LADY WISDOM IS WAITING

WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR SOME PEOPLE TO DISCOVER HER BEAUTY-KNOWLEDGE AND THE POWER THAT LIVES IN LADY WISDOM?

LADY WISDOM TRUTH-BE ENCOURAGED (PHOTO BY PASTOR DAVIS)

In our lesson today, we will allow the scripture to set the table for LADY WISDOM as she invites you to sit down and join her in a powerful discussion as she attempts to provide you with knowledge and understanding, as to why you need her in your life daily.

Now listen carefully as LADY WISDOM speaks truth to power.

 LADY WISDOM goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:

 “SIMPTOMS, How long will you wallow in ignorance?
CYNICS! How long will you feed your cynicism?
IDIOTS! How long will you refuse to learn?
ABOUT FACE! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.

 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect
an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.

 “Because you hated Knowledge
    and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don’t you see what happens, you SIMPLETONS, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.

Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.” (PROVERB 1:20-33 MSG)

Related articles

• Listen To The Unique Wisdom Of Mothers (themotherofnine9.wordpress.com)
• Wisdom Challenge! (relationshipsdomatter.com)
• The Wisdom of Truth (patcegan.wordpress.com)
• Wisdom as an action (whatam.wordpress.com)
• Wisdom and Knowledge (legendofanomad.com)
• Don’t be afraid to be a fool (janbein.wordpress.com)

REASON CAN COMMAND AN ENTIRE ARMY TO WAR OR IT CAN COMPEL ALL NATIONS TO PEACE AND HARMONY.

Beautiful Fall Colors in Sautee, Ga. (Photo by Pastor Davis)

God has created all things perfectly by His own reasoning and in His own time.  Therefore, who are we to question what is, is?  God commands us to remove all doubt from our minds and understand the things of the universe, and then perhaps we can develop the wisdom and knowledge to discern why the reality of God’s reasoning is what it is. Now listen to what the Bible tells us to do, it says, “Get skillful and godly wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth.” (Proverbs 4:4-6 AMP)

Now understand that Faith comes by hearing which means perception, and perception by the Word of God. The Word is Logos, which means Reason. Reason or awareness directs your perception and determines your knowing.

To know as much of the Word of God is to know as much reason as possible. All wisdom, understanding and knowledge are for you to be convinced about the truth because you are aware of all the reasons that define it. To have absolute faith is to be totally convinced about the truth.

Reason or logic is what runs the entire universe. You need as much reasons as possible to do well.  Reason is what causes others to act and it determines how they act. The programming logic runs the program. If you want to move yourself or others to take a certain action, give as much reason as possible whether logical or emotional, conscious or subtle to persuade, direct and motivate them. Reason can command an entire army to war or it can compel all nations to peace and harmony.

God himself has perfect reasoning and total understanding of all there is. When we are lacking awareness about something but are clearly guided by him in a certain area, that is when we should trust in God with all our heart and not lean towards our limited understanding. God’s reason is the higher reasoning compared to ours. To reason against reason is treason. However, God still wants us to grow in awareness and understanding so that we may reach his level of reasoning and be of one mind with him.

Now I encourage you to Incline your ear unto understanding. Seek to know the reason of a thing. Seek to know all the reasons there are to know about it. Open your heart to the understanding so that you may receive the truth of a matter and not block it out of perception. You need understanding in order to do what is right.

Understanding gives us strength because it makes us bigger than our situations. Knowing all the explanations and reasons of a thing allows you to see it in a definite way. Faith is having certainty.

Some of us have the idea that faith and reasoning are in conflict with each other. They think that if you have reason, you do not need faith, and if you go by faith, you cannot go by reasoning. This paradox has caused the biggest problems in all religion and spirituality. The truth is that faith and reason are the same. In order to have faith about something, you need to know it as true. You cannot know something as true unless you have a reason for it to be so. Faith is reason and reason is faith.

Now in closing, I encourage you to know the truth, and the truth will set you FREE. (John 8:32)  Think globally and work locally allowing your mind to be filled with the truth of God’s word.  May the grace of God rest and abide in you now and forever, in Jesus name, I remain your brother, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!

Related articles

• Faith is not just an assumption (new.exchristian.net)
• (Don’t) stop believing. Part Two – Faith beyond apologetics (anoigmatic.wordpress.com)
• A Walk Through Proverbs; The Reward of Wisdom (promisebook.net)
• Spirituality vs Rationality (holeofinvisibility.wordpress.com)
• The wisdom from above (devotionsfromdailylife.wordpress.com)
• Sermon: Kingly Wisdom, Part VII, The Greatness of Humility, Proverbs 11:1-4 (apologus.wordpress.com)

Fear, Stress & Anger (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

FEAR-ANGER AND DIVINENESS IS HARMING OUR NATION

WE MUST OVERCOME OUR FEARS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS

This is one of the most fearful times in our nation’s recent history. How we respond to it, both individually and collectively, may determine the outcome of our success as a NATION.

However we view it, we must overcome our fears in order that we achieve the success GOD has already provided for us. He told us that He would never put on us more than we can bear.  God’s word is truth, and we as a NATION must learn to stand on His word.  He further told us that His people will perish from a lack of knowledge.  Knowledge is power, and God will provide us with  all the power we need to overcome our fears.  He assured us that He was the VINE and we are the BRANCHES, and if we abide in Him, He would abide in us and we will bear much fruit.  In other words, we can achieve the SUCCESS as a NATION by abiding in JESUS.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.  (2 Timothy 1:7 AMP)

The coping behaviors we are seeing – avoidance, denial, being reactive, staying busy – are somewhat predictable, as are the feelings produced – anxiety, anger. What are causing such reactions, to a large degree, are unanswered questions such as these: Are we in this together, or is it everyone for themselves? Will we ever find our way out of this, and if so, how long will it take?

Among the unfortunate psychological side effects of a crisis like this is (1). People feeling isolated and believing that they are having to work out their own financial issues on their own, because everyone else is preoccupied; (2) a loss of confidence in our economic and political institutions, and leadership of all kinds, and finally (3). A resulting loss of self-confidence and even depression as people cope with the crisis in different ways.

We can feel powerlessness and hopeless, which produces a cycle of futility that can spiral downward. People bring all of this baggage to work, where it can show up in a lot of ways – cheerful denial, tense conversations, angry conflicts, misperceptions and miscommunication, and even distrust.

However, we do have a choice? The choice is at home or at work and it is very simple: Let the fear control our reactions, or embrace the fear. At a time like this, we could easily go negative or reactive, with predictable results. We could go naively positive and be viewed as out of touch. We could bury our heads in the sands of busyness in the hopes the crisis will go away. But one thing is clear, this is one set of crises from which we can run but definitely not hide.

If we are not going to run and hide but embrace this fear, what do you need to do?

Stay grounded: Find your own ground first, where you are your true, authentic self – what truly matters to you, your core values, your mission in your work. Find a quiet place to reflect on what is true vs. what is perceived. From reflection comes discernment, and with discernment come perspective and a more positive attitude.

Lead with compassion: This is a time to lead from the heart rather than the head. The WORK FORCE needs reassurance, information, perspective and a chance to be heard. Over-communicate. Create opportunities for people to talk about their concerns. The worst thing that can happen is that we act like nothing is going on – and then we get what we get.

Maintain a realistic optimism: Practicing optimism in the face of the daily reports of Armageddon is not exactly easy. But optimism creates its own energy. It’s easier if we’re grounded daily, which gives us perspective. And with a positive attitude, we can avoid overreacting and actually create an environment in which we are looking for creative solutions.

Support each other: It’s about relationships. Everyone at work is going through the same stuff. Most people do not want to feel isolated or alone during times like these. Create opportunities for people to talk about their concerns and how they are problem-solving. In mutual support and communication, the work force will discover a new sense of community.

Go with the energy: What you resist persists. The more we resist engaging our fears, the worse they become. Go with the energy that is generated when people can have an honest conversation about the realities of how this economy is impacting work life. Once the dialogue is opened up, people will move from their concerns to solutions – and support for each other. This is the energy of true collaboration.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said in his inauguration address in 1933 that “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” His words were meant to reassure a struggling people at the height of the GREAT DEPRESSION – the most difficult economic times this nation has faced in at least 100 years. It is a time for us to be authentic and truthful about our workplace challenges. It is a time to engage each other. It is a time to move beyond our fears to achieve success – together.

