
of Mary and the Catholic Church states some other characters as the
parents of Mary. They do this because of the spirit which comes claiming
she is Mary the mother of Jesus and claims her parents as Joaquim and
Ann. If one compares the words of this spirit with scriptures one will
realize she (it) speaks against God even though it looks like leading
people to God it is actually take people away from God.

Jesus was born to Mary before the marriage between Mary and Joseph while
she was yet a virgin not only in body also in marriage status. One
should note according to old Jewish traditions marriage starts with the
engagement which is noted as the only official records and was legal
binding. Breaking an engagement was like a divorce therefore Joseph was
worried when he came to know about Mary being with a child.

According to Jewish marriage and marriage in general (even today) a man
and woman become husband and wife only when they come together / come to
know each other / mate. The vows and wedding ceremony or exchanging
rings etc. are for social purposes. Mark states Mary and Joseph mated
after the birth of Jesus and they had many children. They were a blessed
couple and were also blessed in their marriage. The RC Church twisted
this too and claims she was a virgin even after marriage making the
marriage void and them a cursed couple (this was done lately in 1900s
when the Pope could not answer questions to the glorification of Mary).
Thus creating a superficial image of her and causing her to be like a
god, the very thing which Satan wants and uses.

Gospel go to the extent at times of not recording her as the mother of
Jesus after the death of man Jesus but recording her as just the mother
of Joses and James who were Jesus' bothers and born of His foster father
Joseph.

These tricks of Satan which it successfully played through the RC Church
are not new it did try these before with the Jewish Church and are
stated in Jeremiah and other Prophets.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You warned us many times in your scriptures about all the tricks
Satan would play on your people. He will distort your Word and the
Truth. You also gave clear details in many places yet we find because
people do not depend on your Word they are going astray. The accuser is
devouring them because of their lack of knowledge of your Kingdom and
your Word. Lord, we pray the Truth is revealed to more and more of your
people especially those who are yet in the hold of the false church. May
people know your Word is True and You alone are True...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
John 2:1-2
1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the
mother of Jesus was there:
2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

Exodus 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from
twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

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

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:
25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he
called his name JESUS.

Matthew 13:55-56
55Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and
his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man
all these things?

Matthew 27:56 - among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James and Joses [this was Mary the mother of Jesus], and the mother of
the sons of Zebedee.

Mark 16:1 - And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James [this was Mary the mother of Jesus], and Salome [mother
of sons of Zebedee], bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.

Jeremiah 44:16-19
16As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of Jehovah,
we will not hearken unto thee.
17But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our
mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out
drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings
and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of
Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no
evil.
18But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and
pouring out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and
have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out
drink-offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour
out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?

Matthew 9:17 - Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the
bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but
they put new wine into new [renewed] bottles, and both are preserved.
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Serving the Lord and offering Him fat and blood

Ezekiel 44:15 - But the priests, the Levites [Leviyiy instead of Leviy
which is translated as Levi which means jointed to], the sons of Zadok
[means righteous], that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the
children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to
minister [serve] unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto
me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:

In today’s scripture the Lord says He has called 3 categories of
people to minister (serve) before Him and the 3 categories are the
priest, the Levites and the sons of Zadok. Some translations have
connected the first category to the second because it was the Levi who
did the priestly duties.

The Hebrew word ‘kohen’ translated as priest does not necessary
implies one who is called to do the duties of the sanctuary it is also
translated as own (2), chief ruler (2), officer (1), princes(1). The
word was first used for Melchizedek who was really a king. This term
was also used people who dedicated themselves to the service of idols
or pagan gods. Thus people whom the Lord calls kohen or priest are
people who principally served serve Him or represent Him or have made
Him their King. Therefore in Christ we all are called to a royal
priesthood.

The Hebrew word written here is Leviyiy and not Leviy (Levi) which
means jointed to. The term Levites was used for the sons of Levi (the
Patriarch) whom the Lord separated unto Himself. They were not given
any land (worldly procession) as inheritance but yet received from
those given (the Levis dwelled on the skirts / suburbs of the land of
the others). Although a tribe they were not counted in the 12 and
represented people whom the Lord had saved unto Him by a substitute
sacrifice when all the first-borns of Israel were to be killed for
their sinful ways. All who are saved in Christ are like a Levi saved
by a substitute sacrifice, but we are not called to serve God in the
traditions of the Levites who followed the Law of Moses, but to serve
Him like Melchizedek did in Christ.

Sons of righteousness refer to those who follow the path of
righteousness. They are not righteous since the righteousness of man
is like rags but these are those who imitate Christ the Righteous One.
Like the features of the father are seen in his son so also, in those
who are called sons of righteous Christ can be seen.

These 3 categories of people are called to serve God. What is interest
and important in today’s message is what they are called to offer the
Lord in their service.

The 2 things they are called to serve are the fat and the blood.
People who eat Pork would know the tasty part of eating pork is eating
the meat with the fat. Since ages fat is an delicacy in many
countries.

