Tag Archive for: The Father

The Real Word of God

In the book of Acts, The Bereans were described as being of more noble character than those in Thessalonica for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. They did not have the search tools we have today so they were really thorough, but this is not the same as just believing what is taught to you blindly. The Bereans were trouble but it is an attitude that we need today.
So let's examine what the Bible says about itself and see if we have believed our teachers ahead of what is actually written.

In John 1.1 it says
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

It is clear from this that the Word of God is Jesus You get into deep problems if you take this to mean the Bible. The Bible is not God, it did not create anything. If you make the Bible into a 4th representation of God, in addition to the Father, Son, and holy spirit. Then, I guess you'd be a quadratarian rather than a trinitarian,

In verse 14 it goes on to say that the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The Bible did not become flesh and dwell among us. The Word is an important title for Jesus because it says so much about who he is.
So, clearly there are people who believe that this is referring to the Bible but it cannot be. So the question is are there other verses that some might think are about the Bible but are really about Jesus and what is at stake if we believe that. Try reading the Bible and each time you read the words Word or Word of God try asking the question is this referring to Jesus or to the Bible.

Luke refers to servants of the word, when referring to followers of Jesus
he goes on to say that the people gathered around him were listening to the word of God.

John says that the people he was speaking to were studying the scriptures diligently but the Word did not dwell in them which suggests that the Word is different to the scriptures. it also means that there was a difference to how the beareans examined the scriptures to how these people studied them.

In Ephesians 6.17 It states that we should take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. If the Word of God is Jesus then he fights for us against the enemy, If the Bible is the sword of the spirit then we fight for ourselves with our knowledge and use of the scriptures, I know which one I'd prefer

In Hebrews 4.12, it says that the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword. Now we know that Jesus is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword but is that really true of the Bible. Without effecting it's importance or it's truth it is not living and active but Jesus certainly is.

In 1 Peter 1.23 Peter refers to the living and enduring word of God, again this is referring to Jesus.
In 2 Peter 3.5, Peter says that the heaven's came into being by God's word, we know from John 1 that Jesus was there, but the Bible was not there.

In Revelation 19.13 it says his name is the Word of God, He is not the Bible.

There are over a hundred references in the Old Testament to the word of God appearing to somebody or coming to somebody. This should not be surprising if he is living and active, if he was there in the beginning
you would expect him to appear in the Old Testament. He talked to the Pharisees about the scriptures referring to him but they couldn't find him.
These were the pharasees who loved the scriptures but they were the only people Jesus met who made him angry.

So what's at stake if we apply the characteristics of Jesus to the Bible.
I think we risk keeping people from the real Jesus, they have a relationship with a book and not with the real Word of God, and the letter kills but the spirit gives life. That's not to take away from the importance of the Bible because it tells us and teaches us about Jesus and we don't have anything else but we have to test everything by the word of God. If you test Jesus by the Bible he stands up because of every word written about him in both testaments. However, if you test the Bible by the word of God you risk finding the God of the Pharisees instead of Jesus himself. Perhaps we would not spend as much energy and time talking about things Jesus never spoke about. Perhaps we would be a better reflection of him and Perhaps that would draw more people to him

Genesis 15.1, 15.4
! Samuel 3, 15.10
2. Samuel 30-32, 24.11
1 Kings 6. 11, 13.1, 13.2, 13.5, 13.9, 13.17, 13.18, 13.20, 16.1, 16.7
17.2, 17.8, 18.1,18.31 19.9, 21.17, 21.28, 22.38,
2 Kings 3.12, 20.4,
1 Chronicles 17.3,
Psalms 18.30, 33.4, 33.6
Isiah 38.4,
jerimiah 1.2, 1.4, 1.11, 1.13, 2.1, 13.3, 13.8, 16.1, 18.5, 20.9
24.4, 25.1, 25.3, 28.12, 29.20, 32.6, 32.26, 33.1, 33.19, 33.23, 34.8,
34.12, 35.12, 36.27, 37.6, 39.15, 40.1, 42.7, 43.8,
Ezekiel 1.3, 3.16, 6.1, 7.1, 11.14, 12.1, 12.8, 12.17, 12.21, 12.26, 13.1,
14.2, 14.12, 15.1, 16.1, 17.1, 17.11, 18.1. 20.2, 20.45, 21.1, 21.8, 21.18,
22.1, 22.17, 22.23, 23.1, 24.1, 24.15, 24.20, 25.1, 26.1, 27.1, 28.1, 28.11, 28.20, 29.1, 29.17, 30.1, 30.20, 31.1, 32.1, 32.17, 33.1, 33.2, 33.23, 34.1, 35.1, 36.16, 37.15, 38.1,
Jonah 1.1, 3.1,
Haggai 1.3, 2.1, 2.10, 2.20,
Zechariah 1.1, 1.7, 4.8, 6.9, 7.1, 7.4, 7.8, 8.1, 8.18,
Luke 3.2

Richard Collins

Embracing Faith in a Modern World

In a world obsessed with data, algorithms, and the tangible, the concept of faith can feel antiquated. Yet, this very modern world, with its constant barrage of information and relentless pace, is precisely where faith becomes most crucial. It's the bridge between the seen and unseen, the anchor in the storm, the source of courage that compels us to take that critical leap forward.

