The Blood of Jesus - 3

This week we want to look at the Blood from a different angle. There is a great story that happens at the beginning of time as we know it recorded.

Adam and Eve had two sons. Cain and Able were the first two son’s that they had. In Gen 4, we read the story of these two men. Cain was a farmer that farmed with vegetables, while Able was a farmer of sheep. Both of them decided to bring an offering to God. Cain brought some fruit of his harvest, and Able brought some firstborn lambs to sacrifice. Not getting into too much detail, but the story says that God respected Able's offering but not Cain's. Cain got mad at Able, and he decides to kill his brother in secret. 

God visits Cain and warns him about the sin that is waiting to trap him - Gen 4:7. Cain still goes ahead and kills his brother. God comes to revisit Cain to ask him about Abel. 

Gen 4:10 And He said: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground."

Abel's blood had a voice. A voice that cries out for revenge. A voice that cries out for justice and punishment. 

Abortion is a very unpopular topic, but the truth must speak. Millions of unborn babies' blood are crying out for justice. Where is righteousness to defend them? Blood is spilled, and the perpetrators forget about it, but their blood still speaks, crying out for revenge. Blood has a voice that God can hear. Innocent people being killed in a genocide, children being trafficked, women violated, people are suffering from injustice because of their skin color, all their blood is crying out, and God hears them. Their blood has a voice.

Where does the blood of Jesus make a difference? We all know He suffered and died. He shed his blood for the remission of sin. His blood is the voice that answers them. Look at what scripture says.

Heb 12:24 To Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Jesus' blood also has a voice. As Jesus was hanging on that cross, suffering for the sins of the world, beaten and bruised for our iniquities, shedding His blood for the remission of our sins, He prayed. He gave a voice to his blood: "Father forgive them; they don't know what they are doing."

His blood has a voice that is crying, not for revenge but reconciliation. His blood is calling for restoration and redemption. His blood wants justice by mercy and grace, not by punishment. His blood speaks of better things. 

By His blood, we have the forgiveness of all our sins. By His blood, we are reconciled back to God. When we were yet sinners, His blood justified us and saved us from the wrath of God.

Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 

While all the injustice in the world is crying out for revenge, His blood is crying out for forgiveness. 

The most powerful thing is happening. God is not ignoring the injustice; he is answering the voice of the blood of Jesus. He is not imputing our sins to us, thereby reconciling us to Himself.

2 Cor 5:18-20 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

What a wonderful truth. Jesus' blood is more powerful and can set us free. We use to sing this song in Church:

There is victory for me; there is victory for me, 

In the blood of Christ my savior, there is victory for me.

For me, yes me, for me, yes me.

In the blood of Christ my savior there is victory.

The Blood of Jesus - 2

Last week we looked at the blood as it pertains to making a Covenant. God made a Covenant with Abraham, and blood played a significant role in making the Covenant. 

When God made the New Covenant for us, He required the same thing. A Covenant could not be made without giving a life and shedding blood. When John saw Jesus coming to be baptized, he declared prophetically that Jesus was the Lamb of God - John 1:36. 

The night that Jesus shared the last supper with the disciples, He confirmed the reason why He came. This is the blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins - Matt 26:28.

Heb. 8:6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Jesus confirms that He would give his life and shed His blood to ratify the New Covenant. We must ask ourselves: Why a New Covenant?

In the Old Covenant, people had to sacrifice often to shed blood to cover their sins. When God would see the blood, he would pass over and not punish them for their iniquity. We know the pattern for that in the story of Israel's deliverance from Egypt. God set a standard and an expectation for Israel when He delivered them. It also shows us what the blood was able to do. 

On the night that God would deliver them, they had to kill a lamb without blemish and apply the lamb's blood to the doorpost of their homes. Then they had to bring the whole family into the house. That night God would visit Egypt and strike all the firstborn of Egypt in the final judgment plaque - Ex 12. Blood had to be shed, and a firstborn had to die. 

Not only was Jesus the Lamb of God, but he was also the firstborn from the dead - Col 1:18. God provided the Lamb in our redemption, but His firstborn will die and be resurrected from the dead. Judgment will fall on the enemy of God, but the Lamb will live again. This foreshadows the power of the blood of Jesus. Not only will it protect, but it will redeem. Something the blood of animals could never do. The best that animal sacrifices could do was to remind God of our sins.

Heb 10:1-4 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

The Blood of Jesus removes our sins so that there is no remembrance of our sins for God. Once and for all time, God dealt with our sin issue. He is not covering it up anymore. He is removing it!

Heb 10:10-18 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

No more sacrifice for sin. No more does sin remind God. With one sacrifice, God perfected those that accepted the blood sacrifice of Jesus. This is the power of the New Covenant. 

This is the very thing that gives us the power to overcome the enemy. Revelations say that we overcome him(enemy) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony - Rev 12:11.

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There is power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you over evil a victory win? There is wonderful power in the blood. 

The Blood of Jesus - 1

I remember growing up, and we would sing about the blood of Jesus. People would pray and plead the blood of Jesus. The Pastors would preach about the blood and how powerful it was to set the sinner free. I accepted Jesus as Lord of my life because I believed His blood was enough to cleanse me from all my sin. Sadly I can't remember the last time I heard any sermon about the blood of Jesus.

Why have we stopped preaching about the blood? The blood of Jesus is one of the most powerful things, and every devil and demon fears the Lamb's blood. Recently I saw an interview between a Muslim and a Christian, and the Muslim asked the question: Why does your God need blood? Is he a vampire? 

If you remove the blood from the message, then we have no New Covenant, no remission of sins, and no eternal redemption. I want to spend a few weeks looking at the importance of the blood of Jesus.

When a covenant was made between two parties or people groups, they would take an animal and cut it in half. That animal would give both its blood and its life to ratify the Covenant. The symbolism was very significant in the act of cutting or making the Covenant. The life that was given by the animal was symbolizing that if any one of the parties would break the Covenant that it would cost them their lives as well. The blood was proof that the ultimate sacrifice was made to establish the Covenant. 

The next important thing we must understand is that it was the way God established a covenant would be made. Shedding blood to ratify a covenant was not something a man initiated, so man can not change that. In Gen 15:9-10, we read how God made a covenant with Abraham. 

And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

Then God put Abraham to sleep, and while he was asleep, God made the Covenant with Abraham. 

Gen 15:12-18 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation, they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. On the same day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

For a covenant to establish, two things had to happen: life had to be given, and blood had to be shed to ratify the Covenant.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever - Heb 13:8.

The New Covenant that God made with us required the same things. Life and blood. This time it would not be the blood of a lamb but the blood of The Lamb. With Abraham, the Covenant was that all the people of the earth would be blessed. With Jesus, the New Covenant will be for the remission of all our sins. What a blessing!

Matt 26:26-28  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary

The blood that gives me strength from day to day

It will never lose its power. 

It reaches to the highest mountain. 

It flows to the lowest valley.

The blood that gives me strength 

From day to day 

It will never lose its power.

The Kenosis of Jesus!

Recently I had a call from someone who had a Racer on the Race. They were struggling because their son does not believe that scripture is the inspired Word of God anymore. Daily we see our young people struggle because they are not grounded in the Word. Another incident happened where someone said that Jesus was only a prophet, not the Son of God. 

