Our God Is A God of Restoration!

     As we begin a new week, there is much uncertainty in our lives. I sense the first waves of panic subsiding [a little] as people have come to terms that change is on the way. But there is also a  heightened sense of wary anticipation as we await just what that change is going to be. Isolation brings a modicum of hope, but also a consciousness of detachment and a lack of connection. We humans are created for relationship, and that word quarantine doesn't bode well for our souls.
     I am not a prophet and the Lord has not given me any specifics about what it looks like going forward. But I believe that I sense His heartbeat, and I long to be in harmony and rhythm with Him. I know Him as my loving Father, in ways that demonstrate His exalted nature and mercy towards me, one who is so undeserving of such deep love and compassion.
     I know how much the human race has disappointed Him and that He would have every legal right to bring judgment upon the world. But while judgment against Evil will be His ultimate act, He measures His verdict against His children through loving discipline. And then He always restores those who respond to Him in repentance and obedience.
     So, I believe hard times are forthcoming. But I refuse to become a doomsday forecaster. I do not lay this virus, our economic woes, or the state of the world at the feet of God. It is time to be sober and vigilant, because our adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour. And we must own up to the part we have played in this mess, and then humbly seek His face and His will for our lives from this moment on. God has not abandoned us! And I choose to focus on His promises of RESTORATION.
     Therefore, I have spent the morning combing through Scripture, noting all the ways that God has brought restoration in the lives of people in the Bible. And since He never changes, and Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and just as He will be tomorrow, we can expect that it is Their will to restore us, as well.
     First, there are numerous accounts of God restoring flesh and lives. As the fear of coronavirus sweeps the land, we can rest in the knowledge that just as God exhibited His power to restore Moses' hand in Exodus 4:7, He can restore our bodies back to health from this virus. In fact, we can take much comfort from Psalm 41:3, When they are sick, God will restore them, lying upon their bed of suffering. He will raise them up again and restore them back to health. And here is a prayer to declare over yourself and loved ones: Lord, it is because of these things [Your kindness, mercy, acts of love, goodness of God], that life is given. It is in You that my spirit lives. Now restore my health and give me life again! And let us not forget that Jesus restored the lame, the blind, and the mute. Plus Peter was able to restore the lives of Aeneas, who was paralyzed, and the disciple Dorcas, who had died. It is inevitable that sickness and death will visit this nation and some of our homes. But we do not have to sit back and give in to their threats. We are sons and daughters of the King and citizens of the Kingdom. We can use our power and authority to bring the Light into this darkness and demonstrate the power of God to defeat the tactics of Satan and restore our health.  
     We have also watched the wild fluctuations of the stock market over the last couple of weeks, and  millions of Americans are worried about their finances. Restaurants are closed down, small businesses are suffering, and untold numbers of Americans are out of work. But the Word tells us that God restores fortunes.  Job stands out among those who lost much in the Bible. Scripture tells us "he was the greatest of all the people of the east". Then Satan decided to test the hedge of protection around Job, and it cost this righteous man his wealth and his family, and he is ridiculed by his friends for not renouncing God for his losses. And when Job questions the justice of all that has happened to him, God reminds him of His majesty and His greatness; and then He rebukes Job's friends for misrepresenting Him and blaming Him for the works of the devil. Job confesses that he uttered what he did not understand and repents for blaming God. And the Bible says, And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10).
     We must not fall into the trap Job did, of listening to the temptations of Satan to blame God for what befalls us. And we would do well to believe in the promise of the Lord to the captives in Babylon, given through the prophet Jeremiah: For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
     We know that God restores land and nations and cities and thrones. Throughout the Bible He continued to restore Israel to their homeland, and we are still seeing that coming to fruition today in the Middle East. God is good to give us a picture of the restoration of righteousness in the New Jerusalem, as in Isaiah 1:26: I will restore deliverers [righteous judges] as in former times and your wise counselors as at the beginning. Only then will you be called the Righteous City and the Faithful City! And I rejoice in the hope provided in Acts 15:16, that the true Church will rise up in the knowledge that soon, Jesus will return, and He will rebuild the tabernacle of David that has fallen; He will rebuild its ruins, and He will restore it... that we will experience the intimacy and the trust and the relationship that David experienced with the Father; that we will come out of these difficult circumstances and identify as David, " a man after God's own heart". I want to be real with God, just as David was; feeling free to express my worries and my disappointments; and shouting His praises as He surprises me with miracles in the midst of darkness.
     And there is perhaps no other verse that speaks to my spirit more than Psalm 23:3 ... He restores my soul. I need and want a reset of my soul -- my mind, my free will, and my emotions. I pray that this time of separation from the world will result in a repair and renewal of any wrong thinking on my part. Like Job, I want to believe in my mind and my heart that God can do all things and no purpose of His can be thwarted. I want to question Him, and have Him make His counsel known to me. I don't just want to hear Him; I want to see Him. And I want my will to always reflect His, and my feelings to align with His. 
     So, here's what I do know as we head into this unknown territory ... God restores all things and all things are made new in Him. He showed me that this last Friday, during what will probably be the last "in-person" Inner Healing session Mark and I will do until we get on the other side of this quarantine. A beautiful couple came to us in the midst of the pain from adultery. Both were reeling from the betrayal and breach of trust, and it looked dismal for any chance of reconciliation. As always, we explained that we are not marriage counselors. Our purpose was to show them what Jesus desired. I will tell you it didn't look good when they first sat down. But throughout the session Jesus made His presence and His desire for them known; and when they heard His voice declare that "restoration was already beginning", He showered them with Living Water, washing away all the guilt and condemnation. They left with a vision of a renewed marriage; beginning again and casting away all efforts of the Enemy to destroy what Jesus pronounced as "clean". Mark and I spent the rest of the night praising Him for building something new and beautiful out of the ashes of loss and failure.
     I believe He can do that on a much bigger scale with millions of people in the world. This virus is designed to defeat us. But Jesus and the Father have declared victory and success over us! Believe in Them and trust Them! Talk to the Holy Spirit; know that He and Jesus are interceding for you every day! We are going to face some difficult times ahead, and no one knows for how long. We can choose to curl up in a ball out of fear and despair. Or we can walk as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, ministering to others in need, and interceding in prayer for all those suffering on the earth. And above all else, we can walk in confidence in our identity in Christ and believe that RESTORATION is in our future! 

