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Why would JESUS love us? What really is the benefit for JESUS in this relationship between us and HIM?
JESUS risks more in the relationship between you and HIM; I know for a fact that JESUS risks more in this relationship between HIM and me. HE is always constant; HE never walks away. I, on the other hand, turn away from HIM if things don’t go my way. I doubt HIM and even question HIS faithfulness!
We all know GOD does not get what HE deserves when HE enters a relationship with us. HE gets the “short end of the stick.” Have you ever asked yourself why HE does it? Why did HE choose to love us; why did HE choose to love me?
Let us take a look at the love of GOD and how HE definitely invests more in this love relationship between HIM and us.
“When I passed by you, and saw you kicking in your blood. I said to you, ‘In your blood, live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘In your blood, live!’” Ezekiel 16:6
I can’t get past this verse. All JESUS had to do was look and HE had compassion on me and you. HE saw us in our mess, and HE spoke life into us. Thank GOD for HIS mercy and thank GOD for HIS saving grace. We thought we were living; we thought we were going places. But we were wallowing in our blood, in our mess
“‘Again I passed by and saw you, and behold, you were truly at the time of love. I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I swore to you and entered into a covenant with you,’ says Adonai. ‘So you became Mine. 9 Then I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood from on you and anointed you with oil…. 12 I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears and a crown of glory on your head…. 14 Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect, through My splendor, which I bestowed on you.’ It is a declaration of Adonai.” Ezekiel 16:8-9,12,14 TLV
Verse 8 brings back the story of Ruth and Boaz when she asked Boaz to cover her with his robe. Let us take a sidebar and look at the verse at face value. Can you imagine how big and wide the robe of GOD is? HIS robe is so wide that just the corner can cover my nakedness. As my daughter put it, GOD’S robe must be big enough that just the corner can cover the person all over. Imagine that!
The end of verse 8 references GOD swearing to us and entering into a covenant with us. It was not me doing the swearing and covenant. It was JESUS! ADONAI went onto declare “YOU ARE MINE!”
Do you see this love? Do you see that after the covenant in verse 9, HE then cleansed us? JESUS is the ONE doing everything here. All HIM!
“‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a harlot. You poured out your enticements on everyone who passed by—they were his…. 19 My bread that I gave you, fine flour, oil and honey that I fed you with, you set before them as a sweet aroma. That is what happened.’ It is a declaration of Adonai.” Ezekiel 16:15,19 TLV
Here comes the dreaded “but” at the beginning of verse 15. We, HIS Bride, turned our backs on HIM and hurt HIM. This is the relationship JESUS commits HIS Heart to…but we betray HIS Love! HIS Love takes us back; HE never leaves, and HE stays patiently waiting for us to come back to HIM. HE will even run to us when HE sees us coming back to HIM. That’s our JESUS!
HE risks HIS Heart and HIS Love just for us. HIS Love is worth the pain and hurt. HE keeps taking us back.
I just don’t understand HIS love. Do you?
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“For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of GOD who shows mercy.’” Romans 9:15-16
According to Easton’s dictionary, “mercy” is compassion towards the miserable.
We were miserable without GOD on our side, but HE loved us. Mercy is GOD’S compassion towards people who do not deserve it. To those whom it is offered but refused, judgment awaits; however, to those who receive it, eternal life awaits.
JESUS never took HIS focus off HIS goal, the cross and HIS love for us. Even as HE carried the cross, HE persevered through betrayal, hopelessness, and shame and put our needs (i.e. salvation) before HIS pain. What an expression of love!
What is salvation, but the mercy of GOD?! GOD sent HIS only SON that whoever believes in HIM will not perish but have everlasting life. While we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us. There was nothing we could have done to earn it, and it’s something that we could never repay. HIS mercy allowed us to pass from death to life. It’s all on GOD! That makes me glad.
Salvation was of the Jews, and we Gentiles were grafted in. HE called us who were not HIS people to be HIS people. We became the recipients of HIS mercy. The whole world was under condemnation and hell-bound, but JESUS was our ram in the bush. We deserve death because the wages of sin is death, but HE was the ONE who took upon HIMSELF the wrath of GOD and died on the Cross at Calvary. It was mercy inaction and love in full manifestation.
