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."
(1) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
(2) Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
(3) And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
(4) Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
(5) And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
(6) That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
(7) Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
(8) And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
(9) And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
Memorials are extremely important in our society, so that we will remember our heritage and the sacrifices we and others have made to make them possible.
Importance of spiritual memorials for our personal lives and for the church.
A Memorial for Israel, Joshua 4:1-8
Commanded by God.
Fulfilled by Joshua and the people.
Twelve stones from Jordan.
What about the Twelve Stones?
Represented all the people (twelve tribes), verse 2.
Participation by the people, verse 3.
Related to the miracle, verse 3.
Permanence because of the durability and number of the stones.
The Purpose of the Memorial, Joshua 4:20-24
A reminder that God is the one who performed the miracle of deliverance.
Just as He did for previous generations.
A sign to future generations.
A sign to other nations of the power of God.
So that Israel would fear—honor, respect—the Lord forever.
What about it?
We need memorials in our lives. Example: our family’s testimony of conversion.
We need visible memorials that every family and church member participates in.
Not a dead memorial, but a living one, for the same reasons as in Joshua 4.
Heartfelt and demonstrative worship.
Personal and group prayer, including the prayer closet, the prayer room, and the altar.
Praying in the Holy Ghost – Speaking in tongues.
Visible standards of holiness.
Personal witness.
Of course, a memorial is no good without the continuing reality of a transformed life.
Continue shoring up the memorials in your life.
[1] Source: italicized parts – Bernard, David K. (2004). Preaching the Apostolic Faith. p. 83.
(9) And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
(10) And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
Matthew 4:18-20
(18) And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
(19) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
(20) And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
“Ray Blankenship looked out of his window one morning to see a little girl being swept along in a rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his home. He knew that further downstream the ditch disappeared underneath the road and emptied into the main culvert. Nobody could survive that! He raced along the side of the ditch trying to get ahead of the child. Finally, he hurled himself into the water. When he surfaced he was able to grab her. The two tumbled head-over-heels, and then, within three feet of the culvert, Ray’s free hand felt something protruding from the bank – a tree limb! He clung to it desperately while the force of the water kept trying to tear him and the child away. Amazingly by the time the fire department arrived, Ray had pulled her to safety. As both were being treated for shock it was discovered just how much of a hero Ray was: Ray Blankenship couldn’t swim!”[1]
This world is full of lost souls swept along a drainage ditch of sin heading to their eternal demise in the lake of fire.
The church needs people who are willing to hurl themselves selflessly into the raging waters, grab hold of the drowning and bring them safely to shore.
Ray Blankenship didn’t know how to swim and while he was courageous for what he did, it could have very well ended in tragedy for the little girl and himself.
There could have been a double funeral.
I want to talk to you tonight about the Church and our responsibility to Jesus and People.
We need to be soulwinners and soulkeepers.
To make converts and to then make them disciples.
Often, when we speak of soulwinning, discipleship or outreach to today’s Apostolic Church their response is one of panic, fear, timidity.
It’s as if we are asking them to jump into a raging river without and swimming lessons.
As a movement, we are now entering our 3rd, 4th, 5th and sometimes even 6th or 7th generation of the Renewed Apostolic Church.
And while we are reaping in this era of blessing, as we share in the sure mercies of David, we find that this generation of Apostolics are exactly what we have made them.
They are people who have been trained for three or four generations to stay away from the world.
AND, they were faithful and obedient to the teaching of their pastor.
For the most part, neither they, their parents or grandparents have issues with alcohol, illegal drugs, illicit lifestyles, immoral behavior, or immodesty.
They have been trained to have little or no tolerance for sin — and that has often resulted into an intolerance of sinners.
Then we tell them, “Wade out into the middle of a world that practices all these things and somehow find a way to reach them for Jesus.”
People we’ve been unintentionally training you to avoid.
How can they possibly relate to the world, when we have not taught them to love the world as God loves them?
