Have the right “mark” (seal) and win the race: God’s winning strategies in Revelation 2-3

The essence of strategies is to choose what to do. This is a really difficult one unless you have been sealed with the right mark on you. What? Do all who profess to be Christians have mark too? Wait. We shall see who has the mark and who does not, according to Jesus.

Firstly, beware of the wrong mark, the mark of the beast, as warned in the Book of Revelation (13:16, 17, 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4). Those with the evil mark (on their forehead or on their hands) will be tormented (16:2) and eventually cast into the lake of fire (19:20).

Only the saints, those without the mark of the beast, and instead have been sealed with the mark of Christ, can reign with Christ for 1000 years.

Revelation 7:3 “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

What is the mark of Christ and how do believers of Jesus receive it? Here are the Scriptures: The seal (mark) is the Holy Spirit and comes from God through Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:19-22. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13-14 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

1 John 2:20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.

1 John 4:13 And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us. 15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we liv like Jesus here in this world.

From the above verses we see that the believers of Jesus have been sealed with His mark, which is the Holy Spirit. This mark distinguishes us as belonging to Jesus and not to the devil (the beast) who will also brand his followers with a mark on their forehead or hands. The mark of the Holy Spirit in us enables us to live like Jesus in this world, a victorious overcomer.

The outcome of each group is entirely different. The beast and its followers will end up in the lake of fire. The group who belongs to Jesus, marked by Jesus, and follows Him to the end and overcome will reign with Him. What are the keys given to us to overcome the adversaries and adversities? Let us read Revelation 2-3 again to find them.

1. Jesus reiterates the truth that He has overcome the NUMBER ONE FEAR in human, that is, DEATH. Jesus has died and resurrected, and He now holds the keys of death and the grave. And He tells us not to be afraid. The Good News is He is alive forever and ever, and so are His followers. (Revelation 1:17-18; Hebrews 2:14-15) The key is to “remain faithful to what we have been taught from the beginning”, the apostle John assures us this in 1John 2:24-25, “If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son (Jesus) and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life He promised us.”
2. Jesus also reassures that He knows all the things we do and the situations we are in, and what the enemy is doing. (Revelation 2:2-3, 2:9-10, 2:13, 2:19, 2:24, 3:1, 3:4, 3:8, 10, 3:15-16) All we need to do is to listen to the Holy Spirit and understand and act accordingly.
3. Jesus says He loves us. Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 3:9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. 3:19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
4. 1 John 4:4 Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

Our application: Make sure we have the right marking, listen to the Holy Spirit, understand what He is saying and act accordingly.

Kainotes, December 12, 2020

Align, finish the race, win: God’s winning strategies in Revelation 2-3

“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” I learned and practiced this even when employed in the corporate world. Today a Generation Z asks me why do I bother to write this blog? Why bother with the serious stresses of the world when I can just write fun things and get on with a relaxed life? After all, there are many good Christian blogs out there. What makes one blog special when there are seventy millions blog posts being published on WordPress each month? The answer for me and other Christians is we are each running to complete a race, made more pressing especially in the current uncertainty and anxieties in many hearts. Every Christian is enrolled in a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27); every Christian is engaged in a conflict (Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Timothy 2:4, 5).  And the goal set before every Christian is to win the race, be victorious in the conflict. God has made provision for us to say at the end, “I have fought the good fight [‘I have strained every muscle in the good contest’].  I have finished the race, I have kept the faith: Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness . . . .” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8)

In this context, I am looking at the keys in the seven letters that Jesus has given to the churches/Christian groups in the Book of Revelation (Chapter two and three). Please read on.

What the Christians are not to do: (Not doing the wrong things)

Firstly, do not follow and do what the opponents of God do. How to identify this? Observe and measure their intentions, actions and outcome against God’s plume line (the words of God in the Bible).

Satan (the devil/the enemy/the thief) —the head of the enemies of God has only one goal —rebellion against God through human beings, and one strategy —deceptions. he succeeded through Adam and Eve. Their action resulted the downfall of all mankind, and the takeover of rulership by the devil on earth.

Whilst Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8b) and brings His people into the super-abundant life in the Kingdom of God, the thief continues to steal, kill, and destroy mankind (John 10:10). The two “leaders” of rebellion cited in the Book of Revelation—the Nicolaitans and Jezebel originate and take direct order from God’s enemy. Jesus warns of their existence in the midst of Christian community and even Satan-owned synagogues (2:9, 3:9) and commands us to take action against such evil.