Now let me close with this final thought for each one of you who have taken the time to read this entire lesson and the many lessons we teach here daily, “Think globally, and work locally.  Looking beyond ourselves in the real and on line world, to reach out to others who might be in need, for we all are truly our Brothers Keeper, may the grace of God abide in you now and forever, in JESUS name, AMEN!

Related articles

• Anger, Rage, And Resentment: What’s the “Cure”? (johnib.wordpress.com)
• Overcoming Anger (leahlambertsmith.com)
• Do Your Eyes Light up When Your Child Walks into the Room? (elephantjournal.com)
• 21 Things We Should Have Been Told At Graduation (outre-monde.com)
• Fear – Getting Beyond the Gremlin (coachingsisters.com)
• Op-Ed Columnist: The Fear Factor (nytimes.com)
• Lets talk about fear and anger (athenabrady1.wordpress.com)
• 19. Fear Not (jacobglass.typepad.com)
• Fear and failure (ideasexplorer.wordpress.com)
• The only thing we have to fear… (readanddestroy.wordpress.com)
• Practicing Transformation (the-gypsy-life.com)
• Destiny or Design ~ Choose to Succeed (markconway.biz)

Cover via Amazon

THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO MEDITATE ON THE SCRIPTURES

Some of us read our bibles occasionally while others read them daily, but how many of you stop and take the time to meditate on what the scriptures are teaching you?   It is necessary to meditate on the Scriptures and keep the Word of God in our thoughts, heart, and daily walk.  Let us, however, constantly remember that it is only when we are filled with the Spirit that we can fully experience the Spiritual power and truth of the Word.  He is “the Spirit of truth.”  He alone guides us into all truth when He dwells in us.

The mighty working of the Spirit and the indwelling of the Lord Jesus are bound together with a life of love.  Being filled with the Spirit and the indwelling of Christ bring a life that has its root, its joy, its power, and its evidence in love because Christ is love.   When we learn to love Christ, we begin to love his word, because the truth is in his teaching of the word.  In order for us to understand it, we must be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT.  When we are filled with the HOLY SPIRIT we then can meditate on the scriptures and we will be filled with power to understand, teach and preach with power.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached about Jesus to thousands of hostile Jews.  With boldness and in opposition to the leaders of the people, he was able to say:  “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  With courage and joy, Stephen, Paul, and many others were enabled to encounter threatening, suffering, and death.  They did this triumphantly because the Spirit of Christ, the victor—Christ Himself, had been glorified and now dwelt within them.  The joy of the blessing of Pentecost gives courage and power to speak for Jesus because it fills the whole heart with Him.

Let us understand that the blessing of Pentecost makes the Word of God new.  We see this fact distinctly in the case of the disciples.  As with all the Jews of that age, their ideas of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God were external and carnal.   All the instruction of the Lord Jesus throughout three long years could not change their way of thinking.  They were unable to comprehend the doctrine of a suffering and dying Messiah or the hope of His invisible spiritual dominion.  Even after His resurrection, He had to rebuke them for their unbelieving spirit and their inability to understand the Scriptures.

With the coming of the day of Pentecost, an entire change took place.  Their ancient Scriptures opened up before them.  The light of the Holy Spirit in them illumined the Word.  In the preaching of Peter and Stephen and in the addresses of Paul and James, we see how a divine light had shown on the Old Testament.  They saw everything through the Spirit of this Jesus who had made His abode within them.

Words (Photo credit: sirwiseowl)

Now in closing we leave you with the same words that we begin with which is, “It is necessary to meditate on the Scriptures and keep the Word of God in our thoughts, heart, and daily walk.  Let us, however, constantly remember that it is only when we are filled with the Spirit that we can fully experience the Spiritual power and truth of the Word.  He is “the Spirit of truth.”  He alone guides us into all truth when He dwells in us.”  Therefore, let us always remember these few simple words, “THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO MEDITATE ON THE SCRIPTURES!”  “DO IT NOW!” 

REASON CAN COMMAND AN ENTIRE ARMY TO WAR OR IT CAN COMPEL ALL NATIONS TO PEACE AND HARMONY.

The Burning Bush (Photo by Pastor Davis)

God has created all things perfectly by His own reasoning and in His own time.  Therefore, who are we to question what is, is?  God commands us to remove all doubt from our minds and understand the things of the universe, and then perhaps we can develop the wisdom and knowledge to discern why the reality of God’s reasoning is what it is. Now listen to what the Bible tells us to do, it says, “Get skillful and godly wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth.” (Proverbs 4:4-6 AMP)

Now understand that Faith comes by hearing which means perception, and perception by the Word of God. The Word is Logos, which means Reason. Reason or awareness directs your perception and determines your knowing.

To know as much of the Word of God is to know as much reason as possible. All wisdom, understanding and knowledge are for you to be convinced about the truth because you are aware of all the reasons that define it. To have absolute faith is to be totally convinced about the truth.

Reason or logic is what runs the entire universe. You need as much reasons as possible to do well.  Reason is what causes others to act and it determines how they act. The programming logic runs the program. If you want to move yourself or others to take a certain action, give as much reason as possible whether logical or emotional, conscious or subtle to persuade, direct and motivate them. Reason can command an entire army to war or it can compel all nations to peace and harmony.

God himself has perfect reasoning and total understanding of all there is. When we are lacking awareness about something but are clearly guided by him in a certain area, that is when we should trust in God with all our heart and not lean towards our limited understanding. God’s reason is the higher reasoning compared to ours. To reason against reason is treason. However, God still wants us to grow in awareness and understanding so that we may reach his level of reasoning and be of one mind with him.

Now I encourage you to Incline your ear unto understanding. Seek to know the reason of a thing. Seek to know all the reasons there are to know about it. Open your heart to be understanding so that you may receive the truth of a matter and not block it out of perception. You need understanding in order to do what is right.

Understanding gives us strength because it makes us bigger than our situations. Knowing all the explanations and reasons of a thing allows you to see it in a definite way. Faith is having certainty.

Some of us have the idea that faith and reasoning are in conflict with each other. They think that if you have reason, you do not need faith, and if you go by faith, you cannot go by reasoning. This paradox has caused the biggest problems in all religion and spirituality. The truth is that faith and reason are the same. In order to have faith about something, you need to know it as true. You cannot know something as true unless you have a reason for it to be so. Faith is reason and reason is faith.

Now in closing, I encourage you to know the truth, and the truth will set you FREE. (John 8:32)  Think globally and work locally allowing your mind to be filled with the truth of God’s word.  May the grace of God rest and abide in you now and forever, in Jesus name, I remain your brother, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!

Related articles

• Faith and Reason (earthpages.wordpress.com)
• “Being truthful” versus “telling the truth” (toughmindedoptimism.wordpress.com)
• One Word at a Time (artisanalway.wordpress.com)
• The Qur’an teaches us how to think, not what to think (islamgreatreligion.wordpress.com)
• Reason vs. Faith: Why Reason Wins (new.exchristian.net)
• Avoiding the Word (brokenbelievers.com)
• Boulders to Pebbles: The Magic of Wisdom (renplus.wordpress.com)
• Are Faith and Reason Compatible? (str.typepad.com)
• How to Handle the Truth (therenewedway.wordpress.com)

YOUR BLESSINGSARE WAITING TO BE AWAKENED

God said Let there be Light (Photo by Pastor Davis)

In this fourth lesson, it gets to the heart of teaching you how to recognize your real self as blessed, by awaken your blessings that are lying asleep within your mind.

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].  (Psalm 1:1-3) (AMP)

When you awaken to the reality that you are already truly blessed, and all alone you have been walking out your purpose and moving swiftly towards your destination, your entire being will become filled with light and the joy of the Lord will begin to move you higher and closer towards the victory that has been waiting for you.

