The Church is under constant attack by Satanic strategies, false teachers, and suspicious movements. These strategies of Satan seek to:

• ISOLATE BELIEVERS.
• UNDERMINE LEADERSHIP.
• DISCOURAGE GIVING.
• CLAIM SECRET TRUTHS OR SPECIAL REVELATIONS (OCCULTIC).
• CLAIM THEIR WAY OF DOING CHURCH IS THE ONLY WAY.

These are not spiritual innovations—they are Satan’s attacks. Any movement that separates you from your leadership is intended to make you prey.

Remember: the devil will use Scripture. He will make his lies sound biblical and will make you question your standing and become suspicious of your pastors. But the Word is clear: go to your leadership, follow their faith, respect their calling, and remain in the Body.

 

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines…. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:7-9, 17)

 

As a matter of reference, can you name a time when Jesus instructed any believer to leave one of the churches in Revelation? Some of these churches were awful. Now, I am not suggesting that believers are forbidden to move churches, but I do think we should consider how the Holy Spirit will lead us, so the Body of Christ does not incur damage.

THE PROTECTION OF THE BODY

According to Ephesians 4, deceivers are waiting for you, but the church is there to protect you. This passage reveals that Jesus ascended into heaven and gave the Church the gifts of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. The Holy Spirit operates through this divine order to promote the health, maturity, and fruit of the Body of Christ. The world is not a friend to the Body of Christ, and Satan has many strategies to bring havoc upon individual believers as well as the Body as a whole. With vigilance, we must never allow this to happen. By all means, we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).

 

Regarding the protection we personally receive from the Body of Christ and why a believer must humble himself and submit to the Church, consider the exhortation in Ephesians 4: we are not to remain children, “… tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, andcunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, evenChrist (Ephesians 4:14-15).”

1. When anything disturbs my peace and begins to toss me to and fro, I must turn to leadership. I should not allow confusion to isolate me from those God has appointed to watch over my soul.
2. When any doctrine tries to carry me away—seeking to remove me from my place in the body—I must go to leadership. I must allow that doctrine to be examined in light of Scripture and within the church’s safety.
3. When men come to me appearing kind, concerned, and helpful, but their words make me question my soundness in Christ, make me suspicious of the church, or lead me to doubt the leadership God has placed in my life, I must go to leadership.

Deception often masquerades as concern, kindness, or spiritual insight. I must not allow someone’s friendly appearance to draw me away from my place in the Body of Christ. God has given the church leadership to protect me from being tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine.

When the Church faces attacks and members are drawn away without consulting their leaders, you can be certain that Satan is taking them as prey.

 I have observed the untold damage inflicted on families, children, and friendships when believers are deceived into movements that tell them they cannot even speak to their pastors—despite what the Scriptures teach about spiritual leadership: “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. … Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

THE DEVIL WORKS IN CYCLES

Cults of isolation and deception keep reappearing in various forms. These cycles may include teachings on demon possession, distorted house-church movements, or abusive shepherding. Although the names and methods may change, they all lead to devastated lives, families, and children. Many of these movements are driven by women.

Satan is after God’s order. When men fail to provide biblical headship in their homes and pastors fail to provide leadership in their churches, a door is opened. Women may then be positioned to lead the men, and the established order of leadership begins to be dismantled.

One of Satan’s methods, beginning in the Garden, is to deceive the woman and then manipulate her into destroying the man. This method continues into the last days, as we see in 2 Timothy 3: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come … For … they … creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1, 6-7).

When anyone claims to have a secret truth or special revelation—and says I need their book, tape, or teaching to receive it—I run!

Secret meetings, secret gifts, and books that claim to contain an enlightenment you lack—and insist that you need it to become powerful, spiritual, or fulfilled—should be clear warning signs. When these signs appear, you should go straight to your pastor for advice.

Someone may say, “But the book is full of Scripture!” That does not prove it is true. You can make Scripture say almost anything when you take it out of context. When the devil attacks Christians, the primary book he misuses is the Bible. The deceptive books he inspires will also be filled with biblical language and passages. The presence of Scripture alone does not prove that a teaching is sound; Scripture must be interpreted in its proper context and subjected to the discernment and protection God has established within the Church.

SATAN’S ATTACKS ON THE CHURCH ARE NOT NEW. SATAN MUST DO IT.

Satan must attack the church because he fears what God intends to accomplish through it. It is easy to discern what Satan fears most by observing what he attacks, both openly and secretly: THE CHURCH.

The movements we see today that draw people away from the organized Church and from SUBMISSION to God’s divine order are devilish attacks. Those who advocate these movements are often deeply immature and undiscerning. As a result, they wreck people’s lives and damage friendships and families.

Any movement that isolates itself from THE CHURCH, protests against THE CHURCH, rejects THE CHURCH’s biblical doctrine and establishment, divides and criticizes THE CHURCH, or positions itself against THE CHURCH—whether due to abuse, church hurt, discipline, or another offense—is a satanic strategy to divide the Kingdom of God.

Any movement that judges a church that gathers in the name of Jesus, under the authority of His gospel, as illegitimate is a direct attack by Satan on that living organism—that wife Jesus died to have. They are NOT merely attacking the institution of the Church; they are attacking Christ Himself, just as Paul did when he persecuted the Church.

Any movement that directs people not to give—claiming that tithes and offerings are neither biblical nor practiced under the New Covenant—is a false prophet and a false teacher.

Any movement that discourages people in the Body of Christ from giving, providing support, contributing to missions, feeding the poor, promoting the gospel, and sending people into the world to preach the gospel in an organized and orderly manner is a direct attack by Satan. It attacks the generosity and spirit of giving within the Body of Christ, making its members calloused and covetous and closing their hearts and hands to God’s work.

Any movement that seeks to separate or divide the Church is a direct effort by Satan to divide the Kingdom of God. Any movement claiming that it alone is the only way is false. Any movement that makes itself the standard for what God accepts is false.

Any movement that separates you from your leadership is a direct effort by Satan to make you his victim.

Whatever enters your life and disrupts God’s order—whether it keeps you from approaching your leadership or separates you from the Christian brotherhood—is clearly a Satanic attack intended to isolate, deceive, and bewitch you.

ANY MOVEMENT THAT:

• SWAYS YOU FROM YOUR STANDING;
• CAUSES YOU TO QUESTION YOUR STATE OF BEING IN CHRIST.
• UNDERMINES YOUR BELIEFS IN THE LORD;
• MAKES YOU UNSTABLE;
• CAUSES YOU TO QUESTION WHERE GOD HAS PLACED YOU.
• MAKES YOU SUSPICIOUS OF THE CHURCH OR ITS LEADERSHIP; AND
• DOES NOT SEND YOU TO YOUR PASTORS AND CHURCH FOR COUNSEL

IS AN EFFORT BY THE DEVIL TO ISOLATE, DECEIVE, AND TAKE YOU AS HIS VICTIM.

We are commanded to remain connected to the Church and to the pastors who speak the Word of God over us. We are instructed to consider their lives and follow their faith.

Follow their faith. They are not perfect men. They have weaknesses and flaws, but their faith remains worthy of recognition and respect. They may have sins and failures. Their failure to live out what they preach does not corrupt the truth they proclaim. The truth of God’s Word does not become false because the person proclaiming it has failed to live up to it perfectly. Moses broke the Law, but his failure did not discredit the Law. In the same way, a leader’s personal weakness does not invalidate the Word of God.

 

©Lee Shipp

Thursday, October 1, 2026

 

Qualities of Grace

By: Pastor Joe Allmon

 

“But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

ROMANS 5:20

Grace: More Than Forgiveness

 

    Grace is one of the greatest truths in the Word of God. We oftenthink of grace as God’s unmerited favor and merciful kindnesstoward us—and certainly it is. But grace is more than forgivenesssurrounding the believer. Grace is also God’s divine influence operating upon and within the believer’s heart.

    Grace is more than a one-time cleansing of sin in our lives. The Greek word charis (pronounced KAR-iss), translated “grace,” has been described this way:

    “The merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ; keeps, strengthens, and increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, and affection; and kindles them to the exercise of Christian virtues.”

    Grace is merciful kindness, and grace is also holy influence.

Grace turns us toward Christ, keeps us, strengthens us, increases our faith and knowledge of Christ, deepens our affection for Him, and produces Christian virtue in our lives.

    So when Paul says, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,” he is not merely saying there is enough forgiveness to cover all our sin. Thank God there is! He is also showing us that an abundance of God’s divine influence and enabling power is available to meet every need created by sin.

    As we look through Romans 5 and 6, along with other Scriptures, we begin to see many wonderful qualities of this grace.

    1. Grace Abounds

“But where sin abounded, grace did much more

abound.” — Romans 5:20

Grace does not barely keep up with sin; grace much

more abounds. Whatever quantity of grace is needed,

God has more. The supply of grace exceeds the

demand.

    2. Grace Is Greater Than the Need

Your failure is not greater than grace. Your weakness is

not greater than grace. Your temptation, past, habit, or

struggle is not greater than grace. Your need is never

greater than His grace.

    3. Grace Teaches

“For the grace of God … teaching us that, denying

ungodliness and worldly lusts …” — Titus 2:11–12

Grace begins to affect how we think, what we desire,

what we love, and what we no longer want. Grace

produces something within us that says, “I want Jesus

more than I want that.”

    4. Grace Is Accessed Through Faith

“We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” —

Romans 5:2

The Christian life begins by faith and continues by faith. We never graduate from dependence upon Jesus.

    5. Grace Keeps Jesus as the Object of Our Faith

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …” —

Hebrews 12:2

Our faith is not ultimately in ourselves, our performance, or even grace as an abstract thing. Our faith is in Jesus Christ.

    6. Grace Keeps Us at the Cross

Jesus declared, “It is finished.” — John 19:30

The cross is not merely where our Christian life began. We

continue living from Christ’s finished work. When we fail—back to Jesus. When tempted—back to Jesus. When victorious—still Jesus.

    7. Grace Never Gives Permission to Sin

“Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” —

Romans 6:1–2

True grace can never become an excuse for sin. How could the divine influence turning us toward Jesus become our excuse for moving away from Him?

    8. Grace Gives Resurrection Life

“… like as Christ was raised up from the dead … even so we also should walk in newness of life.” — Romans 6:4

Jesus did not simply die to forgive the old life. He rose so that we could walk in newness of life.

    9. Grace Identifies Us With Christ’s Death

“Our old man is crucified with him …” — Romans 6:6

The gospel is not God merely making the old man behave better. Through our union with Christ, we identify with His death and resurrection. Sin no longer owns us.

    10. Grace Breaks Sin’s Reign

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body …” — Romans 6:12

Sin may be present, but it does not have to reign. Temptation may knock, anger may rise, fear may come, and the flesh may demand—but none of them is king. Jesus is King.

    11. Grace Teaches Us to Reckon by Faith

“Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ …” — Romans 6:11

God says we died with Christ; faith says, “I believe it.” God says we were raised with Christ; faith says, “I believe it.” God says sin does not have dominion over us; faith says, “I believe it.”

    12. Grace Works in Weakness

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

Our weakness does not exhaust grace. It becomes the place

where we discover the sufficiency of His grace and strength.

    13. Grace Works Through Us

“But by the grace of God I am what I am …” — 1 Corinthians

15:10 Paul labored abundantly, yet he understood the source: “not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Grace worked in Paul and through Paul.

    14. Grace Empowers

Stephen was described as being full of grace and power. The

grace that saves is also the grace that empowers. Grace is not spiritual passivity; it is God actively operating through His

people.

    15. Grace Calls Us to Yield

“Yield yourselves unto God …” — Romans 6:13

Grace influences. The Spirit speaks. The Word teaches. Yet we choose what we yield—our eyes, ears, hands, mouth, mind, body, time, relationships, and abilities.

    16. Grace Requires Daily Dependence David once yielded his hands to God, picked up stones, and faced Goliath. Years later, he yielded his eyes in another direction from a rooftop. Yesterday’s victory does not eliminate today’s need to yield ourselves to God.

    17. Grace Moves Our Faith Away From Self The

answer to our struggles is not greater faith in ourselves: “I will be stronger. I will try harder.” Grace moves our faith back to Jesus: “I cannot do this in my strength, but Your grace is sufficient.”

    18. Grace Breaks Dominion “Sin shall not have

dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but

under grace.” — Romans 6:14 Not because we have

become stronger, perfected ourselves, or been saved

long enough—but because we are under grace.

    19. Grace Does Not Remove Choice “To whom ye

yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are

…” — Romans 6:16 Grace gives freedom, but we still

choose what we yield ourselves to. We can yield to

anger, bitterness, pride, or selfishness—but we no

longer have to.

    20. Grace Is Greater Than Long-Standing Bondage Sin

can grow roots. One compromise can make another easier. But even if someone has battled something for twenty years, twenty years of bondage is not greater than the grace of God.

    21. Grace Produces Better Fruit “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?” — Romans 6:21 Sin promises pleasure, freedom, and satisfaction but pays in death. Grace produces something altogether different—life, freedom, and righteousness in Christ.

    22. Grace Produces Holiness From the Inside Out “A

new heart also will I give you … And I will put my spirit within you …” — Ezekiel 36:26–27 God does not merely demand something from us; God puts something within us. Grace produces holiness through the divine influence of God working within the heart.

    23. Grace Gives What Sin Can Never Give

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is

eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6:23

Sin pays wages. God gives a gift. Eternal life is more than duration—it is knowing Christ, walking with Christ, and experiencing His resurrection life.

    24. Grace Has Supply, Access, and Operation

Three words help bring all of this together:

SUPPLY: “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” There is more than enough grace.

ACCESS: “We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” We access grace through continued faith and dependence upon Christ.

OPERATION: “Sin shall not have dominion over you … for ye are … under grace.” Grace is actively exerting God’s holy influence within us.

At the center of the supply, access, and operation of

grace stands JESUS CHRIST AND HIS FINISHED

WORK.

 

When the need becomes greater—more grace.

When weakness appears—more grace.

When temptation comes—more grace.

When we stumble—back to Jesus. More grace.

When we succeed—still Jesus. More grace.

 

    A Closing Reflection Grace continually turns our attention

toward Christ. As our faith rests in Jesus and His finished

work, God’s divine influence works within our hearts—

changing our desires, strengthening our faith, deepening our

affection for Christ, producing righteousness, and teaching us to walk in newness of life. We do not have to live under sin’s dominion—not because we have become sufficient, but

because His grace is sufficient; not because we have become

strong, but because His strength is made perfect in weakness; and not because we finished the work, but because Jesus finished the work. Grace is God forgiving what you were. Grace is God creating in you what you are to become. “But by the grace of God I am what I am …” —

1 Corinthians 15:10

-Joe Allmon

WHY DO I NEED TO GO TO CHURCH?

     As we have established, the Church is God’s eternal longing: “…hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ…according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:9, 11). Through the Church—David’s Tabernacle—God would make known His manifold wisdom, shattering the objectives and boasting of principalities and powers in heavenly places.

     Because Satan has no power over the Church and is no match for the Holy Spirit, he must seek some point of advantage, lest his schemes fall to the ground. Therefore, he seeks to hinder the vehicle of God—the Church—by using people and false teachers to sow division and thus grieve the Holy Spirit.

     Satan’s most effective people are those who think they are godly—those who believe they have the right to destroy others in God’s name. They are wolves. They destroy people in the name of Jesus. They paralyze believers with fear and lies. They seek to poison others with their bitterness and rebellion. They cannot gain a natural following; therefore, they typically work behind the scenes, like a snake in the dark.

     So, let us address the problem of false teachers by examining the protection the Holy Spirit has built into the Church. Ephesians 4 will be the primary resource for this chapter.

     God has established offices in the body: the apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, and evangelist. These gifts serve to sanctify the Body of Christ. Through these offices, God equips individual members of the body to become mature, grounded, useful, and effective in the Body of Christ.

     This answers many relevant questions: “Why must I go to church?” or “Why must I submit to leadership?” Perhaps someone may ask, “Why can’t I just do church at home by streaming the service online?”

     You need the Body of Christ because you are a member. The Body of Christ needs you because you are a member. You need these offices in your life if you are to grow healthy in Christ and have a useful ministry.

     The Body must gather—not just at home, not just on a screen. Why?

 

     Not everyone is a fivefold minister. Without these offices, you will be spiritually malformed.

     The purpose of fellowship is to manifest God’s glory and wisdom. By definition, if you do not attend, you are not in fellowship.

     The church is a body put together by the Holy Spirit. When we are not together, something is amiss.

     Jesus is not a message—He is life that must be expressed through the church.

     If you forsake assembling, you are at greater risk of turning back. You have already begun to turn back.

     The gifts of the Holy Spirit cannot operate through the television. You cannot speak a word of prophecy to the congregation from your living room.

     Ephesians equips us to discern whether the Holy Spirit is leading us to a proper church. With so many fellowships today, how can we identify a true church where the Holy Spirit lives?

     The formation of the Body of Christ and the ORGANIZED FUNCTION OF LEADERSHIP must exist for it to be the Church and the Body of Christ. There must be a spiritually built house where the Holy Spirit can live and move, where the gifts of the Spirit function as a body, and where there is designated leadership.

     A Church that THE HOLY SPIRIT is building has headship. If there is no such ministry and leadership within the Body—the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher—then it is a deformed body with unhealthy members. Therefore, there are designated and recognized leaders within every church body.

     Individual members will not be properly equipped, protected, and sanctified in grace without the structure the Lord established. What we have today, all over the world—even in underground churches—is the organized meeting of the Body of Christ that the Holy Spirit is building.      

     Furthermore, the Holy Spirit commands that the Body does not forsake its fellowship in love. If you do not sense this command of the Spirit, you are probably not part of the Body. THIS IS NOT TRADITION, THIS IS ORDER!

THE ORDER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR 2000 YEARS

     What we see today is not tradition; it is the order of the house. It was clearly established and recognized. The Scriptures depict clearly established churches in particular cities, with designated meeting places.

     Because of his authority and power, Paul often sent Timothy and Titus to pastor a church. He commanded them to set the church in order, establish leaders, and take up offerings. The biblical Church is active. The graces of God are witnessed by believers who give financially, minister in prayer, and serve in hospitality. The sending of Timothy and Titus shows that the Church was not up for grabs. The Holy Ghost’s appointment of the fivefold ministers, recognized by the Church, was necessary for a healthy church.

     Organization, even in a HOUSE CHURCH, was not up for grabs. You would find the same order and activity in a HOUSE CHURCH as in a church of thousands in Jerusalem. If you were in one of Paul’s churches, you would observe leadership and order. You would see the bishops and elders functioning. You would see people giving and operating in the gifts of the Spirit. You would see the Body functioning. You would see the apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, and evangelist growing the people.

     Denominations, large groups, small groups, and independent groups all have their place within the church. Numbers have nothing to do with it. Whether 100 or 10,000 people meet has nothing to do with the credibility of a church.

     Today, people are attacking the ORGANIZED BODY OF CHRIST (the Church) to promote their preferred version of the Church. They belittle other churches by claiming, “They are the true Church.” For example, the Home Church Movement may belittle the traditional or institutional church to legitimize itself. Why would any church belittle another church to justify itself? This is never the work of the Holy Spirit.

     This is not to say that house churches cannot exist, for they certainly can. But whether it is a HOUSE CHURCH or an ORGANIZED CHURCH GATHERING, they will look alike if they are churches of the Holy Spirit.

     What happens in a service will be the same whether it is a HOUSE CHURCH or a large meeting in a building. Even HOUSE CHURCHES meet in a building. There will be clearly defined leaders called by God and appointed by the Holy Spirit as apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. There will be strong male headship. There will be tithes, offerings, giving, and missions. There will be a love for unity and a love for the brothers in Christ outside their fellowship. There will be respect for other gatherings that come together in the name of Jesus to proclaim His doctrine.

     The House Church cannot point to the larger church meeting and say it is wrong any more than a large church meeting can point to a House Church and say it is wrong—unless the necessary building structures are absent.

DAVID’S TABERNACLE REVEALED

     [The Lord says, “… I raise up the tabernacle of

David that is fallen … and I will raise up his ruins, and I

will build it as in the days of old. That they may possess

the remnant …and … all the heathen, which are called

by my name, saith the LORD … Behold, the days come,

saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the

reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed;

and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the

hills shall melt.” (Amos 9:11-13).

     David’s Tabernacle lies in ruins. Oh, the possibility—a tabernacle desperate for revival, yearning for awakening. David’s Tabernacle is under siege, vulnerable to the attacks of false teachers. Yet James, in Acts 15, invokes the prophecy of Amos and assures us that God Himself will restore David’s Tabernacle. Surely, this is a foreshadowing of the Church that Jesus is building—a holy dwelling where His presence cannot be shaken.

     “… I will return, and will build again thetabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I willbuild again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: Thatthe residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all theGentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord,who doeth all these things.” (Acts 15:17).

     David’s Tabernacle originated in the heart of God. David wanted to build God this house, but God told David he could not; however, his Son would build the house.

     The house David saw was the Church of Jesus Christ. Paul’s revelation of David’s Tabernacle is found in Ephesians 2:19: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”

     Isn’t that wonderful? You are David’s Tabernacle. You’re not a stranger anymore. You’re not a stranger in the Church; you belong; the Church is your family.

     You are a saint: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together

groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” Eph. 2:20-21

     When Paul says we are “fitly framed together,” get

this picture in your mind. In the West, we see houses

made of bricks held together by mortar. That mortar holds

the bricks together and makes them symmetrical. But the

ancient temples Paul refers to are not built of bricks and

mortar. They are made of marble and stone, chiseled and

designed so that each piece of stone sits perfectly upon

the other. They are engineered to support one another.

No mortar is needed. And when properly engineered, you

see this in the ancient pyramids; you cannot slip a piece of

paper between them. They are perfectly fit together.

     That’s how Jesus is building His Church. He builds His Church so that we are fit together. There is a proper place that the Holy Spirit designs for you. You are chiseled and formed for a specific place in the Church. Your resting place is designed by the Holy Spirit. This place may not please you, but it does please the Lord.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, BE IN YOUR PLACE

     You must be in that place, giving support to the other stones, and allowing the next stone, the next life that is coming into Christ, to rest upon you. If you do not stay in the place the Holy Spirit assigns, then you jeopardize the whole temple.

      A significant tragedy of modern Christianity is the

lack of knowledge and revelation concerning the Church.

Most people who go to church have no real understanding

of what the Church is and how it is supposed to function. If

you understood the Church, then you would realize that

you don’t have the freedom to go wherever you want; you

are a living stone, fitly joined together in a spiritual house

that the Holy Spirit has placed you in. Your position in Christ will support others and be supported by others. That’s what you’re born into, and this is what’s so beautiful to the heart of the Lord.