The Call to Adventure

The Bible is replete with stories of individuals taking leaps of faith. Abraham, the father of faith, uprooted his entire life based on God's promise of a new land (Genesis 12:1-4). Stepping out of his comfort zone, he embarked on a journey that would shape the course of history.

Similarly, we too experience a call to adventure, a yearning for something more. It may be a nudge to pursue a dream career, a prompting to mend a broken relationship, or a whisper to finally start that creative project. This inner voice, often described as a calling, can be faint at first, but it grows stronger with each passing day. Proverbs 27:18 reminds us, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Ignoring this inner voice, this intuition, can lead us down paths of regret.

Faith is a Muscle

Taking a leap of faith isn't about blind recklessness. It's about calculated risk, fueled by a belief in something bigger than ourselves. It's the entrepreneur who pours heart and soul into a new venture, the student venturing abroad for the first time, the artist finally sharing their work with the world. Hebrews 11:1 beautifully defines faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

This “confidence” isn't passive; it requires action. Just as a muscle needs exercise to grow stronger, faith flourishes when we take those initial steps. The Bible is filled with examples of this active faith. David facing Goliath (1 Samuel 17) or Esther approaching the king (Esther 4) – both took action despite the odds stacked against them. Their faith wasn't a guarantee of success, but it propelled them forward.

The Tightrope Walk of Fear and Faith

Taking a leap of faith doesn't negate fear. Fear is a natural human emotion, a primal instinct that keeps us safe. However, we cannot let fear paralyze us. 2 Timothy 1:7 assures us, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-control.”

Think of faith as a tightrope walk. Fear is the wind that buffets you from side to side, threatening to throw you off balance. But faith is the pole you grasp tightly, the anchor that keeps you tethered. It's the unwavering belief that even if you stumble, there's a net to catch you, a force propelling you forward.

The Unexpected Gifts of Leaping

The greatest rewards in life often lie on the other side of our comfort zones. By embracing faith and taking that leap, we open ourselves up to a plethora of possibilities. We discover hidden strengths, forge new connections, and experience the exhilarating joy of personal growth.

Perhaps the leap leads to the dream job you never dared to pursue, or maybe it strengthens a bond you thought was lost. The beauty lies in the unknown, the element of surprise that life throws our way.  Isaiah 43:19 tells us, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Taking a leap allows us to witness these unexpected gifts, the new paths God carves out for us.

Faith in a Modern Context

In a world that prioritizes logic and reason, faith can seem out of place. But true faith isn't blind belief; it's a deep trust, a knowing that there's a force for good working in the universe. It's the belief that even in the face of uncertainty, there is hope.

This faith can translate into various aspects of our modern lives. It's the trust we place in a friend even when they make mistakes, the unwavering belief in ourselves even when faced with setbacks, the hope for a brighter tomorrow even amidst global challenges.

Alan Raju John

Powers of Christ Death and Resurrection

Christ’s death has spiritual significance as well as physical significance. Christ’s death and resurrection is being celebrated across the world, especially in Christendom, in the name of Easter, but very few really understood the meaning of His death and resurrection, and it physical and spiritual impart.
Let’s really look at it, is it not absurd to tell a man ‘Christ died for you’, Christ who died by crucifixion more than two thousand years ago and the man probably his lineage has never been born by then. Pray, tell, how do you think it sound? Ridiculous, I suppose!

True, Christ death is for all human beings, living by then and by now, being born into the world by then and by now, and yet to be born. It was not just death on the cross, great power of God was released at his death, powers that completely put to destruction ‘special forces of Satan that were holding them world against God; serving as barriers between Him and man, subjecting the world into occult, sin and death. The Bible said, “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land … And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people,” (27:45-53, NIV).

Closely observe this passage, “…he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.” If the death of Christ wrought such physical events, then think of what transpired in the spiritual realm at His death. Each of these has meaning, for people with understanding mind to comprehend. At His death, or the power of God that was released at his death, wrought great destruction to the powers of darkness in the celestial realms. Special forces (demons and evil spirits) of Satan the devil that enslaved the world (even though the world was ignorant of this, for this transcended far beyond the physical and natural world), serving as barriers between God Almighty and human being living by then and being born into the world by then, fell to destructive power of Christ death; as the barriers were broken. The temple curtain torn, a spiritual significant that the door to God Almighty is now open widely for every human being to come to Him with no barrier (except barriers made by humans themselves who loves sin and its vain pleasure than God and Christ). Hades and Death (the most dreadful and one of the most powerful plane in the kingdom of forces of darkness on earth and in heavenly places) lost their overwhelming powers as Christ death freed the dead that has fallen to their powers (few saints actually, with spiritual significant that death has no more hold on the saints of God, those redeemed by Christ through their willingness to come to God through Christ the only True Way). From the time of Christ death onward to our presence days and far into the future, every human beings living in the world and being born in the world is no longer under the powers of these ‘special evil forces’ (except through human-created medium through sins and evil practices) – this is part of the source of the saying that ‘Christ died for you and I’ even after more than two thousand years his crucifixion took place.

Christ Himself did not remained dead for ever, he resurrected from the dead. The scripture accounted that, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me,” Matthew 28:1-10. Glory be to God in the Highest, Christ Himself, whose death freed the dead saints from the powers of Hades and Death, did not remained dead for ever – He broke the power of death over him!

