R.D SOUZA Saved by faith

Prophets of Baal - prophets of Samaria

Jeremiah 23:13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they 
prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

Frist we need to know that the Word of God is eternal and it speaks to 
us today as it spoke to people hundreds of years before and it will 
speak to us hundreds of years in the future until every prophesy comes 
to pass and the Word completes what it was given for that is the 
salvation of mankind or return of man to God (those who are of God). 
This implies not only to New Testament but also the Old Testament. Paul 
wrote most book of the New Testament and he referred to the Old 
Testament, the same with Jesus who spoke from the Old Testament.

Today's message is an example of the eternal Word. The scripture may 
seem to refer to a place called Samaria or an ancient deity called Baal 
but that is not true. One needs to study Biblical words, their meanings 
and symbolism to understand scriptures to its depth.

The word Samaria means 'watch mountains' and refers to the rocky 
mountains of northern Israel. Truth is symbolized by the word Rock and 
does not mean a small rock but something as a cliff, a large one rock. 
The word Samaria symbolizes people with little understandings which do 
not relate to each other or connect to each other.

The word Baal does not refer to an evil god or pagan god but means an 
unknown god and this word has been used even for the Lord when people 
did not know Him or were far from Him.

In today's message the Lord is telling us our Churches are filled with 
Samarians and these people are preaching about Baal. These people preach 
many words and many understanding but when you try to interconnect their 
understandings, you will find they do not relate to each other in any 
way and they contradict each other. The only thing you can do is treat 
each individually ignoring the others.

Jesus pulled the Pharisees and Sadducees for their little truths and 
especially the Sadducees who thought they were the more intellectual lot.

The Word is one Word and all scriptures interconnect to one 
understanding and one purpose. It is only when all scripture are put 
together that we know the real Lord. But when we break the Word into 
parts we land up knowing an unknown god.

It is very easy to identify a Samarian they are people who often use the 
term 'mysteries of the Kingdom of God' to things that they do not know. 
It is not that everything about Kingdom of God is known. It is true we 
hardly know much of the Kingdom of God and every day God is revealing 
more and more of Him and His Kingdom but what comes from God always has 
a link or connection to what God has already revealed. His Word does not 
contradict each other so also understanding that comes from Him also 
does not contradict each other.

The Lord is telling us He does not blame the people for being far from 
Him but blames the Samarians for preaching about Baal and causing His 
people to be misled.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray for true wisdom and true understanding. Wisdom and 
understanding that comes from You and which build us and benefits us and 
does not puff us and make us worse than before. Lord we pray for a 
shaking in the Church and people who know the Truth be given opportunity 
to teach your people. We pray for teachers according to your heart...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

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

Romans 16:26But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the 
prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made 
known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

1 Corinthians 15:3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I 
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the 
scriptures;

1 Corinthians 8:6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are 
all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all 
things, and we by him.

Ephesians 4:6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through 
all, and in you all.

Hosea 2:16And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt 
call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.

Ephesians 3:8-12

8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, 
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

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

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

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

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

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

Thy Kingdom come

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in 
heaven.

We see Christians pray saying 'Lord Thy Kingdom come', when they say 
those words what do they expect or imagine, is it that God is going to 
send an army of Angels to invade the world and rule over it?

The word Kingdom means rein. Now for a king to rein a land means His 
rule or law be implemented in that land. This is done when people 
nominate a person as their king willingly or when the king invades that 
land and enforces his law on the people.

God believes in free will and when He created man He gave man free will 
after making known His Will. Man time and again rejected the Will of God 
starting with when man sinned. We also read in Samuel His own people 
rejected the Lord as their King and made a human as their king and yet 
the Lord did not consume His people. If we want the Lord as our King and 
we desire His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven then we need to 
let His Will be implemented on earth as it is implemented in Heaven. God 
being a be promoter of free will and we being His people that means we 
cannot force any one to come Him or acknowledge Him as their King and 
implement His Will in their lives by force. It is only by making people 
know Him understand Him and His understand plans that we can get people 
into Kingdom. Bible says His Kingdom starts with repentance and then 
acceptance.

When we say the words 'Lord Thy Kingdom come' let it not be a request 
but let it be a declaration telling God we will repent for our wrong and 
will implement thy Will in our lives and we will make known to others 
about You so that they too will be in His Will, thus His Kingdom will 
spread.

So we see the words 'Lord Thy Kingdom come' is a prayer in itself and a 
complete prayer. A prayer telling God we will do your purpose as Jesus did.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord You are Almighty God and a Righteous God. We know Lord You are 
merciful and loving Father. You Lord desire we come to You in our free 
will and accept your Will in our lives so that we are truly blessed in 
You and we prosper in You. Lord when we say the words 'Thy Kingdom come' 
let us remember the meaning of these word and thus imply it in our lives...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

1 Samuel 8:4-7

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to 
Samuel unto Ramah,

5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy 
ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to 
judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

7And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in 
all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they 
have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Matthew 3:1-3

1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The 
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 
make his paths straight.

Matthew 4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: 
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

-- 
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SavedbyFaith.info - Daily Mail

Divisions among people

John 7:42,43Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed 
of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there 
was a division among the people because of him.

When people started admiring the knowledge and understanding of Jesus as 
He was preaching in the synagogue some started calling Him as Christ.

Jesus became a Rabbi and got acceptance by the Jews to preach in the 
synagogues by His 40days of fasting in the wilderness like Moses did, 
thus He was equated a Prophet like Moses. He did not become a Rabbi in 
the usual process of studying under another Rabbi like Saul was doing 
before he became Paul, so they wondered how He could have known so much 
without studying. That's why they started calling Him as Christ.

Now even though they started considering Him as Christ yet there came a 
stumbling block before them. They did not know all of Jesus as to where 
He was born, they knew He was from Galilee and assumed He was born 
there. The Jews had a saying 'can there arise a Prophet from Galilee' 
because they considered the people of Galilee as the most religiously 
corrupt people. This was not a new matter but an old matter.

Galilee was in the northern part of Israel and was in the section that 
was former Israel while the southern part was Judea (former Judah). The 
people of southern Israel - Judea / Judah later were called Jews and 
people of Northern Israel of which Samaria was the capital were called 
Samaritans. After their exile to Babylon and return they lived as one 
without borders but the sentiments continued. The Jews hated the 
Samaritan as corrupt people because they did not follow the traditions 
of the fore fathers (Jewish traditions). But Ironically the Samaritans 
considered themselves to be more pious and uncorrupt people because they 
followed only the books of Moses and none of the other books of the 
Prophets.

Now Jesus was from Galilee but He was born in Bethlehem and the people 
were not aware of that. Had they knew He was from Bethlehem they would 
have easily accepted Him as Christ. So there were some who saw His good 
works and called Him Christ and then there were those who were people of 
scriptures who rejected Him since according to them He had not fulfilled 
the prophecy in 1 Samuel 16:1 of the promise of Christ (the Promised 
One) coming from Bethlehem.

Today in Churches we have divisions because of the same two reasons like 
there was a division in today's message. There is one lot of emotional 
or anointed one who think they know all without proper study of 
scriptures and then there is the other lot who study scriptures but know 
it in parts and yet consider they know all, this part knowledge of their 
causes them to had various understandings and thus divisions. They both 
are somewhat right yet have divisions.

The only way to overcome division is to be aware we all know not 
everything and we need to understand we all are learning. We need to 
discuss and share what each one knows so that we together may know more. 
If we understand the structure of the Word of God it is easy to sort out 
our differences and remove the misunderstandings.

It is time we start to sit at the table with others and have patience 
with each other, praying for each other, hearing each other and 
listening to the Holy Spirit and the Word.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray your people understand the Word and know your Word is one 
as You are one. Lord Jesus You prayed we be one like You and the Father 
are one. Lord we pray they understand the purpose and design of your 
Word and not fail the purpose by their little knowledge and 
understanding of the Word and thus cause divisions between your people....

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

1 Samuel 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn 
for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill 
thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: 
for I have provided me a king among his sons.

John 7:40-43

40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a 
truth this is the Prophet.

41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out 
of Galilee?

42Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, 
and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43So there was a division among the people because of him.

John 17:20-24

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe 
on me through their word;

21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, 
that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou 
hast sent me.

22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be 
one, even as we are one:

23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and 
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as 
thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me 
where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for 
thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

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

Does God hate sin?

Job 8:4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away
for their transgression;

We all associate the mercy, love, patience etc. to God so can we associate
hate to God? Even if it is hating something like sin?

We all know God is righteous and He does not compromise so people think
because He is righteous He hates sin. This is what I thought before and
that was the explanation I used to give to others, until I really
understood more of God.

If we look at scriptures there are some things stated as hated by God and
they are abominations that people do in name of an unknown god, worshiping
of idols, wicked [those who know yet do wrong] people and those who love or
justify violence.

If you understand why God hates these things you will understand God does
not hate but because He loves and is full of love that why these things
anger Him. God says one of His names is Jealous. This Hebrew term does not
mean envy but means possessiveness of a mother to her children. Because the
mother loves her children very much, like with her life thus she is
possessive of them and that is the feelings God has for His people. He gets
angry at anything that comes in between Him and His people [whose names are
written in the Book of Life] and causes them to be destroyed.

We humans who are corrupt being yet we too react violently if some comes to
harm a part of our body, we call it self-defense. We are part of God the
Son (going to be in Heaven - the marriage) so God protects His Body / Bride.

The most important aspect of God is holiness. In Heaven that is His Name.
That is what they call Him or shout out to Him and Him endlessly - Holy,
Holy, Holy. If we understand Holiness of God we will know nothing that is
corrupt can exist before Him and near to Him (His Throne / Seat of Glory).
Only when we are more and more perfect we can move closer to Him (His
Throne). If we try to come close to Him in our imperfection we will be
destroyed. Can we blame the fire if we bring a highly inflammable material
near it and it lights up?

God personally does not hate sin or evil, if He did that then He would not
have allowed sin and evil to exist at all. The Cherub who became Satan
became evil before man sinned or existed existed. All things God made He
said it is good yet He did not want man to know bad. The only things bad
that existed then was Satan. Had God hated evil then He would have finished
Satan long before. But when Satan tried to harm us, that’s when God
banished Him from the Upper Heavens.

When God made mankind He gave them a free will like He did to the Angels,
so good would be rewarded and bought closer to Him.