If one scientifically looks at fat, they are the extra that our body
consumes which are stored as reserves for later use. But when a person
keeps on consuming extra these reserves keep on increasing thus
leading to obesity.

Blood symbolically represents righteousness. When Adam and Eve sinned
they lost the righteousness that covered them and thus felt naked. It
was the Lord who made a blood sacrifice to cover their nakedness and
save them from His wrath. The Blood sacrifice of Christ was made to
cover our sins and save us from the wrath of the Father eternally. It
is His Righteousness that saves us by being a covering over us. Our
blood sacrifice is the righteous life we live in Christ.

The Lord is telling us these 3 categories of people those who serve
His Kingdom, those saved by His sacrifice and those who follow His
righteousness are before Him and asked to serve Him. The 2 things
which they are called to serve are the extras which the Lord has given
them and the righteous life we live in Christ.

Tithing is just the start or the baby steps of being a Christian. A
spiritually mature Christian does not tithe but offers the fat (extra
or overflow) to the Lord. He or she also lives a life of righteousness
which he or she offers to the Lord as a sacrifice. When we study a
grape vine we see these two aspects in it and therefore Jesus calls us
to be part of the grape vine to be grafted in Him.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You have called us to live a worldly life that is not lost in
pleasures and desires of things of this world. You have asked of us to
be sober in our carnal nature controlling our inner man that was born
in Adam and overcoming it by our being born-again and grafted in
Christ the Vine. Lord, help us live a life that exhibits Christ. Lord,
You do not desire money or things from us but yet ask them of us, they
are what You have given us but yet You desire it from us, because You
want us to overcome the sin nature in us. Help us Lord to overcome
greed which brought down the greatly anointed Lucifer...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Hebrews 7:11 - If therefore perfection were by the Levitical
priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further
need was there that another priest should rise after the order of
Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

John 15:1-7
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every
branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more
fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do
nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you.

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Worldly prosperity brings you to idol worship and death

Hosea 13:1 - When Ephraim spake trembling [with fear], he exalted
[sustained / lifted up] himself in Israel; but when he offended [to do
wrong] in Baal, he died.

Just yesterday my little daughter (she is just 6 years old) was
discussing life with me. She was telling me about her great fantasies
and plans in life, about being rich and famous. But when I told her as a
Christian these dreams would not be fulfilled, that took her by
surprise. It was like all her dreams were shattered, for she really
loves God. Then started her bombardment of questions as to why?

I explained to her the foundational purpose of being a Christian was
about becoming an overcomer through our baptisms in Jesus Christ and in
the Holy Spirit. I then explained to her at her level of understanding
what these baptisms meant. Then suddenly her concerns were not about
herself or her great plans but about her friends and their families who
she realized where calling themselves Christians but not living a
Christian life. She realized for them life was all about having more and
enjoying more while using Jesus Christ and a cover.

In today's message we read about Ephraim who had fear of God and was
commitment to his brothers [Israel] as being one with them. But we read
even after doing this Ephraim landed up worshiping Baal and that caused
his death.

The Hebrew word Ephraim means double anointing. What Ephraim wanted was
not wrong things but good things, the things which were part of the
promises which the Lord had given a land of milk and honey. But the
problem was he was not satisfied with receiving the quantity which the
Lord planned for him, he wanted double. His understanding of milk and
honey was worldly. This greed caused Ephraim to settle down in the land
before the river Jordan [meaning become a descendant - a son] and not to
cross the river Jordan into the Promised Land.

The whole story of Israel right from the their getting oppressed in
Egypt, to the plagues, the Passover, receiving the Ten Commandments,
being led by the Pillar of Clod and Fire, the Tabernacle, the
sacrifices, the battles with the Moabites, killing of the two kings -
king Sihon and king Og, winning battles by the power of carrying the Ark
of Covenant and crossing over the river Jordan with the help of the Ark,
all this was nothing but a total summary of life of a Christian. It has
everything one will find in the books of the Prophets and even in the
New Testament including the Gospels, Epistles and book of Revelation.
The Promised Land symbolized Heaven and the story before is the story of
life.

One thing the Lord did to the Israelites was never let them stay in
permanent houses. They always stayed in tents. Had they stayed in
permanent houses they would have never reached the Promised Land. Paul
says we are aliens / not citizens of this world. We are just travelling
through this world. If we desire riches of this world our heart will be
in this world and when our heart is set in this world then we too will
be dwellers of this world, thus we will not enter Heaven. Jesus was not
wrong when He said it is near impossible for a rich man to enter Heaven.

When I spoke to my daughter about being an overcomer her fear came about
do we need to be beggars to enter Heaven? Then I explained to her that
all our provision, our needs will be supplied. We will never go hungry
or lacking like the Israelites did not go hungry, thirsty or wanting
needs even one day of the fourty years, the Lord provided for them. They
just needed to collect, process them and consume according to God's
instructions.