     We all fit together for this glorious purpose: “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22

 

YOUR PURPOSE AS THE CHURCH

     The purpose of David’s Tabernacle is that it would be the habitation of the Holy Spirit. We can call ourselves whatever we want. We can put any label on our marquee. We can put any sign on the front door. But the true Church is the habitation of God, the Holy Ghost. If it is not the habitation of the Holy Spirit, it is not the Church—no matter what we say. Paul’s revelation in 1 Corinthians 12, the Church (David’s Tabernacle) is seen as a body, like the human body. This Body is built by the Holy Spirit: “by one Spirit, we’re baptized into one body …” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

     The body is not one member, but many. By yourself, you are not the Church. The Church is not singular, being one member. The Church is one Body, made from many members.

 

YOU WILL NOT GO TO HEAVEN IF YOU ARE NOT THE

CHURCH

     People say, “I don’t need to go to church to be saved. I don’t need to go to church to go to heaven.” I’m not going to argue with you. But I will tell you this: you’re not saved, and you’re not going to heaven if you’re not the Church.

     “If the foot shall say, ‘Because I’m not the hand, I’m not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, ‘Because I’m not the eye, I’m not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the whole body were an eye, where’s the hearing? And if the whole were hearing, where’s the smelling?” But now God has set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it pleases Him.

     Where it pleases who? God. Why? Because He’s

building something. He’s building something through the

generations, and He also uses it in the generation for what

purpose? To be the habitation of the Holy Spirit. He builds

it for His pleasure. It stands to reason, then, if all were one

member, where’s the body? But the Body is many

members, yet one body. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I

don’t need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I don’t

need you.” Everyone is necessary, even those members

that seem less necessary; God gives them more glory. God

gives them more honor and greater comeliness in their

lives because every part of the body is beautiful.

     This is done so that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

     If you have a problem with the members of the Body of Christ, you really don’t have a problem with the members—you have a problem with the Head. And the Head is Jesus. If you’ve got a grudge, your problem is with the Head. The Head will bring healing into the Body. There can be no schisms in the Body of Christ. Because the Church is a living organism, not a social club. It is alive. You can’t divide it. You can’t amputate it and damage the Body. The hand cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you. I’m cutting you out of my life.” It cannot do that. I must not do that.

     Here’s a picture for you: I’m not a handyman, but I try. And honestly, it’s not great. I know what it’s like to bust a finger with a hammer. My right hand does the busting. Every time I take on a project and have to hold a nail or something, it’s always my left hand that ends up in jeopardy, taking the hit.

     Now, when I hit my left hand with my right hand, the left hand doesn’t hold a grudge against the right hand that hit it. Why? Because of the head. The head says, “It’s okay. You are not going to be divided. You are not going to hold a grudge against the right hand. As a matter of fact, you are going to pick up the nail and hold it again. The right hand is going to hammer again, putting you, once again, in jeopardy.”

     The Head takes the hand that did the busting and holds the hand that took the beating.

     That’s exactly how the Body of Christ is supposed to work. When someone hurts you in the Body, when a member fails, when someone makes a mistake or moves where they shouldn’t—the Head, Jesus, is the one who keeps the Body whole. He reconciles, comforts, and sustains, so the Body keeps functioning. There is no room for grudges. There is

only restoration and unity.

 

UNHAPPY MEMBER

     Many members of the Body are not happy with where the Holy Spirit has placed them. “I wish I were an eye instead of a hand.” So, they move themselves in the Body where it pleases them. Eventually, they deform the Body of Christ in that generation.

     Members of the Body put the nose where the mouth is supposed to go. They put the hands where the ears should be. Members go where they want to go, serve where they want to serve, do what they want to do. They refuse the Holy Spirit.

     Some go sit at home in their living rooms, and now the Body looks even more deformed. The feet complain they are not the mouth. They conclude, “I’m not important; I’m going to remove myself from the Body.” And now the Body doesn’t have feet. It’s hindered, encumbered, and unable to function

properly, and the Holy Spirit is grieved, quenched, and resisted in that generation.

     This is probably how the Church appears to demons, principalities, and powers. These principalities mock David’s Tabernacle, thinking, “They’re strange. They don’t function very well. They can’t move about. Their feet are sitting in their living rooms. Their hearing is impaired. Their mouth is

where their nose should be.”

     And Satan gains the day, which is the objective of the enemy. Satan cannot stop the Holy Spirit; therefore, he will do all he can to hinder the vehicle in which the Holy Spirit operates. If Satan succeeds, that generation will suffer a surge in darkness and peril. Satan seeks to create schisms in

the Body of Christ, for this hinders the Holy Spirit and helps his cause. For the love of God, we must not allow our lives to play into Satan’s schemes.

DAVID’S TABERNACL E – WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD

FOR YOU?

 

     David’s pursuit of God’s heart profoundly shaped him. His love for God was revealed in his desire to build God’s House—the one thing on earth to which he could give his whole self, and in doing so, give himself fully to God, thereby demonstrating his

complete devotion to God.

     And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel … Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God … and the house … must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So, David prepared abundantly before his death (1 Kings 8:17; 1 Chronicles 29:2; 1 Chronicles 22:5).

     The people of Israel, who claimed to have a heart for God, did not have God’s heart; therefore, they allowed the tabernacle of David to fall into ruin. It was overrun with tradition and hollow praise from the religious who had no heart for God. They praised a God they did not appreciate. They prayed to a God they did

not know. People were going through the motions; their mouths were there, but their hearts were gone.

     In the New Covenant, James declares the restoration of David’s Tabernacle. This is evidence that David’s Tabernacle is extraordinary, not a relic of ancient Israelite worship: “I … will build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. And I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up. That the

residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things” (Acts 15).

     God’s anticipation of the restoration of David’s tabernacle concerns its impact on the Gentile nations: it will bring in a harvest so rapidly that the Sowers and the Reapers will overtake each other; the fame of Jesus will reach the Gentile nations.

     This was David’s desire, as he declared that the House of the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent. This is the Church he refers to. Do you believe that? Your answer to this question will reveal whether you have a heart for God or if you are one after God’s heart. If you are one after God’s heart, your life will be affected as David’s was:

   1. You will prepare for the House with all your might.

   2. You will protect the glory of the House. The glory of the House was not the priest’s talent; it was the presence of God. And through this tabernacle, the fame and glory of God would go to the nations (Ephesians 3).

   3. You will preserve the purpose of the House: to be a House of prayer for all nations.

 

THE TABERNACLE IS GOD’S IDEA

     Everything about David’s Tabernacle came from the Holy Spirit: David claims he received a letter from the Holy Spirit, or that, by writing, the Spirit gave him understanding and instructed him on how to build God’s house. God would compel the nations to come to Him through this House.

     David was wrecked by the heart of God. David’s love for God would lead him to live in accordance with God’s desires. Because David understood what was in the heart of God, he was consumed with holy devotion to give the Lord what He longed for – that Tabernacle.

     David prepared with all his might for the house of God. Could you say that about yourself? Have you prepared, with all your might, for the house of God? David claims he did. He claims he sacrificed his gold, his silver, and his wealth; he sacrificed everything needed to build the house.

 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CATCH GOD’S HEART

     David demonstrated what happens when you catch the heart of God. Your life changes! Your religion changes! This caused David to set his affection on the house of God. David claimed to have given his own gold and silver to build the house of God. He even claimed he gave beyond all he had so God’s house would be

magnificent. He did it not for his own glory or fame. This is the house of the Lord. This is the house of my God. It is for his glory.

     Can you say that about yourself? Can you say that in boring moments of your life? Can you say that when it seems God is distant and you don’t know what God is doing in your life? Can you say your affection is for God’s House when it costs you something to give to the things of God?

     Remember, you can say you love God, but the Bible says that if you love God, you will love the brothers you see. God’s heart has ravished you, and like David, you want to do this. You want to give to God. You want to bless the house of the Lord. How you treat, serve, and attend the Church is the evidence of your true claim to loving God (1 John 4:20).

     Paul also had the revelation of the Church in God heart. By revelation, Paul understood that this house would be a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. This is the purpose of the Body of Christ—the Church, that we are the habitation of God, that is the only thing that makes the house of God exceedingly glorious in the earth.

     It is not our talents, it’s not our preachers, it’s not our professors, it’s not our skills. It’s not all the things we have. Rather, it is the glory of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who comes with one desire: to magnify Jesus one earth, to save in his name, to baptize in his name, to heal in his name, and to convince the world that Jesus of Nazareth is risen from the dead.

     The Holy Spirit has come to the earth to testify of Jesus, and the Church is the body He has been given to operate in. He has united Himself to the Church for the full expression of God’s power and glory. If the fame of Jesus is to be expressed among the nations, it will happen through the unity of the Holy Spirit and the Church.

     Paul wanted all men to see this because if believers could see it, they would be dedicated to God’s heart’s desire. Sadly, many do not see. Many hear preaching, and many preachers preach without even understanding the Body. Many agree with sermons preached from the Bible, but do not have ears to hear; they are not dedicated because they are not touched by God’s heart. The affection of many is not for the House of the Lord. They do not give their all. Thus, the reason our nation is overrun with violence, anger, death, and destruction is that the Holy Spirit is hindered by His Body.

     Unlike David, they cannot say “I have prepared for the House of God with all of my might.” They do not care to build the House of God. Their affections are not set on God’s House because they do not have true affections for God’s heart.

     You are not consumed because you don’t know; you don’t see it; you just don’t understand! You go to church and even advocate for the Church; you think the Church is important and give your money there.

     Do you understand that from the beginning of the world, God had something in his heart? It was hidden there. In Ephesians 3, Paul reveals the mystery hidden in God’s heart. Yes, Paul also caught God’s heart, and it shaped him just as it shaped David. Paul claimed that his life was devoted to and sacrificed for the glory of the Church.

     Here is his revelation of God’s heart: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:9-11).

     The AMPC version explains verse 10 as follows: “[The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God, in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects, might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities

(principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.”

 

THE HOPE OF A WORLD IN BONDAGE

     Our world needs to know God’s wisdom. Our world is crazy. People are insane. People have lost their minds. We need the wisdom of God in our world, and that wisdom confronts the principalities and powers that abuse mankind.

     If these principalities and powers are to be confronted with the wisdom of God, how does that happen? According to Ephesians 3, they can be confronted only by the church. If God is going to do something, it will be through the church, through the

body of Christ, which is the house of the Holy Spirit.

     The church has been hidden in God’s heart since eternity past. David and Paul discovered it. If you were to go back into eternity and ask God, “What is your desire?” He would say without hesitation, “The Church!” If you were to ask God, “What do you want?” He would say, “The Church!”

     So, if you are praying, “God, what is your will for my life?” God’s answer is, “The Church.” If you ask, “God, what do you want to do with my life?” His answer is “The Church!” If you ask God, “How can I serve you?” His answer will be “The Church.” The reason you struggle with this answer, or think it is too simple, is that you do not have God’s heart. I am not saying you do not love God. I am not saying you do not have a heart for God. I am not saying you are lost.I am simply saying that you have not been wrecked by the heart of God.

     Your heavenly Father is telling you that the eternal desire in His heart is the Church. He is telling you that this is what I’ve always wanted: this body, this bride, that comes out of Jesus. This Church, which will be the habitation of the Holy Spirit, is what I’ve always wanted. Yet so many who belong to the Church do not

understand this amazing spiritual mystery of God. They are not committed to the Church. They do not live to make the Church magnificent. They attend. They give money (sometimes). They have friends there. They are grateful for it. But they will not give their lives to it. They will not sacrifice themselves for the Church. They will live and die seeking God’s will for their lives, seeking joy, seeking purpose, when all the while the answer was the very thing, they sat in every week.

 

    “God testified concerning [David]: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want

him to do’” (Acts 13:22).

    Most of you reading this would say, “I have a heart for God.”

    But what does that really mean? Often, it means: “I’m devoted—but safely so. I won’t let myself get too extreme. I’ll stay at a comfortable distance. God is the object of my affection, but I maintain control.”

    Some people are “too weird,” “too extreme,” or uncomposed in spiritual matters. I won’t be like them. And yet… I do have a heart for God. I believe in Jesus. I confessed Him as my Lord. I’m a worshipper… or so I think.

    Here’s the problem: God has always struggled with people like this. They speak the right words. They convince themselves they are true worshippers. But God says their hearts are far from Him. They steward their hearts in such a way that keeps God at a safe, measured distance.

    The answer is yes. You can know. There is a way to examine your heart.

    Can you know where your heart really is? Can you measure it? Map the space between yourself and God? If it’s up to you, you’ll always believe your heart is seeking Him.

    Three men caught God’s heart, and their hearts were transformed. Their lives were consumed by a tangible, physical thing on earth—a real expression of their devotion. That is how you can know. It is not some vague, mysterious confession; it is an actual thing upon which our love and devotion can be expressed.

    • David called it the House of God.

    • Paul called it the Church.

    • John called it the brothers.

     John said it plainly: “How can you love God whom you haven’t seen if you don’t love the brothers you do see?”

    You can claim love for God, but real love for Him is visible. It is expressed in love for His people.

    Paul declared that everything happening to him was for the Church. He gave his life for the Church. He suffered for the Church. He went to jail for the Church. He fought the beast of

Ephesus for the Church.

    And David? He caught the heart of God and was overcome with a single, consuming passion: building the House of the Lord—the Church. This is the hallmark of one pursuing God’s own

heart. It isn’t safe. It isn’t measured. It isn’t comfortable. It is wild, costly, and changes everything.

    People who try to manage their affections for God will never know this passion. They keep their love safe, controlled, and measured. But if you pursue God’s own heart—and you catch

it—your life will never be the same. It will wreck you in the best possible way.

    And how do you know you have caught the heart of God? You love the Church.

    You can claim to love God, but if you really

do, you will love the brothers. If you are chasing the Lord, you will chase the Church. If you want to live with God, you will live with the Church. If you want to go to heaven, you will go to Church.

If you want to love and serve Jesus, you will love and serve the brothers.

     A major issue in modern Christianity is confusion

about the true purpose and nature of the Church.

Many attend church but lack understanding of what the

Church is meant to be and how it truly functions.

    We can call ourselves whatever we wish and put

any label or sign on our churches, but the true Church is the

habitation of God by the Holy Spirit. If it is not, regardless of

what we call it, it is not the Church.

     If you truly understood the Church, you would

realize that you don’t have the freedom to go wherever you

want. You are a living stone, fitly joined together in a spiritual house that the Holy Spirit has placed you in. Your position in Christ is supported by those who have come before you, and your divine position will, in turn, support those who come after you.

     To better visualize this, consider that in the West, we see houses made of bricks held together with mortar. The mortar ensures the bricks remain in place and symmetrical. By contrast, the ancient temples Paul references were not built of brick and mortar. Instead, they used marble and stone, with each piece chiseled to fit precisely upon another. These stones are engineered to support one another so perfectly that no mortar is needed. In fact, when properly assembled—as seen in the ancient

pyramids—not even a piece of paper can be slipped between the stones. They fit perfectly together.

     This image illustrates how Jesus is building His

Church. Just as the stones in those ancient structures were

fit together with purpose, He fits us together to form His

spiritual house. Each of us has a proper place, crafted by the

Holy Spirit, as one of the living stones. Your position is

specifically designed to provide support to others and to

allow new lives coming into Christ to rest upon you. Failing

to remain where the Holy Spirit has placed you jeopardizes

the integrity of the whole temple.

 

YOU ARE NOT THE CHURCH BY YOURSELF

     Building on this, in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul illustrates

the Church as a functioning body, much like the human

body. This Body is uniquely built by the Holy Spirit: by one

Spirit, we are baptized into one body—whether Jews or

Gentiles, bond or free—and we have all been made to drink

into one Spirit.

     The body is not just a single part; it is made up of

many parts working together. Alone, you are not the

Church—the Church is not made up of just one person. The

Church, like a body, is made from many distinct members,

each contributing to the whole.

     People may say, “I don’t need to go to church to be

saved. I don’t need to go to church to go to heaven.”

I won’t argue with you, but you must understand:

if you’re not part of “The” Church, you’re not saved,

and you’re not going to heaven.

     “If the foot shall say, ‘Because I’m not the hand, I’m

not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear

shall say, ‘Because I’m not the eye, I’m not of the body,’ is it

therefore not of the body? And if the whole body were an

eye, where’s the hearing? And if the whole were

hearing, where’s the smelling?” But now has God set the

members, every one of them, in the body, as it pleases Him

(1 Corinthians 12:15–18).

     Reflecting further, whose pleasure determines our

place in the Body? God’s. Why? Because he is building

something enduring, not only for future generations but also

for the present one. His purpose is to establish a habitation for

the Holy Spirit. He builds it for His pleasure.

     However, if all were one member, where would the

body be? But the Body is many members, yet one body. The

eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” nor the head

to the feet, “I don’t need you.” Everyone is necessary—even

those members that seem less necessary. God gives them

more glory, more honor, and greater beauty, because every

part of the body is necessary.

 

THERE MUST BE NO SCHISMS IN THE CHURCH

     Because God’s care for His Church is intentional, there

must be no division in the body. All members should care for

one another because of His design.

     If you have a problem with the members of the Body

of Christ, your problem is not with them—it’s with the Head.

And the Head is Jesus. If you hold a grudge, your problem is

with the Head. The Head brings healing into the Body. Holding

a grudge is rebellion against the Head, not just another

member. Schisms damage the Body, as a human body is

damaged by a loss of communication with its head. At all costs,

we must not divide the Body. You cannot amputate it. The

hand cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you. I’m cutting you

out of my life.” It cannot do that. It must not.

     Here’s a picture for you: I’m not a handyman, but I

try. And honestly, it’s not great. I know what it’s like to bust a

finger with a hammer. My right hand does the busting. Every

time I take on a project and must hold a nail or

something, it’s always my left hand that ends up in jeopardy,

taking the hit.

     Now, when I hit my hand, it doesn’t hold a grudge

against the hand that hit it. Why? Because of the Head. The

Head says, “It’s okay. Didn’t mean to do it. I’m going to

comfort you.” The Head takes the hand that did the busting

and holds the hand that took the beating.

     That’s how the Body of Christ must work. When

someone hurts you or fails, the Head, Jesus, keeps the

Body whole—reconciling, comforting, sustaining so the

Body functions. There is no room for grudges—only

restoration and unity.

     Many members struggle with where the Holy

Spirit has placed them. Wishing they were an eye

instead of a hand, some try to move themselves where

it pleases them. This leads to deformity within the Body

of Christ for that generation.

     We put noses where mouths should be or

hands where ears belong. Members go where they

want, serve as they want, and refuse the Holy

Spirit. Some stay at home, further deforming the Body.

The feet, feeling unimportant, go missing, and now the

Body is hindered, unable to function as the Spirit

intends.

     Given this, it is likely that this is how the Church

appears to demons, principalities, and powers. They

look on and mock, seeing a body that does not function

well—feet in living rooms, hearing impaired, the mouth

where the nose should be.

     This insight reveals the enemy’s strategy. Satan

cannot stop the Holy Spirit directly, so he seeks to

hinder the vehicle the Spirit uses—the Church. If Satan

succeeds, a generation will experience greater darkness

and peril. Creating schisms in the Body is Satan’s

method to hinder the Spirit and advance his cause. For

the love of God, we must not allow our lives to play

into Satan’s schemes.

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT BEGS US

     The Holy Spirit commands us to pursue peace

and unity in the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:3). This is

not optional or casual; living in peace, walking in unity,

and honoring one another are not merely good advice—

they are acts of obedience.

     The Spirit calls us to function this way, so His

mission to glorify Jesus through us may be complete,

unbroken, and glorious.

     The Holy Spirit urges us to walk in a manner

worthy of this lifestyle (Ephesians 4:1). This is

our calling. Therefore, be lowly, meek, and patient with

one another. Bear each other’s shortcomings in

love. What could possibly give you the excuse to

disrupt the unity of the Spirit and the peace in His

Body? He alone reserves the right to deal with His

Body, not you.

     You are commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit

(Ephesians 4:30). Therefore, you are admonished to

be very careful with your behavior and your words

towards one another:

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your

mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits

the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you

were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32, ESV).

     I don’t expect the religious, who attend our

churches, to live this way. The religious will always be a tool

of Satan to seek their own way, live in offense, and grieve

the Holy Spirit. But I do expect all who are born of God to

pursue this lifestyle. Because of your new nature in Christ,

being the beloved children of God, I expect you to live like

God (Ephesians 5:1). I expect you to walk in love, as Christ

loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and

sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).

     If He lives in you, and if His habitation is the Church,

it is not consistent with your faith to live apart from the

Church. Do not do this to Him. Get in your place … be the

Church!

To The Praise of His Glory

     “Oh, how the love of God exceeds all other loves! A mother’s love may fail, a father’s pity may die, but the love of God is steadfast and sure.” C.H. Spurgeon—Sermon: “The Everlasting Love of God”

     The Father has “Agaped” us! What amazing love; love that would make a way for us to be saved, to live, to be blessed: “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him” 1 John 4:9, (CSB).

     Out from His Beloved Son, Jesus, the Father sends you grace and peace! How beautiful and glorious is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—just look how He has blessed us with everything in Christ.

     Before He ever created the universe, He chose us in Christ. He determined that we would stand before Him holy and without blame in love. Long before time began, He predestined us to be His children, a work He accomplished through Jesus. It was the delight of His will to bring us into His family.

     Praise be to the glory of His grace! By that

grace, He has made us accepted in His Beloved Son: “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:6-7, KJV)

     In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of all our sins—because His grace is so rich and overflowing. By that same grace, He has abounded toward us in wisdom and understanding, revealing His purpose and goodness toward us.

     In His eternal plan, God determined that in the ages to come, He would gather everything together in Christ. Jesus has given us an everlasting inheritance, and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of all that is yet to come.

     God has purposed that all who trust in Christ— those who believe the gospel and are sealed by the Holy Spirit—will be to the praise of His glory.

 

THE FATHER’S ANSWER IS, “YES!”

     The fact that Christ lives in you is your hope of glory! Every promise of inheritance is “Yes” in Him and “Amen” in Him. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is able to keep you from falling. He will present you faultless before the Father with exceeding joy. Our God is worthy! Our Savior is worthy to receive glory, majesty, dominion, and power—forever and ever!

 

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

     Because we love Him, we know that all things are

working together for good. Our great Father is shaping

everything in our lives to make us like Himself. Those

whom He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He has glorified! If God is for you, who can be against you? He did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all. And through Jesus, He will freely give us all things.

     God has justified you—so who can lay a charge

against you? Who can condemn you when the Judge Himself has pardoned you by the offering of His own Son? And this same Jesus, who was offered for you, now lives for you! He is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding on your behalf.

