This is the wonderful things about the Bible. It is old and yet it is always fresh. We are familiar with every chapter and yet it is constantly surprising us. Time and time again we discover some radiant revelation of the wonderful purpose of God. 😌
No human, be he ever so good and ever so bright, has perfectly discovered the full treasure which has been submerged in the living word of God. That means the treasure is never exhausted and always revealing something new and yet old. 😌
When the spirit gets pessimistic the best place for Revival is in the optimism of the faithful word of God. No man can be sure of Christ until he is sure of Christ’s word😊.. And that’s why we should live in the word
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
There is something that is very important in our pursuit of Christ. We need to understand his heart
There is no better way of pleasing anyone than in the pursuit of what pleases him.
The pursuit of what pleases God makes us pleasing before him.
Man was made in the image of God with the ability to understand the heart of God.
So in this verse we understand that the context describes an era where horses and chariots were used to make war and the swiftness of a warrior meant a good warrior.
Both were used to make exploits against the enemy.
This brings us to the understanding that God is not delighted in how much we do exploits yet the pursuit and hope for his unfailing love is complacent
Strength in the old Testament to do exploits can be compared to today’s annointing to wreck havock and scatter the enemy’s household.
However annointed you are with the pursuit of God’s love, you remain mediocre.
God is only pleased with those who know him before they do exploits not those who do exploits before they trully know God’s heart. (Daniel 11:32)
Seek his unfailing love or as other versions put it, hope on his mercy.
The pursuit for God’s love brings us to a point where God is pleased with us.
Never be on the pursuit for greatness in terms of annointing and greatness without first seeking God’s heart and the serving him with the fear(reverence) he deserves.
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler:
Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place.
I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. The bible talks about an error an exchange that has happened
According to the laws of this world those who rank high are those who are rich.
Now in the spiritual realm, richness is associated with our salvation and our our devotion to Christ. Folly is associated with the denial of a God or his works. : It is time we understand our position of influence in this world. We are a royalty and therefore need to stand higher in rank.
We have gotten to a level where we end up being influenced by everything on this world except Christ.
We have forgotten our positions. As Christians, we are considered rich and princes and princesses because we are the children of the King above all Kings.
Get up and have your level of influence.
Most of us the enemy has snatched our positions and given them to his the sinners. It is an error for you to sit and relax in the lowly place and watch as another carries on your destiny Stand up right and take back what is yours. You walk while your horse is being carried by your servant.
It is time to rise and take back your positions that were snatched.
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
We must understand that we carry a fragrance in us. A spiritual fragrance that is felt before God and man.
The fragrance that is felt before God the one mentioned in Psalm 141:2
This however is the fragrance that we spread here on earth since we received Christ. You must understand that just the same way you have a fragrance in the physical, you have a fragrance in the spiritual.
How sweet your fragrance is will determine your ability to draw near to God. And to draw people towards God on this earth. Imagine a person who walks past you in town with a sweet smelling perfume or collogne most of us will look back.
That is exactly what it is like in the spiritual. Your fragrance stands out. Every persin must work on how to make his/ Her fragrance not only stand out but also sweet in God’s prescence.
Your fragrance should ooze sweetness. We are living sacrifices. Just the same way people in the Old Testament pleased God with sweet inscence, you please him with your fragrance. Things that make you ooze sweet fragrance
Abiding in his prescence through worship prayer etc
Feeding your spirit with the word. It oozes a sweet fragrance
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The valley of the shadow of death is a symbol of situations in life that seem to be the end of everything!
Facing rough Times, nothing working in your life,you could loose your job or a family member! You may be facing persecutions as a christian, and people are asking where is your God! Job a bible character faced the valley of the shadow of death! He lost literally everything including his health! Friends ridiculed him! His own wife to him to curse God and die! And to him himself he said cursed be the Day he was born!
The valley of the shadow of death is not a pleasant place! God may seem silent at that particular time! Be very careful! This is where people can curse God! The only thing that counts in the valley of the shadow of death is where you are fixing your eyes!!!!!