1 Peter 5:10   And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

"Who Knows If You Have Not Come To The Kingdom For Such A Time As This"

    

     The title of today's post are the immortal words of Mordecai, the Jew, to his adopted daughter, Esther, the queen. According to the Bible, Esther's husband was King Ahasuerus, who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. According to the history books, he was the Achaemenian king Darius I, ruler over what is now Iran. 
     Mordecai has gotten wind that there is a plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom, and while Esther, herself, is a Jew, it's been kept secret from her husband, the king. Mordecai implores Esther to go before the king and plead his favor, asking him to spare her people. But Esther reminds Mordecai that it is the law of the land that if anyone goes before the king unbidden, death is the penalty. Mordecai then tells his daughter that, as a Jew, she cannot expect to escape the destruction coming against all Jews, and that if she chooses to not help, that God will send His relief and deliverance from another source, and her father's house will perish. Then he speaks the words that I believe apply to us in this generation ... "Who knows if you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther's response ... to gather all the Jews together and ask them to fast on her behalf as she approaches the king, even though it is against the law. "If I perish, I perish" are her words that echo across the centuries.
     As the fears that accompany the spread of COVID-19 cross our land, we must contemplate if we are facing destruction of Biblical proportions. I will admit to you that it is hard to know what to believe. Can we believe the media reports that this is a true pandemic? Is the whole situation politically motivated to bring down the President's economy? Are all the shutdowns of businesses that result in loss of paychecks and jobs really necessary? Is the vaccine safe? I'm not sure we will ever know the unvarnished truth about these concerns, but no one can deny the effects this virus has had on our nation and the world. Frankly, I'm not sure we have seen such fear and panic over the future since the Great Depression and WWII. 
     But if you are a Kingdom-believing Christian, where does all this leave you? Can we truly live in a "Kingdom mindset", not letting the affairs of the world shake our faith and trust in our Father and King? I can't explain it, but I actually find myself calmer than I have been in other "near collapses" in our recent past. It's as if my spirit has been waiting for "the big one", and it's actually a relief. 
     You see, I can understand that God has been preparing me for such a time as this -- a time in which nothing of this world is secure. Money to pay bills, buy food, or take care of loved ones is not  guaranteed. Our health is at stake. For most of us, our homes and possessions may well be threatened as our economy teeters on the brink of crashing. We have never faced a more uncertain future in our lifetimes. And that uncertainty can breed doubt and fear. Where is God in all this? Is He hearing our prayers?
     I can assure you that our Father in Heaven hears our voices. And He is not absent in this situation. But as we face increased isolation in our society, we Christians have to decide what our response is going to be. I cannot answer for others, but I can tell you that I have always felt that there would one day be a tremendous trial come upon the world, and I would have the opportunity to not only experience it, but stand for the Lord. Notice, I did not say that I would be tested. That infers that God has given His approval for the trials the world is experiencing. 
     Instead, I recognize that much of the panic and hysteria that people are encountering comes from their lack of relationship with God, and their misplaced worship of the conveniences that the world offers them. Many Christians are guilty of this! We have fallen into step with society and the culture and worship our status, our wealth, our power, and our comfort. Many of us spend more time with our Facebook friends than we do with our Father in Heaven. We have not sought His will in how we should live our lives, but instead have chased after our own desires and yearnings. We have not fed on the Word of God, but have indulged in our appetites of unrighteousness and greed. 
     And now that may all come to a halt. There is talk of mandatory shutdown of the nation for an undetermined amount of time in the hopes that the spread of COVID-19 can be curbed. Everything in our world will change. There will be people who cannot afford food if they aren't receiving a paycheck. Our medical system, transportation system, banking system, food distribution system, utilities system, political system, and yes, even our religious system will be challenged -- especially our religious system.
     Will people blame God? Will they curse Him in the midst of their despair? Will they try to bargain with Him? Or will they fast for strength and wisdom, and then humble themselves, and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways? Will the Church rise up and see this for the opportunity it is? For this is a time when not only can the world reset, and begin to look more like it was created to be, but Believers can begin to walk in their true Kingdom identities and take back Kingdom authority over those worldly systems that have gone so far astray.
     This is the time to reclaim the earth for the Kingdom of God! It is a time, in the words of the late Dr. Myles Munroe, to "establish the governing influence of our King over the territory called Earth, impacting it with His will, His purpose, and His intent, producing a citizenship of people who reflect the King's culture, nature, values, and morals". Doesn't the world need that? Doesn't our nation? And don't you want to be a part of that? 
     I am watching people expressing their fears over what the future holds while I am calm and filled with anticipation and expectation. I believe the Lord is about to do a great work in the lives of millions of people. And as always, everyone has a free will choice how they will receive His invitation. Satan has had his way for far too long and is, even now, trying to wield his power as ruler of this dark world to destroy peoples and nations with this virus and ruined economies. The battle over mankind is intensifying. But what the devil means for evil, God will use for His good. We can see ourselves as being born for this time and join with God to glorify Him in the midst of the coming trials. This is an amazing time to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom and to see God sow into the hearts of people. 
     It is an exciting time to be on the earth. It is a favorable time to be a worker in the Kingdom. It is also a dangerous time. The rulers in the spiritual realms, along with the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places are all going to fight back against the Kingdom of God. We can expect to be embattled and we must prepare for casualties; yes, even martyrdom. I know that's not an idea that brings comfort, but just like Queen Esther, we must stand firm, declaring, "If I perish, I perish". Nothing is secure in this new world we find ourselves -- not even our lives. But there is one thing we can count on for sure... Jesus has paid for our victory! And just as Mordecai exhorted Esther, we can choose to be a part of that victory or not, but we can be assured that if it is not you or me, "God will send His relief and deliverance from another source". I want to be part of that source! I was born for such a time as this, and you are, too! Our Father in Heaven, use me to help bring Your Kingdom to earth and heal our land!

