This morning I want to invite you
to join me on a little journey.
We are going to read
the following four verses,
very slowly and very intently,
and we are going to ask
the Holy Spirit to teach us
what the message of Jesus is.

Jesus said,
“Take heed -
that you do not despise
one of these little ones,
for I say to you that in heaven
their angels always see
the face of My Father
who is in heaven.
For the Son of Man has come
to save that which was lost.
“What do you think?
If a man has a hundred sheep,
and one of them goes astray,
does he not leave the ninety-nine
and go to the mountains
to seek the one that is straying?
And if he should find it,
assuredly, I say to you,
he rejoices more over that sheep
than over the ninety-nine
that did not go astray.
Even so it is not the will
of your Father who is in heaven
that one of these little ones should perish.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:10-14‬

Now, stop.
Take a deep breath.
And read it again.
Attune your ear and listen closely
to the Word of God.

Remember,
every verse has to be understood
in the context of which it is being used.

Now, let's go back to the message
that comes prior to this passage.

Matthew 18 begins with Jesus
answering the disciples question,
“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:1‬

Jesus then called a little child to Him,
set him in the midst of them, and said,
“Assuredly, I say to you,
unless you are converted
and become as little children,
you will by no means
enter the kingdom of heaven."
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:2-3

So there is the answer to
“Who are the lost sheep?”

The lost sheep are "the little children"
humans whose hearts have been converted.

The lost sheep are faithful followers of Christ
and the Holy Spirit.
They know and respond to the Voice of the Father,
but they have gotten lost, they've lost their direction.

The lost sheep
are people who have gone astray
because they have wandered 
too far away from God.

BUT when the Lord is a good, good Father.
He uses his rod and his staff to pull them back,
And when they enter again, into the flock,
it's as if they were never gone.

Lost Sheep do not intentionally bring harm!

Lost sheep know their Shepherd,
and when He speaks they respond to His Voice.

Lost Sheep are different than Wolves.

Sheep and wolves
are made from very different seed.
Unfortunately, this land is filled with both.

Jesus said,
“Behold, I am sending you out
as lambs in the midst of wolves.”
Luke 10:3
and
“Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep's clothing
but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Matthew 7:15

Do you see?
I know - it's almost impossible to believe
that the seed of the Serpent
and the Seed of the woman
still exists.

This is why it is so important
to read God's Word
under the direction of the Holy Spirit!

Many people who read the Bible
according to the flesh instead of the Spirit,
twist the Word of God, without even knowing it!

For instance, they might teach
that lost sheep are wolves,
and the other way around.
They might think a lost sheep 
is anyone who does not go to church.
But that is such a surface approach.

Ugh! I could go on and on,
about twisted truth,
but let me get back into the verse.

The second thing
the Holy Spirit highlighted to me was this,
“for I say to you that in heaven
their angels always see the face of My Father
who is in heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:10
‬
I had to read that verse over and over again,
to make sure I was really understanding what it said.

It appears “the little ones” who believe in Christ,
and faithfully follow the Father’s voice,
have angels in Heaven watching over them.
The angels intercede on the sheep’s behalf
and have permanent access to God.

What are angels anyway?

Well the author of Hebrews puts it this way,
“Are they not all ministering spirits
sent forth to minister for those
who will inherit salvation?”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1:14‬

Wouldn't that mean that angels are spirits,
Sons of God who belong to the spirit realm
who are sent forth by their Father,
to serve God's children in the earthly realm
until they inherit salvation?
  
Do you remember what Jesus said
in the Parable of the Tares?

“He who sows the good seed
is the Son of Man.
The field is the world,
the good seeds are
the sons of the kingdom,
but the tares are
the sons of the wicked one.
The enemy who sowed them
is the devil,
the harvest is the end of the age,
and the reapers are the angels.
Therefore as the tares
are gathered and burned in the fire,
so it will be at the end of this age.
The Son of Man
will send out His angels,
and they will gather out of His kingdom
all things that offend,
and those who practice lawlessness,
and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:37-43

So, do you have ears to hear?
Did you understand what you just read?
‬
The Word of God is so good!

Every verse tastes so delicious 
that I never want to stop chewing on it!

Let me assure you,
It hasn’t always been this easy.
When I first starting reading scripture at age 23,
I had no idea what I was reading,
and none of it made sense to me.
But I continued to dig in,
because I was being led by the Holy Spirit.
But, I read from a flesh perspective,
for 23 long years!
I believed in the scripture when I agreed with It,
and excused it when I did not.
What I mean is,
I was very progressive in my thought.

But, I quickly learned
that God’s Word never changes
and it does not ever return void.
Despite what we think
and what our culture says,
God's Word always remains the same.

When I was 46 years old,
the Lord decided to open my eyes
and He did it through
a GREAT humbling spirit!
He allowed Satan to attack my very life!
For a whole year, I fell into a depression,
as I experienced personal trial and tribulation.
I felt a lot like Job.

I fell into a pit,
and I could not get out on my own.
The Lord let me sit until I was able to admit
that He alone is God!

That is when I came to full repentance.

Then, as if He had known all along,
exactly where I was,
He sent Jesus to drop the rope of hope down.
I literally could see His face,
as He extended His right hand to me.
He lifted me from the swamp
and brought me up to Him,
and held me
when I could not stand on my own.

This whole experience
was captured in a poem called The Boardwalk Vision.
I was completely transformed into the spirit,
when Jesus opened the door to God.
For some reason,
the Lord allowed me to see a glimpse of Him.
Since then,
my eyes have been opened
and my ears have been broken.
And it was not something I magically did on my own.

All the glory goes to God.

Now, I’m His instrument,
and I love to play music for Him.

I finally know my purpose!
It's to spread the Good News
and reconcile men back to God.