 

THE INSEPERABLE BOND

     Who can separate you from the love of Christ? Consider the strength and depth of His love—the love that overcame sin, death, and hell itself! He endured the full wrath of God on your behalf so that He might love you forever. Shall tribulation, distress, or persecution separate you from His love? No way! Shall famine, nakedness, peril, or sword? Never!

     Every day, we may face trials, loss, and conflict— but in all these things, His love makes us more than conquerors. I know, and I am fully convinced, that nothing—not death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nothing present, nothing to come, no height, no depth, nor any created thing—can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     “Nothing but the free grace of God can make

any creature lovely in His sight. He loves because He will love.”

– John Wesley.

The Father Does Not Want to Condemn You

     “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”—John 3:17

     Oswald Chambers gives us insight: “The love of God is not

created — it is His very nature. When you doubt His love, you doubt the core of who He is.” Therefore, Chambers exhorts us to: “Never measure God’s love by your feelings. Measure it by the Cross.” — My Utmost for His Highest.

     The Father did not send Jesus to condemn us, but to save us.

The Father’s heart has always been love, not condemnation. Though justice required judgment, love found a way to satisfy it through mercy. Isaiah foretold this divine plan: “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”—Isaiah 53:10 The Father chose to pour out His full wrath upon His beloved Son so that we might be spared. What an astonishing thought—that God devised a plan where He and His Son would suffer the most, so that we could be forgiven and restored.

     This is love in its highest form. Love is the greatest virtue. One

may sacrifice, be faithful, be loyal, be disciplined, but not have love (1 Corinthians 13). Love laying itself down for others is the purest demonstration of God. Not anger, hatred, or vengeance—but love. The Father Himself declares: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” —Jeremiah 31:3

     The Father’s intention toward you is never condemnation—it is

always redemption. His love has already endured the suffering necessary to bring you near to Himself. Today, rest in the truth that the Father’s heart is for you, not against you. Let His everlasting love draw you closer.

 

THE FATHER WANTS TO PROVIDE AND PROTECT YOU

     In revealing the Father, Jesus taught His disciples to pray

directly to Him for every need of life. “Our Father, which art in Heaven… Give us this day our daily bread; Forgive us; Deliver us from evil.”

     Our Father longs to carry the worries and burdens that weigh

us down. He never intended for His children to bear the weight of anxiety or fear. Yet, if we live distant from Him—if we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to strengthen our inner man—our faith may falter, and we may struggle to receive the Father’s provision.

But what a glorious truth Peter reminds us of: “Casting all your

care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). There is not a single moment or circumstance in which our heavenly Father will leave us without help.

     When Paul faced his own weakness, the Lord said

to him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. “Paul’s response was beautiful: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

     And this promise still stands: “For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). You are never forgotten. The Father who sees you also sustains you. He invites you to draw near, cast your cares upon Him, and rest in His unfailing love.

 

THE FATHER WANTS TO COMFORT US

     It is the Father who comforts us. He reveals Himself as the God of

tender mercy—the One who stoops down to notice us, even though we have never deserved one good thing from His hand. He is not distant or indifferent, but near and attentive, watching over His children with great compassion. The same God who rules the heavens bends low to care for the brokenhearted and the weary.

     He is also the God of all consolation. In every season of our lives, He meets us in our afflictions with the comfort of His Spirit. The Father does not leave His children to be consumed by anxiety, persecution, or temptation. No—by His comfort He bears us up when we are weak, leads us through when the path is dark, and carries us above when the waves rise high.

     When everything around us seems uncertain,

the Father remains the steady answer to our every need. His promises are sure; His presence is unfailing. Every burden that weighs us down finds rest when laid at His feet. He has proven Himself faithful repeatedly—our refuge, our peace, our strength. He is my Burden-Bearer, the God who carries what I cannot, and the Father who never fails to comfort His own.

 

THE FATHER’S CONSTANT THOUGHTS OF YOU

     The Father always thinks about you. His thoughts toward you are more than the sand upon the sea. He never turns His mind aside from you; you are always before His eyes. From the moment of your conception, His care has surrounded you. “My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret … Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written … How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I

should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee” (Psalm 139:15-18).

     The Father says, “Because you are precious in My eyes, and

honored, and I love you, I give men in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:4- 5). You were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. He knows when you sit down and when you rise up; He understands your thoughts from afar and is acquainted with all your ways. He has numbered the very hairs of your head.

     His love is so tender that you may run to Him in all things, for in all your afflictions, He is afflicted. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. “Who, then, shall separate you from the love of God? None can pluck you from His hand. The One who called you is “able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). And even if a mother could forget her child, your Father declares, “Yet I will not forget you.” You are ever in His thoughts, ever in His care, and ever in His heart.

     God’s agapē love means you are loved at your worst—and that love never changes.

     When you live in awareness of this love, you find freedom from

fear, insecurity, and striving. The same love that reached you now flows through you.

     Beloved, be careful that you are not just a receiver. The children of God also love this way. They love others at their worst. This is what separates the children of God from every other religion and people. Agapē is supernatural, and God shed this Agapē into your heart by the Holy Ghost: “… the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. – Romans 5:5.

     As God has loved us, so we are called to love others: “A new

commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you.” —John 13:34. Agapē is the distinguishing mark of true discipleship. It empowers forgiveness, fuels compassion and transforms relationships. It is the one constant trait distinguishing you as a true child of the God of Love.

     The world doesn’t need convincing that something is wrong.

You don’t have to be religious to see it. Suffering is not an abstract idea—it’s everywhere. Pain, loss, violence, injustice, and catastrophe are no longer rare disruptions; they are recurring features of modern life, constant companions that are increasing in frequency and intensity.

     Wars escalate. Hatred intensifies. Anger becomes normalized. Violence spreads. And as these realities accelerate across the nations, people ask questions that are not naïve or hostile, but honest: Is there really a God? And if there is, how could a good and powerful one exist alongside so much suffering?

     It is an ancient question, but it feels painfully modern. If God

is good, why suffering? If He is almighty, why evil? If He is loving, why so much brutality? And if we’re honest, no explanation fully satisfies. Not philosophy. Not religion. Not science. No framework completely resolves the tension between how the world is and how we sense it ought to be.

     One common response is to point to human freedom. If

people are truly free to choose, to love, to create, and to destroy, thenit follows that He also allowed the possibility of rebellion. And if humanity chose to rebel against God, against His design, we should not be surprised that the world shaped by that choice is fractured and broken?

     Suffering becomes a tragic but logical consequence. A world

without real freedom would also be a world without real responsibility. If God were to override human freedom entirely, would we not accuse Him of being oppressive, even tyrannical? But even that explanation falls short. It may explain how suffering happens, but it doesn’t address why it feels so deeply wrong, or why we instinctively protest against it.

     And that instinct itself is worth paying attention to. We don’t

just experience suffering—we object to it. We don’t merely observe injustice—we feel it violates something. That moral protest suggests we believe, consciously or not, that the world is not the way it’s supposed to be. There is an ache in the human heart.

     Theology alone cannot quiet our grief, because the problem is not merely intellectual—it is moral and spiritual. Though religion has often tried to answer the aching question in humanity’s heart, theology alone rarely persuades the skeptic; intellectualism is not a savior. Humanity’s problem is existential. We’ve been left to solve our own problems, and despite our advancements, history suggests we are not very good at it. The same minds that cure diseases also invent new ways to destroy each other.

HAS ANYONE COME TO HELP US?

     While the weight of evidence is not in our favor, man is not

going to save himself; it would be expedient for humanity to consider if there is anyone out there who can help us. Instead of endlessly debating whether a good God could exist, perhaps we should ask a different question: Is there evidence of a good God? Is there evidence of a God who is loving, powerful, and supreme?” Not arguments— evidence. Not ideals—events.

     If a good and powerful God exists, what would we expect?

Probably not distance. Probably not indifference. If such a God were real, and if human suffering mattered, we might expect involvement—entry into the human story rather than observation from outside it. A good God would not remain untouched by pain and suffering; He would step directly

into it! 

     This is where Christianity makes a claim that is unusual, even

offensive, to many modern sensibilities – God is on a Roman cross! The Christian claim, as John Lennox frames it, is not that God remained removed from suffering, but that He entered it. That He did not stay distant but drew near. He did not observe pain from heaven but stepped into it on earth. God chose to become part of the suffering—but not without purpose.

     He came to rescue. He came to give us eternal life in a kingdom where there will be no pain or suffering, no more tears and death, no more wars and brutality. He came to swallow up humanity’s rebellion by His very own obedience. He came to deliver a death blow to the unholy powers that destroy and mock God’s design. He came to be made sin for us, so that we

might become the righteousness of God in Him

      A baby was born … a son was given – God came and saved us from our sins! Bleeding and dying that we might neither bleed nor die, descending that we might ascend. Wrapped in swaddling clothes that we might be wrapped in righteousness, not our own.

     He entered our suffering to give us a future without it. He

entered our suffering, became a part of it, so we could live in a world that has no sorrow, no pain, no death, no tears. He entered our hell so we could enter His heaven. He faced our enemy so we can face His Father. He bore our sorrows so we can bear His joy. He was wounded, so we can be healed. He died, so we never will.

WAIT! BE REASONABLE

     Before you dismiss it as fantasy, the evidence must be examined. Was God ever here with us? Did He walk among us? Did He, as Christianity claims, take on human flesh? Is there evidence—not merely theological, but historical, moral, social, and empirical?

     When examined honestly, the evidence converges on one name. The historical claim centers on one figure: Jesus of Nazareth. Not merely as a religious teacher, but as someone who claimed to be very God, living in human flesh, walking among us. Those claims can be dismissed—but they cannot be ignored. Historically, morally, socially, and empirically, Jesus

stands apart. His life reshaped ethical thought, altered history, and continues to challenge both believers and skeptics alike.

     But how do we know Jesus was not just another man making

bold claims, dying on a Roman cross like so many before Him? How do we know His words were more than hope-filled delusion? Ultimately, everything rests on one more question: Did Jesus rise from the dead?

     If He did not, then Christianity collapses into just another moral philosophy or myth. But if the Resurrection happened, then something unprecedented occurred—something that forces a reevaluation of reality itself.

     If Jesus rose from the dead, then His claims are not symbolic— they are true. And if the Resurrection happened, then everything changes.

     The Resurrection is not presented as a metaphor, but as a

historical claim. And it is the one claim that turns suffering on its head. It suggests that God’s response to pain was not avoidance, but participation; not explanation, but redemption.

    If Jesus rose from the dead, then suffering does not have the final word. Death does not have ultimate authority. And hope is not wishful thinking—it is grounded in an event.

     That possibility changes how we see the world. It reframes

suffering. It challenges despair.

     And while it may not answer every question, it confronts the

most important one: Has anything been done about the brokenness of the world?

     The Christian claim is not that belief removes suffering—but that God has entered it, borne it, and overcome it. And if that is true, then the story of the world is not ending in darkness—but moving toward restoration.

 

The Father’s Love: Part 2

The Demonic Lie

     The tragedy of humanity’s rebellion against God, and its turning to darkness and sin, lies in the demonic deception that God is not love. Satan has distorted man into thinking that a God of all power would never allow the world to suffer as it has.

     If any could shake her fists in the face of Satan and lay a swift

rebuke to his lies, it would be Corrie Ten Boom, who suffered the

horrific terrors of the Third Reich in Hitler’s Germany. Raped and

abused, witnessing her sister murdered in a German concentration camp, she could have wondered how a God of love could allow such inhumane treatment to occur. Instead, this was her famous response: “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” — The Hiding Place. Her words forever remind us that even in suffering and loss, God’s love reaches deeper than despair.

     Humanity possesses an innate belief in God. However, because of his guilty conscience and sin, humanity perceives that God is angry and somehow God must be appeased; thus, the explanation for so many superstitions and religions existing around the world. These religions do not understand the God of love and therefore keep God at a distance. Many do not desire to be close to God; they want to appease His anger.

     Demonic delusion is the foundation of these false religions,

designed to prevent humanity from coming to God. Humanity, detached from God by sin and scared of God by nature, has failed to perceive the love of God.

     Agapē is God’s kind of love. It’s love based on choice, not

emotion; commitment, not convenience. The Greek word agapē refers to a divine love that seeks the good of others without expecting anything in return. Unlike other Greek words for love —

• Eros (romantic love),

• Philia (friendship or affection), and

• Storgē (family love),

 

Agapē love is:

• Unconditional — it is not based on your performance.

• Sacrificial — it gives without seeking return.

• Active — it is shown in deeds, not just words.

• Enduring — it never fails or fades.

 

     Paul describes it beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is

patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude… Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

     Even among believers—born-again believers—there lingers a

struggle to believe in the Father’s love. Many question His heart and live without intimacy with Him. Paul understood this and prayed that believers would experience a mighty work of the Holy Spirit within their inner man, so that they might grasp, with all the saints, the immeasurable dimensions of God’s love. Tragically, too few believers ever pray this prayer for themselves, and fewer still live in its reality.

     Profoundly, A.W. Tozer confronts this demonic accusation about

God’s love: “The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us.” — The Root of the Righteous

 

JESUS, THE WAY TO THE FATHER

     The mission of Jesus was to bring us to the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). Yet many believers have only come as far as church. Some have gone a bit further and received the promise of the Holy Spirit. Others have even dedicated their lives to pursuing the love of God. But far too few have entered the sacred joy of truly being loved by the Father. Just imagine

what the Father’s love would do within these believers. Think for a moment what that same love accomplished for the sinner.

     He did not withhold His love from me when I was reprobate. When I was a sinner, He died for me. When I played the prodigal, He never stopped loving me. There was always a place reserved for me at His throne of grace. Oh, what love—no greater love! Grace, how can it be that in my sin—yes, even then—He shed His blood for me?

     If He did not withhold His love from me as a sinner, surely, He will not withhold His love for me now that I am His saint! Beloved, He loves us all. Jesus said that God loves the whole world. If—while we were His enemies, while we were the murderers, while we were unworthy and undeserving of salvation—He gave us His Son, will He now withhold His love from us? We may change, but He never does. God’s love for us is Agapē. Agapē love is the highest and most complete form of love revealed in

Scripture. It is the very nature of God Himself—a love that is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional.

     While we were sinners, He expressed His love for us. It was then He offered us hope. It was then He defeated our death. It was then He paid for our crimes. It was then He destroyed our master, Satan. It was then that He loved us.

     If He loved us then, how much more does He love us now!

     If He loved us in death, how much more does He love us in

     life!

     If He would go to the cross for us, then surely He will go to the

     Father for us now!

     If He would not abandon us in our sinful state, He will not

     abandon us in our redeemed state!

     If sin could not prevent His love then, can it prevent it now?

     If our filthy, rebellious hearts could not turn away His love

     then, could they now?

     If, as His enemies and murderers, He desired to purchase us    

     as His own, then how much more must He desire every one of

     us now that we are His own!

     If, when we were gross sinners, He died for us—then is there a

     gross saint today He would not rescue and restore?

     If, when we hated Him, He loved us—now that we love Him,

     would He hate us?

     If, when we wanted nothing to do with Him, He laid down His

     life—now that we long for Him, would He forsake us?

     If He loved us as sinners, will He not love us even more as His

     children?

     If He was so good to us as unbelievers, will He not be far      

     better to us as believers?

     If you still hesitate to believe God loves you, meditate on the

cross. Take a minute and consider the sufferings of God for you on the cross. Open your Bible and read Isaiah 53. See that it was the Father who bruised the Son, it was the Father who sacrificed His beloved Son that you may be free and forgiven. Doubt no more, dear friend.

 

WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO QUESTION THE FATHER’S

LOVE:

1. DISCERN WHO THE LIAR IS

     Satan is the accuser. He is always slandering someone—especially God. Jesus said of Satan, “He was a murderer from the beginning… for he is a liar and the father of it.”— John 8:44.

We are the ones who reject God and His ways. We pursue our own desires, and when we suffer the consequences, we want to blame God for being unkind. We were the mean ones and the wrongdoers—yet, true to our rebellion, we curse God when we have cursed ourselves.

     God created us with the knowledge of how we are meant to

function and live. How audacious of us to live contrary to that design and then blame God when life does not work well. It is like buying a truck. The owner’s manual tells me how to operate it, how to drive it, and where to drive it; yet I choose to use it like a boat. I drive it into a river, and when it breaks down, I blame the manufacturer for making a bad truck—accusing him of being mean because he “let” it fail. How foolish the thought, yet we often blame God for the defects in life that come from misusing the way life is meant to be lived.

     Every time you hear a thought that accuses God of being harsh, distant, or unloving, recognize its origin. The enemy’s goal has always been to distort God’s character so that you will withdraw from His presence. He knows that if you doubt God’s love, your faith will weaken, your prayers will falter, and your heart will close. So, the first step is discernment: That thought is not from God.

 

2. REMEMBER THE CROSS WHERE GOD DEMONSTRATED HIS

LOVE.

     The cross is the eternal proof that God’s love cannot be

questioned. It was there that God laid down His Son for those who hated Him. God sacrificed His Son for us, not when we loved Him, but when we were His avowed enemies. Look at the cross, the suffering of His Son, the brutal rejection of humanity, and then tell me, “God is not love.” Look at the cross and tell me, “God is not good.” And might I ask, “How can I tell that you love God? What sacrifice have you made for love’s sake?” Paul said, “… God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

     When the devil says, “If God really loved you…”, point him

to Calvary. There, love didn’t just speak — it bled. The cross is the

unchangeable evidence that God would rather die for you than live without you.

 

3. BELIEVE AND PREACH THE WORD OF GOD TO YOURSELF

     Let the Word of God speak to you by preaching the Word to

yourself. Stop listening to the liar, stop trying to understand God by your circumstances. Know God by the Word and the historic

revelation of His goodness to all humanity.

     When Jesus was tempted, He didn’t argue with the devil;

He spoke the Word. Say aloud what God has said:

     “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

     “He loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

     “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 100:5)

     There is power in confessing Truth until it silences the lie.

The Word of God is Truth. The Word reveals the Father:

     “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and

plenteous in mercy.” — Psalm 103:8

     The Father’s heart is not eager to punish but to forgive.

Jesus came to reveal that heart:

     “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” — John 14:9

     Look at Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry, forgiving

the fallen — that is what the Father is like.

     Rest in the Scriptures, not your emotions or heart. Your

feelings are valid, but they do not validate the Truth. Feelings can lie; Scripture cannot. When condemnation or fear

whispers that God has abandoned you, stand firm on His Word:

     • “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” — Jeremiah

31:3

     • “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of

God.” — Romans 8:39

     • “Perfect love casteth out fear.” — 1 John 4:18

Faith is not a feeling; it is choosing to believe God’s Word over every contrary emotion or accusation.

 

4. BY FAITH, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKE THE TRUTH

EXPERIENTIAL

     The Holy Spirit will bear witness of the Truth. The Holy Spirit will make the Father’s love practical, tangible, and undeniable. God does not love in word only; He loves in deeds. Those deeds of God are seen by believers who seek an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s ministry is to remind your heart that you are loved. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” — Romans 8:16

    Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your inner man. When He fills

your heart, the love of God becomes not just a doctrine, but a living experience (Romans 5:5). The most dangerous lie in the world is that God’s love is uncertain. The most powerful Truth in the universe is that it never changes. When the enemy attacks your confidence in God’s love, run to the cross, rest in the Word, and remind your soul: The Father has set His love upon me, and nothing can undo it.

The Father’s Love: Part 1

     God is Agapē. “God is love.” —1 John 4:8. Agapē

not only defines what God does—it defines who God is.

Everything He does flows from this love: His mercy,

patience, correction, and forgiveness. To see the impact of

this love, look to its highest expression at the Cross:

     “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans

5:8

     God’s love is not a response to our goodness; it is

pure grace. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love:

therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

—Jeremiah 31:3

     In his book, Walking in Love, the revered

theologian, A.B. Simpson, wrote, “Love is the greatest thing

in God. … God is righteous, holy, wise, and mighty … but … If

you were to look at an embodiment of justice, it would not

be God; it would only be one side of the mountain,

precipitous and majestic, but terrible. But could you behold

perfect love embodied, you would have God in all His

fullness.

     The predominant element in God is not righteousness,

but love. Everything He has and does is dominated,

controlled, and colored by love. He is just, because He is

love, and because injustice would be an injury and wrong to

the creation. Where He can be just and also merciful, mercy

rejoices against judgment.

     God’s story of redemption, while it exhibits His holiness

most marvelously, the picture of His love exceeds all else,

and we are compelled to see what love is: ‘This is love:not

that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as

an atoning sacrifice for our sins’ (1 John 4:10).… Even those,

who … perish through their unbelief, are the objects of His

tenderest compassion. They perish against His will, and

receive even in their ruin the tears of His tenderness and

sorrow and the parting words [of His great sorrow; I take no

delight in the death of the wicked … why will you die, oh

man?]”

     And C.H. Spurgeon commented: “No one point in

theology is of more importance than this: that God is love.

You may sum up the gospel in a single word — love.”

—C. H. Spurgeon, Sermon: “The Love of God” (1861)

 

YOU MATTER DEEPLY TO THE FATHER

 

     Because God is love, you matter to God. You are

precious to Him. The Father is not distant or indifferent—He is

deeply and emotionally concerned about you. One of the

greatest needs of the human heart is to know what it means to

be loved by the Father.

     When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He revealed the depth

of that love: “For God so loved the world that He gave…” The

word “so” carries the weight of divine passion. It isn’t a casual

affection—it’s a love beyond measure, love that acts, gives, and

sacrifices.

     As only C.H. Spurgeon can, he pierces the heart with

this comment: “You stand before God as if you were Christ,

because Christ stood before God as if He were you.” That is the gospel in its purest form — love that traded heaven’s glory for a cross. Love that took your guilt so you might share His

righteousness. Love that will never let you go.

     Jesus didn’t just tell us that the Father loves; He showed

us the Father’s love. This love compelled Him to send His Son,

not out of duty, but out of overwhelming compassion. And even more astounding, Jesus declared, “The Father has loved [you] as [He has] loved Me” (John 17:23).

     Let this truth settle into your heart today: You matter

deeply to God. He so loves you that nothing can separate you

from His embrace. Rest in the certainty that you are eternally

loved, cherished, and never forgotten by your Father.

     The Son best reveals the Father. Jesus glorified

His Father and made Him known. Jesus brought the

Father to us and seeks to bring us to the Father. He

celebrated that the heavenly Father is intimate and

accessible.

      It was the Father’s love that Jesus was

demonstrating to us. Jesus loved the Father, but through

Jesus, the Father loved us. Jesus came to bring us to the

Father. Have you come that far with Jesus? Jesus claimed

He was the way, and no one comes to the Father except

through Him. Jesus wants to bring us to the Father. This

is an essential quality of our redemption, for it is the

Father who assures us of provision, protection, adoption,

comfort, tenderness, and care.

