Daniel chapter 10 is absolutely grand!
It speaks to a vision that Daniel had - three weeks into his fasting and prayerful intercession. The vision took place on the bank of the Tigris River, on April 23rd, 536 BC. This was the third year of the reign of King Cyrus, the Persian King who replaced Darius the Mede. Daniel was there, standing on the river bank, and scripture says that he was with other men. What they were doing, no one really knows, but my guess is that they were worshipping the Lord our God, in the spirit. It's in this place that Daniel looked up, and saw a man dressed in linen with a gold belt wrapped around his waist. His body shined like a precious gem, and his eyes were ablaze like brilliant torches. His arms and his feet gleamed like polished bronze and when he spoke, his voice roared like a multitude of persons. Daniel said that when he saw the vision, the other men saw nothing, but they were terrified and ran away to hide. So Daniel was left there, all alone, and his strength left him. He grew pale, and very weak. And when the man began to speak, Daniel fainted and fell at his feet. When I read this, I thought of Acts Chapter 9 and Revelation Chapter 1 - the conversion of Saul and revelation of the Son of Man to the apostle, John. Scripture says as Saul was on the road to Damascus, passionately walking to condemn and persecute Christians. Suddenly, a light from heaven appeared to Saul, and immediately he fell to the ground. The voice said, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" And Saul asked, "Who are you, lord?" The voice replied, " I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now get up and go to the city and you will be told what you must do." The men with Saul stood speechless because they heard the sound of someone speaking, but they saw no one. Saul became blind, and could not see for three days, and his men had to escort him the rest of the way. During that time, a follower of Christ, whose name was Ananias, was told by the Lord to go to Saul in Damascus. Ananias was afraid because he knew exactly who Saul was. Saul had reputation for killing Christians. He was there when Stephen was martyred. But Ananias did exactly what the Lord told him to do. He went straight to Saul and laid his hands on him. And these are the words that came out of his mouth, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road to Damascus, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the holy spirit." Instantly, the scales fell off Saul's eyes, and he was given back his sight. Saul did what anyone would do, when they have been touched by God it's immutable. Saul went and immediately was baptized and then began telling everyone about Jesus Christ. The messenger who came in Daniel 10, reminds me a lot about the vision of the Son of Man in Revelation 1. John said, "standing in the middle of the seven gold lamp stand was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like flames of fire, and his feet were like polished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like in mighty ocean. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came out from his mouth. His face was like a sun in all it’s brilliance, and when I saw him I fell at his feet as if I were dead." Revelation 1:12-17 It's also interesting to note that the vision in Daniel 7 about the Ancient One has a similar description to that in Daniel 10 and Revelation 1. Now some would say that the man in Daniel 10 cannot possibly be the Jesus, the Son of God. For if it was, how could Jesus need Michael, to come and help make an opening for him? Daniel 10 says that the messenger was sent as soon as Daniel's prayer was sent to God. The man put his hand on Daniel and said, "Do not be afraid. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God your request was heard in heaven. I have come to answer your prayer. But for 21 days the spirit prince of Persia blocked my way, then Michael came to help and I left him there, with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia." Is it possible this man could be an archangel, like Michael, the protector of Israel? Or is the vision, Jesus himself, before he became God incarnated? The Gospel according to John says, "In the beginning the word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him. The Word gave life to everything created, his life brought light to everyone." So I guess it's possible that Jesus existed in the heavenly realm long before he became fully God and fully human. So this brings me to the end of Daniel 10, where the man of God says, "Do you know why I have come?" He said, "Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of Persia and after that the Spirit Prince of Jevon will come (which is present-day Greece and Turkey). He went on to say, "I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth." And then in parentheses, in the New Living Translation (NLT), the man said, "no one helps me against the spirit princes except for Michael your spirit prince." And then Chapter 11 begins with this, "I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede." I am excited because I have so many questions, and I am always amazed by what I learn in scripture. Whosoever believes that the Bible is just another