His resurrection completed the total defeat of Satan and his forces of darkness, now there is no other name than that of Jesus Christ that one can be saved from the wrath of God Almighty coming furiously upon the sinful world. Christ Jesus is the True Way, a burden bearer and a friend of all sinners who is ever ready to share in our sorrows, problems, pains and affliction. May God the Father be praised forever for giving His only Son Jesus Christ, who has redeemed mankind back to Him; reconciling the gap sin and its powers had wrought between Him and humankind.

Samuel Akinola

What is the Holy Spirit Saying For April 2024?

It is always exciting for me to share with you the word of the Lord for every month. We desire God's voice and will to fill and permeate every single day of April 2024. Jesus is Lord over our timeline, this I know, and we desire for him to remain so.

As I was praying and positioning myself to receive the heart of the Father for us for April 2024, I was in the spirit, and the Father pointed his finger somewhere and told me to look. As I turned my head in the spirit to see where our heavenly Father was pointing, I saw a green field, and I noticed one cow looking at me.

The scene was peaceful and captivating. Then I saw our Lord and Savior Yeshua appearing in this scene, as though he was approaching the cow, and I kept watching. To my amazement, I saw the Lord sitting to milk this one cow in the field, with sleeves rolled up. I felt the Lord was enjoying it and was delighted as he did this!

Then I felt an invitation from him (YOU included as well) to approach and take the fresh milk cup he had milked for me. I didn't expect he was doing it for me. Now I understand why I felt his delight over milking the cow; it is because I am the object of his love. It was not about the activity itself but beyond that. I drank this special cup of milk, BY JESUS, haha, and I never had an experience like it before. Then Jesus stood up from the little wooden chair he was sitting on to milk the cow, and suddenly I saw the field filled with many cows alike.

The Lord then told me it was my welcome drink only, a foretaste of an ongoing multiplied nonstop experience of being blessed. It is like when you tease your child with one candy, and he loves it so much, and then you surprise him or her with a hidden box full of alike candies, or even better, maybe giving him the key to a candy factory that you bought just for him.

I feel we are now in an established realm of blessings, and God will give you the desires of your heart … ONGOING!

Tap into your established ABUNDANCE in Jesus' mighty name. Amen!

God bless you
Tony Francis

Thank you for partnering with Healed Nations Ministries and for your generous sowing beginning of this month. Tell your friends about it!

Activating Abundance Now Through This Creative Technique – “Fatherhood”

I want to let you in on another personal creative writing from my “Abundance Journal” and the blessing topic was about being transformed into Fatherhood.

If you've spent time around me and the ministry, you're likely aware that I'm a man of activation. I enjoy empowering others to realize their God-given potential, particularly in the prophetic realm. I've always been a practical believer in my walk with the Lord. I seek to understand spiritual concepts and experience my inheritance in Christ in practical, tangible ways. God delights in us when we embrace what His only begotten Son sacrificed for.

One of the activation techniques I've adopted is what I call “My Abundance Journal.” I select a blessing topic and creatively write about it. I'll share my process and encourage you to engage in it during your private time. Essentially, this journaling exercise involves journeying with the Holy Spirit to amplify your blessings in your imagination, stretching your mindset to its maximum capacity, much like physical exercise builds muscles. The excerpt you're about to read touches on one of the many topics I've explored: My fatherhood transformation!

God is boundless! We're born into a culture of limitations, scarcity, and poverty mentality. Your feet won't take you where your mind hasn't already visited before.

In this activation, the key is to break down mental barriers and expand your beliefs through creative writing and imagination. While it might be challenging for some, it promises great blessings. Understand that this creative writing exercise is meant to stretch your mindset and perspective; it's not necessarily a prophecy that will come to pass. Approach it with a spirit of enjoyment and fun, and remember, as much as you exaggerate, you'll never surpass God's abundance and goodness for us. We may fall short, but we can still attempt to scratch the surface! Stretching your borders, start by stretching your mindset and belief system, let's activate…

Below is not a vision or a prophecy, it is a creative writing with the Holy Spirit to unlock abundance in a certain area of a blessing!

Immersed in Infinite Fatherhood:

Not a long time ago, I came back home and to my surprise, I found a very strange-looking key resting on my sofa in the living room. It is not my key, I said. For some moments I tried to think hard if somebody visited me recently and left the key there. No one, none! For months now I had no visitations. That made the moment so weird and odd to me and a little bit frightening.

I approached to behold the key closely, it was so surprising to me, I don’t think there is a key like it on earth in form and power that is emanating from. That key was in the form of the letter F. I can’t describe to you the amount of power, security, dominion, love, and joy emanating from that F-form letter key. Do I grab it? I thought to myself. I was hesitant not because of fear but because somehow, I knew I would journey into something big through that key.

Then I reached out suddenly and quickly without thinking anymore because I didn’t want to waste any more time. I want to step into this!

THE key visited my house for a reason. Boldness came over me and I grabbed it in both hands. I wanted it. What is this key all about? Where is the door anyway for this key? Who would provide a supernatural key to me without the door? As I overwhelmed myself with all those reasonable thoughts because of my desperation to use the key, suddenly an Angel appeared to me in the room and in the middle of his stomach I saw an opening for the F key I was holding in my hands. The Angel said nothing, I just knew that I could insert my key into the Angel. I knew that because I saw in my imagination that I was approaching the Angel and doing this. This is how I know what to do!