I’m an open vessel to be used by God
for the advancement of His Kingdom.
I now know that Jesus is sovereign,
and I am not.

I am just a human who believes that
Jesus is the Son of God -
who came to shed his blood for us.

Jesus is the reason
“the little ones” - “the lost sheep”
don't have to experience eternal death.
He is the Lamb of God,
as shown in the Revelation that was given to John.
See Revelation Chapter 5

I believe that while our flesh will die,
our spirits will rise
to be judged by the Father,
and He will examine
the thoughts of our heart
to make a final decision
about our ultimate consequence.
Some will live with Him in Heaven,
but many will not.

That is why we are told not to judge!
Because we are not the Father above.

When we try to take on the role of God,
we are idolizing ourselves and not Him.

In our ignorance, many people believe
that we have the authority
to determine the heart of another person.
And that is not good,
because we can’t even determine
what is right in our own.

I mean,
What if other people are just lost sheep,
who have gone astray?
How happy would God be
if we decided to condemn them?

I wonder if God would say,
"Those without sin should cast the first stone."

​What would you do?

Written 7/30/21

In Matthew Chapter 18, we see Jesus 
referring to God’s children 
as little ones
who walk by faith, not by sin.
What do you think this means?

You may be thinking,
"How can anyone be washed clean
if they live in a body that is full of sin?"
"How can anyone be clean
in a world that has been cursed by God,
and placed under the influence of Satan himself?

Well, 1 John 1:7 says
it is only Jesus’s blood
that we are washed clean
from our imperfect selves.

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him,
and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light
as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭1:6-10‬

Matthew 18:6 quotes
the words of Jesus,
“Whoever causes one of these little ones
who believe in Me to sin,
it would be better for him if a millstone
were hung around his neck,
and he were drowned
in the depth of the sea."

Jesus makes it very clear
that a little one is actually a person
who believes in Him;
not a person who does not.

It's so funny that I used to think
Jesus was talking about children in the literal sense.
Those who are young in age.
But now that I have new eyes to see,
I realize Jesus is referring to those
who know and trust their parent -
Father God.

Be aware -
It’s not possible to believe in Christ
without following the leading of the Holy Spirit,
and knowing the Word of God.

In fact,
the Word and the Son of Man
are the very same thing.
They both tell the story of Jesus.

You see, the Word that was spoken
from the beginning of time!
The Suffering Servant,
the Passover Lamb,
the Seed of the woman,
the Righteous Cornerstone,
the Cut Rock
that would bring the statue down.

Jesus!
The Lion of Judah
who rules with scepter in hand!
Jesus!
The Coming King
who rules the New Jerusalem.

If anyone claims to know Christ,
but is confused or misled
by what the Scripture says,
then more time needs to be spent
dying to self, sitting at the cross
and sending prayers and supplications
up to Him, with a thankful heart.
It's all about fellowship with God.

The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth,
and He will give you knowledge, wisdom
and courage to make it through.

God will honor your heartfelt request
to be in right fellowship with Him.
There are so many verses
to back up what I’ve said,
but I don’t want to make this poem too long -
so I’ll just list some verses
in case you want to dive in more on your own:
Matthew Chapter 7, Luke Chapter 11 and 1 John 1.

We know for a fact,
that people’s hearts and minds
are completely transformed
without even knowing what the Bible says.
This happens to people when Jesus shows up
through a vision or a dream,
or an auditory sensory experience,
like Saul had!

In an instance, he was forever changed!
On the road to Damascus
is where his conversion happened -
and God gave him a new name.
See Acts Chapter 9 for more information.

This is what God is doing in many nations,
where the Bible is banned
and people are persecuted for being Christian.
Jesus is going directly to them,
and introducing himself 
through dreams and visions.
People’s eyes are being completely opened,
even in countries like China and Iran.
And then, when they see the written Word of God,
they understand it's meaning and His intent.

There’s one more thing
I need to share about God’s children,
“the little ones” that Jesus speaks of -
they walk by faith, not by sight,
and they produce good fruit of the Spirit,
they are not driven by the flesh.
See the 5th Chapters of 2 Corinthians,
Ephesians and Galatians
to gain a better understanding of this.

Jesus says,
“Whoever causes one of these little ones
who believe in Me to sin,
it would be better for him if a millstone
were hung around his neck,
and he were drowned
in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6

As you can see,
Jesus is an extremely protective sibling.
He loves His brothers and sisters,
the Children of God.

In fact, Jesus even made a threat
to the person or the demon
who causes them to sin -
“Woe to the world because of offenses!
For offenses must come,
but woe to that man
by whom the offense comes!”
Matthew 18:7

Jesus understands 
that temptations will come,
because Satan has been given
authority over this world,
until Gods appointed time.
For whatever reason,
this is God’s decision,
whether we like it or not.

See the whole Book of Job
for further clarification of this!

But woe to the person
who causes another
to slip into sinful slumber!
Jesus says that the consequence
will be worse than drowning under water
with no way out!

This is why it’s so important
that teachers and pastors be grounded
in the whole Word of God!
They are accountable
for the words that they say,
and the actions that could lead people astray!

Can you imagine the consequence
a false teacher or pastor
will have to pay
if they lead hundreds of people
away from the truth?

And can you imagine
being such a blind follower, or timid human
that you do not question
teachers and pastors
when they are way off base
with what the Word of God says?

Jesus says,
“If your hand or your foot
causes you to sin,
cut it off and cast it from you.
It is better for you
to enter into life lame or maimed,
rather than having
two hands or two feet,
to be cast into the everlasting fire.
And if your eye causes you to sin,
pluck it out and cast it from you.
It is better for you
to enter into life with one eye,
rather than having two eyes,
to be cast into hell fire.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:6-9‬

This is a serious spiritual condition
that needs Believers special attention!
This type of infection can easily spread!
It can be even worse than cancer,
because it could mean the difference
between Hell and Heaven.