JESUS’ rising from the grave was merciful because it showed us that we would also be raised to spend eternity with HIM. Oh, HE loves us so much! The CREATOR of all the earth wants to be with us.
All day every day HE pours out HIS love on us. What GOD news! I always think about HIS mercy towards me and never cease to be in awe of it. I will never understand it, yet I am so grateful that HE didn’t leave me in the state I was in. I’m glad HE poured out HIS love on us all.
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What should our response be? Thanksgiving, praise, honor, worship…a lifestyle that pleases HIM. What HE has done for us, we can pay it forward and reap the benefits, for HE has said that if we are merciful, we will obtain mercy. We don’t deserve it, but we live under its daily banner. Let us remember what HE showered on us when we encounter those who don’t deserve mercy either. HE left us an example to follow…let’s do it by the grace of GOD!
Additional Scriptures: John 3:16; Romans 11:19; Ephesians 2:8; John 5:24; 1 Peter 2:10; Romans 5:8; Romans 9:25; Romans 6:23; Lamentations 3:22-23; Matthew 5:7; John 4:22 (https://rb.gy/rzips) __________________________________________________________
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I was going about my chores in the house and ventured to ask JESUS what HIS love language is. HIS response was quick and uttered in a firm whisper: “You. ”Immediately, tears welled up in my eyes as I was overwhelmed by HIS unselfish, unadulterated love. GOD is thinking about me…constantly!
In fact, when JESUS was on earth in human form, HE could have been boastful in talking about who HE is and the power HE possesses – but HE chose to be humble. HE never took his eyes off the goal of the cross and HIS love for us…even though we are the very ones who wronged HIM and put HIM on the cross.
“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:2b NLT
JESUS never took HIS focus off HIS goal, the cross and HIS love for us. Even as HE carried the cross, HE persevered through betrayal, hopelessness, and shame and put our needs (i.e. salvation) before HIS pain. What an expression of love!
“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:4
Our FATHER, the ONE who upholds all things by the Word of HIS mouth, has invested so much into man [us] because of HIS insatiable love for us. How much more should we lavish our attention on HIM? How much more should we place affection upon the ONE who lavished HIS love upon us? GOD took the greatest risk without the assurance that HIS love would be reciprocated.
Let’s look at the following examples of those who understood JESUS’ love language:
1. The 24 elders
“Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 ‘You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created. ’” Revelation 4:9-11
I have pondered on the Bible’s description of the 24 elders before the throne of GOD. They worship GOD tirelessly night and day. GOD doesn’t create robots, so their actions before HIM must stem from a deep place of devotion, undivided attention, and commitment to the one who is known as WORTHY. They understand JESUS’ love language and appreciate HIS love. So, they delight in showering their affection on THE ONE who first loved us.
2. The woman with the alabaster box
“And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.” Luke 7:37-38
It was the custom in those days to wash the feet of your guests and place a little oil on their heads. This woman who was considered a sinner loved JESUS so much more that she washed JESUS’ feet with her tears and poured her expensive oil on the feet of JESUS. She acted out of love and a sincere faith. She must have gained an insight into JESUS’ love language.
3. King David
David’s conduct did not line up with Christian living when he murdered Uriah to coverup his act of adultery, yet GOD Who sees the entire timeline of our lives referred to him as a man after HIS own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
David, in Psalm 59, depicted a picture of his relationship with GOD when he described GOD Who knows his thoughts from afar and is interested in the details of his life. His narratives shed light on GOD who loves a man to the utmost.
When you explore the lives of the aforementioned Bible characters, you will realize that they understood who GOD is because they spent quality time with HIM. GOD was pleased with the heart of these individuals. What pleases GOD is you and your heart condition.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or a this physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”1 Samuel 16:7.
So where do we start? How do we initiate this posture of responding to JESUS’ love language and acting accordingly? First, we must understand that you can’t please GOD outside of HIS WORD. When you spend time in the WORD and prayer, and reduce that TV time, an insight is received; it goes from head knowledge to revelation knowledge.
