end time assignment: Revelation 111

The theme statement received today: “The Temple, altar, and worshippers are to be measured.” (Prophesied by Apostle John) This watchman has been led today to browse a number of more often used and quoted Bible references/commentaries showing what the churches had been taught in christian history.

“And there was given me a reed like to a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.” Revelation 11:1
“The measuring implies the protecting of, or the token of a resolve to protect, a portion of the sacred enclosure from desecration. The measuring, like the sealing of Revelation 7, is a sign of preservation during impending dangers.” “…the whole compass of the sacred enclosure, the house of God.” “The gist of the measurement is the preservation of the true, invisible Church, the Church within the Church; and everything necessary to the worship—Temple, altar, worshippers—all are reserved. (Excerpted from Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers)
“God will have a temple and an altar in the world, till the end of time. He looks strictly to his temple.” (Excerpted from Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary)
“There were, therefore, three things, as indicated by this verse, which John was directed to do, so far as the use of the measuring-rod was concerned:
(a) to take a just estimate of what constitutes the true church, as distinguished from all other associations of people;
(b) to institute a careful examination into the opinions in the church on the subject of sacrifice or atonement – involving the whole question about the method of justification before God; and,
(c) to take a correct estimate of what constitutes true membership in the church; or to investigate with care the prevailing opinions about the qualifications for membership.” (Excerpted from Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (Excerpts quoted)
CHAPTER 11 Re 11:1-19. Measurement of the Temple. The Two Witnesses’ Testimony: Their Death, Resurrection, and Ascension: The Earthquake: The Third Woe: The Seventh Trumpet Ushers in Christ’s Kingdom. Thanksgiving of the Twenty-four Elders.
This eleventh chapter is a compendious summary of, and introduction to, the more detailed prophecies of the same events to come in the twelfth through twentieth chapters. Hence we find anticipatory allusions to the subsequent prophecies; compare Re 11:7, “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit” (not mentioned before), with the detailed accounts, Re 13:1, 11; 17:8; also Re 11:8, “the great city,” with Re 14:8; 17:1, 5; 18:10.

“This temple was a type of the church under the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 6:16, and is so to be interpreted generally in this book: for the material temple at Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans more than twenty years before this prophecy, never to be built more; not one stone was left upon another; so that John here was bid to measure the church.

And the altar, and them that worship therein; yet not the whole church, but that part of it which the inner court typified; the altar, and those that worshipped within that space where that was, which of old were only the priests and Levites; and under the New Testament signified those who were to be a holy priesthood, a spiritual house, those that should offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 2:5, who could endure a measuring by God’s reed, the word of God.”

Excerpts from: Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod,…. A measuring reed, which with the Jews was six cubits long, Ezekiel 40:5; with the Greeks and Romans, ten feet long; the Ethiopic version here calls it a “golden reed”, as in Revelation 21:15. This was given unto John very likely by the same angel that gave him the little book, since he afterwards bids him arise and measure with it; and by it seems to be designed the holy Scripture, or the word of God, which is sometimes called a line, a rule, and rod, Psalm 19:4, and which is the rule and measure of doctrine and faith;”

What about my personal revelation?
1. The apostle John was given a specific authority and task.
2. He was given this revelation, prophesy and this personal letter from Jesus Himself.
3. What is the purpose of showing this Bible verse today to this watchman?
My personal observation is that this verse comes before great changes and events that will bring in another era of man’s history on earth. It is like another spiritual door is now being opened and the events thereafter through that door are what human cannot comprehend and expect. The summary I quoted above of Revelation chapter 11 tells us briefly what are happening after 11:1.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: Measurement of the Temple-The Two Witnesses’ Testimony: Their Death, Resurrection, and Ascension-The Earthquake-The Third Woe-The Seventh Trumpet Ushers in Christ’s Kingdom-Thanksgiving of the Twenty-four Elders. Watch this prophesy:”the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit”.

Coming back to John’s measuring (protective) assignment and authority over the Christian churches. Who has been given the same? We read what Jesus says to affirm my answer.