You see, I don’t believe
Jesus is just talking about
the physical parts of ourselves.
I believe He is referring to
the whole Body of Christ.

If the hands or the feet
or the eyes or the mouth
are infecting the Church -
the actual Body of Christ,
then they need to be cleansed,
or cut off and cast out before it gets worse!

It doesn’t surprise me
that the next section of scripture
in Matthew 18 is the Parable of Lost Sheep!
It all makes total sense.

We must remember
there is only One Shepherd
to whom we are accountable;
and the little ones answer ONLY to HIS call!

Children of God,
Be careful of being led astray -
Listen closely for the Voice of God!

Can you believe I finally got into
Matthew Chapter 18?
Chapter 17 was so
wonderfully overwhelming.
I had no idea
I was going to actually see
Jesus’s transfiguration on the Mount!
The breaking of dawn
was absolutely stunning!
I just love the Morning Star!

It’s so hard to believe
that 8 poetic sermons
came from just 27 verses.
I look forward to digesting 35 more.

I guess I’ll start Chapter 18
by eating the first five.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus,
saying, “Who then is greatest
in the kingdom of heaven?”
Then Jesus called a little child to Him,
set him in the midst of them, and said,
“Assuredly, I say to you,
unless you are converted
and become as little children,
you will by no means
enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever humbles himself
as this little child is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever receives one little child like this
in My name receives Me.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:1-5‬

First, it’s important to understand
the disciples question came right after
they witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus
and experienced how the casting out of a demon
was impossible for them.

If they had any doubts Jesus was the Messiah,
the actual beloved Son of God,
then those doubts were now
probably squashed. 

It’s interesting to me,
in a frustrating kind of way,
that the disciples next question
was focused on political position
and hierarchical power 
in the kingdom of Heaven.
I mean isn’t it amazing
how selfishly humans respond, 
even when we think
we are giving God out best?

Humans tend to focus on 
hierarchy, rank and order,
comparing themselves to each other,
rather than being equal as sisters and brothers,
and coming under the authority of God.

Even when we think
we are doing what is right,
by deciding who is just and who is not,
we are actually breaking the heart of God.

When Jesus’s students asked the question,
“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?”
Jesus responded by showing them
the heart and humility of a little child.

My guess is,
Jesus wanted them to understand
that they should let go of the thoughts
and customs of this world,
because they are in direct opposition to God.

Rather than focusing on
gaining position and power,
humans should simply trust in Jesus
and serve others, thereby serving Him.

From what Jesus said and did,
we can assume in the Kingdom of Heaven,
positions of power are actually
positions of servanthood.
Not the other way around.

Rather than lord human power
over other people, or demand
“power to the people”
we are called to love God
and love our neighbors as ourselves.

This means even our enemies,
and people who are different from us,
deserve our respect and forgiveness.

A lawyer asked Jesus this,
"which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

Jesus replied, 
“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it:
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments
hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬

“Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth”
Matthew 5:5

Doesn’t it all make sense now?
“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.”

It is the humble in spirit
who will be citizens in Heaven
And live upon the new earth as God's children.

God’s Word is not always easy to digest!
It often goes in like honey
and turns bitter as it goes down.

God’s Word is the perfect mirror for us!
It helps us know how off base we are.

Everything we know;
Everything we’ve been told -
Is an abomination to God!

The prince of this world tempts us
to focus on self.
And in the flesh,
we do not have the mind of Christ,
rather we have the mind of self-interest.

People get stuck on “Who is the best?”
Even the Church is notorious for this!
In fact, they can be the very worst.

I’ve seen posts from Christian businesses
who say things like
“No one does it quite like us!”
“We are the best!”

And I’ve seen Church Billboards
and signs that advertise,
“No one loves you like we do.”
Let me ask, is that actually true?
Does that one church 
really believe they are that good?
Do they really believe they are better at love
than anyone else in any other church?

Where is the humility in any of this?

I’ve seen whole church doctrines
focus all their attention
on human hierarchy and position
rather than focusing on servanthood.
And I’ve seen so many Christians
get into vicious arguments
about what they believe to be justice.

I’m not saying I am any different.
I, too, trip over selfish ambition.
But I’m learning to submit myself
to the Lords correction.
And every time I digest God’s Word,
God shows me that He is good, and I am not.

“Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
says the Lord.
“For as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
So are My ways
higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:7-9‬

Lord, please forgive us
and help us to walk in love
with the mind of Christ.
Help us to get rid of selfish thoughts
that focus on human hierarchy,
position and power,
and stupid comparisons 
​like "Who is the best?"

Today’s teaching is so simple and true.
The emphasis is not on the tax,
but on the WHO.

I invite you to read this verse
and let me know if you see it too.

“When Jesus and His disciples
had come to Capernaum,
those who received the temple tax
came to Peter and said, 
“Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

He said, “Yes.”

And when Peter had come into the house,
Jesus anticipated him, saying,
“What do you think, Simon?
From whom do the kings of the earth
take customs or taxes,
from their sons or from strangers?”

Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him,
“Then the sons are free.
Nevertheless, lest we offend them,
go to the sea, cast in a hook,
and take the fish that comes up first.
And when you have opened its mouth,
you will find a piece of money;
take that and give it to them 
for Me and you.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:24-27‬

What a great teaching from Jesus Christ.
He tells how the kings of the earth work,
and then he follows it up
with how followers of Him
are supposed to act.
Government -in the earth realm
is not about freedom
as we have been told.
It’s about presidents and public leaders 
obtaining wealth by squeezing the throats
of other humans.
It’s about creating customs
to advance the earth realm,
and strategizing it’s position
to replace the Kingdom of God.