book, written by various men, have absolutely no idea who the Holy Spirit is. There is absolutely no way that men, over hundreds and thousands of years, could have predicted the what the Bible teaches. The scripture is accurate and precise. There is no deviation that can be found in sound historical books. The scripture was created by the very breath of God, and it teaches us exactly who He is. The scripture tells the story of the Trinity of God, three distinct persons who make One God. The scripture teaches us about our identity in Christ, and it's only through the Word that we are able to have new life. Daniel 10 has brought up so many questions. Like, "What exactly is the Book of Truth? Is it an actual book in heaven or is it the compilation of the Old and New Testament? Is the Book of Truth the scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne, as told in Revelation 5? Is this the scroll sealed with 7 seals? Is this the Book that can only be opened by the Lamb of God? And what about the message that the man said, in Daniel 10 verse 21? The man said, "No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince." And then in Daniel 11:1, he said, "I have been standing beside Michael to support and strengthen him since the first year of Darius the Mede." Could this mean that hand of that appeared out of nowhere in Daniel Chapter 5, the hand that wrote, "Mene Mene Tekel Parsin" on the plaster wall, could the hand have been a physical manifestation of what was happening in the spirit realm? I mean, that very night, King Belshazzar died and Darius the Mede took over. And if this is true, then it's not impossible to believe that the very same thing could be happening today! Scripture says that spirit princes reign over regions, and that earthly kings can be a manifestation of them. I suppose that's why the Lord woke up his prophets in the year 2020. He gave me words almost every day, and then in January, they suddenly went away. But during 2020, the Lord showed me many things, and it all started with coming of his rain. I saw the puppetry happening in our government, and I heard the sound of Lucifer's lullaby lulling children to sleep. I saw the division happening in the land, and I saw people fighting over the color of our skin. I saw division within families and friends, and of course, we saw the pandemic hitting all our lands. I heard Luke 12:49-59 for an explanation of the season, and I heard the Lord say, "I am wringing out my remnant for one drop of My blood covers a multitude of sin." I saw the encroachment of satanic influence, and I had a dream about a cockroach infestation filling up our land. I saw a magnetic movement and centrifuge happening in the earth, and I had a vision of scales and us hanging in the balance. But what hurt the most, was God being taken out of government, and our nation falling away from Him. I had so many words that came to me at night. I could not keep up so I created this blog called "Breaking Strongholds." Many thought I was crazy, but that is totally okay. I learned to be obedient to our Amazing God. Now today, I wish I heard his voice, but honestly, he's been pretty silent. So I read my Bible and dive in deep, and wait on my Lord with patient endurance. And I have to say, that Daniel 10 makes me think of the message in Ephesians Chapter 6. Paul, the person who used to be called Saul, tells us that we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and unseen principalities. He encourages us to put on the Armor of God and pray in the spirit always. Paul warns us to stay alert and be persistent in prayer, so that we can provide a covering over believers everywhere. So tonight, as I get ready to close this post, I pray that the host in heaven will protect us from evil schemes of the enemy. I pray for the lost, like Lil Nas X and Cardi B, who are currently be used by satanic puppetry. I pray for our children who are under satanic indoctrination. I pray for people to find their identity in Christ, and to have the courage to shake off the quicksand. I pray for mother and fathers everywhere, who are hurting and in despair. I pray for families to be reconciled just as you call back to yourself. Abba Father, you are the giver of life. I pray for the people of Israel. I pray for Christians everywhere, who are persecuted for standing on your name. I believe with all my heart that soon, you will arrive to receive your bride. Help us to stand ready to receive. Help us to withstand the enemy. Help us to be a suffering servant. Help us to maintain terms of endearment.
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I had a difficult time with understanding Daniel Chapter 9. I struggled a ton with understanding Gabriel's message about the Anointed One. A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for the Israelites and Jerusalem to finish their rebellion, put an end to their sin, atone for their guilt, bring in everlasting righteousness, confirm the prophetic vision and anoint the Most Holy Place. Seven sets of seven (49 years) plus sixty-two sets of seven (434 years) will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem (I searched Ezra for an understanding of the command) until a ruler - the Anointed One (JESUS) comes.