How do we answer them?

Phil 2:5-8 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

There has been a lot of talk about this subject lately after a well-known Pastor accused another renowned speaker of false teaching. The one group says that Jesus was entirely man, laying down all aspects of being God; the other speaker says that Jesus was altogether God in the flesh.

So why is this important? The Muslims deny that Jesus was God. So do the Jews. If we believe that Jesus was only a man, are we agreeing with them? Did Jesus lay down His divinity and become what Bill Johson states: Jesus was a man under the complete influence of the Holy Spirit. Great statement but is it true?

Young people get bombarded at college with what is not the truth. A lot lose their faith after four years and struggle with believing the Bible is God's inspired Word. Next will be them considering that Jesus was only a prophet. How do we answer these questions?

Let us consider what the first group says: Jesus was only a man, not God. The argument and scriptures they use are: 

1. If Jesus was God in the flesh, why did the enemy tempt him when James 1:13 says that God cannot be tempted. So for Jesus to be tempted, proof that he was a man only. 

2. Another scripture reference is 1 John 3:9. God is Holy, and God cannot sin. For Jesus to be tempted, he had the potential to sin, proving that he was a man without God's divinity. 

3. It would not be fair for Jesus to defeat the enemy as God. He had to be a man to overcome temptation and so rightfully defeat the enemy. Adam was a man, and Jesus came to take our place as a man to redeem us from sin. 

4. Jesus says that he does not know the time and the hour that the Father planned for his return - Matt 24:36. If Jesus were God, he would have known. As a man, he does not know what God knows.

The second group says: Jesus was God, and he took on the form of a man as God. He chooses not to use his divinity but knew that He was God.

1. God can never change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever - Heb 13:8. That means that God cannot be anything else but God.

2. The Word that is God became flesh - John 1:14. God added flesh to Himself and manifested as flesh but never denied His divinity.

3. Jesus was the exact image or imprint of God - Heb 1:2-3. That means that Jesus was altogether God and that he functioned both as a man and as God. 

4. Jesus prays that we should be one with Him as He is one with the Father - John 17:21. His oneness with the Father is not in agreement only but also in character and essence. 

So what does it mean when we read that Jesus emptied Himself? We have to understand that to deny that Jesus was God in the flesh diminishes him to a mere human being. He was a man in the flesh but not without His divinity. In Mark 1:34, he prohibited the demons from speaking because they knew Him. They know he was God in the flesh. 

Jesus claims countless times to be God. Muslims like to argue and say that He never claimed to be God. What does scripture say?

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 8:57-58 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth before Abraham was even born, I Am!”

John 10:30-33 I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

I believe that what Paul is writing is that Jesus emptied himself, not of his divinity but of his choice to be equal with God while in the flesh as a human. He willingly took on humanity and proved that a man with the Holy Spirit's help could overcome the sin that the enemy brings to him. 

He was not a man without God. He was God as a man. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us - John 1:14

My Identity - 3

n the last two weeks, we have seen that your identity is not what you have but where you originated from. Man is created in God's image. You have an origin, not in the natural but in the Spiritual. You are a Spiritual being that lives in a natural body. Scripture defines us as Body, Soul, and Spirit - 1 Thess 5:23.

God is Spirit - John 4:24. You are created in His image! 

The natural world is where we live in our natural ability. The spiritual world influences everything we see in the natural world. The visible world becomes an expression of the spiritual world. Good is an expression of God, while evil is the expression of the enemy. The spiritual world is invisible but becomes visible in the natural world. 

Jesus is the express image of God - Heb 1:2-3, Col 1:15, John 14:9. Jesus is also the express character of God. When you saw Jesus in action, you understood the nature of God. The way the world sees God or understands God's character is what they know and see from us. We are called to express God's character, as well. 

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another - John 13:35. What are some of the ways that Jesus expressed the Father?

Grace and Truth.

Jesus came in the flesh, and he was full of grace and truth - John 1:14,17. God is a God of grace and truth. Throughout his ministry, we see how Jesus showed grace to people and spoke the truth to them. The woman that was caught in adultery is one example. He does not condemn her, that is grace, but also tells her to go and sin no more, that is truth. When we work with people different from us in opinion or religious persuasion, do they find grace and truth?

Righteousness.

God is all righteous. Righteousness means to be free from sin, morally right, or justifiable. Another way is to be in right standing with God. Jesus showed us what it looks like to be righteous. We are commanded to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first of all - Matt 6:33.

Holy.

God is holy. The original term for holiness meant to be set apart for a specific purpose. God is holy in the fact that He is sinless. In Christ Jesus, God has declared us holy again because our sins are all paid for by His blood. We are set apart to be conformed to the image of Christ - Rom 8:29.

1 Pet 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

Forgiving.

God forgave us of all our trespasses. He has reconciled himself unto us by not imputing our trespasses against us - 2 Cor 5:17-20. God expects us to do the same. In Matt 6, Jesus teaches the disciples to pray in this way: "Forgive us as we forgive those that trespass against us." Let me rephrase that for you: " God, will you forgive me to the extent that I am willing to forgive others." Forgiving is the one way we confirm the New Covenant because their sins were covered but not forgiven in the Old Covenant. Jesus' blood is the only blood that can forgive and wash away sins - Col 1:14.

Love.

God is love - 1 John 4:7-8. Love is not a feeling; love is a sacrifice. Love requires a surrender. God surrendered His Son because he loved the world - John 3:16. Love is to forgive when they don't deserve it. Love is to serve when they need it. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is not selfish. Love is not rude or is not provoked. Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, hope all things and love will never fail - 1 Cor 13:4-7.

I mentioned five things that characterize God. If we are in His image, these should be our character as well. We have been born again, and we no longer have to struggle with a sinful nature. We have a choice. We can partake of the nature of Christ!

2Pet. 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

When people meet you, what do they see and hear coming from you? When they meet you, do they have an encounter with the character of God? That is who you are, an image bearer and a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven.

My Identity - 2

Last week we looked at discovering our identity. Your identity is tied to your purpose. Your identity is never what you own or your sexuality. That has to do with your choices, not whom you were created to be. 

We are created for a purpose. We noticed that there was an original intention in creation. You didn't just come to exist out of thin air. The universe, as we know, it has intelligence behind it. Science claim that it is evolution, a "Big Bang." That is what they call it, but I know that it is God. The intricate working of all the planets, the uniqueness of a human body, and all the parts functioning can not evolve by itself. You are uniquely and wonderfully made.

You know your purpose, but what is your identity?

In Genisis, we see God creating heaven and earth. God says in verse 26 of the first chapter: "Let Us make man in our IMAGE."

What does that even mean? 

The original word for Image in Hebrew means a shadow, a representation, or an imprint.

Adam was to be a representation of God's character. How do I know that? The first Adam failed, the last Adam, Jesus, came to show us what the first Adam missed. As the first Adam was created in God's image, so was Jesus. The first Adam was to represent God to the human race. The last Adam was to represent God to the human race and represent the human race to God. 

