1 Timothy 3:15, "...that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
Apostolic Life Cathedral| July 21, 2024 | 10:00 AM
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (7) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
The Invitation: Matthew 11:28-30
(28) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The “with Jesus” principle – they took note of them that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
Take My yoke.
Transformational learning-by-example
Two oxen harnessed togetherEnter the yoke = submission to the Master
It’s not about your brilliance, but willingness to submit to the yoke
Learn from Me.
Training a new young ox = custom fitted yoke
Emphasis on learning from someone, not independent study
Study, prayer, solitude, fasting, service
Grace is a teacher, and it is not cheap:
“Grace is the treasure hidden in the field…a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price…a man will sell all his goods to obtain it. It is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Grace calls us us to follow Jesus Christ, and to willingly yoke ourselves to Him. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.”[2]
You were bought with a price
You will find rest.
First time “rest” is mentioned is in Genesis 2:1-3, “(1) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. (2) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” God rested because He delighted in the goodness of His creation: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Gen. 1:31).
Our rest today is not about our weariness, tiredness and exhaustion, but to delight in His goodness and provision.
The rest of the Holy Ghost – “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear” (Isa 28:11-12)”
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Act 3:19).
Today, right now, is Your Season of Refreshing
[1] Tom Nelson. (2021). The Flourishing Pastor. Paraphrased
Scripture Text: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).[2]
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
[1] Material gleaned from Ron Wofford’s 2004 series on Christian Character.
[2] All scripture references are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Scripture Text: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
John 15:1-5, “(1) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (3) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
“Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love in school; and temperance is love in training.” -Dwight L. Moody
[1] Material gleaned from Ron Wofford’s 2004 series on Christian Character.
Fruitful Character – The Development of Character[1]
Text: Titus 3:8, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
[1] Material gleaned from Ron Wofford’s 2004 series on Christian Character. A huge THANK YOU to Ron Wofford for sharing this information with me over 16 years ago. These lessons are a combination of many different sources, but his is the foundation.
Apostolic Life Cathedral | April 28, 2024 | 10:00 AM
Text: Exodus 16:13-16
(13) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
(14) And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
(15) And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
(16) This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
What is it?
John 6:28-50
(28) Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
(29) Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
(30) They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
(31) Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
(32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
(33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
(34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(36) But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
(37) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
(38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
(39) And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
(40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
(42) And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
(43) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
(44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(45) It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
(46) Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
(47) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
(48) I am that bread of life.
(49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
(50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Manna= a whatness
Give us this day our Daily bread
Life’s inexplicable blessings wrapped in mystery
In the wilderness, About 10 cups of manna a day per house for 39 years, 11 months
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
(1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
(2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
(3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
(4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
(6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
(7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
(8) Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
(9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
(10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
(11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
What is this?
What in the world?
Grandpa Kuntzman – stroke, debilitated, needed care, fed by family,
What is going on?
But in that difficult time the family were closer than before, to each other and to their father.
Blessings in disguise
Hebrews 12:11, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
Psalms 78:25, “Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.”
What is this?
Just because you can’t put a name on it don’t discount it.
You might just be eating angel’s food.
Job 1:20-22, “(20) Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, (21) And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (22) In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
What is this?
foolish charges – curse God and die?
No way.
Isaiah 55:6-13
(6) Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
(7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
(9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
(11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
(12) For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
(13) Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Jesus duplicated the miracle of the quail and manna when He fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
What are they among so many?
God provided the manna, but they had to pass it out and later collect it.
Apostolic Life Cathedral | April 16, 2024 | 7:00 PM
Text: Ephesians 2:19-22, “(19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
“When the Word of the Lord is properly delivered, the sinner gets evangelized, the saint gets edified, and the Lord is glorified. Because, when the name of Jesus is preached it establishes the house of the Lord.”
-Harold Hoffman
I have been revisiting the topic of the oneness of God recently in my studies and in my research I read a two-part article printed in 1926 in The Christian Outlook, and written by E. N. Bell, which is entitled: “A Glorious Tribute to Jesus Christ.”
Tonight’s study borrows from elements in that article that I think accomplishes what Harold Hoffman said preaching the name of Jesus does for the house of the Lord…establishes it.
Since you are the house of the Lord…I hope this lesson tonight creates a construction zone for you as you “are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:20-22).
