Have We Forgotten God? The Sovereignty of God, Part 3

This post is the third part of a trilogy that I have created from posts that were shared a number of years ago. This article, ‘Have We Forgotten God?’ was originally posted in March 2020.

Let us begin:

I wish I could convince everyone who is reading this article to purchase a copy of Ray Ortland’s commentary on the Book Of Isaiah.

Christine and I are currently reading the Book of Isaiah, using Ortland’s commentary, for understanding, as we proceed through the scripture.

His explanation of the words of Isaiah are incredibly relative to the times in which we live.

Every night we find ourselves in agreement with what the prophet Isaiah was saying to, and about God’s people, and to the surrounding nations because it is applicable to what we were witnessing in our own nation at this time.

[It is amazing how much the prophet said that spoke clearly to the time in which we were living then[2020], and the time in which we are living now[2024].] (additional comment mine)

I am so grateful for the Body of Christ that prays, seeks the Lord, and shares their heart to encourage fellow believers and also stirs non-believers to consider Christ.

As I have read and reflected upon a number of posts on Facebook, I have found myself pondering the following truth.

‘God is sovereign’, therefore, completely in control of what our world experiences.

I do not say that glibly to sugar-coat our current situation regarding the caronavirus. God is Sovereign. It has always been that way and will always be that way.

That is absolute reality.

A few nights ago, Christine and I were discussing the Sovereignty of God. She was looking at a map of the world that was showing all the places on the earth where COVID-19 had been identified.

That raised an obvious question?

Father, what are you saying to humanity?

Hence, the title of this blog, Have We Forgotten God?

In the Book of Isaiah, God’s people were giving lip service to God but they were following after other gods, specifically idols.

Let me digress for a moment. For the past several days, I have been revisiting previous thoughts regarding end times: things I have pondered, read about, talked about with the Lord, and even shared with others on occasion.

I am NOT seeking to be prophetic, or a prophet.

What I am trying to embrace and comprehend is the reality of what I believe about the Sovereignty of God.

What we profess as the Body of Christ, is absolutely TRUE! I know that. As believers, we can look back over our lives and recall incidents where we have stood in awe ,realizing that the Sovereignty of God was present in our circumstance, for which we are grateful and thankful for every one of them.

We have read the Word of God and seen the Sovereignty of God at work in the nation of Israel, and other individuals throughout pages of scripture.

B.U.T. (Believer Understand This), how many of us have seen the Sovereignty of God, up close and personal, like we are witnessing at this time in our lives?

I know God is real, and most of you who are reading this blog, know that too.

Because we know, for a certainty, God is Sovereign, we are at peace.

Jesus said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” [John 16:33, NKJV].

Where was Jesus headed ? To the cross.

He had just finished the Passover meal with His disciples and shared with them His final words before praying to His Father (John 17).

Consider that prayer!

Does it reflect that Jesus knew His Father was Sovereign.

Absolutely, He was in His Father’s Hands, and so are we, in Christ.

{I am inserting the following.}

{Yet, in spite of that ‘knowing’, He wrestles vehemently with the will of His Father that lay before Him. Yes, He is the Son of God; but He is also the Son of Man.}

{He, Who knew no sin, was going to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. He had never experienced that before. }

{What was the result of that experience? }

{Matthew 27:46, NKJV, “And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” this is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” “}

{This was the first and only time the Father and the Son had ever experienced total separation. They were willing to do that between themselves; so that you and I would not have to experience that separation from God, the Father, because of our sin nature. This is God’s love for you.}

{He embraced the will of His Father, went to the cross, shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin, and cried out, “It is finished”.(John 19:30)}

{Luke 23:46, NKJV, says, And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.” As I have heard it taught, Jesus didn’t have His life taken away from Him, He was in control and relinquished it.}

{The work that was set out for Him before the foundation of the world was complete. He committed His spirit to His Father, and died. He was buried and three days later He was resurrected from the dead, just as He said. (Luke 24:5-7)}

Returning now to the original post:

However, I am sure that there are many believers, in Christ, that do not have that ‘knowing’ certainty and are not at peace but are experiencing fear, anxiety, stress, and uncertainty.

Do I have it perfectly all together? Absolutely not; but “… I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that what I have committed to Him until that Day (the Day of His glorious Return).” [2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV] (parentheses mine).

Our God is Eternal. He existed before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Our God knows exactly what He has purposed for this world from the moment of the inception of creation to the final moment of its existence when He ushers in His eternal Kingdom.

What we are experiencing is part of that eternal purpose.

The truth is that every moment of our lives is part of His eternal purpose.

But some of you might be saying I don’t like what is going on.

That was an issue God addressed with His people through the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 45:9, “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!…Shall the clay say to him who forms it. ‘What are you making?’ [NKJV]

I am not trying to be harsh. I am trying to come to grips with the Reality of Who God is.

Isn’t this the lesson of Job?

This type of discussion has always been a part of the dialogue between God and mankind.

This topic has been brought before the Lord by multitudes of people throughout history.

As gracefully as I can say it, it’s not about us, it’s about Him, God.

It’s about, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one, For Yours is the kingdom and power and glory forever. Amen.” [Matthew 6:9-11 NKJV]

Disruption within humanity is not new; it began in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned; and the consequences of that disruption of disobedience permeate the history of humanity.

Incidents of pandemic diseases have been many. I am not minimizing their devastation or thinking lightly of what is happening at this time in our world.

The world as a whole has virtually come to a stop.

People are looking for answers; governments are looking for solutions to provide relief; and scientists are scrambling to find a cure.

People are praying, believers and non-believers(I am sure).

Who are they praying to?

Multitudes are praying to the One True God, the Creator, the Sovereign God of the universe; others are praying, hoping, that something or someone will hear and intervene. And some, say there is no god, and do their best to cope.

Unfortunately, as we have seen, some ignore what is going on claiming that the epidemic is no big deal.

But the truth is, it is a big deal.

And ,the fact is, there is a God in heaven.

He is the Sovereign God of His universe.

How easily it is for Him to allow things to take place to show us that we are incapable of living,( i.e. existing) without Him.

Maybe that is the issue!

Humanity as a whole has so ignored God that He has allowed circumstances to be such that brings our life ,as we know it to a screeching halt, and says, “Remember Me”.

What grace, what mercy, what love, to step in, and turn our attention to Him.

I am so thankful that in spite of our arrogance toward God and our dismissal of God from our daily lives, God has been long-suffering and tolerant with us.

I know that one Day that will no longer be true.

God’s people experienced that; it is recorded in the book of the prophet Amos.

See Amos 7: 1-9.

Quoting the notes from my Study Bible regarding verse 8, it says, “The time of forgiveness has passed, and judgment is approaching. Amos has no opportunity to intercede for the people. Their fate is sealed.”

One day, the fate of all humanity will be sealed too when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Have we reached that point? I do not believe so; but then, I am not God, and no one knows the hour of Christ’s return.

Jesus told us to remember the ‘days of Noah’.

What was going on then?

People were living their lives, eating and drinking, but were ignoring the building of an ark, a place of safety.

Are people today so absorbed with their lives that they are ignoring God’s ark, the Lord Jesus Christ?

In Noah’s day the rains came and the whole earth was flooded; only those in the ark were saved.

God had shut the door to the ark; those outside the ark fate was sealed.

Let me ask this question, What is God doing?

Answer: God is doing what He has always been doing, working out His eternal plan of salvation.

God is awakening His Church, and the world (i.e. all of mankind) to His existence, giving His Church the opportunity to share the love of God with a hurting world; but you say that has always been the plan; absolutely, but like Israel, the Church has ‘failed’, or shall I say, ‘fallen short’ of what the Lord Jesus Christ wants His Church to be and do.

Has the church in America become a Laodicean church?

Please read, Revelation 3:14-22

{I am inserting the following}

{What is our response to the indictment of the Lord to this church?}

{Question: Does the church in America see itself as ‘rich’, ‘wealthy’, and in ‘need of nothing’? }

{That’s a dangerous place to be?}

{Jesus says, let Me tell you what I see. You, “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked–” }

{Many believe that the Laodicean Church represents a picture of the church prior to the Lord’s return.}

{To me the words that Jesus uses regarding the nature of this church is that they are ‘homeless’ and ‘Fatherless’: meaning that the church is out of Biblical fellowship (1 John 1:5-10) with the Father.}

{Jesus instructs His church what to do}

{re- read verse 18, and heed His counsel.}

{Verse 19 reminds us of His love for us; and because of that love, He has come to rebuke and chasten His church.}

{The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ does not leave us hopeless. He is the Head of the Church.}

Remember Hebrews 12:3-6, NKJV, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discourage in your souls. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” “

Returning now to the original post:

To use the words of the Message, the Lord is calling His Church to ‘account’ for their behavior and tells them to repent. The Lord is getting His Church ready for a mighty work.

