Archive for August, 2019

The Highest Authority

Friday, August 9th, 2019

An Emperor is the highest power in the region he occupies. … While a King rules one fairly homogenous territory (called a nation or kingdom), emperors often wield power over a fairly heterogeneous territory (ruler of many nations).  Their word or decree is final and there is no challenge or appeal for his decree is supreme over the region.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Deuteronomy chapter 30:

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.

12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,

16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,

18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

In the above passage, FATHER decrees what will happen depending on the choice HE presented to the children of Israel.  There is none other above HIM and HIS power.  In Revelations chapter 4, those who reside in Heaven proclaim:

8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

​​​“Holy, holy, holy,

​​Lord God Almighty,

​​Who was and is and is to come!”

This correlates to the verse in Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” thus both FATHER and Our Lord Jesus Christ share the same preeminence as having full and complete power and authority over all of creation, both the seen and the unseen.  When we embrace this higher authority, we need not focus on any lesser power or authority for such power is subject to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and HIS Son.

As we align ourselves with the preeminent power of Our Elder Brother, we will no longer be subject to any lower authority.  The power of death will no longer reign over us in any manner and we will be found worthy to join the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS in bringing forth the Kingdom to the earth.

The Meek

Thursday, August 8th, 2019

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Psalm chapter 37:

9 ​​For evildoers shall be cut off;

​​But those who wait on the LORD,

​​They shall inherit the earth.

10 ​​For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

​​Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,

​​But it shall be no more.

11 ​​But the meek shall inherit the earth,

​​And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

And Zephaniah wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 2:

3 ​​Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,

​​Who have upheld His justice.

​​Seek righteousness, seek humility.

​​It may be that you will be hidden

​​In the day of the LORD’s anger.

And Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 5:

5 ​​Blessed are the meek,

​​For they shall inherit the earth.

To be meek means: mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, suggesting kindness and unconditional Love toward all.  Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 11:

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly (humble) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus specifically directs us to learn from Him.  Our focus should be on His acts and His ways for they reflect FATHER, fully and completely.  The Holy Spirit keeps emphasizing this Truth in the writings He has led me to post.  If we are to fully mature as Sons and Daughters, we must “learn from Jesus” Who is The Word made flesh.  All other Scriptures should be studied in light of this directive.

When we learn of and from Jesus, we will slowly but surely become like Him.  Our countenance will change as we become gentle and humble in heart.  People will begin to be drawn to us just like they were drawn to Jesus.  They will begin to see hope for their lives and find rest in their souls.

The less mature believers are focused on what Jesus can do for them and totally skip over this directive to learn of and from Jesus.  They are in a hurry to fix the issues of their life without realizing that as we draw closer to Our Heavenly Father, HE will intervene on our behalf without us constantly petitioning HIM.

A yoke is something that attaches one to another.  Jesus tells us to attach ourselves to Him and His Divine Intent for His yoke is much easier and lighter than the yoke of bondage.  The world enslaves us to walk according to its principles which lead to death and destruction.

Many people like to quote “As He is, so are we” in 1 John 4:

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

If we are to be as He is, we must learn of Him and from Him.  The result will be a meek and humble heart.

Fifty Healing Verses

Wednesday, August 7th, 2019

In 1984 I was walking in Divine health until suddenly I contracted Hepatitis from eating tainted shellfish.  It was the worst case the local clinic had seen.  When I asked FATHER why this occurred, HE said I was void of HIS Word in the area of healing.  It had been a long time since I focused on HIS Word in this area.  I then immersed myself in the Scriptures focused on healing.  In eleven days I was back to normal.  The doctor had projected a minimum of six to eight weeks before I would recover… if I didn’t die (as I found out later).

The following video may be of  benefit to you who wish to keep these fifty healing passages at the forefront of your consciousness.