     Jesus wants us to pray to the Father and has

given us access to the Father through His Name; this is

guaranteed to believers through covenant and adoption.

The assurance of the Father’s benevolence to humanity

is that He has already given His beloved Son, Jesus,

offering Him up as a sin offering for our transgressions.

Through His Son, the Father extends to all people the gift

of eternal life, which in its essence is most wonderful,

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the

only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”

(John 17:3).

     Though humanity has rebelled against the

Father, He continues to demonstrate love and

forgiveness to us all. He causes His mercy to rain upon

the just and the unjust. He wants all men to be saved

and does not delight in the death of any.

     How glorious to know the Father and the Son,

through an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is

beyond human capability to imagine the world we shall

live in with the Father. The gratification and joy He will

provide for all who have trusted in His Son Jesus: “But as

it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither

have entered into the heart of man, the things which

God hath prepared for them that love him” (1

Corinthians 2:9). If God gives us such delight in the world

we cursed, imagine the glory we shall have in the world

He has blessed!

     All nature is a revelation of the Father’s goodness.

The beauty we behold – God made it good … not painful!

Look at the beautiful creation. The varieties of things on

earth. What if everything were a desert? Or if everything

were a garden? What if there were no mountains? What if

there were no swamps? What if God enjoyed toying with us

and caused the climate to be unpredictable – if one day it

snowed and the next day it was scorching hot. What if there

were no seasons but drastic shifts of each season on each

day?

     Consider your own physical organism, the numerous

senses and organs. God might easily have made every sense

of your body to be a channel of anguish, as they become

when distorted by disease. But instead, He has made them to

be the vessels and channels of pleasure.

     He might have made the food you eat merely to

nourish you without gratifying you, but He has created you so

that it ministers the keenest pleasure to your taste.

     He might have made everything taste alike, but

instead of this, He has created innumerable varieties of fruits

and food for your gratification. Or what if He wanted to

torment us and we didn’t know what it was going to taste

like? What if the first bite of ice cream was sweet and

delicious, and the next was bitter?

     What if your nose couldn’t smell, only breathe? What

if your nose could smell, and He created a world filled with

unpleasant aromas? Instead, He has filled the air with sweet

odors that satisfy the sense of smell. What if you didn’t hear

in stereo? What if you didn’t see in H.D.? What if you didn’t

see in color, and everything was grey?

     But the Father is so gracious and good that He has

adopted the blue of heaven and the green of earth to soothe

and satisfy your eye. He has adjusted your ear for all the

delicate varieties of sound, and He has fitted the external

world to minister to this sense with a thousand melodious

notes. But what if He toyed with you and one day you could

see, and the next day you could not?

     God made us in His image, and even after the fall,

with corrupt bodies, God allows us to have our senses

delighted and to experience love in our hearts.

     The very men and women who are disobeying Him

and blaspheming Him and doing all in their power to grieve

and dishonor Him owe to Him every thrill of joy that stirs

their being, every physical enjoyment even in their sinful

pleasures, every delight that comes to them in the

friendships and affections which they prostitute to His

dishonor, and which He yet allows to minister as far as He

can to their gratification.

     Jesus portrays the Father as incredibly worthy. For

the Father, Jesus would joyfully lay down His life in

sacrifice on the cross. Jesus describes the Father as exciting

and joyful; He loves to celebrate and throw parties for

those who have been converted from sin. The Father’s love

is demonstrated through great self-sacrifice; He gives His

all to give you a chance. He became sin for you that you

may become righteous through Him. The Father bestows

grace and personally will honor His Son by sanctifying

believers. Hebrews 13 reveals that it is the Father Who

personally takes upon Himself the responsibility OF

MAKING US PLEASING TO HIM: “Now the God of peace,

that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that

great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the

everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good

work to do his will, working in you that which is well

pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be

glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

     Ephesians demonstrates that it is the Father who

saves us by His grace and does the work of sanctification in

our lives, who carefully fathers us into honorable children:

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding

riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ

Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not

of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any

man should boast. For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created

in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before

ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:7-10).

     Do you see that it is the work of the Father and not

your works? Do you have a relationship with the Father

that allows you to rest in the finished work of the Son? Can

you live with joy knowing that the Father of our Lord Jesus,

who possesses all power and love, can perfect you and will

perfect you? Many believers do not experience this rest

and work feverishly to please the Father. But read

Hebrews 13 again. Who is pleasing to the Father? The ones

He has worked in!

     John describes a day when atheism will be no more. Kings, mighty men, the rich and the poor alike will cry out to be hidden from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:15-17).        

      We are living in a most exciting time. If our eyes are open and we are paying attention to the Kingdom of God, then we can be confident that this is not a moment of confusion or doubt. According to John, the world is heading toward an undeniable encounter with the living God—an event that will erase atheism and reveal Jesus, the Lamb, as Judge and King.            

     In light of this impending reality, the Church must recognize that our gatherings are not empty routines. Even when we feel weary, even when it seems we are just going through motions, we are part of something supernatural.        

     It is not in vain that we gather, go to prayer meetings, share our faith, worship, and praise the Lord. We are involved in a Kingdom work that will impact the entire world. Although we have not yet seen the answers in the way we had hoped, delay is not denial. God has a plan and dates of visitation that He has already set. If we do not faint or grow weary, we will see the outpouring, the Glory, and the fruit of every cry lifted to heaven (Galatians 6:9; James 5:16-18).                                          

     Just as Simeon and Anna waited faithfully in the temple for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25-38), unsure of when or how God would fulfill His Word, they were steadfast in faithfulness and hope. How long did they wait? We do not know but consider their faithfulness at the temple: day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Perhaps they wondered if all of this was in vain. Maybe they wondered if nothing would ever really happen or take place. Possibly they questioned whether they heard God correctly. Yet, they remained faithful. And the glorious day came! The Messiah was in the temple, and they both saw him.                      

     So, it is with us. Our faithfulness matters. We are called to wait with expectation. And just like them, we will see His Glory. We must not grow weary; the days of faithful gatherings, faithful attendance, watching, and crying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit have never been in vain and never will be. The consistent pursuit of God in the boring days only gives weight to our faith. All the days, weeks, months, and years of faithfulness have been the demonstration of our faith, our unfailing hope that we will see God move.

     God is at work, and a remnant will be a part of this Glory. It will not be the showmanship that we have seen over the decades of great charismatic movements and men who profited from God. No, this will be a move of the Holy Spirit that is very holy. A movement that causes the whole world to know who God is, and the Lamb.                                                                                                                        

      As John the Baptist pointed to the Lamb at the close of one age, let us also, through the power of the Holy Spirit, point them back to the Lamb. Let us not grow weary, for God is raising up a remnant, and His Glory will fill the earth (Habakkuk 2:14). Every moment we come together in worship, we are planting seeds for God’s movement. Nothing we do is in vain. Our faithfulness will yield a bountiful harvest in His time.

LOOK BACK BUT MOVE FORWARD

     Now is not the time to only look back and honor the faith of our fathers, as though their day was greater than ours. This is our day. We are chosen, born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14), fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and empowered by the same Spirit they relied upon.                                                                                   

      Jesus is still the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He calls us to rise, to believe for more, to stay awake and alert. Don’t sleep through your moment. Be the believer who is alert, expectant, and ready to move with God.                                                          

      Now is not the time for less—it is time to believe for more: for fresh anointing and holy fire, not for performance or popularity, but for a sacred move of God that brings irrefutable evidence of the gospel to a dying world. As priests and kings (Revelation 1:6), empowered by the Holy Spirit, our calling is to proclaim Jesus – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

DOES IT MATTER THAT WE GATHER                                             

     Church Family, be encouraged! Our gatherings are never in vain. Even when it feels routine, even when our hearts feel dry or weary, what we do together matters. Every prayer lifted, every song sung, every moment spent waiting on the Lord carries weight in eternity.                                                                                                                              

      The steady faithfulness of God’s people—week after week, month after month, year after year—shines as a testimony of hope. Even in the “ordinary” days, our faith is being proven genuine. Our tears, our prayers, our longing for the Holy Spirit’s outpouring have not gone unnoticed by heaven.                                                                                         

     Do not grow weary. What seems hidden now will one day be revealed in Glory. We will see God move. We will see His promises fulfilled. We are part of something supernatural—something far greater than what our eyes can see in the moment.                

      God is faithful. He has heard every cry, and He will fulfill His Word. And when His Glory breaks forth, we will look back and know that not one gathering, not one prayer, not one act of faith was wasted.

 

WALK WITH GOD

       You are called to God, not routine. Keep your eyes on Jesus and your ears open to His voice. Follow Him. Those who get stuck in routine or traditionalism may miss the move of the Holy Spirit. Walking With God Means Moving Forward. You can’t walk with God and stay where you are.

       Walking with Him always requires growth, change, and a fresh anointing. Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, continually increases and adds to our faith. Think about it—why do you believe you went through those hard times? Why did you endure those challenging seasons of waiting, filled with expectation but not yet seeing the promise fulfilled? It wasn’t for nothing. Every trial was preparation. The battles with the “bears” were training for the day you would face your “Goliath.” And when you take down the Goliath, it positions you to step into your destiny-just as David did, moving from shepherd boy to Israel’s great deliverer and eventually king. Each step with God leads to a greater purpose.                                                                      

      Even the disciples, after the resurrection, could not walk with Jesus as they had before. Their walk required a new anointing. They needed the power of the Holy Spirit to step into their calling – to go into all the world and turn nations upside down.                                                                                                                                                  

      So, it is with us. God is calling us forward, into deeper faith and greater anointing. Every trial and every victory is leading us into our next season. Don’t stop being faithful. It is not in vain to gather and worship week after week. Continue to attend Church and go even more often. Go to the prayer meeting. Stay in the Word. Cry out to God. Be the choir of praise. Go on mission trips. Preach in the streets. The best is yet to come. Something supernatural is about to happen.                              

       As we await the coming of the Lord, we do so with great anticipation, believing these could be the most significant days of the Church; moments equal to the Acts of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the book of Acts. It is time for more. We are to expect more. As the Word says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” Ephesians 3:20-21. Our waiting is not marked by fear or defeat, but by victory, authority, and triumph in Christ. We are more than conquerors, not shrinking back or hiding, but standing boldly in faith and purpose. In these days, our mission is to be that House (Church) the Holy Ghost inhabits, living as Kings and Priests unto our God in this present evil generation.

 

Jesus is the beginning…

 

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead…” Colossians 1:18

     Have you ever thought what this means, “Jesus is the beginning, the first born from the dead?” It means that Jesus is the beginning of a new creation. The new creation is underway; it is happening.

     This new beginning is the result of the Cross. There, on the Cross, Jesus paid for the sins of the world. Now, by the blood of His atonement, the curse can be lifted and a new creation, without sin and corruption, can occur. Sin is defeated, and the glory of God will fill the universe.

     Read Colossians 2:10-14 and consider what was accomplished on the Cross. God circumcised your body of sin – your flesh and put it on the Cross with Jesus. Paul calls this the operation of God; a circumcision made without hands because God does it. Because you are crucified with Christ, you are likewise buried with him in baptism. Your old man has suffered the full wrath of God, you did not get away with anything. All your sins have been atoned for, and God’s justice has been satisfied. God will not judge you again.

     Then God took your sinful flesh and buried it with Jesus. He took you out of the way. You are gone. You are no more. Your old life, your sinful man, is judged and put away. Now, because you have joined yourself to Jesus, you have risen with him through the faith of the operation of God. Your old life was not raised. A new man was raised. A new life in Christ. You are now in Christ, not in your sins.

     What is true of Jesus is now true of you. Your story is bound to His. When He died, you died. When He was buried, you were buried. When He rose, you rose with Him. And now, as He lives, you too live—no longer in the old life, but in the power of His Resurrection.

     “We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

     This is the life of the Spirit—the very life of Christ within you.

     Jesus took everything that was against you and nailed it to His Cross. He nailed it there because it was against you. It was in the way, hindering you from coming to God. Jesus removed it. There is no evidence of your sin. There is no more guilt. Jesus fulfilled every requirement demanded of you and then removed it, freeing you from your debt and the demands you could never accomplish.

     The written demands of God in the Law were nailed to His Cross and put out of the way. You are no longer under the Law. Your death with Jesus has delivered you from your marriage to the Law. The Law’s demands and the Law’s penalties are no longer a threat to you, for you are no more! You are hidden in Christ. You are complete in Christ.

      Furthermore, Jesus spoiled principalities and powers. He took back what the devil stole: “Through death he … [destroyed] him that had the power of death … the devil; and [delivered] them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” Hebrews 2:14-15

 

THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE THE LORD’S.

 

     Now, by the Resurrection of Jesus, a new creation has been sparked to life. A new man is walking the earth; this new man is the Church. He is a new man with a new life; a man with a new authority; a man with a new future.

     The Holy Spirit was sent into the world to inhabit this new man. There is a new anointing, a new priesthood, a new covenant. Jesus has created a new race of people; He calls them His brothers. This race is holy, saintly, and perfect.

 

     “…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all … this man, … offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God … by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified … I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds … their sins and iniquities will I remember no more … enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh …” (Hebrews 10:10-22).

 

     The Cross stands in sublime magnificence—, the ultimate manifestation of God’s love and the perfect demonstration of His wisdom. There, at Calvary, God brought an end to the old creation. A world stained by corruption and rebellion was answered by the Man of Righteousness.   

     On that Cross, He paid in full the price of our redemption. Sin was defeated, death was conquered, and Satan’s power was broken. And now, through His Resurrection, the new has begun.                                               

     “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

     The Cross is not simply about death – it is about defeat. The Cross is the defeat of the old order and the beginning of a new one! Look at the Cross again. You see only death, but God sees death being defeated by death. The Cross is about life, liberty, and the Kingdom of God!

     With the eloquence known only by a few, Samuel Rutherford said, “Believe me, brother… whoso looketh to… Christ’s Cross… with faith and courage, shall find it such a burden as sails are to a ship or wings to a bird. I find that my Lord hath over gilded that black tree, and hath perfumed it, and oiled it with joy and gladness.”

     He who shares in His Cross will also share in His glory. “If we died with him, we shall also live with him: if we endure we shall also reign with him.”  In her book, The Path of Loneliness, Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “This is my story, and this is my song. Jesus Christ has given me Living Water. Jesus Christ is my Bread. Jesus Christ is my Life. He is Joy of Man’s Desiring. That old, rugged Cross, so despised by the world holds a wondrous attraction for me.”

 

YOU ARE DIFFERENT, LIVE LIKE IT

 

     A new species has emerged. Jesus rose as the first begotten from the dead of a new species. You are different; live like it!

     “… the Resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body … As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as isthe heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 48-49).

     Calvary wiped out an order…and produced a heavenly people.

     The reality of the Resurrection changes everything. It transforms why we live and how we live. Because God will raise us and reward His people, our focus and motive for life must shift to a Kingdom mentality.

     Knowing there is an afterlife, a Kingdom in which you can lay up treasure, should change your attitude about life here today. You are not bound by a cross that suggests you must take you blows, suffer your wrongs… just endure it all because one day you will be in heaven. Your Cross is about victory. The unfolding of a glorious future. This is Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 15: if there is a resurrection, don’t waste your life—be steadfast and abound in the work of the Lord. Heaven will take over, and what we do in this life will carry on into the next.

     Our service in this life determines our reward in the life to come. The mission of the Church is not some fleeting, temporal labor; it is central to God’s eternal Kingdom. Kingdom work is not merely an optional project to fit into our schedules—it is the heartbeat of eternity itself.

     Many excuse their lack of devotion to the King and His Kingdom with the false comfort: “Well, everyone is happy in heaven.” Yes, everyone in heaven will know joy, but not everyone will be rewarded the same. Jesus Himself said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).                                                  

     Some in heaven will have no rewards, no treasure laid up. I don’t know precisely what that will look like, but I know this: I do not want to find out.                      

     If God is going to hand out eternal rewards based on what I do here on earth, then I want to live entirely devoted. I want to enter eternity in a blessed state, hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23)                                                                              

     The faith by which you work is not a temporary way of trying to have purpose here until you can leave it all behind and go to heaven. You are not doing this simply for today. Our present life, in this body, is not valueless just because you will die—God is going to raise you. 

 

WHAT YOU DO NOW MATTERS                       

     Why do you think I have surrendered to God? Why have I devoted my life to ministering in His Kingdom and serving the King? Could I not have gained the wealth of the world as well? Could I not have lived free from the betrayals and stress and heartaches of the people who hate God and think we are fools for giving our all to Jesus? You will never know, in this life, what it cost me to follow Jesus—to stand against the legalist for the defense of the Gospel!            

     What you do in this body, in this very moment, matters. What you do for the Kingdom today will echo into eternity.      

      Every act of service—whether seen or unseen—carries eternal significance. Preaching the Word, singing praises, sewing or knitting for those in need, praying in secret, teaching truth, building hospitals, fighting for justice, or standing against the powers of darkness—these are labors that God remembers.            

     Every faithful effort—digging wells for the thirsty, writing words that inspire, caring for the poor, loving your neighbor, giving tithes and offerings, serving in the choir or tech team, teaching children, packing food bags for students, stocking pantries, sending shoe boxes to the nations, joining prayer groups, leading Bible studies, writing cards of encouragement, volunteering in rehab or prison ministry—all of it matters.

     Even the simple things—preparing meals for the sick, cleaning the Church, or investing in Kingdom work—are holy offerings when done unto the Lord.    “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name” (Hebrews 6:10). What you do today for Christ will matter tomorrow—and forever.  

      What we give on earth continues into heaven (Luke 18:22–33). Nothing surrendered for the Kingdom will go unrewarded. Jesus promised that every sacrifice made for His sake will be rewarded, both in this life and in the life to come.              

     Suffering and death are not the end; they are only the pathway to eternal reward in the Kingdom of God. The Cross always precedes the crown. As Paul declared, “If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12).        

     Therefore, there should rise within every believer an eager desire to take part in the work of the Kingdom—a holy pursuit to be involved, to serve, and to help advance His cause. This is not drudgery but joy, for we labor knowing that “our toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).      

      Why uproot and break every tie? Why put your life continually on the line? Why endure the reproach of the world? Why become the target of its scorn and abuse? Why suffer cruel mocking and beatings? Because there is a Resurrection! Because Jesus is alive!                                                                   

      This is our guarantee of an eternity with no sickness, no sorrow, no pain, no death—free from earth’s trials, discomforts, and disappointments. Jesus declared, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).                                                                                      

      He will restore what was lost. He will redeem the years spent limping on crutches and confined to wheelchairs. He will revive the smiles that suffering erased. He will replay the symphonies unheard by deaf ears and unveil the sunsets unseen by blind eyes. The mute will sing for joy, the poor will feast at His table, and every wound will be healed.          

     We will see God! We will behold His glory. We will witness the fullness of His love.                            

     Our greatest days are not behind us—they are ahead!                                                                         “And He that sat upon the Throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new…these words are true & faithful! He said, it is done. I am Alpha & Omega the Beginning and the End’” (Revelation 21:5-6). No more tears. No more death. No more sorrow. No more crying. No more pain. The former work of corruption, decay, and pain is SWALLOWED UP IN A NEW CREATION!

 

©Lee Shipp

 

 

 

 

    “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:22-23).

    He was in the world, and the world knew Him not. He came to His own—His brothers—and they rejected Him. Though His fame and gospel have circled the earth, most throughout the generations have not known Him, only heard of Him. Some claim to believe, but as He prophesied in Matthew, He will say to many, “I never knew you …” Therefore, the title of this article: To The Unknown God.

    As Paul ascended Mars Hill to hear what the intellectuals of his day had to say, he observed the rampant superstition of philosophy and religion. Gods were everywhere. In fear that they had left one out—and so as not to draw his wrath—they assembled a shrine to “The Unknown God.” Paul took the occasion to reveal the God they did not know. Drawing from Paul’s words and a few of my own, I hope to point you to Him.

    “You worship in ignorance, [so] … I proclaim God to you. The God who made the world and everything in it—He is Lord of heaven and earth—[He] does not live in shrines made by hands.”

    The Living, Almighty God is not upheld by the hands of man, as though He needed any assistance. He needs no support from that which He has created, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.

    By His matchless power, from one man He has made every nationality that fills the earth. Of all these billions of people, He alone has determined their appointed time of life and death. He determines where they live and the boundaries they shall live within. He did this so that all men would seek after Him. He is near to all people everywhere, regardless of nationality or creed, waiting for them to reach out to Him. And if they do reach out, they shall find Him, for in Him they live and move and have their being.

    God has made everything by the power of His Word. From nothing and out of nothing, He has created all things. Nothing exists apart from Him, and by His Word, He upholds all things.

    Seeing that God has created everything, He is not the product of a craftsman or the concoction of some pagan image. His divine nature is not like gold, silver, or stone. No man could possibly conceive the magnificence of His being. No image would even begin to bear the resemblance of His excellent glory.

    He is Spirit. He is eternal. And no living thing could survive the sight of Him—except the Lord sustain the awe of rapture the creature would experience.

    God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man Jesus. He has provided proof of this judgment to everyone by raising Jesus from the dead.

    He seeks no one’s counsel. His judgment is righteous and true. His judgment is final and cannot be appealed. To the chasms of hell, darkness, and death shall men go who have squandered the appeal of this God to be worshipped. But to the kingdom of life, liberty, and joy shall go those who have reached out to Him and found His kindness through His beloved Son Jesus.

    Regardless of what your opinion may be of Him, when you see Him, you will bow. You will cry. You will confess that He is the Lord. You will confess that His judgments are righteous and true. Your petty arguments about what a god should be like will collapse at the sight of Him. Your insistence on justice will be granted, as those who have desired mercy shall likewise find it.

    Your finite arguments will be buried in your speechless silence as you look upon absolute Holiness, Truth, and Righteousness. You will go to your destiny with no questions, no arguments, no appeals. In one moment—at the sight of such exceeding beauty and perfection, raging unending power, and everlasting love—you will know:

 

He is Right.

 

He is Good.

 

He is God.

 

©Lee Shipp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God’s Loud Declaration

 

     “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the

prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from

the earth, will draw all men unto me.” This He said, signifying

what death He should die (John 12:31–33).

     “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are

yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in

Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ,

we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen

from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death, by man came also the

resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in

Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:17–22).

 

THE DIVINITY OF JESUS IS PROVED BY HIS RESURRECTION

     Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he

that believeth in Me shall never die.”

     Peter proclaimed, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man

approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and

signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye

yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the

determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have

taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom

God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death,

because it was not possible that He should be holden of it…

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and

having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost,

He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear…

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God

hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both

Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:22–36).