Where you fix your eyes will determine if you are going to walk through or when you are going to give up, or if you are going to curse Your God!!! Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. At the valley if the shadow of death, who do you face!??..Here is where those who got because of other people, circumstances or presents turn back and they run from the faith! This is where you will hear people blame God!!
Some say now because my dad died/pastor died, no more walking with Christ! Am giving up on God because He did not save my dad from Death!! Who has bewitched us????? But if you know whom you have believed, you can never loose hope in the valley of the shadow of death!! 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Paul writing this faced the valley of the shadow of death experience!! But he fixed his eyes on Jesus because he knew the one he believed! The psalmist faced the valley of the shadow of death, the enemies were pursuing and almost killed Him but he stood and fixed his eyes on the Lord! He couldn’t fear any evil!
The psalmist knew the rod and the staff of God always gave him comfort!!!
The purpose of the Rod and staff of God is to punish and show the right direction!! Some situations come into our lives to take us to the perfect will of God and purges you to be like Him! When you face the valley of Shadow of Death experience focus on the Lord! Encourage yourself in the Lord just like David did!fix your eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of your faith!
When God purges you just fix your eyes on Him
When you face the Valley of the shadow of death, FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS!
So today we will be learning on “The presence of GOD”
I would like to begin with a question…..
what is the presence of God
Another question,what happens in the presence of God? in your perspective?
I would say the presence of God is a setting where by you can encounter God,a close place with Him And at this place is where you find freedom,joy,comfort,deliverance,name them…the goodness of God,where his power and glory is manifest
It is true that you cannot know God if you have not encountered Him
Meaning if you cannot recognize the presence of God,you have not encountered him And you do not know Him May be you know about Him,theories on him or testimonials but no encounter…
..which is not enough
you must taste of Him to become of full knowledge is this true and are we together?
We should also know that there are some things that enhance the presence of God just as there things that separate us from the presence of God
This is in Adam’s and Eve’s case,they hid from the presence of God…..why?they had landed themselves in sin,and sin was separating them from the presence of God
so sin is one Of the things that can separate us from the presence of God,and the vice versa is true too
Meaning staying out of sin is key for us to experience the presence of God inorder to have a continual unbroken experience in the presence of God you have to keep away from sin
We know that God has promised always to be with us,but often we’re not aware of his constant presence in our lives….right?
so what do you do when you feel you are not in the presence of God,when you feel He is not near you?and what will be happening ?
Because God has promised to be with us,this means His light is always shining upon us,and when we feel we are not in the light,it does not mean God is not there….it means we are in a wrong place,say a place of darkness…..God is still there,you are the one in a wrong place….a place of sin is what will make make you hid from the presence of God…..is this right?
This brings us to what can we do in pursuit of God’s presence ,what can we do to maintain and cultivate God’s presence
1.Repentance – repent of your sins and return back to your creator,sin is key in cutting you off from the presence of God
2.Let go of whatever is distracting you from giving God your full attention,what is making you land into sin and draw away….let it go
3.Be open to the works of the Holy Spirit,after Jesus ascended to heaven he left us the Holy Spirit,who is our helper in everything….including helping us in knowing who God is and how He works.If you cannot embrace the holy spirit it is difficult to understand how God works
4.Fervent and Frequent prayer….you cannot know know someone you talk to,someone you relate with one on one,you will encounter God in prayer
KJV Bible. Colossians 4:12-13 [12]Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. [13]For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Daniel 6:10 When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God
Labouring fervently for you in prayers…note that Daniel used to pray,giving thanks three times a day
5.The word of God….the only way to understand God is through his word,He is the word….have a relationship with your Bible an respect it,through His work you gain knowledge,with knowledge you cannot perish…because you will be rebuked,balanced and shown a way forward providing answers to your all life issues
Deut 6:4-9,Joshua 1:8 Josh.1.8 – This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
6.Obedience After you repenting and turning around ,this should lead to obedience,no turning back,obedience….daily walk in holiness and surrender to Christ,remember God draws to the righteous…..why did you even repent if there will be no change and walking in obedience towards the right path?