Heb 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

When you saw Jesus in his daily walk, you understood the nature and the character of God. When Jesus forgave an adulteress, it shows us the righteousness of God. When Jesus healed a blind man, it showed us the character of God. When Jesus forgave people for their sins, he showed us the nature of God. If you understood him, you understood the heart of God for people.

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

What is essential is to know that Jesus came to show us what our origin is. You don't find proof that you evolved from a monkey. You, my friend, were created in His image. Your identity is not an evolution process trying to better the previous organism. The source of your identity is a creator that said: "It is very good" after he made Adam. 

If you want to know your identity, you are, first and foremost, a spiritual being. God is a Spirit, and we are created in His Image - John 4:24. That means you are a spiritual being having an earthly experience, not an earthly being trying to have a spiritual experience.

Secondly, you are a partaker of His divine nature. 

 2 Pet 1:4 By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Just like Jesus came to show God's character, we are now partakers of that same Godly nature. God's nature is holy and sinless. God's nature is loving and graceful. We are no longer driven by our carnal nature that wants to fulfill the desires of the flesh. We live by the Spirit of God.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

What is your identity?

You are a son or a daughter of God - John 1:12-13. You have His nature, and you have His character. 

My Identity - 1

In an age where we see an increasingly new focus on people discovering their identity, this will help you understand who you are.

Being part of the older generation is sometimes hard to admit, I never knew people that struggled with their identity as I see young people struggle with it today. They struggle a lot because they tie their uniqueness into their sexuality and not into their original intended purpose. 

Let me say that your sexual preference is never your identity. Sexual preference is a choice you make. Your original intended purpose was decided for you. The world has duped a whole generation into thinking that what they sexually prefer is their identity. For other people, their success or their possessions becomes their identity. When the stock market crashed in 1929, many wealthy people committed suicide because they had their identity wrapped up in what they possessed.

What is your true identity? First, you have to ask, what is your purpose?

No identity can be identified unless you identify the purpose that the creator had for it initially. A tractor is identified as farm equipment. No one argues with that because the creator of the tractor had a goal in mind. Create a machine that can till the ground and speed up planting the new harvest. The original purpose it was created for does not alter because the farmer chooses to use the tractor to pull his truck out of a mudhole. 

What is God's purpose for you?

1. God created you to be loved. 

You are the object of God's affection. When sin robbed us of fellowship with the Father, He paid the ultimate price to redeem us. What motivated God to go to that extreme to make sure He maintains fellowship and friendship with us? He loves us. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that gave. Love can't help it. Of all the things that God can create to love, He chose you.

2. God created you to be in a relationship with Him.

John 17:3 - This is eternal life, that they might know the Father and the one whom He has sent. God saved us to restore our relationship with Him. He longs to communicate with you and to reveal His heart and plan for your life. God is a Father, and He wants many sons and daughters. Those that accept Him He gives the power and authority to become His sons and daughters - John 1:12.

3. God created you to be an overcomer.

God tagged Adam with the responsibility to rule and reign and to subdue the earth. We don't like trials and temptations. They are not sent to make us a failure but to understand the joy of overcoming whatever the enemy throws at us. Without a test, there is no testimony. I love what James writes in James 1:2 - Count it all joy when you fall into various trials and temptations because the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

4. God created you to know His will.

The biggest struggle with understanding God's will is that we still think the wrong way. Rom 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God is. God wants us to understand what He wants for us. Solomon states it in this way: Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path - Prov 3:5-6.

5. God created you to represent Him on earth.

When God created Adan and Eve in His image, they were to be a representation of God on earth. God said: Let us make man in our image. If you saw Adam, you would understand who God is. Jesus is the express image of the Father - Heb 1:3. Jesus was the express character of God. If you saw Jesus, you would know and see the nature of God on display. Rom 8:29 says that He predestined us to be conformed to the image of Christ. If he expressed God's character on earth, and I have to be like Him, I must express God's nature. 

Now that we know some of our purposes, we can begin to discover who we are. We will start next week.

The Kingdom - 17, The New Jerusalem.

We are completing our study on the New Jerusalem this week. We have seen that the New Jerusalem is a city that metaphorically speaks of the Church, Christ's bride. The City has twelve gates, and each gate is a pearl. Each gate also has a name, named after the twelve sons of Israel. In Biblical times, names had prophetic meanings. A pearl is formed through irritation. Each gate is a process that shapes us into a place where the Kingdom of God can come to earth through us. 

We have looked at the first eight sons of Israel and what their names mean. This week we will look at the last four sons.

Ninth son: Issachar - reward. We will all be rewarded one day for what we have done. There is a reward for the righteous, and for the unrighteous, there is a reward- 1 Cor 3:14-15. Knowing that we will be rewarded, we must be aware that we can also lose rewards. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus warns the disciples and the people that if we love people because they love us, we have no compensation. To love your enemies is what brings a reward. Suppose we pray to be seen by men, no reward. Suppose we give to be seen, no reward. If we fast to be seen, no reward - Matt 6:1-2, 16. What about Moses, who despised Egypt's riches and followed God because he wanted the real reward - Heb 11:26. Confidence has an incredible prize - Heb 10:35. The irritation in this process is not seeking out the wrong things that can bring temporary relief but robs us of our real reward. Going to God and understanding that He rewards those that seek Him first - Heb 11:6.

Tenth son: Zubulon - habitation. From Genesis to Revelations, we see a pattern. God wants to live with His people. He visits Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden both before the fall and after man's fall. He stays with Abraham, Speaks to Isaac, and meets with Jacob. He commands Moses to build Him a tabernacle so that He can be amongst His people. He manifests Himself in the flesh through Jesus Christ and redeems humanity. He fills the worshippers in the Upper Room with His Spirit and still does today. The Angel says: call His name Emmanuel, God with us! In Revelations, we see that the City of God comes down to earth, and God dwells with His people forever, a new earth and a new heaven that does not need the sun because God will be the light that lights all people - Rev 21:23. You are part of the body of Christ, a temple for God to live in - 1 Cor 3:16-17. As a homeowner, I have a choice to rent out rooms. Airbnb is a popular way to make some extra cash. God does not rent rooms in His house to outsiders. What do you allow to dwell in your life that does not compliment His presence?

Eleventh son: Joseph - he shall add a son. Joseph was the firstborn son of Rachel. After Leah and the handmaidens had sons, God opened Rachel's womb. Joseph has a fantastic story of redemption - Gen 30-50. His brothers sold him into slavery because they were jealous of him. He stays faithful and pure in Potiphar's home. He remains accountable while in prison and finally gets restored to being second in command of Egypt. His testimony is that of redemption. His family is blessed in times of famine and preserved when others suffer hunger. What do we do with the process God uses to make us blessed? We add another son. Sons and daughters are added to the Kingdom through evangelism. When was the last time you shared your testimony? God did something for you. Some people are waiting to hear the good news. Your processes are not lost. Your prison and your pit become a doorway for someone to discover God's goodness amid trial and difficulty. 