 

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF JESUS DEPENDS ON HIS

RESURRECTION

     Paul said, “For to this end Christ both died, and rose,

and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and

living” (Romans 14:9).

 

OUR JUSTIFICATION DEPENDS ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION

     Paul again: “He was delivered for our offences and

was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

 

OUR REGENERATION DEPENDS ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION

     Peter writes: “We are begotten again unto a lively hope

by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

 

OUR RESURRECTION DEPENDS ON JESUS’ RESURRECTION

     Romans 8:11 assures us: “If the Spirit of Him that raised

up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies…” And if Christ be not risen, then we shall not rise. But if He is risen, then those who are asleep in Christ have not perished. In their flesh, they shall surely behold their God.

     So, what is the verdict? Has Jesus risen? Yes! God has

thundered, and the whole earth has heard: Jesus is Lord! He was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

     That thunder began as a whisper in the Garden—where

God met Adam and Eve and declared a Redeemer would come. “His heel shall be bruised, but He shall crush the serpent’s head.” David picked up the whisper: “My Lord said to my Lord… [He would] not let Him see corruption, nor leave Him in the grave.” And then God thundered! How He must have anticipated this moment—spoken of for millennia. Now, He did it! No one wouldmiss it. The grave opened her mouth, and Jesus came forth!

     What would be the next marvel of God following the

resurrection? Nothing less than the advent of the Holy Ghost and spirit-annointed preaching. What text would the Holy Spirit use on Pentecost? What arrow would He pull from His quiver to

banish the devil’s lies? Even this: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses… God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:32, 36).

     And what has God accomplished by raising Jesus from

the dead? Peter said it best: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead—

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth

not away, reserved in heaven for you… Who are kept by the

power of God through faith unto salvation… Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

 

GOD HAS GIVEN US HOPE THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

     This divinely ordained hope has entered into

God’s presence for us. Our hope is indestructible because He has an indestructible life. Our hope is now our High Priest, living and interceding for us before the Father.

Our hope is God’s appointed Advocate, who pleads for

us by the merits of His own blood. Our hope is our Brother—Who is not ashamed to call us His own.

     The risen Lord calls, “Come, My beloved. I have

loved thee with an everlasting love and have bought

thee—though thou wast a sinner vile. And now I am

not ashamed to confess thee before My holy angels…

Come with Me, and I will take thee to My Father’s face

and confess thee there.” (Spurgeon)

     My hope is that all God sees in Jesus—His

obedience, His virtue—will be attributed to me that His

righteousness becomes my own. My hope is that my

failure and sin is not strong enough to prevail over

Jesus blood and advocacy. My hope is His very own

blood, on the mercy seat, and His appeal for my life is

more than sufficient to satisfy the justice of God. My

ultimate hope is not healing, promotion, or wealth—

though He may grant these.

 

My hope is that I shall see Him—and be found like

Him!

I may be poor and wretched here—

There, I will be rich!

I may wrestle with sin here—

There, I will be clothed in righteousness!

I may groan in this frail body—

There, I shall have a new one!

 

JESUS HAS BEEN MADE LORD

     Satan claimed the jurisdiction of the world.

Jesus did not deny his claim. However, Jesus went to

the Cross crying, “Now shall the prince of this world be

cast out.” And Jesus rose proclaiming, “All jurisdiction

has been given to me in the heavens and earth!”       

    Jesus’ resurrection says it all! If Jesus is not

raised, then you are still in your sins. If Jesus is not

raised, He is not who He claimed to be: He is not the

Son, He is not God, He cannot provide you with life. If

Jesus is not raised from the dead, then He is not the

Messiah, and He has not fully put away your sins.

However, they are singing in heaven, around the

throne, and on earth: the Lamb that was slain is alive

forevermore!

 

JESUS HAS DEFEATED THE KING OF TERRORS

     By His death and resurrection, Jesus has “freed

those who all their lives were held in slavery by their

fear of death”(Hebrews 2:15).

     Job called death the king of terrors (Job 18:14).

But Paul declared: “O death, where is thy sting? O

grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin,

and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God,

which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus

Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55–57).

     Satan’s greatest weapon has become his defeat!

Death has been swallowed up in victory. The grave is

empty. The thief has been spoiled by the Prince of Life!

God put all my sins on the Cross and laid them on Jesus,

my substitute.

     I see inflexible justice, holiness, truth, and

righteousness in dealing with my sins and making a

clear and eternal riddance of them. How could one sin

remain if God Himself has taken the matter in hand?

Not one of them is suffered to pass!

     Because Jesus is risen, my sins are gone—cast

behind His back, blotted out like a thick cloud. Should I

not have peace? If God shows me the Man who bore

my sins—now crowned in glory—how can my soul not

rest? Everything Jesus gained, everything He won,

everything He now possesses—

 

The Holy Ghost has come to make it yours!

• He has gained your forgiveness.

• He has obtained holiness for you.

• He has become your righteousness.

• He is your source of provision.

• He has secured your mercy.

• He has given you peace.

• He has purchased your healing.

• He has opened your inheritance.

• He has secured your glory.

 

Rejoice believer: Neither death nor life, neither

angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers… nor anything else in all creation, will

be able to separate us from the love of God that is in

Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38–39).

 

Lee Shipp

GOD IS GOOD

 

GOD LIKES HIS PEOPLE

“Because He delighted in me, He delivered me.” —Psalm 18:19

 

David knew trouble. He lived through floods of fear, enemies with evil intentions, and the constant threat of death. He described life as being wrapped in the sorrows of hell and tangled in the cords of destruction. But even as death stalked him, David had a secret: David didn’t just believe that God loved him—he believed God liked him. That changed everything.

 

David didn’t boast in his strength—he boasted in a God who would bend the heavens to rescue him. This wasn’t poetic language; it was lived reality. God didn’t just show up in David’s pain—He exceeded every measure of affliction and opposition. David believed that, if necessary, God would shake the heavens, thunder from the skies, ride the wind, and launch arrows from eternity to protect him. This was a God who would bend heaven to come to His beloved. David warned his enemies: Be careful what you do with me—my God is fierce in His protection. “The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Salvation, my High Tower, my Refuge, my Lamp, my Strength, and my Power. In Him will I trust. He will save me from violence. By my God, I will run through a troop and leap over a wall.” —2 Samuel 22

 

And here’s the truth: That same God delights in you.

 

WHY YOU CAN TRUST GOD’S GOODNESS

 

God’s goodness isn’t a mood—it’s His nature. He is not good because you deserve it; He is good because He is good. And His goodness is not passive or polite—it is fierce, extravagant, and overflowing.

 

Because God is good:

He Gives… Power, might, and strength to His people.

He Gives … Beauty for ashes.

He Gives … Joy for mourning.

He Gives … A garment of praise instead of heaviness.

He Gives … Peace, not evil—and a future filled with hope.

He Gives … The Holy Spirit, the unfailing companion of Encouragement.

He Gives … Good things in due season.

He Gives … Homes, families, food, and provision.

He Gives … Grace, mercy, justice.

He Gives … Himself—as a ransom for you.

He is not holding back. He’s not rationing love. He delights in blessing you with all His might.

“The Lord your God in the midst of you is mighty; He will save; He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His love; He will joy over you with singing.” —Zephaniah 3:17.

 

Can you imagine that? God sings over you. He sings songs of deliverance amid enemy attacks. When the enemy boasts of his power over you, along comes the Lord singing your victory song.

 

BUT WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE?

 

Many struggle to believe in God’s goodness—not because God has failed them, but because life and people have.

 

Some struggle to accept this because of guilt: “I’ve sinned too much.”

But God says: I’ve taken away your judgments. “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity… casting all our sins into the depths of the sea?” —Micah 7:18–19

 

Some struggle because of people: “They live held in the cords of others disapproval.” 

Some have been belittled, manipulated, or abused. They have never been treated well—so why would God? But God says: I will undo all who afflicted you and lift up those shamed.

 

Some feel too unholy to be loved by a holy God.

But that’s the whole point. God knows you, and He knows how to make you righteous. His holiness doesn’t push you away—it pursues you. He rejoices over you. He rests in His love for you. He’s preparing a new body for you. And He’s already cast your sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

 

God answered every excuse before you ever spoke it. So now He invites you:

Come to Me… you who are weary, broken, afraid. Let Me be good to you. God is not tired of you.

 

He is not moody, irritable, or distant. His joy is like that of a groom on his honeymoon—intense, energetic, full of pleasure and enthusiasm. And unlike earthly love, the honeymoon never ends with Him. He is infinite in power, wisdom, creativity, and love—and He delights in blessing you. “Because He delighted in me, He delivered me and brought me into a large place.” —Psalm 18:19. You are not barely tolerated. You are passionately pursued.

 

HEAVEN IS THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S GOODNESS.

 

“Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” —Psalm 35:27

“He carried our griefs, bore our sorrows, and triumphed over death… so that in the ages to come, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us.” —Ephesians 2:7

 

God is both omniscient and omnipotent. He knows what you need. He has the power to give it. And He does—with joy. God has planned lavish delights for His people. Heaven is not a sterile escape—it is a divine explosion of joy. Every emotion will find its highest expression. Every gift, talent, and longing will be fulfilled in Jesus. Every moment will be new again. It’s all for you—because He loves you. Because He likes you. Because He wants to. “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

—1 Corinthians 2:9

 

Paul said that in the ages to come, God would show us “the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). No joy known to man can compare to what God has prepared for those who love Him. Heaven is not just a place—it is a party of divine delight designed by God Himself, where every moment will feel like the first, and every emotion and longing will find its highest expression.

 

So the next time doubt creeps in—remember:

You are not condemned.

You are justified.

You are filled with His Spirit.

You are being helped in your weakness.

You are interceded for by the Righteous One.

You are more than a conqueror.

 

And in all these things—trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, loss, danger, even death—nothing can separate you from the love of God.

 

IF YOU CAN BELIEVE SATAN IS BAD, THEN BELIEVE GOD IS GOOD

 

The Lord will be with you in the waters. You won’t drown. He’ll walk you through fire. You won’t burn. He makes paths through seas and springs in deserts. He’s already made a way. And His goodness is chasing after you.

Let go of fear.

Let go of guilt.

Let go of everything that says, “You’re not worthy.”

 

And let God show you what He’s always wanted you to know: He is good—and He delights in you.

 

If you can believe the devil is evil, then you have the capacity to believe that God is good.

Jesus is both the author and the finisher of your faith. He started this, and He will finish it. Your flaws do not disillusion him. He’s not exhausted by your weakness. He is thrilled to love you.

So call upon Him. Trust Him. Worship Him. He alone is God—and He likes you.

 

Lee Shipp

TROUBLED PEOPLE TROUBLE PEOPLE

     

     The purpose of the Church is to be the habitation of God by the Holy Spirit, and the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to rage out of our bellies as a mighty river. What water comes out of you—bitter or sweet? Heaven or hell? How can you tell? Well, is your water wet or dry?

     What is this water? It is life. Water is life. Imagine if they found water on Mars—it would be a celebrated discovery of life on another planet.

     Now, the water is not originally yours. It comes out of you because you drank from it. When Jesus ministered to the woman at the well in John 4, He offered to give her His water if she would ask. The water He would give her would quench her thirst forever. What does this mean? Does it mean she would never need a glass of water again? No. It meant she would no longer have to live searching for the water of life.

     People rarely drink from Jesus. They just have encounters with Him. They want experiences—mystical moments that leave them thirsty for more “enchantments.” But Jesus offers so much more: He offers a river of water. It springs from within us. Jesus makes it clear in John 7 that the Holy Spirit is the river of water springing from our inner being. He said these would be rivers of living water!

     So, when I ask if your water is “wet” or “dry,” I’m obviously inquiring where you’ve been drinking. Those whose water is wet have been drinking from the Holy Spirit. Dry water, then, is the spirit of the world—the spirit of Satan. In the eleventh chapter of his gospel, Luke reveals that devils love dry places. Dry water is all the devils can offer. They can never satisfy man. There’s not enough money, fame, power, or carnal indulgence to quench the thirst of man’s soul. And Satan has no intention of satisfying men’s thirst—he is cruel and loves to torment.

 

BITTER OR SWEET, BUT NOT BOTH 

      James refers to a fountain that is either bitter or sweet—it cannot be both. Many pour out bitter waters. They leave a sour taste in almost everyone they meet. Why? Because they are bitter. Bitter because they drink from the wrong well. They do not drink from Jesus’ life but rather from Satan’s life.

     They love encounters with God. They chase one conference after another, living in pursuit of “another” word, “another” prophecy, “another” encounter. But their water doesn’t last—it doesn’t satisfy them. They remain bitter, upset with God and how He deals with them. They resist God’s discipline and live frustrated when life—or their Church—doesn’t meet their expectations. Off they go again… to another magic show.

     They are bitter—bitter toward the Church. They complain about being overlooked. They’re mad they don’t get invited to things. They live suspiciously, believing everyone is wrong but them. They conclude that life has robbed them—and it shows. Their bitter waters poison many, according to Hebrews 12.

     They are not gracious but want everyone else to be. They are critical of others but cannot bear to be corrected themselves. It’s always better over there, wherever “there” is—just not where they are. Because nothing is ever enough where they are, if they could get over there, they’d finally be happy and satisfied!

     According to James’ logic, the fountain cannot be both sweet and bitter. The point James is making has to do with living in the flesh or living in the Spirit. How can one tell? If you are living in the flesh, you are set on fire of hell. This is seen in how you talk about others. If you are living in the Spirit, you are living by the wisdom that comes from heaven above.

     If we do not live by the wisdom that comes from the Holy Ghost, then bitterness, strife, and envy will poison our lives. Though multitudes in religion know about grace, they do not operate in grace. They know there is a wisdom from God but find it difficult to stray from their own reasonings. They are not led by the wisdom of the Lord. They have not been drinking from the water Jesus offers. They’ve been drinking from the waters of affliction. They’ve filled themselves with their own wisdom and self-pity, complaining about being unloved and overlooked.

They have taken the cup offered by Satan—the cup of abuse—and now they’ve become the victim. Offended, and by the wisdom of their flesh, they believe they have every right to gripe, complain, and blame others. Their water troubles them—meaning it excites them to disturbance; it annoys and agitates them. Then, they offer that same water to others to drink.

     But it is not the water of life that Jesus offers—it is the water of Satan: very dry. Satan’s “dry” water pours out of them. Soon, their bitter poison will manifest in others whose lives begin to deteriorate just by being around them. It’s incredible how troubled people trouble people.

 

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE TOXIC

     These troubled people are very smart—by their own estimation. They will let you know that they are well-scripted in the Scriptures. They “know the Word.” They “know the Lord.” But they are toxic. It’s hard to reason with them. They are filled with strife and envy. Their logic has convinced them of what is right and wrong. They are self-convinced they know what God wants and what God would do. And they are dangerous.

     They have a self-righteous view of themselves and are self-justifying—much like the Pharisees who opposed Jesus. Claiming to know God, they oppose all that is truly of God. They are practically impossible to deal with. In their own estimation – they are spiritually elite. Most are not “qualified” to correct them. Their wisdom is from beneath, but they are convinced it is from above.

     They take the Word of God and manipulate it for their own purposes—as though invoking God as their source of justification. They are detached from the Spirit of Life. Their knowledge has blinded them. Their water is poison, and all who drink from them will undoubtedly pay a price. Human reasoning about the letter of Scripture kills—just as the Pharisee with the Law, just as Adam and Eve died from eating from the Tree of Knowledge. Their offspring still choke to death on their own brains.

 

COME AND DRINK FREELY

     Why is it so hard to drink from the fountain of Jesus? It’s offered freely. All one must do is ask—and Jesus will give the water. Why is it so hard for people to ask for the wisdom from above? Why would anyone not desire to be a fountain that is consistently sweet, not bitter?

     The Holy Ghost is the gift of life—a river of living waters. He is the Father’s provision to bless you, to make you rich, and to make life pleasant. The wet waters of the Holy Spirit are the Father’s provision against the enemy who loves dry places.

     Why not bow before the Lord and ask Jesus for this water? All freedom or bondage is determined by the water you’re drinking. Today, a fountain of Living Water is free for the taking. Nothing can stop you but your own stubbornness.

 

     Isn’t it time for a sweet life?

 

THE ANSWER TO CULTURAL INSANITY

John 16:8

Jesus was eager to send the Holy Spirit. He told His disciples that it was necessary for Him to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come. Jesus declared, “…He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit has the power to work in this confused and amoral world. He convicts the world of sin, speaks to the lost about righteousness, and convinces the rebellious of impending judgment.

Men and women have no right to question or blame God for the societal collapse we see broadcast daily. This downfall is not the result of God’s absence but humanity’s rebellion against Him. Society has rejected every good thing God has desired for mankind. Yet, Jesus sent the only help we would ever need: the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is not just an answer to cultural destruction—He is the only answer. The Holy Spirit alone has the power to transform sinners.

Our generation’s moral and spiritual collapse is not due to the Holy Spirit’s failure but rather to a church that trusts in methods and men more than God’s power. Ministries often place greater confidence in their theatrics than in God’s anointing. Congregations demand messages centered on personal prosperity, self-empowerment, and material success, rather than the exaltation of Jesus and the proclamation of His Kingdom.

Rome was not much different from our present world, yet the Spirit-filled Church of the Upper Room brought the mighty Roman Empire to its knees. The Bible even declares that they “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6)!

Acts 2 records the moment when the Church received the promised Holy Spirit. One hundred twenty men and women were filled with the Holy Spirit. What did this mean? It meant they were filled with God Himself! They were not just filled with tongues; they were filled with God and spoke in tongues. They received the mind, life, power, love, desire, and ability of God. God became their very life.

Immediately, three thousand people cried, “What must we do to be saved?” Later, a prayer meeting became so powerful that the very house shook. In Acts 5, hypocrites fell dead at the altar. A deacon preached, and an entire city was saved. One preacher was sent to the desert to witness to one man, only to be supernaturally transported thirty-five miles away after fulfilling his mission. Another preacher walked down the street, and his shadow healed those it touched.

Peter recognized the Holy Spirit’s presence and their mutual dependence. When he was threatened and commanded to keep silent about Jesus, he boldly declared, “And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Sadly, many ministries today fail to recognize His presence. Though they may acknowledge His importance verbally, their actions reveal they prioritize ministry techniques over a deep relationship with Him. Many desire an experience with God more than intimacy with Him. They use the Holy Spirit as a means to an end—seeking His power but not His nearness. But power is not the same as intimacy. Stones have performed miracles. Lightning and hail have accomplished God’s work. Even donkeys have prophesied. Yet none of these had intimacy with God. Many may work miracles, but that is not necessarily a sign of divine approval. Jesus warned that on the day of judgment, many will claim to have performed miracles in His name, but He will say, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).

God is Looking for Spiritual Worship

When John baptized Jesus, the Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” At that point, Jesus had not healed a single person, performed a miracle, or gained fame. But He had lived in intimacy with the Father. His secret life of devotion and worship cultivated an astonishing relationship with God, bringing Him unspeakable delight.

Where do you want to be? Who do you want to see? Are you hungry for God? You must fight for this intimacy—it will not be handed to you. One wise man said, “He doesn’t hide from us; He hides for us!” Your destiny is shaped in the secret place. You must cultivate a passion for intimacy with God. For this very purpose, the Holy Spirit has been given! Jesus prophesied that He would enable us to become God’s intimate friends.

Denying the Power of God

Paul warned Timothy that in the last days, many would maintain a form of godliness while denying its power. Christianity without the Holy Spirit is mere religion—lifeless, man-centered, and powerless. It becomes a system designed for human comfort rather than divine transformation. This rejection of the Holy Spirit has birthed a counterfeit church, one that appears outwardly Christian but is filled with selfishness, rebellion, pleasure-seekers, gossipers, and unfaithful hearts.

Paul prophesied, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The English Standard Version calls this the Great Rebellion. Are we witnessing its fulfillment today? Could we be the very generation that Scripture warned about?

Young parents, you have been warned. Prophets have cried out to you. The seeds you plant today will bear fruit tomorrow. I pray they are good seeds. Yet, all evidence suggests that this is the generation spoken of by the prophets. Social engineers have infiltrated education, media, and entertainment, reshaping minds with their philosophies. Shockingly, George Barna reports that only 1% of preteen children in the United States have a biblical worldview. This is our nation’s greatest tragedy—greater than border crises, inflation, political corruption, or global instability. Our children are lost and do not know God, and their parents are doing nothing about it. Multitudes practice a form of Christianity that excludes the Holy Spirit. They have no friendship with Him.

So, dear reader, where do you stand? Are you part of the falling away, or are you a true disciple of Jesus?

Questions to Ponder:

• Is Jesus truly the Lord of your life? Does the Holy Spirit have authority over you?
• The spirit of the antichrist is already at work. Are you more influenced by it than by the Spirit of Christ?
• How is the Holy Spirit bringing conviction and transformation in your life?

Receive Him. He Has Come.

The Holy Spirit is the only hope for our lives, families, churches, and nations. When He is come, He will reprove this world. We cannot get along without Him. We need Him. The task is impossible for us. But He has confined Himself to operate through His Church; therefore, we, the Church, must receive Him.

Jesus prepared a body for the Holy Spirit to live in and function through. His Body is necessary. Through His Body, the Church, the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Body is for the Holy Spirit; sadly, multitudes of believers do not know this or don’t believe it. For many, the Church is a social function. It is a place to attend once a week to appease God of His demands. For many, it serves as a self-help meeting. It is optional. Therefore, our world is collapsing and does not fear God because the Body He has come to is just not that interested in His agenda. 

Anyone filled with the Holy Spirit will live an otherworldly, selfless life. They will live their life obsessed with Jesus. They will care about the Church. They will not forsake the Church. They will not see the Church as something they attend but a life they have been grafted into. They will live for the Church. They will serve the Church. They will love the Church. They will help all to thrive in the Holy Spirit. 

One hundred twenty people went into the upper room. One hundred twenty people did not come out. One Man came out. A New Man came out—a New Man with a new DNA. No man has ever existed on earth like this man till now. This man is the Church, and the Holy Spirit is the life, power, and personality of that Man. This Man is unstoppable. That Man turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). 

Wherever this Man went, devils gave way. Men and governments were humbled. The shadow of this Man healed the sick; He relieved the tormented; he delivered the oppressed; he raised the dead. Handkerchiefs were taken from His body and sent to the diseased and possessed; they were healed and delivered. He can still do this today. If we would abandon our planning and strategy meetings for prayer meetings, He could talk to us again. If we would seek Him rather than celebrity preachers, then lasting testimonies would abound, causing the hopeless to come and see what God is doing. 