Do you want to be used by the Lord in this mighty work?

I believe that the Lord is going to manifest Himself mightily through the Word of His Gospel, confirming the Word with signs and wonders.

This is not new; it has been noticeably absent in the church of the western world.

However, in order for this to happen, the church needs to embrace:

2 Chronicles 7: 12-14

First repentance, then revival, followed by reformation-a new great awakening.

Only then will the church be equipped and ready to take the Good News of the Gospel to the darkened hearts of humanity.

I Thessalonians 1:5-6 says, ” For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in the assurance, as you what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, “

May the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ,repent, be revived, and arise to take the Gospel to a hurting world.

a brother in Christ, deo

Sovereignty of God, Part 2

This post was originally published February 29, 2020. I am re-posting three articles at this time to remind us of the Sovereignty of God in the governmental affairs of the nations. Romans 13:1-7 speaks specifically to this issue. Verse 2 says, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are put in place by God.” (Tree of Life Version)

With that thought in mind, I submit to you what was written four years ago prior to our 2020 election for the President of the United States.

Let us begin:

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading a small book about the nation of Iraq published by Voice of Martyrs. On the inside cover of the book was the following verse, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing saying…” (2 Chronicles 36:22, NKJV). (emphasis mine)

My thoughts turned to our own situation as a nation regarding the furor that has been advanced over our current President and his election in 2016. What struck me was that it’s the Sovereignty of God that puts men and women into positions of leadership in our world. Cyrus was not an Israelite king. He was a pagan king chosen by God to fulfill His Word through the prophet Jeremiah.

Is it possible that the Lord in His Sovereignty has put our current President in a place of leadership to fulfill His purpose in the earth? Of course it is, and to think otherwise is not to recognize the Sovereignty of God. That is why we must pray for those in authority over us (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

In Romans 13:1-7, the Apostle Paul gives clear istruction regarding our relationship to those in authority over us in our government. He writes in Romans 13:1, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” As the commentary in my study Bible says, “Paul does not suggest that God approves of corrupt government, ungodly officials, or unjust legislation. Sometimes, however, in punishment for the sins of a people, or for other reasons known to Him, God allows evil rulers to have authority for a time, as the OT prophets frequently testify. Ideally, God grants authority to serve good ends (vs.3,4). How that authority is will be the accounting of each to whom it has been given. Although obedience to earthly authority is the general rule, a clear biblical principle is that we may need to disobey government if commanded to sin, for loyalty to God always takes priority over all human authority. When government officials use force to restrain and punish evil, they are not doing wrong. Rather, they are God’s minister (servant) and are doing good.” ( Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV, copyright 1991 by Thomas Nelson, pg. 1709)

Please understand that I am not casting any dispersion on the current administration. I am not sitting in judgment regarding its performance.

That is not what the Lord has called me to do as a believer in Christ.

I am responsible as a Christian for my behavior and conduct as a believer in Jesus Christ with respect to the President of the United States. I may not always agree with him; however, I must respect the office that he holds because he has been put there by God.

David, who was pursued by Saul, understood this principle; he would not take Saul’s life because he knew that Saul had been appointed by God. David respected that choice even though Saul ‘threw spears’ at him. (I Samuel 19:10-12).

I am persuaded that the Lord in His grace and mercy ‘stirred up the heart’ of Mr. Trump to run for President.

Why?

I can only conjecture; but here is my premise.

Since 1900, our nation has been pursuing a pathway of liberal progressivism that has been chipping away at our founding principles as a nation. It is my belief that God has placed a road block in that ideological pursuit to remind our nation of the fundamental benefits of capitalism and how it has been the significant economic foundation of our nation. I understand that many can and will dispute this claim; and I understand some of their reasonings; however, the fact remains that there needs to be a free-market society to generate the finances necessary to properly run the nation. I believe that capitalism has been the most successful. I am not saying that it is flawless. Human nature does not allow that to happen whatever economic system you aspire too.

Therefore, if this is true, then the coming election in 2020 has the potential of being an election between two economic systems: capitalism or socialism.

This election MUST NOT be about which candidate I like or what promises I want fulfilled; but what economic system I choose to be the ‘engine’ that runs our Republic.

Are we willing to look past Presidential personality, political parties and personal prejudices, and focus our attention upon what will be the governing financial ideology of our nation?

If this is what the 2020 election is ultimately about, then the future of our nation is at stake, literally.

I believe that the Sovereignty of God has graciously intervened in our history as a nation to pull us up short and squarely put before us this choice that will determine the future of our nation.

I encourage you to set aside the campaign rhetoric and look intently at the real choice that is before us.

What financial ideology do you want to fuel this nation’s economy, Capitalism or Socialism?

The ballot box will give us the answer.

Now that we have come to the end of this post, I asked us to consider carefully what is the true nature of the 2024 Presidential election?

Are we still fighting personalities regarding who will be President?

Are we still in pursuit of the political progressivism that undermines the founding principles of our nation ?

As a voter in this nation, what criteria do I use to judge the merits of our current administration?

I recommend that you consider the effects that all three branches of our government have had on our nation in the past four years?

Do not allow yourself to be blinded by those who paint a different picture than the reality that is before you.

Do not allow yourself to be deaf to the political rhetoric that lies, deceives, distorts, and puts forth falsehoods to cover up their political agenda.

In short, wake up, to what is happening to our nation.

But, you might be saying, and/or thinking, where is God in all of this?

That’s my point, God is Sovereign. Isaiah 55:8 says, ” “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” It is a declaration of Adonai (YHWH, LORD). For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than yours, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (TLV) (insert mine)

Maybe we need to begin there.

Pray!

Turn your eyes and thoughts upon Him.

Ask Him, Father, “what’s up?”

a brother in Christ, deo

The Sovereignty of God, Part 1

[A couple of weeks ago, I shared that I was going to revisit three posts that I had written a few years ago. For me, that is like picking up a book that I have previously read, and re-reading it. I would like to do this with three previous posts that will make up a trilogy of thought for the current season that we are experiencing as believers in Christ. I have taken the liberty to include some additional thought, and eliminate deemed appropriate.]

This was originally posted on December 24, 2019.

Recently, I completed a series about our nation being a P.O.W.

What does that imply?

I believe that we, as a nation, are a ‘prisoner of words’.

We are bombarded daily with words that accuse, seek to divide, and cause disunity disrupting the fabric of our nation. The centerpiece of this division is found in our political system.

Both sides of the political aisle participate in this divisive rhetoric.

What is my responsibility as a Christian? I believe that God’s Word instructs us to pray for those in authority over us. This is found in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. It is interesting to note that in this passage it tells us that we are to pray so that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” It continues instructing us that doing this is “good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior”. Verse 4 emphasizes the heart of God, our Father, that says that He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

That does not seem to be the spiritual atmosphere of our nation today.

Today, as I compose my thoughts, it is the day before Christmas. If I may be so brash; many people in our nation, Christian and non-Christian, are more concerned about the coming of a man into the Presidency of the United States than celebrating the coming of the Christ-child to the earth.

Where is your focus?

I have thought of a new acronym for the word focus.

Focus On Christ’s Universal Sovereignty.

1 Timothy 2:5,6 clearly states Who is in charge.

“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for all to be testified in due time.”

Galatians 4:4,5 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons…”

The One who is in charge has arrived.

God Himself.

Now what?

This Christmas season, I have been reminded several times of John 3:16,17 which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Jesus, Who is the Word of God, “…became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.”

As I ponder the atmosphere of our nation and the world in which I live, I ask my self a question, is there ‘room in the inn’ for Jesus today? or is there ‘no room in the inn’ just as it was at His first coming to earth, born as an infant in Bethlehem?

In order for me(forgive my personal reference) to function in this nation, I need to remember the Sovereignty of God.

God is in control.

My focus is not on the political turmoil that is disrupting the nation. My ears are not bent on hearing the latest news. My mind is not interested in pondering the pundits’ thoughts.