I am a tough man, strong, bold, manly inside and in my appearance but my heart was beating as I was approaching this opportunity.

I stretched my hand to put the key inside and at some point, the energy hovering on the opening attracted the key and sucked it in. Instantly, I saw myself in a big womb then I realized it was not a womb but a BOSOM!

A huge, gigantic bosom. I felt like I was sitting in an unlimited energy field of strength, affirmations, love, correction, intimacy, and creativity. For a reason, I wasn’t consumed by that bosom. As humans, we put words to our experiences, so that bosom for me felt like FATHER’s lap but infinitely multiplied. I could stay here all day, not all day, but forever! It became my chair of comfort!

The longer I sat in the Father’s bosom, the longer I was filled with its substance and then I started seeing the faces of people that I didn’t know but I felt they were all my children and I am responsible for them.

What? I am 38, not married, and don’t know what fatherhood means, what is going on?

That F key was FATHERHOOD's presence. When I began to understand FATHERHOOD and that blessed bosom, I started getting mysteries, secrets, and downloads about the universe and everything about it. FATHERHOOD originates everything!

Then I felt like a huge thunderous sound wave was coming toward me like a train. We hear the train coming from afar! That sound felt like that… and BOOM it hit my core.

I thought I was going to hear a sentence in my language, but it was more an energy language that filled my being and I heard it and understood it as much as I could. I was empowered at that moment to manifest FATHERHOOD energy and heart.

I was never the same, everything changed in me even in my physical appearance. OMG!

Fatherhood looks like something.

Super Dad
Tony Francis

Let me know in the comments below your opinion about this activation and if you have tried it. Also, I want you to watch my new 1-hour video course “As you go up, glory comes down”: Learn more

The Shocking Truths About Porn

Sex is godly; porn is not.

I am not an alien writing to expose the shocking truth about porn; I know what I am talking about. You have suffered from it, and I did, or maybe you are still struggling with it. There is HOPE! What do I mean by sex is godly, and porn is not? Sex is a GOD idea, and he designed it as a means to serve intimacy with couples of covenant, the married people, and for the multiplication of God's love from one generation to another. Porn is the devil's means to pervert all that is holy, pure, and powerful.

For every sound truth doctrine, there is a demonic doctrine to match. Spiritual warfare is about that, creating an opposite doctrine to a godly one. Jesus said about the devil that he is a liar and the father of liars, and he kills humans with a lie. Many things in my life died and got twisted because of demonic lies: my identity, dreams, personality, relationship with the Lord, and every other thing that God meant to be GOOD for me. The devil can't create; he is not a creator, but he can appear as an Angel of light to deceive, to push you away from the truth. You never know if it is a lie because it sounds LIGHT, kind thought, pleasant experience, freedom of choice, acceptance of the rejected, etc. The devil doesn't only present his thoughts as “life-giving” but he raises prophets of the dark to change the wordings of sin to draw you and hook you for example it is not the killing of infants, it is abortion; it is not homosexuality but gay, and the word in Arabic for homosexuality means twisted but was also changed to same-sex attraction; also sex before marriage is not adultery but making love and on. Why do you think the devil invested strongly in changing the wording of all those words? Because it works. “He appears as an Angel of light.”

I was introduced to porn when I was a teenager. I was pure like a white snowball until my friend from school exposed me to it through the internet. The internet at that time was primitive but it was there and at my house. I remember going through trauma when my friend introduced me to porn websites. I forgave him a long time ago!

Seeing gay activities and lesbians and straight sex was too much for me. It never crossed my mind that there is something like that and that we have the potential to taste those experiences. I felt the shattering of my innocence! I was not transitioned into the subject of sex in my life but was introduced to it instantly and in the most unclean ways. The enemy knows about the power of trauma and how it creates a landing strip for slavery, addictions, and the demonic. I went into denial at first for some time, and after a while, I was drawn to start navigating porn websites on my own at night when everyone in my family slept.

You can't feed a beast without unleashing it to go for a hunt. As I kept feeding myself uncleanness ritually and regularly, I felt the craving and the groaning to be in the experiences I was watching. I wanted all my senses to endure that. So I moved from porn (the doctrine feeding) to boldness (the practice). Real-life fornication was never as ideal and good as the websites. So you become hooked on two realities, and you become addicted to online porn and your ongoing real-life attempts to match the professional porn stars, and you never make it. So you spiral down into disappointments and addictions to the deceiving lying web of porn.

I am not going to teach the spiritual aspects of what happens when you enter into dark unclean covenants with others. You can study the Bible and learn more about that. Nor will I mention why porn hooks us at the psychological level; you can research that too.

Porn and dishonoring your body and the one who made it is all about the spirit of rebellion.

Everything that is not a God covenant is rebellion because God is a God of Covenant. Breaking laws at your job has nothing to do with your detest of your job because they don't honor you or pay you enough, etc it is about the spirit of rebellion finding reasoning and an argument to make sense of it and birth itself. Everything man does is a hidden rebellion at its core. Sex “making love” outside of the marriage covenant is rebellion. You see, it is not just about the devil but also about your untamed rebellious nature. They both work together. Even if there is NO DEVIL feeding it and awakening it with deception, your rebellion will find a way one day to awaken itself.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.” Romans 1:21-26

“And worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.” Rebellion is all about self-worship, and the only way to be free from yourself is to fall in love with Jesus and worship him.