Twelve son: Benjamin - son of my right hand. Benjamin is not a half brother to Joseph but a full brother because they have the same mother. We are not half brothers and half-sisters of each other, but we are a full-blooded family, no more strangers, and foreigners but fellow citizens of the saints and God's household - Eph 2:19. A few things happen when Benjamin is born - Gen 34. Jacob returns to Bethel, and God changes his name to Israel, which means "God contents." From now on, God is fighting for you. Rachel also dies as she gives birth to Benjamin. When Joseph was ruling in Egypt, Benjamin servings was five times more than his brothers - Gen 43:34. Joseph had his servants place his cup in Benjamin's bag with his money. The cup identifies the real brother. When we face difficulty, we identify as brothers of Jesus by drinking the same cup of suffering as Christ did. Jesus asked the disciples: Are you able to drink from the cup I am about to drink? They said: We are able. Jesus responds: You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. We become sons of His right hand when we face the same baptism and suffering. This last gate qualifies us to represent the Kingdom well. We stay in the process until we are mature and complete as a dwelling place for His glory - Gal 4:1-6.

First, you receive the son(Rueben); then, you start hearing(Simeon) and obeying. Obedience causes you to walk in unity(Levi) with the Spirit and the purposes of God. Your life is filled with praise(Judah) even as God judge(Dan), and you fight the good fight to obtain what God has promised(Naphtali). God fights for you and assist you(Gad) and blesses(Asher) you in your enemies' midst. He rewards(Issachar) your faithfulness and chooses you to be a dwelling(Zebulon) for Him. You add another son(Joseph) as you go and preach the Gospel, disciplining them to maturity and they become seated with Him in heavenly places, seated at His right hand(Benjamin)

You are the New Jerusalem, the City, and the bride of Christ. These processes make us a dwelling place for Him. 

1 Pet 2:4-5. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God, andprecious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Eph 2:19-22 Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

The Kingdom - 16, The New Jerusalem

Last week we started looking at The New Jerusalem. Jesus' first mention of the Church was that it was a light and a city - Matt 5:14. The writer of the Book of Hebrews also refers to the same imagery of the Church when he says:

But you have come to Mount Zion, and the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and the Church of the Firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkling of blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel - Heb 12:22-24.

You are the City, the bride, the New Jerusalem, and the dwelling place of God. The New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven, we are seated with Him in heavenly places, and through you, heaven invades the earth. Looking at the New Jerusalem, we saw that t has twelve gates, and each gate was a pearl. A pearl is formed through irritation. Each gate was named after one of the twelve sons of Israel. Last week we looked at the first four sons that were born and what their names mean.

Ruben - Behold a son.

Simeon - Ears to hear.

Levi - Unity.

Judah - Praise.

This week we continue looking at the next four sons that were born.

Fifth son: Dan - God judged. Judging is such an essential process for each one of us. Judging is good if it happens without a critical spirit. We must understand the reason for judgment. We cannot condemn when we judge; that is God's prerogative. Jesus reminds us in the parable about looking to find a splint in your brother's eye while having a log in your own - Matt 7:1-5. He is making us aware that we are unable to judge a brother or sister, knowing we are imperfect. The irritation for us in this process is giving up our judgment. That is hard because we are so quick to judge people and not the fruit of their lives. Another parable he tells highlights our prejudices. In Luke 18:10-14, a Publican and a Pharisee went to pray. The Pharisee prayed: God, I thank you that I am not like the Publican. I give alms, I fast and do all these beautiful things. The Publican prayed: God forgive me; I am just a sinner. The Pharisee judged the Publican. If we want to excel in the Kingdom, we must allow God to judge. The fifth son also speaks of grace as five represents the number of grace. 

Sixth son: Naphtali - Obtained by wresting. Eternal life is a gift. The grace of God is free and undeserved. His mercy is free and new every morning. The price for growing in the Kingdom will cost you everything. Jesus tells the parable of a man that found a pearl of great value. He sold everything he had to buy that pearl - Matt 13:45. Daily I have to fight my old fleshly nature. I do the things I don't want to do and don't do the things I need to. Paul admonishes us to die daily and take up our cross and follow him. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. Jesus said that the Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force - Matt 11:12. The life we walk in the Kingdom is a struggle sometimes. Don't fight a shadow. Fight for what will bring you closer to maturity in Christ. When we allow God to judge, He will show us what we need to wrestle with to gain the victory.

Seventh son: Gad - A troop cometh. We are never alone in this fight. God is ready to fight for us. Multiple times in scripture, we see God fighting on behalf of Israel - Ex 14:14, 2 Chron 20. When Jesus is at the end of his ministry and ready to die for the sin of the world, He says to the disciples: I can ask the Father, and He can give me twelve legions of angels - Matt 26:53. A cloud of witnesses and angels surrounds us and are ministering spirits sent to assist the people of God - Psalms 104:4. We are indeed a majority, and if God is for us, who can be against us. We must stop looking at our lack and start seeing our supply. The hard thing is to stop doing it in our own strength and ability. We must begin to trust God. When God fights for us, we fight alongside Him, and He causes an overflow and victory on our behalf.

Eight son: Asher - blessed. We can never earn His blessings. When we do what He asks us to do, when we walk in obedience and follow His voice, blessings come without working for it. Blessings are never what we have but who we have. A faithful man is blessed - Prov 28:20. In the parable of the talents, the ones that were faithful in stewarding the master's property received double as much. Another key to being blessed is not rewarding evil for evil - 1 Pet 3:9. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places - Eph 1:3. 

First, you receive the son(Rueben); then, you start hearing(Simeon) and obeying. Obedience causes you to walk in unity(Levi) with the Spirit and the purposes of God. Your life is filled with praise(Judah) even as God judge(Dan), and you fight the good fight to obtain what God has promised(Naphtali). God fights for you and assists you(Gad) and blesses(Asher) you in your enemies' midst. 

Next week we will look at the last four gates of The New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, The Church of the Firstborn, the people of God.

The Kingdom - 15, The New Jerusalem.

We have been studying the gates of the kingdom. John gives us a glimpse of what the bride of Christ looks like in the Book of Revelations. He compares the Bride of Christ to a city. This statement is biblical as Jesus, also called the Church, His Bride, a city. 

Matt 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill can not be hidden.

John also describes Jerusalem, the bride, as a city coming down from heaven. 

Rev 21:2-3  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Rev 21:9-13  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

The symbolism John uses here is the Church; the bride of Christ is a city. That city is the New Jerusalem, and it has twelve gates, each gate is named after one of the names of Israel Sons. To fully understand what John is trying to convey here, we must do some Bible study. Each one of the gates is also a pearl. 

Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

How is a pearl formed? Through irritation. A small grain of sand gets inside the oyster and irritates it. The oyster secretes a lubricant to stop the irritation, but instead of stopping it, it forms a layer around the grain of sand. Now the grain is more prominent, and the annoyance is more significant. The oyster keeps on secreting a substance that keeps adding to the size of the pearl, and eventually, something precious forms from the irritation. Does that sound familiar? 

Each of these pearls or irritations has a name. Each one of these gates is a spiritual experience we must go through to become the city or the dwelling place of God. The foundations are other precious stones. Let us look at these gates and what their names mean. 

Read Gen 29-35:

Jacob had four wives, and with them, he had 12 sons. He loved Rachel the most, but God shut her womb, and Leah had the first sons. Each one of these sons' names had a meaning. We will look at them in order of birth.