We see whenever evil increased over a limit in this world God knew it would
harm His people that’s why He intervened and acted; like He caused
confusion between people who did not know Him and became one in their
thinking. They were humans, very little compared to the Angels and the
Angels are very little compared to the Cherubs, yet He acted on their
coming together. It was not He (who created the universe with a breath)
that feared them or threatened by them but it was the existence of His
people (who were and were to come) that was in danger.

Let us understand God does not hate our sins but He loves us and that is
why He does not desire we sin. He does not condemn us His people if we have
sinned but then He knows if we continue in it He will lose us and that is
something He would not like to happen. That is why for our sake He takes
strong steps against us when we sin or continue in sin.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we know You love us greater than anything and there are not words that
can measure your love for us. Lord help us understand why You dislike us to
remain in sin and why You get angry when we do not abide by your
instructions. Help us not walk in fear but in love...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Deuteronomy 12:31 You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every
abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for
even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their
gods.

Deuteronomy 16:22 Neither shall you set you up any image; which the LORD
your God hates.

Psalms 11:5 The LORD tries the righteous: but the wicked and him that
loves violence his soul hates.

Malachi 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, said that he hates putting
away: for one covers violence with his garment, said the LORD of hosts:
therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

-- 

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

The Son the God

Mark 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and
cried, saying, Thou art the Son of [the] God.

If you take the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke you will see the people
who called Jesus as Son of God was mostly evil spirits, Angels and people
who hated Him. It is only in the Gospel of John you will find Jesus
referring to Himself as Son of God and also people like Martha and
Nathanael calling Him Son of God. If one goes into the Greek text and
translate it word to word the words are not ‘the Son of God’ but ‘the Son
the God’. Now it is the grammar of the two ‘the’ that vary and thus cause
the translators to translate as ‘the Son of God’. The first ‘the’ is in
Nominative/Subject and the second ‘the’ is Genitive/Possessive. If we
consider English language the words that are Genitive are mine, yours, his,
her, their, its etc...

In English translations the similar term is used for Adam in Luke 3:38 but
when we see the Greek text it the word ‘the son’ is not there and it simply
says ‘of God’. In the Old Testament the words are written only once and
that too in Aramaic in the book of Daniel. While the words ‘Sons of God’ in
the Old Testament occurs 5 times and used only to Angels (Genesis 2 - Job
3), note here the word God is not singular but plural. In Hebrew the word
‘Ben’ for son means ‘build’ showing source, but in Greek it simply talks of
relationship.

When we call ourselves Christians it means ‘little Christ’ and the word
initially was a mock word used against the disciples of Jesus showing the
way they lived (life of holiness). They were also called ‘people of the
way’ before being called Christians, again highlighting the different
lifestyle they lived by. The word Christ means ‘anointed one’ but does not
mean any person anointed. It specifically talks of a person in whom or on
whom the Spirit of God dwells.

The question raised today is, was Jesus someone like the Angels and was He
like any other ‘anointed one’?

As Christ what matters most is the Spirit of God. When we believe in Jesus
as our savior we are given the promise (token) of the Holy Spirit. When we
claim the promise we receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized in Him. That
does not mean we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We need to
understand the Holy Spirit constitutes of the 7 Spirits of God yet are 1
like the Godhead is 1. When we are baptized in Jesus Christ we receive
token of the Spirit of Truth and thereafter we grow more in the Spirit of
Truth and also grow to receive the other Spirits of the Holy Spirit. So we
do not just grow in the quantity of the Spirit but also in the various
Spirits of the Holy Spirit.

With regards the Son of God, firstly we need to understand Jesus is the man
God humbled and became. When we say God does not mean the whole Godhead but
means a part of the Godhead. He is referred to as Son in the Godhead. John
1:18 says He existed within the Father and the Father declared Him. He is
the Alpha and Omega, He was neither created nor formed, He is the
resemblance of the Father. He is God the Son or as today’s scripture says
the Son, the God.

Jesus as man was 100% man, a Son of Man but yet was unique since the Spirit
being in Him which constituted Him as man was God and not a created being
like what you and I have. As Christ He had the fullness of the Holy Spirit
therefore He alone is Christ and we all partly measure unto Him as anointed
ones. So He being God as man was void of His God powers and suffered as man
and did all things as man with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. That
is why He said we too would not only do what He did but would do far
greater things than Him, for He would intercede for us and also the time we
live in will allow us to glorify God the Father more than He did as man on
earth.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord You left your glorious domain and humbled yourself in the beginning of
creation to become a sacrifice and came as man to make a peace between God
and man so that man receives the Holy Spirit and made incorrupt. Lord we
pray we grow in the Spirit so that we know You better and grow in authority
in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Matthew 4:3,6

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread.

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it
is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against
a stone.

Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the
time?

Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him,
saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and
said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether
thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Matthew 27:40,43,54

40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three
days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he
said, I am the Son of God.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus,
saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly,
saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.

John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son
of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear
shall live.

John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into
the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the
Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

Luke 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was
the son of Adam, which was [the son] of God.

-- 

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

Gathering of the Nations

Isaiah 66: 19,20 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those
that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw
the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my
fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the
Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the
LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and
upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the
LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into
the house of the LORD.

In my initial days of Bible study when I would just go by the text, by
concordance or max cross reference (not fully) I would think Jesus would
come as a man again and rule the world as a human king for a thousand years
and during this time there would be total peace. Some preachers preached we
would be put in charge of nations. I would also think when Satan the dragon
is released (the confusion was when was he arrested and how many times is
he defeated and who was here when he was not here) then all mankind would
go against Christians and they will move to the city of Jerusalem in Israel
in various transports before Judgment Day. In fact Mohammad too had a
understanding somewhat like me, he only modified a few parts to bend into
his Islamic story; he created the story of the Mahdi and coming back of
Jesus to live as a man and get married and have children. His Isa (Jesus)
rules the nations (after killing all Jews and Christians, only Islam
exists) and eliminated crime and even taxes all over the world, and then
his Isa dies like a man.

But as my knowledge and understanding of how to study the Bible grew, I
realized what I thought was nothing to what the scriptures actually tells
us.

When John from the book of Revelation was meditating on end day scriptures
God revealed him in visions most things with better clarity. John got the
visions in parts so recorded in parts, when one read the book it is like a
jumbled jigsaw pieces. Where most make a mistake is thinking it is just one
jigsaw. Although the story is one yet there are multiple jigsaws in the
book of Revelation and they overlap each other to tell the one story of
mankind.

Paul nowhere talks of multiple comings of Jesus Christ. He speaks of only
one coming and that too at the end on Judgment Day. In the OT the feast of
Trumpets gives us a good explanation of Judgment Day or the Gathering of
Nations. Numbers 29 gives a detail of the feast and no feast was so grandly
or elaborately celebrated like the feast of the Trumpets.

If one reads Isaiah 65 and 66 even though they may seem quite different yet
the understanding of both these chapters is the same. One may seem like a
war zone incident and the other of casual production documentation but yet
they record the same event.

I will not be able to explain this in a short message but let us understand
there would be nothing of any imaginable magnitude like the Judgment Day.
Neither Jesus nor His Angels are going to come on an actual cloud or is He
or His Angels coming on actual horses or spiritual horses yet all
scriptures will be fulfilled. To think of that event in actual is just not
possible yet we all who believe in the Lord will be there. It is one exam
we all prepare or should prepare for everyday of our earthly lives.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we pray every soul understands the Day of Gathering of Nations. We
pray they understand why You will Judge man not as Lord God but as Son of
Man Jesus. You even as man proved your righteousness and thus You alone are
justified to sit in judgment as Son of Man. Lord, it is your mercy that You
let Man judge all mankind. Lord we pray we prepare for that day every
moment of our lives for we know when we sleep it is only on the day of
Judgment we will rise and stand before You like a man who does not know how
long he slept...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Isaiah 66:15-24

Isaiah 66

Numbers 29

Revelation 19, 20, 21

John 5:25-30

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

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

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

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment
is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which
hath sent me.

-- 

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

Come buy without money

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he
that hath no money [silver]; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price.

We all know how people pounce on a shop that puts a board of a sale
discount of 50% or more. Imagine when a shop has a board ‘take anything you
like for free’. I will tell you most likely there will be disbelief among
the people until the first one enters and testifies that the banner is
genuine.

The Lord is telling us to come to Him and to buy for free. He does not say
‘take for free’ but says ‘buy for free’. When we buy something that thing
is ours and we own it. If He had used the word take it would have inclined
as borrow but He does use the word borrow or take but uses the word buy. He
also does not say everything but lists the things water, wine and milk.
Here the Lord is not talking of natural products but talking of spiritual
things. We need to understand what water He talking of is living water
[necessity], the wine He is talking of is not wine made of natural grapes
but symbolizes discipleship and the Hebrew word milk comes from the word
‘fat’ which also means ‘finest’. Till some time back I too thought milk
means basic necessity but it is water that means necessity and milk means
good thing, not lavish carnal things, but things that benefit life or
prosper life.

When we believe in Christ, by grace we are made available spiritual water,
wine and milk but this we need to buy and this we buy not by money but by
our faith. Our faith is like money not of this world [silver] but of the
spirit world. Then let us incline our ears and believe and receive so that
we live. What is more interesting is for these we just have to believe and
hold on to our belief, but for things like spiritual meat / solid food it
is not just by grace or believe we get it, for that we need to put efforts.
So if we want to grow and mature in the Lord we cannot be sitting, praying
and believing by doing them we will get (spiritual) water, wine and milk
but for (spiritual) meat we need to step out, put some action and some
efforts.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we thank You for your mercies. You Lord give us free spiritual water,
wine and milk by just believing in You. You said in your Word those who
believe in You from their bellies will flow streams of living water. Lord
we pray we do not just be satisfied with spiritual water, wine and milk but
we seek spiritual meat by our walk in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Isaiah 55:1-5

1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour
for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that
which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of
David.

4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and
commander to the people.

5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that
knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the
Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of
God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have
asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

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

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not
able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and
strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Hebrew 5:12-14

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.

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

The righteous shall possess all these houses

Obadiah 1:19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and 
they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of 
Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

If we go by today's scripture (verses 18-21) and its symbolic 
understanding, the scriptures talks of the righteous will possess the 
following houses.