Face-To-Face

Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

Mark wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 16:

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

The disciples spent 3 ½ years with Jesus, heard His Words concerning The Kingdom, and saw a multitude of miracles, yet they continued to have a heart issue.  Their unbelief and hardness of heart caused them to be rebuked by Our Lord Jesus Christ.  In Acts chapter 9, it is written by THE SPIRIT:

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Paul later wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 15:

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

All of these men and women had face-to-face encounters with Jesus after His resurrection.  Since then, many more have testified of their face-to-face encounters with Jesus.  T.L. Osborn stated that Jesus entered his room and spent six hours with Him which changed his life and ministry forever.  Others have seen Him and received both salvation and healing at the same time as The Word was being preached.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 13:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Is Jesus willing to appear before you and me face to face?  Is He reluctant to have such an intimate relationship with us who desire to be called His brethren?  Absolutely not!  Why hasn’t He appeared to those who seek Him on a daily basis?  I would suggest there is a lack of expectation in most cases.  This is why I am directing your attention to the above passages where He appeared to many after His resurrection. 

We are not told specifically who were included in the five hundred Paul mentioned but you can be assured they were not reluctant to testify of their encounter.  Over the years, Jesus has appeared to many for various and sundry reasons.  Before Paul was saved, he could not see the face of Jesus, but instead Jesus appeared in a bright light.

Unbelief and hardness of heart are the issues keeping us from having an intimate face to face encounter with Jesus.  As members of The Bride, shouldn’t we long for and seek such a face-to-face encounter with The Groom?  There are those who would have us believe that we must wait for some future date or season to have such an experience yet the above passages prove otherwise.

Unbelief and hardness of heart are corrected by the revelation of Agape Love.  As we increase in this revelation, our hearts will become tender and pliable which allows for the intimacy with Our Lord.  Our hearts must be circumcised and have the hardness removed.  As we press into this revelation, all unbelief is exposed and removed so that we can present ourselves spotless for His appearing.

There are those who are always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth (2 Timothy 3:7).  Let us not be gullible to those who fall into this category.  Let us seek the Truth in Love as we seek an intimate face-to-face relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Great Cloud

Monday, August 5th, 2019

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 12:

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are to look away from all that will distract us and focus our eyes on Jesus who is the Perfecter of our faith.  If He is the Perfecter of our faith, where should our focus be if we seek to have great faith?  If we are to be included as The Bride, shouldn’t our focus be on the Groom?  When my wife and I were engaged, we both wanted to spend every waking minute with each other.  Our love being so intense, caused us to have only one priority… be together.  All other priorities were at best a distant second.

There is a great cloud of witnesses in the spirit realm who are urging us on to the perfecting of our faith.  Several of us have had encounters with some of those witnesses and their presence is occurring more often.

Our Beloved Brother Alan shared the following:

We are ‘surrounded’ by a great Cloud of Witness(es).  Rarely, I believe, do we understand a ‘Witness’ when we first receive it.  I have studied, some times at length, the aspect of ‘cloud’ in scripture.  In the Hebrew, there are several different words used that get translated as ‘cloud’.  But all of these words can be understood to be ‘an answer received’ from on High.  One of the Hebrew words literally means ‘answer’.  The Greek word used in Heb. 12:1 is only used once in the New Testament, though it is used in the Septuagint several times translating the Old Testament Hebrew.  There seem to be some parallels we can discern if we recognize that Our Father can, and does, speak to us through different venues.  But he is always ‘answering us’ by revealing to us the Christ He is calling us to be.  I would like to think that Father is revealing to me that there are many, many ways He communicates to us, and through us, and most times we are unaware of what He is doing.