Now let us understand where we are going, if you want a little romance in Blessing, try this:  Take a favorite dress of yours if you are a woman or a favorite suit if you are a man, and bless it for a happy surprise.  Bless it, praise it, and say, “Whenever I put on this, I will receive a delightful surprise.”  Do it and see what happens!

You see All Good lies dormant in everything, only waiting to be awakened.  Nothing can or does exist except by virtue of the Mind and Substance of God.  And when you bless, you call it forth into its manifestation of reality.

It is the same idea as a seed in which the tree, bloom, and the fruit lie dormant.  To bring it forth in all its glory requires first the planting, then the tending, which means watering and cultivation.

Now, what is true on one plane is true on all planes.  Therefore, the watering and cultivating of what you want is done on the Spiritual plane by blessing.  The seed of blessing is the recognition of God, the All Good, in all persons and situations.  Then you release the hidden good, both within and without.  You must know what you are doing, and why you are doing it.

You have all heard of the often repeated saying, “God helps him who helps himself,” meaning, to help one’s self one must use what talents one already has the use of, and the ability to bless is one of our greatest talents, if we use it.

Blessing not only increases the already tangible good, but also brings forth more from the invisible or intangible.  The outpouring of your blessing has a magnetic effect on you.  Send your blessings out on wings, and they will fly back to you laden with riches.

There is no limit to the good, blessing can bring into your life.  You, through blessing, become positive; the world becomes negative in relation to you.  You can command and the world will respond to you.

If you are going to interview someone for a position, tune into that person before going by praising and blessing and choosing all good for him are her, by sending out to him are her joy, love, and good-will, and even though you have never met that person, try to sense that you are already friends.  That will give you ease of manner and poise, making you feel Divine Assurance, and then you will know that a mighty God Power goes before you, making easy, and instant, and perfect your way.

Call upon this Power before you make any contacts.  Say to yourself, “I can of myself do nothing, but there is a Power within me that can.  I unite with it, and call upon it, and it is done for me, through me, with perfect results and deep satisfaction.”  This will give you marvelous power.

Feel that God is your Father, taking care of every little detail for you.  Say, “Power within me, make me say the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way.  Compel me into right action!”  Then what you say will go in, and bring good results!

It is simply magical the way this works; the casting of your burden or responsibility on this loving Power, or Father within, who knows you have need of all these things even before you ask.  “Before ye ask, I have answered.”  The fact that you desire something indicates the existence of that something.  You experience the aroma of coffee, and know instantly the coffee is ready.  So likewise, with your desire.  You know your Father has already given you this thing.

Perhaps some people will say, “Oh, this entirely too simple and childish.”  Well you have heard before, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  So find out for yourself.

Again I say, “It works, if you work it!”  And let me remind you that all Truth is really so simple that the intellects of men overlook it, because of its very simplicity.

“Become as little children.”  Children joyously accept their good without question.  The wisdom of man is foolishness in the eyes of God have not these last few years proved that statement to you?  Blessings belong in your life day and night, night and day.  The choice is yours, learn to bless and be blessed.  Now pause for a moment and watch this short video clip and allow it to bless your sou.

This concludes lesson four, in the next few days we will present to you lesson five, but in the mean time we ask you to spend some time studying and meditating on the truth of this lesson.  Discuss it with family and friends, then use every opportunity to bless yourself and others and begin to live your blessed life every moment of everyday.  I bless this word to each of you today.  I remain your brother in Jesus Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!

Related articles

• Recognizing Your Real Self As Blessed (lesson Three) (vineandbranchworldministries.com)
• Recognizing Your Real Self As Blessed (vineandbranchworldministries.com)
• Be a Blessing! (doinglifedifferentlydailydevotional.wordpress.com)
• The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Honor God (bob43.wordpress.com)
• Which Blessings Do You Overlook? (ldsconvertblog.com)
• ( ( ( The Morning Blessing ) ) ) 04.13.12 (aquariuschannelings.com)
• What is my job? (mobilecrisis.org)

IS YOUR WALK WITH GOD ONE OF ABSOLUTE FAITH? (Romans 12:1-3 MSG)       

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLACE YOUR LIFE BEFORE GOD

PASTOR DAVIS MASTER TEACHER SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

I truly believe that this is a reverently question today because I see too many Christian walking and talking as though they are completely lost in this world that we are living in.  They are lacking in their faith and talking out of both sides of their mouth.  God is not pleased with our actions, or more importantly, our lack of actions.  It is time for a change, and in this lesson today, I am going to present to you ways in which you can begin to reinvigorate your walk with God.

Now listen up all of you, to what I have to say, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Do not become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You will be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

I am speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

You can take what I have to say to you here right now as meanless, are you can get up from sitting in front of that television screen are just lounging around in your bed.  The choice is yours.  It is time to stop making excuses are blaming others for your lack of energy and enthusiasm for overcoming your weakness in being a true Christian that God has ordain you to be.  Attending more Bible studies, more prayer meetings, reading more Christian books, listening to more teaching tapes without an outlet for the truth we have already acquired, will cause us to spiritually decay.  What we need to do right now, is to take what God has given us and use it constructively in the lives of others.

Let me explain what I mean.  There are many new converts that are coming into the kingdom of God daily.  One of them could be a member of your church, your community, a neighbor, a friend, family member are someone you just met.  It does not matter who they are, or where they might live.  The opportunity for you to begin to renew your spiritual life and help someone else at the same time is always right in front of you.

Now when taking a new believer under your wing, you are not only encouraging a new child of God, but you are saving yourself from spiritual stagnation.  The new believer needs our wisdom, knowledge, and experience, and we need the zeal, spark, and childlike simplicity of faith that a new Christian possesses.

Have you ever led anyone to Jesus Christ?  Have you disciple anyone?  Have you taken any new believer under your wing and helped him along?  If you will, it will reignite your spiritual life as that person discovers the truths of God for the first time and you rediscover them.

Children are the best illustration of this process.  When you are with a child, you begin to see things through a child’s eyes again.  As the child discovers things for the first time, you rediscover the newness of those things.  It is wonderful when a child first discovers the ocean, walks on sand, picks up snow, or tastes ice cream.  These are things we adults take for granted, but when we see a child discover them, we share in his are her excitement.

In the same way, when we see a new believer discover things from the Word and the excitement it brings, it reignites us.  Often, they will ask difficult questions that will make us search the Scriptures for answers.  And there are always things we have learned but forgotten.  A new believer’s questions can help us to rediscover (or discover for the first time) many important spiritual truths.

The fact is, many mature Christians come to a point where they simply dry up.  When this happens, many begin wondering what is wrong with them.  Some seek a solution in finding a new church, or some new teaching that supposedly will revolutionize their lives.  In most cases, the real problem is simply spiritual sluggishness.  The person in this position should be passing along what he has learned to a younger believer.

Jesus said that “whoever has [or is passing it on], to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have [is not passing it on], even what he has will be taken away from him (Matthew 13:12).

Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”  I have found that the more I give, the more God seems to give back to me.

At one point, the children of Israel were facing the problem of spiritual stagnation.  God told them through the prophet Isaiah to get their eyes off their own problems and start giving away what they had been given.  Isaiah 58:6 says, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?”

His promise to them for being obedient is found shortly thereafter in Isaiah 58:8, “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily.”

You can be a partaker of that same promise if you will open up your life to disciple someone else!  It can start today, right where you are and with the people, God has brought into your life.  For the sake of those who do not yet know Christ, do not forsake God’s command to “go and make disciples.”  For the sake of a young believer, do not let apathy rob you of being a blessing to him or her.  In addition, for the sake of maintaining an exciting, fruitful walk with God, do not ignore these commands of Jesus.  The promises and the blessings are for those who will apply what I have spoken to you here today.  Indeed, the harvest is plenteous and the laborers are few.  We need more laborers, more disciples.  Are you ready to make a change in your walk with God?  If your answer is yes, then get up and become a laborer on the battlefield for Christ.

Now let me close with this final thought for each one of you who have taken the time to read this entire lesson and the many lessons we teach here daily, “Think globally, and work locally. Looking beyond ourselves in the real and on line world, to reach out to others who might be in need, for we all are truly our Brothers Keeper, salvation is FREE for the asking.