First Gate: Reuben - Behold a son. He was the firstborn of Israel. This speaks of what happens with us when we get born again. When we are born again, we receive Christ, and he comes to indwell us with His Spirit. Unless you are born again, you can not enter the kingdom of God. Unless you receive the Son, you are not born again. Paul and John remind us of this fact in Rom 8:9 and 1 John 5:12. The first gate to become His dwelling place is the born again experience. Do you remember how much truth irritated you? He is the way, the truth, and the life. 

Second Gate: Simeon - Ears to hear. The Second Son's name means you have ears to hear. After you get born again, you can know the voice of God and hear God's voice. Jesus says that His sheep know His voice and obeys His voice. John 10:3-4. As sons and daughters, we have the ability to hear His voice. Having ears to hear gives us the ability to obey. The writer of Hebrews says that He became the author of eternal salvation for all that obey Him - Heb 5:9. The second gate into becoming his dwelling place, His bride, is having the ears to hear and obey Him. First, we get born again, and then we develop the discipline of obedience. Do you feel the irritation when your flesh wants to do its own thing, but you know you have to obey His Word?

Third Gate: Levi - attached or unified. The third Son's name means to be in unity. When you get born again, you are joined unto the Lord, and Paul states that we are now one spirit with Him - 1 Cor 6:17. We are also one body with God through the baptism - 1 Cor 12:13. We are a peculiar nation, a holy nation, a royal priesthood made up of Jews and Gentiles - 1 Pet 2:9. We walk in unity, which is provided through the fivefold ministry to equip us for our ministry in and through Christ's body- Eph 4:11-13. The hardest thing for the body is not following Jesus, but walking in unity. Jesus' prayer in John 17 is about making us one as he and the Father are one. 

Fourth Gate: Judah - Praise. The fourth Son was named praise. Get your praise on. After you are born again, you receive the ability to hear and obey His voice, and He has made you one Spirit with Him, how can you not burst out in praise. Praise is a weapon. When we worship, we create a dwelling place for God - Psalm 22:3. Praise is where we start; thanksgiving is where we live, and worship is where we are changed. The irritation is the ability to praise Him when nothing looks like it is going well. 

Four gates into the city, the dwelling place of God. A bride prepared for her husband that has made herself ready - Rev 19:7. Four experiences that will shape you until Christ is fully formed in you - Gal 4:19. We are not done yet. Some more gates need to be discovered. 

Join me on the journey next week.

The Kingdom 14 (The gates of Heaven)

I am excited about this week and what we can learn about the Kingdom. I will break this up in three weeks for us. The reason being that one blog will not justify what we want to talk about the Kingdom.

Every Kingdom has its foundation established on three things. There have to be covenants, altars, and gates. This week we will look at the first of these three: Gates.

It is hard for us to understand this concept in our day as we live in a different world. Cities are not gated anymore. Back in history, people would work in the field all day and come inside the city gates at night for safety. Think about the movie 'Troy" and how high walls and city gates surrounded the city. The same thing is what Joshua was up against when they conquered the city of Jericho. 

Gates have meaning. It was also the place where the elders met to judge and decree sentences and make laws. People would gather to hear the wisdom of the elders in the gates of the cities. Young men will come to the city gates to be taught by the elders of the cities. 

Gates was also entryways into cities. Gates was guarded by soldiers to prevent any unwanted people or enemies from entering the city. 

There are also gates or portals into the spiritual realm. We all have seen the cartoons with Peter standing at the gate of heaven, seeing who can be allowed to enter in. There are also gates or portals that open to hell. Jesus defines that for us.

Matt 16:18 You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

So what are these "gates" to the spirit world?

Let's forget what you saw in cartoons. Let's allow the scripture to define it for us. 

We know that Jesus said that it gives the Father great pleasure to give us the Kingdom - Luke 12:32. We also know that the Kingdom is not from this natural world but the Spiritual world - John 18:36.

The Kingdom God is giving us, is Spiritual and from the dimension of God. That Kingdom has gates that allow you to enter in but also for the Kingdom to invade the earth. 

In Genisis 28, we read the story of Jacob fleeing from his brother. He stole the blessing, and Esau and Esau wanted to kill him. He stays over one night and has a dream. In this dream, there is a ladder from heaven to earth, and Angels are ascending and descending on it. God appears above the ladder and speaks to him in the dream. When he wakes up, he realizes that God met with him. 

Gen 28:16-17 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

What we see here is an example of a Gate of Heaven. When God connects with a man, a gate opens up from the unseen world into the visible world. Why would God give us the Kingdom and ask us to pray: Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven? We become the gate that connects the visible with the invisible.

Psa. 24:7-10  Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah

Gates don't have heads! We have heads. When we become the gate to the invisible realm, we allow the King of Glory to come in. Look at what happened at the baptism of Jesus.

Matt 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

The heavens opened up. Jesus lived under an open heaven; He lived as an open gate to bring heaven to earth. When God and man unite, a gate is open into the supernatural realm. 

Just as we are gates of heaven, so are unsaved people gates to hell. They open up what hell has to offer. When Jesus said to Peter: The gates of hell will not prevail against it, He said that what unregenerated people have to offer can not stand against what we have to offer from heaven. 

Kingdoms have gates. We are the gate to the Kingdom of God. How did you hear about God's love for you? Someone opened the way when they shared the Gospel with you. 

We have a responsibility. We must protect our gates. What do you bring into your living space? Guard your heart and your ears. Make sure you stay open as a portal or a gateway to heaven.

The Kingdom - 13

Today we are going to look at the Church and the Kingdom. Is the Church the Kingdom, and is the Kingdom the Church? 

The Church and the Kingdom are not the same. A quick test that you can do is to replace the word Kingdom with Church or visa versa. Replacing or substituting these words will quickly show that the Kingdom and the Church are different entities. 

Matt 6:33 Seek first the Kindom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

What if we replace the word Kingdom with Church?

Seek first the Church of God.......

John 3:3 Unless you are born again, you can not enter the Kingdom of God. 

How does this sound?

Unless you are born again, you can not enter the Church of God. 

The Kingdom is the domain and the realm of God. Jesus came to bring the realm of God to earth. In His prayer, he tells us to pray: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 

While the Kingdom represents God's realm, the Church is the instrument God chooses to bring the Kingdom to earth. 

Jesus only mentions the Church two times. In Matt 16:18 and Matt 18:17.

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

Not only that, but he uses a word that is not Hebraic in its essence. He uses the word "Ekklesia." He uses a Greek word that was customarily used in a secular way, speaking of local people's assembly to discuss strategic issues and create laws that will benefit all citizens. The word means the called-out ones. 

The meaning of this word, ekklesia, goes beyond being called out for something or a purpose. The prefix "Ek," when used in Greek, also donates origin. So the Church is not just called out for a purpose, but they are also called from or out of God. God is the originator or the beginning of His Church. 

The Kingdom is His realm, and the Church is His instrument to bring that Kingdom to earth. 

Jesus said that He would build His Church. Let me say that denominations are not the Church but only a flavor of the Church. Jesus does not start denominations, and in every stream of belief, some people are fully submitted to Him and following Him with all their hearts. How will Jesus build His Church?