The more you grow in his love and worship, all the unclean byproducts of the spirit of rebellion lose their grip on you and fade away. Don't focus on your deliverance; put all your energy and frustration into loving Jesus and worshiping him. This is how you subdue rebellion and shatter self-worship!

Thank you, Jesus, because you found a way out of my porn addiction and adultery by drawing me to a life journey of ongoing ecstatic worship of your glorious love for me. Amen!

For those who are still going through it, I humbly advise you: FIX YOUR WORSHIP, NOT YOUR DESIRES.

God bless you
Tony Francis

The Importance of Faith In the Life of the Christian Believer

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

What Is Faith?
Faith is a strong feeling of trust in someone or something
For the Christian believer, faith is belief and trust in one God
According to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”

Faith is so critical and important in our lives, as Christians, that it occurs or mentioned 100 times in the Bible – 28 times in the Old Testament and 72 times in the New Testament.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
The world or creation itself was founded in faith when God made the following decrees;
• “Let there be light” – (Genesis 1:3)
• “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let divide the waters from the waters” – (Genesis 1:6)
• “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered unto one place, and let the dry land appear” – (Genesis 1:9)
• “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yield fruit according to its kind” – (Genesis 1:11)
• The decree continues until the creation of man when God said “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” –(Genesis 1:26)

Faith is very crucial in the life of the Christian believer for the following reasons:

1) As Christian Believers, We Live By Faith
Romans 1:17 says “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written: the just shall live by faith”.

Also in Galatians 2:20 Apostle Paul tells us that “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.

Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son, has been made right. God declared us to be righteous because of our faith in Christ “from faith to faith”
By faithfully trusting in God by our belief in Christ, we are saved and find life not only in this world but eternally.

2) As Christian Believers, We Are Firm In The Faith
Romans 11:20 says “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded but fear”.
2 Corinthians 1:24 puts it thus, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, for by faith ye stand”.

Due to faithlessness, the Jews who are the natural branches of the tree were broken off. The Gentile believers have been grafted into the tree like a wild olive shoot. Both the Jews and Gentiles now share the tree’s nourishment based on faith in God. No one can rest on heritage or culture for salvation. The Gentiles should not feel superior to the Jews because if God had not rejected the Jews, as it were, the Gentiles probably would not have had a chance.

3) As Christian Believers, We Combat The Good Fight
1 Timothy 6:12 says “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and has professed good profession before many witnesses”.

As Christian believers, we must have an active faith, obeying God with courage and doing what we know is right.
It is time for action on your part. What are you waiting for? – Get going, don’t wait!

4) As Christian Believers, We Walk By Faith
2 Corinthians 5:7 says “For we walk by Faith, not by sight”.

5) As Christian Believers, We Win By Faith
In 1 John 5:4 where we took our text, we are told that we can overcome whatever challenge life throws on our way, as long as we have faith and trust in God.
It says “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”.

6) As Christian Believers, We Are Justified By Faith
Romans 5:1 puts it thus, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Peace with God means that we have been reconciled with Him. There is no more hostility between us and God, no sin blocking our relationship with Him. Peace with God is made possible by Jesus paying the price for our sins through His death on the cross.

7) As Christian Believers, We Please God By Faith
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”.

God wants us to have a personal dynamic relationship with Him, and not just a mere knowledge of His existence. After all the demons and witches know that God exists, that does not stop them from doing evil. Those who seek Him diligently will find that they have intimate relationship with Him. When you tell others about the gospel, please encourage them to be honest and diligent in their search for truth and faith in God.

8) As Christians Believers, We Grow In Faith
1 Thessalonian 1:3 says “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father”.

Like the Thessalonians who stood firm in the face of persecution, Apostle Paul is admonishing us to also do the work of God produced by faith, labour prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. These characteristics are the hall marks of an effective Christian believer.

9) As Christian Believers. We Die In Faith
“These all died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers, and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

This world is not our home and cannot live here forever. Many people, especially of the Old Testament, died without receiving all that God promised. However, a good number of them never lost their vision of heaven.
Many of us become frustrated, and defeated when our needs, wants or expectations, are not immediately met on giving our lives to Christ, and therefore want to quit. If you are one of such people, please be patient, take courage from heroes of faith who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet, continued to believe (Hebrews 11:36-39).

Some Heroes of Faith Who Did Not See The Fruit Of Their Faith On Earth
Abel and Enoch (Hebrews 11:4-5)
Noah and Abraham (Hebrews 11:7-8)
Sarah and Isaac (Hebrews 11:11, 20)
Jacob and Joseph (Hebrews 11:21-22)
Moses and Rahab (Hebrews 11:23,31)
Boaz (Ruth 2:15-16)

Some Heroes of Faith Who Persevered And Saw The Fruit Of Faith

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the Prophets (Hebrews 11:32-33)

How To Grow In Faith Through Jesus Christ
“That we henceforth be no children, tossed to and fro , and caused about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).
1) Growing In Faith Begins With The New Birth Through The Word Of God
1 Peter 2:2 says “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”.

One thing common to all children is that they want to grow up – like their big brothers and sisters or their parents. Similarly, when we are born again, we become spiritual new babies, if healthy, we will yearn to grow. The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby, and it signals the desire for nourishment that will lead to growth. In the same way, since we see the need for God’s word and begin to find nourishment with Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase and we will start to mature. How strong is your desire for God’s word?