And instead of fighting with it,
and demanding justice, 
Jesus said,
“Nevertheless, lest we offend them,
go to the sea, cast in a hook,
and take the fish that comes up first.”

It appears
Jesus wants his followers to understand
the truth about the earth realm,
where the heart of the government
is all about selfish demands.
It appears
Jesus wants his followers to understand
that they should be careful
not to offend what the leaders command.

I love that Jesus differentiates
between sons and strangers,
He shows the difference
between citizens of the earth realm
and citizens who belong to Heaven;
between the Seed of the woman
and the seed of Satan.
​​

Can I just say,
I love writing poetic sermons
from Bible passages.
It makes me slow down
when eating the Word of God,
and it tastes so good!
I’m able to chew on every morsel
and it totally helps with the digestive process.
So what I do is pick a book,
then read one chapter at a time.
Then I meditate on God’s Word
and wait for Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts
on what He wants me to write.
This is the way I break my fast,
every morning before becoming fully conscious.
It's completely satisfying.

The verse I ate this morning was this,
“And when they
(Jesus and his disciples)
had come to the multitude,
a man came to Him,
kneeling down to Him and saying,
“Lord, have mercy on my son,
for he is an epileptic and suffers severely;
for he often falls into the fire
and often into the water.
So I brought him to Your disciples,
but they could not cure him.”
Then Jesus answered and said,
“O faithless and perverse generation,
how long shall I be with you?
How long shall I bear with you?
Bring him here to Me.”
And Jesus rebuked the demon,
and it came out of him;
and the child was cured
from that very hour.
Then the disciples
came to Jesus privately and said,
“Why could we not cast it out?”
So Jesus said to them,
“Because of your unbelief;
for assuredly, I say to you,
if you have faith as a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move;
and nothing will be impossible for you.
However, this kind does not go out
except by prayer and fasting.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:14-21
‬
There are so many excretions
that came from chewing this word,
it’s hard to know what particle
the Lord wants me to focus on.
But that’s where Holy Spirit comes in.
He’s the One who lights my path
and illuminates the Word of God.

What He showed me first are the words
“faithless and perverse generation"
I don’t believe Jesus is talking just to them.
I believe he is talking to every human.
He is not just talking about
a horizontal birthing relationship,
based off human intention 
and reproductive multiplication.
No.  The generation He refers to
is a people who have sprung up
from a common source of faithlessness
witnesses by our timeless God.

The generation referred to here
is about the human branch
that is not directly attached to Him.
The branch that is not grafted in.

And then,
the next verse that went down my throat,
was the disciples question,
“Why could we not cast it out?”

I think it’s because
I’ve often asked God the same question,
"Why can't I cast demons out
when I use the name of God."
It's still a question that I have.

I’ve been told over and over again,
that its not about my lack of faith
but it’s because the healing does not align
to God’s will, or to the heart of the person
to whom it’s supposed to go.

But now, in the flesh, I’m totally confused.
Because while Jesus’s Ministry 
was about Repentance and turning back to God,
He could not stop His compassion from flowing out
to a lost and broken world.

He healed the sick.
He healed the blind.
He healed the mute,
and made lame men walk.
He even brought the dead to life.
Wherever Jesus went,
the Spirit of God worked through Him.
You see, all good things do not come
by might nor by power,
but by the Spirit of God.
Zechariah 4:6

Jesus said to his followers,
“Because of your unbelief;
for assuredly, I say to you,
if you have faith as a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move;
and nothing will be impossible for you.
However, this kind does not go out
except by prayer and fasting.”

What do you think He meant?
Well, for me,
it’s finally beginning to make sense.
Holy Spirit just showed me The Vine.

“I am the true vine,
and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit
He takes away;
and every branch that bears fruit
He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word
which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches.
He who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in Me,
he is cast out as a branch and is withered;
and they gather them
and throw them into the fire,
and they are burned.
If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you,
you will ask what you desire,
and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit;
so you will be My disciples.
“As the Father loved Me,
I also have loved you;
abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments,
you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept
My Father’s commandments
and abide in His love.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:1-10‬

You see, all goodness
comes from the Father.
He is the Master Gardener,
and His produce is Love
and His grapes are expensive wine.

His character is always expressed
when He is attached to a person
who is attached to Him.

And yet, Jesus was crucified
and experienced a horrible death.
Why? Does it mean
He is not connected to God?

For a moment in time, the Lamb was slain
to break the curse of sin and death,
and bring back the blessing of God.

You see, Gods plan was to have children
who would always live with him.
Eternal life - free from sin.

This world is only a temporary place,
where we will live and die in the physical realm.
Sin and death is all around.
This place is not our home.

Jesus came to shed His blood
so that those who believe Jesus
is the Son o God
will enter the Kingdom of Heaven
and live in the New Jerusalem.

So this brings me to the last morsel of food.  
Jesus said,
“However, this kind does not go out
except by prayer and fasting.”
What in the world
do you think He is talking about?

Holy Spirit is bringing to mind…Daniel 9.
Daniel 9 shows the character of man
that God is looking for.
A humble, faithful servant
who submits himself before the Lord.
The scripture says,
“Now while I was speaking, praying,
and confessing my sin
and the sin of my people Israel,
and presenting my supplication
before the Lord my God
for the holy mountain of my God,”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭9:20‬

That is when the angel Gabriel came
to present a vision from the Lord -
The 70 week prophecy that God gave mankind
as a timeline for the Coming King!
And Daniel 10 speaks to man’s ability
to press into the vine.