I will close with this: GOD is not demanding our love; HE deserves our love. Simply venture to ask JESUS what HIS love language is. HIS response, quick and firm, will be: “You.”
“A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6
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The love language of JESUS the CHRIST is BLOOD.
We all love the promises in the WORD of GOD. We read the Old and New Testaments,and it fills us with so much joy and hope. But have we stopped to think abouthow those promises became effective in our lives? BLOOD. Not just the BLOOD of JESUS, but the blood of the innocent as well.
Our faith was authored in BLOOD because the love language of JESUS is BLOOD.
There are so many Scriptures to support this. Let’s focus on Jeremiah31:15. This line seems out of place in this chapter until we see it again in Matthew2:16-18. Rachel refused to be comforted because her children were no more. After all, evil King Herod ordered Roman swords to kill every male child two years old and under living in Bethlehem and all its surrounding districts.
Rachel wept because satan tried to kill JESUS; he was unsure who JESUS was, so he killed every baby boy in HIS generation from HIS tribe, country, township, and village. Imagine more than nine months of pregnancy, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and sleepless nights, only for the baby boy to be hacked to death. As a mother, I hate satan even more when I think of this.
Let’s be clear: Just because ADONAI ELOHIM revealed that it was going to happen does not mean that HE caused it. This was all satan. Only JESUS was supposed to die to resurrect. Man (Herod) decided he wanted to stop JEHOVAH’s plan, so he decided to kill the innocent. The same thing was done in the time of Moses (see Exodus 1-2). To prove the attempts of satan and man to disrupt ELOHIM’s plan can never succeed, the baby that Pharaoh wanted to kill was crawling around in his palace, calling him ‘grandpa.’ Hallelujah; but I digress.
The love language of JESUS is BLOOD.
JESUS came specifically to die and resurrect. HE came to offer up HIMSELF as a perfect sacrifice to appease the righteous judgment for sin.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew20:27-28
ADONAI said it clearly: The wages of sin is death. From Garden to present, man without CHRIST has been dying. JESUS died, shed HIS BLOOD for you and me, to prove the Love of the FATHER to us.
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah53:4-6
This love is written in BLOOD.
“Adonai your God is in your midst—a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 TLV
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Ahh the enamorment of new love…! Do you remember? Or maybe you are there now? The heart palpitations, the sweaty palms, the excitement of a love note…all marked by the intense desire to constantly be in that person’s presence.
Did you know that JESUS experiences this love for us? Take a look at Zephaniah 3:17.
“Adonai your God is in your midst—a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 TLV
Now look again and read it with passion.
Wow…HE dances and sings over us! HE is passionate for us! HE constantly desires an intimate relationship with us…and for us to have passion for HIS Presence!
So now, how must HE feel when we miss our time with HIM? Several years ago, singer/songwriter Larnelle Harris penned these words:
“I miss my time with you, those moments together.
I need to be with you each day, and it hurts ME when you say
you're too busy; busy trying to serve ME.
But how can you serve ME when your spirit’s empty?
There's a longing in MY heart, wanting more than just a part of you, it's true.
I miss MY time with you.”
GOD, the CREATOR of all things, created emotion – strong emotion – including passion. How passionate are we for HIS Presence? Or do we trade HIS Presence for the details of our day, our schedule, our family, our ministry?
We read about this contrast between the busyness of life, and sitting in HIS Presence, in Scripture:
“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.’ 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:38-42 NASB
Here we have Martha, who welcomed JESUS into her home, yet was distracted. What distracted her? The preparations that were needed – the “typical” role of the woman of the home in this culture. And then we have Mary, sitting at the feet of JESUS (normally a placed relegated only for men in this culture), listening to HIS Word – while her sister scurries about the house.
Who chose the “one thing” that was necessary? The one who was sitting at the feet of JESUS. The one who quieted all distractions and preparations. The one who was consumed in HIS Presence.
How often do we “tell” JESUS that we love HIM by simply sitting at HIS feet, spending time in HIS Presence – not even asking for anything, but simply listening to HIS Word?