My guess was that there were 49 years separated from the 434 years because why else would Gabriel separate the years? So the years may not be in consecutive order (483 straight years). Also the Jewish calendar is different than the English calendar, so that may be another reason I don't understand. I think the Jewish calendar has 360 days and ours has 365 days. (Math was never my strength). Scripture says that after the 62 sets of 7 (which means both the 49 years and the 434 years have passed), "the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the Temple. This equates to 69 of the 70 sets of seven prophecy. That means there is 1 set of 7 years that is still to come. "The ruler will make a treaty with the people (what people? the Jewish people?) for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time (3.5 years), he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings (the Jews will not be able to offer sacrifices and offerings - are they now???) And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration (abomination of desolation) until the fate decreed for this defiler (Anti-Christ) is finally poured out on him. 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 shares the events that will happen prior to the Lord's Second Coming. Scripture says not to be alarmed by those who say the Day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision. The Day of the Lord (found in Joel Chapter 3) will not come UNTIL there is a GREAT REBELLION AGAINST GOD and the man of lawlessness (son of destruction) is revealed - the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object they worship. He will even sit in the temple of God (Is this the actual physical Temple Mount in Jerusalem where the Islamic Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque stand?) claiming that he himself is God. Paul tells us that someone or something is holding back the Anti-Christ, for he can only be revealed when his time comes. He says that this lawlessness is already secretly at work (even back in the 1st century when he wrote this letter to Thessalonia). He says he will remain secret until the one who is holding him back steps out of the way (I wonder who it is???). Is it Holy Spirit? Is it Satan himself? Is it Jesus? Who is holding back the Anti-Christ from coming? Paul must have known. When the man of lawlessness is revealed, Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. Scripture says this man (an actual person controlled by Satan) (see Revelation 13 - The Beast of the Sea and the Beast of the Earth) will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be decieved, and they will believe these lies (all because they are prideful and stubborn and refuse to acknowledge the truth). Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing in the truth. Daniel 9 is a testament to Daniel's heart. He humbled himself before the Lord and he humbled himself and served evil kings. He was willing to die for his beliefs, yet he honored the kings he served and treated them with dignity and respect. He spoke the truth in love, while listening to the prophet Jeremiah and believing him when no one else would. Daniel interceded for his people and asked for God's grace and mercy for his own sins and the sin of his people. Daniel fasted and prayed diligently, always seeking the Lord. He is a beautiful man of God - one who God calls "highly esteemed." May we all learn from this truth. Amen. Yesterday I saw how the ministry of Jesus began. It started with an obedient heart, a water baptism and an open heaven where Father, Son and Spirit expressed the Trinity of God. Then, right after the Father declared his utmost love, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested through the tempting of Satan. And unlike what happened to Adam in The Garden, Jesus won - and the angels came to minister to Him.
Today, I will zone in and look at how the ministry of Jesus began. Matthew 4:12-17 says, "When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali - to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." I am struggling to understand why Jesus went North when John went South. It was recorded by Josephus Flavius, a first-century Romano-Jewish historian who was born in Jerusalem, that John the Baptist was imprisoned in Machaerus, a fortified hilltop palace located in Jordan, 16 miles southeast of the mouth of the Jordan River on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. John was executed in approximately 32 AD, shortly before the Passover was about to take place. I suppose it's because John's purpose had been done, and Jesus took over where John's ministry had left off. Verse 17 says, "from then on Jesus began to preach, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." I have to say I am amazed! For me, typically, when people speak about Jesus, it's all sounds so "Christmas-y" - "peace on earth and joy to all" is what is typically heard. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard that the ministry of Jesus began with REPENT for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. I'm curious to dive in deep, and see how the teachings and the works of Jesus are tied to His preaching of repentance. The Holy Spirit is definitely giving me new eyes to see through the faith gene of Christ. But wait...I was going to focus on the first disciples tomorrow...but since there is nothing more about stated about the ministry of Jesus, then I will take this moment to examine the first disciples of Jesus. I wonder if they too had the faith gene? Verses 18 to 22 says, "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." I think that pretty much states it. Of all the men that Jesus could have picked, He chose these men for a reason. Perhaps He knew they would immediately accept His invitation. All He said, "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." At once, they left their loved ones, and their possessions, and followed him. How many of us would do that? But Jesus knew their hearts even before they did - that must have been why He picked them. As an aside, I always