I confess that I do stay in touch to the point where I am aware of the general flow; but I do not seek to be governed by the political events of the day.

I do know that there is a political rift developing in the Body of Christ.

Is that wisdom? What is the source of that division? How am I to respond?

My response is-I need to pray; the Body of Christ needs to pray.

We need to ask in prayer, what is the Spirit saying to the Church?

Jesus is the Head of the Church. We are His Body. The Head speaks to the Body. The Body listens and carries out the plans of its Head, our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 55: 6-9 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way (repent), And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return (believe) to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon (forgive), For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher then the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

So what is the Lord saying to His Church? If we quiet our hearts before Him, He will speak, and direct His Body in truth of His Word, guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore,

Let me encourage you to intercede for the Church, our leaders, our nation, and the propagation of the Gospel around the world.

In closing, I would like to share 5 bullet points that are listed in my study Bible written by Joy Dawson regarding intercession,

* Light is more powerful than darkness.

*Truth is stronger than error.

*There’s more grace in God’s heart than sin in men’s hearts.

*There’s more power in the Holy Spirit to convict men of sin than there is power of satanic forces to tempt men to sin.

*There’s more power in one drop of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus to cleanse men’s hearts from the stain of sin than there is in the accumulated filth of men’s sin since Adan and Eve.

We are at a crossroads in the life of this nation. The Church needs to seek the face of our Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to bring correction to our lives. And then, the Church needs to intercede for our leadership and our nation.

Do you believe in the Sovereignty of God? Then everything is proceeding as He oversees the unfolding of His plan of salvation culminating in the return of His Son.

Tomorrow is Christmas (December 25, 2019), we celebrate His first coming; soon He will be coming again. In the meantime we live in the tension between the two events.

Have a blessed Christmas, a brother in Christ, deo

[As I have looked at this post from December, 2019 and the fact that it is being re-posted immediately following Easter, I see the significance of re-visiting this post, its thought, and its encouragement to pray for the nation.}

J.O.E.L.: Jesus Offers Eternal Life

Rejoice, lift up your voice, Christ has risen from the dead.

In the words of Rev. E. V. Hill, “Sundays’ Comin!”

Resurrection Sunday is the focal point of God’s plan of salvation.

It is the centrality of God’s mind regarding the reconciliation of His creation.

All that was lost through the original sin of Adam has been regained through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Christ, who knew no sin, has become sin for humanity, so that humanity could become the restored unto its Creator. God, Himself, was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.

I recommend that you listen to the ‘Easter Song’, sung by The Second Chapter of Acts. It will bless you.

One of the joys that I experience when reading or even when thinking is when an acronym pops into my mind for a word. Sometimes I struggle trying to make an acronym and at other times they come very easily.

Many times, I believe the Holy Spirit brings acronyms to my attention when writing or when I am thinking about a subject or passage of scripture.

Today (March 23,2024), I read the Book of Joel. An acronym came to mind, so I wrote it down.

J.O.E.L.: Jesus Offers Eternal Life.

There can be other possibilities like: Jesus Obtained Eternal Life.

The point is that such acronyms help me and, I believe, assist others in recognizing and remembering certain truths from scripture.

I do not know where my study or reading of the Book of Joel is ultimately headed; but when I finished reading the text, I said to God, the Father, “There is too much in Joel to absorb.”

Continuing, “Holy Spirit help me to read, to understand, to see, and to hear what You are saying to the Church today through this prophet. (emphasis mine)

The bottom line is that I want to see Jesus, and come to know Him more fully from this text.

I chose to read this text because last night as I was settling in to go to sleep; the thought came to mind that “old men will dream dreams”. So I said, “Lord, I am an old man, so that includes me.”

That became the impetus for reading the Book of Joel this morning.

After reading the text, writing down some notes, and trying to make some semblance out of what the text was saying without looking at a commentary, I decided to read from my Spirit Filled Life Study Bible. Turning to Joel, I saw that I had visited this passage of scripture on several occasions. I had even dated the times when I read it previously. After going over notes that I had written in the Study Bible, years earlier; I turned to the introduction of Joel that outlines basic information about its author, the dating of its writing, its historical period, the Person of Christ, and the Person of the Holy Spirit.

The paragraph on the Person of the Holy Spirit said something that really awakened me.

I think this is where I may be headed at a later date; but today, let me begin with the setting of the scene of that comments observation.

On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, there was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem that Jesus had told them to wait in for the promise of the Father.

From wordoflife.co.uk, Words of Life Ministries, Study 2, Waiting For The Promise of the Father, by Francis Dixon, the following is outlined.

“The Promise of the Father was the promise that the Holy Spirit would come at Pentecost to do a distinctive work in the lives of all Christians; it was a promise relating to this period of time in which we are living, the Dispensation of the Spirit, the Church Age.

1. It was given through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32).

2. It was proclaimed by John the Baptist(John 1:29-34).

3. It was referred to by the Lord Himself (John 7:37-39; John 14:16-17; John 15:26; John 16:6-7 and 13-14; and Acts 1:8.

4. It was anticipated by the Lord after the Resurrection (John 20:22).

5. It was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).

I continue.

Now what? The fulfillment has come. Those in the upper room are filled with the Holy Spirit. There are those that have witnessed what has taken place and they are both confused and inquisitive.

So, Peter, ‘steps up to the microphone’!

What did Peter proclaim to those who witnessed the coming of the Holy Spirit when they “…were all amazed and perplexed, saying to each other, “What does this mean?” Others, poking fun, were saying, “They are full of sweet new wine!” ” (Acts 2:12-13, Tree of Life Version)

Let’s read what Peter said:

“But Peter, standing with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: Fellow Judeans and all who are staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose–for it’s only the third hour of the day! But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: “And it shall be in the last days’ , says God, ‘that I will pour out My Ruach (Spirit) on all flesh, Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My slaves, male and female, I will pour out My Ruach (Spirit) in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will give wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath–blood and fire, and smoky vapor. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious Day of Adonai (YHWH, the LORD) comes. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of Adonai shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these words! Yeshua ha-Natzrati (Jesus of Nazareth)-a man authenticated to you by God with mighty deeds and wonders and signs God performed through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know–this Yeshua (Jesus), given over by God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge, nailed to the cross by the hand of lawless men, you killed. But God raised Him up, releasing Him from the pains of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:17-24, TLV) (inserts mine)

I suggest that you re-read Peter’s last two sentences again, starting with ‘Men of Israel…’

Peter has summarized what had taken place 50 days earlier in Jerusalem in the midst of the Passover celebration; but in reality these words were laid out before the foundation of the world. (See Ephesians 1,2)

Reading the Book of Joel this morning, and being forwarded to Acts 2, I, we, have been brought face to face with the four words found in the acronym:

Jesus Offers Eternal Life.

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost aroused people’s attention. Peter referenced the coming of the Holy Spirit in the context of what Joel had prophesied.

This opened the door to preach Christ. (Please read Acts 2:14-36)

The testimony that Peter preached is based upon the truth that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The history of the Feast of Passover, the killing of a lamb, the use of the lamb’s blood, was instituted in the land of Egypt, the night of the tenth plague, in which God said that there would be the death of the firstborn in each household. God’s grace was that when His death angel saw the ‘blood of the lamb’ applied to the lintel of the door, the death angel would ‘passover’ that household and the firstborn of the household would not be killed. (See Exodus 12-13) (emphasis mine)

Let us reflect upon the Word of God during this Passion Week in which Jesus, the Lamb of God, has entered Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. During this week, He will be betrayed by Judas, arrested, mocked, ridiculed, beaten (see Isaiah 53 ), condemned to death because He claimed to be the king of the Jews, crucified as a criminal, die on the cross, be buried, and after three days raised from the dead, just as He said it would happen. (See Matthew 21-28) (emphasis mine)

In the natural, all of these things happened just as the law and the prophets had prophesied. We know that the Word of God is not just natural but spiritual. What seems to be natural outcomes in the lives of the many of those involved with Jesus are significantly more profound that they imagine.

Mankind’s history is God’s story of His plan of salvation. It is all spiritually significant.