“The more I seek YOU, the more I find YOU
The more I find YOU, the more I love YOU
I wanna sit at YOUR feet
Drink from the cup in YOUR hand
Lay back against YOU and breath, feel YOUR heart beat
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand
I melt in YOUR peace, it's overwhelming”
Yes, there are many things to do. Yes, there are many good things to do. But what is actually “necessary?” To speak the love language of JESUS by sitting at HIS Feet, hanging onto HIS every Word as It drips from HIS mouth, spending time in HIS Presence.
To sing with HIM. To dance with HIM. To rejoice with HIM.
To have a passion for HIS Presence.
This is necessary. This is love.
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After waking up and having my morning prayer and meditation, the SPIRIT of the LORD impressed the following question upon my spirit: “What is remnant culture?”
This was an interesting question that the LORD asked. It caused me to pause and reflect on what the LORD requires of us to be called HIS Remnant.
Whenever the LORD challenges, rebukes or exhorts us, there is always additional Impartation that comes in the form of confirmation, comfort and commitment in HIS written WORD.
The LORD brought me to HIS WORD in Romans 11:4-6 The Apostle Paul reflects on a particular encounter the prophet Elijah had with the MOST HIGH GOD:
“But what does the divine response say to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.’ 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Romans 11:4-6
As we recall, Paul was reminding us of a point in the life of Elijah where he thought he was alone in standing solely for the LORD and not giving into the deceit of Jezebel and the baals. The LORD informed Elijah that HE reserved 7,000 that not kissed baal.
This brings me to my first perspective of remnant culture: You have been reserved. Paul elaborates this truth from a new covenant perspective when he defined how the LORD reserves HIS people – by the election of HIS grace.
Remnant culture is about being reserved and chosen by the LORD JESUS CHRIST to be part of HIS collective. HE will only reserve those that are special to HIM. It is because of grace you are reserved.
The second aspect of remnant culture is the very reason why the Remnant was being reserved. It is found in a small statement in the second part of the following verse.
“…all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18
Being a holy people before JEHOVAH GOD requires rejection of all things unholy! The Scripture uses “BOW” and “KISS” to illustrate how a person can get defiled by something unholy. Bowing is an act that illustrates respect and lordship to the person being honored, while a kiss is a personal act that communicates affection and care above a general greeting.
Remnant culture is about standing alone in reverence and love while crowning JESUS CHRIST as LORD of your life above any cost. There was a significant demonic pull on the children of Israel to rebel against JEHOVAH as a result of the bewitching of Jezebel and her assistants, King Ahab and the prophets of baal. The Remnant repelled the attacks of baal and stood in the minority in a ready position.
The final aspect the LORD gave me concerning remnant culture is that, in their place of reservation, there was a readiness that was in the seven thousand. The Bible says that the reserved ones were in Israel. The 7,000 were clearly aware what was happening regarding the slaughter of the prophets of Israel, the defilement of the Temple, and the elevation of the high places reserved for baal. The Remnant reserved of the LORD had to understand the ramifications of what would happen to Israel as a result of their sin. They knew the LAW and the ramifications of disobedience. They were armed with the power of correction through the WORD of GOD to go on the offensive when the LORD would call for them.
The culture of the Remnant of GOD is a readiness beyond understanding to go on the offensive for GOD – to be ready to war in the spirit for the purposes of the KINGDOM, either in a covert or overt manner, because there is an understanding of the destruction that will come due to the iniquity of the people.
Today, GOD has reserved a people that will carry “remnant culture” to their perspective homes, churches, cities, and nations. HE has called HIS Remnant to be on one accord to carry the culture and grace of GOD. HE has reserved HIS Remnant to preach good tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to open spiritual prisons to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
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“‘I will punish her for offering incense on the feast days of the ba‘alim, when she decked herself with her earrings and jewels, pursuing her lovers and forgetting me,’ says Adonai. ‘But now I am going to woo her — I will bring her out to the desert and I will speak to her heart. Iwill give her her vineyards from there and the Akhor Valley as a gateway to hope. She will respond there as she did when young, as she did when she came up from Egypt.’” Hosea 2:15-17 CJB
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There is a musician named Jonathan Ogden who did a worship set called JESUS My Beloved on Prayer Storm TV. It is breathtaking. The part that focuses me on the LOVER of all lovers, is when Jonathan sings “JESUS, my Beloved. I am YOURS and YOU are mine, sweet as honey better than wine. Keep me faithful, keep me true, bind my heart to only YOU.”