“Then he said to me,
“Do not fear, Daniel,
for from the first day
that you set your heart to understand,
and to humble yourself
before your God,
your words were heard;
and I have come
because of your words.
But the prince of
the kingdom of Persia
withstood me twenty-one days;
and behold, Michael,
one of the chief princes,
came to help me,
for I had been left alone there
with the kings of Persia.
Now I have come
to make you understand
what will happen to your people
in the latter days,
for the vision refers to
many days yet to come.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭10:12-14
“And now I must return
to fight with the prince of Persia;
and when I have gone forth,
indeed the prince of Greece will come.
But I will tell you what is noted
in the Scripture of Truth.
No one upholds me against these,
except Michael your prince.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭10:20-21‬

Prayer and fasting is the way,
we as humans, cut off the flesh,
and send our words up to God.
It’s our faithful endurance
that adds to the spiritual fight!
Let me ask you, Are You In? 
Do you have the Maranatha Cry?

Whether you want to admit it or not,
there are demons all around us.
And their only objective is to take us out
through all kinds of manipulation and lies.
Anything to be unfaithful to our God.

Did you know
that Satan has been given authority
to rule over this world.
And everything not lifted in it,
will go down with him!

“Jesus answered and said,
“Now is the judgment of this world;
now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth,
will draw all peoples to Myself.””
‭‭John‬ ‭12:30-32‬

“And you He made alive,
who were dead in trespasses
and sins, in which you once walked
according to the course of this world,
according to the prince
of the power of the air,
the spirit who now works
in the sons of disobedience,
among whom also
we all once conducted ourselves
in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh
and of the mind, and were by nature
children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love
with which He loved us,
even when we were dead
in trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ,
by grace you have been saved,
and raised us up together,
and made us sit together
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches
of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved
through faith,
and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:1-10
‬
And that my friend, is a mic drop!
What can I add to the Word of God?

Absolutely nothing!
All the answers to life are in it!

I praise God this morning
for breakfast in bed,
and giving me such delicious food.

SORROW
It's a feeling of deep distress
caused by loss, disappointment,
or other misfortunate events
suffered by oneself or other people.

It’s not an emotion
we would choose to have
if it were left up to human intent.
Mankind would definitely choose
to seize the day with no regrets.

If man could create a plan
on how to live their lives,
it definitely would not include
suffering, pain or death.
And yet, Jesus said,
“If anyone desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:24-25

And then, Jesus revealed his coming death.
Listen to this -
“Now while they were staying
in Galilee, Jesus said to them,
“The Son of Man is about to be betrayed 
into the hands of men,
and they will kill Him,
and on the third day He will be raised up.”
And they were exceedingly sorrowful.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:22-23‬

Today, we would use the word “depressed” 
to describe what the disciples felt -
which, in my opinion,
would totally minimize the gut-wrenching
sorrow they felt. 
You seed, Matthew used the words
“exceedingly sorrowful” -
which embeds a deep distress
that cuts straight to the heart.

If you have ever experienced
the death of someone you love,
then you probably understand the pain involved.

If you ever did wrong to someone you love
then you probably understand the regret they had.

You see,
Jesus did not say
he was about to be betrayed
by one man - named Judas Iscariot.
He said he was about to be betrayed
and killed by many men who represented
the remnant nation of God’s covenant.

I bet the disciples knew what he meant
because Jesus consistently called
the religious leaders hypocrites.

You see,
Before humans could ever express
a disappointment with God,
we should look at what we have done
and realize it was us who broke His heart.

“Then the Lord God called to Adam and said,
“Where are you?”
Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden,
and I was afraid because I was naked;
and I hid myself.”
God said, “Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten from the tree of which
I commanded you not to eat from?
Then the man said,
“The woman whom You gave to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
And the Lord God said to the woman,
“What is this you have done?”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:9-13
‬
Right from the start, man had a rebellious heart.
The creation caused exceeding sorrow
to ebb inside their Creator.

But God is faithful.
He is not the adulterous one in the relationship.
And although he has cursed his union,
He did not walk away from his love. 
He found a way to forgive,
and He implanted His promise inside His bride.
He bore the Son of Man, and He sent His Word
into the world to defeat sin and death.

“So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast
of the field; On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:14-15‬

And the Son of God was born to the woman
who was impregnated with His Word.

A great sign appeared in heaven: 
a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet
and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 
She was pregnant and cried out in pain 
as she was about to give birth. 
Then another sign appeared in heaven: 
an enormous red dragon with seven heads 
and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 
Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky
and flung them to the earth. 
The dragon stood in front of the woman
who was about to give birth,
so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who
“will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”
And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 
The woman fled into the wilderness
to a place prepared for her by God,
where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:1-6

SORROW & JOY
are the way of the Lord.

“See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death.
They have heard that I sigh,
But no one comforts me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
They are glad that You have done it.
Bring on the day You have announced,
That they may become like me.
“Let all their wickedness
come before You, And do to them
as You have done to me
For all my transgressions;
For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭1:18-22‬

This is the lamentation of a servants heart,
at least until the Day of the Lord.
We cry not for ourselves.
We cry for the ones who don’t know God.
We cry for the sorrow we have caused.

“The Son of Man
is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,
and they will kill Him, and the third day
He will be raised up.”

In the midst of sorrow, we sing for joy
because the third day has come
and Jesus sits at the right hand of God!
​The male child has been born.

Written 7/24/21

Three days ago,
I read about Jesus’s transfiguration
and I received great Illumination.
One of the things
that Holy Spirit showed me
was the important witness
of Elijah and Moses.

Two spiritual beings,
who used to be human,
and acted as messengers of God,
stood with the God's beloved Son
and had a conversation.

And all the while, 
three men watched them.
Peter, James and John
were led by Jesus to the top of the mountain
to witness His transfiguration.

So let me ask you,
What do you think of
when you hear the word, witnesses?