Action required of Christians:

1. hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. (2:6, 2:15) Take note that their evil teachings and practices occur in Satan’s city with Satan’s throne. Jesus urges the fallen/compromised church members to repent of their sins or to face destruction together with the Nicolaitans. (2:13-16) The following quote (in Italics) on the Nicolaitans is excerpted from the Quick Reference Dictionary (biblestudytools.com)

Who are the Nicolaitans?

(followers of Nicolas ), a sect mentioned in ( Revelation 2:6 Revelation 2:15 ) whose deeds were strongly condemned. They hold the doctrine of Balaam. They held that it was lawful to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication, in opposition to the decree of the Church rendered in ( Acts 15:20 Acts 15:29 ) ( 2 Peter 2:15 ; Jude 1:11 ) They brought the impurities of those feasts into the meetings of the Christian Church…not simply as an indulgence of appetite: but as a part of a system, supported by a “doctrine,” accompanied by the boast of a prophetic illumination, ( 2 Peter 2:1 ) To hate those deeds is a sign of life in a Church that otherwise is weak and faithless. ( Revelation 2:6 ) To tolerate them is well nigh to forfeit the glory of having been faithful under persecution. ( Revelation 2:14 Revelation 2:15 )

The error of Balaam is associated with “reward [profit]” in Jude, and the way of Balaam is associated with the “wages of unrighteousness” in 2 Peter.  1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

2. Do not follow the Jezebel spirit —teachings and the evil deeds (2:20-23). She is immoral, leads God’s servants astray, teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols, and leads them to commit adultery with her. Jesus describes this evil teaching in 2:24 as “this false teaching (‘deep truths’, as they call them—depths of Satan, actually).” Jesus warns all the churches that those who do not repent and turn away from immorality will suffer greatly and their offsprings with Jezebel will be killed as well. (2:20-23)

Read the following characteristics about the people with Jezebel’s spirit:

Jezebel’s ultimate goal is always control. The Jezebel spirit causes people to attack, dominate or manipulate, especially against male/legitimate authority, causes fear, flight and discouragement, often insecure and wounded, with pronounced egocentric needs, function subtlety and deceptively, are proud, independent and rebellious. A Jezebel spirit is always in alignment with an ideological totalitarian/dictatorship spirit.

Jesus also warns us not to be/do certain things. Why? Not doing the negative will increase our abilities to overcome the adversities and adversaries. Doing the right things will bring us on the right race course and run to victory as Jesus has done.

1. Do not lose the same fervor of love we have for God when we first accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord. God empowers us through love to do the works of God. We shall be victorious over the Nicolaitans. (2:4-7)
2. Do not be afraid of physical persecution and suffering (for Christ) (2:10), e.g. being thrown into prison, poverty, blasphemy, and threat of death. (2:9)
3. Repent from the Nicolaitans’ sins, and turn back to God. (2:6) Repent from the Jezebel sins and turn back to God when there is still TODAY. (2:21)
4. Know that God searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person and gives to each whatever we deserve. (2:23) We are to follow the truth and hold tightly to what we have until Jesus comes.
5. Wake up, strengthen, and stay alive! Repent, turn back to God, return to what we first heard and believed and hold fast to that belief! (3:2-3)
6. Obey God’s words, do not deny Him, persevere, and hold on to what little we have, despite having little strength. (3:8-11)
7. See and acknowledge the lack in ourselves and our churches which sit on the fence, indistinct from the rest of the world (spiritually wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked). Do something! Be diligent and turn from our indifference! (3:15-19)

Jesus’ promised abilities, and rewards to these who overcome and finish the race in victory: His believers are able to listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches (all of us who believe). (2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22)

• Hidden manna from heaven.
• The fruit from the tree of life*.
• A new name as in Christ. A name in the Book of Life in heaven.
• Crown of life.
• Authority over all the nations as in Christ (the morning star).
• Friends with Jesus. sit with Him on His throne!