2) As Children, We are Fed With Milk
“For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:13)

Commitment to Christ moves people out of their comfort zones or positions. You cannot grow as a Christian if you remain in the same position instead of applying what you have learned to your situation and teaching others. As a new born Christian, stop your old ways of doing things, fellowship with the brethren and imbibe the new culture in Christ. In this way, you will be able to understand the high-priestly role of Christ.

3) As Adults, We Are Fed With Solid Food
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

Your spiritual growth determines your capacity to feast on deeper knowledge of God (solid food). More often than not, we want God;s banquet before we are spiritually capable of digesting it. As we grow in the Lord and put into practice what we have learned, our capacity to understand will also grow.

4) Many Remain Eternal Christians
Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”.

In order for us to grow from baby Christians to adult or mature Christians, we must learn discernment. We must train our consciences, minds, senses and our bodies to distinguish between good and evil. Can you recognise temptation before you? Can you tell the difference between correct text of Scripture and a mistaken one?

5) We Should All Grow And Become Adults
Ephesians 4:13-14 admonishes us to walk in unity.
Working together, the church can express the fullness of Christ – Ephesians 3:19
Christ is the Truth – John 14:6
The Holy Spirit who guides the church is the Spirit of Truth – John 16:13
Satan, by contrast, is the father of lies – John 8:44

As followers of Christ, we must be committed to the truth. This means that our words should be honest and our actions should reflect Christ’s integrity as well. We should realise that speaking the truth in love is not always easy, convenient or pleasant. However, this is very necessary if the church is going to do Christ’s work on earth. Remember that YOU are the church.

6) The Lord Looks After Our Growth
Ephesians 4:11-13 says “And He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors, and some Teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.

The Holy Spirit has given every Christian a special gift for building up the church. Now that we have these gifts, it is imperative we use them. If you know what your gifts are, please look fo opportunity to serve the Lord and use them. If you do not know, ask God to show you, perhaps with the help of your Pastor or other Christian friends. The enormous responsibility the church has includes preaching, teaching, evangelising, healing, giving, nurturing, administering, building, etc. God has called us as members of His body to perform this responsibility. Together we can obey God more fully than anyone alone. Working together, in unity, the church can express the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 3:19).

7) The Word Is The Best Way Of Generating Our Growth In Faith
Acts 20:32 puts it this way “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified”.

Like he prayed for the Ephesians in this passage, Apostle Paul is also praying for and commending you and I to God and His Word that the more we know Christ (our model), through the word, the more we will be like Christ. Study Jesus in the Gospel to see what He was like on earth. Personal knowledge of Christ through the Word will greatly change our lives. How much of His Word do you know? How much of Him are you willing to learn?

Until you invite Jesus Christ into your life (being born again) God’s continued presence can never abide with you. Today, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Ask Him to have mercy on you and forgive your sins and become the Master and Ruler of your soul, henceforth.
If you have backslid, retrace your steps back to Him right now and rededicate your life to God. However, if you have a living relationship with God, then tell others about Him – how much He loves us, He is our Savior, Redeemer and He died for our sins in order that we might not have to face the punishment that we rightly deserve. He is coming back the second time to take with Him all those who believe and accept Him, by faith, into their lives to live with Him eternally.
Congratulations if you have just accepted Jesus Christ into your life. Now look for a Bible believing church in your neighborhood to attend and you will be taught and grow in the Word of God.

God Bless You.       

#PathofLife

In Christ Everything Is Brand New

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When you give your life to Jesus Christ or genuinely accept Him as your personal Lord, Savior, Master and Ruler of your soul (being born again), you will pleasantly experience certain changes in your life which makes you a new creature and gives you a brand new beginning. We shall discuss some of these changes that you will experience in this message.

1) You Now Walk In A New Way
“By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20)
By the death of Jesus Christ, the veil that hindered access to the Most High Place in the temple was removed. You now have direct access and can walk into God’s presence at any time. You no longer need an intermediary or High Priest or Pastor to intercede on your behalf.

2) You Are Now In A New Covenant With God
“For finding fault with them, He saith, Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Hebrews 8:8).

Have you entered into this covenant? Have you begun walking in a new and better way?

3) You Are Now A New Creature
According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, which is our text for this message, when you are born-again, you become brand new on the inside. The Holy Spirit gives you a new life and you are not the same any more. Please note that you are not re-educated or remodelled or rehabilitated or reformed. You are totally re-created (a new creation), living in vital union with Christ, according to Colossian 2:6-7.
At conversion, we are not merely turning a new leaf, but we are beginning a new life in new hope under a new Master, Jesus.

4) You Have A Brand New Name
“He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat, of the hidden manner, and will give him white stone, and in the stone, a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that recieveth it” (Revelation 2:17).
The name of every believer will be written on each stone as evidence that he/she has truly given their life to Christ and worthy to be declared worthy to receive eternal life. God will give us new names and new hearts. Are you ready to receive yours?

Also Revelation 3:12 says that “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the City of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name”
Revelation 3:12 is telling us that the New Jerusalem is the future dwelling of the people of God. This means that we will have a new citizenship in God’s future kingdom, where everything will be new, pure and secure. Won’t you rather have a new Name in God’s future kingdom where everything is pure, new and safe?

5) You Will Receive A New Commandment
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).