Matthew 28:18-20 New Living Translation (NLT)
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Footnotes:
28:19 Or all peoples.

the first word for team building: be humble

Jesus started a team. He built a team. The first team continued and built more teams. The teams in turn built more teams…it goes on and does not stop. Today the team continues its multiplication effect just as Jesus has intended and demonstrated.

When I first started team building many decades ago in my own business management practice and teaching team building so my team can in turn build teams, I did not realize the Jesus initiative. Today I turned on recorded lessons from a Bible School and listened to one lesson at random as I was carrying out my usual daily chores. The first thing that struck me was that the topic (course subject) was “The Beatitudes” but the teacher talked about team building in the first lesson! As I continued to listen it makes sense and is entirely relevant to me and all Christians who are in a position to lead, train and teach. To me it is really a refresher course in good and basic management practice.

I summarize below the foremost key teaching for the disciples of Jesus in Matthew 5-7. (Living Bible (TLB))
One day as the crowds were gathering, he went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down and taught them there. He taught them to live another lifestyle and equipped them to go to the mission field. He first told them these: “Humble men are very fortunate!”

“Be humble” is the first key teaching of Jesus to disciples. The whole three chapters speak of this command. Why? Jesus knew very well then even the apostles would fall if they became proud. How could they not become proud? With all the power and authority after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on them just as Jesus had promised. So much power and so much authority with the name of Jesus. Just look at what the apostles could do, preaching the gospels and converted thousands at one go, healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead! The first generation churches were jam packed with power and authority. It was like they operated with a direct pipeline to heaven channeling down every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:3)

How not to be proud? The answer is to “be humble.” If it is not possible to be humble, then there is no need for Jesus to tell us how blessed it is to be humble. If the apostles/us are not likely to be proud then there is also no need for Jesus to specifically spend such time to mention what being humble means.

Pride comes before a fall. Jesus knows. The apostles know. Church history knows. So today we learn a good word. Be humble. Especially in a team like a church (an entity built on the foundation of the apostles). Pride breaks up. Humility builds up. Pride is self-focused. Humility is Christ-focused. Pride divides. Humility unites.

How to tell the difference between pride and humility? The Bible has given us a very accurate measure: Use the Bible as the plumb line. Check the fruit. Weigh on God’s scale.

Matthew 5 Living Bible (TLB) “Humble men are the world’s light!”

5 1-2 One day as the crowds were gathering, he went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down and taught them there.
3 “Humble men are very fortunate!” he told them, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
14 You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.

A wise and successful king (Solomon) gave his sons the following warning about being proud: (Note how pride ranks together with other evils)
Proverbs 8:13 If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind.
Proverbs 13:10 Pride leads to arguments; be humble, take advice, and become wise.
Proverbs 16:5 Pride disgusts the Lord. Take my word for it—proud men shall be punished.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 18:12 Pride ends in destruction; humility ends in honor.
Proverbs 21:4 Pride, lust, and evil actions are all sin.
Proverbs 29:23 Pride ends in a fall, while humility brings honor.

Luke 1:51-53 New Living Translation (NLT) (Mary’s Song of Praise)
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.

How to identify the difference? Matthew 7:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.

What good fruit is from Galatians 5:22-23 [Full Chapter]
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

A warning about being fruitless from Jude 1:12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.

Where good fruit comes from? James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
Colossians 1:6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
Colossians 1:10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
Philippians 1:11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. 

Kairos administrator: take the seven mountains of nation

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of several successive kings

A Kairos time has come for Christians to take the seven mountains of the nation. When we look at each of the mountains we see one key word: administration. What? We need an administrator. Administrators are not highly respected in our current world of management. Entrepreneurs are more valued. But the fact is that we have allowed corrupt and incompetent administrators to ruin the mountains of nation because we have abdicated in the past. Today we are called to become administrators again. What Biblical model shall we emulate? This is the question we shall answer.

From Daniel 1, 5 and 6 we read that Daniel was both a fearless, principled, godly, faithful spiritual man and a man well versed in every branch of learning, gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. He was both a man of spiritual discernment, vision, and demonstrated the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as a man competent and excelled in the administration and government of the nation, even the empire.