Peter had a revelation. 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus builds His Church on only one admission. He is the Christ, the Messiah, and the one that God has sent to make way for us to come to the Father. Our purpose, like the ones that are called out for God, and from God, is to be the instruments that will bring His Kingdom to every situation on earth. 

1Pet. 2:9-10  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The Kingdom - 12

We are learning so many things about the Kingdom by just looking at the scriptures about it.

This week we read from Matt 13:24-34.  

He put another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the Master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn."

Jesus interprets the parable for his disciples in verse 37- 43.

He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the Kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Before we start trying to identify some people that might be a weed, let's ask ourselves what kind of weeds we would allow the enemy to sow into our lives while we sleep. Let's be honest; we are not always vigilant and watchful. I was reminded of this not long ago when I got frustrated, and before I knew it, my action showed me that that I am not as Christlike as I should be. Weeds are only recognized by the fruit they have.

Some other weeds we sometimes allow are individual relationships. We have relationships that are not always conducive to our walk with God. Are you in a toxic relationship, an abusive relationship, a relationship that is not challenging you to be more like Christ? These might be people the enemy wants to use to produce fruit in your life that is not glorifying God. Again I am not saying these people are weeds, but the enemy uses people to get to us.  

It is interesting to note that the Master does not want the weeds pulled until harvest time. I believe that when harvest time comes, the fruit will be showing, so it is easier to discern what is weeds and what is wheat. Too often, we have stuff in our lives that looks like useful plants, but when the fruit shows up, we realize it was not what we thought it was. The measure we need to use is: Am I influencing people or culture, or is people and culture shaping me? The fruit of the Kingdom that is in my life must be reproduced in the life of others.

The next significant principle we see in this parable is the fact that the weeds get removed first. Throughout scripture, we see a pattern. When God deals with us, He always removes the weeds and leaves the wheat. God always remove sin and leave His righteousness. In Noah's day, he removed the unrighteous and had eight righteous people inherit the earth. In the day of Pharoah, he justed Egypt and delivered Israel. The reason is that the earth is the Lords and the fulness of it - Psalm 24:1.

God wants to help you get rid of some weeds. Things that are looking like the real thing but are not. Will you ask Him today to show you what needs to be cut out of your life? 

The Kingdom - 11

This week we will look at what happens when we enter the Kingdom of God. We have already seen that the only way to enter the Kingdom of God is through the born again experience - John 3:6.

What benefits do you get by being born again?

Psalm 103:2-3 tells us not to forget His benefits. He forgives us all our iniquities and heals all our diseases.

It is imperative to understand that it is way more than eternal life. Sharing the Gospel with people, we all have focused on the fact that you can have eternal life(living forever) if you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. I am not trying to diminish the fact that you will live forever, but eternal life is a person. John clearly states in 1 John 5:11-13.

And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have His Son does not have life.

What are some of the other benefits of being in the Kingdom?

Col. 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 

Apart from having eternal life, you are also a partaker of an inheritance. God promised Abraham that he would make him the father of many nations. The heritage is that through Abrahams's seed, who is Jesus, God will bless the earth's nations. We are children of God through faith, just like Abraham, and we are the seed or offspring of Christ. 

Furthermore, we are His inheritance. Of all the things that God has or that God can make, He chooses us as His inheritance. That will help you understand your significance much better.

Eph. 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

1Pet. 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.

Secondly, we have been delivered from the power of darkness. 

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son: 

The enemy operates through deceit, lies, intimidation, and fear. These are the things that empower him. So what does this mean to you who has been transferred into the Kingdom of God? The word "translated" in the text means: to accompany and stand together with someone. God accompanied us and is now standing with us in the Kingdom of his dear Son.

You are not subject to fear, intimidation, lies, and deceit. God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind - 2 Tim 1:7. You are now subject to the Kingdom of God's things like love, joy, peace, faith, hope, love, kindness, self-control. 

Thirdly we have redemption from all our sins in the Kingdom. 

Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Do you understand what God did with your sin? Can you fathom the extent of being reconciled to God? How much does it impact your life concerning the fact that God no longer imputes or holds your sins against you? 

In redemption, God not only removed your sins, but he also removed the consequences of those sins. You have experienced forgiveness, but you also experienced His mercy and His grace. Mercy is the fact that we didn't get what we deserved, while grace gives us the ability to live as a new creation. 

You have and are His inheritance. He translated us into His Kingdom by delivering you from the power of darkness. He forgave you all your sins. You are now a son and daughter of God, and He is your father. 

1 John 3:1-3. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

The Kingdom -10

In the last two weeks, we changed the subject, and I did not continue with what I said we would talk about in week seven of the Kingdom. To refresh your memory, we talked about the priority of the Kingdom, and I said we would continue looking at the priority and forgiveness.

Forgiveness is another key to understanding the Kingdom. The premise of the whole Gospel is that we all have sinned and needed God to forgive us for our trespasses. Throughout scripture, we see God engaging man so that He can deal with him based on His forgiveness.

Isaiah 43:25-26 I, even I, am he that blots out your sins for my own sake, and will not remember your sins anymore. Put me in remembrance and let us plead together, set forth your case that you may be proofed right.

Read Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 103:1-3, Heb 8:12, 10:17.

I love these scriptures because God promises to forgive and forget our sins. He even invites us to come and reason with Him so that we can understand and be convinced that He took care of it. How is that possible? Because He forgives us of all our transgressions.

John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, He is able and just to forgive us all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How can we ignore such a great reality? How can we not accept the forgiveness that God offers through Jesus to all humanity? Many people struggle not just to accept His forgiveness, but they struggle to forgive themselves and forgive other people. Forgiveness is a personal choice. You have to let go of the offense. Let go of what was committed against you. God chose to forgive us.

This statement might shock you, but walking in unforgiveness does not make someone else guilty. What they did was the offense and make them guilty, not you holding it against them.

2 Cor 5:19 In Christ, God reconciled the world to Himself, NOT IMPUTING(HOLDING) their trespasses against them.

We are not guilty because God holds it against us; we are guilty because of our sin. We are free because He does not hold it against us. When we set people loose by forgiving them, we get free from the offense ourselves. Jesus commands us to do what he did for us.

Forgiveness from God is both free and conditional. He freely forgives us when we freely forgive those that trespass against us.

Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven may forgive your trespasses.

Unforgiveness is a mark of a different kingdom. Retaliation and revenge are the marks of the kingdom of darkness. What we do represents the Kingdom we are serving.

Jesus teaches us in his prayer to pray in this way: And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us - Matt 6:12.

Col 3:12-13 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

What is our responsibility? Do as Christ did for us. Take time today and forgive others, forgive yourself and step into the fullness He has purchased for you.

The Kingdom - 9

This week I want to look at what the Kingdom is not. Most of the time we are known for what we stand against, not what we stand for. Most preaching growing up was preaching against sin, not disciplining me into the Kingdom. When we talk about the Kingdom, one way to understand it is to see what it is not.

Almost all the times Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, He said: The Kingdom is like or likened unto. He uses examples of seed, a pearl of great price, a treasure in the field, talents given to men, and even ten virgins. To clarify some of our misconceptions about the Kingdom we need to look at it from a different perspective and still keep it true to scripture. 