Isaiah 43:18-19    "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

 

What I Learned From Steve Harmon

    

     In the midst of the turmoil and uncertainty that is the Coronavirus event, the Body of Christ (and the world) is in need of a voice of clarity and purpose. Steve Harmon was that voice for me and Mark this past weekend. Maybe you haven't heard of him, but I encourage you to find his videos on YouTube and join his Facebook page. He is unlike any other voice for Jesus that I've heard. And Mark and I had the privilege of hosting him in our home for four days and then introducing him to a new audience of Christians in our area who needed to hear his message.
     Steve is part Inner Healing and Deliverance Minister, part Equipper and Trainer for the Kingdom, and part champion for those people who suffer from Satanic Ritual Abuse (known as SRAs). Just like Hannah dedicated her son, Samuel, to the Lord, Steve's mom prayed for a son to be born and she would consecrate him for a life of service to his God. After a few wayward years, Steve fulfilled his mother's promise, and completely lives his life for the Lord.
     He has no fear of man, and isn't afraid to break all the rules of "Churchianity" in America as he  challenges our theology. He educates us on the purpose of the Church, which he declares is plainly stated in Ephesians 4:11-15, And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.
     Spending time with this Godly man and hearing his teachings, I witnessed someone who truly walks out his faith selflessly and without reservations. He believes in complete healing as a process in the Christian life of communicating the Truth of Jesus in order to be set free. And what does that look like? I hear lots of people say they are free in Christ, and many have received a measure of freedom through Inner Healing and Deliverance. But if we were completely free, we would not get offended; we would walk in the Spirit without measure; we wouldn't get sick; and our bodies wouldn't be decaying and dying. How many of us meet those qualifications?
     So, it was refreshing to hear someone who wasn't afraid to challenge us as individuals, or to challenge the Church for not fulfilling their purpose; and to challenge our group of Christians to find their ministry to do what Jesus did. "Love, power, and truth is what Jesus operated in everywhere He went"... Loving people out of their woundedness; walking in our power and authority to defeat the demons who want to destroy our image of God, our image of ourselves, and how we see the world around us; and speaking the Truth that goes beyond our church doctrines and the limiting doctrine of "Where is it in the Bible?" 
     Steve stressed that the point of the Bible is to be in right relationship with the Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit's job to show us what God can do. The Holy Spirit is not limited to what John or Paul or Peter or any other man wrote in the Bible. And neither is Jesus limited by what people wrote about Him in Scripture! This coincides with something I tell everyone who is skeptical about our Inner Healing/Deliverance ministry -- everything written in the Bible is about Jesus. BUT everything about Jesus is not written in the Bible. Read that again and ponder it in your heart.  
     I know Steve's teaching stretched the faith of those people in that room this weekend, but if they were like me, I want to be stretched; I don't want a stagnant and static faith. I want to grow and mature into the fullness of Christ. And one of the biggest challenges Steve brings to any audience is his teaching that God is not in total control. But what about His Sovereignty, they always ask? "Sovereignty" is a fairly new term that has been applied to God's nature and means that He has the right to act within the limitations He has set upon Himself, And that limitation centers around the fact that He has offered us Free Will. And that will is a gift from our God that allows us to choose the way we will live our lives. Our gift to Him is choosing and doing His will which gives Him His authority back. 
     And that Free Will either harms or benefits the lives of every person on the earth. It is a key component in the healing process of our ministry. It is the basis of understanding either the joy Christians walk in or the woundedness that destroys lives; that result in fractured souls and whether those souls walk in Jesus's Light or the devil's darkness. 
     I was largely familiar with all the elements of Steve's teachings on Inner Healing and Deliverance and found so much confirmation and validation that Mark and I are on the right track in working with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. But perhaps the greatest benefit I found in these four blessed days was his encouragement to expand our ministry beyond the immediate benefit of Inner Healing and Freedom for the Beloveds, and to include life coaching, discipling, and counseling to our model. And this inducement comes directly from Steve's heart.
     This is a man who is giving his entire life to setting people free and loving them into wholeness. He reflects the Father's heart for His children and it has cost him everything that the average man reveres so highly. His "family" are the precious individuals that he ministers to; the most severely wounded and damaged people who are victims of satanic rituals; whose lives have been shattered into an overwhelming number of fragments. It is his life's mission to rescue them from their tormentors and to restore them to their rightful identity as a child of God. And that has meant dedicating years of his life to the healing of one person; to very real physical and spiritual battles with powerful demons; and to relying completely on the Lord for his every need in life. He demonstrates so beautifully what the sacrificial life looks like. 
     So, as we head into more uncertainty and disquiet in the coming days, I am thankful for these few days spent with a man who personifies the perseverance and risk that is called faith. Steve Harmon, thank you for blessing our lives; for encouraging us to reach farther in our efforts to represent the Kingdom of God and earth; and for inspiring us to love deeper and live our lives in complete surrender to the Lord. May God protect you as you battle to bring His Light into the world!

Philippians 2:3-4     Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
        

Which Is Most Important - Our View of God or His View of Us?

     In yesterday's post, I made the following comment: "I believe that one of the most important decisions a Believer can make is what they think about God". I'd like to revisit that statement based on an article by Justin Taylor on the Gospel Coalition website. In the article, Mr. Taylor presented opposing positions by two of our most revered Twentieth Century theologians; A.Z. Tozer and C.S. Lewis. They were contemporaries of each other; Tozer was an American pastor and author; Lewis was a British writer and lay theologian.
     In his article, titled "Tozer vs. Lewis: What's the Most Important Thing About Us?", Justin Taylor let's the two men speak for themselves. In his book, Knowledge of the Holy, Tozer writes: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base, as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.
     For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.
     We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God."
     And in his book, The Weight of Glory, Lewis writes this: "I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us.
     It is written that we shall “stand before” Him, shall appear, shall be inspected. The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God. To please God . . . to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness . . . to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is."
     Far be it from me to suppose that my opinion can compare to the thoughts of these godly men! And it would be easy to walk the middle of the road and say that I agree with both of them -- which I do. But I find this juxtaposition fascinating and must work it out in my mind to its end conclusion for me.
     Although I am open to more persuasion, here is where I land on comparing the two ... Lewis appears to make the Judgment Seat of God the foundation of His argument. By that, I mean that He supposes, in that dynamic moment of our lives, we will care about nothing else except that we "survive that examination" and experience the incredible and unimaginable approval and delight of God.
     He acknowledges Salvation and the work of the Cross as the measure by which we are judged. But I'm left to wonder if He recognizes that Jesus also came to establish His Father's Kingdom on the earth. So won't God's measure of approval also depend on how we lived our lives; what we did as an ambassador of His Kingdom; whether we walked in our power and authority and helped destroy the works of the devil and his kingdom?
     What about Tozer's assertion that it doesn't really matter about what a man might say or do, but what he conceives God to be like in the deepest part of his heart? Our heart is where Jesus desires to be enthroned, and the condition of our heart will determine if we live our lives pleasing to God. It is out of our heart that we let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16). And the Bible says if our hearts are pure, then we shall see God (Matthew 5:8). But what if your heart isn't pure? Can you still be Saved and have a portion of your heart unpure? I believe so! That is why forgiveness is such an important tenet of our faith. And I also believe that if any part of our heart is struggling, it definitely affects our vision of God.
     In the end, both arguments are credible. And that's because they point to a relationship -- there is a connection; an interdependence between us and our Father in Heaven. If our heart is blinded, then we will be unable to see Him, and how we view Him will be determined by our circumstances and what happens to us in the world. If we take the eyes of our heart off Him and define Him by who the world says He is, that will color how we represent Him to the world. Ultimately, our choices then become paramount in how He sees us. There is no separating our view of God from His view of us. One affects the other, and it is the design of our Creator that we acknowledge Him, seek Him, and know Him -- not because He needs us to! But because we choose to!
     He made a free will choice to create us in His image. So, when He looks upon us, I would expect that He anticipates seeing a reflection of Himself. That would have been so if Adam and Eve had not rebelled and been banished from the Garden and their relationship with God was terminated. So until Jesus comes into your life to re-establish that relationship with your Creator and reconnect you to Heaven, you look in the mirror and don't know who you are. Without Jesus, we never see the Father in us.
     That leaves me with asking these questions .... If we don't know God and can't see Him, does that negate His love for us? My answer is "no".. His invitation for relationship is always there. So, His view of us (out of His boundless love) will be the most important thing in our life.  In this case, C.S. Lewis is correct.
     The next question is this .... If we do know the Lord, and are seeking more of Him, is it important that we know His true character and nature? Will that help us to make wise free will choices that please Him? If we rightly view the Father and the Son, won't that guide us individually and corporately [as the Church]? I believe that we can discern a person's opinion of God by their actions; what they think is pleasing to Him. The same thing can be said about a Church. And what they do in the Name of Jesus either glorifies Him or misrepresents Him -- all depending on how they view Him. In that case, Tozer is right.
     In the end, neither Tozer nor Lewis will be the decider of what I think about God or what He thinks about me. I will rely on the revelations of the Holy Spirit, through the logos and rhema Word, and the dreams, visions, prophecies, and narratives He brings me. And one day I will stand before Him at that Judgment Seat and it will be a glorious day! Of that, I have no doubt!