“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.” (John 1:1-5, Tree of Life Version)

“Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you–that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him and keep walking in darkness, we are lying and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son, Yeshua (Jesus) purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:5-7, TLV) (insert mine)

“Yeshua (Jesus) spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12 TLV) (insert mine)

“The next day, John (the Baptist) sees Yeshua (Jesus) coming to him and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the One about whom I told you…” (John 1:29, TLV) (insert, emphasis mine)

“And the next(the following) day, John (the Baptist) was standing with two of his disciples, and watched Yeshua (Jesus) walking by. He (John the baptist) said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Yeshua (Jesus). (John 1:25-37, TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)

Fast forward to The Revelation.

“And in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, I(the Apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John) saw a Lamb standing, as having been slain…And they are singing a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. For You were slain, and by Your blood You redeemed for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them for our God a kingdom and kohanim (priests), and they shall reign upon the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creature and the elders–their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. They were chanting with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and blessing.” And I heard every creature in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and one the sea and everything in them, responding, “To the One seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation 5″6a, 9-14, TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)

Where did these myriads upon myriads come from?

“Therefore, having been made righteous by trusting , we have shalom (peace) with God through our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah (Christ). Through Him we also have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and boast in the hope of His glory. And not only that, but we also boast in suffering–knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, character: and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) who was given to us. For while we were still helpless , at the right time Messiah (Christ) died for the ungodly. For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man–though perhaps for a good man some might even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah (Christ) died for us. How much more then, having now been set right by His blood, shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him. For if, while we were yet enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, shall we be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah (Christ), through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:1-11 TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)

On the day of Pentecost, when Peter concluded his preaching about Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. The scripture says:

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the emissaries (apostles), “Fellow brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed (water baptized) in the name of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) for the removal of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach ha-Kedesh (Holy Spirit). For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away–as many as Adonai (Yahweh, the LORD)our God calls to Himself.” With many other words he warned them and kept urging them, saying, “Save yourselves from this twisted generation!” So those who received his message were immersed, and that day about three thousand souls were added.” (Acts 2:37-41 TLV) (inserts, emphasis mine)

This is the A,B,C’s of salvation: Atonement=repent of your sin, be forgiven by the blood of Jesus; Baptism in water=immersed, identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection; Comforter=gift of the Holy Spirit (See John 14-16)

Today, as I finish this post, it is Wednesday of Passion Week.

This Friday is Good Friday, the day when Jesus was crucified;

On Sunday, Christ’s Resurrection is remembered and celebrated.

It is the day to proclaim that “He is Risen”, and to respond that “He is Risen, Indeed”.

For a believer, celebrating the Resurrection of Christ is a joyful experience; however, the Resurrection of Christ is more than a one day event.

As a believer, in Christ, I live on the other side of the cross. I am standing on Resurrection ground.

The ‘work of the cross’ is finished.

How do we know that is true? Because Jesus said it was: (See John 19:30)

“When Yeshua tasted the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (TLV, emphasis mine)

As a believer, the tomb is empty and I am focused on following Christ, and learning to embrace the ‘way of the cross’. (See Galatians 2:19-20)

It is probable that someone who is reading this post is not a believer in Christ, or is not sure of their relationship to Christ.

I encourage you to ask yourself if you know Christ as your personal Savior. Have you called upon the Name of the Lord to be saved?

Have you realized your need for Christ to be your Passover Lamb?

Do you see yourself as a sinner in need of a Savior?

Do you understand that you are separated from God, the Father, because of your sin?

Do you realize that God, the Father, loves you very much; sent His Son to die for you, and is longing for you to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin; to believe in your heart, that Jesus was raised from the dead, and be saved, by calling on the name of the Lord.

Like Peter, on the day of Pentecost, I urge you to accept Christ and be saved from this’ twisted generation’. (emphasis mine)

Consider this:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son (as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting (eternal) life. (John 3:16) (inserts, emphasis mine)

Consider this too!

“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross–whether things on earth or things in heaven!” (Colossians 1:19-20, TLV, emphasis mine)

The message of Easter is that Jesus, is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.

That claim is validated by His resurrection.

God did that for you!

blessings, a follower of Christ, deo

Upcoming Trilogy

Today, March 20, 2024, I published a post entitled “Author Unknown”. It centers on the Gospel, the Cross, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. God’s redemptive plan of salvation that He has graciously and lovingly done Himself to offer the means of reconciliation for sinful humanity to receive eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.

I recommend that you read it, reflect upon it, and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. If you already know the Saviour as your personal Saviour then rejoice in the salvation that is yours in Christ;

After celebrating Resurrection Sunday, I will be re-posting three articles that I shared a number of years ago. They center on the Sovereignty of God, our government, our leaders, our nation, and the response of the Church.

I encourage you to read this trilogy and pray for our nation as it moves full speed ahead into the heart of the presidential election period that will take place in November.

Our nation is at a critical crossroads. The Church must make its voice heard in heaven and at the ballot box. This election is not about personalities. This election is about what direction this nation is going to pursue.

The voting electorate is going to hear a lot of conflicting rhetoric about each Presidential candidate, his agenda, and the direction that this nation will go depending on which individual is elected.

Our attention, as believers, must be focused on the God’s Sovereignty.

Our God reigns.

Amen.

Have a blessed resurrection celebration,

a brother in Christ, deo

Author Unknown

This morning I was trying to find a teaching that I had written many years ago. As I was rummaging through my papers, I found this. It’s message is apropos for this time of year as we reflect on the Passion Week, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Beneath the blood -stained lintel I with my family stand; A messenger of evil is passing through the land. There is no other refuge from the destroyer’s face; Beneath the blood-stained lintel shall be our hiding place.

The Lamb of God has suffered, our sins and griefs He bore; By faith the blood is sprinkled above our dwelling’s door. The foe who seeks to enter doth fear that sacred sign; Tonight the blood-stained lintel shall shelter me and mine.

My Saviour, for my dear ones I claim thy promise true. The Lamb is for “for the household”–the children’s Saviour too. On earth the little children once felt Thy touch divine; Beneath the blood-stained lintel They blessing give to mine.

O Thou who gave them, guard them–those wayward little feet, The wilderness before them, the ills of life to meet. My mother love is helpless, I trust them to Thy care! Beneath the blood-stained lintel, oh, keep me ever there!

The faith I rest upon Thee Thou wilt not disappoint; With wisdom, Lord, to train them, my shrinking heart anoint. Without my children, Father, I cannot see Thy face; I plead the blood-stained lintel, Thy covenant of grace.

Oh, wonderful Redeemer, who suffered for our sake, When o’re the guilty nations the judgment storm shall break, With joy from that safe shelter may be then meet Thine eye, Beneath the blood -stained lintel, my children, Lord, and I.

Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ, Your Son, the Passover Lamb, that takes away the sin of the world.

Thank you Father that , “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”(Hebrews 9:22)

Thank you Father that, You, “made the One (Jesus) who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, TLV)

As you reflect upon the work of Christ, His Passion Week, His death, burial, and resurrection, remember that it was God, the Father, who sent His Son into the world to be a sacrifice for sin on the Cross, so that His creation of mankind might be saved.

Consider the following: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not put his trust in the name of the one and only Ben-Elohim (Son of God).” (John 3:16-18 TLV) (inserts mine)

This is the grace, mercy, and love of God demonstrated and poured out to all of mankind. God, the Father, sent His only Son, so that He might have a larger family of sons and daughters for eternity. God was willing to personally take on the issue of separation that sin created between Himself and His creation when Adam sinned. That is the message of the Gospel.

God loves you and desires that you become a child of His, by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as your personal Saviour.

Ask Christ, to be your Saviour; ask Christ to forgive you of your sin; thank Christ for His forgiveness and eternal life.

God’s Word says, “… For Everyone who calls upon the name of Adonai (the Lord) shall be saved. (Romans 10:13, TLV, insert mine)

May the Lord richly bless you this Resurrection season, your brother in Christ, deo

C.O.V.I.D.

It is without question that COVID is a deadly disease. Deadly diseases have affected mankind throughout its history. Deadly diseases have ravaged nations. One could study, list, and share the details of the plagues that have destroyed human beings, their cultures, and their economies.

Mankind, through its ingenuity, hard work, and by God’s grace, has been able to overcome and subdue many illnesses, sicknesses, plagues, and deadly diseases. But, unfortunately, they continue to raise their destructive and deadly effects rendering humanity helpless to its illness unless a cure is found.