He had the Spirit of the Lord as described in Isaiah 11:2 (on Jesus):
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Yes, Daniel, the man with the Spirit of the Lord, is the administrator we are looking for to be on the top of every of the seven mountain of the nation today.

Daniel 1 (NLT)
4 “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.
8 But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. 9 Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel.
17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.
So they entered the royal service. 20 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Daniel 5 (NKJV)
11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him;
12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.
16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas.
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Daniel 6 (NLT)
Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 5 So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”

10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 Then the officials went together to Daniel’s house and found him praying and asking for God’s help.

25 Then King Darius sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

“Peace and prosperity to you!

26 “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.

For he is the living God,
and he will endure forever.
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and his rule will never end.
27 He rescues and saves his people;
he performs miraculous signs and wonders
in the heavens and on earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian

the true meaning of names: life or death matters. Be named.

A NEW NAME FOR EVERY BELIEVER
I pray you who come to this place understands the meaning of names today. This is the first word for this year, 2017. There is a meaning for you personally, just as there is a deep meaning for me too. I am a believer of Jesus Christ. So you are, or shall be. There is no other name but His name that can save and transform you from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Hear today His message for you. Why do I mingle His name with each believer’s new name recorded (or to be recorded) in heaven? Because without believing to His name, you cannot be a believer. When you become a believer you are given a new name in heaven by the Holy Spirit who gives you the new birth, just as a parent does at the birth of their child. Jesus has said it clearly, you need to be born of the Spirit in order to belong to His name (God’s name). Your new name is spiritual. Without this new spiritual name you cannot enter His Kingdom which is here on earth and/or later the eternal life with God in heaven for that matter. Names means life or death. It does matter, my friend. 

Be named. This is my New Year’s wish for you.

Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’

Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

Revelation 21:12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Revelation 21:14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

Revelation 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 19:16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Matthew 12:21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

Matthew 18:5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

Luke 10:20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

BELIEVER SHALL LIVE BY WHOSE NAME
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Acts 3:16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Acts 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Acts 4:10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.

Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

GOD KNOWS HIS OWN PEOPLE BY NAME
Exodus 33:17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
Exodus 28:11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. Exodus 28:21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes. Exodus 28:29 “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually.

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

2017 books for the year for all ages

As the chronological year is a boundary for many in this world, I am led today to share some books which will help us walk across the year’s path of divine appointment without the usual hassles which will come upon many in the increasingly volatile physical world. I collected this set of six books at random. I selected them about three months back and lent them to someone dear. she read over them many times and treasured the words of God in the new light. I believe they have really helped her to function better and cope more successfully with her many crisis situations which accumulated over all her life and the lives of her family members. I believe she is now able to appropriate the every blessings that the Lord has prepared for her (and every believer in Jesus) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). I can see the discernible enthusiasm for life with fresh hope , assurance and confidence in perspective and worldview of this 75 years old grandmother. She has learned to practice the authority of the position of a son of God, and the use of the powerful Jesus’ Name.

The books have been a blessing to many like her in every aspects, physical, mind and emotion. I pray the readers of this blog will gain access to these books and read them many times until you too can practice what the books teach. I would look at such books as manuals or handbooks. Their sole purpose is to help us learn to practice the truth that our God has revealed in the Bible. Read the books and and the Bible together. Let us start the new year with this resolution: Be the Bereans (Acts 17:11).

KJ21 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with allreadiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so. NLT And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

I quote excerpts (from Andrew Wommack’s articles) that briefly introduce to you each of the six books as follows. But the real treasure is in the complete books. Please read them!

A BETTER WAY TO PRAY
Decades ago, I was participating in an all-night prayer meeting bombarding the gates of heaven. I remember beating the wall and yelling, “God, if You loved the people in Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we’d have revival!” Immediately, my lightning-fast mind realized that something was seriously wrong with my theology. What was I thinking?

Did I really believe I loved these people more than God did? No, not exactly. Like many Christians, I believed God was angry with the human condition, and it was up to me to turn Him from wrath and judgment. I was interceding, or so I thought, pleading with God on the behalf of others. What could possibly be wrong with that? As I learned later, a lot.