The house of those Christians still struggling with their sin nature 
(those who are not fully baptized in the Spirit)

The house of those Christians who run after worldly prosperity and fame

The house of 'abundant grace' Christians, those who believe grace alone 
will take them to Heaven

The house of Christians who keep moving around, not only between 
Churches but even mentally between religions, who do not really know God 
and are secular Christians finding bridges between religions

The house of those Christians who run after anointing and favor of God 
but not God Himself

The house of those Christians who believe in Words of God and not Word 
of God, who hold little truths and not the Truth

The house of those worldly righteous Christians who believe in works of 
righteousness and judge others according to their righteousness

If we understand Christianity we will understand all these houses do not 
truly stand as Christians. We as Christians are called to overcome the 
sinful nature within us. It is not necessary we fully overcome but we 
are called to not give up like Jacob wrestled till the Lord was pleased 
and named him Israel. We need to pass from the deceiving nature to that 
having authority in the Lord.

We as Christians are people passing this world and this world is not our 
house. Our house is in Heaven with the Lord so praise of people or 
desires of the things of the world should be the least important for us.

We by faith in Christ are saved from the curse of Hell and are given the 
Spirit of God, all by the grace of God. But grace alone will not take us 
to Heaven; grace brings us back into the race when there was no hope for 
us. We go to Heaven not by grace alone but also by our walk in Christ, 
like Paul told the believing Christians to work their salvation (going 
to Heaven) with fear and trembling, to be prepared for Judgment Day.

We as Christian are saved from Hell by grace which we receive through 
faith but we go to Heaven by works, but these works are not works of 
righteousness but are works of faith. If do not take the burden of 
Christ (The Cross) we do not become His disciples and thus we do not 
become Christians at all. Christ came to seek and save the lost and that 
has to also be our mission as His disciples. He is the way and only when 
we follow the way will we be able to go to His Father's House.

Let us not be just namesake Christians but let us be righteous 
Christians, righteous according to the Lord and not according to man. 
Let us show not our works of the flesh but the works of the Spirit which 
we do through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us be vessels and not 
cooks. Let Lord be the cook and use us to serve others.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray we understand Christianity is not a religion but a 
restoration of relationship with the Father. Let us understand the 
mission of Christ and make this mission as our mission being His 
disciples. Let us know unless we are not born again in the spirit we 
will not go to Heaven...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name. Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Obadiah 1:18-21

18And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a 
flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, 
and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of 
Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

19And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the 
plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and 
the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

20And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess 
that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of 
Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

21And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; 
and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

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

Halleluiah - Praise Ye Lord

Psalms 150

1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the 
firmament of his power.

2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent 
greatness.

3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery 
and harp.

4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed 
instruments and organs.

5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding 
cymbals.

6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Halleluiah / Alleluia means Praise ye Lord and today message Psalms 150 
is all about praising God.

When I was just new in the Lord I had this one question which I did not 
dare to ask anyone. Is God like man to be pleased when someone praises 
Him, does God desire praise? Praise for man is harmful, for praise of 
man can destroy him and a man desiring praise is already destroyed (on 
way to complete destruction).

We who are lesser than worms in His Kingdom, praising God will not make 
a grain of difference to Him. It is another thing that God has given us 
importance and set us to be lifted high as to shine in His glory.

The word praise means to shine or boast, in one Hebrew grammatical 
rendering (Hithpoel) it also means to act madly or be crazy so when a 
person is truly praising God one cannot be in dormant state. One needs 
to be excited, electrified or in a hyper state to be truly praising God. 
When one reads this or hears this they think jumping and screaming is 
the way God is to be praised.

Frist thing we need to understand why we praise God. God does need 
praise of man and He (Son) did not humble Himself, suffer and die on the 
Cross so has to receive praise of a worm called man. We praise God not 
for God's sake but for our own sake. When we praise God we speak His 
glory, of who He is and because we speak the Truth we receive mercy and 
thus are protected or saved, like the Israelites were saved from being 
consumed because a shout of praise of their King (the Lord) was within 
their midst.

Many a times I hear the words 'God made us to praise Him' or 'I live to 
praise Him', the words should be 'we live because we praise God'. Had it 
not been for the mercy of God we would have been consumed long time before.

Praising God does not mean to talk wild things or inflated words like we 
do when we praise men. True praise means speaking the truth or actual 
things that God has done or what we experience of Him. When we 
experience 5 inches let us talk 5 inches and not 10 inches or even 6 
inches. If we say 'Lord You are an Awesome God', we need to feel His 
awesomeness in our lives or acknowledge Him as being awesome and truly 
desire His awesomeness.

If we read Psalms 150 we will understand how to truly praise God and 
just speaking words or dancing around is not true praise (keeping it 
short I will take just a few points).

1 Praise God in the Sanctuary - Paul says we are the sanctuary so we 
need to live Him.

2 Praise him in the firmament of his power - the Hebrew word for 
firmament roots from the word stamp or beat so we need to be a testimony 
or we need to testify His Power which we have experienced.

3 Praise him for his mighty acts - speak of what He is doing in this 
world or other people's lives.

4 praise him according to his excellent [abundant] greatness - praise 
Him for who He is.

It is only after we do this that the Psalms talks of shouting, singing, 
playing instruments, dancing and praising God. Let us understand true 
praise starts with living Him, experiencing God and acknowledging Him, 
not by screaming, shouting, dancing and playing of instruments. Let our 
praising God not be for those few hours that we come together as a 
congregation but let every moment of our day be praise to God.

Let us know when we praise Him we receive more and more of His mercy and 
thus are in better position to praise Him. If we do not start praising 
Him for small things then how will we be able to praise Him for greater 
things?

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, we praise You for You alone are Lord and are Almighty God. You 
alone are the Alpha and Beta the beginning and end. You are the purpose 
and provider or life and all living beings. We are made by You and for 
You, without You we are nothing, just vanity. Lord, let our testimony be 
a testimony in You and not a testimony like because of You. Let our 
lives glorify You by lettingyour light shine in us and through us…

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

2 Chronicles 7:6And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites 
also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had 
made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David 
praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, 
and all Israel stood.

Psalms 106:1Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is 
good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Jeremiah 31:7For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and 
shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O 
LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

Numbers 23:16-21

16And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go 
again unto Balak, and say thus.

17And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and 
the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the 
LORD spoken?

18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; 
hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he 
should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, 
and shall he not make it good?

20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and 
I cannot reverse it.

21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen 
perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a 
king is among them.

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

The prefect man will rejoice

Job 8:20-22 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he
help the evil doers: Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips
with rejoicing. They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the
dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

We see many times the wrong people being successful or having victory; at
those times many question did God fail or was God asleep?

We read in today’s message God assures He will not let the perfect man be
cast away not let the evil doers have his way. God will shame the evil
doers and they that are wicked will be completely destroyed.

When one looks at the words used in the English translation they give hope
and also give despair. They give hope since the evil doers and wicked will
see their consequence but then the scriptures uses the word ‘perfect man’
will not be cast away. Now everyone knows none among us is perfect. The
only humans in flesh to be perfect were Adam, Eve (before they sinned) and
Jesus Christ (who remained perfect even unto death).

Most people think when we are baptized in Christ we become perfect, that is
a wrong belief. Let me take an example, scripture says by His wounds we are
already healed yet we see we fall ill even after being baptized and it is
only after we by faith apply / claim the sacrifice into our lives we see
healing.

When we repent and are baptized in Christ all our sins are forgiven that
means the consequence of what we did, we do and we will do is cancelled as
long as we are in Christ [pursue the nature of Christ]. But then the
sacrifice of Christ was not just one but a complete bouquet of all the
sacrifices stated in the books of Moses. Like by His hanging on the
crucifix He became our Wave sacrifice, He made peace between God and man
and He cancelled the wrath of God on man by becoming cursed Himself (bronze
serpent on the pole), by this we received His Spirit.

So baptism in Christ is a gradual process which starts with forgiveness of
sins; as we get more and more baptized in Him we get more restored. Baptism
of the Holy Spirit helps us to be completely baptized in Christ and get
fully restored. It is the Spirit who leads us to all understanding of
Christ.

The word translated as ‘perfect’ actually means ‘complete’, the word
translated as ‘evildoer’ actually means ‘wicked’ and the word translated as
‘wicked’ speaks of ‘wickedness’.

One may wonder, what is the difference between an evildoer and a wicked
person? One who does wrong in the eyes of God can be classified as
evildoer. All of us can be classified as evil doers because we all break
the Law of God. We did evil because we were ignorant of God and the
consequence of sin and it is only the grace of God through faith in Him
that we are not saved. A wicked person on other hand is a person who knows
God and knows the consequence of sin and yet does it. In short it speaks of
someone who does wrong knowingly.

Today’s message tells us, we who are baptized in Christ and are in the
journey of restoration will not be cast away. God also says those who are
wicked would be shamed and wickedness will be destroyed.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord, You are Righteous God and your paths as paths of life, light and
prosperity. Anyone who goes contrary to your path is in darkness and is
walking towards death and destruction. Lord, we thank You for your mercies,
for saving us from death and destruction. We thank You for taking us on the
path of restoration. We also thank You for the destruction of wickedness.
We await the day to say, ‘death where is your sting [sin] and Hell [curse]
where is your victory?’...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Christ, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed.

Galatians 3:13-14

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Genesis 6:3,5-7

3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that
he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart.

7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face
of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of
the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid.
But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is
good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave [Hell], where is
thy victory?

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
SavedbyFaith.info - Daily Mail

Blessed Mary

Luke 1:46-48 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit 
hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of 
his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call 
me blessed.

In the Bible no one can deny Mary as being 'Blessed' be it Catholic or 
'Protestant' (what a Catholic calls a Believer). We read this in today's 
scripture as Mary was saying a pray to the Lord after she received the 
message of being the mother of her Savior and Savior to the whole world. 
We see she calls herself as being 'Blessed'. Did she give herself a 
title? When we ask a Catholic the meaning of the word blessed, they 
equate it to holiness and when we speak to a Believer on the same they 
equated it to be rich or prosperous naturally and spiritually.

I too carried the Believer understanding until I can across 1 verse from 
the book of Job. It speaks about Job's wife telling him 'curse God and 
die' [Job 2:9]. When one looks at the word translated as 'curse' it is 
the Hebrew word 'Barak' which is translated everywhere else as 
'blessed', now the translator could not digest translating the verse as 
'bless God and die'. It is not just once but totally 4 times the word 
barak in Jobs is translated as curse. Job's also has the traditional 
Hebrew word 'alah' which is the word for curse or swearing [Job 31:30]. 
It is then I started to dig into the word. The word occurs 330 times in 
the Old Testament, 302 times as blessed and other times as salute, 
curse, blaspheme, kneel and even congratulate. The Hebrew word comes 
from the root word to kneel (as in to receive blessing). As I mediated 
the Lord opened my understanding to the word.