And that “the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).
To be apostolic is to have a full apostolic vision of who Jesus is, and Jesus Christ is Jehovah.
Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
Jesus Is Jehovah
Isaiah 40:3-5
(3) The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
LORD in the Old Testament (KJV) is Jehovah
Same rule applies with “Spirit” in the New Testament: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
(4) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
(5) And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6, “(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. (6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Jesus to Philip: “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).
Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”
In Matthew 3:3, John the baptist is revealed to be “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”
Jesus is the Lord or Jehovah whose way was being prepared for by John.
Lord here in Malachi is referring specifically to the Messiah.
Jesus is the King of glory…the Jehovah of glory:
Psalms 24:7-10, “(7) Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. (8) Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (9) Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. (10) Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.”
1 Corinthians 2:8, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
James 2:1, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”
James is identifying the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord of glory.
Jesus is Jehovah our righteousness:
Jeremiah 23:5-6, “(5) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. (6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
1 Cor. 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”
Jesus is Jehovah above all:
Psalms 97:9, “For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.”
John 3:30-31, “(30) He must increase, but I must decrease. (31) He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.”
John speaking of Jesus Christ
Jesus is Jehovah, the first and the last:
“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6).
Jesus speaking, “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:17-18).
Isaiah 48:12 & 16, “(12) Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last….Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
Jesus Is the Eternal God and Creator
Psalms 102:24-27, “(24) I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. (25) Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. (26) They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (27) But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”
The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 1, quotes this passage and applies it to Jesus:
(8) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom….(10) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (11) They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; (12) And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
Jesus Is the Mighty God
Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Jesus is Wonderful in His person, in His glory, in His Beauty, in His mystery:
“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” (1 Timothy 3:16).
He is the Counselor in whom is hid all the wisdom and counsel of God.
He is Mighty God, One True God, God the Mighty One.
He is the everlasting Father, the Father of the everlasting age, the Father of eternity.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace: The word “peace” here is more than just being made whole, safe, prosperous, well or complete.
It also has to do with recompense, or payment given to make an action or transaction complete.
So, the atonement is the payment made by the Prince of Peace.
Revelation 1:7-8, “(7) Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Jesus Is the True God
Jehovah is called “the true God”
Jeremiah 10:10, “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God…”
Jesus is called “the true God”
1 John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
He Is Emmanuel, God with Us.
Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:18-23, “(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Deut. 10:17, “For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible…”
Revelation 17:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
1 Timothy 6:14-16, “(14) …keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: (15) Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; (16) Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.”
Jesus is the Lord from Heaven: “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47).
Jesus is Lord of all:
Acts 10:36, “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)”
Romans 10:11-13, “(11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The name of the Lord is Jesus.
Jesus of Nazareth
The Christ – the Anointed One – Messiah
Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ
If you have the Name tonight you have life.
John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
If you have life in your body, then you have blood.
Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”
If you have the blood of Jesus you have remission (pardon, freedom, deliverance, forgiveness, liberty)[3].
Hebrews 9:22-28, “(22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (23) It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (24) For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (25) Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; (26) For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (28) So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Jesus is our Prince of Preace – our atoning agent
He paid the price to complete the transaction that would redeem us from our sins and reconcile us to the Father.
That is why when we speak of Jesus being Jehovah, God manifest in the flesh, we also speak of His Name.
Philippians 2:5-11
(5) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
(6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
(7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
(9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
(10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
(11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Apostolic Life Cathedral | April 14, 2024 | 6:30 PM
Genesis 49:22-26
(22) Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
(23) The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
(24) But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
(25) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
(26) The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
Truly, we are living in the last days.
No doubt, the attack of Iran – biblical Persia – against Israel these last 2 days signals to us that the while the end of the world is not yet…it is edging closer.
Gog & Magog are on a prophetic collision course to that final showdown known as Armageddon when all the nations of the earth come to a little hill in Israel and to fight Israel, that’s when Jesus comes with His saints and fights for Israel delivering a final victory for His people.
The Church need not worry about that event because we will be the ones arriving with Jesus when He collects us in what many call The Rapture, and what a mysterious day that is for:
“…We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Paul wrote about it to the Thessalonians:
“…The Lord himself [that’s Jesus] shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
That moment is nearer now than ever before.