The things the Lord has revealed to me about prayer since then have totally changed my life, and I’m now seeing miraculous results. If you aren’t getting the results you know the Lord wants you to have, maybe it’s time to consider a better way to pray. I’m not saying that anyone who doesn’t pray as I do is “of the devil.” I wasn’t “of the devil” in the way I used to pray. I loved God with all my heart, and the Lord loved me. But the results weren’t there.

First, we need to recognize that God isn’t angry at mankind anymore. He is no longer imputing or holding our sins against us.

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:19

We are NOW reconciled to God through Jesus. That means we are in harmony and are friendly with God right now. He isn’t mad; He’s not even in a bad mood. The war between God and man is over. That’s what the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus…

LESSONS FROM ELIJAH
One of the most important things the Lord has ever spoken to me is taken from a passage of Scripture involving Elijah the prophet. Once I saw what it was really saying, it linked many other truths together and made a big impact on my life. This is so simple that once you see it, you’re going to wonder how you never saw it before.

Here’s what it says in 1 Kings 17:2-4:

And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, [3] Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. [4] And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

Elijah’s provision wasn’t where he was; it was where God told him to go! This is profound!

Some of you have an impression from God to do something. Maybe you’re supposed to start a new business, make a job change, move to another town, go to Bible college, speak to a person, etc. You want to do it, but you’re holding back because the provision isn’t there yet. You’re saying, “God, I can’t do what You’re asking without first seeing the provision. How do I know all these things are going work out‌” This principle in 1 Kings applies directly to your situation. God is sending the provision for your needs not to where you are but to where He told you to go! The question is, “Are you all ‘there’‌” Some of you aren’t experiencing supernatural provision because you aren’t “there.” There is a place called “there” for you.

In verse 4, God said, “I have commanded the ravens,” (emphasis mine), meaning He had already spoken to these ravens and they were on their way to where Elijah was supposed to go.

First Kings 17:5 says,

So [Elijah] went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
(Brackets mine)

In other words, if Elijah had stayed where he was, he could have prayed and fasted, saying, “God, why haven’t You supplied my needs‌” But he wouldn’t have seen God’s provision if he hadn’t gone where God instructed.

One of the reasons we aren’t seeing a greater provision from God financially, emotionally, or in our circumstances is because we aren’t doing what God told us to do. We’ve got a word from God that we haven’t acted on. We’re somewhere other than where He told us to be…

SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY
Knowledge is powerful!

I just returned from an overseas flight where Jamie and I were upgraded to business class. The seats made out into a flat bed. It was wonderful. It really reduces jet lag. As I was drifting off to sleep, I thought about John Wesley who traversed the Atlantic in the hold of a ship. It took him a couple of months one way, and the conditions were terrible. My flight from London to Denver took nine hours, and I had luxuries he couldn’t have imagined.

All of this is possible because of knowledge. Man hasn’t created anything new; he’s just discovered the laws that the Lord established from the beginning. “Bird brains” have been flying from the start. The same is true with communications, electricity, computing, and a host of other modern breakthroughs. Man is just discovering the laws God created.

Although mankind has made huge discoveries that have totally changed the way we live, it seems like we know less about ourselves than previous generations. While our ancestors didn’t have all the modern conveniences, they had a peace and strength that eludes most today. As our knowledge of our natural world has increased, our knowledge of spiritual things has decreased. In man’s arrogance, he blindly believes all of life’s problems can be solved by himself. But there can be no peace without if there isn’t peace within.

There is a whole universe that man in all his wisdom is ignorant of. That is the world of the spirit. And I’m not just talking about the spiritual realm outside of us but also the spiritual being inside of every person. We aren’t evolved animals; we were created in God’s image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). We are spirit beings. The ultimate way to control bad behavior isn’t by more laws, metal detectors, or social engineering; it’s changing the hearts of people, one at a time. Only Jesus can do that.

Yet sadly, even many Christians have lost this spiritual point of view. Very few Christians know who they are in the spirit. In fact, they have been taught by religion that they are sinners by nature—just the opposite of what the Bible teaches…

YOU’VE ALREADY GOT IT
What do you need the Lord to do for you? Do you need the Lord to heal you? How about prosperity? Could you use more money? The truth is, you don’t need the Lord to do anything for you. He’s already done His part. You’ve already got it, whatever “it” is.