Ephesians 4:24      Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you. And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in His perfect righteousness, and you now belong to Him in the realm of true holiness.
    

Good and Evil

    

      I'm going to be chasing Scripture today in search of an answer to a question that has intrigued me for quite some time. Are you ready to join me in the pursuit? As I have stated before, I believe that one of the most important decisions a Believer can make is what they think about God. I say that because our perception of God and His Nature will influence our relationship with Him, and will ultimately affect how we regard ourselves.
     If our "picture" of God is a stern, judgmental Father, then we are not likely to seek or experience intimacy with Him. Conversely, if we see Him as only Loving and full of Grace and Mercy, then we probably aren't willing to conceive of His Wrath and Judgment. And both views of Him are Biblically correct ... Love, Mercy, Grace, Wrath and Judgment are all parts of His Nature. But conflict over the full and complete Nature of God can lead to confusion and, frankly, to an incorrect understanding of who He is. Our denominational doctrines and personal theologies and Biblical worldviews also add to our flawed understanding.
     One of the biggest issues we run into during an Inner Healing session [or discussion on the Kingdom of God] is the matter of "God's control". People either believe God is in control of everything or He is not. And I want to differentiate "control" from "sovereignty". There is no question that God is Sovereign, and I define His Sovereignty as His authority to govern Himself and His creation; His ability to set the rules of His government [on earth and in Heaven]; "His absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure" (Easton Bible Dictionary).
     But control is another matter and certainly affects how we view God and how we feel about Him. If we believe that God controls everything in our lives, then when an innocent child dies, or we get fired from our job, or find ourselves physically violated, our automatic response is, "God, why did You allow this to happen?", and God can be seen as distant, detached, or unsympathetic. On the other hand, if we believe that the devil's goal is to kill, steal, and destroy our relationship with our Father, then we may see his handiwork in these events in our life, and need to come to the truth of Scripture that says it is inevitable that we will face trials and troubles in this life, but we can trust that our Lord will be there to walk with us and comfort us through them.
     As I have contemplated how to approach this conflict in our Christian belief systems, there is a deeper question that has piqued my interest. It is most likely one that many of you have asked yourselves, but may have been reticent to bring into a conversation without having an adequate answer. So, I'm going to take a leap of faith and ask it on behalf of all of us and then share the path I am following [in Scripture] to try to find my answer. Here's the question: Did God create Evil? If so, Why? First of all, what is your belief on that supposition? Do you believe He is the creator of Evil... or not?
     I began my quest for an answer in Genesis 2:9, For out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree pleasant to the sight, and good for meat: the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and of evil.  From this verse, it appears that God created two trees: one of life, which is received from God, and one of the knowledge of good and evil. Why, if we know that God is good [and Jesus states that "No one is good except God alone" in Mark 10:18], would He create a tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden that offered knowledge of both good and evil?
     But don't we have to consider God's timeline in all of His creation? And do we really understand it from His perspective? Genesis, Chapter One records the creation of the heavens and the earth, and verse 31 tells us that on the Sixth Day, "God saw every thing that He had made, and behold, it was very good." Some versions actually say, "And it was all good". It goes on to tell us at the beginning of Chapter Two that He rested on the Seventh Day "from all His work which He had created and made". 
     But God doesn't create man until Genesis 2:7 and these trees in the Garden until verse 9.  And if the serpent [or Satan, if you will] was in the Garden of Eden, then he had already rebelled against God and been kicked out of Heaven, correct? Now, then the serpent appears in verse one of Genesis, Chapter Three. So, do we really know the span of time that existed between the Sixth Day and Seventh Day of Creation until the creation of man? And from the creation of Adam and Eve until their temptation to rebel against God in the Garden? No! The Bible doesn't make it clear, but how many of us have assumed these events followed each other in a rapid manner just because they appear sequentially and in order in the Bible? Remember, the original Scriptures did not have Chapter and verse breaks. Scribes added them for the sake of convenience, but they can lead to problems in our understanding. 
     Obviously, Satan is in the Garden of Eden. So, how do we reconcile that with "everything God had made was good"? Here's how I settle that question .... God created Lucifer, who was originally good, but he rebelled against God because of his pride and was expelled from Heaven. In fact, a website called harvest.org explains it as I understand it ... "When God created the world, we are told that God examined it and declared that it was good (Genesis 1:31). This means that even the angelic world did not have evil angels or demons in it at that time. But by the time of Genesis chapter three, we find that Satan, in the form of a serpent, was tempting Eve to sin. Therefore, sometime between the events of Genesis chapter one and Genesis chapter three, there must have been a rebellion in the angelic world, with many angels turning against God and becoming evil. This rebellion was led by Satan himself."  So, in my mind, this makes it clear that God did not create Evil, but it was a consequence of rebellion against Him, otherwise known as Sin. Can we agree that this is at least a possibility?
     But there still remains the question ... Why create a tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Surely, He knew what a great risk that was! And in Genesis 3:22, when He discovers that Adam and Eve have disobeyed Him, He says,  “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”. It was imperative that God protect the way to the tree of life, so He banished Adam and Eve from the Garden [which served to separate them from the intimate relationship they had with God. They no longer had direct access to Him, nor were able to be in His presence]. 
     So, now I'm faced with two frames of reference --- not only do I see that God didn't control the situation [by stepping into His sovereignty and stopping Adam and Eve], but now there is the knowledge of good and evil in the world. What good could possibly come from these two facts? I think I have found one possible answer in Isaiah, Chapter Seven. And, not surprisingly, the Lord shows us the way.
     The prophet Isaiah is sent by the Lord to speak to King Ahaz, the king of Judah, who is besieged by his enemies. God gives him a sign of the deliverance of the House of David: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted" (Isaiah 7:14-16).
     Of course, this is a prophecy of the Anointed One, Jesus Christ, who comes to model how we are to live our lives in obedience to our Father. It is evident that God's principle of Free Will is at play here. As a child, Jesus has the option to refuse the evil and choose the good. And throughout His life, He chooses to do the Father's will, even to the point of choosing to go to the Cross. That choice to do good is something at which Lucifer and Adam and Eve failed. And what was the result of the Son of God's crucifixion? It glorified the Father! Jesus expresses this in His humanity in John 12:27-31, Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 
     Here we see both the promise of God's glory and His judgment. Jesus, knowing what His fate would be, could have, at any time, chosen to abandon His purpose. But He chose to offer His life to the Father so that the Father might be glorified in His coming Resurrection. God didn't control the situation. Jesus chose to be obedient, bringing judgment upon all those who choose to follow the Evil One and his ways. You see, Free Will is at the heart of people choosing to know evil. There can't be a judgment against Evil [by God] if He controls everything and causes it to happen. There has to be a choice made .... whether to know [and do] good, or to choose to know [and do] evil.
    So, at this point in my search of Scripture, here's where I stand: I do not believe God created Evil. But I also do not believe He controls everything and "allows" Evil to exist. I believe that one of the principles of God's creation is the choice of His created ones to choose Him. He didn't create us to be robots, with no capacity to decide for ourselves that we would follow Him. Wouldn't that be God glorifying Himself? Instead, I believe that He made us to be in relationship with Him, while giving us the choice to show our love by being obedient and sharing in His goodness -- or reaping the misery of a life lived in disobedience and rebellion. When we choose Him, that is what glorifies Him, exalts Him, pleases Him, and honors Him. 
     Do I think that my conclusion is the only correct one? Absolutely not! But I hope the questions I've pondered will lead you to search out your own answers and bring you into a greater intimacy with the One who has all the answers! Whether we end up agreeing on these questions is not my goal. It's my hope that your journey will bring you into a greater intimacy and knowledge of He who loved you enough to send His Son as a sacrifice for you. That relationship is what matters and what will ultimately defeat Evil and return the earth to its original state.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20     I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him,