Firstly we need to understand what it means when we say God is our 
Provider. Paul explains that all things are from God and God works for 
our good in all things. When Jesus taught how to pray the word 'give' in 
the Our Father is not asking but more declaring since the word is in 
aroist tense (past, present and future tense at the same time). We also 
see God has already written all the names of those who will enter Heaven 
to receive eternal life. Jesus said He knows us from the beginning of 
creation and we were given to Him from the foundation of the world by 
the Father since the Father knew who would love Him. We need to 
understand God when we say God is omnipresent and all knowing. He is not 
present everywhere in space but across time at the same moment. For us 
it would be thousands of years but for Him it is like a short period. So 
everything is already provided by God and it is our faith or lack of 
faith that enables us or disables us from receiving what God has already 
provided that is why Jesus said first believe to receive.

Paul also says all things are good but all things are not necessarily 
edifying for us. When we bless someone, we who are having authority in 
the Lord's Name quicken things made available. Now we need to discern 
what is good or bad for the person we bless. That is why in the Old 
Testament we see Men of God did not just say 'bless you'; they would 
speak the blessing on that person.

When I share this then people ask me do we ask God to quicken judgment 
on our enemy when Paul said bless your enemies. We need to note Paul 
clearly stated 'not to curse but bless' meaning to bless the person with 
good things and not bad things and said it would be like hot oil on 
their heads.

When Mary said her was 'Blessed' it did not mean she was holier than 
others, but simply meant what was prophesied had been fulfilled in her. 
She was referring to Isaiah 7:14 the scripture that speaks of the Sign 
of the Savior being born to a virgin. So she simply meant the world 
across generations would know that she was the recipient of the prophecy.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray like Jesus, Mary, Paul and the numerous people who knew 
their place in the Bible and in the timeline of this creation, we too 
know who we are and how we are blessed in You, that we were chosen from 
the beginning and our knowing You was not a chance. Lord we pray that we 
too may one day, like Mary say 'we are blessed'...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine 
integrity? curse [barak] God, and die.

Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and 
he will curse [barak] thee to thy face.

Job 2:4-5

4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a 
man hath will he give for his life.

5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he 
will curse [barak] thee to thy face.

Job 3:7-8

7Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

8Let them curse it that curse [barak] the day, who are ready to raise up 
their mourning.

Job 31:29-30

29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up 
myself when evil found him:

30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse [barak] to 
his soul.

Acts 17:24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he 
is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Romans 8:32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us 
all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them 
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23

21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, 
or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

23And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

1 Corinthians 10:23All things are lawful for me, but all things are not 
expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew 
from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should 
betray him.

Acts 15:18

17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the 
Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all 
these things.

18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Ephesians 3:9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the 
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who 
created all things by Jesus Christ:

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

Matthew 25:34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, 
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world:

John 17:24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be 
with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given 
me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a 
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Romans 12:14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

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

Fasting?

Isaiah 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to 
afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread 
sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an 
acceptable day to the LORD?

There are some myths with regards fasting which the Lord likes to attend 
to today.

1 Fasting makes you a better / holier person

2 Fasting pleases God

3 Fasting brings you closer to God

4 God commanded us to fast

5 God desires us to do good deeds during fasting

6 Fasting is a weapon to attack Satan with or fight him

The first record of the word 'fasting' is in the book of Judges where 
people repented for being away from the Lord. The remaining of the Old 
Testament also has fasting as connected with repentance or grieving for 
being away from the Lord. In the book of Joel we find the Lord clearing 
directing His people to fast and if goes through the background of the 
book of Joel, it was a rebuke to His people for ignoring His main work 
and for doing other things in His name.

The first record of a person not eating nor drinking for a long period 
of time is recorded in book of Exodus and was done by Moses for forty 
days that too thrice. First time when he went up Mount Sinai to receive 
the Ten Commandments written by the Finger of God, second time when he 
came down and declared a time of repentance after he broke the tablets 
out of anger after seeing the formication of his people and third time 
when he received the second set of tablets which he wrote as God dictated.

In New Testament we read Jesus fasted for forty days, we also read Paul 
and others also fasted.

In Hebrew the word for fasting means refraining from food and water 
(optional). In Aramaic the word means twisting the body (like in 
hunger). In Greek the word means refraining (could mean from anything).

The scripture Mark 9:29 where Jesus spoke about being able to deliver 
spirits by praying and fasting is not found in the older manuscripts and 
seems to be a later add on to the NT.

Fasting is not a medium of favor between a person and God, nor a 
spiritual weapon for battle between the person and the Devil. Fasting is 
a weapon of battle between a person and his own carnal nature. Jesus 
said His people will not fast when He is with them and only when He is 
far from them will they fast. Paul fasted when he battled with his faith 
but the moment he was confident he stopped fasting.

Jesus fasted not to battle with Himself or with God. He fasted to be 
Okayed by the Jews as a Rabbi and as to be allowed to preach in the 
synagogues. He also fasted so that He would be weakened and tempted with 
the 3 temptations of Adam. He was not tempted when He fasted for during 
the fasting period He like Moses did not feel hungry at all. It only 
after He completed His fast that He was very hungry and then was tempted 
by Satan. Even when we declare a fast after praying we are under grace 
and do not feel hungry during that period, it is only after the fasting 
is over that we really feel hungry.

Fasting is not a weapon of attack like a sword, it only allows a person 
to mediate on the promises of God and change a person inside and then on 
the outside as mentioned in today's message and its subsequent verses. 
Jesus said if a person fasting does external show and not internal 
changes then that person is a hypocrite.

A person totally led in the spirit does not need to fast but only one 
struggling in the flesh needs to. One cannot state one is spiritual if 
one is struggling in the flesh, by this one in need of medicine would be 
depriving oneself of it.

Fasting should be started with a prayer asking for grace. Fasting can be 
started with depriving oneself of food and then the person should grow 
to things or pleasures that yoke the carnal person. If fasting is not 
changing us from inside then it is making us religious persons. So do 
not fasting thinking we will shake the Heavens, nor fast think God is 
going to be pleased. Fast that we can build faith, fast that we can 
silence the carnal person in us. Do not use fasting as a sword but use 
it as a shield. Do not use fasting as a whip to the flesh but use 
fasting as ear buds which deafen the voice of our carnal person. In all 
this let us concentrate on building ourselves and becoming a better 
person from inside.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray your people grow in discernment and understanding. We pray 
they are not led to be religious people by their lack of understanding 
but they are led by the Spirit and in Truth...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Isaiah 58:3-7

3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have 
we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day 
of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

4Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of 
wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to 
be heard on high.

5Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his 
soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth 
and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day 
to the LORD?

6Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of 
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, 
and that ye break every yoke?

7Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor 
that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou 
cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Judges 20:26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went 
up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the 
LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and 
peace offerings before the LORD.

Deuteronomy 9:9-11

9When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even 
the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in 
the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink 
water:

10And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the 
finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which 
the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the 
day of the assembly.

11And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that 
the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.

Exodus 34:27-28

27And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the 
tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

28And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did 
neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the 
words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, 
but by prayer and fasting.

1 Corinthians 7:5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent 
for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come 
together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Matthew 6:16-18

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad 
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto 
men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in 
secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

2 Samuel 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring 
him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

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

Burying and burning

Jeremiah 34:4,5Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; 
Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: But thou 
shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former 
kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and 
they will lament thee, saying, Ah [Alias] lord! for I have pronounced 
the word, saith the LORD.

Zedekiah was the twelfth and last king of Judah; he did evil in the eyes 
of the Lord. We see the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah with regards 
to Zedekiah that he would be defeated and Jerusalem will be captured 
(this happened in 588BC); in His Mercy the Lord told Zedekiah would not 
die in the battle field by the sword but will die a natural death.

What we read here in the message given to Zedekiah is an interesting 
pronouncement. The Lord tells him his body would be burned and not 
buried, a custom which the Jews did to the bodies of their dead. One may 
say what is the difference in both cases it is the body which needs to 
be disposed respectfully.

We need to understand the bodies of the dead are buried as a symbolic 
gesture in the hope of resurrection, meaning that they would rise on 
Judgment Day.

In the Old Testament we read those who believed in the Lord and were not 
forsaken, when they died it is written that they slept or were gathered 
to their people / fathers and this was a confirmation that that soul was 
saved from Hell. If one studies this taking the various cases one would 
know how difficult it is to be saved from the curse of Hell. Jesus broke 
this curse by His resurrection (rising from Hell) for all those who 
believe in Him. No soul can go to Hell and return which Jesus did; we by 
our faith after death sleep in the Lord (a spiritual dimension called 
Grave) and do not go to Hell. On Judgment Day we will rise and will be 
judged, judged not for our sins since the price for our sins are paid 
for by faith in Christ, we will be judged for abiding or not abiding by 
the Will / Word of the Father and then only will be able to enter Heaven.

If a body is burned it does not mean that the soul if it has believed in 
Christ will not be saved from Hell / will not rise / resurrect. We bury 
a believer as a symbolic gesture that the person sleeps in the Lord.

Here we read the Lord showed mercy to Zedekiah in this natural life, but 
mercy for the life after can only be gained by faith. We may be 'good 
people' according to this world but if we are not according to the Lord 
then we are doomed to Hell. We may be sorry like Judas was before he 
hung himself after betraying Jesus, but that sorry will not help us out 
of Hell. Repentance is not about being sorry it is about accepting the 
Truth and trying to walk in the Truth.

Let us always remember the price that Christ paid for our sins and thank 
Him for the resurrection of the dead. Let us not be like people of this 
world whose only aim is to have a peaceful death, let us aim more for 
peace after death.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we thank You for the abundant grace we have received through our 
faith in Christ. Help us Lord to always recollect this so that we 
strengthen our walk in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Genesis 25:8Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, 
an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 35:29And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered 
unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob 
buried him.

Genesis 49:33And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he 
gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was 
gathered unto his people.

1 Corinthians 15:20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the 
firstfruits of them that slept.

Matthew 27:52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints 
which slept arose,

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 Corinthians 15:17-18

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.