This may sound crazy to some of you. You might be thinking, But I’ve got a doctor’s report to prove I don’t have healing or You haven’t seen my bank account. But regardless of what the natural facts are, the truth is that God has already given you whatever you need.

Second Peter 1:3 says,

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

The only thing we are lacking is knowledge.

Most Christians believe that God can do anything, but many of them don’t believe He has done very much. They live in a constant state of trying to get God to do something. They are begging God to move through revival, healing, prosperity, etc. They run from meeting to meeting, trying to get something from God. But they’ve already got it.

The Bible says,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

This says He “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings,” meaning it’s already done. You already have all spiritual blessings. So, asking God or waiting on Him to bless you is counterproductive. And yet the average Christian starts from that position. If they’re sick in their bodies, instead of starting from “by His stripes, I was healed” (1 Pet. 2:24) or “I have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living in me” (Eph. 1:19-20), they’ll take the doctor’s report or the pain in their bodies and say, “I’m sick. God, will You heal me?” They start moving toward victory instead of coming from victory!

One time, I was praying for healing for my son, who was very little at the time. I wasn’t seeing him healed, so asked God, “What’s wrong?”The Lord spoke to me, “You’re fighting to get your son healed instead of fighting because he is healed.” You might say, “I don’t see the difference.” There’s a huge difference! The Lord told me that instead of defending my son’s healing and just releasing what Jesus already provided, I was trying to get Him to do something.

If you didn’t understand this, then I can guarantee you, this is one of the main reasons you aren’t receiving from God. You need to get a revelation of this. Jesus has already provided everything you will ever need. You’re blessed with all spiritual blessings—all of them!

The key for me understanding these things was the revelation the Lord gave me that I’ve entitled Spirit, Soul & Body. God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and He moves in the spiritual realm. Whether or not we see a physical manifestation of what He has done in the spiritual realm is dependent upon what we believe and how we act, not on what He has done. It’s not up to the Lord to heal us; He’s already healed us (1 Pet. 2:24). But He gave His miraculous power to us to release.

Healing has already been provided. Financial prosperity has already been provided. Joy and peace and everything that you will ever need emotionally have already been provided. If you’re having a down day, if things aren’t going right, if you don’t feel good, you don’t need to embrace discouragement, despair, and hopelessness. And yet the average Christian just embraces this stuff, saying, “O God, I ask You to touch me. I ask You to give me joy.” The Bible says you’ve already received all these things. The logical question to ask, then, is “Well, where is it?”

In Galatians 5:22-23, it says love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are in you if you’re born again. It’s right there in your spirit! I’ve had many people come to me and say, “I just don’t feel the love of God. Would you please pray that He would release His love toward me?” Most people think that’s a great request. But it assumes that it’s God’s fault that they don’t feel His love.

The truth is, God has already poured out His love toward you. Look what it says here in Romans:

The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 5:5b

God loves you whether you feel it or not! His love has been poured in your heart—in other words, in your spirit. And His love isn’t conditional upon your good actions, or holiness. You’ve got to start from this place that “God has already provided everything, and if I don’t feel His love, it’s not that God didn’t give; it’s that I don’t realize what I have.” When you know that you have something, it takes the struggle out of it. It takes you out of condemnation. It takes you out of a legalistic mentality of trying to earn things from God. It removes doubt. How could you ever doubt that you’d get something that you already have? It’s really that simple…

HARNESSING YOUR EMOTIONS
The Bible teaches us that our thoughts are the determining factor which controls our actions. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Notice that carnal mindedness doesn’t just tend toward death — it is death!

No one can consistently perform differently than the way they think; therefore, we cannot change our actions without changing our thinking. It’s not just what we think about that needs changing, but we must change our thinking process. Our emotions are linked directly to how we think.

All people have a perception, or image, on the inside of them of what they are like. This image is not necessarily based on facts but on feelings. One negative experience can distort a person’s perception of themselves for a lifetime.