John 3:16-17, “(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
The inhabitants of the world:
1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The world system: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life.
Parable of the Fishless Fishermen
By: John M. Drescher
Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
Year after year these who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing.
Continually they searched for new and better definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing.
These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings called “Fishing Headquarters.” The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do, however; they didn’t fish.
They organized a board to send out fishermen to where there were many fish. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in far-away streams and lakes where many other fish of different colors lived.
Also the board hired staffs and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and committee members did not fish.
Expensive training centers were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, but the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year, graduates were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters filled with fish.
Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. A speaker’s bureau was also provided to schedule special speakers on the subject of fishing.
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded, and were sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they never fished.
Some also said they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so the fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen.
After one stirring meeting on “The Necessity for Fishing,” a young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it.
So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to the other fishermen. He was also placed on the Fishermen’s General Board as a person having considerable experience.
Now it’s true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished.
They wondered about those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing. After all, were they not following the Master who said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men?”
Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who didn’t catch fish were really not fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches a fish?
Drescher went on to write:
Insulation has turned into isolation.
Separation has become segregation.
Outreach looks more like inreach.
Preaching the word sounds like preaching to the choir.
Sharing the gospel consists of joining hands with the person across the aisle to give them a word of cheer or encouragement instead of reaching the lost with truth.
Our beacon of light has been confined to sanctuary chandeliers rather than placed in lighthouses along the shore. Our worship seeks for applause from the church when it should be looking for its affect on the unchurched.[3]
Fishing trip to Missouri with Dad & Ben.
God, in His love and wisdom has given The Church the same thing He has always given to those who sincerely want to serve and please Him:
Mercy = time to repent
Grace = space to grow
There is a heaviness in the world today, but there is also an answer to that burden
The burden of the lost.
When was the last time you lost sleep over the lost: the lost in your family, on your job, in the market, or at the park?
To cast off that feeling of heaviness we must learn to do and pursue what it is that brings joy to the Lord:
Luke 15:6, “And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”
Luke 15:10, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
Luke 15:21-24, “(21) And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. (22) But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: (23) And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: (24) For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
When the Church is actively pursuing, as a body, lost sheep, sinners and wayward children, then it will find its fulfillment in the joy of the Lord.
Sometimes joy is observed in the favor of God. The grace of God. But grace isn’t always what you expect it to be.
Sometimes the fisherman has a long day with no fish caught, hooks in fingers, lines get crossed, lures lost, rain pours, and there’s always “the one that got away.” Not every fishing trip is a success.
If grace is simply unmerited favor then explain the experiences that are not favorable (sickness, death, poverty, persecution).
Paul wrote that Grace has with it the element of instruction:
Titus 2:11-14, “(11) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The trial of your faith, rejection of those you love, and betrayal of those you trust are working in you God’s Grace and His Divine Love in those weary moments of fishing.
Romans 5:3-5, “(3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Grace and Love work together
2 Peter 1:1-11, Peter spoke of taking on the Divine Nature and it ends in Divine Love (agape):
(1) Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, (3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (5) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. (8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. (10) Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (11) For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
When God’s Grace and His Divine Love are active in your life then you experience The Fisherman’s Delight.
It won’t matter how many years you’ve been in the Church, or how many generations of apostolics you have in your family tree.
When you have His Grace and His Divine Love you will not forget where the Lord found you, and that will make you a skilled fisherman.
The Fisherman’s Delight occurs when the Church is actively catching hungry souls and seeing their lives change.
It is a powerful reminder of how lost we really were when Jesus saved us, and that brings joy to our heart.
[1] Story Source: Paul Harvey. (1989). Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
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.
Apostolic Life Cathedral | March 10, 2024 | 6:30 PM
Text: Psalms 119:83
(83) For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.
Job 32:19-20
(19) Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
(20) I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.
Bottles in that day were made of sheep or goat skins.
Jesus told us that you don’t put new wine into old wineskins.
So, they would put the new wine in the fresh new skins to ferment the wine on the inside.