Well, I first noticed
there is more than one.

Let’s observe.

A witness is a person who gives testimony
to a fact or event.
They are the ones who can point to the truth;
A witness is a person who is able to attest
that an act has taken place.
They are the ones who can show proof.
And two witnesses are better than one.
They strengthen each other to give an accord.
Two witnesses is really the bare minimum.
Now just imagine having three or more!

“And though a man might prevail against him
who is alone, two will withstand him.
But a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12

Well, Jesus had five!
Two who returned from the heavenly realm,
and three who stood on sacred ground.

Did you know that Jesus always sent
two witnesses out to two by two?
This was established a long time ago,
back in the Book of Deuteronomy.

“A single witness shall not suffice
against a person for any crime
or for any wrong in connection
with any offense that he has committed.
Only on the evidence of two witnesses
or of three witnesses
shall a charge be established.”
Deuteronomy 19:15

“Calling the Twelve to him,
he began to send them out
two by two
and gave them authority
over impure spirits.”
Mark 6:7

“Then the Lord chose
seventy-two other disciples
and sent them ahead in pairs
to all the towns and places
he planned to go.”
Luke 10:1

And we know,
“Where two or three gather in my name,
there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:20

The idea of having
at least two witnesses
is not a time of old,
the beloved John
wrote about two witnesses
during the second wow.

“I will appoint my two witnesses,
and they will prophesy
for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
They are “the two olive trees”
and the two lampstands,
and “they stand before
the Lord of the earth.”
If anyone tries to harm them,
fire comes from their mouths
and devours their enemies.
This is how anyone
who wants to harm them must die.
They have power
to shut up the heavens
so that it will not rain
during the time they are prophesying;
and they have power
to turn the waters into blood
and to strike the earth
with every kind of plague
as often as they want.
Now when they have finished
their testimony,
the beast that comes
up from the Abyss will attack them,
and overpower and kill them.
Their bodies will lie
in the public square of the great city-
which is figuratively
called Sodom and Egypt -
where also their Lord was crucified.
For three and a half days
some from every people,
tribe, language and nation
will gaze on their bodies
and refuse them burial.
The inhabitants of the earth
will gloat over them
and will celebrate by sending
each other gifts,
because these two prophets
had tormented those
who live on the earth.
But after the three and a half days
the breath of life
from God entered them,
and they stood on their feet,
and terror struck those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice
from heaven saying to them,
“Come up here.”
And they went up to heaven
in a cloud,
while their enemies looked on.
At that very hour
there was a severe earthquake
and a tenth of the city collapsed.
Seven thousand people
were killed in the earthquake,
and the survivors were terrified
and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe has passed;
the third woe is coming soon.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭11:1-14‬

When thinking about witnesses
I often think of
the judicial branch of government
where judges and juries
listen to the evidence
that a prosecutor and defender
present about the offensive act -
and the person attached to it.

We should not be so ignorant
to think that God acts alone.
I mean His whole being contains
three persons in one.
Its crazy to think that our
all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign God
refers to someone when he created
his most intimate expression, humans.

Genesis says,
“Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness.”

And just like earth,
Heaven has a Supreme court
and governing body that rules over it.
It’s not an inanimate place.

“God takes a stand
in the divine council,
gives judgment in the midst of the gods.
“How long will you judge unjustly
and favor the cause of the wicked?
“Defend the lowly and fatherless;
render justice to the afflicted and needy.
Rescue the lowly and poor;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
The gods neither know nor understand,
wandering about in darkness,
and all the world’s foundations shake.
I declare:
“Gods though you be,
offspring of the Most High all of you,
Yet like any mortal you shall die;
like any prince you shall fall.”
Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for yours are all the nations.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭82:1-8
‬
“Thrones were set up
and the Ancient of Days took his throne.
His clothing was white as snow,
the hair on his head like pure wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A river of fire surged forth,
flowing from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands
were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads
stood before him.
The court was convened,
and the books were opened.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7:9-10‬

“But when the court is convened,
and his dominion is taken away
to be abolished
and completely destroyed,
Then the kingship and dominion
and majesty of all the kingdoms
under the heavens
shall be given to the people
of the holy ones of the Most High,
Whose kingship shall be
an everlasting kingship,
whom all dominions shall serve and obey.”
This is the end of the report.
I, Daniel, was greatly terrified
by my thoughts,
and my face became pale,
but I kept the matter to myself.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7:26-28‬

You see, for some reason,
the Lord is still allowing Satan
access to the Heavenly court.
I guess it’s his job -
because God uses all things for his glory.
Satan is the prosecuting attorney.
He is the accuser of the brethren.
But his time is limited.

Paul said to the Thessalonians,
“Do you not remember
that when I was still with you
I told you these things?
And now you know what is restraining,
that he may be revealed
in his own time.
For the mystery of lawlessness
is already at work;
only He who now restrains will do so
until He is taken out of the way.
And then the lawless one
will be revealed,
whom the Lord will consume
with the breath of His mouth
and destroy with the brightness
of His coming.
The coming of the lawless one
is according to the working of Satan,
with all power, signs,
and lying wonders,
and with all unrighteous deception
among those who perish,
because they did not receive
the love of the truth,
that they might be saved.
And for this reason
God will send them strong delusion,
that they should believe the lie,
that they all may be condemned
who did not believe the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭2:5-12‬

And beloved John said,
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of the brethren
is cast out, he who accuses them
before our God day and night.
They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.
But woe to you, earth and sea,
for the Devil has come down to you
in great fury,
for he knows he has but a short time.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:10-12‬

You see, our God is good!
Everything in Heaven
and on earth will be renewed
at the appointed time.