For instance, some people who are beautiful may think of themselves as ugly or undesirable because of unkind words spoken to them as a child. Some who achieve great success still see themselves as failures, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To a degree, psychology has correctly diagnosed this problem. Psychologists use terminology such as “self-esteem” or “identity” in relating these truths; however, today’s secular wisdom is totally inadequate to help a person change the inner self image.

First, most people shift the blame for bad self-esteem, or self-image, to someone else. It has become popular to blame others for every negative thing in our lives. People often say, “I came from a dysfunctional family,” “My problems came because I’m part of a minority group,” “It’s that woman you gave me” (Gen. 3:12). Other people are not our problem!

All of us have had negative experiences. The choice is ours whether we become bitter or better as a result of them. For every person who can claim some dysfunctional behavior because of a traumatic experience in their life, there are others who have had similar or worse things happen to them, yet they overcame their circumstances. Why? Because problems do not dictate failure; we have a choice.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” God Almighty gave us a choice. God doesn’t make the choice for us, and Satan can’t make it for us. We have the privilege and responsibility to choose blessing or cursing.

Placing the blame on others is denying the real problem, and it will prevent finding a solution. If other people are my problem, I’m in trouble because God did not give me the ability to control other people. The devil will always send someone across my path who knows how to hit my hot button.

If the problem is within me, then there is hope because through Christ, I can change. This is freedom. Regardless of what others do, I can prosper through Christ.

After psychology tries to place the blame for your problems on someone else, they try to bolster your self-esteem by having you focus on the positive things in your self and minimize the negative attributes. That’s not what the Bible teaches. Jesus said, “For without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5)…

THE EFFECTS OF PRAISE
Living a life of praise is not only the most enjoyable way to live, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways to change your life. Praise isn’t like the caboose that just follows what happens, but it’s more like the engine of a train that makes things happen. Your faith isn’t complete without praise. Colossians 2:7 says that you abound in faith with thanksgiving. No thanksgiving equals not abounding in faith.

Praise affects you, it affects the devil, and it affects God. It touches everything and every part of your life. Likewise, a lack of praise affects you in a negative way, turns the devil loose in your life, and doesn’t bless God. You have to get this area of your life right.

Nearly everyone agrees that praise is good, but very few feel any responsibility to praise God when they don’t feel like it. I don’t know anyone who wakes up in the morning and plans on being depressed. They would like to be happy and praise God, but they don’t feel they have any control over this. They think that praise is just a response to what happens and that if everything goes right, they will automatically do it. That is definitely not the case.

The Lord told His disciples the night before His crucifixion not to let their hearts be troubled (John 14:1). This wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. Yet most Christians today would think this was insensitive and unreasonable. They would say that Jesus wasn’t being understanding and compassionate.

These disciples were about to see Jesus arrested and then flee in fear for their lives. They would see Jesus unjustly condemned and then crucified and buried. And He was telling them not to let their hearts be troubled! To the average person, that’s unreasonable.

Jesus ended His discourse to His disciples that evening with a promise that they would have trouble (John 16:33). Wow! What an understatement! Yet He said to be of good cheer. How was this possible? He said it was possible because He had overcome the world.

At the time Jesus said that, He hadn’t been crucified, much less resurrected and seated at the Father’s right hand. It was because of faith that the disciples were supposed to rejoice. He had promised that He would be resurrected and then reign, and if they were in faith, they would rejoice—and so would we.

We live in a negative world, a fallen world where it seems that the ungodly are getting more and more prominent. So much of what we hear is just negative, and we have to make a deliberate effort to be positive and counter the culture we live in. Praise is a great tool to help us achieve that…

Links:
https://store.awmi.net/p-153-effects-of-praise.aspx
https://store.awmi.net/p-156-harnessing-your-emotions-book.aspx
https://store.awmi.net/p-160-youve-already-got-it.aspx
https://store.awmi.net/p-158-spirit-soul-body-book.aspx
https://store.awmi.net/p-198-lessons-from-elijah.aspx
https://store.awmi.net/p-170-better-way-to-pray.aspx

a new season of grace and power to do miraculous signs and wonders

Acts 14:3  But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.

Acts 15:11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

Acts 20:24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Acts 20:32 “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.