Let us not be Ephraim. We may have the fear of God which is very
essential, we may even have the love for our brethren in Christ doing
the Lord's work but if we do not work on our own selves and control the
desires of our hearts we may lose everything we will not enter Heaven.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we pray your people realize being a Christian is not about making
a big noise about You to the world. Being a Christian is all about
carrying your Name. It is about You being in us. You are not of this
world so we too cannot be of this world. Lord, help us overcome the
desires of this world. You have not instructed us to live a life of
lacking anything, for You have already provided for us all that we need.
Help us lord to trust in You for all our needs and help us carry our Ark
which is the CROSS, so that we win our battles by its power and enter
Heaven by the CROSS...

[Reference Scriptures]
John 6:30-33
30They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may
see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave
them bread from heaven to eat.
32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave
you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread
from heaven.
33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth
life unto the world.

Acts 28:23-27
23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into
his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out
of the prophets, from morning till evening.
24And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
25And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that
Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the
prophet unto our fathers,
26Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall
not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Hebrew 8:5-7
5Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was
admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See,
saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to
thee in the mount.
6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also
he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon
better promises.
7For if that first had been faultless [not God like perfect], then
should no place have been sought for the second.

Luke 14:27 Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me,
cannot be my disciple.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.

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What is of God will remain, everything else will perish

Acts 5:33,34 - When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and
took counsel to slay them. Then stood there up one in the council, a
Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among
all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

When Peter and the Apostles witnessed Jesus to the Jewish authorities,
we read they got very anger so much that they wanted to kill them.
During this high drama of emotions stood a man of wisdom by the name of
Gamaliel, he advised them not to take any actions against the Apostles,
for if was not of God it would perish away like most people or concepts
that were not of God. But if it were of God then they would find
themselves fighting against God.

Such advice was not possible for any ordinary person unless he had
studied history and gone through many years and years of records. It was
the experience gains from understanding them that caused these words of
wisdom to come.

Gamaliel was no ordinary man; Jewish history states him to be a very
highly respected scholar on Jewish laws and descendant of one of the
architects of the Talmud (commentaries on the laws of Moses, traditions
of the Jews and Jewish history). He presided over the Sanhedrin during
the reigns of Tiberius, Cains, and Claudius. The Talmundists say that he
was the son of Rabbi Simeon, and grandson of Hillel, the celebrated
teacher of the law, and that upon his death the glory of the law
departed. Studying under him was considered as been passed from
Harvard's today. He was under whom Paul (Saul) did his study of the
Jewish laws.

After the Torah the sacred text of Judaism is the Talmud. The word
Talmud is a composition of 3 words which means to learn, imply in one's
life and teach by example. Gamaliel was a person who made an attempt to
understand what he read and to follow it before teaching it (most learn
and teach, they do not understand or imply in one's life properly). This
is one reason he did not outright go against what the Apostle said, he
found a small ray of light in what they said, but being a man of high
Jewish stature it was not possible to openly support them or suggest an
open discussion on it.

Paul was his student and had received not just knowledge but also values
from Gamaliel. We all state Saul before he became Paul persecuted the
Church and was one of the great enemies of the church.

If we look at the records in Acts Saul was a staunch Jew and student of
the law. Like all Jewish law students he too had great zeal for what he
believed. If we read carefully Paul was more a protector of the Jews
therefore went by legal means of getting necessary permissions from the
authorities and after pursuing the Christians he would get them arrested
and put behind bars. He at no time physically harmed them. The only
blood on Paul's head was of Stephen that too not as a perpetrator of his
death but that of a collaborator.

The Lord is telling us not only in the world but also inside of each of
us what is from the Lord will remain but that which is not of the Lord
will perish if we use wisdom. So let us use wisdom in every area of our
lives not only when it comes to other people but also when it comes to
dealing with oneself.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, though we call ourselves Christians there is a lot part in us of
the world which has not died unto You. We pray Lord we learn from
today's message and instead of fighting our sinful nature help us
concentrate of walking with the Spirit. You have never said You expect
us to overcome by our own selves. You always said by your Spirit we will
overcome. You also came as man Jesus and became an example of how we can
overcome by your Spirit. When we fight our sinful nature by our strength
we many times find due to lack of knowledge we land fighting against the
works of the Spirit in us. Lord, help us be more productive by
concentrating on the good and You alone are good...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Acts 5:33-39
33When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to
slay them.
34Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a
doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded
to put the apostles forth a little space;
35And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye
intend to do as touching these men.
36For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be
somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined
themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were
scattered, and brought to nought.
37After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and
drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many
as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone:
for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found
even to fight against God.

Acts 7:58 - And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the
witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was
Saul.

Acts 8:1-3
1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a
great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they
were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria,
except the apostles.
2And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great
lamentation over him.
3As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house,
and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Romans 8:4-6
4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.

Galatians 6:16-18,25
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust
of the flesh.
17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do
the things that ye would.
18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

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