2 Peter 3:3-10

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, 
walking after their own lusts,

4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers 
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the 
creation.

5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the 
heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the 
water:

6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept 
in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition 
of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with 
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count 
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should 
perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the 
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements 
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are 
therein shall be burned up.

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

Dwelling on clouds

2 Chronicle 6:1 Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell
in the thick darkness.

In fairytales including mythological religions like Hinduism you will find
their gods sit on clouds and clouds are like platforms for them.

Even non-mythological religions like Islam think Paradise hangs suspended
in air floating on clouds high up over Mecca (their scripture says if
Paradise fell it would fall over Mecca). Catholics too are not far behind
in their fairytale beliefs of making thrones on clouds or beings standing
on clouds. The main problem lies is with the fact all think Heaven is up,
they fail to register the fact that earth is round and the up for one
person is down for the other. Some religions like Catholicism which
modernized may agree earth is round but their traditional beliefs
contradict their words.

Believers who have no proper understanding of scriptures too have some
crazy ideas with regards to Heaven or Heavenly beings. I heard a Preacher
stating Heaven as a Galaxy far away, making Heavenly beings into alien
beings.

We as humans are so caught up with material things that we look at God also
like a large human. We make His Hands like human hands only big, sometimes
big as earth and sometimes as big as a galaxy. When we get into particle
physics the difference between matter and energy is very slim and per
Einstein’s theory they are interchangeable. One way man has achieved the
other way mas has yet to and that is what the Bible states God spoke and
the Universe came into existence (matter was formed).

Today’s message talks of thick clouds. We know clouds are condensed water
vapour droplets or ice crystals. It is not a surface any human or being can
stand on yet we see contrary statements in the Bible. We read Jesus was
taken up in a cloud as if the cloud was carrying Him. In the Old Testament
we see God spoke face to face with Moses through a dark cloud, it says if
He had not then the person would not be alive in His Holy presence.

Could is symbolic in the scriptures. Even though there may have been actual
clouds in the recorded incidents yet the Lord did not need them other than
for they symbolic understanding. Clouds symbolize glory; one flying in a
plane above the clouds would experience it, so also a person who has
climbed a high mountain with its peak standing up above the clouds.

Dark clouds symbolized a controlled glory. In the Old Testament God mostly
spoke through dark clouds for people had not received His Spirit, for those
who did He spoke to them through normal clouds or they just heard His voice.

Jesus coming again on the clouds it does not mean real clouds but means He
will come in His glory. It says every soul (dead or alive) will see Him
come in His glory. It also says every knee / being / life (in Hell / in
Grave / on Earth / in Heaven) will bow to Him (as Lord) when He comes on a
cloud / in His glory.

Solomon wanted to make a house of gold and precious material but God said
He would dwell only in clouds. We can make a better place than Solomon did,
all we need to do is glorify the Lord in our lives and He will dwell in our
lives.

Let us ask ourselves do we have a house for the Lord? Is He dwelling in our
lives? If He is them there should be a cloud (His glory) on us.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray we make abundant cloud for You to dwell. We pray we glorify
You in every area of our lives so that Your presence is felt strong in us.
We pray people know You are with us when they see your glory on our lives...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of
a covenant between me and the earth.

Exodus 40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and
fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel,
throughout all their journeys.

Deuteronomy 4:10-12

2 Samuel 23:2-5

Job 22:13-14

13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh
in the circuit of heaven.

Psalms 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness
reacheth unto the clouds.

Psalms 68:34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel,
and his strength is in the clouds.

Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and
they brought him near before him.

Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was
taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Revelation 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as
it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,
and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.

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

Mission of Jesus - a hope for the Gentiles

Romans 15:8,9 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the
circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the
fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is
written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing
unto thy name.

When Jesus was asked why He spent time with the sinners, the tax
collectors, the people rejected by society as evil, Jesus told them the
healthy do not need a physician the sick do. We all know Jesus became a
hope for the hopeless and a way when there was no way. His coming was and
is a Gospel for the whole world [nations]. But did He come for the whole
world?

If we read scriptures it gives a different picture to what people who
misquote or partly scriptures state as. Jesus was born a Jew and when He
was asked about His mission, He stated He came ‘for the lost sheep of
Israel’. Isaiah as well as Paul states He came for the Gentiles. Do these
statements contradict each other? Yes that is if one goes by the text and
No if one goes by the right understanding.

People assume the word ‘gentiles’ speaks of all people who were not Jews I
do not blame them for they depend on English translations. There are 2
Greek words which are translated as gentiles in English. One is Ethnos
<1484> and the other Hellen <1672>. The word Ethnos does mean gentiles and
also means nations but the word Hellen speaks of the language (Greek
language) referring to those who did not speak Hebrew or Aramaic but spoke
Greek (the common language of the world like English is today).

The word Ethnos comes from the root word Etho which means customs. If we go
into the origin of the term gentile in Hebrew it first shows up in Genesis
10:5 speaking of the generations of Noah separated according to their
customs and when we read Isaiah 9:1 it speaks of the Jews who lived in
Galilee who followed the customs of the Heathens and thus were termed as
non-Jew or heretic Jews [like Jesus’ mother a Galilean and the other women
when to embalm the body of Jesus on the third day as per the customs of the
Egyptians].

In the Kingdom of God one is not a Jew or Gentile, Greek or Roman, male nor
female, nor differentiated by natural age, what God sees is the state of
the heart and of the spirit of the person, if the inner-man has faith and
maturity in the Kingdom of God. Those who are fully mature are called
Princes of God / Sons of God.

Israel - Isra means Prince and El refers to The Almighty. There is no
substitute theory with regards Israelites in the Bible. Jesus was a man on
a mission and His mission was to get those who were children of God but did
not know Him. He mission was to give His Spirit to the children of God who
know Him so that they can be led by His Spirit and mature to become Sons of
God / Israel. He came for the lost Israel.

Let us not get lost in the shadow but see the truth in the light. Let us
know the true purpose and walk in the purpose. We may be from different
races, or different countries or different continents but if we have the
seed of faith we surely have the hope to become inheritors of Promised
Land, the Heavenly Kingdom of our Heavenly Father.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray that your people know the purpose and walk in the purpose. As
Disciples of Christ we pray they know this so that we carry His Cross unto
our inheritance in Heaven like the Israelites carried the Ark of Covenant /
Testimonies unto their Promised Land. Lord we pray your people understand
the power of the Cross as the Israelites understood the power of the Ark of
Covenant...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Matthew 12:17-21

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,
saying,

18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is
well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to
the Gentiles.

19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in
the streets.

20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not
quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Matthew 10:5-7

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into
the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost
sheep of the house of Israel.

John 7:35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we
shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles [Greek
speaking], and teach the Gentiles [Greek speaking]?

Romans 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have
before proved both Jews and Gentiles [Greek speaking], that they are all
under sin;

Romans 2:3-10

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the
Jew first, and also of the Gentile [Greek speaking];

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the
Jew first, and also to the Gentile [Greek speaking]:

1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the
Gentiles [Greek speaking], nor to the church of God:

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles [Greek speaking], whether we be bond or
free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Genesis 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their
lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

Isaiah 9:1 [NAS] But there will be no more gloom for her who was in
anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way
of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

John 7:52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee?
Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

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

Women of God take your place as Sons

2 Chronicle 34:21,24Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that 
are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that 
is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, 
because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all 
that is written in this book. And Hilkiah, and they that the king had 
appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of 
Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in 
Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.

The influence of other religions on Christianity is visible from the 
fact we have gender discrimination amongst us. We may speak many things 
but see what we do? The day I was blessed with a daughter was a great 
joy and greater joy was when the Lord told me what He is going to do in 
her life and what her Calling was in Him.

People have negative views with regards to gender in the OT. We see in 
today's message even though there were Men of God in the land yet the 
King's representative went to a Woman of God - a Prophetess, for they 
were sure she spoke on behalf of the Lord.

Gender difference is there but only when people are in the flesh and are 
spiritually immature but when people are led by the Spirit of God there 
is neither male nor female, nor race nor age, like adult and child.

When I was studying the timeline of events in the Bible it was great joy 
to know in the days ahead many women would stand up and shine in the 
Kingdom of God. Satan has been misusing women since ages because man has 
been looking down at them as objects. Bible says God uses the foolish, 
the poor and the weak and shows His power and glory through them.

This message is to all my Sisters in Christ, it is time for you to take 
the bold step and step out to expand the Kingdom of God. Be not under 
the guidance of men but be under the guidance of the Spirit of God. 
Speak what the Lord whispers in your heart. Stretch your hand out and 
heal people. Speak the word and chase out evil spirit. Let your presence 
be a blessing in the life of people around you. Do not call yourself a 
daughter of God. Know who you are in Christ, you are a Son of God and 
inheritor of His Kingdom. Standup and preach as His Son, as a King, know 
Christ has given you back the authority and dominance which was lost.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we praise and thank You for in You there is no partiality and no 
discrimination. Everyone who is in You can say I am the One whom Christ 
Loved most. Lord let your people know it is their faith and condition of 
their heart that restricts them from receiving and not You. Let them 
know once they overcome the flesh there is no limit to what You can do 
in the spirit. We pray people see the power that is restoration of your 
Image in us...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor 
free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor 
uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, 
and in all.

Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in 
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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

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

Prophets of Jerusalem like Sodom and Gomorrah

Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible 
thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the 
hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are 
all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Sometimes I feel like the Lord looking on us from His abode in Heaven 
like in the Old Testament and instructing His Representative to write. I 
did not even dream of this scripture and He gave me this to write on, 
that too on this day February 14 which is celebrated as Valentine's Day.

Today we got a Valentine's Day special for the Lord Himself and what is 
coming next should be an expectation.

In the OT there are two rendering of the word Jerusalem and thus they 
have two Strong numbers <03389> and <03390> [a system to understand 
Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic words without knowing the languages]. One 
symbolizes the actual city [people] pursuing peace <03390> and the other 
the false city of peace <03389>. The word used in today's scripture does 
not speak of the actual Jerusalem but the false Jerusalem <03389>.

Today people celebrate Valentine's Day which is associated with St 
Valentine a Catholic Saint so people associate this celebration with 
Christianity. We see even Believers have got into the frenzy of this day 
and in the name of love they do romance.

There is no book better than the Bible to teach and promote true love 
but when it comes to romance the Bible stands as the worst book. Take 
the cases of people like Jacob, David, Samson or any other case in 
Bible, all failed terribly when their relationship was based on romance.