Ephesians 2:8-9 [Full Chapter]
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Ephesians 1:2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Ephesians 1:6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

Ephesians 1:7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Ephesians 2:5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Ephesians 2:7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Ephesians 3:2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.

Ephesians 3:7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

Ephesians 6:24 May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.

My prayer for you : Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Romans 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

KJ21 for the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

ASV for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

AMPC [After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

MSG God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

OJB For the Malchut Hashem is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of tzedek (righteousness, DANIEL 9:24), shalom (peace) and simcha b’Ruach Hakodesh.

VOICE because the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking. When God reigns, the order of the day is redeeming justice, true peace, and joy made possible by the Holy Spirit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My prayer for you: Be filled with the Holy Spirit!
Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
1 Thessalonians 1:6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

christian sociopath and criminals

BE WISE IN OUR COMPASSION: Judas Iscariot, sociopath (updated 12/20/16)

12/20/16: I am led to read this article again today as it appeared suddenly in my top ten list. Why? Is it because a case involving the same lawyer who seemingly has chosen to live by flesh has recently emerged? Previously after the incident I described in my following older blog I had noted a personality type described as sociopath but I did not really look at the subject much as I knew that my loss of money on this individual was due to my love of God (through my foolishly believing so).
But today I remember another more prominent case concerning a high ranking individual and the subject came up again in my conversation with an elder loved one while discussing dysfunctional human being. Like Judas Iscariot, there are persons in this world we cannot understand. They are human. But there seems a lacking in their make-up. Something inside is missing. When I tried to explain to the elder I could not find an exact word.
The closest I could say was there seemed a lack of humanness (which includes conscience , kindness/compassion and a sense of shame in doing wrong and or causing harm to others) in these individuals. According to the Bible, they have no fear of God. Yet they are purportedly Christians. Are they saved? Or do they belong to the brood of vipers Jesus had warned? Are they the tares sown in the churches by the enemy of God? I have no answer. Was Judas Iscariot capable of loving Jesus? It appeared he wasn’t. The apostle Paul placed a curse on anyone who could not love Jesus.
1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!

Originally posted on  03/21/2016

Today’s word is: “BEWARE OF THIEF-JUDAS ISCARIOT”. My personal inability to hear and obey the Holy Spirit in spiritual discernment which impacted my decisions in worldly matters was indeed very costly! The thief is not someone who comes from outside. The culprit is fellow Christian whom we are close to and trust like family. Let us read this message from the Holy Bible (NKJV), John 12:4-6. (Boldness added)

4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Several years ago I was alerted when the Lord opened this verse about Judas Iscariot to me when a friend and I decided to financially bail out a Christian lawyer who was dishonest in handling her clients’ money. The clients found out and demanded restitutions. She had by then squandered off the money to satisfy her personal lifestyle. I chose to ignore the Lord’s warning because we trusted then the other Christians who were associated with her. We paid a significantly large sum out of our love for God. It later turned out that our decision was wrong and foolish.

I made the same mistake of compassion for the poor a year ago for another Christian. I got my kind Christian friend involved too to bail out a Christian woman from loan sharks. The same verse came but I chose to ignore out of love for God. I was proven wrong immediately after the transfer of money.

In both the above cases I heard the word “witchcraft; sorceries”. I later realized that we were blinded by witchcraft and sorcery. The wrong spirit was there when they opened door to evil. Being Christians who are always too trusting my friend and I chose to ignore the Lord and gave them the benefit of the doubts in a humanistic way. Our inability to hear and obey the Holy Spirit in spiritual discernment which impacted our decisions in worldly matters was indeed very costly!

 Two days ago I was warned of this term “beware of pickpocket” as I was approaching a bus-stop. My spirit received the message not to use the bus. But my companion was adamant as we had to learn how to live humbly to prepare ourselves to serve in poor places. I did not like the look of three men sitting there alone. The warning in my sprit was clear and loud. So I took precaution. But I did not warn my fellow traveler for fear she would feel insulted because why should I hear the Lord and she could not hear? True enough she became the victim. The thieves ran off after their successful stealing when boarding the bus.

.But this morning again I was alerted to this verse. Because of the urgency and repetitions, I decided to put this down in writing.