You Will Not Regret His Friendship

Do you know what the Holy Spirit could do through you if you genuinely surrendered? He would make you a lover of God. He would turn your heart inside out and fill you with unspeakable joy and peace.

Let us believe and receive Him. We cannot wait for tomorrow—today is the day!

MAGNIFY THE LORD 

“… Thus says the Lord, your creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; ‘You are My witnesses,’ declares the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. ‘I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘And I am God. Even from eternity I am He; and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?’  Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. The people whom I formed for Myself, will declare My praise. Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; but you have become weary of Me, O Israel. ‘I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us argue our case together, state your cause, that you may be proved right. Your first forefather sinned, and your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.'” Isaiah 43: 1-5, 10-13, 18-19, 21-22, 25-27.

          A.W. Tozer said that the vibrant note of triumph is missing in our witness. A sad weeping Jesus offers us His quiet sympathy in our griefs and temptations, but He appears to be as helpless as we are when the pressure is on. We give Him our sympathy, but scarcely our confidence. The helpless Christ of the crucifix and the vacuous (mindless)-countenanced Christ that looks out in sweet innocence from the walls of our evangelical homes is all one and the same. The Catholics rescue Him by bringing a Queen of Heaven to His aid. But we Protestants have no helper. So, we sing pop choruses to cheer our drooping spirits and hold panel discussions in the plaintive hope that someone will come up with the answer to our scarce-spoken complaint.

            Faith is the great principle of life. All men live by faith; the only difference is the object of their faith. The natural man has faith in the natural, the things he can see, touch, and follow logically. He has faith in a chair because logical experience tells him that it is worthy of his trust. He does not walk around with his eyes shut. He has faith that if he opens his eyes, he will see. His amazement would be if he didn’t see! The spiritual man has faith in the spiritual. These are elements he cannot see, though he believes they are. These elements also defy the logic of the natural order, operating in a law absolutely unique from the physical world. 

            A phenomenon of spiritual awareness has broken out upon our globe, launching our world into an unprecedented spiritual revival. From science to medical treatments and religion to political influences, the evidence of faith in the spiritual realm has taken a firm hold on our generation’s psyche. A growing number of people believe that certain entities exist in another realm or dimension. Furthermore, many think these entities can be contacted through new-age techniques and that this higher order of intelligence will be able to guide us and protect us in our personal lives as well as globally. Therefore, an explosion of occultist religions has excelled in the general public as well as in churches once considered conservatively Christian! These occultist religions are hiding behind the guise of science, technology, and advanced intelligence.

          Contrary to the natural and the spiritual, the godly man has faith in God. By God, he lives and moves and has his being. This faith is not proportional to doctrine, for many from the “Spiritual faith” would claim a similar belief, but this faith is proportional to intimacy. If Moses had challenged Egypt with a theology of God, Pharaoh’s magicians would have embarrassed him. Godly faith requires no sign of strength; it is the evidence of things not seen. He knows God, and by that alone, his faith is confident. The performances of God do not strengthen our faith, or Judas would have been a giant of faith and all Israel would have become believers after seeing so many miracles. It is our knowledge of God and His Word that gives strength to our faith. Faith grows as our knowledge of God grows. The more we know Him, the more we believe Him!

Many people struggle with faith. For them, it is a fleeting feeling that struggles for existence. But faith is only as strong as the object it believes in. Many are wounded because their faith is not in God but in His things. Also, followers of the occult are often discouraged because this form of spirituality has reality but not omnipotence.

Therefore, in referencing A.W.Tozer’s thoughts on the distorted Christ that many seem to behold today, our God and Lord Jesus is both omnipotent and immutable. We must not bow to the distorted Christ, who is presented as weak and accommodating. He is the King. He is the power. He is worthy of our trust and worship. He is not helpless to help you. When the pressure is on, He is the power that keeps you from imploding. He has held you together, sustained your faith, and kept your feet from slipping. No intelligence will rival His omniscience. No creation derived from the created creature will challenge the Creator of all things. No occultic religion or deception will win the day. Jesus has triumphed and will triumph. His kingdom is everlasting. And for all who put their faith in the Christ of God, listen to Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.       

           For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39).

            A living faith in the Living God is the key to life! Without living faith, we are reduced to mere naturalism. One man of faith is more helpful than a thousand faithless volunteers. I think any one of us would rather the assistance of a Moses than a hundred Aaron’s.   A living faith upsets the whole life. Faith in the Living Christ will command all or have nothing to do with you! This faith yields to no experience; are you the man of God or not? This faith is not found in the showman who keeps an escape route. Godly faith defies the obstacles, laughs at devils, and triumphantly lives before death! It cries, “Let God be true and all men liars!”

            Faith is the witness of God. The man of faith knows and believes in the God that stops the mouths of lions, quenches the fire, calls fire down from heaven, and receives the dead raised back to life! The man of faith expects God because he knows God. Expectation has always been present in the church in the times of her greatest power. Every great movement of God in history, every unusual advance in the church, and every revival has been preceded by a sense of keen anticipation. Let us live with a fiery spirit of anticipation that springs out of the promises of God. You do not serve a timid Savior; therefore, don’t be a timid believer. Jesus does not give you the spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power. Let us declare war on the mood of nonexpectation, for those who know their God will do mighty exploits! Our God is on the move, move with Him. This is the hour. Today is the day. Now is the time.

WORSHIP CHANGES US 

 

Our world is in trouble. Are we surprised? This is the sad part; we are not surprised. We do not blush at the atrocities happening before our eyes. We sound shocked, but we are not. The peril has woven itself into every fiber of society: educational, social, spiritual, technological, and even medical.  

Our young people are lost, and the old people don’t seem to care. There is a new breed of orphans today. Children are not growing up without a parent; they are growing up with parents with no heart for their children. Of course, these parents would say they love their kids; they would even be able to point to examples of love and sacrifice; however, there is no heart to bring their children up in the fear of the Lord, no courage to discipline their children to be emotionally strong, and no endurance to be consistent in their walk with the Lord.  

It is difficult today to find evidence of faith in many Christian homes. Well did Proverbs say that the foolish woman tears down her house. This neglect is well mentioned in the scriptures as a great offense to God. It is a great responsibility to have children and bring them up in such a way that they contribute to God’s Kingdom. Children are being taught and influenced by social media, not god-fearing parents who are protecting them from the wrath of God. The common plague of “lostness” is of global proportions.  

Is there any solution, any hope? Will help come to us? If so, how? From where? To recover this imploding culture, we must understand how we got here. To change the problem, we must realize the cause. Was it hard to end up here? Will it be hard to reverse the corruption? I do not claim to be a social reconstructionist. I am not clever. I am a believer. History has observed the miraculous intervention of God in societies gone dark. In a moment, God’s Spirit broke upon cultures, institutions, and nations, bringing a remarkable transformation that history called “Awakening.”   

 

WHAT ARE WE WORSHIPPING 

 

I am fully convinced that “Christians” have lost their worship. The average believer would not be able to define true worship. Rarely will you observe Christian gatherings resembling the worship in heaven. Israel was more moved and passionate in her worship of God than most churches are today. Christians are unaware of God. They find it impossible to spend quality time with God, much less being quiet and hearing Him speak.  

Believers need to be taught of the Spirit again. We have spent too much time listening to YouTube preachers rather than our shepherds. We have spent too much time listening to worship music rather than worshipping. We read too many books and need to return to the Book. We love to talk to people about God, but where are the men talking to God? Our altars are barren because most people are completely unaware of God and His Magnificence! The reason churches don’t have altar services is because no one is aware of God. Let true worship occur, let God’s glory manifest in the meeting, and you will see grown men falling before the glory of God.   

It is not a lack of worship today. Worship is more popular than ever. The problem is the inappropriate worship of God. When man refuses to worship the God Who Is, the only result is for man to create a god in his own image and likeness. From here, the disastrous plague of destruction is underway. Exalting God to His lofty place in our hearts is the means of recovering the culture.  

I’ll say it again and again until someone hears me: sadly, multitudes of Christians will live their whole life on earth without once having had a life-changing moment of worship in the presence of God. Few have sat beneath His creation to consider the power of the Godhead or contemplated the significance of man that would bring God from His holy celestial throne to redeem and rescue such ungrateful creatures. Our lack of regard for the God who made us has come at a steep price, and today, we are witnessing it in real-time – the absolute collapse of our society. If a man does not worship God, he is broken; his world is broken! 

 

HUMANS ARE BEING DECEIVED 

 

Bear with me for a moment while I develop a thought. The tragedy of humans is the sport of devils. Jesus came to put an end to their abuse. Jesus’ battle is not with humans but with devils, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Jesus is determined to destroy the abuse and lies the devils have inflicted upon those He loves.  

Look at this KINGDOM OF DARKNESS – this world of chaos and tragedy, this howling wilderness of demons and devils, of sin and rebellion, bondage, addictions, and cruel masters. However, many willingly subject themselves to this system of destruction; they live as slaves to pain and slaves to abuse. They throw themselves back into the arena for more abuse from the darkness of demons. For a small moment of pleasure, they gladly worship the devil’s lies and spend their lives in more devastation, more horror.   

Therefore, I must make a correction: man does know how to worship. He devotes his life to these dark vanities to pursue a moment of gratifying pleasure. He subjects himself to the same insane behavior, hoping something will change, rather than subjecting himself to God. Yes, man is a worshipper; he knows how to worship, which comes naturally to him. He simply does not want to worship God.  

All men worship what they put their faith in. You can observe a man’s faith. Men can claim to believe anything; however, faith is so much more than a claim; it is a demonstration. Recently, I asked our students after Thanksgiving, “How many of you intentionally took your mother in your arms, hugged her, and told her, ‘Thank you for preparing such a delicious meal for our family. Thank you for making everything so beautiful.’” Not one student admitted to doing that. However, when I asked them, “How many of you believe you should have done that?” Everyone responded that they believed it should have been done.  

You see, there is a difference between belief and faith. Both are important. Many confess to believing in Jesus, but the evidence of their faith in Jesus is miniscule at best. If someone was observing your life, would there be enough evidence to convince them that you love Jesus? The evidence of your faith is not that you go to church; many unbelievers go to church. The evidence of your faith is not that you are a Christian; many religious people are Christians. The evidence of your faith is not that you live a moral life; many people in other religions live moral lives. What is the evidence of your faith in Jesus?  

If a man saw a trace of gold in the mountain stream, he would believe there was gold in the mountain. Now, his faith would go to work. Having evidence of the gold, he would then begin to make sacrifices to claim the riches that are in the mountain. He has not seen these riches, but faith tells him the gold is there. He sells all he has. He purchases equipment, deeds, and permits to mine the mountain for the gold he believes is there.   

Look what faith did to Noah; by faith, Noah, being warned by God of things not seen yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to save his house, by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness by faith. Do you think there was evidence of faith in his belief in God? Absolutely, it was a boat big enough to carry the world’s animals.  

If you have faith in God, there will be evidence of that faith in your worship. You will make sacrifices, selling all you have to possess the treasure you believe is in Jesus. This is worship. This will turn absentee fathers back to their children and recover a generation spoiled by demons. These worshippers will not let the church become a museum; they will keep it a place of fire and miracles, demonstrating passion and pursuit for the God they believe is there.    

I believe it was A.W. Tozer who said that in the olden days, men of faith were said to “walk in the fear of God” and to “serve the Lord with fear.”  However intimate their communion with God, however bold their prayers, at the base of their religious life was the conception of God as excellent and dreadful. This idea of God’s transcendence runs through the whole Bible and gives color and tone to the character of the saints. This fear of God was more than a natural apprehension of danger; it was a nonrational dread, an acute feeling of personal insufficiency in the presence of God the Almighty.  

Wherever God appeared to men in Bible times, the results were the same – an overwhelming sense of terror and dismay, a wrenching sensation of sinfulness and guilt. When God spoke, Abram stretched himself upon the ground to listen. When Moses saw the Lord in the burning bush, he hid his face in fear to look upon God. Isaiah’s vision of God wrung from him the cry, “Woe is me!”  and the confession, “I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” 

When we come into this sweet relationship, we are beginning to learn astonished reverence, breathless adoration, awesome fascination, lofty admiration of the attributes of God, and something of the breathless silence that we know when God is near. 

 

WORSHIP CHANGES US 

 

You cannot worship God and then go back to life as usual. It is a mystery to me how anyone can claim to be a Christian, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and yet be satisfied with a low-level existence.  

Christian people like the idea of God. They like the idea of heaven. But the moment this God begins to make demands or threatens to turn their world upside-down, they become highly unnerved by the audacity of God to be so demanding.  

The attitude that is attributed to our society’s social rot comes from the home of parents who are not protecting their children from the wrath of God. They are offended by a God who requires something of them. They were sold a bill of goods from modern evangelism that all you must do is repeat a prayer, and your life will be grand. So, these Christian parents today don’t understand God or His worship. Instead, they would suggest to God, “Just let me say a sinner’s prayer and then take me to heaven when I die; is that not enough for you, Jesus?” They are not about to take their cues from an ancient book; instead, they suggest that social engineers will tell us how to raise our children; we don’t need some archaic advice from the Bible! And so, the 

social construct decays into the darkness of Satan’s plan. And the people cry from the darkness, “God, if you are love, how can you be so cruel and unloving? Don’t you see us suffering over here?” When will it change? When we begin to see God by the Spirit, believe God by the Word, and follow God by His grace! If we do not worship God as He prescribes, we will worship something so sinister and dark that we will be afraid to go out in the daylight. If we worship God in His Spirit and by our spirit, worship Him in Truth, we will no longer be afraid of the dark, for we shall be awake, and God will give us light. According to Paul, in Ephesians 5, this light will reprove the unfruitful works of darkness. How long will it take before “Christians” wake up and rescue a society suffering in the dark?  

HOLY THOUGHTS AT CHRISTMAS TIME 

 

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” – Paul, 1 Timothy 3:16. 

God is not going to fit into our test tubes. He is not going to be understood by our logic. He is transcendent. He is made of nothing, for He is not made. He exists! He has always existed. He will always exist. He exists now as He has always existed: omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent! He has never changed. He will never change. He was Almighty, He is Almighty, He will be Almighty. He is “I Am.”  

He owes nothing to anyone. He is not obligated to answer any question or suffer the rebellion of a rogue creation. Being merciful, He is always generous and gracious. He is always redemptive, even at the expense of His own suffering. He is the most complicated being in the universe, but He is the most simple. His essence is revealed and manifest, not in the science lab or the schools of higher learning, but in the hearts of men and women of faith.   

How sad that multitudes of Christians will live their whole life on earth without once having had a life-changing moment of worship in the presence of God. Few have sat beneath His creation to consider the power of the Godhead or contemplated the significance of man, causing God to leave His holy celestial throne to redeem and rescue such an ungrateful creature. Our lack of regard for the God who made us has come at a steep price, and today, we are witnessing it in real time – the absolute collapse of our society. 

We trifle with such unspectacular playthings when the Spectacular is all around us being revealed and disclosed. We are so occupied with reaching the stars that we don’t see the One who made the stars. We are so obsessed with green energy that we have robbed ourselves of the energy and power that created everything. We are occupied with building a better telescope to discover something about the dirt on Mars when the incomprehensible, unfathomable, self-existent One is waiting for us to believe that He is. Yes, send your telescopes into space, but not to examine dirt – discover the Creator. Stand in awe of His power.   

God is everything and man is nothing. Our insistence in changing the incorruptible God into the likeness of corruptible man is to lose all light, all understanding, and all hope. It is catastrophic when we indulge ourselves in the false worship of God: we trade light for darkness, we lose the Voice of moral clarity, and we redefine the reason for our existence. Through false worship, we change God, not actually, but in our minds and our worship. We change His truth to suit our desires. Eventually, we have a god in our image and create worship that pleases us.   

It is insane for men to change the image of God in their worship. They do this to their own demise. Man is but the echo of the original Voice. Take the Voice away, and we have nothing to say. Man is but a reflection of the uncreated Light. If we lose the light, we can no longer see. God is everything. Man is anything at all because of God. God is the cause. Without God, man is not. Without man, God is. He is unchanged, undiminished, completely perfect.  

Man is nothing without God. Jesus said without me, you can do nothing. Everything we have is borrowed, from the air we breathe to the intellect we boast of. For all his genius, man is but an echo of the original Voice, a reflection of the uncreated Light. 

This God came to us. We sat in darkness, and the light arrived. Finally, we could see. It is time to look upon Him.  

 

JESUS IS GLORY  

 

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” John 1:14. 

Jesus Christ is the final exegesis of all truth. He is all that we need to know about God, and He is all that we need to know about man. He is the appointed heir of all things. He is the final and all-inclusive Word of the Father. Begotten not made. Incarnate but not incapacitated. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He is the BRIGHTNESS OF THE FATHER’S GLORY but not excelling the Father and not more than the Spirit. He is the EXPRESS IMAGE of the PERSON of God.  

A number of prominent literary men were assembled in a clubroom in London one day a number of years ago. The conversation veered to a discussion of some of the illustrious figures of the past, and one of the company suddenly asked: “Gentlemen, what would we do if Milton were to enter this room?”   

“Ah,” replied one of the circle, “we would give him such an ovation as might compensate for the tardy recognition accorded him by the men of his own day.” 

“And if Shakespeare entered?”  asked another. “We would arise and crown him master of song,” was the answer.   

“And if Jesus Christ were to enter?”  asked another. “I think,” said Charles Lamb amid an intense silence, “we would all fall on our faces.” – King’s business. 

 

JESUS IS TRANSCENDENT 

 

Jesus is transcendent, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit, for God is One. He is the expressed image of the Father. This means He is beyond and above the range of exceptional and supernatural. He is the Great Existence, existing apart from and not subject to anything else and deriving His essence from no one, nowhere, at no time, existing apart from time, space, and matter. He is, therefore, Immanent, meaning He is pervading and sustaining the universe but not sustained by it.  

He is Surpassing – not just above, not just beyond, but ultimately other. Indescribable, incomparable. Unlike anything. Unrivaled. Unchallenged. Unshaken. To whom will you liken me? To whom will you make me equal? No one, Lord. There is none like you. You are incomparable, incomparable in glory, in nature, in power.  

 

 

JESUS IS MAN, AND GOD REVEALED 

 

Jesus is man in perfection – God in humility. He was in the beginning – God. He is now God. He will forevermore be – God. He was in the past, man. He is now – man. He shall forevermore be – man. He is no more than His Father. He is no less than the Holy Spirit. Though incarnate as man, Jesus is eternally God, equal, co-existing with the Father and the Spirit.  

He was perfect in a fallen world. He was pure in an impure world. He was meek in a harsh and quarrelsome world. He was last when everyone else wanted to be first. He served when everyone else wanted to be served. He sought only God’s will when everyone else sought their own will. He laid His life down when everyone else was trying to save theirs.  

God could look upon all the men of all the generations, and only in that ONE MAN could God see His perfect reflection! Jesus was God walking among men. Jesus was the man acting like God amid men who act like the devil. Here was a man who is equal with the Father in terms of His substance, His eternity, His love, His power, His grace, His goodness, and all other attributes of deity!  

Jesus is not a passing fade. He is not a fairy tale. Jesus is the center of all history. He is the image of the invisible God. He is the Son of Man. To be stunned by Jesus is to be stunned by God.  

 

One Solitary Life 

 

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was 30, and then for three years he was an itinerant teacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the power of his divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying – his coat. When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.   

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone. Today, he is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the Progress column. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life. 

 

JESUS IS LOVE DISPLAYED 

 

What is God like? What kind of God is He? What would it be like to behold a being Who is uncreated, unfathomable, and unsearchable? Who could stand in His presence? What would seeing Him do to us? What would we say? What would we do? We would worship! We would fall on our faces and rejoice with unspeakable joy and glory. Well, those closest to Him fell in love with Him. He embraced them as friends, as brothers and sisters. They adored Him. They gave Him their lives. The children enjoyed Him and sought His presence. The sinners found hope in Him. 

Jesus is love. His love is captivating and astounding. He gripped the hearts of people from all walks of life. Since His arrival on earth, multitudes have flocked to Him. 

From every race, people, tribe, and tongue, they have surrendered their hearts to Him. They gave Him their lives, their hearts, and their worship. They forsook fortunes and fame. Great men and women followed Jesus, men and women who changed history and sired nations. They were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  

Supposedly, Napoleon Bonaparte said of Jesus, I see in Lycurgus, Muna, Mohammed only legislators who, having the first rank in the state, sought the best solution of the social problem, but I see nothing there which reveals divinity. On the contrary, there are numerous resemblances between them and myself, foibles and errors which ally them to me and to humanity.   

Everything in Christ astonishes me. His spirit overawes me, and his will confounds me. Between him and others in the world there is no possible term of comparison. He is truly a being by himself. The truths which he announced, his manner of convincing, are not explained either by human organization or by the nature of things. His birth and the history of his life, the profundity of his doctrine, which grapples the mightiest difficulties, and which is, of these difficulties, the most admirable solution, his gospel … his empire, his march across the ages … is for me a prodigy, a mystery insoluble, which plunges me into a reverence which I cannot escape … a mystery which I can neither deny or explain.   

Here, I see nothing human. His religion is a revelation from an intelligence that certainly is not that of man. There is a profound originality which has created a series of words and maxims before the unknown. Jesus borrowed nothing from our sciences. One can find nowhere but in him alone, such a life as his … I know men, and I tell you that Jesus is not a man. Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is a difference between Christianity and whatever other religions: the distance of infinity. … I search in vain in history to find the equal of Jesus Christ.” 

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He created all things; all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself. And all of us, who deserted, appalled, and devastated God, who were alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present us holy, and blameless, and ABOVE REPROACH in HIS SIGHT – WOW! 

By Him and through Him, I no longer belong to a race of dead and wicked men. Through His blood, I have been adopted into the family of God. Because He lives in me, I am holy, justified, and glorified. By His power and presence in my life, I can now live to the pleasure of the Father. But it is not I; it is Christ who lives in me.    

Make no mistake, only Jesus has and forever will please the Father. The whole of Christ is given to us to enjoy. His wisdom is our direction, His knowledge our instruction, His power our protection, His justice our surety, His love our comfort, and His mercy our solace. He holds back nothing from us – “Everything is ours!” 

I could never adequately nor comprehensively describe all that Jesus is and has  

done. I know I am forever grateful for His endless pursuit of me. I am beyond composure when I consider the day I see Him for the first time and feel His embrace. He alone became the hope for the human race. In Him, the Father found the man He forever desired. In Him, I have found the God who is altogether lovely and worthy.   

Thank you, Jesus, my Lord, my love, my life. Forgive me for the shallowness of my presentation of Your supreme greatness. I long to learn you more as I sit, by the Spirit, at Your feet. My heart wants only to magnify how wonderful and transcendent you are. Often, Your Apostles grieved You, but You did not tell them of the hurt. I shudder to think of the many times my ignorance has wounded You.   