If you have not experienced the life saving blood of Jesus Christ, stop and take a moment wherever you may be, and ask the Lord to come into your heart. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and if you have spoken these few simple words in truth, you are saved, and now have eternal life.

May God continue to bless each one of you? Today I minister to you from a position of peace, power, purpose and prosperity in Jesus name. I remain Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

TODAYS POETRY READING (I TAKE REFUGE IN TRUTH)

I COME TO THEE, O Master! On thy breast

I lay my weary head; I lave thy feet

With tears and kisses, travail of my quest;

I bring my aching heart and sore defeat,

And seek thy holy joy an perfect rest.

Place thou thy hand upon my burning brow;

Soothe thou my soul, and bid my sins depart;

I ask thy sweet salvation even now;

Thy rest I seek to ease my throbbing heart;

Thou art the Truth, to thee I cling and bow.

Thou changest not amid Earth’s changing scenes;

All worldly joys, strong passions that decay,

The sordid thought, the action that demeans,

These are not thee, and they will pass away;

On thy abiding strength my spirit leans.

Lead thou my feet unto thy Holy Place;

I take thy chastening; thy great love I see;

Thy rod I kiss, and in my deep disgrace,

With longing, humble heart I cling to thee,

Knowing thou wilt not turn away thy face.

Why this fierce struggle to achieve thine ends?

This selfish argument? This fire which lends

Heat to resentment, ashes to remorse?

Canst thou bend Truth and Nature to thy will?

Bend thou, and work and wait; be strong and still;

Soft growth is stronger than vehement force.

Be as a flower, content to be, to grow

In sweetness day by day; content to know

The hidden blessing in the seeming curse;

A child of Love, un-argumentative;

Content to be and know-as thou dost live-

The simple secret of the Universe.

“NO MAN HOLDS POWER OVER YOU EXCEPT THE ONE YOU GIVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO!”

In lesson one, we presented to you the problem of why you were not able to FREE your MIND and live in PROSPERITY.  In this lesson, we will present you with the first prerequisite of what you must do in order to begin living your new life in the world of PROSPERITY.

The first prerequisite of having the great abundances of this life is to be set FREE.  Your mind has to be FREE of the bondage that is keeping you from having all the things that you desire in this world.  It is not that man is not providing you with a job to meet your basics needs that is hindering you from having.  It is your own thought process that is keeping you from having; your dependences upon another man to provide you with a job that God has already told you to use your own thought process and you can have anything that you may desire. Free your mind and be free indeed.  If the Son of God Sets You Free, you must realize the greatest news of all and that is, “You are truly FREE.”  At a time when Jesus was speaking truth to power, this is what he said to the Jews and what he is saying to you and I right here and now, “Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will FREE you.” (John 8:31-32 MSG)

These are the words of truth that were birthed in you from the beginning of time.  They are the words that will allow you to create that job that you are concern about in order to be in a position to meet your basic worldly needs.  They are the words that will bring about that change from the old man to the new.  They are the words that you can take to the cashier at your bank, present them with a check with whatever amount you desire at the time and be guaranteed it will be cashed with no questions asked.

You are the ruler of your life, the power given to you by the maker and creator of this world.  “No man holds power over you but the one you give to hold such power”  And when you are ready to make the change and your determination is so great that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to be the true ruler of your life, the new person in you will show up and nothing can stop you from rising to take your place in this world of great abundance.

Remember, in the past you have allowed yourself to live in captive, drug down, step on, and the invisible yoke of bondage put around your neck, and the heavy bondage of life worries placed upon your back.  The thief came in the front door and stole all the love and joy away from you.  You were unable to hold onto your job, and therefore all your earthly goods and everything that you had perceived as good was stolen away from you.  Now you are suffering from a lack of determination, no energy and fight left in you to be able to take back what was stolen.  Jesus has warned you that the thief was going to do this.  However, you allowed your mind to set idle, doing nothing good for yourself, becoming a couch potato with the T.V. remote pointing and flicking from channel to channel and the cell phone constantly dialing and gossiping about who is sleeping with who. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD THAT CONCEIVED YOUR LIFE?

Now listen to the truth of Jesus words as he was warning the people, “Jesus told this simple story, but the people had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. (John 10:10-12 MSG).

Your life is worth more to Jesus than a job with the money you will earn to pay your bills.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He is the one that will preserve your mind from the idle thoughts that allows the thief to enter in and still and kill you.  Haven’t you allowed him to do enough damage to you?  “DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD THAT CONCEIVED YOUR LIFE?”

Now as we conclude this word of truth, it is my hope that this word has stirred up a passion in your soul and given you new life to begin a new way of thinking and living, allow Jesus to have the final word that can make you whole and bring truth and salvation to your soul.  Here they are, the words of Jesus.   “Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,

“The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God’s Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.”  (1 Peter 1:22-25 MSG)

After this Jesus spoke and then gave us the greatest commandment of all, and this is what he said, “And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.

The Second Is Like It, and Is This, “You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. There Is No Other Commandment Greater Than These.” (Mark 12:30-31 AMP)

Now my brothers and sisters, it is with great joy that I am thrill beyond my own imagination that you have comprehended what has been taught here and you will use it to your benefit to rise above where you are right now to the level God is trying to push you to be.  I urge you to think globally and work locally.  I minister to you today from a position of PEACE, PURPOSE, POWER and PROSPERITY.  This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. Always remember this truth, ““NO MAN HOLDS POWER OVER YOU EXCEPT THE ONE YOU GIVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO!”  I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

TODAYS POETRY READING (GOD BLESSES HIS CHOSEN ONE)

You’re the handsomest of men;
every word from your lips is sheer grace,
and God has blessed you, blessed you so much.
Strap your sword to your side, warrior!
Accept praise! Accept due honor!
Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly!
Ride on the side of truth!
Ride for the righteous meek! 

“Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark;
you shoot sharp arrows
Into enemy hearts; the king’s
foes lie down in the dust, beaten.

“Your throne is God’s throne,
ever and always;
The scepter of your royal rule
measures right living.
You love the right
and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
from among your dear companions.

Psalm 45:2-7 MSG

JESUS TEACHES US THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER DEATH

HE LIVES

Jesus permitted Himself to be crucified

Man, in his lack of knowledge, his vague understanding of the justice of a loving Father, has made the grave a darkened sepulcher, a thing to be dreaded, and an end to all his aspirations and his ambitions. For ages he has feared this ending of physical existence and has made of it a time of intense mourning, a period filled with tears. BUT, this Great Spirit who had power over life and death permitted Himself to be crucified; He came to this Earth for that great purpose. But the question may be raised: If we claim that Jesus the Christ had power over His life, then why did he permit the great indignities and cruelties which were perpetrated upon Him and why did He not save Himself from this undignified and cruel death? In the parable of the sheepfold in John 10, Jesus tells His hearers, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” We find another statement given by the Christ after the crucifixion, after He had suffered death on the cross–when He had come back from the spiritual world to commune with His disciples. In the twenty-eighth chapter of Matthew, the eighteenth verse, He again claims the same power. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in Earth.”

Jesus’ Victory over Death

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).

“Christianity,” said one writer “is a religion of the open tomb.” Keep that thought in mind as you study this journal on the resurrection. The founder of Christianity could not be kept in the prison house of death. An angel rolled the great stone from the door of Joseph’s new tomb, and the Son of God came forth triumphant over death. “I am the resurrection and the life,” He said (John 11:25).

The apostle Paul argues that the Christian faith stands or falls upon the fact of the resurrection of Christ.

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:13, 14).

Our hope of deliverance from sin in this world (see Romans 6:4, 11, 12) and the reality of life in the next (see 1 Corinthians 15:17-23) are dependent upon the resurrection of Jesus. The incarnation of God’s Son, His sinless life and vicarious death, would have availed nothing if He had been kept a prisoner of death. The saints of all ages would remain in their graves, sealed forever, if Christ had not broken the power of death and come forth to immortal life. And Christians would have been “false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised” (1 Corinthians 15:15)

There is Life after Death

Jesus came to this Earth to teach mankind a particular lesson; and if He was destined to become the Savior of mankind, then the greatest lesson which He could have taught man was that of faith; faith in his God and faith in a life after death. By His very death Christ Jesus must bring to man faith, and the belief in a LIFE AFTER DEATH. He preached immortality, and to further impress this fact upon humanity, He must go through the throes of death in order to return to life and bring to man proof of an after death life. To accomplish this He appeared to His beloved disciples in His spiritual body. In I Corinthians, 15:6, Paul says, “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remains unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” He walked and talked to them so that they might believe that what He had preached, the immortality of the soul, was a fact and that after man has laid aside his physical body, he still lives in a finer and more ethereal body.