*Revelation 22:2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

Hebrews 3:12-15 12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Kainotes, Dec 11, 2020

 

Begin at the finish line and win the race with focus and boldness

In my corporate days, I have taught a useful leadership management topic called, “Begin at the end”. What it means is that when you know your finish line, you will run with focus, boldness, and even ease. How do we know what the finish line of our life is? The Bible is our plume line. When we know what God uses to measure our lives, and what resources and abilities He has richly given us, we know the finish line.

I cannot think of a more essential strategic book to read than the Book of Revelation* in December 2020. In the early 1980s when first baptized in the Spirit and started to feel the hunger pang for God’s words, I was posted by my company to a town with only one evangelical church and the pastor, a fervent missionary, who decided to teach the handful of us the book of Revelation in nightly Bible classes! Imagine suddenly throwing someone who cannot swim overboard into the vast ocean. That was exactly what happened to me that winter. Looking back, I still remember listening and reading the unimaginable words and phrases night after night, with my mouth wide-opened in awe, and it turned out to be one of the best years for a “novice” in Christ. Unlike what many Christians may think, the book of Revelation is not a book of bad news for us. I believe that after one learns to swim proficiently in this vast ocean, there will be great rejoicing reading any other Book of the Bible (including the Leviticus)! For those who are familiar with this Book, it is still good to meditate on it and prepare for the year 2021. Begin at the finish line and you will not go astray.

The Book of Revelation is the finish line for mankind, including believers and none believers of Jesus Christ. There are already many easily accessible good online teachings and free Bible study tools for anyone interested. I would only share some of my notes on a few passages. Today I am led to look at three passages in chapter one: 1:1, 1:3, and 1:10 which speak to me.

What does Jesus mean by telling John in the three passages, highlighting:

“the events that must soon take place”, “for the time is near”, and “write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches”?

1:1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John,

3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

The watchman’s notes:

1. The apostle John was worshiping in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when he saw and heard Jesus talking to him and revealing to him the future events about mankind. 1:10
2. John describes the Jesus he saw and what he heard in 1:10-20. he summarized what he understood who Jesus really is in 1:5-7. Briefly, Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. He loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. And He is coming again, and every eye will see Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.
3. What are the events that must soon take place? They are all recorded down by John in the Book of Revelation. How soon will they take place? John wrote this book while in exile on the Patmos Island around 95AD. The message of Revelation is about what is to come. John is writing in two spaces: what was happening then and what would happen in the future. The book gives a picture of what will happen as we close the doors on human history as we know it and we look forward with anticipation to Jesus’ second coming.
4. What does it mean by “must soon take place”? When we read the Bible we can note that there is an emphasis on time, which reminds us that God does things in His time, the right time. From the definition of the word “soon” from Strong’s Greek 5034: Quickness, speed; hastily, immediately, it would appear in God’s view it would not be delayed when that right time comes. With God, a thousand years is like a day. In Matthew 24, Jesus Himself gave some answers to His disciples about the Jesus’ second coming and of the end of the age, and what will be the signs to watch. (Also read Mark 13; Daniel 9:23-27)
5. There are many teachings on how to interpret Matthew 24. I have noted two clues in 24:7-12, verse 10 for Christians, “Then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” How can this be? Yes, it is happening today, sadly, even among Christians and “believers” of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Verse 9 gives another frightening clue, “you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” Verse 8 concludes what these mean when they happen, “All these are the beginnings of sorrows.”
6. The development and rise of influencers’ power through media (communication) via the internet and digital technology has accelerated the speed and spread of information and shaping of the mind (attitude, value and belief). It also means that “all nations” can access to big information, including hate speeches/news almost simultaneously.
7. The above development and clear signs mean that “the time is near“. Revelation 1:3
8. What shall Christians do when we read, hear, understand these words? Do what John was asked to do. Obey. Spread the words and help others to understand.
9. Jesus came to this planet with a clear and focused mission, to save mankind from the power of sins and bondages and eternal damnation. And He did His part before He left earth. What did He tell tell His followers to do before He left? Matthew 28:17-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 24:44-49; John 21:15-17; Acts 1:7-8.
10. Take note that 1:10-11 clearly states that the Book of Revelation is for the Christians to read, listen and obey, and the Lord Jesus singles out seven kinds of condition a conglomerate of Christians could be under.