Many homes in that day didn’t have chimneys and so the smoke would fill the air above their heads
The bottle was hung high and there the soot from the smoke and fire would cover it…even begin to dry out the skin and make it tough at times.
In addition, the smoke mellowed the wine.
As the wine fermented on the inside it would stretch the bottle of skin.
It the skin dried too quickly the bottle would burst and its contents would be spilled.
So, every so often, the bottle would be opened to allow the gases created by the chemical reaction of the fermentation process to escape and make room for the wine to continue to ferment.
Additionally, some of the wine inside would be spilled and rubbed onto the outside of the drying skin to keep it flexible enough to stretch appropriately.[1]
You have faced a similar situation and some of what God is bringing to perfection inside of you needs to be relieved and allowed to vent and spill out onto the outside.
Daily pressures and spiritual warfare can sometimes ferment inside you to the point where you are about to burst because you are becoming hardened like an old eastern wine bottle and need to be renewed in the power of the Holy Ghost.
It is a process, the psalmist wrote, “I am become like a bottle in the smoke.”
Your growth and maturity in God doesn’t just happen. Knowing Him isn’t a passive thing.
You must remain pliable and workable in the Hand of the wine skin master. Let Him renew you and allow the healing touch of the Spirit to soften your rough places.
It takes both the inner and outer experiences, the internal and external pressures of life, to perfect you. Otherwise, you will crack and break under stress, heat, and pressure.
It takes what is on the inside being released and rubbed onto the outside that brings balance and enables you to mature.
The new wine that is inside must also be allowed to saturate the outside in order for you to be perfected
I’ve come to tell you that God is not just in the fire…He is also in the smoke.
“He [Jesus] shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”
Exodus 19:18, “And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.”
Fire represents the power of God.
Smoke represents the glory of God.
Revelation 15:8, “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.”
Isaiah 4:5, “And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
Isaiah 6:4, “And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”
It is the weight of Gory that I now address:
The sufferings, the pressures, the trials, the turbulent battle in your spirit, soul and body,
The attempt of satan – your adversary the devil – to try to get you to burst and explode and come to ruin because you have allowed present circumstances to DISTRACT you from eternal reward.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18).
Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…”
Power of His resurrection = Holy Ghost fire
Fellowship of His sufferings (plural) = The glory of God.
Why plural? “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).
You may feel like David of old today. His was a pressure cooker of life’s troubles, but he knew how to get relief.
He would enter the presence of the Lord in praise and worship.
He would sing a song, pray a prayer, write a psalm, and then the sweet balm of the Lord’s Spirit would come to him.
That was why he could cry out with such passion:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalms 51:10-12)
Saint of God, if you need that relief tonight then you simply need to be renewed in the Holy Ghost:
Acts 3:19, “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;”
Let’s all repent together.
Ephesians 4:23, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”
Perhaps you are here tonight and you want that Holy Ghost. You have repented and are now a new wine skin ready to be filled and made …A Bottle In the Smoke:
Close your eyes and think about Jesus and how much He loves you. Right now all that matters is talking to Jesus. This is time just for Jesus. Just think about Him and begin to talk to Him like you would talk to your best friend. Use simple words that tell Him how much you love Him.
Pray out loud, because Jesus likes to hear your voice.
Now, lift your hands and reach to Jesus. Show Him you want Him to fill your heart by raising your hands to Him and showing Him you are open to Him.
Keep talking to Jesus and telling Him what you want. If you want the Holy Ghost, ask Him for it. It’s like asking someone for a gift. Jesus wants to give you His gift.
Talk to Jesus in your outside voice. As you talk to Him, you may feel something very special start to happen. You may begin to feel like you are saying words you can’t understand. That is OK, because those words are Jesus talking with your voice. Just let those words pour out of your mouth as you let Jesus come live in your heart.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (24) Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
Man is made up of spirit, soul, and body: see handout[1]
As Christians and ministers, we must understand the tri-part nature of man in order to help people at the root (the source) of what has plagued them for years (sometimes their lifetime).