Our New Spiritual Body

Paul also brings man much hope in a life after death in the fifth chapter of II Corinthians, verses 1, 2: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.” In the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul again preaches to those who have no faith in the life after death. This wonderful chapter is used by the majority of ministers to bring comfort and faith to those who have been bereaved by the loss of their loved ones. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

During the old dispensation and all through the Old Testament, man had very little hope in a life after death; to him the grave ended all. We find such discouragement when we read the ninth chapter of Ecclesiastes, the fifth verse, where the statement is made, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”

We are made in God’s Image

Man is an immortal Spirit, made in the image of God, for are we not told in the 26th verse of the first chapter of Genesis that God said, “Let us make man in our image?” Now if God is Spirit and man is made in His image, can we no longer deny that man cannot die, or that if he did that a part of God would die? Can one imagine a Great Spirit which would create a being like man in His own image and then permit him to die? Could such a being himself become a creator as God had destined him to do if one Earth life were all, and if, when man had lived his three score and ten years, he should pass out of existence with no further chance to become as his Father in heaven, perfect? If he but stops to reason this thing out he cannot but be convinced that man, too, must go on evolving, learning, in order to become all wise as his Father in heaven is wise, and that this cannot be accomplished in the few years of one short life. To learn these lessons on the Earth over which God gave man dominion, he must return again and again, and in each embodiment he must take up his cross of matter (his physical body).

It is through the physical vehicle that man must learn to become a creator like unto his Father in heaven; it is the toll which he uses in his efforts to master the numerous lessons of life so that he can be recognized by his Father in heaven as a son. This tool (the physical body) becomes tired, wears out; and it is necessary that the Spirit be given a time to assimilate and digest all the experience gained on Earth. Therefore, God has arranged that the Spirit step out of this worn-out old robe and function in its spiritual body.

When this occurs, man with his limited vision, grieves over this change; to him it appears as a final parting from a loved one when this worn-out garment disintegrates and the loved one is permitted to function in a finer and a more ethereal robe, or body, one in which the individual is not limited by distance, nor can physical matter obstruct him in his progress. This is the spiritual body of which Paul tells us in II Corinthians, a building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. In this vehicle our loved ones can visit us, and while we in our blindness may not have the spiritual eyes with which we can see them, yet they are none the less very near to us. They are still interested in our welfare, and when we need them they do not fail us; they encourage and help us more often than we realize, though by our very grief we may hinder their progress in this new life to which they have been called.

When a man enters into a sound sleep and his physical body is inert on the bed then he is awake and active in the realm of the spirit. He is no longer hampered by a physical body. However, he is tied to this vehicle by the silver cord which leads him back again to his body upon awakening. During the unconsciousness of sleep he is in the land of the living dead and if he will he can communicate with his loved ones who are ever near him.

The Spiritual Minded student has this assurance of his nearness to those who have passed over in what is commonly termed death and does not grieve as do others who have no hope.

WHO ARE THE SONS OF GOD? (Genesis 6:1-2)

Today’s message is a direct response to one of our readers who posted a comment and asked the above question after reading our message last week title, “GAINING KNOWLEDGE OF THE TWO ASPECTS OF GOD.” You can read his entire comments and question by clicking on this message. We thank the reader for this very important question, and we welcome all questions and comments from our members and readers.

Now here is the answer to this very important question from Genesis 6:1-2. When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days – and also afterward – when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

Genesis 7:23

Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

Numbers 13:33

“We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

First, who are the “sons of God” and the “Nephilim”? There are three proposed interpretations:

1. “Sons of God” refers to fallen angels who lived on earth and married human women. The Nephilim are giants of extra-human strength who were the offspring of these marriages.
2. “Sons of God” refers to descendents of Seth, who were godly men who sinned by marrying descendents of Cain, who would have been pagans. The Nephilim were simply “heroes”, not giants, and may or may not have been the offspring of the mixed marriages.
3. “Sons of God” is better translated as “kings” or “sons of nobles” and “Nephilim” is best translated as “princes” or “great men.” That is, the “sons of God” were royalty or aristocrats who were generally immoral and married common women, possibly against their will or despite their already being married.

Arguments for view 1:

• The phrase “sons of God” is used in Job 1:6 and 2:1 to describe angels, and apparently early Jewish writers interpreted this passage as referring to angels.
• In support of the idea that angels came to live on earth and married human women, Jude 6 refers to “angels who…abandoned their own home,” and other passages describe angels as being able to assume human form (Heb 13:2, Gen 19:1-3).
• In Numbers 13:33, the Nephilim are described as giants.

Arguments against view 1:

• “Sons of God” in the Job passages refers to “good” angels, and distinguishes them from Satan, the fallen angel. Since only fallen angels would be marrying humans, they wouldn’t be referred to as “sons of God.”
• Mark 12:25 and Matthew 22:30 state that angels don’t marry. (Supporters of this view respond that these passages say that angels don’t marry in heaven, not that they can’t marry on earth.)
• Num 13:33 could be an exaggeration of the faithless spies.
• God seems to condemn mankind for the intermarrying in Gen 6:3, but says nothing about the angels, though they were at least as responsible for it as the humans.

Arguments for view 2:

• Humans are referred to as children of God elsewhere in the Bible (Deut 14:1, Is 43:6, etc.)
• Genesis 5 describes godly descendents of Seth (Enoch, Noah), while Lamech, one of Cain’s descendents, was also a murderer (Gen 4:23).
• To support the “Nephilim weren’t offspring of the marriages” view: Gen 6:4 doesn’t explicitly say the Nephilim were offspring, only that they showed up at the same time the intermarriage was happening.

Arguments against view 2:

• The Sethites don’t sound very godly, since only Noah and his family were spared from the flood. (However, “sons of God” may refer to generations previous to those whose sin brought about the flood.)
• This interpretation requires that the phrases “men” and “daughters of men” have two different meanings within the same sentence. “Men” and “daughters of men” in v.1 would refer to all mankind and their daughters, but “daughters of men” in v. 2 would refer to Cainite women.

Arguments for view 3:

• Contemporary rulers referred to themselves as sons of God – the Egyptian king was called “son of Re.”
• The Hebrew word in the phrase “sons of God” is Elohim, which is elsewhere in the Bible translated as “judge” or other human authority (Ex 21:6, Ps 82:1)
• Early translations of “sons of Elohim” rendered it as it as “sons of nobles” or “sons of kings”
• The word “Nephilim” is associated in Gen 6:4 with “gibborim”, which means “mighty man of valor, strength, wealth, or power.”

Arguments against view 3:

• While pagans referred to royalty as sons of God, Israelites did not, and nobles were not referred to as “sons of God.”
• This interpretation seems “forced” – a stretching of the meaning of the text.

1. It seems unlikely to me, especially considering the last argument against it. In addition, it seems clear that “sons of God” does not have to refer to angels, fallen or not.
2. It further seems the most natural, but the arguments against it do present legitimate problems.
3. It does seem rather strange, but the arguments against it are not very strong.

Regardless of which interpretation one accepts, there is no contradiction in the Nephilim appearing both before and after the Flood. Genesis 6:4 does say, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days – and also afterward.” If the Nephilim were giant offspring of humans and fallen angels, the fallen angels could have come back after the Flood and had more offspring. If the Nephilim were heroes or nobles, society after the Flood could produce heroes and nobles just as well as society before the Flood.

GETTING TO KNOW THE PERSONAL ASPECT OF GOD (John 8:32)

 In the first lesson, we discussed the Universal Aspects of God.  In this lesson, we will discuss the personal aspects of God.  However, we encourage you to go back and re-read lesson one to help you better understand the key aspects of this discussion. In addition, as usual we have included the following quote from lesson one to get you to think deeply on this matter as you read and study it.