 

The Bible and Knowing The Lord

     I write today's post out of more than a little frustration, along with a desire to speak honestly and candidly to my fellow Christians. When the Lord first starting bringing people to our table for an encounter with Jesus to receive Inner Healing from the Lord, they resembled the people Jesus ministered to .... people who either did not know Him or had wandered away from Him. They were people who were desperate to change the circumstances of their lives; they had reached a place where they were willing to take a chance on the advice of someone to come see us. And just like with Jesus, their encounter with the Lord healed them of their bondage and torment from the devil, and they were willing to seek Him and the Father.
     But these were people who did not feel welcome in the Church; did not feel comfortable sharing their wounds with those who might look down upon the secrets they had been careful to keep hidden all their lives. After Jesus set them free, they were eager to be discipled and learn more about Jesus. We emphasized getting to know Him through His Word and weekly Bible studies in the Book of Matthew showed them a whole new way to live, and the Word spoke Truth and Hope into lives that were ready to receive them.
      Time has progressed, and a reputation we did not seek began to bring more "churched" people to our table. And as we have said over and over, people in the Church are as much in need of Freedom in Christ as the un-churched. Many are wonderfully Saved, but tormented in soul and spirit from the wounds that have kept them from walking in their full purpose and identity in Christ. And rest assured, we make no distinction between any person that finds their way to us for healing with Jesus. He died to take away everyone's pain, and we are only too happy to be obedient and provide a way for them to receive Him. But here is where my frustration comes in...
     We end every session with reminding the Beloved that although they have received blessed freedom from the wounds of their past, the Enemy will try to use the same tactics to bring them back into bondage. They must be prepared to recognize those lies and schemes; they are the same tactics that have worked all these years. And when they discern them, they need to identify the lie that's being whispered ("you're worthless", " you will fail again", "you're not worth loving"; whatever it is) and verbally renounce it and declare the truth from the Word of God ("He loved me enough to send His Son that I might have eternal life", "I am God's Temple, and His Holy Spirit lives in me", "I am a son or daughter, and an heir through Jesus Christ", "I was wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of my God"). We teach them that the Devil is a liar and the Father of all the lies they've been hearing their entire lives about who they are, and that's why it is important to take every thought captive, as the Bible tells us to do; especially those lies.