In today's message the Lord is telling us to open our eyes to the 
deceit. He is telling us the prophets of this False Church are deceiving 
us in the name of love and leading us to be like the people of Sodom and 
Gomorrah. They are leading us into gratification of the flesh and not of 
the spirit. This week we saw chocolate day, kiss day, hug day and I do 
not know what other day all to do with romance or things of the flesh.

Love has a purpose, romance has a need. Love lives forever, romance dies 
when the reason is over or met. Love is spiritual, romance is fleshy / 
carnal. Love knows, romance demands evidence.

God does not object to romance within the folds of the covenant of 
marriage but tells us to get over the romance ASAP and understand the 
purpose of marriage; this is evident by His suggestion of going for a 
honeymoon for a year with the couple doing no other work.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray the deceit of the evil one be exposed and the eyes of your 
people opened. In the name of love they are led to carnal gratification 
of the flesh. Lord we pray your people are led by the Spirit and not by 
the flesh. May they grow in discernment...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scripture]

Jeremiah 23:14-15

14I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they 
commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of 
evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of 
them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

15Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; 
Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of 
gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into 
all the land.

Deuteronomy 24:5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out 
to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be 
free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

-- 
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SavedbyFaith.info - Daily Mail

Men of God putting ash in OT

Job 29:25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the
army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

The book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. He wrote about the Lord
and His Kingdom even before the Lord gave details through His Prophet
Moses. It was the wisdom of Job that made him to understand the invisible
Kingdom of God by understanding the visible creation which God has made
(Image study / Symbolism) Paul too conforms this in his letter to Romans.

Job was aware of the benefits of having wisdom and he states them in
today's verse and a few verses before. Job state he was a guide to the
people not only in their personal lives but also in government issues. He
also says when they were in grieve they would come to him for consolation.
Their confidence in Job was unquestionable and that can be seen in the
verses prior to today's verse. It says they were patient to hear him and
kept silence when he spoke. It also says after he spoke they would not say
a word, for they knew it was the best advice for them. Job's counsel was
like rain to a dry land. Even when Job rebuked them they accepted it
without hesitation.

When we look as scriptures with regards to putting ash we read of only two
Men of God who did that, Job was the first and second being Daniel. Like
Job, Daniel too was a man of great wisdom and understanding so if they were
men of wisdom how did they not know about ash and curse?

If we read about Job, Job put ash on this body when he was afflicted with
skin disease. Job describes the skin problem as being so terrible that he
could hardly bear it. His wife too saw this and made a comment 'curse God
and die'. Job knew the importance of life so to overcome the pain of the
skin problem he would sit in a pile of hot ash and apply it all over his
skin as a remedy. So the wise Man of God Job did not put ash as penance or
repentance or any such thing but only as medicine.

Now about Daniel putting sack clothes [traveling clothes] and ash, and
sitting in prayer and fasting before the Lord. To understand it we need to
read the verse before. It talks of Daniel meditating on the book of
Jeremiah and by it he understood about the disasters that were to come on
the people including the desolation of Jerusalem. Now after discovering
this disastrous warning, scripture states Daniel sat before the Lord to
seek Go’s purpose with prayer and supplication, with fasting. It also says
with sack clothes and ash meaning he put on sack clothes and had ash. It
does not say he put ash on his head or on his face. If one studies Jewish
tradition they would put ash on the clothes and this was a symbol of
hopelessness, of being cursed, of being doomed.

Daniel had just discovered the disaster that was set ahead and he felt
hopeless so he sat before the Lord in this attire of hopelessness asking
the Lord for enlightenment. Daniel did not ask the Lord to change things
for he knew what was written had to come to pass and the max someone can do
is quicken it or delay it, but one cannot cancel what is written / said.

If we read the book of Ezekiel which is written after Daniel we see the
Lord telling Ezekiel the people He looked at as righteous namely Noah, Job
and Daniel prayed or even they interceded for Israel yet they would only
save themselves but would not change the things set to happen.

Jesus instructs us when we pray and fast we should wash our face (not
disfigure it) and put oil on our head (meaning be normal and not in grief).
God is our Father who has paid a great price to bring us before Him, then
why do we act like outcast? Imagine the Prodigal Son on his return after
being put on a ring on finger and the best of the robes on him he removes
them and disfigures his face with dirt. Would that not offend the father?

Now when Catholics and other Christians put ash on their foreheads are they
putting it because they are having a headache or are they putting it
because they have just discovered a great unavoidable disaster is about to
come and they need enlightenment?

The disaster set for mankind on Judgment Day cannot be changed by anyone
including God, for He has spoken it. But God in His mercy made a way
through Jesus Christ for His own to be saved. If we who call ourselves
Christians and Jesus Christ our Savor can we behave as if we are doomed by
putting sack clothes and ash. Unless we have rejected Christ, our putting
of sack clothes and ash is like mocking the salvation in Jesus Christ and
the price He paid for us.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray for wisdom for your people. Lord we pray that the iron chains
of human traditions be broken and they set free from them. We pray Lord
that they worship You in Spirit and Truth and they not only receive
salvation of eternal life but greatly inherit the abundance You have set
for them in Heaven...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Job 29:21-24

21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth
wide as for the latter rain.

24 If I laughed on them, they believed [offended by] it not; and the light
of my countenance they cast not down.

Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself therewith; and he sat
among the ashes.

Lamentations 3:16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath
covered me with ashes.

Daniel 9:2-3

2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the
number of the years whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the
prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even
seventy years.

3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

Matthew 6:16-18

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:
for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in
secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

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

Wearing sack clothes

Psalms 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth:
I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

Yesterday we had Catholics and even some Believers starting 40days ‘Lent’
period with the celebration of ‘Ash Wednesday’ where ash is applied to
their foreheads. Catholics are told that these 40 days are days of
refection and of penance. They acknowledge their sinful lives, fast and do
penance by avoiding luxury or any addiction like alcohol or cigarettes etc.
I know of Catholics men who do not shave for these forty days like Hindus
do during their similar feast. Most Catholics do not eat meat, drink
alcohol or smoke cigarettes for these forty days nor speak bad or abusive
words. But once these forty days are over they make up for the loss during
the forty days. So Catholics are pleasing God for the forty days and then
pleasing Satan for the rest of the year.

Muslims too fast during their forty days of Ramadan, they say this was the
period when the Quran was revealed without knowing Ramadan was a pagan
festival which Muhammad continued since it was very popular (like he took
their chief deity and called it Allah meaning ‘the god’). Most Muslims do
similar ‘fasting and feasting’ during Ramadan; they fast in the day and eat
at least 1.5 times their average after sunset (prices of food is high and
availability low during this period).

Lent is like Ramadan having pagan origins. In case of Islam it was
originated long before Islam, but in case of Christianity there is no trace
of Lent for the first 1000 years of Christianity. In the Bible the first
person to put ash on the head was Tamar the daughter of David after she was
raped by Amnon her step brother. The earliest trace of the practice of
putting ash on the forehead roots to Nordic pagan religion which spread to
Europe during Viking conquest. This may be true or not but one thing is for
fact that Lent is not Christian in any way also at the end of it they
celebrate Easter which is the birth of goddess Ashtoreth and falls on the
same day of Resurrection Sunday (Easter eggs, bunnies etc. are symbolic to
the deity Ashtoreth).

Jesus fasted for the forty days not because He was a sinner and was doing
repentance. Jesus went through the wilderness so that He could be weakened
after that and be tempted by Satan. Scriptures show after the forty days He
felt hungry and was tested. We all know during our fasts when we pray and
ask for grace, during the fast we do not feel hungry for we are given
grace. Jesus was under abundant grace.

The second reason Jesus fasted was to be acknowledged as an official Rabbi
in line with Moses so that He could preach in synagogues. That is why after
the 40 days of fast He first went to a synagogue and preached and no Jew
stopped Him.

The Catholic priest put ash on the head on Ash Wednesday and says
“Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return”
quoting Genesis 3:19. Interestingly the word translated as dust is mud and
not ash, also this was a curse on mankind for disobeying God’s instruction
saying man would perish and die (in spirit). Jesus by His death and
resurrection broke this curse in the lives of those who are His.

Another interesting fact I found today was the word ‘sack clothes’. In
English by this word we assume the clothes to be a gunny bag kind clothes
which are dull, heavy and uncomfortable. If we look at scriptures the word
sack cloth in Hebrew and Greek have different meaning to what we have
rendered in English. In both the languages it speaks of clothes worn in
hurry for a journey like the Israelites did when leaving Egypt. Greek goes
a step ahead to say clothes that help carry things for the journey. In
modern times a cargo pant would be the idea ‘sack clothes’ than what the
Jesuit priests wear.

In name of traditions we do foolish things and mock the holy things of God.
Penance is not a word in a Christian’s dictionary since Christ has paid the
price for his or her sins. Fasting should be for faith building alone and
not for anything else. Repentance is something that happens inside us and
no external things or activity what-so-ever we do can equate to repentance.
The Greek word is a composite word meaning ‘after’ + ‘understanding’. True
repentance is just not about knowing we were walking in the wrong path but
means to seek and pursue to walk in the right path.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord we pray the religious spirit of self-righteousness which engulfs these
religious people be exposed. We pray those who are your people among them
be set free from this religious spirit and they may follow You in Spirit
and Truth...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
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;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt
eat the herb of the field;
19 In 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.

Mark 2:18-21
18 And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting: and they come and
say unto him, Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees
fast, but thy disciples fast not?
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while
the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them,
they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from
them, and then will they fast in that day.
21 No man seweth a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment: else that
which should fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old, and a worse
rent is made.

2 Samuel 13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of
divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on
crying.

Luke 4:1-3
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led
by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat
nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this
stone that it be made bread.

-- 

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

Is Christianity sexist?

1 Timothy 2: 12, 13, 14 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp
authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed,
then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in
the transgression.

In Indian papers we read about cases being filed by Hindu and Muslim women
fighting to be allowed entry into a temple (certain sect of Hindu) and a
Masjid (certain Masjid), but we read none of such news in Christianity. All
know Christianity socially do not differentiate between sexes. But when we
look at religious orders in Catholics we find women are not allowed as
Priests. Also among Believers very few women operate as Pastors. They may
many as Evangelist or Prophetess or even Apostles or Healers but as main
Pastors or Bishops of Churches it is very rare.