The quote is this, “Think Deeply Before Concluding this Matter.” Therefore, we will provide you with this quote from Dr. Kinley as you begin your study. Dr. Kinley stresses the importance of thinking on a matter before reaching a conclusion “… Nevertheless, we must, for our own Eternal welfare, regardless of our present so-called Church affiliation, keep an open mind to proven facts, which Satan, the Adversary, who was created to oppose the TRUTH, is always present to influence us in the wrong direction.”

Knowledge of the universal aspect of God is enough to give us tremendous amount of power to rule the universe and achieve our dreams, desires, destiny and almost everything we could ever want in this life on Earth. Nevertheless, there is the personal aspect of God that we should come to know about. It is more than just using our God given natural divine powers. It is about having a relationship with Him.

There is a personal God and He is the personal aspect. Theosophy, New Age, Gnosis and various other religions and philosophies deny the existence of a personal God. They believe that there cannot be a personal God because God is infinite and a personality is finite. They believe that the universal mind can only manifest through the individual mind and not on its own.

The truth is that the trinity of the Godhead is three distinct individualities. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three actual persons. To have a relationship with God is to relate with the personal aspect of God. It is the universal aspect of God, that is infinite, but the personal aspect of God is finite. God has a fixed personality that has boundaries without variableness or shadow of turning. God cannot lie, God is love, and God is holy. The person of God is only perfect and complete good. In him is no evil.

For such a reason as this, God cannot coexist with sin in his presence. Anything that has sin, is separated from the personal aspect of God, although it is still connected to the universal aspect. Understanding this is what solves the paradox between Theosophy and Christianity. We are all connected to God and can draw inspiration from the universal aspect of the divine but we cannot have true fellowship with Him unless, the blood of Jesus Christ washes us.

Salvation is of two aspects. Salvation from ignorance through knowledge (Gnosis – Learning) and salvation from sins through knowledge (Oida – To Know fully) and belief of Jesus Christ as God and savior.

John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Why does Theosophy, New Age and Gnosis contain so much knowledge about the nature of the Universe and God to the extent that it makes Christianity appear as if we know so little? The reason is because one side has been focusing mainly on the universal aspect of God while the other has been focusing mainly on the personal aspect.

The question is who is The One at work manipulating world events and making things happen that way? The person can be none other than the most powerful heavenly being in the universe. The one was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. His name means Bringing Light. His name is Lucifer the anointed cherub. Who else has all knowledge of the universe and the different planes of reality than him? Who else knows more about the nature of God than him?

However, being the greatest in heaven, he chose to think that he could be like the most High. He desired to exalt his throne above the stars of God but Jesus cast him out of heaven. Lucifer fell like lightning from heaven because he had sinned against God with his wrong thinking and ignorance. Though he was full of wisdom, he still had the free will to choose his thoughts. He chose to think wrongly and hence sinned through ignorance. Wrong thinking is ignorance and ignorance is the only evil that leads to all other forms of evil.

Now the Bringer of Light is at work making people believe that there is No God or that God exist but it is the God of a greater scope than the God of Christianity. His intention is to make spiritual people focus purely on the universal aspect of God and deny the personal aspect of God. By denying God as a personality, the person of Jesus Christ as God is denied. The Angel of Light’s grand scheme is to make people develop themselves spiritually in of the universal aspect of God and then inserting himself in one name or another somewhere along the path as the God they should believe in.

Lucifer knows that he cannot make a direct lie be a universally accepted truth. Therefore, he knows that the best thing he can do is to promote the truth, not the whole but a portion. He knows that a lie cannot contend with the truth, therefore, the art of deception is not to enforce the lie but to conceal the truth. The lie, can be enforced only when the truth is hidden. The way to conceal the truth is to control the vision that looks upon it, by making it focus on one area and away from another. Magician’s misdirection, the portion of the truth that is missing can be replaced with error that can be complemented with the remaining portion of the truth creating the perfect illusion.

2Corinthians 13:8, for we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

His other intention is to keep the Christians in as much ignorance as possible about the universal aspect of God. The less knowledge they have about the universal aspect, the less power they have. Lucifer makes Christians believe all kinds of things are satanic, evil and not of God when those things truly belong to God and not him. He even uses scripture and the law of God to make people shun away from knowledge considered to be doctrines of devils. The truth is, truth is mixed with error in every place. What good is light among light? Christians are called to be a light among darkness.

Many symbols that belong to God are neither good nor evil, even though Lucifer may have made use of them in his own works. The serpent was created by God, as the most subtle creature in the garden. The entire signs of the Orion, from Virgo to Leo, was placed by God in the heavens to tell the story of salvation and Jesus Christ. Virgo represents the Virgin Mary and Leo represents Jesus as the victorious Lion of Judah. All angels are angels of light. Lucifer is no longer really an Angel of Light but a Prince of Darkness.

Lucifer was God’s greatest creation, which had fallen. He believed that he could be like God because he and God were made of the same substance, which is consciousness. He persuaded all of heaven’s angels to join him in becoming like God against the permission of the Godhead by claiming that the trinity was egoistical to disallow any other being to be their equal. He only succeeded in turning a third of the angels to his cause and fought against God but they lost. Lucifer became Satan which means Adversary of God. He was casted out of heaven and into the earth where God had created Man.

Revelation 12:7-9, and there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Lucifer did the same thing with Man that he did with Angels. He told Adam and Eve that they could become God if they ate the forbidden fruit so that they would know good and evil like God. God had originally given Man dominion over the earth but when Lucifer got Man to sin against God, Man’s dominion was shared with Satan. The fall of Man gave place of the world throne to Lucifer. That is why Satan could tempt Jesus with the deal of sharing ownership of the material kingdom if Jesus would worship him.

Satan may be the god of this world, but God is still the ultimate owner of the material world. Whatever we as Christians, touch in the material world, becomes redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Jesus had come to redeem perfect purity of Man and God’s shared dominion of the material. To us, nothing is secular, everything is sacred. Titus 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

There are only two to think about in this world, Jesus and Lucifer. The two are not the same. When you are not thinking of one, you are not aware of what he is doing and may attribute his work to the other.

Keep the two in mind so that you can keep them separate. For every matter there is antimatter, but Light and Anti Light are exactly alike. True Light is pure and never changing. Anti Light shifts one degree beyond light and changes into pure darkness, which is at the other extreme end of the polarity. Nothing can be above God. God is the highest; to go beyond the highest is to fall into the lowest.

Universal Knowledge is Universal Power. For this reason, the Children of the world are wiser than Children of Light. It is time for the Christians to be wise as serpents and use the Angel of Light’s tactics against him. The tables have to be turned against Lucifer. We are the greater serpents, just like the serpent of Moses rod that ate up all the serpents of Pharaoh’s magicians. The wisest Children of Light are those that truly understand both the universal and personal aspect of God.

Now think deeply on what you have just read, meditate on it, and allow God to speak truth to power in your heart.  Now we minister to you from a position of peace, power, purpose and prosperity.  “BE BLESSED!”

THE MYSTERY OF MALACHI REVEALED (By L. Ray Smith)

It is the book of Malachi that today’s clergy uses as their main authority for promulgating the doctrine of “Christian tithing.” Christian tithing means that everyone must give 10% of their gross income (which is in the form of MONEY, 99%+ of the time), or they will be “cursed with a curse.” It will be well worth your time to read the real meaning of Malachi’s prophecy.

Mostly one will hear only three verses of Malachi quoted by those attempting to wrest a doctrine of Christian tithing from this prophecy.

Here are the “cursing” verses:

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation” (Malachi 3:8-9).

Here is the “blessing” verse:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat [bread] in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that thee shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Their interpretation of these proof texts are as follows: Rob God of His ten percent of your salary and be CURSED, or pay God ten percent of your salary and be BLESSED.