wondered how Ezekiel was able to do it. How was he able to walk away from his dead wife, his dearest treasure, without mourning? But now, I get it - at least better than I did. Since the glory of the Lord has shined down on me, through prophetic words, visions and dreams, I understand the wisdom seen in how Ezekiel was able to trust God more than his own feelings. (The Death of Ezekiel's Wife can be found in Ezekiel Chapter 24:15-27). So, this brings me back to John the Baptiste and why, possibly, Jesus went in the opposite direction. He must have been told by the Father not to pursue him - not to save him from an earthly death. I mean, why would He? He came to suffer the same thing - as the final atonement. The blood sacrifice as the everlasting atonement. "Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold - their joy and and glory, their heart's desire, their dearest treasure - I will also take away their sons and daughters. And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened. And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that am the Lord." Ezekiel 24:25-27 The Lord considers our dearest treasure, our spouse and our sons and daughters, as strongholds. He considers our personal joy and glory, our self-love and self-esteem, as strongholds. He says that our heart's desire is a stronghold! I guess this is why Jesus also said, "Who is my mother and my brother" when Mary and his brothers came to see Him. Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Luke 12:48-50 So, in the end, I have learned so much from this passage. First, the ministry of Jesus is all about repentance! The mission of Christ is to tell people to turn from their sins and turn to God because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Second, the first disciples dropped everything to follow Jesus. The left their livelihood, their possessions, their family - all to follow Jesus. Third, an heir to the throne of God, a brother and sister in Christ, is a person who does the will of the Father in Heaven. Thank you Holy Spirit for revealing the Word of God to me. May the eyes of the spiritually blind be opened. Father, I pray these words that I write for you give glory to your name, and they be multiplied in your sight. Amen. Matthew chapter 4 has four parts:
1. The temptation of Jesus, 2. The beginning of His ministry, 3. The first disciples, and 4. The crowds that followed Him. Today, I will focus in on the temptation that Jesus had, and how it began right after Jesus expressed an obedient heart, a water baptism and an open Heaven where Father, Son and Spirit were reconnected as a Trinity of One. If you want to know more, please go back and read Matthew 3. You see, right after the Father said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, the adversary of God. There are several things that need to be examined in this passage, and it starts with an understanding of what the wilderness is. Deuteronomy 28 says that that there will be blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience - all of which come from God. This means that God will give us opportunities to be tested, even though He is not the one tempting us. And Deuteronomy 29:5-6 says, "I have led you forty years in the wilderness. The clothes on your back have not worn out, and the sandals on your feet have not worn out; you have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink—so that you may know that I am the Lord your God." The Greek word for wilderness in the Matthew Chapter 4 passage is eremos, and it's etymology comes from the root meaning "of uncertain affinity." Eremos is actually an adjective that describes the condition of loneliness, desolation and deserted. The Hebrew word for wilderness is midbar, and it's etymology stems from the meaning "an open field or a pasture in which cattle are driven." So what I am understanding about the wilderness is that it is a desolate place to which God is driving us so that we can show our obedience by fully relying on Him. The second thing that struck me was the number 40. The amount of time, in days and years, that God allowed Jesus and the Israelites to wander in. It seems to signify a period of testing, trial and tribulation. Moses lived 40 years in Egypt and 40 years in the desert before God chose Him, and he sat on Mount Sinai for days and nights, on two separate occasions. Spies were sent to investigate the land of Canaan for 40 days before they could obtain their inheritance, and Jonah powerfully warned the land of Nineveh for 40 days that it's destruction would come come because of its many sins. Ezekiel laid on his right side for 40 days to symbolize Judah's sins, and Elijah went 40 days without food or water at Mount Horeb - Just as Jesus did. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that God destroyed a generation of people, while leaving a remnant through the Noahic covenant when he flooded the earth 40 days, just as he did through the Mosaic covenant when the children of Israel were punished by wandering the wilderness for 40 years before a new generation was allowed to possess the promised land. All we have to do is add a 0 to see, that God cemented his Word, his Land, his Seed, and his Redemption and Blessing when he told Abraham, in a dream, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated (400) four hundred years. But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” The third thing that struck me was that Satan was given permission to tempt Jesus in the land that the Spirit of God sent him, just as Satan was allowed to enter the Garden of Eden and tempt Adam and Eve. But this time, man was not just the flesh creation as he was with Adam. This time, Jesus was fully God and fully man - God incarnated. "So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam a life-giving spirit." 