     These are very simple instructions, backed by the Bible, and we emphasize them as an effective way to keep the freedom one receives from an encounter with the Lord. But, sadly, we are finding that so many Christians leave our session and do not follow what we've advised. And I'm beginning to think it's because they don't read their Bibles, and therefore the advice is not recognized as valid or needed. After all, they are flying high after being freed from painful wounds in their past, and they saw or heard Jesus take away their shame, guilt, anger, rejection, abandonment, pride and other sin-caused torments. Surely, nothing could take that away, right?
     Yet, the first time the Enemy throws that familiar fiery dart, it strikes home. The old thoughts return; the lies that tell them they're a fake, or unworthy of the freedom they received. And they do not take those thoughts captive and declare that Jesus removed all that garbage and washed them in His Blood and Living Water. And just as Jesus warns us in Matthew 12, "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” But wait, they either don't read their Bible or don't take what it says to heart! In fact, I would venture that when the spiritual attacks renew, the last place the Beloved goes is to the Bible! They are confused. They know they were free. What happened? Why are they under attack again? It's as if our admonition to them fell on deaf ears.
     Mind you, these are "good Christians"! They are at their Church every time the doors are open. They involve themselves in community projects; are on at least one committee; hold a title at the Church; and even declare, "The Lord told me...". Some even see and hear in the Spirit and have received giftings from the Lord, but don't really know what He expects of them -- because they haven't read their Bible to know what He commands. It makes them feel good about what they're doing; that they're working for the Lord in the Kingdom (without knowing what Kingdom Living is really all about, because they don't know what the Lord reveals through His Word and the Holy Spirit). But doesn't that make it all about them and not the people they are supposed to be ministering to and discipling?
     I am reminded that Jesus teaches that there is a narrow gate and a wide gate. The wide gate is the easy route and many will enter through it. Is that a picture of the majority of the Church? Do they not understand that Jesus also spoke about another gate; one that is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few? And here is something else, that frankly should terrify every Believer... it is what Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 
     These were people who thought they knew the Lord because they knew the Law, followed the rules they established for themselves and others, and had listened to Him teach. They probably had followed Him around Galilee, saw the miracles, and thought they were following His example. Is that any different from those today who listen to teachers and preachers and prophets and podcasts; who read books by best-selling Christian authors? Just as with the people Jesus spoke to, the act of using the Name of the Lord in the work you do for the Church does not necessarily mean you know the Father's will or His heart. He is revealed to us through the Word! 
     As you read and study the Bible, the Holy Spirit brings revelation. Yes, you can learn much from those teachers and preachers and prophets and books and podcasts. But the best way to know the Lord is by reading God's Word. And knowing Him means we continually seek Him, and we don't get comfortable with what someone else has told us about Him. We actually meet Him personally in His Word. That's when the real relationship happens. And it is not a relationship founded on religion or doctrine. The Bible is the key to understanding and knowing the Lord. Pure and simple. It's time Christians make the effort to read it.

Mark 7:6    And He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me;' "

 
     
       

Is God's Inspired Revelation Limited To The Bible?

     I have no doubt that what I am going to say today will be found controversial, at best. It was generated by a conversation that Mark and I had during our morning study time. I was cross-referencing Scripture about the judgment by Christ at His Second Coming, when I came across the familiar passage in Jude 14-15, It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
     Our conversation began with my understanding that the "these" Enoch is prophesying about are "the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling" that Jude mentions in verse 6. Remembering that Jude is the younger half-brother of Jesus, I could imagine the conversations and questions that he might have had growing up and listening to Jesus's teachings. And then that lead to my comment about verses 14-15 being a direct quotation from 1 Enoch 1:9, a passage from a section of the apocryphal Book of Enoch called The Book of the Watchers. And since the Book of Enoch is not included in the canon, this resulted in Mark's response: "I wonder if we have the Bible God intended us to have?"
     So let me be perfectly clear about my position on this before I go any further ... Both Mark and I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God --- no matter how many translations and versions it has undergone. And there have been many! [I urge you to read a very informative article on the history of the Bible at greatsite.com.] I have come to the conclusion that even though our English Bible has survived the various interpretations and agendas of its human apologists, and it may not be perfect in representing God's original revelatory language, it is the Holy Spirit that is still able to convey the authentic and genuine divine disclosure that God intended for mankind. In other words, God still reveals what He desires us to know about Him in the book we call the Bible. It's up to us to pursue that relationship and be open to receiving the message, even if it is different than we've been taught. One of the most erstwhile pursuits a Christian can aim for is to develop your own theology based on serious time in the Bible.
     But I also understand that before the Bible appeared in its completed written form, there was a span of approximately 1500 years from the time Moses wrote Genesis in about 1400 BC, and the Book of Revelation was written around 90 AD. And in between there were only oral versions of what we know as Scripture. No one was writing down the Sermon on the Mount or the various parables Jesus spoke. Men memorized them and passed them down orally. We need to remember that the culture of ancient Israel was primarily hearing oriented and not written oriented. That's why Jesus is quoted so many times as saying, You have heard that it was said... He is repeating a teaching, or religious idea that was accepted as truth because it was passed down from generation to generation, and believed to contain God's message as disclosed in the ideas and narratives of the Old Testament.
     It is generally accepted that the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written down by eye-witnesses [or at least derived from the testimony of eye-witnesses to Jesus's teachings] and it happened over the next century after His death and resurrection. So you can see what a miracle it is that we have God's inspired Word to guide us.
     But I also want to state that I am a firm believer in Proverbs 25:2, It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. And that brings me back to a consideration of this passage in Jude that is a direct quote from the Book of Enoch. How does that affect your opinion of whether we are to restrict our knowledge of God to Solo Scriptura (a theological doctrine held by some Protestant Christian denominations that the Bible [as we know it] is the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice)?
     The reason I ask is because of the first Book of Enoch, [or 1 Enoch as it is known -- to distinguish it from 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch, later versions plagued with manuscript variations and  Jewish mysticism or Kabbalah writings.] While there is no evidence that the Holy Spirit inspired men to include this book in the authoritative canon -- and I am not claiming that it should be considered canon -- is it possible that the Spirit included a section of it in the Book of Jude because it offers us the opportunity to study the history, and spiritual and doctrinal influence it had on the early Church?
     A website called bereanbiblechurch.org quotes 1 Enoch translator E. Isaac, who writes, "1 Enoch played a significant role in the early Church; it was used by the authors of the Epistle of Barnabas, the Apocalypse of Peter, and a number of apologetic works. Many Church Fathers, including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, and Clement of Alexandria, either knew 1 Enoch or were inspired by it. Among those who were familiar with 1 Enoch, Tertullian had an exceptionally high regard for it.... There is little doubt that 1 Enoch was influential in molding New Testament doctrines concerning the nature of the Messiah, the Son of Man, the messianic kingdom, demonology, the future, resurrection, final judgment, the whole eschatological theater, and symbolism. No wonder, therefore, that the book was highly regarded by many of the earliest apostolic and Church Fathers." " [E. Isaac, A New Translation and Introduction,in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1].
     Once again, I am not maintaining that 1 Enoch should be included in our Bible. But I also find it interesting that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine didn't exist in the American theological psyche until just 111 years ago when the Scofield Bible was printed; or that King James authorized a new translation of the Bible in 1611 for clear political motives, and he directed that the language was to reflect his ideas of church government; or that the NIV Bible, published in 1973 has gone through several revisions in which the Deity of Jesus is removed. An example of this is Acts 8:37, which reads, And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest [be baptized]. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The NIV, New Living Translation and some of the latest versions of the Bible do not include this verse.
     So, why wouldn't the writings credited to the same Enoch who is revealed in the Bible in Genesis 5:21-24, Luke 3:37, Hebrews 11:5, and Jude 14-15 be given some authority in further understanding the beliefs of the Early Church? While 1 Enoch is only part of the Bible in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, it has been invaluable in shaping Christian doctrine since the writers of the Bible first began recording the inspired Word of God. And shouldn't it be taken into consideration that 1 Enoch is believed to have been written from 100-300 years prior to the Bible, yet portions of it are consistent with not only the ancient prophets, but the writers of the New Testament? Here are some examples:

     1 Enoch 1:6-7: The high mountains will be shaken, and the high hills brought low, melting like wax in the flame. 
     Micah 1:4, And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
     2 Peter 3:10,12: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies[b] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed... waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

     1 Enoch 91:16a, The first heaven shall pass away, and a new heaven shall appear. 
     2 Peter 3:13, But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
      
     1 Enoch 48:6–7a For this (reason) he was chosen and hidden in his presence, before the world was created and forever. And the wisdom of the Lord of Spirits has revealed him to the holy and the righteous; for he has preserved the lot of the righteous.
     1 Peter 1:20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.