After the church goes up to be with the Lord: seven years of tribulation begin, the Temple is rebuilt, the sacrificial system begins again, the antichrist comes to power, the Jews see that they were tricked by this antichrist, the last half of those seven years become a time of Great Tribulation, and the culminating event is Armageddon.
The Lord is coming for His Bride. A fruitful Bride. Daughters that are bearing fruit and spreading out across the world.
A glorious church, a holy bride:
“Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:24-30).
Colossians 2:16-17, “(16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (17) Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Jesus Christ is in the Old Testament concealed and in the New Testament Revealed.
Joseph is an Old Testament type and shadow of Jesus Christ. In fact, there are at least 75 instances where Joseph’s life parallels that of Jesus Christ:[1]
Miraculous birth: Jacob was 90 years old, Rachel was barren – Mary was a virgin
Both spoke truth in exposing sinful behavior of others knowing he would be hated and ostracized
Both were shepherds
Both were beloved sons of their fathers
Both were hated by their brothers without a cause
Both prophesied and foretold the future
Both were betrayed for silver and stripped of their clothes
Both became servants
Both were tempted but did not sin – no sin of Joseph is recorded, and Jesus was truly sinless
Both were falsely accused
They both suffered for others’ sins and false accusations
Both sentenced with 2 criminals: 1 saved and 1 lost
Both wept for the wicked
Both forgave those who wronged them
Both became saviors: Joseph to his family, and Jesus to the whole world
Substitutionary atonement: Innocent Joseph/Christ suffered for guilty brethren
Evil turned into blessing
Comforted those who betrayed him. Disciples were comforted after abandoning Jesus at the cross
The branches are the Jewish and Gentile bride that make up the Church.
Ephesians 2:11-17, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (14) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (15) Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (17) And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Branches run over the wall:
The wall is the world
The Church will cover the whole world
(23) The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
(24) But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Jesus Christ was persecuted, hated, and killed, but the Hand of God raised Him from the dead and He is our:
Shepherd
1 Peter 2:25, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
Stone
Ephesians 2:19-22, “(19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
(25) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
Our God is an all sufficient God
JEHOVAH ROHI – THE LORD MY SHEPHERD
JEHOVAH JIREH – THE LORD MY PROVIDER (He sees and provides)
JEHOVAH RAPHA – THE LORD MY HEALER
JEHOVAH SHALOM – THE LORD MY PEACE
JEHOVAH NISSI – THE LORD MY BANNER
JEHOVAH TSIDKENU – THE LORD MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
JEHOVAH SHAMMAH – THE LORD IS THERE FOR ME (He is present)[5]
(26) The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
The Blessing of God, the promise of God is on you, your children, your children’s children…
The kingdom of God is an ever growing and enlarging body that will one day fill the whole earth
40 million apostolics world-wide, according to Dr. Talmadge French.
You have no need to fear.
You are part of The Fruitful Bough
Jesus Christ is The Fruitful Bough
He is the root and the offspring of David
He is the bright and morning star
The Fruitful Bough is by a well…a water source
Psalm 1 – “Blessed is the man…like a tree planted by the rivers of water…”
You can draw joy out of the well salvation – the Lord Jesus Christ
Apostolic Life Cathedral | March 19, 2024 | 7:00 PM
Call for UPCI Ministers – International Day of Prayer and Fasting – March 23-24
Call to Repentance: Pray for nation, the world and world-wide revival
Esther – a time when God worked through shadows. God’s name isn’t mentioned in Esther. He chose to work through men and women.
Prepare for the greatest revival and harvest of this generation.
Joel 2:15-21
(15) Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
(16) Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
(17) Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
(18) Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
(19) Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
(20) But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
(21) Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Bobby Wade
To turn God’s favor to the Church as we repent for our mediocrity.
If we do, we will see Signs, Miracles and Harvest like we have never seen.
This International Day of Prayer and Fasting can turn tide in the favor of the Church and dislodge principalities.
If we do not heed pray, He will turn the Harvest to another.
James 5:16b, “The effectual [energetic] fervent prayer of a righteous [pure] man availeth much.”
Righteous men and women, pure in their spirit and motives, know that effectiveness in prayer has more to do with God and less to do with them.
It is God responding to the power, the energy, the life that is in the prayer of the righteous…
Prayer that is full of the Holy Spirit, understanding, heartfelt and full of passionate, fervent, zealous faith.