In Hosea 2:15-17, ADONAI is not denying the fact that Israel has been unfaithful. She has worshiped other gods, bowed her heart to another, to the point where she burned incense, burned her own children in the fires of molech, offering aromas to these demonic spirits (ba’als). To translate into the physical realm what was happening in the spirit realm, Israel had cheated on her HUSBAND (the LORD GOD). She had stepped out on their marriage and was prostituting with multiple men all at the same time, but not getting paid. In fact, she was paying them with the money her husband gave her. GOD uses this metaphor throughout Scripture to describe HIS displeasure and heart break. (See all of Hosea 2 and Jeremiah 2:23-5:19.)
In disgust, the perfect husband would divorce the unfaithful wife forever, moving on to greener pastures. Not CHRIST. HIS Heart would not allow HIM to turn HIS back on the one HE loves forever. HIS Holy and Righteous Eyes could not bear to see Israel receive the just reward for her sins. HE couldn’t separate HIMSELF from the one HE loved.
So, the LOVER of all lovers swung into action.
ELOHIM ADONAI chose to remind the ones HE loved (Israel) that HE was worth loving. HE wooed her [allured her, swept her off her feet]. The unfaithful one was taken on the most expensive, exclusive romantic date. She was led into the wilderness [a place of quiet, separation, alone time, one-on-one time]. No distractions.
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ADONAI took her away so HE could speak [converse, come let us reason together] to her. Then HE gave her the Valley of Akhor [a place a blood redemption] as her gateway [access, entrance] into hope. Wow!
The Valley of Akhor is very interesting. This is a place right outside of Jericho where Achan, his family, and all he owned were stoned to death in Joshua 7. How is this a place of hope? When Achan brought the accursed thing into the camp of Israel, GOD left them. HOLY and profane cannot walk together. This caused them to be defeated before their enemies at Ai. Thousands of people died because one person disobeyed GOD. Nevertheless, when Joshua enquired of the LORD as to why they were defeated, Achan was pointed out, and was removed, byblood, from the camp. From that point forward, the entire nation experiencedvictory in battle because GOD came back to the camp.
In every generation, blood is required to cleanse sin. Remember Genesis 2:15-17, Ezekiel 18:20, Leviticus 17:11.
The LOVER of all lovers is my LOVER.
Today, you and I are spiritual Israel. When we were unlovable, enemies of GOD, sacrificing and giving our hearts to other gods, other pursuits, not even paying attention to GOD, HE reached out HIS Hand to us. HE didn’t have to do it. But HE couldn’t stand aside and watch us suffer and die. HIS LOVE for me was stronger than my spiritual prostitution. HE wooed me. HE got my attention, HE spoke to me, and gave me my vineyard (my place) in the Valley of Akhor. HE gave me my portion of JESUS CHRIST and HIS BLOOD to redeem me. BLOOD is necessary for redemption in every generation. This gave me access to eternal life, access to relationship here on earth with the GOD of all heaven and earth.
The love language of JESUS to me today is attention, so HE could give me redemption.
“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 NLT
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Growth is essential to survival as a Christian; staying stagnant can be the death of any believer.
In our text for today, Paul is advising the people to keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. He even took it further in verse Philippians 4:10. He wanted to make sure that we, as the Remnant, live pure and blameless lives. The only way to do that is to keep on growing; keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. Unfortunately, the Church seems to think that when the Bible talks about growing in knowledge and understanding, it is only in Biblical things. Meanwhile, the world is expanding its knowledge in the spirit world. That knowledge influences every aspect of our lives. It has influenced fashion, education, entertainment, the judicial system, and much more.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6
The enemy uses the ignorance in the Church to ensnare the Body of CHRIST. We have many Christian homes that do not know what type of music their children listen to! Ignorance will not help you; rather it can kill the child! Remember, we are supposed to be GROWING in knowledge and wisdom. If your children are listening to music, you’d better know what the lyrics say. If your children are reading books, you’d better know what the book is about. The kids are growing in wisdom and knowledge of the world. The question is: What is the Church doing about it?