I would like to refer you to the following blog site. davidjeremiah.blog. There I found the following teaching entitled ‘What are the 3 Tribulation Plagues?’ The article begins, “Do you want to see a miracle? Are you sure? During the Tribulation, three terrifying miracles–plagues–will warn the world of God’s impending judgment.” I will leave the reading/watching of his teaching to you.

Dr. Jeremiah says the three kinds of plagues during the tribulation are: 1)The plague of death; 2)The plague of drought; 3)The plague of disease.

He, then lists the three reasons for the tribulation plagues. 1)Protection; 2)Preservation; 3)Purpose.

Why do I reference this article? I am not espousing a certain end time eschatology; but I want to draw our attention to the fact that deadly diseases and plagues exist, which I assume is an obvious fact, to all ,if not most of humanity, and that they are also a Divine instrument in the hands of God.

Throughout scripture, God has used plagues to get humanity’s attention, His people’s attention, and has used plagues as instruments of judgment upon nations.

I have been writing about a coming ‘unprecedented unrest’ upon our nation and the nations of the world. I have said that I do not believe that this ‘unrest’ is the tribulation spoken about in Revelation.

However, we are aware that there is a Great Tribulation coming to this world in the timing and purpose of God; and, associated with that Tribulation, is a person, who, is also coming, the anti-christ.

All of this is a precursor to the return of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Himself.

Come Lord Jesus.

But, there is one disease that mankind cannot find a cure for.

It is a deadly disease that plagues all mankind.

It is the disease of sin that is found in the heart of mankind.

Sin is the source of death. Genesis 2:15-3:24, the fall of man, his original sin, and its consequences.

Romans 3:23 (TLV) says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23 (TLV) says, “For sin’s payment is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.”

John 3:16 (TLV) says “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish may have eternal life.”

Man has attempted many different ways to find a cure for the internal sin that plagues his/her heart; but every attempt by mankind is futile ans impossible to reverse the effects of this universal disease that culminates in an eternal separation from the Living God.

Enter C.O.V.I.D.

What?

Let me explain in an acronym.

Christ’s Obedience Victoriously Incapacitated Death

There is a cure for the disease of sin.

It is the Blood of Christ; it is Christ crucified on the Cross; it is His death, burial and resurrection.

I Corinthians 15:1-8, (TLV), the Apostle Paul writes, “Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the Good News, which I proclaimed to you. You also received it, and you took your stand on it, and by it you are being saved if you hold firm to the word I proclaimed to you–unless you believed without proper consideration. For I also passed on to you first of all what I also received–that Messiah died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Kefa (Peter), then to the Twelve. Then He appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time–most of them are still alive, though some have died. Then He appeared to Jacob (James, His brother), and last of all, as to one untimely born, He also appeared to me.” (inserts mine)

This is the message of the Gospel of Christ.

Have you taken your stand for this message on the solid Rock, who is Christ Jesus our Lord?

I would like to recommend that you read Romans 5:1-21.

This passage explains the source of death, Adam’s disobedience; and the source of the gift of eternal life, Messiah’s (Jesus) obedience. (insert mine)

Ephesians 2:8-9 (TLV) says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this gift is not from yourselves–it is the gift of God. It is not bases on deeds, so that no one may boast.”

Mankind cannot do what needs to be done to become rightly related to their Creator. God, Himself, has provided the means of salvation from sin and its penalty. God, Himself, sent His Son, to be born of a woman; to be clothed in human flesh; and to die on the cross as the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus, Who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. Without His sacrificial death, there would be no forgiveness of sin. His Blood cleanses us from all sin. His death, burial, and resurrection validates His victory of sin, death, and the Devil. Because Christ lives, we too, shall live. This is our glorious hope.

Therefore…

In the midst of the coming ‘unprecedented unrest’, our safety and security is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is our Solid Rock. He is our ARK in the time of the storm. [see livingwordsofencouragement.com for previous posts]

I do not believe that I am trying to hype the current social and political climate of our nation. If you read the headline news; or if you watch and/or follow the media on line; you will certainly understand that our nation is experiencing tension, worry, anxiety, and stress. We are seeing an uprising in lawlessness. We are witnessing the exposure of political cover ups that have many feeling uneasy about the direction of the nation. We are witnessing the mismanagement of our judicial system that seeks to malign our presidential election process. As I write that post (I remind us) that on March 4, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states could not make the decision to remove a man’s name from their state ballot because they believed that person was in violation of insurrection according to the 14th Amendment. We live in a Constitutional Republic. The Constitution was upheld. This is a victory in which we should be thankful and rejoice; but one in which, we, the Church, should not gloat. Why? Because gloating is not LOVE. Gloating is based on self. It is a fruit of the flesh, not a fruit of the Spirit.

As we progress through the next several months, watching the election cycle unfold, it will become increasingly hostile and irrational verbally; I encourage you to stay focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That does not mean that you do not keep an ‘eye’ on what is happening politically; but it does mean that you do not become ‘consumed’ with/by the political process and ‘stress out’.

I exhort you to pray diligently. Ask the Lord how and for whom you vote. When you vote, you should have a clear conscience. Ask the Lord for His wisdom.

Remember, His ways are not our ways; nor are His thoughts our thoughts.

James 1:5-8 (TLV) instructs us, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without doubting–for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord–he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

We thank you Father for wisdom during this time of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

We thank you Father for Your wisdom to navigate the political storm and the societal storm that has come and is coming to our nation.

We thank you Father that You are working a mighty work of grace and mercy in our nation and the nations of the world.

Thank you Father for exposing corruption in our nation and bringing deliverance to our nation.

Thank you Father for revival, reformation, and recovery in this nation.

We bless You, Father; and we thank You for Your great work of grace.

a brother in Christ, deo

THE ALTERNATIVE TO WORRY, ANXIETY, AND/OR STRESS

Philippians 4:5b-7 (Tree of Life translation), “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything–but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made-known to God. And the shalom(peace) of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Messiah Yeshua.”

Are you feeling worried, anxious, or stressed out?

Have you asked yourself why?

Are you a Christian?

What is your spiritual foundation?

Can it weather a severe storm?

Have you built wisely or foolishly?

If we are honest with ourselves, I am sure everyone of us can identify something that we are uneasy about whether we are a believer or a non-believer.

How many times in God’s Word are we told, encouraged,or reminded, not to be worried, anxious, or stressed out?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explicitly teaches in Matthew 6:25-34 not to concern ourselves ‘about the economy’. (I recommend that you read them from your own Bible.) I know I am taking a great liberty here; but I ask you, does such a thought ‘fit’ the time in which we are living?

I am sharing from the TLV, Tree of Life Version, Matthew 6:25-34.

“So I say to you, do not worry about your life–what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin(they don’t get anxious or stressed out!). Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these(I take this to mean that Solomon was not as relaxed as the lilies of the field in spite of all he possessed). Now if in this way God clothes the grass–which is here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow–will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith. (I do not believe this is a demeaning comment by Jesus. Our faith may only be the size of a mustard seed; but Jesus said it could move a mountain.) Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans(non-believers) eagerly pursue all these things! But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you(believers in Christ). Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (emphasis mine, inserts mine)

Worry creates(visualizes) its own drama! Our words can animate and escalate that drama with anxiety which leads to stress; or our words can quiet that drama and bring peace, calm, and stillness.

What is your habit pattern?

Sounds daunting, but in the Lord there is hope.

There is HOPE because of the CROSS.

(H.O.P.E. : Hope Offers Peace Everyday; (and) Hope Offers Peace Eternally)

Do you remember singing these words, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…”* if you do, then them…

Let’s consider the word for worry. Using the Word Wealth found in the Spirit Filled Life Bible (pg 1415) {6:25 worry, merimnao (mer-im-nah-oh); Strong’s #3309: From Merizo, “to divide into parts.” The word suggests a distraction, a preoccupation with things causing anxiety, stress, and pressure. Jesus speaks against worry and anxiety because of the watchful care of a heavenly Father who is ever mindful of our daily needs.”}

How many of us have cried out to God, “don’t you see what’s going on?” ,”don’t you care?” , “do you even realize what I am facing?” or some such plea!

In the hour in which we are living, there are certainly enough reasons to be distracted, preoccupied, anxious and stressed over the economy.

But, can we be at rest in this ‘uncertain economic’ condition? Yes!

In the commentary, on the same page as mentioned above (pg 1415) , it comments about Matthew 6:25-34, “Jesus assumes the theme of single-hearted devotion to God and deals with the related attitude of freedom from anxiety over daily needs. He illustrates the worthlessness of worry by showing that it is unnecessary (vv. 26,28-30), unfruitful (vs. 27), and unbecoming to a Christian (vv. 31,32).