You answered their sins and ignorance without condemnation but with unfailing infinite kindness and love. Patiently, You would repeat Your lessons until, little by little; the tuition bore fruit. I pray the same. Teach me about Yourself, for You alone are truth and life!

NOVEMBER 2024 

Two of our members have written a remarkable truth for our Church. Both Michelle Vallet and Karina Allen have presented a very encouraging article for us to enjoy and grow from this month. Thank you both for these wonderful and inspirational testimonies. 

 

YOU ARE DEAD: BY MICHELLE VALLET 

 

“You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3 
“The double jeopardy clause holds that once an accused person has been acquitted, or punished for a particular crime, they cannot be prosecuted or punished again for the same crime…” 
You will not know peace until you know you died. Your sins will always seem like a contradiction to your faith, making you feel like you are a hypocrite, until you reckon yourself dead indeed to sin and alive to God, you will stagger under guilt until you know, “It is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me!” The devil will use your failures and make your mind his playground until you believe, “I have been crucified with Christ! Nevertheless, I live, yet NOT I, but Christ in me.” 
You can’t hurt a dead man! Can’t condemn one that has already died! Can’t make one pay for a crime they were already crucified for! 
I died!  My crimes were already punished! My death was swallowed up in victory with Jesus! 
The pressure is off! Burden be lifted, pressure to perform and be perfect, be loosed! Being crucified with Christ does not mean you died, so knowing that, you should agree to live perfectly! Knowing you are crucified does not bring more pressure to be perfect, but rather a liberation that my imperfections were already condemned. So, my focus is not on my imperfection but on my perfection, who is JESUS! It means you died, so you are free! There is no judgment now, no condemnation! It is already done; you can look at Jesus and live! 

 

THE POWER OF GOD DISPLAYED THROUGH THE GOSPEL: BY KARINA ALLEN 

 

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you likely know what the gospel is. It’s the Good News of what Jesus has done for humanity. You understand that through it, we are restored to a relationship with God. Many of us can point to the moment we believed in our hearts and confessed that Jesus is Lord. His kindness led us to repentance, and His grace opened our eyes to the truth. Salvation, redemption, forgiveness, healing, and freedom  

became ours. We were transferred from darkness into light. Once orphans, we are now children of God. Once enemies, we are now His friends. THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS! 

At my church, the gospel is preached consistently and powerfully. But in the past couple of years, God has called us to more — not just as individuals but as a unified body. Our youth pastors sparked a fire by teaching a simple tool called the 3 Circles, used by the North American Mission Board, to equip our young people to share the gospel. This training ignited a passion in them to step out in faith and evangelize in our city. 

One Sunday, our entire congregation felt led to take the gospel beyond the church walls. We went into the neighborhood, knocking on doors, praying for people, and sharing the message of Jesus. This wasn’t just an outreach; it was an anointed movement of God. We felt His power flowing through us as we stepped into His calling to make disciples. 

This past August, we embraced another shift, moving our prayer service to Wednesday nights and using Sunday afternoons for city outreach. We all received the same gospel training, and for three weeks straight, we went out to share the gospel in our community. At the same time, others remained in the church, interceding in worship and prayer for those evangelizing and the people they would encounter. It was a beautiful picture of unity — young and old, new believers and seasoned saints, people of every race, coming together with one mission. 

The testimonies that followed were nothing short of awe-inspiring. People accepted Christ, recommitted their lives, experienced answered prayers, and witnessed God’s provision. The book of Acts came alive in our midst, and we knew that what God was doing in our church wasn’t just for us— it was for the world around us. 

Acts 2:1-4 describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Our gatherings have always reflected this, but in August, there was a fresh anointing, a greater grace to carry the gospel. God poured out His Spirit in new ways, filling us with boldness, courage, joy, and expectation. That faith became fuel as we took the gospel into a city filled with darkness. 

Yet, if we’re honest, the Great Commission is often neglected. Fear of rejection, feeling unqualified, or simply focusing too much on our own lives can hold us back. Sometimes we lack compassion for the lost. But God is calling us higher. He’s stirring hearts, breaking chains, and inviting us into the incredible work of sharing His love with a broken world. 

At my church, we’ve also seen God move mightily at Louisiana State University, where students have encountered His power, love, and grace. Many have come to Christ, been healed, delivered, and baptized. But let me be clear—my church isn’t special. We were just obedient. God gave us a deep love for the lost, and we stepped into the calling to be salt and light, to give an account of the hope we have. 

We’re all called to this. As a royal priesthood, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, let us grow in our passion for those who don’t yet know Him. People are desperate for something to fill their emptiness. They are waiting for someone to declare the Good News of Christ boldly. And that someone could be you. 

So, I encourage you to take that step of faith. Share the gospel where God is calling you. The same Spirit that moved in Acts is alive in you. Let’s celebrate the testimonies of lives transformed and pray for even more opportunities to be His hands and feet.  

Where can you share the gospel today? Let’s do this together! 

JESUS … TRANSCENDENT 

 

Jesus is transcendent, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit, for God is One. He is the expressed image of the Father. This means He is beyond and above the range of exceptional and supernatural. Existing. He is the Great Existence, existing apart from, and not subject to, anything else and deriving His essence from no one, nowhere, at no time. Existing apart from time, space, and matter. He is, therefore, immanent, meaning He is pervading and sustaining the universe but not sustained by it.  

 

He is Surpassing – not just above, not just beyond, but ultimately other. Indescribable, incomparable. Unlike anything. Unrivaled. Unchallenged. Unshaken.  

 

To whom will you liken me? To whom will you make me equal? No one, Lord. There is none like you. You are incomparable, incomparable in glory, in nature, in power.  

 

Jesus is better! 

Better than the prophets. 

Better than the angels. 

Better than Moses. 

He has a better Glory. 

He has a better Covenant. 

He has a better freedom. 

He has a better deliverance. 

He has a better Rest. 

He has a better Hope. 

He has a better peace. 

He has a better life. 

He has a better sabbath. 

He has a better way. 

He has a better ministry. 

 

His blood is better than Abel’s. 

His blood is better than spotless lambs, bulls, and goats. 

 

He has a better anointing. 

He has better promises. 

He has a better future. 

He has a better inheritance. 

He has a better blessing. 

He has a better glory. 

He is a better way. 

He is a better Apostle. 

He is a better High Priest. 

He is better than David. 

He is better than Aaron. 

He is better than Abraham. 

He is better than Melchizedek. 

 

Jesus is not just a good character in the Bible; He is the centerpiece, the focus, the fulfillment of all Scriptures. He is the answer to the Father’s redemptive plan. He is the provision for all humanity and history’s recovery. He is the Savior. The volume of the Book is all about Him. From Moses, through the law and prophets, it is Jesus! He is everywhere. He is high noon, the sun shining on a cloudless day. He is not another prophet; He is THE Prophet. He is not another king; He is THE King. He is not another priest; He is THE Priest. He is not just a good example; He is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. He is not a figure, not a son of Adam, but the Son of Man, the Son of God – The Word made Flesh!  

 

From Him, by Him, and through Him, the broken are healed, the corrupt are made holy, the fallen are restored, the lost are found, and the dead are made alive. 

 

FROM HIM, we have hope, a future, good news, and life.  

BY HIM, we have redemption, peace with God, and victory over Satan. 

THROUGH HIM, we have holiness, righteousness, glory, and sanctification. 

 

Jesus Christ Himself is the final exegesis of all truth. He is all that we need to know about God, and He is all that we need to know about man. Jesus – One with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped after; but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity] so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that HE became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! (Phil 2:6-8). 

 

Jesus is man in perfection – God in humility. He was in the beginning – God. He is now – God. He will forevermore be – God. He was in the past – man. He is now – man. He shall forevermore be – man. He is no more than His Father. He is no less than the Holy Spirit. Though incarnate as man, He is eternally God. Equal, co-existing with the Father and with the Spirit. He was perfect in a fallen world. He was pure in an impure world. He was meek in a harsh and quarrelsome world. He was last when everyone else wanted to be first. He served when everyone else wanted to be served. He sought only God’s will when everyone else sought their own will. He laid His life down when everyone else was trying to save theirs. God could look upon all the men, and only in that ONE MAN could God see His perfect reflection! 

WHY DO I HAVE TO BE BAD? THE REAL PROBLEM WITH HYPOCRITES 

 

Nobody likes the hypocrite. But who is the hypocrite? Can you claim that you are not the hypocrite? A hypocrite is someone acting like they are someone else. They are performing, pretending to be something they are not. So again, can you claim that you are not the hypocrite? Can you point at another and rebuke them for hypocrisy because you have no hypocrisy? Would that not be the epitome of hypocrisy, to point at another as being corrupted and bad while you claim to be moral and good?   

Jesus rebuked men for their hypocrisy; therefore, we must deal with the problem of hypocrisy. The Pharisee who went to pray and the prodigal’s elder brother are very similar: They considered themselves morally pure and righteous. Because they made a good show in the flesh, they felt entitled. They were self-righteous and, therefore, considered themselves privileged and elite.  

Jesus said the Pharisee prayed this way: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12).  

Jesus pointed out that the Pharisee prayed with himself! Very interesting! As though he is not even talking to God. Similarly, the prodigal’s elder brother commented about himself, “… these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf” (Luke 15:29-30).  

There is no way you will convince the Pharisee or the prodigal’s brother that they are bad, morally corrupt. These kinds of hypocrites have no problem condemning the guilty. They have no hesitation in pointing out how unworthy and awful other people are. They even do it perched on self-made pedestals in front of God!  

The hypocrisy is damnable! You will never convince the prodigal’s elder brother that he needs to humble himself, repent, and acknowledge deep and evil corruption. No way! He is convinced he is religious, good, and faithful. This epitomizes hypocrisy; the Pharisee and the prodigal’s brother are trapped inside an act they cannot escape.  

 

HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH 

 

Churches today are filled with Pharisees who believe they are better than others. Multitudes of sinners are made to feel they are the true hypocrites by the thundering accusations and holy indignation of the people acting like the prodigal’s elder brother. For too long, the publicans, humbled and broken by their sin, crying out for mercy, have been made to feel like they are actually hypocrites because of their failures and unfaithfulness. But Jesus said the publican left justified with God, not the self-righteous Pharisee.  

Many humble and God-fearing people admit to struggling with sin and temptation. They are made to feel like hypocrites, like unworthy sons. They live in fear of being near people, and their feeling of hypocrisy comes when they feel they must pretend to be much “holier” than they are.  

True hypocrites are those who are aware of the sinners around them but unaware that they are just as evil. They do not see themselves. They are actors lost in a role. They are not spiritually alert. They are not intimate with God.  

The dangerous hypocrite is the good religious person who puts others down to make himself okay. It is difficult for the good man (the Pharisee) to admit his depravity. This can be the minister, deacons, church workers, or all those considered blameless. However, God wants us to come to true brokenness and self-despair so that we might know the immediate and joyful cleansing of the Holy Blood of Jesus. 

 

BLIND HYPOCRITES 

 

Many don’t realize they are the Pharisee in the story. Very few see themselves as the publican or the prodigal. To examine our hearts, let us return to Jesus’ evaluation of the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee said, “I thank thee, that I am not as other men.”  

How can he “thank God” that he is not like other men when God says no one is good? He is making God a liar. John said, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). Then he spouts off a list of sins to demonstrate his innocence: extortion, injustice, adultery.   

This type of hypocrisy happens all the time around church people. They take pride that they have not sinned like … sinners! To this day, they make these claims like the Pharisee: “I have not committed adultery. I have not murdered anyone; therefore, I am better than others, undoubtedly better than them!” And just like the Pharisees, they quickly thank God for their self-righteous goodness by saying, “But for the grace of God, that would be me.” Wait! That is you!  

The Pharisee believed his innocence and ascribed it as a unique token from God, “I thank you …” The Pharisee didn’t need mercy. He didn’t need an altar. However, he has as much hate and murder inside of him as Barabbas. But you will never see him on an altar, like the publican, honoring the God of mercy. Even though God accounts the look of lust as adultery or the anger in one’s heart as murder, these hypocrites will continue to think they are superior to the sinners.   

The hypocrite honestly thinks, “These things may be true of others but not of me.” Every time one declares their own righteousness and puts others down, they are being hypocritical.  

Every GOSSIPER and SLANDERER acts like the Pharisee when they point to sinners and say, “God, thank you; I am not like them.” The hypocrite rejoices that others are at the altar; they are glad that God is dealing with them and that they are finally making things right in their hearts with God—but they don’t need it. They have no desperate need for mercy. They never weep and cry before God.   

Like the Pharisee, hypocrites disdain the cold, hardened condition of the times. They lament the compromise but do not see that they do little to worship God and usher in His presence, which alone can give holiness, grace, and rest. Hypocrites are not spiritually fresh but conceal their barren souls through discipline and devotion. Their hearts are far from God, but like the Pharisee, they are always in the right place.   

When did you last bow to God, unable to lift your head? If you feel innocent and have no need of mercy, it is not because you are without sin but because you refuse to see yourself. You have been living in a realm of illusion about yourself. 

 

NO MORE PRETENDING  

 

For a moment, consider the man who has had enough of the acting. He is done with the games and is ready to be honest with God. He knows himself to be a sinner; pretending he is not would be useless. He agrees with God in act of confession and need, declaring, “I am everything God says I am; what God says about me is woefully accurate.” He is now a believer. By faith, he is coming out of his hypocrisy and into freedom. He is going to be justified by God.   

In reverence and revelation, he will not even look up to God. Confident in God, he humbly approaches God’s throne of grace, smites himself in disgust and cries to God for mercy. “God be merciful to me a sinner.”   

Look at this sinner’s faith and reliance upon God. He admits he is a sinner and is crying for mercy. Why? Because he believed God would be merciful. The publican pointed to the sacrifice on the altar, believing that God would justify him. Whereas the Pharisee does not feel the need for mercy, the publican is crying for it!  

Going to God for mercy does not disappoint Jesus; it honors Him and His atoning death.  

At their worst moment, the prodigal and the publican still had hope. Perhaps you are a mess. Maybe you feel disgusted for your failures and sins. You have hit rock bottom. Then run to God for mercy. Don’t run away from Him, and don’t pretend that you do not need mercy. Take yourself to God and believe He will save you.  

 

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE 

 

You might feel like you are living in hell right now and suffering from your own choices. But wherever you are – there is hope. Hope because you can go to God. You can go home. You can pour the bottle down the sink. You can get up. You can run out. The Father will receive you.  

The story of God’s gospel of grace is beautiful. It is a message of good news to those who have fallen, those who cannot save themselves, and those who recognize their need for God’s mercy.  

If you are going to go to heaven, then you must be bad! Bad people go to heaven. Bad people get mercy. The person who cannot be bad cannot be saved. Why must I be bad? Why do I have to acknowledge this? Why can’t I be good? Because I am bad. God says I am bad, and if I insist that I am good, then I make God a liar.   

Through God’s mercy, you can be different, you can become new, you can become somebody else, and you don’t have to be this person anymore. All you must do is cry and ask for mercy. God is no respecter of persons. He will justify you. Pull the mask off and appear before God. Stop acting; come just as you are. No longer play the hypocrite and pretend to be better than you really are. Instead, let God justify you and let His grace perfect the life of Jesus in you. No more pointing the finger at those “sinners.” No more gossiping. No more slandering. Instead, compel the pretenders to be honest with God about who they are, so that they, too, can be free and justified. 

REDEEMED INTO DESTINY 

PT 2 

 

IF GOD DOES NOT FORSAKE, SHOULD WE? 

 

God will not abandon the destiny He has chosen for you. If you believe Him, He can bring it to pass. Actually, in the fields of redemption, God has planned an even greater destiny for you. God will get you past the sin, past the shame, past the condemnation. What greater words could Jesus have chosen when He said, “I did not come to condemn you” (John 3:17)? How beautiful. Condemnation is what we deserve; grace is what we got.   

 

God is not a forsaker. God’s testimony is the beauty His grace produces when your best efforts fall into ruin. Satan would sift Simon. Simon would fail; he would sin. In his estimation, he would be incurable; however, Jesus would convert him. Jesus will restore and bring him into the destiny he did not deserve.  

That’s it. We don’t deserve the goodness God wants to show us. But this is what sets God apart from all others. He is good and forgiving. When He should give up on us, He does not. When Israel constantly rebelled against God and turned to serve idol gods, the Lord maintained His faithfulness, “According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you:  fear ye not” (Haggai 2:5).   

 

These ungrateful slaves who received a gracious deliverance out of Egypt could do nothing but complain and murmur. But look at God’s enduring faithfulness to bring them into destiny. Their thankless hearts obviously grieved him for forty years as they constantly doubted His goodness and power, but God never left them! God’s grace rained upon these rebels like clockwork as the sun rose and set. The daily manna never failed. The cloud by day and the fire by night were their constant provisions. The Rock that was Christ never stopped pursuing them.  

 

You may grieve and quench Him, and He lovingly chastens you, but – HE WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU. Why will God not forsake you? Because He can redeem you. He can redeem your past. As He told Israel through Jeremiah, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).  

 

LOOSE HIM AND LET HIM GO 

  

Interestingly, Jesus let the people play a role in the miracle of Lazarus. Jesus brought him from the grave and then told the people to loose him and let him go. Through gentleness and drama, Jesus could have easily freed Lazarus from his grave clothes. Jesus could have left the men out of the narrative. But He didn’t. Jesus required the people to release Lazarus. Why? There is a truth demonstrated here.   

 

The people might have doubted that Lazarus was indeed alive. Maybe they thought him to be a ghost. It was the people who bound Lazarus and put him in that tomb. They knew he was dead. Those same people had to let him go. They had to untie him. Their willingness to let Lazarus go was their agreement that Jesus had indeed performed a miracle in bringing the man back from the dead.  

 

Likewise, Church, we are the ones who have bound the people, not God. Because we believe that God can bring them back from their death and failures, we must let them go. We must show our agreement with Jesus’ power to truly restore them. 

The Church must begin to demonstrate this redemption of God. We must give hope to men. We must! We are the priests of the Lord on earth, and whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven. Many are the fallen who need redemption. Many are those who have buried themselves in shame and need to be restored and delivered from the suicidal sorrow that Satan wants to devour them with. Church, rescue them in Jesus’ name! 

 

LOOSE THEM AND LET THEM GO 

 

We, as believers, are in the world to rescue men from their failures. We are the ministers of reconciliation. That means we are the ministers of forgiveness. Not just any forgiveness; we administer God’s forgiveness to fallen men. Sometimes, those fallen men are in our own families and churches.  

 

We must learn to see men in Christ and not in Adam. For too long, believers have focused on humanity’s fallen nature and not the new creation God has made believers in Christ.   

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul said that Jesus died for all because all were dead. He died so they could live again, but this time for Him who rose from the dead. Therefore, we know no man after the flesh. “… if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new … For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). 

 

Stop looking at one another after the flesh, but look at one another as new creations of God. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but when we see Him, we shall be like Him. The God of peace will conform us to the image of His glorious Son. We are constantly becoming something else. In our walk towards Christlikeness, we must believe and hope in the Lord; therefore, as believers, we must work together as partners and companions in the life of faith.  

 

According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are the ambassadors FOR Christ. Notice that the text says FOR Him and not OF Him. This means that you are not simply representing Him, but you are the voice by which He speaks. Jesus, through you, is begging men to be reconciled to God, to be redeemed.  

 

DON’T LET SATAN SWALLOW THEM UP 

 

Satan swallows his victims with sorrow. Multitudes are being destroyed by Satan, not by a lack of repentance, but by a lack of hope. Satan is the accuser, and the spirit of Satan operates in those who accuse others. Unforgiving people operate in the spirit of Satan by robbing others of the destiny God can give them. The ministers of reconciliation give sinners a future and hope.  

 

The person holding the power of forgiveness can either assume the role of Satan, the accuser, or God, the forgiver. They possess the power to tell offenders who they are becoming or, like Satan, can remind them of who they are. 

To accuse is to be against one in the assembly. It can even mean a lawful complaint. That means you might be right in the accusation. You might have legal grounds to revolt against them. Jesus certainly had that opportunity to accuse humanity, but instead, He laid down His life in love to redeem us. Jesus asked His Father to forgive us. He could have asked for our destruction but chose to forgive and redeem instead. Oh, to be like Jesus.  

 

A forgiving person has ceased to be an accuser. Instead of calling for exposure and justice, they seek to be agreeable; they seek ways of redemption. They will show themselves gracious, offering sinners a future in Christ. These gracious believers manifest the most valuable spiritual gifts. These spiritual gifts of love and forgiveness are demonstrated not by one’s ability to see what is wrong with everyone, but by the ability to discern what God’s grace can make them.  

Forgiveness demolishes the past and opens a glorious future. Forgiveness places the shame and guilt into the past. God’s forgiveness restores us and launches us into a new destiny. But unforgiveness destroys us. Unforgiveness keeps the family from moving forward. Unforgiveness robs the marriage of love and intimacy. Unforgiveness buries a person into the despair of their past failures.  

 

The importance of forgiveness is to TRANSFORM and REDEEM the offenders into the destiny God extends to them. When you see people through God’s eyes, you do not identify them after the flesh. That is no longer their identity. They have a new identity in Christ. You speak to them according to their destiny. This is how heaven addressed men on the earth: Gideon, thou mighty man of valor. Simon, you are Peter. Saul, you are Paul. God prophesies that all of us will be given NEW NAMES in heaven, so let us speak to one another in the light of this glorious future.  

 

Satan exerts all his might to destroy man in sin. God wants to redeem the sinner’s life. Our failures are the tools that Satan uses to keep us down. Satan is the accuser of the brethren; and by shame and insults, he plays upon our own understanding of our failure, weaknesses, and shame.  

How do the ministers of reconciliation combat these strategies of Satan? Instead of cursing, they bless. They bless the character and nature that God’s grace is working in them. This blessing is not just saying prayers – this is the result of your ministry to God. By Christ indwelling you, you see what HE sees; you know what He is doing in other believers’ lives. It is not simply saying something over somebody as though you have the power to change a zebra’s stripes; it is Christ in you, beseeching men to be reconciled to God. Jesus is speaking through you the life and destiny of others because you believe in His power. You believe because you live with God and see what HE sees and can do!  

 

If some of you extended forgiveness to your sons and daughters, they would return to Jesus. Redemption is powerful! Forgiveness is the ability to move on from this sin.  

 

When people come to Jesus, encourage them to put their faith in Jesus. Deliver them from hoping in themselves. Deliver them from futile attempts at self-improvement. Demolish their obsession with improving themselves.  