I love Christians. Because they are God’s people. Because I love God. Jesus must have loved Judas Iscariot. But the ending for Judas Iscariot was horrifying. He did not repent to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. He went another way, opposite to where Jesus went. You see, Judas Iscariot was not unloved. He was not rejected. He was treated well and equally as the other disciples were. He was given a high and responsible status as someone entrusted with the money bag of the whole ministry of Jesus Christ. He was the financial controller of the first Christian ministry on earth. Lots of followers of Jesus put in their money. Lots of people wanted to be the disciples of Jesus. Living together with Jesus and the other disciples, what kind of lifestyle did Judas live? Where could he have spent the money he stole from the bag? what did he do when he purportedly went out to give the money to the poor? Surely many people would have seen and noticed his different lifestyle. Surely the other disciples knew of his spending habits and tastes for more expensive stuff. But no one said anything. Not one record in the Bible of any other disciple advising him or counseling him or suggesting to Jesus to make another the money custodian.

In the corporate world we look at the lifestyle and taste of an employee and take note. Is his or her lifestyle incongruous with his net earning? Where does he get his money from? is he to be trusted with the corporate account? We check police records prior employment. We ask questions and take instant remedial or precautionary steps immediately. Jesus says that the manager of the world is wiser than the Christian manager. (“For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” Luke 16:8) We practice good and accountable stewardship in the corporate world I know of.

I pray that the born again Christians whom I know and love continue to abide in Jesus and let God’s words abide in them. Don’t go the opposite way. It’s not worth it. I pray each encounters God in reality, as Spirit. I have personally encountered my God in the Spirit. He is real. No amount of enjoyment in the flesh (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) is worth giving up God for. With God, everything is possible. You can be changed to wholeness in Christ. Even Judas Iscariot. Be changed. PUT TO DEATH YOURSELF. 

COVETOUSNESS IS IDOLATRY

Colossians 3:4-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Jesus says, 

Matthew 16:26

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The above is

relevant today

I quote below additional online resources on this matter:
Question: “What does the Bible say about a person who is a sociopath / psychopath?”

[Answer: The terms sociopath and psychopath do not appear in the Bible. However, the Bible does mention behaviors that are characteristic of those that today are described by the nearly synonymous terms sociopathic and psychopathic.

In today’s criminal and psychological literature, a sociopath or psychopath is identified as one who is characterized by extreme self-centeredness and immaturity, shallow emotions (including reduced fear, a lack of empathy and remorse, low tolerance for stress, and little response to positive motivations), cold-heartedness, superficial charm, irresponsibility, impulsivity, criminality, a parasitic lifestyle and a desire to manipulate others. A psychopath is one who compulsively performs criminally selfish acts with no apparent conscience or concern about the welfare of his victims.

The Bible identifies such sociopathic and psychopathic behavior as among the severest moral and spiritual effects of man’s fall into sin. Jesus described such sins as arising from evil hearts (Mark 7:20–23). The apostle Paul identified godlessness as the root of such a deadly heart (Romans 1:28–32). The sociopathic heart produces the worst characteristics of sinful man’s nature (Romans 8:5–8), the worst effects of both genetic and environmental moral degradation. Early in human history, God wiped out all but eight people because of such universally incorrigible behavior (Genesis 6:5–13). Deuteronomy 21:18–21 prescribes for the Old Testament nation of Israel the legal consequence of such behavior: execution by stoning. Apparently, such behavior was considered by God to be so disruptive and damaging to the family and to society, so contrary to the character of the people that bore His name and supposedly reflected His image, as to be intolerable.

The New Testament does not offer specifics on civic dealing with these serious problems. Its teachings about morality and immorality of every kind, and its hopeful appeals and invitations to repentance, conversion, and transformed life in Christ, certainly apply to a psychopath as to any sinner. Paul, describing conduct that included sociopathic characteristics, wrote to one congregation of believers in Jesus Christ, “Such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, emphasis added). God is able to rescue and restore to righteousness the most corrupt heart. See Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:1–17; Romans 7; Romans 8:1–17 and 28–30.]

The above quote is from this link: (https://gotquestions.org/sociopath-psychopath.html)