In Gen. 9, Noah is being taught what he just went through in ‘the flood’, and all that the flood represents.  The word translated as ‘bow’, which we assume is a rainbow, in Gen. 9:14 is also translated other places as referring to an archer’s bow.  I believe a better understanding could be had if the bow is seen as an arch.  Noah was told, in Gen. 9:13 that God would ‘set’ his bow in the cloud.  The word for cloud here is ‘ah-nan’, and is from the same root that we get ‘ah-nah’; to answer.  ‘ah-nan’ can be seen as ‘ah-nah’, in plural form.  Several times, this word ‘ah-nah’, which we normally think of as ‘answer’, is translated as ‘afflict’, ‘deal harshly’, and in Gen. 34:2 is translated as ‘defiled her’.  In other words, sometimes the answer we receive is a harsh or punishing response.  However, God told Noah, in Genesis 9:13 – 16, that He would set His “…bow in the cloud”.  The word bow can be considered synonymous with ‘covenant’.  And the word ‘ah-nan’ is also synonymous with answer, though sometimes translated as cloud.  From this I believe that if we substitute the understanding of ‘bow’ as also being ‘covenant’, and the word ‘ah-nan’ as being cloud or answer, God is revealing that His covenant is revealed in His answer.  Does God respond to sincere inquiries with harshness and cruelty?  I don’t think so.  Jesus never responded with harshness or cruelty.

When we look unto to Jesus as we study Scripture, we are able to keep the proper perspective as we ponder the Divine Intent found in the various stories.  Let our faith be perfected by looking unto Jesus as our foundation for understanding The Word.

Pursuing The Way

Sunday, August 4th, 2019

THE FATHER of Jesus Christ, is THE ONE who has united to HIMSELF in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with HIS purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation, and made to share also in HIS own Divine nature.  This is Our Heavenly Father whom I speak of when I refer to the Sons and Daughters of GOD.  Consider these words closely.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Jesus established the one and only way to Our Heavenly Father in this passage.  It is of paramount importance for us to fully understand the brevity of these Words if we are to fully mature as Sons and Daughters.  You can spend a lot of time pursuing the “acts of GOD” and never know HIS ways.  Many have done this and have not drawn closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why spend time learning and memorizing the meaning of numbers in the Bible (numerology) if the study hasn’t brought you closer to the revelation of Love?  It makes you appear to be an expert in Scripture but it doesn’t change other people’s lives.  I made this mistake myself.  Yes, there are times when we should seek the meaning of a number as FATHER directs but we should not spend an inordinate amount of time simply to study a secondary topic for our own supposed benefit in order to impress others.

Pursue life and pursue Truth but pursue both by pursuing The Way.  Jesus Christ must be preeminent in our focus lest we miss the point of what the New Testament is all about.  Let us not simply be observers of The Kingdom coming forth in the earth, let us be a part of The Kingdom spreading over the earth.  How do we do this?  We become one with Christ and take on His attributes.

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Are we to ask in the name of Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, or Jeremiah?  No, there is only one name, one way, and one Truth.  Let us keep this perspective in our daily prayers and study.  As it is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 12:

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Amen!

Glorifying Jesus Christ

Saturday, August 3rd, 2019

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in John chapter 16:

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Jesus prepared the disciples for the coming of The Holy Spirit.  Jesus sent The Holy Spirit to be our Helper, Advocate, Teacher, but most important:

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you

To glory means: to think, to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate to honor, do honor to, hold in honor, to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendor, to impart glory to something, render it excellent, to make renowned, render illustrious, to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.  Who else should receive such glory?  No one!  Who else should we exalt in our study or conversation?  No one!

These writings are meant to exalt Jesus, His Words, and His ministry above all else.  As we are led by The Holy Spirit, He will direct our focus to Our Lord Jesus Christ in all things.  As it is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 13:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If your focus has waned and shifted to other priorities, repent.  Do you think The Holy Spirit will instruct you by shifting your focus away from glorifying Jesus Christ?  Is there any person or event that can claim “All things that the Father has are Mine”?

9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

The Amplified Version:

9 Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.

Men would have us follow rituals as though those rituals will bring forth the anointing.  They would use Old Testament instructions to direct us what to eat, what to abstain from, what to wear, etc.  I had one man chastise me once for wearing a shirt which contained blended fabric rather than 100% cotton.  He immediately caused division by exalting himself as being superior.

If we are not glorifying Our Lord Jesus Christ in thought, speech, and actions, can we say we are being fully led by The Holy Spirit?  In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 19:

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

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.