As the Remnant of the Body of CHRIST, we need to be on the offensive more than the defensive. We have said this repeatedly. Remember: We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. The enemy is constantly updating his playbook, changing up his tactics. But why does the Body of CHRIST always seem to be surprised? We need to ask HOLY SPIRIT to enlighten us about the tools the enemy is using.
How can the Remnant counter culture if the Ecclesia does not know what is IN culture? Seek out knowledge, Church. GROW!
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:1-6
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This week, we dive into the process of sorcery so all can recognize it when it’s happening, and how to defeat it.
Sorcery is seeking out the wisdom of GOD to use it to turn people against GOD, such that GOD HIMSELF will have to judge and destroy them. Sorcery is evil in its purest form, because it feels good, looks so good, and makes so much sense. See Genesis 3:6; 1 John 2:16
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6
Sorcery is always educational. It always brings “new” insights, expands on knowledge, twists the truth, and misinterprets GOD’s Word, to deceive HIS people. Due to deception, the woman ate the fruit and gave it to her husband (Adam) to eat. GOD had to judge them.
The same concept applied to Balaam and Balak. Balaam advised Balak, the king, not to fight the Israelites because they could not be defeated through military might, nor through witchcraft curses (Numbers 24-25; Revelation 2:12-17).
Rather, Balaam advised Balak to invite GOD’s children into their homes, give them Moabite women for free sex and lots of free food sacrificed to idols. It felt good, it tasted good, and it was soothing to their souls. After all, Israel had been eating manna and the occasional quail all this time. What’s the harm in a baked chicken dinner and rice sacrificed to idols?
The results were devastating. Our HOLY GOD had given HIS children instructions not to eat food sacrificed to idols and not to marry or engage in sex outside of marriage with non-Israelite women. Therefore, HE punished HIS children by sending a plague that killed about 24,000 men. ADONAI ELOHIM instructed Moses to hang the leaders of the people who did this on trees. HOLY requires holy every day of the week.
Witchcraft is someone manipulating, deceiving, casting spells, and curses against you to damage or destroy you. Sorcery is being educated to sin against GOD so that HE will destroy you HIMSELF.
Now that we know what sorcery is, it’s easy to point it out in the Bible and in the world. But what about the church institution? What sorceries have we been victims of and must repent for and unlearn? Let’s take an easy one: the prosperity gospel.
Just like satan told Eve a half-truth, many preachers have told us half-truths.
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38
“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.’” Malachi 3:10-11
Luke 6:38 and Malachi 3:10-11 were turned into a doctrine out of context because preachers failed to teach the fullness of Scripture. Rather, they chose to write books about how to get rich by giving. This is sorcery.
It taught us that we could buy blessing from GOD, that GOD was broke and HE needed our money to fund HIS work on the earth. In return for giving to GOD, HE would bless us, if we were happy while giving (cheerful giver). With this doctrine, a thief can steal money and still receive blessings because he or she gave ten percent cheerfully.
What they didn’t tell us was that GOD does not need our money. What HE needs and wants is our love, devotion, affection, all this, captured inside our heart. Our heart is the altar in which we communicate with GOD and HE communicates with us. Our treasures – time, talent, and finances – which we dedicate to HIM, are measures of how much love, devotion, and affection we have. The reason the widow’s two mites are so significant in Luke 21:1-4 is because it was a measure of her love.
The benefit of truly giving GOD our heart is HIS rebuke of the devouring spirit that comes to eat the fruit of our hard work. See the rest of Malachi 3:9-11
There was no need for a special prosperity gospel because financial blessing was already backed into the Gospel. JESUS said if you and I love HIM, we obey HIS commandments (John 14:15). When you go to the Old Testament and look at HIS commandments, you see a host of blessing, including financial ones, already in there. See Deuteronomy 28 and so many others.
1. Read your Bible so you know what is right versus what feels right.
2. When you find a doctrine that does not line up with the entire truth of Scripture, repent and throw it out of your mind.