Yeah, right; that is easy for someone to write; but how about living it out. That is another thing. But the truth is, Jesus said it.

It is important to note that this admonition, teaching, encouragement comes immediately after He has just said in Matthew 6:24(TLV) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will stick by one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (emphasis mine)

Are we as a nation serving ‘money’ (mammon)?

Money and the economy are complements; they feed each other or they starve each other; but they do go hand in hand.

Question: What is my, your, our heart’s relationship to money?

If the economy fails?; if the stock market crashes?; if the housing market bottoms out?; if I lost my job? (actually I am retired, so if social security stopped?); How will I, you, we respond?

Will we be worried, anxious, and/or stressed out?

Probably, but this does not have to be; there is an alternative.

Where is my trust focused?

I may not be in the same circumstances as you; but the questions are still relevant to me too. We, Christians, are not immune to an economic downturn. I am not saying the economy is going to crash (it might); but the nation is struggling with inflation. (insert mine)

Jesus, after His teaching in Matthew 6:25-32, makes this statement in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (what things? what you shall eat, drink, and wear) shall be added unto you.” (insert mine)

The question again is, what are you focused on? Am I, are you, are we so focused on the economy that it causes us to worry, be anxious, and stress out? The economy is a ‘what’. We should be focused on the Lord; the Lord is a ‘Who’, a Person.

What does Jesus tell us to focus on? vv.33–“to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” I submit to you that that is relationship with the Lord.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans makes this statement. Romans 14:17, 18 (TLV), “…for the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness and shalom(peace) and joy in the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit). For the one who serves Messiah in this manner is pleasing to God and approved by men.”(inserts mine)

What did Paul tell the Romans to focus on? The kingdom of God and its righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

How are we going to accomplish that? by “serving” the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have read my previous posts about the ‘unprecedented unrest’, we, like Noah and his family, are in God’s A.R.K.(Adonai’s Righteous Kingdom); and our A.R.K. is a Person, Jesus Christ, Who is Adonai’s Righteous King. Now you can understand why we must ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’. We are to keep our focus upon Christ.

The storm clouds have gathered. The clouds are emptying a deluge of rain(chaos, confusion, lawlessness, turmoil, see 2 Timothy 3:1-17) upon the earth. The flood waters are rising, the nations are in unrest, and the ARK is being tossed about. The irony is that Hebrews 12:25-29 tells us that everything that can be shaken will be shaken; but in Christ we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Why? because our God Reigns! Our helmsman is Christ.

What will be shaken? Everything that is “earthly and temporal” (Spirit Filled Life Bible, Hebrews 12:25-29 commentary, NKJV)

Will this happen in the church? Absolutely. How much in the church today is worldly, temporal, or even unrighteous? Your reaction to these words may be that I have overstepped my bounds making such a statement; but I ask you to reflect upon the ‘state of the church’ in our nation, and in the world.

Is the church fulfilling its mission? The one the Lord purposed for it to do.

If not, then why not?

Have you ever asked yourself which one of the letters written to the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus might send to His church today?

Or, if Jesus were to write a new letter to His church today, what would He say?

Note: There are many who teach that the letter to the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14-22) represents the church in the last days; therefore, this letter or type of letter would be sent to the churches today. (insert mine)

I am personally confident such a letter would end with these words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach (Spirit) is saying to Messiah’s communities.” (TLV) These words are included at the end of each of the seven letters to the churches found in Revelation 2:1-3:22

The Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:17-19, (TLV), “For the time has come for judgment to begin with the house of God (who is the house of God? believers). If judgment begins with us first, what will be the end for those who disobey the Good News of God? Now if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what shall become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will–let them trust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good.” (insert mine)

I am so thankful for the grace and mercy of God. Thank you Father for the ARK. Thank you Father for Jesus Christ, Who is our ARK in the time of the storm. The ride may be rough but ‘in Christ’ we are safe and secure in the midst of the ‘shaking'(See Psalm 46). Being tossed ‘to and fro’ is anything but peaceful and calm. Jesus said, in the Upper Room, to His disciples, prior to His arrest, “These things I have spoken unto you, so that in Me you may have shalom(peace),[for what purpose?] In the world you will have trouble (tribulation:in the midst of which, Jesus is promising His peace; which means that we do not have to have worry, anxiety, or stress in the midst of the tribulation, the storm, the unprecedented unrest, the turmoil, etc. PTL), but take heart! I have overcome the world!” (Matthew 16:33 TLV) (emphasis, inserts mine)

Such may be our experience during the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that is mounting and will shake our nation and the nations of this world.

The Church will experience an unsettling due to the storm; but all that are ‘in Christ’ are safe and secure. (Read Psalm 91)

At the outset of this post, I highlighted the issue of the economy. There are many other issues that our nation is facing that have and are causing worry, anxiety, and stress among believers (and non-believers). (insert mine)

What stands out in your mind? What brings you worry, anxiety, stress?

Before we go forward, let me ask, how should we be praying in the midst of the ‘unprecedented unrest’?

How do we rest?

I suggest that following to quiet the unsettling around us..

Philippians 4:4-7 Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible), “Rejoice in the Lord always: Again I will say– Rejoice! Let your considerateness (forbearance,friendliness, kindness, mercy, etc.) be known unto all men, The Lord is near (at hand):–For nothing be anxious, But in everything by your prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Let your petitions be made known unto God; And the peace of God, which riseth above every mind shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” (insert, emphasis mine)

Selah.

As a nation, we are witnessing the systematic destruction and decay of the very institutions that have been the foundation of our nation and the stability of our society.

What pillars are fundamental to all stabilized nations? I suggest that they are their government, their businesses, their educational system, their justice system , their economics, their culture, their media, and the strength of their family units.

What have I not mentioned?

The Church.

Are the above mentioned pillars undergoing deterioration in our nation? in the world?

I am not suggesting that these pillars have not been without sin throughout their existence in our nation or any other nation.

What I am saying is that our Judeo-Christian foundation, that was a major influence in the founding of this nation under God is being maligned, assaulted, questioned, and marginalized.

Our foundation is on a ‘slippery slope’. People suggest and strongly argue that our Judeo-Christian roots have no place in our government. The problem then is that you have to ignore what is written in our Constitution; and that is exactly what they are doing and refuse to acknowledge that God, Himself, was instrumental and influential in establishing this nation.

Our Declaration of Independence says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This is very straight forward and simple to read and understand unless you have an agenda to disprove these words.

The scripture says in Psalms 33:12, (TLV), “Blessed is the nation whose God is Adonai…” (I recommend that you read Psalm 33 for the context of this verse))

I would like to share an analogy.

Our nation was established on a foundational rock of Biblical principles and belief in a Sovereign God.

There are many in our nation today that do not share that belief.

That foundation is being ignored, not taught, re-written, and removed deliberately from our mental and moral consciousness.

Our nation that was founded upon a ‘rock’ is being ‘re-constructed’ upon a foundation that is ‘sand’.

Jesus told a parable about building on a foundation of ‘rock’ or on a foundation of ‘sand’.

His parable was spoken at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 7:24-29, please take time to read the parable).

Prior to telling this parable, Jesus sternly warned His listeners (Matthew 7:15-23, TLV) that began with “Watch out for false prophets“, and ended with “…get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness.” (emphasis mine)

“False prophets” and “lawlessness”, two significant thoughts found in Matthew 24,25. (emphasis mine)

After a major confrontation with the Pharisees at the Temple, Jesus and His disciples left the Temple area. Jesus’s disciples for some reason decided to point out “the buildings of the temple” (Matthew 24:1 NKJV). Jesus responded with information about the destruction of the Temple. This prompted the disciples to ask Jesus three questions which Jesus answered in Matthew 24,25. (insert mine)

In previous posts, I have shared about Jesus answering His disciples questions.

What needs to be emphasized at this time?

Are we personally prepared to walk with the Lord through the ‘shaking’ and the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that has and is coming to our nation. Remember, we are safe and secure in the ARK; we are in Christ, Who is our ARK.

Remember, ‘shaking’ will affect His church also. He will remove what is not of ‘His Church’, not of ‘His Word’, and not of ‘Holy Spirit’.