In my early days of being a Believer I was very happy when I attended a
Church service led by a lady Pastor. But if we look at some of the
statements of Paul in his letter it seems he advises against women becoming
Pastors or Preachers.

In Hinduism and Islam although they talk of encouraging the female gender
like Hindus have many female goddesses and Muslims give a lot of importance
to women ‘modesty’ yet both these religions bluntly oppress women and
belittle them in their traditions and beliefs. Does Christianity also stand
with these religions with regards to women? It may sound so when we read
Paul’s statements. If we take a look at today’s message and a few lines
before and compare this with say OT scriptures like Proverbs we find it
looks like Paul is taking us back to dark ages of sexual discrimination.

If we look closely Paul is giving a reality test of things. He points out
generally women give more importance to their looks, their appearance while
men have no such inhibition, they can stand anywhere and lift their hands
and pray.

Paul also takes up the case of Adam and Eve staking that Eve was the first
to be tempted and not Adam. Was it Eve’s fault that Satan chose her first
and not Adam? We know Satan chose her because she was weaker spiritually
than Adam. Adam had firsthand instructions from the Lord so if Satan had
tried to tempt him first Satan would have probably failed. But Satan knew
Adam was blinded by his love for Eve so if she was tempted than Adam too
would fall through her.

You and I did not choose our gender when we are born so it would be unfair
that we are deprived of harvesting in the Kingdom of God just because of
gender. God is not a sexist; He created gender in the natural to understand
things which are hidden [marriage and reproduction is one of main reasons
of genders]. If we read Genesis 1:26,27 when god created mankind He created
male and female in His image and the word ‘them’ in verse 27 is male plural
implying that in spirit both male and female were of the same gender. It
was only when they were created in the flesh did the gender difference come.

Like we have a natural gender we have a spirit gender. Our natural gender
is what we are born with but our spirit gender is what we chose to be.
Verses state when we mature in spirit we are called Sons of God. It is only
when we study Bible symbolism we understand spirit gender. We see pagan
religions including Catholics talk of ‘Mother of God’ or ‘Queen of Heaven’
not to lift up women kind but to mock the image of God. God is called
Father but in spirit He is both Father and Mother to us. God calls Himself
by the name ‘Jealous’, is actually Zealous and the Hebrew word meaning
implies the possessiveness of a mother to her children.

In short I can say if we walk in the flesh then yes women are called to
abide to the advice which Paul states in today’s message, but if we walk in
the spirit then there is no differentiating between men or women for a
mature woman is also a becoming Son of God and an immature man is a
daughter of God.

We see Paul himself had no reservation against women as his colleagues and
coworkers with him in the Kingdom of God. He also spoke praises of women
heading / holding Churches. Paul himself was ministered by a couple
[husband and wife] during his early days of spiritual growth.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray your people overcome the flesh, they dwell less in the flesh
and more in the spirit. We pray that men be not men and women be not women
but they walk as Sons of God having power and authority. May they know why
You are called Father...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

1 Timothy 2:8-12

8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or
costly array;

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man,
but to be in silence.

Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth
favor of Jehovah.

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall
have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her
household, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she
planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out
by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her
hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household
are clothed with scarlet.

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and
purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of
the land.

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the
merchant.

25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to
come.

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of
kindness.

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread
of idleness.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he
praiseth her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the
LORD, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in
the gates.

Genesis 1:26-27

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

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them [male gender plural].

Exodus 34:14 (for thou shalt worship no other god: for Jehovah, whose name
is Jealous, is a jealous God);

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

Heavenly Jerusalem

Hebrew 12: 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Before I got into apologetics or understood what it was, I had my first
debate with a ‘Christian’ heretic group called World Mission Society Church
of God which in India is known as Church of Mount Zion - Mother of God.
This cult is of the rank of Catholicism where humans are worshipped as
deities. Unlike Catholicism the people worshipped here are non-historic
(dead), not from the Bible and also they are bluntly worshipped in the open
(unlike Catholics do and yet deny). The WMSCG is a global Church having
presence in many countries but primarily is from South Korean and from a
village which boasts of many founders of such Christian Cults which have
spread all over the world. The amusing part is the graveyard of the village
has monuments near each other of people who called themselves Christ, Holy
Spirit, Elijah, Mother God etc...

This Indian Church believes their main Zion Church in south India is a holy
place and in the end days the people there would not see death. It
encouraged its congregation to sell all they hold and settle there in that
place (after donating their money of the Church).

We may call them heretic but main stream Christian Churches too hold some
crazy ideas with regards to end days and Heavenly Jerusalem a city / Temple
as described in Revelation. Today’s message compares Heavenly Jerusalem to
Zion. If one looks up scriptures it was the city of Jerusalem which was
called Zion by David. The Hebrew word Zion (Greek Sion) means fortified
city and it is interesting to note at that time there were no walls
protecting that city yet David called it Zion. It was Solomon who built
walls around city not knowing his father did not talk of natural walls.

Our Heavenly Jerusalem is not a natural city having houses (Jesus did not
talk of natural mansions in Heaven). But like David did not allow the lame
and the blind to enter Zion so also in Heavenly Jerusalem the spiritual
lame and spiritual blind will not get to enter.

If we plan to go to Heaven let us strengthen our spiritual walk and open
out spiritual eyes. If we show no desire to know the Will of the Father and
a lethargic approach to do His Will then we are surely not going to get to
enter the Heavenly Jerusalem.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord your Word says You have set things for our inheritance in Heaven which
no man has seen, no ears have heard or no heart has ever conceived. We pray
Father that we make firm our spiritual walk in You and we increase our
thirst to know more and more of the hidden things of the Kingdom of God so
that we have open eyes and strong feet and enter the Heavenly Jerusalem...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

2 Samuel 5:5-10

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

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the
inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take
away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David
cannot come in hither.

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

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

9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David
built round about from Millo and inward.

10 And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with
him.

Psalms 53:6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When
God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and
Israel shall be glad.

Revelation 21:10-12,22-27

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven
from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most
precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates
twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve
tribes of the children of Israel:

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are
the temple of it.

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

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

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

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

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

-- 

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

Evildoers

Psalms 119: 115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the
commandments of my God.

The world looks at people who do not do evil as good or okay people. In the
world we state anyone who breaks the law is a criminal. In the Kingdom of
God the system is not the same the reason being in the Kingdom of God it is
black or white and yes or no, there is nothing like in between. Those who
try to be in between get the worst punishment. Also in the Kingdom of God,
God does not gauge people doing evil as evil doers, He gauges people who do
not do good as evil doers.

Jesus said either you are with me or against me. Bible says unless we
follow Jesus and be His disciple we are not considered as being with Jesus.

In today’s message the Lord is telling us there is nothing like moderate
Christians, we are either radical Christians meaning those who live our
lives for Christ and like Christ doing the Will of God or we get counted
along with evildoers.

Jesus said those who do the Will of my Father will enter the House of My
Father. He did not say those who do evil will not enter the House of My
Father.

[Prayer Starter]
Lord, we pray we do not remain in deceit as being good Christians and not
showing Christ in us. Lord we pray every Christian lives their lives like
Christ and takes the burden of Christ to save souls. Jesus said take my
burden for it is light and cast your burden on me. Lord we pray no ‘
Christian’ be carrying his own burden but only carry the burden of Christ...

This prayer we make in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]
Psalms 119:115-119
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my
God.
116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be
ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy
statutes continually.
118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their
deceit is falsehood.
119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I
love thy testimonies.

Dated 05 Feb 2016
Rollwyn DSouza

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

No shame and no haughtiness

Zephaniah 3:11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, 
wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out 
of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no 
more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

We see many preachers preach about being proud as Christians. They say 
'you are kings / princes', 'your God is a rich God', 'you are 
ambassadors so do not act poor and needy', 'look up for you are 
righteous / you are holy' etc... We on the other hand have some who 
condemn us for the sins that we do. They tell us always be in 
repentance, approach God in unworthy manner for the sins we do daily. I 
have seen Christians who call themselves Born-again / Believers during 
prayer services saying 'Lord, I am a sinner', 'Lord, I am unworthy of 
You', 'let us come to the foot of the crucifix', 'I fall at the feet of 
the Lord who is hung on the crucifix' etc...

In today's message the Lord says there will be a day when we will have 
neither shame nor haughtiness. He specifies we will not have shame for 
our doings, our sins and at the same time we will not rejoice for being 
part of the Kingdom of God or in His holy presence.

With regards to not having shame some may find it contradicting or hard 
to digest, but when one understands forgiveness or how we are forgiven 
when we come to the Lord then we will understand why we are not called 
to be ashamed for the sins. That does not mean we are given a green 
ticket to continue sinning.

We as Christians do not fight sin but fight the sin nature. We are 
called to overcome the old man or Adam in us. If we sin we do not stop 
being Christians but we stop being Christians when we stop fighting the 
sin nature in us. The word forgive in the prayer Our Father is in 
Auroist tense (unlike English Greek has about 7 tenses), this tense is 
past, present and future put together. It means when we come in Christ 
our past, our present and all the sins that we will do are already 
forgiven, that does not mean we can sin now without guilt. Peter says if 
we have overcome Christ (Christ nature in us) then do we have any hope, 
our future will then be worse than our past. So as Christians we may sin 
but we are people who are battling the sin nature and attacking the 
roots of the tree of sin, this may take time but we do not give up.

Coming to the fact of we called not to be haughty.

Last Sunday my daughter asked me 'Dada we say Lord of lords; when there 
is no other gods then why do we say our God is over other gods?'

We say a thing is better when we compare it to another, but when there 
is nothing to compare to then can we say it is better? Bible says we 
create gods which do not exist; these gods we create could be idols or 
desires. When we have broken all the idols in our life and overcome all 
the desires of this world in our personal lives, would we have anyone or 
anything to compare God to?

We need to understand why God got upset when He was asked His name.

So let us come to a stage of overcoming our sin nature and saying unto 
the Lord, You alone are God.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray, Father help us understand the Truth. Open our eyes to the 
purpose more than the means. Help us know the Kingdom and dwell in the 
Kingdom...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

2 Peter 2:20For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world 
through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are 
again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them 
than the beginning.

1 Corinthians 8:

4As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in 
sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and 
that there is none other God but one.

5For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in 
earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

6But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and 
we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with 
conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an 
idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Exodus 3:13-14

13And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of 
Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me 
unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say 
unto them?