When there are enough witnesses
who testify to the blood of Jesus,
the prosecuting attorney
will have no evidence to build a case,
and that is when he will be cast out
of the Supreme Court in Heaven -
but…it’s still not good for humans!
Because Satan will be furious
and a lot of death and destruction will come.

I am still walking through 
these spiritual concepts and passages.
Please take my interpretation
with a grain of salt.
Focus on the Word yourself
and follow the leading of Holy Spirit.
He is the only person who can,
and should reveal,
all aspects of God it to us.
But I do know this -
Everything should point to Jesus!

Written 7-23-21
​
Hey You - come a closer.
I need to tell you
about the purpose God has for you!

It starts with God -
through His image in Jesus,
and it ends with the illumination
of the Holy Spirit.

I know it's sounds strange,
but come and explore.

Yesterday, in the poem I wrote called Pure Love,
I introduced You to God, in the name of Love.
It’s not a name we typically use for Him.
It’s usually an adjective used to describe Him.
Yesterday morning, the truth was illuminated -
God Is Love.
And Jesus Is God’s beloved Son,
the full manifestation of God’s Word!
His purest reflection of God himself!

Oh, did I not tell you - two days ago,
while reading Matthew 17,
Holy Spirit gave me Great Illumination
when I witnessed Jesus’s transfiguration!
Go back and read it, if you already haven't!

I saw His body transformed
into a radiant light;
and I observed the most magnificent Son-light!
Jesus broke the day from the night!
I saw the glory of the Lord,
and it left me in awe!
At the time, all I could do
was fall flat of my face,
fully submitted on the ground.

I mean what can a person do
when they have experienced
the fullness of God?
There is no other way to respond!

Well, a day passed, and I read it again,
and then I started to write
about the transformation of tents,
but all I saw was God’s reflection!

You see,
The Holy Spirit communicated to me,
“the transfiguration of Jesus
is not about the transformation of tents -
it’s about God’s love
which came in the purest form!

“He who does not love
does not know God,
for God is love.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4:8‬

God was so close.
He shined right down
on Jesus’s face.
And for a moment in time,
on a mountainous high place,
God reflected off
the purest thing on the earth.
God reflected off of Himself!

His light shined up.
His light shined down.
His light shined in.
His light shined out.
He light shined all around.
His light separated the day and night,
and I was shown
The Morning Star!

Oh sweet Spirit of God -
You are the way, the truth and the life!
You are my guiding light!
Thank you for showing me
“the root and the descendant of David,
the bright morning star”
Revelation 22:16

This is the second time
you have shown yourself, and you are
the most magnificent light I have ever seen.

The scripture says,
“As the men watched,
Jesus’ appearance was transformed
so that his face shone like the sun,
and his clothes became
as white as light.”

Well, this passage
does not even come close to doing it justice!
It hardly contains the fullness of what happened.
I can’t even imagine
how Peter, James and John responded!
The scripture says,
“When the disciples heard this,
they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
But Jesus came and touched them.
“Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”
When they looked up,
they saw no one except Jesus.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:6-8‬

You see,
nothing could contain Him!
Not His clothes nor His body.
His whole reflection
illuminated God’s glory!
Now listen to me.
This is the message I have been given.
God is both light and love.
In fact, they are United.
They are one in the same.

“God is light
and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have
fellowship with God,
and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light
as He is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus,
Christ His Son,
cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭1:5-10‬

We are all sinners, through and through.
Without Jesus,
the bright and morning star,
the purest version of God’s love,
we live in a dark, dark world.
And that’s not good!

You must be careful!
“Do not love the world
or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world -
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life -
is not of the Father
but is of the world.
And the world is passing away,
and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God
abides forever.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭2:15-17‬

I implore you-
Don’t be misled!
Don’t love the creation
more than you love God!
Don’t trust your gut!
Don’t trust your thoughts!
And whatever you do,
do not trust your heart!
The heart is
the most deceitful thing of all!
“The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?”
‭‭Jeremiah 17:9

Trust the truth, the way and the life!
Trust the Creator of both life and death!
Trust Jesus!
He is the only Son of God
that has reflected
the purest form of love - God himself!

Don’t trust the stars
or the moon or the sun!
Don’t trust idols or other gods!

Trust the One who God calls Jesus
His beloved Son!

Listen to me.
I have been called
not only to encourage you,
but to give you warning!
The clock is ticking!
Time is running out!
“Walk in the way of love,
just as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us
as a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God.”

You see, love is not about us!
Love has nothing do
with our needs or wants.
Love is about sacrifice
and unconditional forgiveness!

“Do not judge,
and you will not be judged.
Do not condemn,
and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:37‬

“And when you stand praying,
if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them,
so that your Father in heaven
may forgive you your sins.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:25‬

Believe me, I get it!
I was once full of darkness,
but now I am light in the Lord.
Now I live as a child of light
and I find out what pleases the Lord.
I try very hard
to have nothing to do with
the fruitless deeds of darkness,
but rather I expose them.

I know it is shameful
even to mention
what the disobedient do in secret.
I am still a work in progress!

But I believe that everything
exposed by the light becomes visible -
and everything that is illuminated
becomes a light.

​It is time!
Pay attention to my words -
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
“But be very careful how you live -
be wise and make the most
of every opportunity,
because the days are evil.”
“Do not be foolish,
but understand
what the Lord’s will is.
Be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another
with psalms, hymns, and songs
from the Spirit.
Sing and make music
from your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks
to God the Father
for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:8-20‬

My friends,
if you have been called
to read these poems,
then know that God
is doing a work in YOU!

You must know and understand -
“This is the last hour!”
There is little time to spare!
“You have heard
that the antichrist is coming -
in fact, many antichrists have come.
This is how we know
that time is running out!

Listen up -
“whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ
is the antichrist.”