Revelation 22:6 6 Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”

Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22:7 7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Revelation (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)

an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times ( Hebrews 1:1 ) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. (See WORD OF GOD .) The Scriptures are not merely the “record” of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, in order to the accurate preservation and propagation of the truth.

Revelation and inspiration differ. Revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind; inspiration (q.v.) secures to the teacher or writer infallibility in communicating that truth to others. It renders its subject the spokesman or prophet of God in such a sense that everything he asserts to be true, whether fact or doctrine or moral principle, is true, infallibly true.

Kainotes, 12/03/2020

Today’s word of hope: hornet, Holy Spirit, and pattern for victory

What have these in common: hornet, pattern, the Holy Spirit? The watchman asks the Lord for the meaning of the vision he saw on the previous day during a 24 hours fast. In the vision he saw granular compartments in hexagon shape joined together. The word he receives today is “hornet”. Then he realizes that what he saw looks like a hornet nest.

There are two things to note about the hornets. Hornets (like bees) make hexagon cells, incredibly efficient mathematically optimal to divide a surface into compartments of equal area with the least total perimeter. The structure best economizes labor and materials. Hornet stings are very painful to humans because hornet venom contains a large amount (5%) of acetylcholine.

Why and where are hornets important in the Bible? Let us read the following three passages which all give one message from God. In the first two passages the Lord has given assurance to His people, especially the leaders and warriors, that He will send hornets before them to drive out and dispossess the enemies from the land that the Lord has given to His people. In the last passage the Lord recounted to His people the fact that He had actually done it, just as He promised.

What will God’s hornets do?

God’s hornets will cause fear and confusion among all the enemies, so that they will run away in defeat.

Exodus 23:27-28 27 “I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. 

God’s hornets will cause the enemies to fear and hide themselves from God’s people, and they will be destroyed.

Deuteronomy 7:17-21 17 “If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’— 18 you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So shall the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left, who hide themselves from you, are destroyed. 21 You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you. 

God’s hornets have driven out and destroyed the enemies before the people of God, delivered the promised land to God’s people.

Joshua 24:11-13 11 Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. 12 I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. 13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

Incidents of God’s helping the Israelites in their conquest of the land east of the Jordan and Canaan (from the watchman’s notes) It is obvious that the word “hornets” is a “secret weapon” of God for His people in battles to assure victories for them. Not the usual military weapons (sword and bow). During the Moses’ exodus from Egypt, and victories over two Amorite kings (Deuteronomy 2:31, 3:1-2) and later Joshua’s victorious conquest of the Canaan land, God’s presence is with them. The pillar of glory cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night which signified the Holy Spirit enabled the Israelites to escape safely from Egypt. God sent His Angel before them to drive out the Canaanite (Exodus 32:43, 33:2). God sent a Commander (Jesus) of the Lord’s army whom Joshua met outside the town of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15). God’s presence with Joshua (in the battles), defeated the enemies and achieved great military success (Joshua 11:6). The presence of the trinity God is invincible. According to Joshua’s testimony below, one man of Joshua’s army (on earth) shall chase a thousand of the enemy’s army. The spiritual military power is a thousand times that of military strength of earth man in terms of warfare.

Joshua’s last words to the Israelites’ new generation of warriors: Joshua 23:9-11

For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. 11 Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. 14 “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.

Joshua 24:14 14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.

What do I mean by the word “pattern” in this blog’s heading? God uses pattern to guide us. He gave a pattern of the tabernacles and all the related details to Moses. He gave a pattern of the temple to David. And He gives a pattern in the Bible about warfare. Why do I say this confidently? Our position in Christ has enabled every believer to confidently declare that we have the trinity God in us, the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. This is a pattern for victory.

On the power of pattern created and inbuilt by the Creator: “The honeybee’s honeycomb fits neatly into the atlas of mathematically optimal forms found in nature.” “That there could be a way primitive tiny-brained insects could possess the technology and skill to build incredibly efficient combs is simply astonishing.”

free from discrimination

Does God have favoritism? Genesis 3-15 shows us who are God’s beloved. Sufferings come from man and not God. The first man reacted to an inbuilt conscience of guilt and shame and started the blame culture after eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The following verses sum up what happened after the fall of Adam: denial of own failures and responsibilities by blaming others. Adam blamed his wife Eve and God for giving him a wife. Eve blamed snake who successfully lied to her and cheated her. Their eldest son Cain blamed God and parents for imagined favoritism, rebelled against parents and God and murdered his own brother Abel and left the presence of God and parents. The rebellious mankind then tried to build a name for themselves and finally became “Babel”. As quoted from an online source: “Babel, the kingdom of earth, is hell-bent on de-throning the God of the universe. It is a kingdom of pride, self-sufficiency, and defiance to the Creator.”