3. Teach others the truth, so they too can recognize sorcery and reject it as well.
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV
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Over the past few weeks, we have taken the time to walk through different occult and demonic practices that are commonplace in Western culture. This is to draw the attention of the Children of GOD to the spiritual warfare we are already a part of, and its results around our lives.
Accepted witchcraft practices:
There are several practices of witchcraft that have become commonly accepted in Western culture. Among them are:
1. Yoga: Disguised as healthy exercise for the mind (“mindfulness,” “serenity,” “meditation”) and the body (stretches, flexibility, building your core), yoga is actually the worship of hindu “gods.” Each yoga pose and position worships various hindu “gods.”
2. After school satan clubs have become accepted.
3. Burning sage is a pagan practice used to alter the “spiritual environment” around a person. This practice is commonly used in witchcraft.
4. The Ouija board, also known as a spirit or talking board, is masked as an “innocent” table game. It was created for “supernatural communication” and is controlled by demons.
5. Tarot cards are used in divination via tarot card reading and cartomancy (fortune-telling). There are YouTube videos that teach children and adults how to read tarot cards.
6. Seances. Even cartoons for small children depict seances around a crystal ball.
7. Magic spell books. These can easily be purchased online or in stores and are readily available and marketed towards children.
The devil is hiding in plain sight. It’s time to put on our HOLY SPIRIT eyes and see what is happening all around us.
“Throw out anything tainted with evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 MSG
What is sorcery?
According to Dictionary.com, sorcery is “the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery.”
When we look at the word “sorcery” in the Bible, it’s translated as: Magicians, enchanters, omens, workers of evil, making potions (drugs) for evil purposes.
These words have been made commonplace in our Western culture. So many children’s books show the good wizard or magician. The Harry Potter books and the like glorify enchantments and spell casting. These things are considered fictional, fun, and harmless. Not so. Not so at all.
According to Scripture, sorcery is receiving intelligence from the spirit realm and adding it to intelligence in the physical realm to create philosophies that influence culture, inventions, and medications, bending nature and people to the will of other people…all with the aim to taint our worship of YAHWEH, causing HIM to have to punish us. Pure evil. Let’s look at Scripture.
“But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.” Exodus 7:11-12
The phrase “wise men” is also translated “sorcerers.” The word “sorcerer” is translated “soothsayer.” Sorcerers are also seen as brilliant, wise men/women. Soothsayers predict or see into the future using incantations and spells. The power of pharaoh was not just in his military, but also in those who can bend nature – those who can change the natural use of things for the unnatural and cause it to be accepted (Romans 1).
Sorcery builds theories and philosophies (doctrines) that are widely accepted; they become the culture (the way) of the people. To ensure these cultural practices are never challenged or demolished, sorcery causes those cultures to become the law of the land. Once they become the law, they have established a throne for satan in that nation. If you look at both Exodus 7 and Revelation 2, you will see the marriage of the spiritual and the political. That is the result of sorcery.
Sorcery is systematic, culturally acceptable, pleasing to the soul, and demonic.
The “wisdom” from sorcery comes directly from demons. They instruct those who have given themselves to the pursuit of excellence and intelligence as their god, and expose them to knowledge of GOD such that it can be twisted for evil.
Take, for example, the doctrine Balaam (spirit of sorcery) communicated to Balak (king).
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:14
Balaam knew that cursing Israel would get them nowhere. Therefore, the spirit told Balak not to fight the Israelites. Rather, cause them to sin against their GOD such that ADONAI would fight HIS own people. That is exactly what happened.
“Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.” Numbers 25:1-4
The demons in sorcery make logical arguments and show proof that what they say is rational and cause people with no HOLY foundation to follow them.
How has sorcery affected us today?
Let’s take our children as an example.
In our culture, we accepted sorcery in its mild forms when Disney and others began to change witches / wizards from “the bad guys” to “some are good/some are bad.” Then they moved us on to “being someone spiritual” is ok. Then they moved us to “I was born this way” as the mantra for the transgender agenda. Before we knew it, sorcerers had redefined what was culturally acceptable in less than 30 years. Today, elementary schools have books on transgender sex – the graphic kind with pictures.
Our nations have been led astray. As you read this, please consider praying that the LORD would give us HIS strategies to combat sorcery.
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