Ephesians 6:10-20
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(19) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
(20) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
“All Prayer” = With all kinds of prayer; prayer in the closet, with the family, the social meeting, the church service;
prayer at the usual hours, emergency prayer, prayers when you are tempted, or when you just feel like praying;
prayers of supplication for ourselves, or prayers of intercession for others.
All Prayer is the great weapon of our spiritual armor, and by this we may hope to prevail[1] – against our true enemy.
“…when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:6).
“Pray, don’t pose.” –Mark F. Kuntzman
Old Song: “Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door…”
In January I was in a prayer meeting and saw a gold string/cord that attached to everyone in the room.
It was a prayer connection. We are all connected by prayer.
All Prayer will Elevate, Change and Shift your life into areas you didn’t know existed.
Some people will be intimidated by a truly righteous man or woman of prayer and faith. They will be try to drag you back down to their level of mediocrity.
They are satisfied with the common, the average, plain vanilla
But God’s Church was born of the Spirit and will stay in the Spirit…
We are Spirit born and Spirit led
The people of Nazareth event tried to drag Jesus down when they said, “isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”
He had just come from a 40 day fast and prayer – All Prayer – has supercharged Him for ministry that made him unrecognizable to those who had seen Him grow up.
Don’t allow the enemy to drag you down to his level. He’s a surface traveler, slithering on his belly, feeding on the dust of the earth.
The Word of the Lord came to me and said:
You have been content to let others fight openly while you quietly fight behind the scenes, but now is the time to step up and lead on the battlefield as I begin to call my faithful officers to higher roles.
You may not think you are up to the task of this endtime revival and harvest, the enemy tries to remind you of past failures and weaknesses, but I want to remind you:
Ro. 8:32-39, “…Christ…maketh intercession for us.”
When Jesus places His intercession between you and your past nothing can pass through, reach around, or bypass His prayer for you and you are thoroughly freed from your past.
So, pray with All Prayer.
And while your praying, maintain a Pure God-Centered Motive.
Staying in a constant state of prayer, a constant God consciousness, can far outweigh what the natural eye can see.
It’ll allow you to navigate with spiritual eyes of understanding amd see ahead.
This is what Paul & Silas learned in Philippi:
Acts 16:16-21
(16) And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
(17) The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
(18) And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
(19) And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
(20) And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
(21) And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
Eli Hernandez on Pure Motives
Your motive is key to success both in spiritual maturity and in prayer.
The damsel with the spirit of divination was trying to appeal to any signs of pride and arrogance still attached to Paul and Silas
If they had fallen for her words and allowed the vexation to take root their covering of humility would have been pulled off making them vulnerable to satan’s attack.
Since God resists the proud, if Paul and Silas had given in to impure motives a jailer and his family would not have been saved.
Pure motives must be maintained in prayer, if not, pride and arrogance will come in and get in the way and change pure motives into impure motives over time.
We must humble ourselves to avoid becoming a target of impure motives.
David’s prayer should you mantra “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
David knew what it was like for his motives to go off course.
Because he knew how to repent he could make a course correction.
A pure motive will discern spirits, and we are told to “try the spirits.”
So, if what someone tells you doesn’t line up with the written Word of God, no matter how exciting, appealing or emotionally fulfilling it may be, don’t let it into your spirit.
If you listen to that false voice, you may miss your own Philippian jailhouse conversion story.
Try the spirits – don’t judge them – with the Word of God.
There is a difference. There are those who judge, reject, criticize, then go out to eat and talk about how wrong that person was.
And then, there are those who try the spirit, reject it because it contradicts the Word of God, but then go on and pray to God for that person to come in alignment with the Word of God.
Which one are you?
Lord, search our hearts…remove those tendencies in us to judge and criticize others.
Help us to try the spirits based on the unity of The Holy Ghost and the Word of God.
As we go into this International Day of Prayer and Fasting on March 23rd and 24th (from 6 pm – 6 pm)
Let us repent.
Pray for our nation, our world,
Seek God’s face for revival and growth
Pray for a fresh outpouring of the supernatural
Check our motive.
All Prayer is Motivated Prayer – What motivates your prayers?
[1]Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible. Ephesians 6:18.
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 