Rom 14:17 For the Kingdom is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom is not the natural satisfaction that our bodies crave for. Eating and drinking do not represent the Kingdom. Jesus said that we must eat from him and that we live from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In the past, most of the preaching about the Kingdom was centered around meeting people's natural needs. He knows what you need before you ask but he wants you to trust him with the things the natural world cannot give you, the eternal things – Matt 6:32.

The Kingdom is not defined in scripture but explained. The moment you define something you box it in. It is impossible to define the Kingdom because we do not understand the fullness of what God has given us through the Kingdom. Jesus never defined the Kingdom, He explained it. "The Kingdom is like." To place a natural definition on something spiritual is to miss the purpose of the very thing you are trying to understand. 

The Kingdom is not just in us but also amongst us. The Kingdom does not enter us first, we enter into the Kingdom first - John 3:3-6. Jesus said that unless we are born again we cannot enter the Kingdom. As new creations, we are birthed into the Kingdom and then the reality of that new Kingdom affects the way we live on earth. When the Kingdom is lived in the flesh it becomes real.

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the Kingdom of God is within (among) you. 

In the context of this scripture, the Pharisees asked Jesus a question. His answered while he was standing amongst them. “The Kingdom is amongst you.” He brought the Kingdom to them.

The Kingdom is not principles to live by. The Kingdom functions from a relationship that establishes the principles. The Kingdom is something that changes you from the inside out, not from the outside in. Principles can change, the Kingdom never does. Principles can benefit you but it can also remove and restricts God's agenda for you. Principles can help but we must stay flexible to the move of the Holy Spirit. 

The Kingdom cannot be real by just believing it. It must be experienced. Without experience, it remains a theory. In theory only, it will and can only lead to knowing about God but never knowing God. Experiencing the Kingdom establishes the reality of the Kingdom and grounds you in a faith that cannot be shaken. It is foolish to think that Saints from the past stood in the face of death, through fire, being fed to lions, burned at the stake, chopped in pieces, beheaded and tortured for their faith only because they believed in something. They all had an encounter that was more real than the thing that took their life. You only grasp the Kingdom when you experience it!

The Kingdom is not individualistic. The Kingdom is made up of the community of believers. We are a body, fitly joined together and everyone brings his part - 1 Cor 12:12-27.

The Kingdom is not futuristic. Jesus always referred to the Kingdom as a present reality. He said that it is the Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom, not hold out on it until we get to heaven someday - Luke 12:32.

The Kingdom is not of or from this world. neither are we. Our citizenship is in heaven - Phill 3:20. We are a new creation - 2 Cor 5:17. We are living differently than the world.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My Kingdom is not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servant's fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my Kingdom not from hence.

Lastly, the Kingdom is not and has no loyalty to anything that is man-made like religion or politics. The Kingdom is a Theocracy, there is no vote to get God elected into office and no vote can get him out of office. He is not abdicating and does not need our support or input on how to run the Kingdom. He is Sovereign, All-Wise, and capable of doing it and sustaining everything about His Kingdom. He is God and it is His Kingdom.

The Kingdom - 8

This week I want to look at the story Jesus tells us about the Kingdom in Matthew 25:1-13.

The kingdom is like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise and five were foolish.

In this story, we see Jesus responds to a question that was asked by the disciples about the signs of the times and the end of the age. These are things that Jesus tells them to look for, things that will be prevalent in the Kingdom. Other things will be signs in the world but this is something we can look for in the kingdom.

First, there will be wise and foolish people in the Kingdom. What distinguished them was not their lifestyle, they were all pure, but the preparation five of them did and five did not do. All ten of them had oil, but five of the ten took more than just the oil in their lamps.

So many Christians are scraping by day by day with a short prayer and a quick "Hi God" and feel that it is enough to carry them through for when the night comes. The lackadaisical spirit that is prevalent in so many people has left them unprepared for when hard times come. We have enough oil to see us through the first part of the night but when He comes we will scatter to see if somebody in the room has more than we have.

The little oil we have in our lamps have given us a false sense of security. We don't pray until it is a crisis or we need some breakthroughs, and we come up short every time. That should tell us something. The number one thing that marked the Church in Acts was that they were a praying Church. They prayed until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. We cannot do less and expect to walk in the same power as they did.

It is not that God cannot or even will not help. He has warned us. Be prepared for what is coming for you don't know when He will come back. I am not a doom and gloom preacher, the devil is good enough at his job, but we stand accountable for the hour we are living in.

The second thing these virgins did was they all slumbered and slept. Wake up Church. Will we sleep while the world is going under the full sway of the enemy. He is playing like he wants to win it. Will we choose to sleep instead of watching and waiting.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.

Then at the midnight hour, it happened. There was a watchman on the wall. He was not one of the virgins. He was waiting for the coming of the Groom. We need more people that can stand on the walls of our cities and towns, warning all the sleepy people to wake up and get ready.

Midnight is the time He comes. Midnight was historically seen as the time that God judges. The same thing happened when God delivered Israel from Egypt. It is the night of the Passover Lamb.

Ex 12:29 And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn of the land of Egypt......

The symbolism of the midnight points towards the time of the night when it is darkest. It is the time when the day progresses towards the new day and new beginnings. It is the turning point of things and change is about to happen.

Five of the virgins left to go and find some oil. There were no shops open to buy oil from. While they are gone, absent, and occupied with their lack, the rest that prepared joined the Groom for the feast.

This is a sobering story and a warning for all of us. Are we keeping ourselves busy with the things that are filling our jars with oil or are preoccupied with the things of the world?

What has your priority today? We do not know the hour He is returning. I pray our lamps are filled with oil.

Enough oil to last us till midnight.

The Kingdom - 7

This week I want to continue talking about the protocol of the Kingdom. The first week we talked about protocol, we have seen that the Kingdom has priority. Last week we looked at the protocol of how to approach a King or Ruler. This week I want to look at some of the things that represent the protocol of the Kingdom. 

First a definition of the word protocol.

noun

1. the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions.

2. the original draft of a diplomatic document, especially of the terms of a treaty agreed to in conference and signed by the parties.

3. synonyms: agreement, treaty, entente, concord, concordat, convention, deal, pact, contract, compact, settlement, arrangement

From the definition, we can see that the meaning of the word protocol means the rules and systems that govern an agreement or contract. In the Kingdom, it is the rules that govern the Covenant that God made with us through Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection. 

A contract or agreement is a powerful thing. The Kingdom does not operate by contract or agreement though but by Covenant. What is a Covenant? It is much stronger than an agreement or contract. A Covenant required that a life be given to make it and a life was taken when it was broken. In Biblical times a sacrifice was made as part of making a covenant. The sacrifice symbolized both the life that was given to make it and the life that would be lost if it was broken. This whole concept of Covenant only strengthens the fact that the protocols of the Kingdom carry much more responsibility to obey and adhere to than any normal contract or agreement would. 