1 Corinthians 15:45 So we see, in Matthew 4 that Satan is actually trying to tempt God himself. Now I totally understand why the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and why anything that goes against God is called a fool. Jesus was able to withstand the temptation of Satan, because He knew who He was and who He was dealing with. Satan started by tempting the flesh, and trying to get Jesus to break from His identity in God. Jesus had been 40 days in the wilderness, with no food to eat. So the tempter offered him bread to eat, if Jesus were truly the Son of God then he could tell the stones to become loaves of bread at his feet. But Jesus did not take the bait. He said, "The scriptures say that people do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." So then Satan took Jesus to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the temple and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump! For it is written, "He will command His angels concerning You, and they will You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone." By the way, this scripture is found in the 11th verse of Psalm 91. But Jesus said, "The Scriptures ALSO say, "you must not test of the Lord your God." Now I know why scripture tells us to put the Word of God inside our hearts, because Satan knows it better than us. We have to understand, that it's only through the blood of Christ and our faith in Him that we are made right in sight of God. Satan made a third attempt to tempt Jesus, and this time he did it through the spirit. Satan, as the chief spiritual prince of this world, the world that David referred to as the Valley of the Shadow of Death, took Jesus to the highest mountain peak. He showed Him ALL the kingdoms of the world, and said, "I will give you everything if you will kneel down and worship me." Jesus said, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve." And finally the devil went away, and to Jesus, the angels came and ministered unto Him. You see, Satan is nothing more than a pest, a wolf dressed in sheep's clothing, whose sole mission is to tempt us. But God puts us to the test. This world is not our home. It is not our final destination. This world is the Valley of the Shadow of Death, that Genesis Chapter 3 describes as Paradise Lost. But our God, He is with us. He has offered himself as the final sacrifice. The Land is promised - to whosoever accepts Jesus. Tomorrow I will begin looking at the ministry of Jesus which Matthew Chapter 4 says is, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." In Matthew Chapter 3 verse 15 Jesus says, "Suffer it to be..." I wonder, what did he mean? Well, the Greek word for Suffer, in this passage, is G863 and the word is Aphiemi. It means to send away, to let go or to abandon; to leave so that what is left will may remain; or to depart from a person and not take him as a companion. “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John, his own cousin who lived in the wilderness, shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!" John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, why do you come to me?" But Jesus responded, with “Suffer it be." "Aphiemi arti gar houto prepo esti hemin pleroo pas dikaiosyne tote aphiemi autos." Arti in Greek is G737, which comprises the phrase "it to be so now." What Jesus meant is that there would be a suspension in time, this present moment would be raised up again. Jesus gave consolation and comforted John with the words, "for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” The Greek word for "it becometh" is prepo which is to stand out in eminence through a recognized superiority. John must have known that what Jesus says is true, for He can not operate outside of the Spirit of Grace and Truth. And Jesus spoke of their unity when he used the pronoun "hemin" to declare "us, we and our." It's the same "us" that Jesus said, when he asked the Pharisees where the baptism of John came from. After much deliberation, they said to themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” So they answered that they did not know where it was from. And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” Luke 20:1-8 So John consented, and agreed to fall in line, for he trusted and believed the order and timeline set by God. And the reason why it had to be so orderly was because all righteousness would be given to whosoever believes. The Greek word for all is G3956, "pas" represents both individually and collectively. "Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone and everything; all things, always, and whosoever believes." Then there is righteousness, which can only be found through Christ. The Greek word is dikaiosyne which means the condition acceptable to God. G1343 is a noun which means integrity, virtue, and purity of life that comes from correct thinking, feeling and behaving. In the broader sense, it means the state of him who is as he ought to be, and in the narrow sense, it means justice or the virtue which gives each his due. "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately as he came up from the water, the heavens opened up, and the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove; and behold, the voice of God from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” All at once, there was perfect unity. Father, Son and Spirit - the Face of our Triune God - 3 persons in One. I used to believe that Jesus was being kind to John by offering him the opportunity to baptize Him; but now I see that John the was the eminent domain upon which Jesus could stake His claim. “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” was proclaimed by a man who had the Spirit of God upon him. All set ahead of time, perfectly fitted and perfectly planned. So much wisdom can be found in the response that Jesus said to John; “Suffer it now so, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” - perfectly timed and perfectly planned. You see, Jesus and John were conceived, simultaneously; joined together - by the faith gene. Created purposely, to bring life back to humanity. Solomon’s porch is the perfect place to sit with people and honor God. The Church is not about being a man or woman, being black or white, or being a Gentile or Jew. It's about humans coming together, loving each other and loving God.