As God warned Cain, beware that sin is a spiritual creature that lurks at the door of our soul and seizes opportunity given by human to conquer and control human. Cain failed to be alert and turn around back to God because he persisted in believing his own deceptive prideful imagination and the lies of the devil. He could have easily turned back to God because at that time God was speaking to him and he could hear and talk back! But he chose to be consumed by defiance, envy and hatred. I believe he was unspiritual and could not believe in a spiritual God. This is still the main problem with many today. Sin is the thief that Jesus has described with the purpose to steal, kill and destroy mankind. Sin seeks to destroy a person’s peace. (Genesis 4:6; John 10:10)

But human is not left helpless and defenseless. Jesus has brought victory over sin and broken the power of death. He has brought super-abundant life to mankind. Man is not destined to be eternal slaves to sin and the power of death. Every born again believer has a new beginning in life. A born again spirit that is joined to the Lord’s Spirit. The wisdom who is Christ in us. The authority of the name of Jesus. The power in us is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This mighty power of the Holy Spirit now gives life to our mortal bodies. The children of God can rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us to live a victorious life. (Read Romans 5-8) We have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) We can put on the whole armor of God and stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

When we read the Bible verses we can see God’s love and mercy everywhere. He is love. He gives warning to help us not to fall into the many snares set by the devil after the first man’s fall. In ancient days (as recorded in the Old Testament) people could even hear God talking directly to them. Today we can hear Him too through listening in our heart to the Holy Spirit and reading His words.

(All Scriptures are quoted from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise indicated)

Genesis 3:12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

Genesis 4:5-7 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Genesis 4:16 The Family of Cain 16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

Genesis 6:5 5 Then the Lord[God] saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 7:1 The Great Flood: Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

Genesis 9:1 God’s Promise to Noah: So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

Genesis 11:1,4,6,9 The Tower of Babel 11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

GOOD NEWS TO ALL MANKIND: God does not have favoritism. You can be His beloved.

God seeks reconciliation and continuing relationship with human. He found a man who was faithful, not a nation, just one individual who could hear God and responded to God positively by faith. The good news is God intends Abraham to bless all mankind and not just his own biological descendants and tribe. The same blessings that God has given to him are to be given too to the rest of the world at all time. Who can qualify and how to receive? Read on.

Genesis 12:1-4 Promises to Abram (Abraham)1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”4 :1 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Genesis 15:1,6 God’s Covenant with Abram1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 4 on justification by faith: The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Galatians 3:5-9 You can have the faith of Jesus, the Son of God in you. You can have the Holy Spirit God gives to every believer as a guarantee of His blessings. Just believe and you will receive.

5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? —6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Acts 10:34-36,42-44

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name. ”Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.

How to claim Joseph’s 7 years of prosperity? Defend your entrances

The watchman hears this: beware of “Lawlessness”/”locust” spirit. An urgency call is here for every Christian to claim the seven years of prosperity of Joseph and not allow locusts  to continue to swarm in to invade your territory. Please take heed because the locusts will not stop unless you take up the authority already given to you in boldness and stand now and stand your ground with the whole armor of God.

You need to ask the Lord how to take positive action and activate your gifts in your area of influence. You are a citizen. You are a member of a community. You are an employee. You are member of an organization. You already participate in many arenas of your local community/network, including political, social, business/commercial, cultural/sports/entertainment, economical/financial, educational, religious and government/administration. You have a vote in your hand. You know what the Lord wants right now for the crucial moment. Remember the prophesy of Joseph’s seven years of boom time! Joseph’s prosperity benefits those who are willing to do honest productive work for their living. 

No, Christian, this may not be for your own personal goal. No, not for your affiliation, not for your party, race, gender, colour, class, relationship, whatever your personal agenda. No. This is the time to think outside your paradigm. I pray you be filled by the Holy Spirit and the words of God to act. Jesus says, the words I speak to you are spirit and life. Follow the spirit and life. Be led by the Spirit of the Lord as the children of God. I pray in Jesus name that your eyes be unveiled (opened) and see the truth and your ears be unstopped and hear our Lord. Align with the Lord and His purpose for mankind. 