Faithfulness:

The protocol of staying faithful in the Kingdom is far-reaching. Jesus did not beat around the bush when he talked about this. He clearly states that if you want to be in the kingdom, you have to deny everything else and stay faithful to the call and purpose of what the Kingdom stands for - Matt 10:37-38, Mark 8:34. 

In today's world, we are constantly challenged with where our faithfulness and loyalty lies. Politics, finances, and religion are constantly trying to get our vote and loyalty. If you have pledged your loyalty to the Kingdom, you cannot claim to be anything else. He is Lord of all or not Lord at all. I am not saying you can't budget or vote for something, I am saying your decision should be influenced by the Kingdom, not your job or your denomination or your political affiliation. 

Faithfulness also means you stay until the end. When I married my wife, I promised to be faithful until death parts us. It was not a marriage agreement, it was a covenant I made with her. I know some marriages do not work out and there are grace and forgiveness for that, but divorce does not negate the fact that the original intention was that marriage was to be a picture of faithfulness until the end. 

What about being faithful with your money? In the Kingdom, it is called stewardship. Jesus talked more about this than any other subject. The parable about the talents is one example. How do we steward our relationships? How do we steward our prayer life and our commitment to serving others? All these are part of being faithful. The number one thing I learned about stewardship in the Kingdom is that it is not just about how you protect what God gives you but how you spend it and increase it. The guy who got one talent hid it and protected it, but Jesus rebuked him for doing so. Are you faithful in the way you spend your finances and increasing it? The best way to increase what God gave you is to bless those in need or who do not have. God loves a cheerful giver.

Matt. 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Well done. We all want to hear that one day. You can take your temperature now. I know where I can do much better.

You will know how committed you are by the price you are willing to pay to take your stand and be faithful for the Kingdom! 

 I want to challenge you to do the same. 

Next week we will look at another protocol of the kingdom called "Forgiveness."

The Kingdom - 6

This week I would like to continue looking at the Kingdom and the Protocol of the Kingdom. Last week we had an introduction about the protocol and what it includes. With everything going on in our country, I would like to use that as a backdrop to explain this more. 

We are seeing unprecedented times. When I was in Myrtle Beach with Mark and Jane at their church, I said: "If I hear one more person saying I just want things to be normal again, I want to slap them on the head." I know it doesn't sound like Kingdom but I am frustrated. We had "normal" before Covid-19 and now all the riots and looting. Normal did not work well in the past. How do I know it? Jesus didn't come so that we can have things just "normal." Imagine the disciples asking Jesus to be normal. The Kingdom comes to upset the Status Quo. What we know in the world is not normal. Heaven is the standard for normal and if something does not reflect that, it is abnormal.

The Kingdom is not political, it is A-political. The Kingdom is not religious, it is A-religious. The kingdom does not manifest through a political party and neither does it manifest through a certain prescribed manner by any denominational stance. Jesus warned the disciples to be careful of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod (the political ruler of that day for the Jews and the spiritual leaders of that day for the Jews)

Mark 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

The Kingdom did not come to change people's religious beliefs or political stance. The kingdom came to change the hearts of both men and women. You can't adhere to the protocol of the Kingdom through your politics or your denomination. We are all guilty of using our conviction on these two subjects (politics and religion) to try and spread the Kingdom message. We have failed miserably. The kingdom came to change all this. 

The story Jesus tells about the Samaritan is epic in its application - Luke 10:25-37. A Jew went down to Jericho and was robbed, attacked, and left for dead next to the road. First, a priest comes by and sees him. He was part of the spiritual leaders of his day. He ignores the man and leaves to go and do his thing. As spiritual leaders in this country, we have seen too many people hurting by the injustice of politics and religion and have done little to change it. We had stuff to do. 

Next comes a Levite. He is from the family of spiritual leaders. He does the same and ignores the man and goes on doing his own thing. As Churches, we have done little to challenge our leaders about their complacency and ours. We have embraced the wrong protocol, not the kingdom protocol.

Lastly, a Samaritan comes by. These people were knows as "dogs." A derogatory term to refer to them as a nation. Coming from a place of injustice, being looked down on, being scolded for their race, he helps the Jewish man. He binds his wounds up, takes him to a safe place, and even pays for his lodging. This is who Jesus says is the neighbor. This man who was looked down on by everyone else is the one that walks in Kingdom protocol. 

The protocol we must walkout is: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and equal to this, love your neighbor as yourself. On this hangs all the law and the prophets.

Normal? No never again. I am set on making right what is wrong. I will love beyond my own conviction and prejudice. Who will stand against this injustice that is trying to undo the work of the cross?

Eph. 2:14-19  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God

The Kingdom - 5

This week we want to look at another aspect of the Kingdom. We have seen that the Kingdom has priority when Jesus said: Seek first the Kingdom of God, and we have also seen that the Kingdom is in us. What else can we learn from the Kingdom?

The protocol of the kingdom!

How can we describe it? What constitutes the Kingdom? Let's look at an earthly kingdom that most people know about. When you look at the British Monarchy there is a certain protocol that helps to maintain the Monarchy. When you want to go and see the Queen, you have to follow the protocol that is demanded. You don't just walk in and say: "I am here to see the Queen." Even if you get an audience with the Queen, you still have to follow the protocol to visit with her. You cannot just show up in jeans and a T-Shirt. You have to be dressed for the occasion and you will most probably get a lesson on etiquette on how to manage yourself when you are having tea with her. 

The Kingdom of God is no different. There is a spiritual etiquette that has to be followed to be in the Kingdom. I am thinking in what way we enter into His presence. A lot of people have not been taught how to approach God. We are His children and we are always welcome but that does not permit us to ignore the standard of the Kingdom. Jesus clearly taught us to pray in this manner:

They kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 

That simply means that God's rule and reign are invading earth and if His rule and reign are here, we must obey the protocol of His rule and reign.

 Let me give you an example:

How do we enter His presence? Do you live independently from God the whole week and then want to be blessed on a Sunday when you are in Church? Do you pray or worship regularly and come filled up to a meeting, ready to bless God and others because you have something to give away? Do you live like a devil but Sunday you have your mask on and try to be nice. Kingdom does not work that way. You are either in or out.

Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.

David pinned this Psalm because of the way the Priests would do things when they entered God's presence.

a. Make a joyful noise and come before His presence with singing. How many times do we start with the complaining or asking first? Singing speaks of someone with a merry heart. Are we joyful for the fact that we have the privilege to enter into the presence of the King of the universe, Creator of heaven and earth, worshiped by Angels and Saints? The God who lives in invisible light, the one before whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord of all.

1Tim. 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

b. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. How many things can we thank Him for before we start asking? He knows what we have need of even before we ask, can we make a list of our blessings and thank Him for it first. Thankfulness will change the trajectory of your life when you start doing it.

c. Be thankful unto Him and bless His Holy Name. We have become such an entitled people that we are not even thankful for the little things anymore. Can we just fall down in a referential posture before Him and describe greatness to Him. In Africa when the king of a tribe comes into a room, the lead warrior would shout out and describe the greatness of his king. It is like an introduction so that everyone in the meeting would know why the king deserves it and why they are expected to do the same.

If you want the fullness of the Kingdom you have to accept the expectations.

Rev 4:8-11 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

We are praying for you and hope to see you soon.