7.Perseverance….Be focused and diligent on seeking after God,persevere in your hunt for God,day in day out,months,years,decades…..seek until you find,knock until the door is opened
Do not give up on God,remember He is always there for you,He will never leave even when you thinK you have hit a dead end…He will never give up on you so do the same….Be a steward
The Lord says …..I chose YOU! I chose you at the very foundation of Creation coming into being. I fashioned every detail and uniqueness within you. I did not make one mistake. You are My Masterpiece and Highly prized. I did not redeem the angels. I did redeem you. I restored you to stand at My Right Hand side. Rise up to your true identity. Let the human labels upon you fall off. You are not who others believe. Allow Me to bring clarity to your mind. You are becoming in My Image so remove all other images.
Man will tell you that we can be permanently separated. I am not looking at your mistakes, so come back into fullness. You do not have to wear the title of Prodigal. I am involved in everything you do each day. I am not off somewhere far away. You are always on My Heart and Mind. Let Me dance with you. Let Me share in your sorrows. Give it all to Me for I promised to Bring Joy to you and Heal you.
You disqualify yourself from God’s plan and Agenda for a Generation (you drift away from God’s purpose in your life which is not just to use you alone but we as a Generation) when flesh resurrect in you. (when you allow yourself to be a slave to the sin of the flesh… To the desires of the flesh which are against God’s will as said in Gal 5 from vs 14 to 25) and God says that… The only set of Believers that God will rise up in this endtime, are men who have been BAPTIZED IN DEATH. Puritans who by alignment have received the Ordination of Death. (the people who put to death the life of the flesh and chose the life in Christ.. Because the Bible says you die to sin but you rise up back to life in Jesus Christ… That’s why Salvation is not modification of your habits… Salvation is living a new life… The old nature you had is put to death and you receive a new life since you are now grafted into God’s children… So you are dead to sin but alive in righteous) and these are the people that God want.. Those who have decided to start a new life in Christ and put to death their past nature🤭 2nd Corinthians 5:17 [17]Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come….
And just to make it clear…
It is your Spirit that get’s born again, your soul needs Deliverance and your body needs discipline.
There is a New Revival coming over the Earth. None like it has ever been witnessed through the history of mankind. It has already begun, but many still live as they believed before. What you are not open to seeing and experiencing, you will not partake of.
Radical Change is taking place for My Voice will not return Void! Can you understand what hour you are in? Will you turn and say, no man can understand the ways of the Lord? Those who have ears, let them hear.
My Spirit stirs the spirit in all of mankind. You have a choice to let that grow larger and wider or silence it. You are not ignorant. No one will stand on that last day and have legal right to say they did not know. My Spirit prepares the way and gives the heart understanding to the incomprehensible.
I will use those that are hungry. I will not chase away those who pursue My Throne. The narrow road is often seen as the road to avoid, however what you will experience is the joy beyond that will never cease all of your days.
(Hebrews chapter 3) Today when you hear His voice ✨
Why does the writer say we share a heavenly call
Can we clarify on why we are Christ’s house😊
When is today and how can one harden his or her heart ☹️
An unbelieving heart how can it lead people astray and how do you know it
If we hold our first confidence… Which is this 😟
The chapter introduces us with a very special and crucial information on who we are and who Jesus is 🎊… It reminds us that we share a heavenly calling that is those who believe in Jesus to whom we have all been united by our faith in Him through our accepting the call of salvation and hence we received the full right to be sons in the kingdom as stated
Ephesians 2.19 – Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God ‘s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God ‘s [own] household.