We are commanded to love one another based on Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. It is only such love that will win souls for Christ and keep us Christians united. We are expected to be living examples of Jesus’ love just as He was the living example of God’s love. Do people know that you are a follower of Jesus by your love for others?

6) You Find New Mercies Every Morning
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

God’ mercy is always available to His children because His steadfast love and mercy are greater than any sin. God promises us His forgiveness. When you trust in God’s faithfulness day by day, gives you confidence in His great promise for the future.
Are you positioned for God’s mercies which are new every morning?

7) You Will Have A New Heaven For The Whole Eternity
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).

God has promised that He would create a new earth which is eternal (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22). What we don’t know is where the new earth would be or what it would look like. However, God and His children (those whose names are written in the Book of Life), the overcomers, will be united to live in the new earth together forever.
I will be one of them………hope to see you there!!

8) You Will Experience A New Birth
“Jesus answered and said unto him, (Nichodemus), Verily, verily, I unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

The Kingdom of God is a personal experience. It is not ethnic or national. The entrance requirements are ONLY found in Jesus. These include Repentance and New Birth (Rebirth). This, you will have when you are born again.
You can only enter the kingdom of God by being spiritually reborn.

9) You Will Receive New Life
“Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
.The water baptism you receive when you give your life to Jesus symbolises the death and burial of the old way of life you had before giving your life to Jesus. Coming out of or being raised from the water symbolises resurrection to New Life with Christ.
With your old sinful life dead and buried, you can resist sin and begin to enjoy your wonderful new life with Christ.

10) You Now Have a New Heart
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19).
By “one heart”, it means a singleness of purpose – the One and Only True God, no more other gods. We must turn from our sins and the Holy Spirit will enable our new life. God will then give us new purposes, motives and guidelines as we enjoy our wonderful new heart.
Have you received your new heart yet?

11) You Have A New Spirit
“And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27)
No matter how impure our life is right now, God promises you a new or fresh start. Jesus can wash away your sins and give you a new heart for God to have His Spirit within you.
Why would you want to continue to patch up your old life when you could have a brand new life?

12) You Will Be A Completely New Person
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
Apostle Paul did not give up in the face of persecution. Instead, he concentrated in experiencing the inner strength from the Holy Spirit (Eph 3:16, Col 3:10). You also should not allow anything to force you to quit. Rather renew your commitment to serve the Lord. Never allow the intensity of today’s pain force you to forsake your eternal reward. Your very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen you moment by moment.

13) You Will Sing A New Song Joyfully
“And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).
Psalm 40:3 also says “And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD”.
It is not easy to wait for God’s help, but when you do, the benefits are usually more than the waiting. For example David received the following benefits for waiting on the LORD:
              a) He was lifted out of his despair
              b) God sets David’s feet on the rock
              c) God gave him a firm place to stand
              d) God put a new song of praise in the mouth of David

More often than not, blessings are not received unless we go through the trial of waiting
We always need to praise God for what He has already done in our lives, what He is currently doing in our lives and praise Him in advance of what He is yet to do for us. In this way, He will do more for us with a joyful song in our mouth.

14) You Will Live In New City
“And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them; and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and He, their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more deaths, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:2-4).

New Jerusalem is the New City where God lives with His people. Where He lives, there is joy, peace, security and love. It is described as a place where God will wipe away tears “from their eyes”. There will be no more deaths, sorrow, crying or pain forever. What a wonderful truth and place to be!
We may not know as much as we would like to, one thing is so sure that eternity with God would be more wonderful than we could ever imagine. Where else would you rather be?

Until you have Jesus Christ in your life (being born again) God’s continued presence can never abide with you. Today, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Ask Him to forgive your sins and become the Master and Ruler of your soul henceforth. If you have backslid, retrace your steps back to Him right now and rededicate your life to God. However, if you have a living relationship with God, then tell others about Him – How everything concerning their lives will become new with wonderful lives in Christ. Congratulations if you have just accepted Jesus Christ into your life. Now look for a Bible believing church in your neighborhood to attend and grow in the Word of God.

 

God Bless You

#PathofLife

Jesus Christ: The Light of the World

According to John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but hall have the Light of life”

The following lessons can be learned on how Jesus Christ has become the Light of the world, as proclaimed by Him, from the above passage.

1, Jesus Is The Light Of The Church

Jesus says in Revelation 1:20 that “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands; The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches”.

 

2.  Jesus Is The Light Of The World

According to Psalm 119:105,  “Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path”.

We all need light to walk through darkness. In the world we live in, we walk through a dark forest of evil, for example, in our various places of work, in our businesses, in our homes, among our family members, friends, even in the church.

But the WORD (the Bible) can be our light to show us the way so that we do not stumble as we walk. The WORD reveals the entangling root of false values, and philosophies. Study the WORD so that you will be able to see your way clearly enough to stay on the right path.

 

3. Jesus Is The Light Of The Gospel

2 Corinthians 4:4 says “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the mind of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is open and reveal to all, except to those who refuse to believe. (Satan is the god of this world (age)). His work is to deceive and he has blinded those who don’t believe in Christ (as in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15). The pursuit of money, power and pleasure blinds people to the light of Christ’s gospel. The people who reject Christ and prefer their own pursuits have made Satan their god, without really realizing it.