     1 Enoch 69:27 And he sat on the throne of his glory, and the whole judgment was given to the Son of Man, and he will make sinners vanish and perish from the face of the earth.
     1 Peter 4:5 But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.

     So I present all this to you, not in an effort to convince you that you should consider the Book of Enoch as equal to the Bible, or even that you should read it. But I do subscribe to the ideation of Mr. Isaacs, the translator of 1 Enoch, in that it bears similarities to Scripture, and might possibly "have been influential in molding New Testament doctrine."
     And in accordance with this thought, I do not find it heretical to read it (as I have been accused). Rather, I believe that God may have concealed more background information in this apocryphal book that might be beneficial in understanding Scripture. And I trust the Holy Spirit to reveal whether what is written there is divine truth or not. If God has concealed it, then my searching it out glorifies Him. If He had nothing to do with the writing of the Book of Enoch, then I trust the Holy Spirit to show me that, too, and I will consider it just an interesting read of apocryphal writing. And I trust and rely on my relationship with the Holy Spirit and Jesus enough that I do not fear being deceived.
     So, now you know a little bit about how my mind works and why I love to go deeper in trying to understand all I can about God and His Word. As I've said so many times to Christians [who look at me like I'm being blasphemous], "Everything in our Bible is about Jesus Christ and the Father... but everything about Jesus and God is not in the Bible". They cannot be contained in something as finite as a bound book of 1547 pages. They are supernatural, and multi-dimensional, and worth every second that I am searching them out. Holy Spirit, show me more!

Psalm 14:2   The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.


 
   

Faith In The Midst Of The Corona Virus

    

     My heart and my spirit are burdened today with a task from the Lord. I'm not burdened in the sense of anything negative or too heavy to carry; but rather with a serious responsibility to deliver a specific message to a specific group. And I don't want to fail my assignment.
      But I first need you to understand that I don't write this blog to gain notoriety or applause. In fact, I have come to realize that this website is inconsequential in a world where internet popularity is the goal. A couple of years ago, the numbers of people checking in to read the various posts plummeted drastically. I guess Google isn't interested in promoting the Gospel of the Kingdom. And at one point I asked God if it was time to quit; if my usefulness to Him had reached its conclusion. But I clearly heard, "If one person seeks Me through the words you are inspired to write, then there is still work to be done". Okay, God, I'll keep writing if You will keep telling me what You want Your people to hear.
     And that brings me to my task for today. I usually don't bother checking numbers of readers or the their countries of origin. But every once in awhile, I like to see if my message has gotten beyond the internet censors and what topics might be speaking the loudest. The last week or so I have been stunned to see the numbers rise steeply, with the predominate number coming from Hong Kong, which has outdistanced American readers by far! The only factor I could discern that would cause this effect would be the Corona virus.
     The purpose of this blog post is not to discuss the various theories or conspiracies regarding the virus. I personally believe that it is a far more serious threat to the population of the world than we are being told. Mind you, I pay little attention to the mainstream media or the information they provide. And I am aware of all the speculation and questions regarding the virus being weaponized, or manipulated to make millions off of a vaccine, or unleashed on the United States to take down our economy. [NOTE: if you are interested in considering the technicalities/theory of how this virus attacks our bodies, listen to this video from QuantumCommand.net].
     Could any [or all] of these premises be true? I think so, and I also believe the ultimate purpose of this Corona virus could be to become a potential demonic device of Biblical proportions. BUT, I also know that what the devil means for evil, our God means for His good (Genesis 50:20). 
     That is not simply a trite hyperbole intended to gloss over this serious situation. These are the words spoken by Joseph, the son of Jacob, to his brothers who had sold him into slavery in Egypt. They fear retribution from their brother, who has found favor in the midst of his captivity, but what does Joseph say instead? "Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people [my emphasis]". And regardless of the origin and/or intent of this deadly virus, that is the message I want to convey.
     You see, the word "Corona" is derived from the Ancient Greek word koroné, meaning "garland or wreath", and it means "crown" in Latin. Can you perceive that whatever the circumstances of the Corona virus's origin, that Satan seeks to corrupt God's purpose in all things? That he seeks to usurp Jesus's crown of Sonship and King, and use anything at his disposal to steal, kill, or destroy the spread of Faith in Jesus Christ across the globe? 
     And that brings me back to readers in Hong Kong. I am fully aware of what the prophets in the Church of America are saying ... that the Corona virus is Satan's answer to the global revival that is about to come upon the earth; and that no matter how Satan tries to engineer this virus for destruction, that God will have an antidote of His own, so to speak, that will drastically reduce the strength or effectiveness of the virus. And I do not discount either of these prophecies. Their accuracy remains to be seen.
     But what I do see, right now, within the community of Christians in China, is incredible faith in the midst of a rising death toll, and it is these followers of Jesus that I wish to encourage. It is well-known that the Christian faith is under extreme persecution in Communist China. In effect, the Church has been forced to go "underground", and the Home Church movement has exploded as Christianity has become the fastest growing religion in China. The Los Angeles Times reports that "Fenggang Yang, founding director of the Center on Religion and Chinese Society at Purdue University, predicts that by 2030 China will have more Christians than any other country." Is it any wonder that Satan might target this nation of nearly 1.4 billion people?
      However, as the Corona virus continues to spread across mainland China, it is the Christians who are continuing to do the work of Jesus. As donations from across the world have poured into China, it is the Christian ministries -- not the government -- who have brought hope to the epidemic-ravaged city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, and at great risk to themselves. Although street preaching and public evangelism have ceased, the leaders in the Christian community are coordinating online sermons to combat the fear, frustration, stress, and trauma of the disease. They have also implemented a system of communication for those needing assistance and supplies.
     So, I want to encourage everyone reading this post to stop and take a moment to pray in the Spirit; to go before the throne of God and ask Him for compassion and mercy upon the people of China. Pray for Divine Hope to overcome despair; for the healing power of Jehovah Rapha to sweep over every city, village, and home. Let us come together in voices a million strong to demand that this virus be conquered in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ! Above all else, let us fast and pray that the deadly purpose of this virus be consumed by the increase of Faith, Love, and Hope exhibited by Christians around the world -- that not only will the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ come to millions, but the message will be expanded to declare the Gospel of the Kingdom.
     Jesus says in Matthew 24:14 that "this gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come". This is an opportunity for the Church in China to become the spearhead for the Kingdom message. Just as Joseph was brought to his position of Vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh, so can the Christians of China be placed by God to take the lead in expanding His Kingdom gospel across the globe. 
     To that end, I bless the underground Churches in China, the Home Churches, and the individual Believers across Asia with Hope. And I remind you that theologian C.S. Lewis called Hope one of the virtues of a faithful Christian. And Dan Duval of Bride Ministries notes that the characteristics of "virtue" include strength and power that come from the Lord. So, I praise the Faith of all Chinese Christians as they bear witness of their Trust in the Lord to see them through this time of suffering, and I charge you with the desire to grow your message of Salvation to include the coming Kingdom of God upon the earth. 
     I am not a prophet. I cannot see what Satan plans to do with this virus. But I know my God. And He will not waver from His plan to see His Kingdom dominate and defeat the kingdom of darkness. God will see His plan for mankind fulfilled. He will see His Kingdom established upon the earth. And the ultimate goal of His plan is to see Himself glorified. So by His Mighty Presence in the hearts of Believers, may Hope reign in China and the Glory of the Lord shine bright for all to see!