“We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5 AMP)

Christian, this is not about judgment. Jesus has warned about strongman and gates. Jesus also says all hidden will come into the Light. Who are the locusts? Where are the locusts from?  Locusts do not work. They are thieves. They come in swarms. 

This is a spiritual war over your territories. Look at how other long standing successful present and historical powers (nations/people) defend their territory. They shut their physical and spiritual entrances against evil.

Nahum 3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Nineveh’s Complete Ruin
3 Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage;
Her prey never departs.
2 The noise of the whip,
The noise of the rattling of the wheel,
Galloping horses
And [a]bounding chariots!
3 Horsemen charging,
Swords flashing, spears gleaming,
Many slain, a mass of corpses,
And [b]countless dead bodies—
They stumble over [c]the dead bodies!
4 All because of the many harlotries of the harlot,
The charming one, the mistress of sorceries,
Who sells nations by her harlotries
And families by her sorceries.
5 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts;
“And I will [d]lift up your skirts over your face,
And show to the nations your nakedness
And to the kingdoms your disgrace.
6 “I will throw [e]filth on you
And make you vile,
And set you up as a spectacle.
7 “And it will come about that all who see you
Will [f]shrink from you and say,
‘Nineveh is devastated!
Who will grieve for her?’
Where will I seek comforters for you?”

8 Are you better than [g]No-amon,

Which was situated by the waters of the Nile,

With water surrounding her,

Whose rampart was [h]the sea,

Whose wall consisted of [i]the sea?

9 Ethiopia was her might,

And Egypt too, without limits.

Put and Lubim were among [j]her helpers.

10 Yet she became an exile,

She went into captivity;

Also her small children were dashed to pieces

At the head of every street;

They cast lots for her honorable men,

And all her great men were bound with fetters.

11 You too will become drunk,

You will be hidden.

You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.

12 All your fortifications are fig trees with [k]ripe fruit—

When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.

13 Behold, your people are women in your midst!

The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies;

Fire consumes your gate bars.

14 Draw for yourself water for the siege!

Strengthen your fortifications!

Go into the clay and tread the mortar!

Take hold of the brick mold!

15 There fire will consume you,

The sword will cut you down;

It will consume you as the locust does.

Multiply yourself like the creeping locust,

Multiply yourself like the swarming locust.

16 You have increased your traders more than the stars of heaven—

The creeping locust [l]strips and flies away.

17 Your [m]guardsmen are like the swarming locust.

Your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers

Settling in the stone walls on a cold day.

The sun rises and they flee,

And the place where they are is not known.

18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria;

Your nobles are lying down.

Your people are scattered on the mountains
And there is no one to regather them.

19 There is no relief for your breakdown,

Your wound is incurable.

All who hear [n]about you

Will clap their hands over you,

For on whom has not your evil passed continually?

Footnotes:
Nahum 3:2 Lit skipping
Nahum 3:3 Lit there is no end to
Nahum 3:3 Lit their
Nahum 3:5 Lit uncover your
Nahum 3:6 Lit detestable things
Nahum 3:7 Lit flee
Nahum 3:8 I.e. the city of Amon: Thebes
Nahum 3:8 I.e. the Nile
Nahum 3:8 I.e. the Nile
Nahum 3:9 Lit your
Nahum 3:12 Lit first fruits
Nahum 3:16 I.e. strips vegetation; or molts
Nahum 3:17 Or officials
Nahum 3:19 Lit your report

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but [b]divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.7 [c]You are looking at [d]things as they are outwardly…

Lord, please give us success!

God gives us all things with Jesus freely!
Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Psalm 44:7 You are the One who gives us victory over enemies;
84:11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. he gives us grace and glory.
89:18 Yes, our protection comes from the Lord.
90:15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good.
118:25 Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.
118:21 I thank you for answering my prayer, and give me victory!
118:14 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.
127:2 The Lord gives rest to His loved ones.
33:10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.
33:11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken.
AMEN. IN JESUS NAME.

a great mystery: great and abundant gain

I asked the Lord fresh words for this blog and perceived a verse: 1 Timothy 3:16 which talks about Godliness (Christlikeness) of/from Jesus. Both the apostles Paul and Peter told us to be godly. I quote below some related verses (red letters added by me). Note that godliness is associated with other characteristics: perfection (maturity in mind and character), virtue, integrity, righteousness, reverence, seriousness, faith, love, patience, gentleness of heart, contentment (inward sufficiency), knowledge, self-control, brotherly affection and Christian love.