 

I have watched many relationships end due to the result of a misplaced faith. For example, a man repents to his wife. She agrees to work on the marriage; however, he must perform. The wife, who has supposedly forgiven him, is now putting him on trial and demanding that he make no more mistakes. The man strives to fulfill this demand. He works feverishly to make the flesh behave. Sadly, failure and sin are the only results. Her forgiveness was there, but her hope for a glorious destiny was misplaced. She hoped IN her husband to be different and failed to encourage the work of God’s grace in his life. Demanding perfection in the flesh, the man eventually could do nothing but be exposed as hopeless. 

 

Our hope is not in people’s ability to be different. Man cannot improve himself. We hope in Jesus’ grace to redeem and make man a new creature. We do not hope in man. We do not hope that man will do better. Our hope is in God. God can make men beautiful. Many are failing because they work hard to be a better person. They constantly say they are sorry, confessing, “I promise I will never do that again.” But they will. They will because they can no more change their life than a zebra can change his stripes.  

 

Stop hoping for change through your own power. Stop pressuring your friends to be somebody different by their own power and will. Let us reconcile men to God and watch what God can make them. Then, let us forgive one another often and, thereby, launch them into their God-ordained destiny. Let us inspire one another to live as the new creations of Christ.  

REDEEMED INTO DESTINY 

Part 1 

 

What do you reckon Jesus meant when He said whoever sins you forgive, they are forgiven? It must be in reference to the power that people have to keep people tied to their past rather than the DESTINY of REDEMPTION.  

We all have a past, a past we are not proud of. Those who know our past have the power to hold it over us as a tool of manipulation or shame. Throughout its history, religion has been guilty of destroying people’s future because of the failure of their past. Though God perfectly forgives, if His people do not follow suit then multitudes of believers will not be confident to move forward into their destinies. Their heart can condemn them, robbing them of their confidence in God. Satan also hurls his accusations of their guilt, unworthiness, and corruption to blame them.  

Personal failure and the unforgiveness of people are paralyzing, even if God does forgive. People in the church can shut other people down. It is very plausible that many are stuck in the past, while a very promising destiny lies before them. Though God will redeem the destiny of any who repent, people are not that inclined. Though every person is a sinful failure, some religious people believe there are those who must not be allowed to overcome their past. People can do the most unnatural things in a season of great darkness. It is not who they want to be, but a tale of what may lie within their flesh. This disgrace must not define who they are, but many religious people will never let them forget what they did. 

I recently watched this happen to a modern sports superstar. He has been celebrated for years, but recently, he had a bad day. He choked … lost when he could have won. He missed a three-foot putt to win one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf. Disgusted with himself, and probably other issues, he left the tournament after his play. He was ridiculed. Many turned him into a monster. Some said, “Well, the true person came out today.” But is that true? Maybe. He had a bad day; he made some bad decisions. He was wrong, no doubt. But is this bad day to be the standard by which we view him now? 

People make horrible decisions all the time. Furthermore, everyone falls under the pressure of temptation. I am not excusing sin; I only acknowledge our human struggle. It happens to ministers who fall into sin. It happens to teachers. It happens to physicians. It occurs among friends. People will ignore a thousand acts of kindness, take the rare rudeness, and say, “He or she is so rude.” Wait! If one act of failure makes me a monster, does one act of kindness make me a saint? Will we overlook a thousand acts of sacrifice and kindness because of a moment of weakness? Do my rare moments of failure in a dark night or treacherous season define who I am? Nobody does the will of God absent of personal failure, friends and family rejections, and impossible circumstances of life. Please do not define me by the events of failure. 

Jesus refused to let His disciples be defined by their failure. In John 16, Jesus affirmed the Father’s love for the disciples. He told them the Father loved them because they loved Jesus and believed that He came from the Father. Why is this important? Because Jesus knew they were about to find themselves in a season of betrayal. A season where they would not act as though they loved Jesus. Jesus told them, “Tonight you will all forsake me and leave me alone.” How can Jesus tell them in one breath that they love Him and, in another breath, tell them they will forsake Him? Because Jesus was going to redeem their failure. He knew their failure was not the truth about their love. Jesus knew they would go on to give their lives for Him. 

Many believers who fail must understand that God can redeem them from failure. Husbands and wives who fail their families may genuinely love them but have a moment of collapse. The failure does not prove their lack of love; it only proves they were bested in a temptation. The beauty of redemption is that this failure does not have to define who I am or what I will be.  

 

DAVID’S EPIC FAILURE 

 

It is no secret that King Saul burned with jealousy over David. He saw David as a genuine threat to the throne. The people loved David. Jonathan loved David. Realizing the friendship between Jonathan and David, Saul hid his intent to murder David. However, David knew of Saul’s murderous plot and was determined to protect his life. Jonathan struggled to believe this, affirming David that his father loved him. Unshaken by Jonathan’s efforts to convince David otherwise, they developed a plan. A scheme full of lies. They conspired on a story to find the intent of the King’s heart toward David. Again, they lied! Outright. Without repentance.  

They agreed to deceive the King by explaining why David was not at the King’s table for dinner. When Saul asked about David’s absence, Jonathan lied by saying that David had a family event in Bethlehem he could not miss. David warned Jonathan, if your father is angry with my absence, then be sure evil was in his heart; he intends to kill me. 

During the meal on the second day, Saul asked Jonathan about David’s whereabouts. Jonathan told the lie. Saul was enraged. He saw right through the deception. He knew that Jonathan would give his own life for David. Maddened, Saul even attempted to kill his son. Jonathan fled and met David at the appointed rendezvous. As determined, Jonathan shot his arrows and sent the servant to fetch them. Jonathan shouted to the servant to go further; the arrows are beyond you. This was David’s signal to flee. 

It gets worse. David fled to Ahimelech, the priest. Ahimelech was visibly afraid upon seeing David. It was strange that David was alone without any provisions. Something was very wrong. So, David lied to the priest. He told Ahimelech that King Saul had sent him on a secret mission without time to prepare victuals, men, or weapons. David convinced Ahimelech to give him food and weapons. A man detained before the Lord that day was watching what was happening between David and Ahimelech. It was Doeg, one of Saul’s servants. Remember him, for it is an integral part of the story. 

Once leaving Ahimelech, David took refuge in the enemy’s camp. He fled to Gath, the Philistines. It was not long before they recognized David. They were shocked that David was there even before the King of Gath. Realizing this is the man who has killed thousands of Philistines, and David realizing they are aware of him, begins to change his behavior. He acts like a madman. He claws and scratches at the gate while spitting and drooling on himself. Convinced he is mad, the King of Gath throws him out of the city. David escapes, humiliated. The warrior king of Israel is afraid and acting like a madman. Who is this? Is this David?  

I wish it were over; sadly, there is more to the failure. Honestly, the worst part is yet to come. Remember the servant of Saul that was with Ahimelech? In the meantime, he reported to King Saul all that had transpired, all that Ahimelech had done for David. Enraged that Ahimelech helped David, Saul ordered the death of all the priests. Eighty-five priests died because of David’s lies. Wait until you hear David’s response: “David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all your father’s house” (1 Samuel 22:22). 

Imagine the man anointed of the Spirit … the God-selected man put on trial, AND HE FAILS! His failure brought the death of God’s priests. He failed at the crucial point … another missionary casualty. Surely, he will not go back to the field … God will write him off.  

 

WHAT IS THE STORY ABOUT?  

 

But what is this story about? Is God exposing David’s sin to vindicate His justice? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The story is not about sin but hope, about how God takes failures and produces victory, about how God redeems people’s destiny.  

David’s testimony doesn’t end here, as David would write: “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light” (TLB Psalm 56). David wrote this after his humiliating season of lies and cowardice.  

Can a man in the wrong company, who has been doubting and fearing God, allowing faith to be crushed, behaving like a madman – can such a man really talk like that? Yes, he can. Other people cannot see it; all they see is a backslider who is drifting away from God and behaving like a fool. But in his heart, he despises himself for it all, and from the depths, his soul cries out to heaven, “O God, in this, I am going to trust you forever!”  

And God heard him. God answered. God forgave him. God redeemed him from his sins and his tragedies. Yes, the consequences were awful. The death of priests. The deceptions. But David lived on. God brought him into splendor. David would go on to sin more. His future sins would be remembered more than those I have written about. However, God would say of him in the end, “He was a man after my own heart.” That is redemption, and God still offers it to all who will repent and call upon Him.  

Beloved, your worst day does not have to define you. What people call you is not what God calls you. God has a new name for you. Believers will call you by that new name. The religious will not; they will not forgive or forget. But God will forgive and forget. And God’s people will forgive and forget.  

The consequences of your sins may be significant. By foolish decisions of rebellion, you may be suffering from poor health, destroyed relationships, devastated lives, and ruined families, but God can give you a destiny. He is the only One who can. What you have been, you do not have to be. You cannot change yourself. You cannot redeem yourself. You cannot write an excellent ending to your miserable life, but God can; He has already written it in blood. 

THE GREAT FALLING AWAY 

 

Grace teaches us about the Rapture. If you are not being stirred and awakened and your life is not moving upwards in this hour, there is a serious disconnect between you and grace. If you can live in this apocalyptic moment of history and you are not pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, then something is seriously broken in your relationship with God’s grace. You have checked out. You have dismissed yourself from your teacher – grace. “For the grace of God … [teacheth us to look] for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11,13).  

There has never been a day like ours. A global mindset has possessed the world, much like it did at the Tower of Babel. This growing unity of morally abandoned virtues is rapidly possessing the world. This reprobate condition confirms the prophetic warnings of Jesus, Peter, John, and Paul. Well, did Paul reveal that the children of unbelief are the victims of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2)?  

And Jesus’ warnings about falling away and falling asleep are being fulfilled in this hour. Multitudes are losing their faith. They may not be losing their confession, but they are losing their faith. They are throwing away their confidence. They are falling away. They love to confess the right thing, but their faith is absent. Faith without works is dead. They have abandoned the Body of Christ (the Church). They have failed to follow Jesus in the most exciting times the world has ever known.  

The most significant days of evangelism are here. Yet, multitudes of evangelical believers are sitting in their homes afraid, blaming God, and missing the most significant harvest time the Church has ever been given. Like Ephraim, they were equipped to serve the Lord but turned back in the day of battle … they kept not the covenant with Jesus (Psalms 78).   

  My heart is poured out for you. Please do not allow yourself to be a part of the great falling away that Thessalonians speaks of. Do not become one of those who turn back, as Hebrews 10 describes. Jesus is coming! Do not be discouraged by what you see; rejoice that your Lord exposed this moment two thousand years ago. He chose you to serve Him in one of history’s greatest moments. Do not turn back. You have no right to question or blame God for the societal collapse we are witnessing on news stations everywhere. This collapse is the result of a world that hates God and has rebelled against every good thing God has wanted for man. I beg you, beloved, rise up … be a soldier of Christ and serve your Lord well with living faith and not just a confession – He is at the door!   

 

BELIEVERS ARE FALLING AWAY 

 

Paul prophesied a very sobering warning for believers: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Is there any evidence of the falling away? The English Standard Version calls it the Great Rebellion. Is there evidence? Could we be the generation that the scriptures warned about?    

If Covid did not begin this falling away, then I fear what event is coming to do that. One-third of professing believers left the church during Covid. One-third of professing believers have not returned to church, and multitudes of churches have closed. Numbers of professing believers, who claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, rebelled against Him to follow doctors’ orders, contradicting the Bible’s celebration of those who overcome by not loving their life to the point of death (Revelation 12:11).  

Regarding trusting God, consider that churches continue to suffer from the lack of devotion by those who call themselves “Christ-followers.” Just consider that they refuse to do one of the most straightforward commands taught since the beginning of time – tithe! They dare not trust God for their livelihood; instead, they trust their ten percent to get them through.  

Today, an overwhelming majority of young parents not only disregard the Bible’s teaching on raising kids and bringing them to Christ – they don’t even know what the Bible says about parenting. What they do know they openly disobey (rebel). They are influenced more by woke social engineers telling them what is best for their children than the Creator. In this community of religious rebels, the kids will not be lost; they are lost. In the very early stages of life, their children’s foundations are so laid that there will need to be a catastrophic revelation to reconstruct what has been laid.  

The evidence is pervasive in our generation today. Social engineers have baptized the world with their philosophies through the educational system, social media, entertainment industries, and parents who claim to be “Christ-followers.” Young families are not losing the battle; they have lost it. The fruit will come in time. George Barna reports that only 1% of preteen kids in the United States have a biblical worldview. Read that again, and weep! 

Where are you? Are you a part of the falling away? Are you a disciple of Jesus? Jesus laid out the terms in Matthew 10:28-39:  

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” 

 

QUESTIONS TO PONDER: 

• Are you a follower/disciple of Jesus? Is He Lord? Does the Holy Spirit have authority over your life?  
• The spirit of antichrist is already at work in the world. Are you more influenced by the spirit of antichrist than the spirit of Christ?  
• Whose word are you following? 
• What is your place and contribution to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12)? 
• How does the Holy Ghost, by grace, bring conviction and change to make you more committed to Jesus? 
• Are you a practicing Priest and King? 
• Do you sincerely desire the milk of the Word? 
• Is your passion to know Christ and worship God? 

Many call themselves Christians who will end up following the Antichrist, thinking he’s Christ. “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Many who worship in our churches, thinking they will be with Jesus one day, will actually be given a lying spirit from God. Their opportunity to believe the truth is now. If they do not, and the rapture occurs, they will never be saved. This warning is frightening! 

The reason for religious rebellion today is the same as in previous days: the spirit of the antichrist influences the religious people more than the Spirit of Christ. Jesus knew that many of those following Him were not hearing the Holy Spirit as He would appeal to those who could hear: “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith …” (Revelation 2:7).  

Jesus labored for the generation that would be falling away at His return. He lamented that they would be sleeping. He said that many would not have oil and would not make the wedding ceremony. He noted that many who confessed Him as Lord would not enter the kingdom because He did not know them. He said that many would have spiritual experiences and even be moved with faith by the Word of God, but they would not remain in the truth. Due to persecution, pleasure, or personal pursuits, they would fall away. He said that many would discount His soon return and live more for themselves than for His Kingdom. You can find these references in Matthew 7; Matthew 13:19-30; Matthew 25; Matthew 22:13; and Matthew 24:42-51. I encourage you to study these admonitions and examine your heart.  

 

GEORGE BARNA RESEARCH 

 

A recent Barna survey found that 176 million Americans, or 69% of the population, claim to be Christians. Yet, only 9% of those identifying as “born-again Christians” possess a biblical worldview, believing the Bible to be accurate and reliable. 

 

OF THE 91% CHRISTIANS CLAIMING TO BE BORN AGAIN: 

• 72% argue that people are basically good.  
• 66% say that ‘having faith’ matters more than which faith you pursue. 
• 64% say that all religious faiths are of equal value. 
• 58% believe that if a person is good enough or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven. 
• 57% believe in karma. 

However, Barna’s survey found that believers who classified themselves as highly discipled hold views that “challenge biblical principles.” Of the 9% of believers who claim to have a biblical worldview: 

• 52% argue that people are basically good. 
• 39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity. 
• 33% believe in karma. 

ONLY 1% OF PRETEEN KIDS IN THE U.S. HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW 

Dr. Barna highlights the sobering fact that only 22% of parents with preteen children identify as born-again. 

 

A STAGGERING 62% OF PASTORS DON’T HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW 

62% of pastors have a worldview of syncretism, a little bit of this and a little bit of that, mixed together with Christianity. 

• Only 28% of associate pastors claim a biblical worldview.  
• And only 13% of teaching pastors and 4% of executive pastors hold to a biblical worldview.  
• The number among children and youth pastors is a minuscule 12%!  

As researcher George Barna pointed out, just 37% of Christian pastors have a biblical worldview.  

A new report reveals not only a stunning erosion of biblical belief among pastors in all denominational groupings but also that the churches whose pastors were by far the most likely to embrace basic biblical principles were those serving non-denominational and independent Protestant churches.  

• 39% of evangelical pastors surveyed contend that there is no absolute moral truth and that each individual must determine their own truth.  
• Only 38% maintain that human life is sacred and 37% say that having faith matters more than which faith you have.  
• 30% do not believe that their salvation is based on having confessed their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their savior.  
• 70% of pastors associated with traditionally black congregations believe that reincarnation is a possibility. 

ONE-THIRD OR MORE OF SENIOR PASTORS SURVEYED BELIEVE: 

• Determining moral truth is up to each individual; no moral absolutes apply to everyone all the time. 
• The Holy Spirit is not a living entity but is a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity. 
• Having faith matters more than which faith you have. 
• A person who is generally good or does enough good things for others can earn a place in Heaven. 
• The Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion. 

Furthermore, among senior pastors, one-third or more also believe that socialism is preferable to capitalism and that allowing property ownership facilitates economic injustice. 

 

BE TRUE TO JESUS 

 

Beloved, in this hour, be faithful to Jesus. Love the truth. Love the Word. Love the Lord and live for Him regardless of the cost. Receive the grace of God and all that it has come to teach you. This is not a works-based life but a faith-based life. Our works demonstrate faith. Our works are the testimony of our love for Jesus and His truth. This is serious. The end is upon us. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall away. Don’t rebel.  

We are a people of faith. We will not throw away our confidence. We will not love our lives unto death. We will follow the Lamb and enter His Kingdom. We will continue daily in the apostles’ doctrine, prayers, breaking bread, and fellowship. We will not forsake the gathering of the Church. We will join in the cause of the Kingdom of God. We will support the Kingdom; we will tithe, serve, and pray. We will continue to preach the gospel of the kingdom in all the earth. We will see our children baptized in the Holy Ghost, prophesying, and having visions. Our old men will dream dreams. The Spirit will be poured out with great power and gifts upon our women.   

When a storm rages, you find shelter in the most vital part of the house. And that is where you will find me, in the most vital part of the house, the Church. I will put myself right there in the middle of the Church. The fringes are not for me. Casual Christianity and spectator Christianity are not for me. I will take up my cross and follow my Lord.  

WHY DO I HAVE TO BE BAD? 

 

There is a picture trending on social media. I love it. It’s a depiction of the Prodigal Son. I like to show the picture to people and ask them, “What do you see? Who is this man?” Every time, the response is, “That must be the Prodigal Son.” True! However, my immediate reaction to the picture is that it is me. I see a DEPICTION OF ME! I see humanity in that picture. Honestly, it is us, all of us. 

The anguish of the soul is powerfully captured. If a picture is worth a thousand words – this picture is worth it. It is a picture of a young man surrounded by pigs. He is kneeling in filthy muck and mire; his hands are almost in a prayer and pleading position. His face expresses the most resounding cry of the soul as he realizes where he is and how he got there. He has lost everything. He runs to his end, horrified that it is not where he wants to be. The only positive is that there is still time to do something about his demise. There is a way out. He has a merciful Father. There is a home where even servants are treated better than this. There is a chance, and he has no option but to take it. He can go home in the hopes of his Father’s mercy. 

 

THE STORY IN THE BIBLE 

 

Jesus plays out this story on several occasions: the parable of the Prodigal Son and the parable of the Pharisee and Publican going into the temple to pray. The common element in each story is that one bad man knows he is bad, and another thinks he is good. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the elder brother believes himself to be good and faithful to his Father. I am sure he would not assume that he was perfect. Despite his flaws, he was certainly better than his prodigal brother, who had disgraced the family. Then, there is the parable of the Pharisee and Publican going to prayer. The Pharisee believes himself to be good and celebrates his goodness before God, rejoicing that he is not a sinner like the Publican.   

 

A GREAT MISTAKE: DEFENDING OURSELVES BEFORE GOD 

 

Most people will not admit they are bad. People like to imagine they are basically good, suffering from a few flaws in their nature. This belief that they are good will keep many people out of heaven, not because they are bad, but because they refuse to admit they are bad. People tend to protest before God; they feel compelled to find something good in themselves by which God will accept them and have mercy on them. People have a natural bent even to justify their loved ones before God on the basis they are not that bad and are deserving of God’s leniency. When people are unwilling to recognize the truth of what God says about the human heart, they protest not only their innocence but also the innocence of their loved ones. This is the tragedy by which most will miss heaven.  

We hate being convicted of wrong, and we hate to see our loved ones suffering conviction. We even hasten to defend them. We seek to comfort them and assure them that they are good. We are fighting against the Holy Spirit’s work, bringing them to salvation. We do not want them to confess their badness. It is as if the police have detained our loved one; we cry to them, “Don’t say anything. Be quiet. Take the fifth!” But JESUS is not a cop. And God already has the evidence. He knows. So, what are we doing trying to defend them against God? Instead, let them feel the weight of their bad. Let them cry to God, for there is mercy with Him. 

 

WHY DO I HAVE TO BE BAD 

 

It is challenging for us to admit we are bad. It is much easier to admit we have sinned. But to admit we are bad is to confess that our sins are not an accident, but the intentional rebellions of our hearts against God and everything morally right. However, if you cannot admit you are bad, you have serious problems. If you cannot admit you are bad, you cannot go home! Confessing that you are bad is necessary. If you cannot confess you are bad, you cannot go to heaven. You cannot receive mercy.  

Being bad is not easy because it must be real. You must know yourself, and that is hard. You must know God, and there is only one way. The Son must reveal Him to you; your opinions of yourself must be dropped. Your assessment of yourself must be abandoned. You must believe what God has said about Himself and what He has said about you.  

God reveals that humanity is bad due to their fallen state: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked …” (Jeremiah 17:9). The Holy Spirit revealed through Paul that “… works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). 

Finally, Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man …” (Matthew 5:19-20). Very few will come to this knowledge of God and self. The Bible reveals that few make it to heaven, and many will end up in destruction.   

It is not because they are so bad, but because they consider themselves too good. Hell is full of bad people who thought they were good, and heaven is filled with bad people who knew they were bad. Convinced of their fallen state, they believed in God for grace and salvation and became new creatures in Christ; they were made righteous and holy by God. In Jesus’ stories, it is the prodigal who enjoys the Father’s love and gets joyful celebrations of his love and affection. It is the Publican who receives the justification. Both stories point to the bad sons getting the blessing. 

We don’t want to be bad. We are afraid of being bad. But if we are not bad, we cannot be saved! Why does a good person need to be saved? Why does a healthy person need a physician? Why does the righteous need to repent?  

 

GREAT LOVE 

 

Like the Prodigal Son, people have great love and admiration for the Father who forgives all their sins. Loving God greatly is not the result of LITTLE SINS forgiven. Great love is produced from the experience of how much we have been forgiven. Who will love the Father more, the Publican or the Pharisee? The prodigal or the elder brother? Of course, the answer is the Publican and the Prodigal. “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged” (Luke 7:41-43). Therefore, many religious people will not go to heaven because they will not admit they are bad; they are too good.