Before we go any further, just who is cursing whom in this Malachi prophecy? Does God, indeed, say, “You are CURSED with a curse” (Mal. 3:9)? This definitely sounds as if it is GOD Who is doing the cursing, doesn’t it? But say, did you notice that the word “are” in your Bible is in italics? That means that the word was supplied by the translators and was not in the original manuscripts. Remove it, and the verse says: “You cursed…” rather than “You are cursed…”

Is it God, or Israel, who is doing the cursing in this verse?

The Sopherim (Jewish Scribes) understood this verse to say that it was Israel “cursing God” rather than “God cursing Israel.” I have a few translations that make this correction:

“With the curse YOU are cursing [me], and me YOU are robbing—the nation in its entirety.”

And:

“With a curse you curse Me, and Me you are defrauding—the nation, all of it” (Mal. 3:9, Concordant Version of The Old Testament).

We must always keep in mind that when the Bible says “tithes” it means products from the land—as grains and cattle. But when the Priests of Christendom say “tithes,” it always means money. Because the clergy prefers to be paid in money, it therefore, became necessary to change the Biblical use of the word “tithes” to now include money. And if “money” can now be shown to be a tithable commodity, guess what? Abracadabra, hocus-pocus, open sesame—every believer, of every occupation in the whole world (not just the farmers as in the Law of Moses), now is required to pay ten percent of his income to the Church. They increased their base of productivity a hundred fold.

What then is the 21^st Century application of this Malachi Prophecy? Are we now to tithe money? Let’s read Malachi 3:10 very carefully:

1. WHAT were they robbing God of? “tithes AND offerings.” Tithes of what? Products from the land—grains and cattle.
2. WHERE were they to bring the tithes? To the “storehouse” [Hebrew: ‘garner’-- a granary for grain].

1. WHY did God want these tithes of the land brought to the “storehouse” (the granary)? “That there may be meat [bread] in Mine house [God’s house, Not the granary].”

If there is no spiritual application of these statements and we rather take them literally, there appears to be a contradiction here. Why should the people bring the tithes to the “storehouse” (a granary for storing grain) when what God wanted was “bread in His house,” (the tabernacle/Temple, and not the “storehouse”)? The only food in God’s house—the tabernacle, was a dozen loaves of bread. And that bread was for the Priests only, not for the tribe of Levi. Since there were only twelve loaves of bread in the Tabernacle/Temple of God, are we to believe that the whole nation of Israel did not bring enough grain to the storehouse to make even twelve loaves of bread?

God does not contradict Himself, there needs to be something other than a need for enough grain from the whole nation of Israel to make twelve loaves of bread! Just what does God mean, “that there may be meat [bread] in Mine house?” Is God really reprimanding Christians of the 21st Century through Malachi’s prophecy to bring our checkbooks to church, “that there may be money in Mine house?” Yet this is the teaching of the Church regarding Malachi’s message. What is the Truth?

Does God ask Israel to bring all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse, or treasury, or granary, so that there will be “tithes and offerings in Mine house?” No. God says so, “that there may be meat in Mine house?” We know that they did not bring the tithes and offerings into the holy place of the tabernacle. Only bread was kept in the holy place. The “bread” in the holy place was a type of something future, just as everything that happened to Israel and all of their offerings and ceremonies were a type of something future (I Cor. 10:11). He must indeed be spiritual blind who cannot see that the “bread” in the holy place foreshadows “The True Bread of Life—Jesus Christ.”

If God wanted more money in His house, why did Jesus do what He did in the House of God?

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the MONEY changers… and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matt. 21:12-13).

THE CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATION OF BRINGING IN THE TITHE

The Christian interpretation of Malachi 3:10 is this: “Bring ye all the tithe MONEY and extra offerings of money to the church bank, that there may be money in the Church.” Granted, they might not enunciate it that crudely, but that is what they teach. Ask virtually any pastor of any church, “How do I, starting today, actually obey this prophecy of Malachi to stop “robbing God of His tithes and offerings?” and he will tell you to write out a check in the name of his church, for 10% of your salary (plus an offering), and that check will then be deposited into the church bank account.

Then ask these same pastors what kind of blessings you will receive for obeying this procedure, and they will probably tell you stories where people received huge amounts of material goods and even huge amounts of more money. This is their interpretation of God “opening the windows of heaven and pouring out a blessing.” And there are ministers by the tens of thousands at this very moment preparing more stories and more yarns on how blessed one will become in every imaginable physical, earthly, and material things for giving them (they would say, giving God) your money.

Is this really how God wants us of the 21^st Century to apply Malachi’s prophecy to our lives? I speak as a fool.

This prophecy has absolutely nothing to do with tithing money to the Church.

Does God suggest somewhere in this prophecy that there isn’t enough “money in His house?” Is Jesus Christ coming back to this earth to judge these “priests” because the “people” failed to bring enough money to the storehouse so that there would be money in God’s house? Is it a lack of money that concerns God in this prophecy? No, it is both the people and the priests who have corrupted themselves according to this prophecy. But like always, God holds the priests to a much higher standard and therefore they receive the greater condemnation. There are two groups of judgments in this prophecy:

[1] “Behold I will send My Messenger… But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall PURIFY the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness” (Mal. 3:1-3).

[2] “And I will come near to you to judgment [not just the priests, but many of the people as well]; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 3:5).

It is amazing how the clergy make most people think that the only thing of value in the book of Malachi are these three verses on “robbing God” and “receiving a blessing.” There are four whole chapters in this book, and maybe it should behoove us to see what the rest of this book has to say. Here are just a few more things contained in Malachi:

“You offer polluted bread upon My altar… if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil…” (1:7-8).

“And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you… I will curse your blessings… Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your face…” (2:1-3).

“But you have departed out of the way… ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi… therefore I have also made you contemptible and base before all the people…” (2:8-9).

“Behold, I will send my Messenger… But who may abide the day of His coming… He is like a refiner’s fire [like the lake of fire] …And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi… that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness” (3:13—See Isa. 6:29).

“Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them… And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I made up my jewels; and I will spare them… Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves Him not [‘Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world?’ I Cor. 6:2)]” (3:16-18).

“And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (4:6)

(TO BE CONTINUED IN LESSON 3)

Many times in our lives, we come face to face with many difficult situations. We stand at the crossroads of life wondering which direction we should take. At this junction, the crossroads offers us an opportunity, to make a life changing decision that could affect the rest of our lives. Once again, we ask ourselves, which direction should we take? Our thoughts begin to take us on the journey that we initially set out to experience. As our minds begin to roam in the great distance, our patience begins to grow thin. We question ourselves again and ask, why have we been led to this point? Our not knowing sometimes brings fear, and fear fills us with anxieties, that hinder our perspective in knowing that that God has our backs and led us to this crossroads in order to teach us the patience we need to carry us through to our destination.  At this point, we need patience to develop within us.

Developing patience first starts within our minds, our thoughts, and our thoughts become things. You must now intentionally commit to observing delayed gratification for a better end. Patience is having the ability to delay immediate gratification for a greater good. Developing patience also means bettering your character. In addition, your patience allows you to assess a situation with greater clarity yielding to the best possible outcome.  It can allow you to see the completion of a thing or the completeness of it. It is a position of wisdom to have great patience in all matters.

Now listen carefully how the word of God begins to teach us how to develop the necessary patience’s that will take us to our destination:

1.  Developing Patience ] By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

   There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:1-5 The Message Bible)

Here is how some of the other sources describe the word patience. “Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or pro-vocation without acting on annoyance anger in a negative way; or exhibited in forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer term difficulties. Patience is a level of endurance so one’s character can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being in steadfast.”

Now let us look closely at how patience fits into three of our religions spears, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.   

Let us begin with Christianity:

In the Christian religion, patience is one of the most valuable virtues of life. Increasing patience is viewed as the work of the Holy Ghost in the Christian who has accepted the gift of salvation. While patience is not one of the traditional biblical three theological virtues nor one of the traditional four cardinal virtues, it is one of the seven virtues, alongside chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, and humility.