Paul reminded Timothy that godliness requires training like he did physical exercises! It is not difficult, based on the assurance given by apostle Peter (2 Peter 1:1-4). Godliness promises great and abundant gain for this present life and the life to come! This is certainly good news!

Summary: Godliness is of divine nature. By the faith that God has given us in Jesus, through the divine power of the Holy Spirit, we get to know God and Jesus, and partake this godly nature.

1 Timothy 3:16 And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He [God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the [Holy] Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, [and] taken up in glory.

The same passage 1 Timothy 3:16 from The Message Bible:
…This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory.

Some passages on godliness from the New Testament:
Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1 Timothy 2:2 For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers’ tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.

1 Timothy 6:6 [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.

1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart.

2 Peter 1:6-7 And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

2 Peter 1:1-4 New King James Version (NKJV)

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Letter to my young friends: Get Solomon’s treasure

Dear young friends:

Today I am led to read Proverbs 1. King Solomon (reigned Israel 970–931 BC) was a very versatile, multitasking, talented and diligent man who authored 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32) amongst other famous art and scientific accomplishments. He received 666 talents of gold yearly (10:14). That’s about 730,000 ounces of gold per year. (10:14) At today’s gold price of $1252.08 per ounce, that means $914,018,400 yearly income from gold alone around three thousands ago! Why did he write Proverbs? What we can receive from reading this Book? Many ask. The answer I have received is “PLENTY” of especially practical wisdom, how to conduct one’s life wisely. The rewards are both material prosperity and beyond material wealth. The overall advice encourages a reverential fear of God, courage, kindness and piety living. In sum, the themes of Proverbs are neatly summed up in Eshet Hayil: “build a worthy family, stay on the path of virtue, and you shall be rewarded.”

Reading the Proverbs daily one chapter following the calendar date is a lifelong habit of many successful people. The Holy Spirit is in every born again Christian and we can read and ask the Lord to speak to us the verse(s) he wants us to pay specific attention.

There are 31 chapters (915 verses, or 15038 words) in the Book of Proverbs, an average of 29 verses or 500 words a day. For a person with basic English reading speed of 100-200 words you can finish reading your chapter in less than 5 minutes.

A testimony: I know of a young Christian child who wanted to be wise and do well in her study. She prayed and asked how to do that. Then she was led to read and copy the Proverbs (written by the wisest man in the world) one chapter daily. She truly became wise and excelled in her academic pursuits. She has since recommended this to other young people who are similarly struggling with their studies. From what I know she can study any subject and do just as well within a short span of time. Her uncle once told me that during a brief interval of her visit she had measles. So she studied insurance and passed her exam within the brief grounded period! They have never seen anything like this. Many youth find it hard to study but this one finds a way to help herself. Once she told me that to learn Chinese she was reading the Chinese dictionary (like a text book) from beginning progressively based on the number of Chinese characters’ strokes starting with the single stroke, and by then she had progressed to the words with six strokes. I had never seen anything like this but I was not surprised.*

Proverbs 1:1-9 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom
8 My child,[a] listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.

Proverbs 31:25-31 (of a wise successful business woman)
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

I pray you too be encouraged to read and copy down the wisdom the Lord uses through this Book of Proverbs to speak to you. How do you apply the words? By faith put into action. You will harvest just as Solomon had advised three thousands years ago.

Your watchman friend

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“
About Chinese characters
“Far from being complicated drawings, Chinese characters are made out of simple single strokes, all of them variations of only eight basic ones. All strokes have their own name and are written according to a few rules. It’s very important to learn to recognize them, since the number of strokes in a character is often the easiest way to find it in an index… but this will become clear after learning radicals and the use of dictionaries.” (Online source)

BTW: What happened to the young person? She became conversant in several professions. No worry about employment and enjoys the flexibility of choosing what she likes to do and where.