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

14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

In Revelation 6:2, Jesus had a crown but now He has many crowns.  The Sons and Daughters gladly exalted and glorified Him with the crowns they had been given.  Who else would be worthy to receive the “crown of life” in chapter 2 verse 10?

We must not allow ourselves to quench the ministry of The Holy Spirit whose primary focus is to glorify Jesus Christ.

Two Healing Anointings

Friday, August 2nd, 2019

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 4:

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

​‘​Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things?

26 ​​The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.’

What greater authority is there than the “kings of the earth”?  Our Heavenly FATHER is the Supreme Authority over Heaven and earth.  Do we have a term for this level of authority?  An emperor is a sovereign ruler of great power and rank, especially one ruling an empire.  His empire is made up of kingdoms with kings overseeing each kingdom.  His word is carried out by kings in their assigned kingdom.  An empire is an extensive group of states, countries, or kingdoms under a single supreme authority.  With this background, let’s look at the Psalm the disciples referenced when they prayed.

In Psalm chapter 2, it is written by THE SPIRIT:

1 Why do the nations rage,

​​And the people plot a vain thing?

2 ​​The kings of the earth set themselves,

​​And the rulers take counsel together,

​​Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

3 ​​“Let us break Their bonds in pieces

​​And cast away Their cords from us.”

4 ​​He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;

​​The Lord shall hold them in derision.

5 ​​Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,

​​And distress them in His deep displeasure:

6 ​​“Yet I have set My King

​​On My holy hill of Zion.”

7 ​​“I will declare the decree:

​​The LORD has said to Me,

​‘​You are My Son,

​​Today I have begotten You.

8 ​​Ask of Me, and I will give You

​​The nations for Your inheritance,

​​And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

9 ​​You shall break them with a rod of iron;

​​You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

The power and authority of FATHER’S decree supersedes all challenges and resistance by lower authorities.  This decree is carried out by those under FATHER’S Supreme Authority and HIS Word is established over all kingdoms.  HIS “empire” encompasses all of creation without exception.  He is not involved in conquering, for that task is carried out by those under HIS authority.  Jesus walked in both “anointings” as evidenced by His healing ministry.

Matthew wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 8:

16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

In this passage, Jesus operated in His “kingly” anointing and dealt with the demons causing the sickness and disease.  He took direct action to cast out the demons.  This differs from His higher anointing where He simply decreed a result as is found in Luke chapter 5:

24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

Jesus issued a “decree” causing the paralyzed man to arise.  Jesus did not focus on the underlying cause of the paralysis but His decree caused the issue to line up with His decree.  FATHER decreed for “light” to be and the necessary resources and actions responded and aligned themselves to produce light.  It is clear that there are two distinct anointings in Jesus’ healing ministry.  One is a “kingly” anointing and the other is a higher “imperial” anointing.  Both are necessary, and depending on the situation, The Holy Spirit will guide us to utilize the appropriate anointing.

Face-To-Face

Thursday, August 1st, 2019

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in John chapter 14:

21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

As we mature in Agape Love, we open ourselves to be visited face-to-face with Jesus Himself.  The word “manifest” means: exhibit to view, to show one’s self, come to view, appear, to indicate, disclose, declare, make known.  Is Jesus opposed to appearing before you or me?  Not in the least.  Many believers have testified of their face-to-face encounters with Jesus thus He is not reluctant to appear and visit with us.

Many have sought encounters with angels yet why should we direct our focus on the messengers when the “Message Giver” is willing to manifest Himself to us?  Jesus manifested Himself many times after His resurrection.  Mark wrote by THE SPIRIT in Mark chapter 16:

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

What keeps us from expecting Jesus’ appearance?  Unbelief.  Jesus isn’t restricted to visitations based on some worldly perception of scarcity of time or space.  It is written by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 1:

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Those of us who are pressing in can expect Jesus to present Himself to us just as He accommodated the disciples after His resurrection.  He will show us the depth of His Love and speak to us those things pertaining to the Kingdom.  In order to fully understand the Kingdom, we must know The King.  Otherwise, we may know His acts but not know His ways.