 

4, Jesus Is The Light Of The Believer

According to Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Fear is a torment. It is a dark shadow that envelops us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. Is there anyone among us or out there who has never experience fear before? Each one of us has been a prisoner of fear at one point in time or another, e.g., fear of the unknown (uncertainty), rejection, failure, misunderstanding, being found out, sickness, even fear of death. But we believers can overcome (conquer) fear by using the bright liberating light of the LORD who brings salvation. If we believers want to conquer fear or dispel the darkness of fear, let us remember what David said that “The LORD is my light and my salvation”. Unwavering confidence in God is the believer’s antidote for fear and loneliness.

 

5. Jesus Is The Light Of The Heavenly Jerusalem

Revelation 21:23 says “The City has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, The Lamb is its light”.

The Temple, the center of God’s presence among His people, was the primary place of worship. No Temple is needed in the New City. However, because God’s presence will be everywhere, He will be worshiped throughout the City, and nothing will hinder us from being with Him, in Jesus’ Name.

 

6. Jesus Is The Light Of The Nations

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined” (Isaiah 9:2).

The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali represent the Northern Kingdom as a whole. These were also the territories that Jesus grew up and often ministered. It was a time of great darkness, which was why would see “a great light”. God indeed promised and sent a Light who would shine on everyone living under the shadow of death. The Light is both “Counselor” and “Mighty God”. This message of hope was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ (which we celebrate at Christmas) and the establishment of His eternal Kingdom. HE came to deliver us from our slavery to sin.

 

In conclusion, Jesus Christ is the Light which enlightens every person born into this world.

  • We must see Him as the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrew 12:2)
  • He is the Light in the darkness (John 8:12)
  • He is our Lord – We must obey Him (John 13:14-15)
  • He is the Shepherd – We must follow Him (John 10:27)
  • He is our Master – We must serve Him (Matthew 23: 8-12, Romans 14:18)
  • He is the eternal destination we want to reach (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Philippians 3:12-14)

To follow Jesus implies transformation of life, according to Luke 5:11.

Transformation of life means:

  1. Humility – Jesus was humble to the grave (John 13: 4-5)
  2. Commitment – Jesus was totally committed to the Father (John 12:23-26)
  3. Hard Work – He worked day and night (John 3:2, 4, 6)
  4. Participation – He participated of people’s sufferings (Matthew 9:36, 14:14)
  5. Love Unconditionally – Jesus is an epitome of love and He loved constantly (John 13:1, Luke 23:34).
  6. Suffering – Jesus suffered from the manger to the Cross (1 Peter 3:18)
  7. Persistence- Jesus remained persistently faithful to the end (Matthew 10:22, 24:13)

 

TODAY, invite Jesus Christ into your life; to become your leading Light in ALL Ways and everything that you do. Accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior, ask Him to forgive your sins and become the Master and Ruler of your soul from now on. If you have said this prayer, CONGRATULATIONS!

Now look for a Bible believing church in your neighborhood to attend and grow in the Word of God. If you already have Jesus active in your life, always tell others about Him; let them know that He alone is the Light of the World and the Only Light that leads to everlasting life in Heaven.

 God bless you

-PathofLife 

Jesus Christ

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3). He it is who revealed Himself as the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks, which are the seven churches. He was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. In His right hand were seven stars, which are the angels of the seven churches, and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword; and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Says He, I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:11-20). This same God is He, of whom to Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, revealed Himself as the God of Israel: who had under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness (Exodus 24:9,10). In contrast, the Ancient of Days, whose garment is white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: whose throne is like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire, is the Father. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousands times ten thousand stood before Him: where the judgment was set, and the books were opened. The Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:9-14).

Christ the same is the image of the invisible God, and the firstborn of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven (Colossians 1:13-20). For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth; For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. … For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man (John 5:20-27). There is One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:5,6). Says He, I am in the Father, and the Father in me; I and my Father are one (John 10:30; 14:11).

The Son of God, prophesied through the seed of Abraham by the promise, was decreed: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee, and, a body hast Thou prepared Me (Psalm 2:7, Hebrews 10:5). Out of Jacob was brought forth a Star, and a Sceptre out of Israel, who would smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. Says Jacob, Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. … The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be, who would wash His garments in wine, and His clothes in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:9-11; Numbers 24:17). Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him (Matthew 2:2).

He was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shone in darkness; but the darkness comprehended it not. … He was the True Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, born of God (John 1:4,5, 9-14). For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16,17). He is the Light of the world: He is the Bread of life: He is the Living Bread which came down from heaven, which if any man eat of, he shall live for ever. Whoso eateth His flesh, and drinketh His blood, hath eternal life: and He will raise him up at the last day. For His flesh is meat indeed, and His blood is drink indeed (John 6:32-55).

Slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, prevailed. Says the Revelator, A Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb and sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. … Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. … Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever (Revelation 5:5-14).

He it is with whom the enmity between the woman’s seed and the serpent’s seed would bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). The woman with child, clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars, is the virgin who follows the Lamb whithersoever He goeth; redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. In their mouth is found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God (Revelation 12:1; 14:4,5). By faith have they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mocking and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided something better for us [who remain], that they without us should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:33-40).

Thenceforth did the dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, stand before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her Child was caught up unto God, and to His throne. Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:4-12, 17).

The Lamb of God is the Lion of Judah, and the Son of God is the Son of man. Fear God and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters (Revelation 14:6).