God is three distinct persons, coming together, into perfect union. Father, Son and Holy Spirit braided together as One. Holy Spirit is often confused, but he is a person, not just an expression of God. He has a function. He grows within us and He comes upon; and He has many names, and they refer to the character of who God is. Holy Spirit regenerates that which is dead and gives birth to our salvation; He illuminates His Word and opens the hearts of those who love Him. Wisdom comes when He illuminates our hearts to the fear of the Lord. For He is the Spirit of Truth and opens our eyes to the spirit of the antichrist - who denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22 Followers of Christ are anointed for service to build the glorious Kingdom of Heaven. In the Book of Luke, Jesus is recorded as being given the Book of Isaiah, and then went on to read the part that defined Him. He would preach good tiding to the poor in Spirit, to heal the broken hearted, to set the captives free, and open the doors of those imprisoned. Holy Spirit would proclaim the acceptable years of God, those of favor and those during tribulation; Every whosoever chooses to believe will be accepted into the Kingdom of God; and the day of vengeance that will surely come. The grace of God is immeasurable in human language. There is no way in hell that we can understand how good our God is! Anointed is to be set apart, consecrated and sanctified unto God. The Lord tells us this was done before He formed us in the womb. Before we were born we were known and entrusted with a mission (see Jeremiah 1). We need to know there is a difference between our gifts and being anointed; for every person who believes in the gospel of Christ IS anointed to do His work. We are the workmanship of God, created for a unique purpose. God gives us sight to see the beauty inside of what He has created. Science is not man-made, it is simp6ly the unfolding of what God has already created. The Lord has already ordained the good works, all we have to do is walk in it. In the Old Testament, only prophets, priests and kings were anointed. But since the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ, “The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:15 “John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair and he wore a leather belt around his waist”
as followers of Christ wear the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth around their waist. “For food he ate locusts and wild honey," much like scroll that tasted like honey and became bitter inside of Ezekiel's tummy. “People from Jerusalem, and from all of Judea, and all over the Jordan Valley went out to hear and see John, and when they confessed their sins he baptized them in the Jordan River.” And Jesus sent his disciples into all ends of the earth, teaching them to obey His commandments and be baptized by the Holy Spirit. “But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them and said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” Can you believe the audacity of John to call them snakes? I wonder what he meant? Could he be making an analogy to Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God? "And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.” Let us remember that Satan is serpent who tempts humanity to disobey God. Perhaps we are to be afraid of the consequences of our sin. “Don’t just say to each other, ‘we are safe for we are the descendants of Abraham” because even Abraham, the Father of Faith, had to endure God’s test of obedience when he was called to sacrifice his son. “for I tell you God can create children of Abraham from these very stones” for everything in creation is made to glorify God. “Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised and ready to sever the roots of the trees” just as Daniel foretold, right before the King Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind. Yes, even a king had to learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world, and gives them to anyone he chooses. “Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” And Jesus will curse the fig tree that does not bear fruit. Matthew 3:4-10 In Matthew 3, verse 11-12, John the Baptist said,
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Do you not see? The water baptism is just the beginning of spiritual transition. It’s an outward expression of your inward condition and tells the whole world, and yourself, that you are acknowledging your need for a savior, your lack of obedience and your stubborn heart. Repentance is nothing more than hitting the floor and acknowledging God as sovereign. It's dying to self and realizing that without Christ, we are nothing at all. I mean, we can say positive affirmations that help us feel good, but without Christ we are nothing more than self-righteous and spiritually lost. Jesus came to set the sinners free - do you not see the grace in this? For we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, and it’s only through Jesus's blood that our sins are blotted out. Baptized by water is a wonderful beginning, but it is not enough to make us right with God. John said, "there is One coming who is mightier than I, and He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” What do you think he meant by this? My guess is that the water symbolizes the repentant heart, and the blood of Christ washes our sin away. The Holy Spirit enters in and leads us into the wilderness. The trials and tribulations become opportunities to confess and testify to Jesus, and the fire of God burns the impurities away. Humility is the heart condition that makes us present to Christ, and enables us to walk in the light. Christ does not see our dress or shoes, our makeup or jewels; Christ sees the heart and the mind of every person who is humble and kind. The person who is vulnerable, who has humbled and exposed themselves to stand naked before the Lord. Gods spiritual DNA Is expressed through the human gene of Faith, and repentance is the key the unlocks the code. The darkness of sin that exists inside of every human is brought into the light when repentance is thought and spoken. And where there is light, there is God. For sin is merely the absence of Him. Holy Spirit pays attention to the thoughts and intentions of the minds of men who God created, and the human heart becomes known again. John the Baptist said, "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So I ask the person reading this to sit and reflect on this - Are you the wheat or the chaff that John speaks of? Are you part of the God's Kingdom or will you burn? |
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April 2022
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