Genesis 1:26-27, “(26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
God created Man in His Image and Likeness:
Image = Total Man (trichotomy)
Imago Dei = “Image of God”
Spirit = Transformed, New Creature, Born Again. This is where the Holy Ghost dwells. If unregenerated the spirit is empty of God’s presence and open to demonic spiritual attack.
Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”
When you receive the Holy Ghost, both your spirit and God’s Spirit are hermetically sealed together until the judgment seat of Christ.
Soul = Mind, Will and Emotions. Subject to attack by tormenting, oppressive spirits through the thought life. Your mind sets your will. Your emotion is a direct result of your mindset.
The Battleground: “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” (Ephesians 6:12).
2 Corinthians 10:3-6, (3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down imaginations [carnal reasoning and fleshly calculation], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (6) And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Body = Subject to attacks by spirits of infirmity (weakness and disease) through improper habits of health, nutrition, safety.
Likeness = goings and doings(choices we make)
Free will
Man, in God’s Image, chooses the likeness he pursues
Mark 12:13-17, “(13) And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. (14) And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? (15) Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. (16) And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. (17) And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.”
Whose image is on you, and what likeness do you display?
Why does a man do the things he does?
A key to life is to learn to accept responsibility for your actions: the likeness you choose.
Unless there is an open door, evil spirits cannot freely attack. We do not pick up an evil spirit while walking down the street.
Many have opened the door before they were filled with the Holy Ghost and when the spirit level of God is low in their natural life, satan starts invading their mind.
Why? The spirit of the man has allowed the Holy Spirit of God to become low in their life.
You, through the power of the Holy Ghost, have the right to evict all unwelcome guests to your body, soul and spirit.
This brings us to the point of renewing your mind. We renew, or refresh, our body by sleep and nourishment.
Likewise, we need to renew our mind in the Holy Ghost. This can best be accomplished through prayer and praise.
Ephesians 4:22-24, “(22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation [lifestyle = goings and doings] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God [Image of God] is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
The mind cannot maintain a common relationship with the Lord if the heart, for instance, holds to things, such as resentment, bitterness and hatred. Body, soul and spirit must be purged to maintain a productive spirit level.
“The Holy Ghost can only flow through you as pure as you are in your body, soul and spirit.” –Johnny Garrison
A sick body naturally can come under attack spiritually. God wants us to maintain body, soul and spirit to the very best of our knowledge.
We all will be held accountable for what we know to do.
There is a strong link between sickness and sin, or sickness and fear (anxiety), which manifests itself in what has been called “psychosomatic disorders” (mind-body).
James gave us an antidote for these issues:
(13 )Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. (14) Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: (15) And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (16) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:13-16).
Christians who have obey the Word and God and follow Jesus with an undivided heart bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
That obedience is the best revenge of our past disobedience when we were the servants of sin.
As Christians we have a choice regarding whose Image and Likeness we choose to carry and model: Romans 6:15-23
(15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
(16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
(19) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
(20) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
(21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
(22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When you decide to carry the Image and Likeness of God you live in victory because of these truths:[3]
You are separated from the power and enticement of sin: “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:2).
You are alive unto God: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).
The finished work of Calvary satisfied the demands of the Law and payment for our sin: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ…” (Romans 7:4).
Sin no longer has control over you: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14).
There is still a battle going on between the Law of God and the law of sin, which presents a choice between the Image and Likeness you choose: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:22-25).
The Law of the Spirit is more powerful than the low of sin and death: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:1-2, 13).
The victory Christ purchased for you helps you to approach every temptation from a position of victory: “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:…And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:19-21, 2:6-7).
[1] Notes: Dr. Joe Nelson. Techniques of Counseling 1. Parkersburg Bible College. Fall 2001.
[2] Ibid. (italicized parts are directly quoted from the PBC notes from the textbook on page 101)
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 