In conclusion, recalling, Jesus’ instructions (from Matthew 24/25) , He told us to watch, (be) ready, (be) alert, and pray. He warned us not to be deceived by false prophets (Matthew 24: 4,11) and said that lawlessness (Matthew 24:12)would be rampant; but those who endured to the end(Matthew 24:13) (when He returns) would be saved. There will be troubled times (count on it); but there is work to be done (this Gospel will be preached(Matthew 24:14) throughout the whole world, to all nations, and then the end will come). (inserts and emphasis mine)

He exhorted us to be like the wise virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) who were prepared for the bridegroom’s coming, and not to be like the unwise virgins who were unprepared, complacent, and not ready for the coming of the bridegroom. He also instructed us to be responsible servants/stewards (Matthew 25:14-30) doing, fulfilling, and carrying out the tasks and using the gifts that have been given to us, as we wait for His return.

Our foundation for accomplishing this means that we need to be watchful, be ready, be alert, and be praying. These disciplines will keep us prepared to respond like the wise virgins, and be responsible like faithful servants of the Lord. (emphasis mine)

Being obedient to His Word builds a living, vibrant relationship and life, walking with the Lord, establishing our foundation on a solid ‘rock’ and that ROCK is Christ Jesus our Lord. (emphasis mine)

Closing the parable, Jesus tells us how to build on a solid foundation.

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and yet it did not fall, for its foundation had been built on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27 TLV)(emphasis mine)

Question: Are you going to build on rock or sand? Are you going to live as wise or foolish? I submit that your answer and lifestyle regarding these two questions will determine the worry, anxiety, and stress you face in your daily life.

Christians are not immune to these two questions; in fact, these thoughts are directed to His disciples.

Remember singing these words, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” *

These words are to be our testimony.

Selah.

Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

*My Hope is Build on Nothing Less, written by Edward Mote (1797-1874), music by William Batchelder Bradbury (1816-1868)

tbc

“How Shall We Then Live?” Francis Schaeffer

The last two posts have been centered on the words of Jesus found in Matthew 24 and 25. A good number of my latest posts have emphasized the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that I believe the Lord shared with me that is coming to our nation and to the nations of the world.

The title, then, for this post is apropos. 40 years ago, Francis Schaeffer, wrote a book and proposed the question, How Shall We Then Live?

It is said in a book review the he was “one of the foremost evangelistic thinkers of the twentieth century… Francis A. Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. Profoundly aware of the similarities modern culture shares with societies that came before, Schaeffer embarked on a journey to uncover the movements that gave rise to modern culture and resulted in the decline of the Christian worldview…Schaeffer argues that the erosion of society begins with a shift away from biblical truth. To support this claim,he walks readers through history, beginning with the fall of Rome, through the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and up to the twentieth century. This latest edition analyzes the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and present the solution: living by the Christian ethic, fully accepting God’s revelation, affirming the moral, values and meaning of the Bible.” (preach it, brother Schaeffer!) (insert mine)

During this time of ‘unprecedented unrest’, we are abiding in Christ, our ARK, focused upon Him, His Word, listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church, and being guided by the Holy Spirit.

In the last post, we pointed out four words that we needed to recognize in our daily walk with the Lord. Those four words are Watch, Ready, Alert, Pray.

In Matthew 24:45 NKJV, Jesus asks this question. ”Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?”

I suggest that a ‘faithful’ and ‘wise’ servant is one who begins his or her day watching, being ready, alert, and praying. Embracing these discipline, the servant will with faithfulness and wisdom be directed by the Holy Spirit to carry out his or her duties as a servant.

Matthew 24:47 is the servant’s reward; and Matthew 24:48-58 details a dire warning to a servant that shirks his or her responsibility as a servant and seeks to please him or herself, not taking one’s servanthood seriously.

In Matthew 25:1-3, the Lord gives us another vivid picture of embracing our four words that admonish us to be watchful, ready, alert, and praying.

The parable is about the ten virgins. Jesus says that five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. In essence, the five wise virgins watched and prayed and they were ready and alert. Read the parable carefully and look for their watching, praying, readiness, and alertness.

Some of us may stumble over Matthew 25:5 NKJV, which says, “while the bridegroom tarried (delayed), they all slumbered and slept.” I suggest that when the bridegroom came the five wise virgins were prepared because they had watched and prayed and were ready and alert to respond in a timely fashion.

In Matthew 25:10-13, Jesus shares the consequences of not being ready and prepared when the bridegroom comes. Question: Is the consequence similar to what took place in the day of Noah, when the door to the ark was shut, and the flood came? How so? Jesus says that a day is coming when those who are ready will join Him at the wedding; and those who are not(the foolish virgins) will be saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say unto you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:11,12 NKJV) (insert mine) [Note: Jesus explains those words in Matthew 25:31-46]

The good news is that this ‘unprecedented unrest’ is not the great tribulation, nor do I believe that it is the Second Coming of Christ. The door into the ARK, is being ‘in Christ’. It is still open. 

Jesus said in John 10:7-10 NKJV,

“Then Jesus said to them again, Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The Lord is being very gracious. His admonition to us is a wake-up call for all humanity, our nation, and the nations of the world. It is especially a wake-up call to His Church. The Lord is preparing His people for how to live now and the upcoming ‘unrest’. Those ‘in Christ’ are being stirred to watch and pray and to be ready and alert. Believers are being challenged to live as the Lord’s faithful and wise stewards doing what He bids His servants to do in the last days. He is calling us to live as wise virgins and not as foolish virgins.

In the parable of the virgins, what is the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins?

Matthew 25:3,4 NKJV says, “Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessel with their lamps.”

The wise virgins were prepared; the foolish virgins were complacent. The foolish virgins were not prepared for the bridegrooms coming.

Jesus follows up the parable about the five wise and five foolish virgins telling another parable about the stewardship of talents.

Question: Is there a direct connection between the two parables?

Selah.

I will begin with another question. Stepping back to an earlier teaching by Jesus, what was the difference between the ‘faithful and wise servant’ and the ‘evil servant’ Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:45-51 ? Jesus said in Matthew 25:48 NKJV, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming” “, and lives a wanton lifestyle, that servant faces sever consequences (see Matthew 24:45-51).

Thought: The foolish virgins were not ready because of the bridegroom delay.

Jesus, now, continues to picture for His listeners what it is going to be like prior to His return and shares His expectations outlining how His followers should live. This expectation is portrayed for us in a parable entitled, The Parable of the Talents. (Matthew 25:14-30)

At this juncture, I would like to quote from the Spirit Filled Life Bible regarding this passage of scripture. Let me also interject that I believe this quote incorporates what has been previously shared. I trust you will concur.

Matthew “24:14-30 Watchfulness does not mean idleness, but a faithful discharge of one’s responsibilities. The wise use of gifts and abilities entrusted to us results in greater opportunities, while their neglect results not only in the loss of more opportunities, but of that which was entrusted to us.”

It would be good to stop and re-read the Parable of The Talents at this time.

Please bear with me. I am aware that I am being highly repetitive; and that can be detrimental keeping one’s audience’s attention. I guess this is a throwback to when I taught math. I would be highly repetitive in my teaching.

The ‘unprecedented unrest’ in which we are living and which is growing in its intensity will bring judgment upon many individuals (God knows who they are, not me) because of their evil ways. This ‘unprecedented unrest’ will also bring a great awakening and awareness to multitudes of humans regarding the abundant mercy and grace of God. As I have said previously, the door to the ARK is not closed. Our ARK is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the door to the ARK.

Even now, today, the Good News of the Gospel is being preached throughout the world, and many are being saved, healed, delivered, and set free from the bondage of sin, and receiving the forgiveness of their sins. Praise the Lord.

I recommend that you see a network like, the Christian Broadcasting Network, CBN, on YouTube TV. There you can read and see what God is doing in His world.

We are on the ‘doorstep’ of a great awakening in our nation. God is going to bring to this nation ‘A Righteous Revelation Of Wrong-doing’. It may be very tumultuous. For those who have read the post, ‘The ARROW Of God’, the context of the statement is found in Psalm 64, specifically verses 7-10 (TLV)

“But God will shoot them with an arrow–suddenly their wounds will appear. So their tongue will be their downfall. All who see them will flee away. Then all men will fear. So they will declare the work of God, and ponder what He has done. The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him. Let all the upright in heart give glory. (give glory to God and not gloat) (insert mine)

Are you a believer/follower/disciple of Jesus Christ? Then you are in the A.R.K (Adonai’s Righteous Kingdom) and you are safe and secure in the storm, just as Noah was safe in the ark, during the storm (see Psalm 91).