14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou 
say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Genesis 32:29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy 
name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And 
he blessed him there.

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

Bride from Lebanon

Songs of Solomon 4:8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from 
Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, 
from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

To understand the book Songs of Solomon one needs to have knowledge of 
Bible word study and symbolism / image study. In Bible colleges they 
teach the Bible like they teach worldly subjects in school, they use the 
same approach. That is why we see in Catholic seminaries even though 
they spend 4 years of religious study they land up teaching hardly 10% 
on the Bible and 90% on who said what about it and did what in the name 
of God. The books they refer mostly written by people who hardly knew 
the Bible as a Living Word manifesting the Power of God. Even Believer 
Bible colleges have not changed much of the curriculum from the Catholic 
seminaries. Bible colleges are churning out secular Christians instead 
of radical Christians that is why not even 5% of the people finishing 
Bible colleges actually land doing ministry or mission work (theses also 
not rooted on a strong foundation).

When we use the word radical with a belief it puts people in caution. 
They are used to seeing radical followers of other religions who are 
accused of being violent and unreasonable people. But when we use the 
word radical with true Christian we will see people having Christ like 
behavior. They will be people of non-violence, processing the power of 
God doing healings, deliverances and miracles. A radical Christian is a 
person full of wisdom and understanding working for peace not only 
between man and God and but also within mankind itself.

I have yet to see someone teaching the Bible the way God advised in the 
Bible itself (some do it in bits and pieces). People need to realize 
here we are dealing with a Book which no one can say they know it fully 
so instead of just teaching what we know of the Book we need to also 
teach people how to study the Book. In studying the Bible one ends up 
studying almost all subjects like history, science, geography, biology, 
mathematics, astronomy, molecular physics etc...

In the Bible God advices 4 stages of Bible study and they go as

Concordance

Cross-reference

Word study (this requires language study - mainly Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic)

Bible Symbolism, Bible Numeric and other forms of as given in scriptures

The Song of Solomon is excellent example of the 3rd and 4th stages of 
Bible study. If one does not have that understanding they land up 
thinking it to be love letter between a man and his wife.

After many years I have been given an opportunity starting this week to 
give a course on Bible study for a year and half to a small group of 
Pastors and leaders of churches, teaching them on how to study the Bible.

In today's message God is telling us He desires the Bride from Lebanon, 
He is not referring to the place but stating a Bride dressed in 
holiness. Lebanon in Hebrew means whiteness. Similarly the words Amana, 
Shenir and Hermon have nothing to do with the places nor the animal lion 
and leopard to do with the actual animals but are symbolic.

The Lord is telling us through today's message He desires a Bride 
dressed in holiness who is protected by Him, shining with His glory, 
sanctified, showing His righteousness and purity.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray that doors of knowledge, wisdom and understanding of Heaven 
be opened for the Church. We pray they know You not like they knew You 
but as You desire them to. Let them understand the power of the Living 
Word. Lord we pray prepare your Bride to be sanctified and beautified by 
your Spirit and your Word holding your Testimony in her heart...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Isaiah 28:9-11

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand 
doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon 
line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

Revelation 12:11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by 
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 19:10And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto 
me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that 
have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is 
the spirit of prophecy.

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

Doing the Will of God

Acts 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined 
before to be done.

Just a few moments back on FB I saw photos showing as memories of an 
event of which I was a part of. This event was like an upper room 
gathering of a few senior persons of various Churches to reach out to 
the lost sheep among Muslims. We had the most competent people for this 
purpose at the meeting, we had the material which could cause a great 
shaking of the belief among the Muslims committee. This matter was 
collected after years of research with help of the best resources and 
authorities on the topic across the world.

Here the purpose was according to the Will of God - to reach the lost souls.

The intention of all gathered there was one - expansion of the Kingdom 
of God.

Church heads and leaders came and made commitments as a Church and also 
in personal capacity.

Yet this whole exercise failed just because one person put his own will 
above the Will of God.

This person had personally done great personal sacrifice to do research 
and collect the matter which was the foundation of this mission. He did 
have love for God and for the lost sheep among Muslims. But his desire 
to be rewarded here on earth for his efforts was put above all this.

All those working in the Kingdom of God do have a desire to do the Will 
of God else they would not be part of the various activities they do to 
reach out to others, to build others, to support others in the Kingdom 
of God, but what matters is the priority at which the Will of God is 
placed in their lives.

We have many who put their families above the Will of God. There are 
those who put success and fame above the Will of God. At times we need 
to sacrifice success and draw back for the purpose is above the means or 
the glory of the mission, like Jesus at times drew away from the crowd 
or cities.

One of main reasons of the lethargic growth of Christianity is that 
Church heads want people in Church more than sending them out of the 
Church. Mega Churches have large attendance of Christians but look at 
how many among them are active Christians, very, very few and at time 
you may not find any. I been active among Churches in Mumbai and can 
hardly name Mega Churches where the head of the Church encourages his 
congregation to evangelize and do missions even at the cost of not 
attending services. For them attendance at Church service is even above 
the Kingdom of God. They think the Will of God is to fill Church halls.

Let us understand even though we pursue the Will of God what is 
important is where and at what priority do we place the Will of God. 
Like here Peter and the other disciples placed the Will even above their 
lives and cost of persecution and suffering so also we need to do that. 
We need to place the Will of God above our lives, above our families, 
above our friends, above our businesses, above our personal desires, 
above our so called ministries or Churches. It is only when we do that 
will we see the Will of God being fulfilled in our lives and this will 
prove we are in Christ and Christ is in us.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord Jesus as man You said You did do your will as ordinary man but the 
Will of the Father. Your Will was the Will of the Father because You 
were one with the Father. Lord we pray we be one with You so that our 
will be not our will but your Will and your Will alone. We pray we 
purpose your Will above all...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Acts 4:28-33

28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be 
done.

29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, 
that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may 
be done by the name of thy holy child [slave] Jesus.

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

32And 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.

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

Matthew 12:50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in 
heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

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

John 5:30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my 
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the 
Father which hath sent me.

Matthew 15:24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost 
sheep of the house of Israel.

Mark 16:15-20

15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel 
to every creature.

16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that 
believeth not shall be damned.

17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they 
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18They 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.

19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into 
heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with 
them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

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

Grace and judgment

Acts 5:3,4But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to 
lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it 
not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine 
heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Acts 5 records the incident of Ananias and his wife Sapphira, how 
instant and harsh judgment fell on them. Normally people would relate 
such harsh judgment to the Old Testament and not to the New Testament 
because they would state we are under grace.

Questions one should ask.
Was not Ananias and Sapphira believers? Yes they were.

Were they not under grace? Yes they were, because grace is received by 
all who have faith in Christ.

If they were under grace then why such a harsh judgment was passed on 
them, man did not kill them it was God who took away their lives? To 
understand this we need to understand what actually happened and its 
back ground.

We see all were Giving (next stage of Tithing) unto the Lord (Church) 
and no man told them as to who much or what percent they had to give and 
how much to hold. We see when Peter confronted them he accused them of 
lying not to man but to the Spirit of God. So it was not a man who told 
them how much of the land to keep and how much they should sell and give 
to the Church. What was taken was shared with those who did not have 
much, this caused all to have sufficient and none to be lacking.

We need to understand as Christians we are not called to live in luxury 
but live with what is necessary. The moment we take extra or use extra, 
we invite the spirit of greed unto us and soon we will have pride and 
deceit etc. and fall like how Lucifer the anointed Cherubim fell. Paul 
says we need to live a sober life so as to avoid temptation. When Paul 
advised Timothy on choosing a Bishop one of the main points he 
highlighted was as one who does not have love for money. Even for 
ordinary Christians, Paul advices to live with basics.

Tithing is just a step towards Giving unto the Lord. Those who are not 
baptized in the Holy Spirit and are not led by the Spirit Tithe for they 
do not hear the Spirit speaking to them and they do not have the help of 
the Spirit to overcome the desires of the flesh. The OT talks more of 
Tithe while the NT talks of Giving because the Spirit was given to the 
Church by Christ at Pentecost. Giving does not mean to give as one wish, 
but means giving all that which is extra, it refers of the overflow and 
it is the Sprit who leads us to draw the line of overflow. The problem 
with Christians is they do not let the overflow to happen because they 
are more in the flesh they keep expanding the desires of their heart 
more and more so as to receive more and more;thus to justify their greed 
they Tithe and do not Give.

When small children make mistakes we mostly forgive them even when it is 
done many times, we may warn but will not take harsh steps against them. 
But if a mature child makes the same mistake we would not do the same, 
we may warn once or twice and then will correct with chastising.

As we grow in the Lord and mature in His Spirit we cannot hide behind 
the banner of grace. We are accountable to God since we have received 
the most valuable gift of His Spirit for which He paid with His life as 
a man.

Let us understand we cannot take grace for granted and although all who 
believe in Christ receive grace yet all will be judged. So let us 
strengthen our feeble legs and not expect to be carried like infants all 
our lives.

[Prayer Starter]

Lord we pray your people do not take your grace for granted and 
understand the importance of receiving your Spirit. Greed is one of the 
strongest spirits holding on the Church. We pray they start to 
strengthen their feeble legs and learn to stand, walk as Christians and 
give as Christians. Let them understand inheritance of Heaven is not for 
children but only for Sons and as your Word says only those led by the 
Spirit are Sons. So Lord we pray the Church grows in the Spirit and 
walks in the Spirit of God...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scripture]

1 Timothy 3:2-3

2The Bishop, then, is to be a man of good name, the husband of one wife, 
self-controlled, serious-minded, having respect for order, opening his 
house freely to guests, a ready teacher;

3Not quickly moved to wrath or blows, but gentle; no fighter, no lover 
of money;

1 Timothy 6:7-11

7For we came into the world with nothing, and we are not able to take 
anything out;

8But if we have food and a roof over us, let that be enough.

9But those who have a desire for wealth are falling into danger, and are 
taken as in a net by a number of foolish and damaging desires, through 
which men are overtaken by death and destruction.

10For the love of money is a root of all evil: and some whose hearts 
were fixed on it have been turned away from the faith, and been wounded 
with unnumbered sorrows.

11But you, O man of God, keep yourself from these things, and go after 
righteousness, religion, faith, love, a quiet mind, gentle behaviour.

Hebrews 13:5Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things 
which you have; for he himself has said, I will be with you at all times.

Matthew 19:23-24

23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich 
man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the 
eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

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