So it is simultaneously a call from heaven to Heaven 😂
😂OK.. Like it is God who calls you to Salvation and if you receive His call from above then you started operating with the things from above coz you are already a King awaiting for the day to Heaven 😊 So apparently we have answered question 2…coz since tumepata right ya kukuwa heaven and Jesus is the one in charge of our lives… So He must be faithful to us… To help us in every way we need.. And that’s why He was kind enough to leave us the Holy Spirit 💁🏽♂️
You receive the ownership of the Kingdom of Heaven once you accept the call from Heaven ✨✨ Heb.4.7 – Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts. (Amp)
… Today is now… Today is your current state and place… It doesn’t matter where you are and at what time… It is today.. It is now that God wants to declare His word to the world and you are the Son who will deliver it… He is saying that TODAY be ready for His work… Don’t harden your heart… Don’t ignore God’s call… When He needs you now you should be available now… Just as we read in that we should be vessels of honour ready for the work of God 2Tim.2.21 – So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. (Amp) Hardness to God’s will and voice is simply ignoring God’s command.. You choose to follow your own thoughts and ideas rather than God’s will …
Rom.12.1 – I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
😊🙌
So for our continuation we tackle question 4 and 5 to finish the chapter 😄
Well it is very important to know an unbelieving heart as stated by the word coz you might end up going a wrong direction 😊
Let us have an ascertainity from other Scriptures
Heb.12.15 – Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God ‘s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it
Now here is an example of such “unbelieving hearts” or “bitter roots” 😄 Jude.1.11 – Woe to them! For they have run riotously in the way of Cain, and have abandoned themselves for the sake of gain [it offers them, following] the error of Balaam, and have perished in rebellion [like that] of Korah!
Korah is a better example 😂… If you have read the story of Moses you will realize that he led a rebellion against Moses their leader and ended up misleading his “followers” .. So always be careful with who is leading you 😊 and who is in your midst 😄
Always have the right company surrounding you ✋
Finally our last question which is from here 😄
Heb.3.14 – For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation [in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end.
OK…. Jude will start us off
Jude.1.3 – Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God].
Note the verse in Hebrews is saying Our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation..
Which is basically Faith ✨
These Faith that is originating from the Son of God… The FAITH that empowered you to come to Salvation… Let’s just have another Scriptures we are familiar with
Gal.3.23 – Now before the faith came, we were perpetually guarded under the Law, kept in custody in preparation for the faith that was destined to be revealed (unveiled, disclosed), Gal.3.24 – So that the Law served [to us Jews] as our trainer [our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us] until Christ [came], that we might be justified (declared righteous, put in right standing with God) by and through faith. Gal.3.25 – But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a trainer (the guardian of our childhood). – Gal.3.26 – For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. Gal.3.27 – For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.
From this we get to know that Christ delivered as this Faith upon His coming in our lives ✨ and which we ought to secure and sustain
So that 👇🏼👇🏼
1Cor.15.58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].
Col.1.23 – [And this He will do] provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith [in Christ], well-grounded and settled and steadfast, not shifting or moving away from the hope [which rests on and is inspired by] the glad tidings (the Gospel), which you heard and which has been preached [as being designed for and offered without restrictions] to every person under heaven
😊😊😊
So generally from the chapter we are learning that we should be vessels of honour ready for the work of God 😊
We should be available for the Master at all times 😊
We should not harden our hearts when He calls us for His purpose 😊
Many are times when God will speak to us in many ways… But many are the times when we will harden our hearts against His voice in many ways😞
The church has become lazy and only serves God when they feel like 😕
We really don’t want to be associated to His work when we are busy with other people and things ☹️
We have to come to full submission to God and start acting on HIS WILL.
The Lord needs His word to go out to the world but the people who need to do this job have hidden their lamps under bushels
The salt has lost its flavour… We are choosing to fit into some comfort zone instead of fitting people into God’s comfort 😕
When will you be ready to Listen to His voice 😳
The command is very simple
TODAY WHEN YOU HEAR HIS VOICE😊
2Cor.6.17 – So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor, 2Cor.6.18 – And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.☺️
Well… Today is the day, now is the time… Be keen to God’s voice
And may the Lord make a way for everyone in touch to this word 🥳… May He bless you abundantly and expound your territories 🤩… May His wisdom and knowledge be fully implanted in your soul, mind and spirit ☺️… And may He use you for greater testimonies on this world …