As a follower of Christ, let us recall what Jesus has taught and instructed us about How Shall We Then Live? until He returns, irregardless of how chaotic, tumultuous, confusing, traumatic, dark, “the valley of the shadow of death” or…despair, distraught, discouragement, desperation becomes? 

Remember, ”The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want”… ”He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name sake”… Even “though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death.I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and You staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1,3b,4 NKJV)

Our God and Father, is the God of all comfort. Spirit Filled Life Bible, Word Wealth, Strong’s Concordance, nacham, #5162, To comfort, console, extend compassion, sigh with one who is grieving…In its sense of comfort, nacham does not describe casual sympathy, but rather deep empthay. It is like “weeping with those who weep,” or actually “sighing with those who sigh”.

See 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.

We are to stay focused upon Christ as our Savior, Lord, Master, and Coming King. We are to faithfully serve Him, and walk in His wisdom. We are to faithfully use our talents and not bury them in fear of Him. We are to keep an attitude of watchfulness and not become complacent. We are to be prepared at a moments notice to respond to Him as wise virgins. The Holy Spirit enables us to walk with Him. Therefore, we must daily watch, pray, be alert, and ready (prepared). (insert mine)

Let us remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24 NKJV:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” “

Paul, lived out this instruction daily in his life this way: Galatians 2:20 ,21 NKJV, ”I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

So today, let us look forward into the spiritual horizon: watching, praying, being alert, and ready; prepared for the bridegrooms coming; serving as a faithful and wise servant; using our talents responsibly for His Kingdom.

Like the servant, Ezekiel (I Kings 18) sent to view if the storm clouds were gathering on the horizon to bring rain, know that the storm clouds have and are continuing to gather. We can see and hear their thundering in our midst. 

Just like Ezekiel was looking for rain as an answer to his prayer to God to end the drought, let our prayers ask God to end the Spiritual drought of the rain of the Holy Spirit, the latter rain; this will also bring His reign in freshness to His Church, His people, and to the nations of the world.

Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Let it RAIN/REIGN!

Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

What’s This Post’s WRAP?

Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus spoke to His disciples prior to His ascension and gave to them instructions which have been identified as the great commission. What we must must keep in perspective is that before the disciples embarked upon the great commission, Jesus, “being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which”, He said, “you have heard from me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ (Acts 1:4-8, NKJV)

I wonder how many times, me included, I, we, have hurried off to accomplish the work of the Lord, that we have been assigned to do, and have not stopped long enough, to be sure we are really ready to move forward in and by the Spirit of God, and not running ahead in our own fleshly strength.

The Lord, commanded, them to wait. What if they had just run off in their own strength? What would have been the outcome? 

I suggest that much activity done by the Church today is not governed by the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Lord is going to ‘shake’ His Church during the coming ‘unrest’ and realign the Church so that it will accomplish the great commission as He intended it to be done.

Like the disciples in Acts, The Church needs to wait in their ‘Jerusalem’ for the Promise of the Father. I know that not everyone agrees theologically with what I am saying. Suffice it to say, the Church cannot do the ministry of the Lord, as the Lord intended it, without the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the CEO of the Church–the Chief Executive Officer.

The Promise of the Father was explained to the disciples in the Upper Room the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest prior to His trial and crucifixion. (See John 13-17)

The Promise of the Father, was the ‘rain’ of the Holy Spirit that came down on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit was to empower His followers to do the work of ministry. The coming of the Holy Spirit was the coming of Christ into the believers. He had told them in the Upper Room in John 14:15-18 NKJV, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphan; I will come to you.”

I agree with the commentary in the Spirit Filled Life Bible explaining John 14:18, “Jesus refers to His coming in the Person of the Holy Spirit.” and in John 16:16 “A little while, and you will not see Me and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.” ( I am aware that every one may not agree with this commentary.)

Acts 2:1-4 records the coming of the Holy Spirit. At this time, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter, arises(Acts 2:14) to the occasion and says, “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ”And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh…The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.” Acts 2:16,17a,20-21 (NKJV). This is what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 24.

As we begin this new year, let us wait on the Lord; let us ask Him to pour out His Spirit upon us; let us be empowered by the Spirit to do the bidding of the Lord during the ‘unprecedented unrest’.

I want to turn our attention to Matthew 24:42-44 (NKJV), it reads,

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour Your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

What instructions does Jesus give to His followers?

What words in the text would you underline and/or highlight in your Bible?

I would like to suggest the following:

In Matthew 24:42, underline “watch”, Strong’s Concordance #1127, it means to keep awake, be vigilant, wake, (be)watch(ful). This is the same word Jesus used speaking to Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Stay here and watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38 NKJV) In Matthew 24:43, He uses the word watched speaking to them, the same word that He used previously.

In Matthew 24:44, underline be “ready”, Strong’s Concordance #2092, it means prepared, (make)ready(-iness, to our hand) This is the same word Jesus used in His parable of the wedding feast. Matthew 22:4-8 NKJV, “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and fatted calf are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding. ” ‘…”Then he said to his servants, The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.”

Our words are watch (Matthew 24:22) and ready(Matthew 24:44).

I would like to suggest two additional words, I believe, are important. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples did not watch with Him. Three times He found them asleep. In Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV, “then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter. ”What could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray lest you fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

In our watching, we need to pray. Paul writing to the Colossian church, says in Colossians 4:2 KJV, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” The NKJV reads, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Paul is exhorting watching earnestly in prayer.

Diligent watching includes our persistent praying.

The Greek word for watch, gregorio, Strong”s #1127, means either literally to be or keep awake (possibly as in vs.43 and parallels) or figuratively to be watchful and alert (as here) {Matthew 24:42}. No NT usage appears to be entirely without some sense of being watchful, on guard, or vigilant. The word came to be used more or less absolutely as a Christian virtue (see I Cor. 16:13) and to designate watchful preparedness for the Lord’s return (see Rev. 16:15; see also Col. 4:2) In I Thessalonians 5:10 it takes on the metaphorical meaning of being alive. The word is also used in Matthew 26:41. [Word Wealth: Spirit Filled Life Bible, page 1422]

Another word that I would like to add to our list, and one which I believe is implied, and is mentioned in the above Word Wealth, is alert. The concept of being alert is the basis of the meaning of Matthew 24:43 NKJV, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched (been alert)[see above], and not allow his house to be broken into. (inserts mine)

As mentioned above, the word watch is found in I Corinthians 16:13, NKJV; Paul writes, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” As explained in the Word Wealth, to watch is identified as a Christian virtue, that is united with “standing fast in the faith, be brave, be strong”. All of these are virtues that a believer needs to exhibit in their walk with the Lord, especially in the last days.

Our words for consideration in this section are prayer (Colossians 4:2) and alert (Matthew 24:42)

In the Book of Luke, we have a parallel account of Jesus’ words that we have been considering in Matthew’s Gospel.

Let us consider Luke’s account of what Jesus said about watching. This is found in Luke 21:34-38 NKJV.

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and the Day come on you unexpectantly.” (This is expressly referring to the Second Coming of the Lord; but do you see its application to Jesus’ words about, “as it was in the days of Noah”?) “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Insert mine)

What are the four words that I have emphasized: watch, pray, alert, ready.

I submit that all four of these words are woven into the fabric of thought in Luke’s account of Jesus’ words quoted in the above text.

What is the importance of these four words? 

As we walk with the Lord in the end times, when there will be ‘unprecedented unrest”, as we are abiding in the ARK of His refuge: we need to be watchful; we need to pray; we need to be alert; and we need to be ready.

It might help you to think of the word WRAP to remember these four words: Watch,Ready,Alert,Pray–W.R.A.P.

Well, that’s a WRAP for this post. (lol)

I believe that these four words are foundational stepping stones paving our pathway as we walk with the Lord in tumultuous times. He has highlighted these four words for our spiritual guidance, strength, and knowing. 

Re-read Matthew 24:42-44, and think about these words. 

Question: What adjustments, if any, do you need to make at this time in your life as you walk with the Lord? Ask Him.

Now, I would like to suggest that you read Matthew 24:45-51, Matthew 25:1-13, and Matthew 25:15-30 in preparation for the next post.

Blessings, deo