In the Christian Bible, patience is referred to in several sections. The Book of Proverbs notes that “through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone” (Proverbs 25:14-16, NIV); Ecclesiastes points out that the “end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride” (Ecclesiastes 7:7-9, NIV); and Thessalonians states that we should “be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good for each other and for all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, NAB). In the Epistle of James, the Bible urges Christians to be patient, and ” see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,…until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7-11, NAB). In Galatians, patience is listed as one of the “fruit of the Spirit”: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law”. (Galatians 5:21-23, NIV). In Timothy, the Bible states that “Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life”.(1 Timothy 1:15-1

JUDAISM

Patience and fortitude are prominent themes in Judaism. The Talmud extols patience as an important personal trait. The story of Micah, for example, is that he suffers many challenging conditions and yet endures, saying “I will wait for the God who saves me.” Patience in God, it is said, will aid believers in finding the strength to be delivered from the evils that are inherent in the physical life.^[2]

In the Hebrew Torah, patience is referred to in several proverbs, such as “The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height” (Proverbs 14:29, NAB); “An ill-tempered man stirs up strife, but a patient man allays discord.” (Proverbs 15:18, NAB); and “A patient man is better than a warrior, and he who rules his temper, than he who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32). The emotion is also discussed in other sections, such as Ecclesiastes: “Better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit. Do not in spirit become quickly discontented, for discontent lodges in the bosom of a fool.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9, NAB).

Islam                                                                    

Patience in Islam is one of the best and most valuable virtues of life. Through patience, a Muslim believes that an individual can grow closer to Allah and thus attain true peace. It is also stressed in Islam, that Allah is with those who are patient, more specifically during suffering. Some of the Quran verses about patience urge Muslims to “seek God (Allah)‘s help with patient perseverance and prayer” (2:45) and “give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere” (2:155-157). The Quran states that Muslims should “Persevere in patience and constancy” (3:200) and “be steadfast in patience” (11:115). It notes that “No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune.” (41:35).

As well, the Quran states that “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West. But it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, And the Angels, and the Books, and the Messengers; To spend of your substance, out of love for Him, For your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; To be steadfast in prayer And give in charity; To fulfill the contracts which you have made; And to be firm and patient, in pain and adversity And throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing.” Qur’an 2:177

The Muslim faith believes that without a good spirit while enduring, the struggle will not bear its full reward, thus, Patiently persevering, striving and going forward, despite the difficulty, is the pinnacle of behavior during challenging times. Through every difficulty, Allah promises, there will be found relief upon its conclusion. Instead of wanting to skip challenging times, and avoid them, Allah is teaching that the way to the easing, is through, the difficulty. It takes patient perseverance, or enduring with a good spirit still intact, in order to reap both the internal and external rewards of struggle.

In Human, All Too Human, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued that “being able to wait is so hard that the greatest poets did not disdain to make the inability to wait the theme of their poetry.” He notes that “Passion will not wait”, and gives the example of cases of duels, in which the “advising friends have to determine whether the parties involved might be able to wait a while longer. If they cannot, then a duel is reasonable [because]…to wait would be to continue suffering the horrible torture of offended honor…”

Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.

Brian Adams

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.

Victor Hugo
French dramatist, novelist, & poet (1802 – 1885)

How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees.

William Shakespeare
Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 – 1616)

 There will be a time when loud-mouthed, incompetent people seem to be getting the best of you. When that happens, you only have to be patient and wait for them to self destruct. It never fails.

Richard Rybolt

French saint & bishop of Geneva (1567 – 1622)

 Patience is the greatest of all virtues.

Cato the Elder
Roman orator & politician (234 BC – 149 BC)

You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.

Franz Kafka
Austrian (Czechoslovakian-born) author (1883 – 1924)

Now grab hold of your patience, and get on board this train, because the next stop is success.  Are you ready?

LIVING WITH THE FEAR OF FAILURE.

THE PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE OF DOCTRINE

Biblical teaching, or doctrine, is not intended by God to stop with the enlightenment of the intellect. Enlightenment is a necessary first step, but truth is intended to impact the thinking, habits, and behaviors of its recipients.

Examples of this are abundant in Scripture (see for example Rom. 12: 1; 2 Pet. 3:11). It is the intended pattern of Scripture that understanding of truth should motivate application of truth. Always learning but never acknowledging the truth (2 Tim.3:7) is a description of the process of Christian thought short- circuiting at the mind and not getting to practical outworking. The writer of Hebrews tells us in Heb. 5:11-14 that Christian maturity comes through practicing biblical truth, not just by possessing the knowledge. James write that we are to be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

It is a theological and practical error, however, to reverse the order and take an application of truth and build a doctrine from it. As an example, the application of self-denial for one person should not become a prescription of lifestyle for another. Romans 14 illustrates clarity in conviction and charity in extension of that conviction to others. Dogmatic practices without foundational truth become a system of religion without power.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE IN THE BIBLE

To understand the development of doctrine, it is necessary to understand two concepts:

Progressive revelation and how the church developed its theology.

Progressive revelation means that God worked over time, with different persons and through different means, to reveal Himself and His truth in the Bible. A clear indication of this in Scripture is found in Heb. 1: 1-3 as well as 1 Pet. 1:10-12. Because of this, we often weight the later portions of Scripture more heavily regarding doctrine, for they provide the fuller explanation of many teachings. However, later biblical writers sometimes presuppose certain well-developed knowledge on the part of their readers and so do not state the assumed knowledge. In such cases, earlier portions of Scripture may give us a fuller understanding of certain aspects of doctrine.

Theological development in the church has been necessary because of the occasional and non systematic nature of the New Testament writings. The Bible contains enough truth for the establishment of clear, coherent doctrine, but it rarely presents that truth in a systematic teaching. Therefore, the people in the church have necessarily and appropriately contributed thought and organization as the truths of the Bible have been expressed and extended within their own historical and intellectual setting.

THE PEOPLE CHOOSES A MURDER OVER A POPULAR TEACHER

PILATE WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE SITUATION

Today as we celebrate Good Friday and think on all the good things Jesus has done for each one of us, and if you were one of those people in the crowd more than 2000 years ago would you make the same choice as they did.  How can you be certain that you would or would not?  On what basics are you making your decision?

Now let us look at how scripture records that event.  We know from our studies that the Jewish leaders clamored for Jesus’ death, while a Gentile woman believed that Jesus was truly innocent.

People of these times placed a great deal of importance on dreams.  God was sending a warning to Pilate through his wife, but he did not heed it.  Pilate’ fear of losing his very prestige job made him not listen to his wife with the warning God had given to her to give to her husband.  Listen to the message she sent to her husband, “¹⁹Also, while he was seated on the judgment bench, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that just and upright Man, for I have had a painful experience today in a dream because of Him.”  (Matthew 27:19 AMP).

Now Pilate is caught up in a situation is regardless to how he truly feels about it and the fact that his wife is pressing upon him not to go through with it, if he wants to keep his job and prevent a riot from taking place, he must complete the task.  All the religious leaders went among the crowd, persuading the people to call for Barabbas to be released.  This is how the Bible describes the situation; “²⁰But the chief priests and the elders prevailed on the people to ask for Barabbas, and put Jesus to death.  ²¹Again the governor said to them, which of the two do you wish me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas!  Matthew 27:20-21)

The people knew that Barabbas was a revolutionary and a murderer, yet they still chose him over the Son of God, one who had done so much for them.  Faced with the same choice today, people are still choosing “Barabbas.”  They would rather have the tangible force of human power than the salvation offered by the Son of God.  Now think on this for a moment and look at your own life.

The crowd has really been wiped into frenzy and Pilate is caught in one big mess, so he says this to the crowd, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?  ²³They all replied, Let Him be crucified! And he said, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted all the louder, Let Him be crucified!” 

²⁴So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was about to break out, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, I am not guilty of nor responsible for this righteous Man’s blood; see to it yourselves. (Matthew 27:22-23 AMP)

This hand washing was performed as a gesture of innocence to show that one had nothing to do with a murder, was a Jewish custom, not a Roman one (Deuteronomy 21:6-9).  In trying to excuse himself and place the responsibility for an innocent man’s death on them, he followed the path already taken by the religious leaders as they dealt with Judas in 27:4, saying, “The responsibility is yours!”  In making no decision, Pilate made the decision to let the crowds crucify Jesus.  Although he washed his hands, the guilt remained.  How do you feel after you physically wash your hands, of a situation that you have been heavily involved in that you know was wrong?