Deuteronomy 31:6    So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. 
    

      

"For I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice"

       There is a passage in the Bible that has long fascinated me, as it has centuries of Christians. It is John 8:1-11, and is the story of the adulterous woman. It reads like this: ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst ⁴ they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” ⁶ This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷ And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰ Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”   

     
      This passage is compelling on so many levels, and I want to share what caught my spirit's attention, as well as tell you how it has been interpreted throughout antiquity. To begin with, we witness the Lord's popularity... all the people came to the Temple to hear Him teach. Certainly, we can ascertain that He is a growing threat to the religious leaders; not only in popularity, but in authority. They call Him, "Teacher".  They are obviously threatened by the content of His message.
     Then in the midst of His teaching, the scribes and Pharisees bring a woman whom they proclaim "has been caught in the act of adultery" and challenge Jesus with the Law. Now, the Law they are referring to is the list of offenses referred to in Deuteronomy 22 as "Laws Concerning Sexual Immorality". These "laws" are all centered around the virginity of women, and if that sacred condition is found to be desecrated, then "the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones". Verse 22 goes on to state, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman". I find it interesting that she was "caught in the act", and that no man was brought forth with her. So, was she set up in order to test Jesus? Did someone make a false accusation? We have no way of knowing, and there's not enough evidence in the text to speculate. But clearly, the religious leaders sought to have her stoned, and challenged Jesus to go against the Mosaic Law, a grave offense for anyone proclaiming to be a Teacher.
     But what did Jesus do? He does the thing that has puzzled Christians for 2000 years. He bends down and writes on the ground. And when the Pharisees continue to harass Him, He turns the challenge against them ... Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone. I can just imagine the silence. And then He bends down and writes on the ground again. 
      What was the unspoken message He was delivering? What was He writing on the ground? Talk about speculation! Those questions have been asked throughout the last 2000 years! Was He writing something, or perhaps drawing something? Was He, as Jerome [the Latin theologian and historian of the 4th century] suggests, writing down the names of the accusers? Was He referring to the prophet Jeremiah's warning: O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you [Me] shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water? Or does the late Professor of Oriental Laws, J.D.M. Derrett, of the University of London have it right when he proposes that Jesus is exemplifying one of the Laws of Social Justice as expressed in Exodus 23:1, You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.  
     And finally, let me offer one last theory. What if Jesus was intentionally replicating the finger of God writing the Law that was given to Moses? Only this time, God [in the person of Jesus] is bringing a new revelation of how He wishes to govern [and us to likewise judge]. In the Old Covenant with His people, God had given the Ten Commandments and strict guidelines to bring them out of the adulterous idolatry to foreign gods in Egypt. Now, in the New Covenant [for followers of Jesus], there is a new way He wants us to consider adultery. In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus teaches this: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery'. [As listed in the Ten Commandments; Exodus 20:14]. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 
     Jesus is bringing a new understanding of the Law. He is not abolishing it -- adultery is still a sin, but we are unable to fulfill the Law. There wasn't one man who was righteous enough to throw the first stone at the woman accused of adultery. He is showing us that the religious aspects of the laws, and their strict legalism, are to be replaced with forgiveness and mercy. That is what He shows the woman. He doesn't tell her she can keep on sinning! In fact, He makes it clear: From now on, sin no more. But He also shows her [and us] that no one has the right to judge another's heart. 
     That word condemn is the Greek word katakrinō, and it means "by one's good example to render another's wickedness the more evident and censurable". I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to lay claim to that label. And that is why I titled this post on the adulterous woman For I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice [taken from Matthew 9:13]. Since God is merciful to remove the misery of our sins by forgiveness, He desires that we do the same for others. This passage shows the nature of Jesus; His lovingkindness toward this woman who needed redemption from her sin, her enemies, and the troubles in her life. But it also shows the nature of Religion; self-imposed righteousness that demands a sacrifice. But God doesn't require that anymore. Jesus became our sacrifice out of His love and mercy for us. He asks that we extend that same mercy to others, even as we counsel them to discontinue their sin.
     Whatever He was writing on the ground, He made His point. Beginning with the older ones [the Elders? The Pharisees?], the men walked away, one by one, leaving the woman alone with Jesus. Ultimately, that's where we each find ourselves... in the presence of our Lord, who tells us we are not condemned, as He extends His mercy, and cautions us to sin no more. I love this passage and the wealth of its knowledge!

NOTE: Did you know that there are some versions of the Bible that omit this passage as "not inspired"? It is accepted as portraying the nature of Jesus, but there is conflict over its absence in some of the earliest manuscripts. There is conjecture that scribes understood it as part of the oral tradition of Jesus and his actions and didn't quite know where to include it, so it was arbitrarily inserted in John. It makes no difference to me. I rely on John's last words in his testament of Jesus: Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Simply put, I am blessed that this account was written and found it's way into God's revelation to us.

 Micah 6:8    "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."