For many of us -
that is family, friends and neighbors!
We don’t have to look too far
to notice the antichrist spirit.
It’s not just in our government.
It’s in our own homes!
We must disband it!

I am here to encourage you.
Now get up and stand on your feet.
You are being sent
into the a world of darkness!
You are an appointed servant.
God is sending you
out into the world of darkness
to open the eyes of humans
so they can turn
from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God,
so that they may receive
forgiveness of sins
and a place among those
who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
‭‭Acts‬ ‭26:16-18‬

Yesterday, while reading about
the transfiguration of Jesus,
in Matthew Chapter 17,
I saw the transformation of tents.

The scripture says,
“As the men watched,
Jesus’ appearance was transformed
so that his face shone like the sun,
and his clothes became
as white as light.”

“A bright cloud overshadowed them,
and a voice from the cloud said,
“This is my dearly loved Son,
who brings me great joy.
Listen to him.”

Let me ask,
“Did you see the glorious light
pouring out of Him?”
He was like a rising sun
coming over a mountain
and spilling out over the land.
Just like the breaking dawn!
And did you hear the Voice of God
identify Jesus as His Son?
Did you hear God give
all authority to Him?
It’s absolutely amazing
and humbling at the same time.

In an instant,
Jesus was transformed
from a physical tent
to His true spiritual essence.
His body was limited.

It diminished His full potential,
and yet, it was created
to fulfill God’s purpose.

You see,
our Creator took on flesh
so that He could use His own blood
to cover our transgressions.
Only God
could break the curse
that He spoke over us
as told in the third chapter of Genesis.
And because God loves us much,
He made a way to redeem mankind
by creating a faithful remnant,
a kingdom of priests
who would unconditionally
and unequivocally love Him.

You see,
The purpose for man
has never changed.
It’s always been the same -
to live according to God’s blessing,
"Then God blessed them and said,
“Be fruitful and multiply.
Fill the earth and subdue it.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:27-28‬

And His command is this,
“The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
You must love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
all your soul,
all your mind,
and all your strength.’
The second is equally important:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
No other commandment
is greater than these.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:29-31‬

Because…
“If I could speak all the languages
of earth and of angels,
but didn’t love others,
I would only be a noisy gong
or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy,
and if I understood
all of God’s secret plans
and possessed all knowledge,
and if I had such faith
that I could move mountains,
but didn’t love others,
I would be nothing.”
“If I gave everything I have
to the poor
and even sacrificed my body,
I could boast about it;
but if I didn’t love others,
I would have gained nothing.”
“Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful
or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable,
and it keeps no record
of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice
but rejoices whenever
the truth wins out.
Love never gives up,
never loses faith,
is always hopeful, and endures
through every circumstance.”
“Prophecy and speaking
in unknown languages
and special knowledge
will become useless.
But love will last forever!”
“Now our knowledge
is partial and incomplete,
and even the gift of prophecy
reveals only part
of the whole picture!”
“But when the time of perfection comes,
these partial things will become useless.”
“When I was a child,
I spoke and thought
and reasoned as a child.
But when I grew up,
I put away childish things.
Now we see things imperfectly,
like puzzling reflections in a mirror,
but then we will see everything
with perfect clarity.
All that I know now is partial
and incomplete,
but then I will know
everything completely,
just as God now knows me completely.”
“Three things will last forever -
faith, hope, and love -
and the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-13‬

Since I am under the Winepress,
let me express - I don’t know much,
but I do know this…
these tents
that we currently live in,
will fade away.
One day, we will die
and be born again.
What I mean is,
those who love God
and each other,
will be resurrected to new life
to live with Him.

You see,
we cannot truly love ourselves or others,
until we love God.

We cannot truly love
unless we understand and truly believe
that our current condition is just temporary.

If we understand and believe
that Heaven and Earth
are condemned for fatality,
then we will see
“God so loved the world:
He gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone
who believes in him
will not perish but have eternal life.”

​You see,
“God sent his Son into the world
not to judge the world,
but to save the world through him.”
“There is no judgment
against anyone who believes in him.
But anyone who does not
believe in him
has already been judged
for not believing
in God’s one and only Son.
And the judgment is based
on this fact: God’s light
came into the world,
but people loved the darkness
more than the light,
for their actions were evil.”
“All who do evil hate the light
and refuse to go near it
for fear their sins will be exposed.
But those who do what is right
come to the light
so others can see
that they are doing
what God wants.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16-21‬

Can you see it?
Do you understand?
We are already dead
even though we live!
But this body that we live in
is just a tent.
It’s temporary and conditional.
One day, we will rise
and stand before the Judge
who knows the intent of our heart!

When I first started this poem
I thought I would focus
on the transformation of tents,
but Holy Spirit took me
to a deeper place -
He showed me HOW
the tent is transformed!

He showed me that His light
is pure love,
and now He is showing me
how to express it.
Did you know,
“There is no greater love
than to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends.
You are my friends
if you do what I command.”
John 15:13

Did you know that you did not choose Christ?
He chose you!

“You didn’t choose me.
I chose you.
I appointed you
to go and produce lasting fruit,
so that the Father will give you
whatever you ask for,
using my name.
This is my command:
Love each other.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:16-17
‬
So, “Be fruitful and multiply.
Fill the earth and subdue it.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:27-28‬

Humans are not
supposed to dominate humans
through power and control.
We are equals.

Humans are to
subdue the earth and govern over it.
We do this as benevolent leaders, just like Jesus.

But I exhort you,
to be on the lookout!
The devil is like a lion roaring about!
But God has said that He plans
to make a new Heaven and a new earth
as he revealed to John!
And this time,
He won’t be sending
Jesus, the sacrificial lamb,
to express His love.
He’ll be sending
Jesus, the Lion of Judah,
to exercise His wrath!