How To Respond When We are Severely Threatened and Commanded to Stop Preaching the Gospel of Christ? (PART 1)

Beloved, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said that “REPENTANCE and REMISSION OF SINS should be preached in His NAME to ALL NATIONS” (see Luke 24:47). Then He commanded that we (His disciples) are the ones to preach it (see Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus also wanted us to preach the gospel, not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, just like the apostle Paul did (see 1 Corinthians 2:4-5), so that the faith of our hearers should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. This is also why Jesus commanded that every believer waits and be baptized in the Holy Spirit and thus receive power before we go out into the world as witnesses to Him (see Luke 24:49, with Acts 1:8). Beloved, the gospel of Christ was never meant to be preached with words only, but with power. Paul, in writing to the Corinthian Church, said that “the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power” (see 1 Corinthians 4:20). Then in his letter to the church of God in Thessalonica, he said, "For our gospel DID NOT come to you IN WORD ONLY, BUT ALSO IN POWER, and IN THE Holy Spirit and in MUCH ASSURANCE, as you know WHAT KIND OF MEN WE WERE among you for your sake." (1 Thessalonians 1:5 NKJV). Paul was not the only apostle of Christ who preached the gospel in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. All the early apostles did.

In the Acts of the Apostles we see evidence of the gospel of Christ being preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. We also see the evidence that when the gospel of Christ is preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, it triggers persecution and severe threats against the preaching of the gospel. It seems that our adversary (the devil) does not mind people preaching the gospel, as long as they preach it WITHOUT THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT AND OF POWER. The devil does not mind an empty gospel, he doesn’t mind when a church has religious zeal and a form of godliness but denies the power thereof. Indeed it is the manifested power in the gospel that the devil is afraid of and thus hates, not the intellectual or philosophical preaching of it. Hence, those of us who are willing to lay hold on the power in the gospel and to preach it, not only in word but in power, should expect opposition from the devil and his minions or human proxies, we should expect threats, we should expect laws carefully crafted by government and religious authorities to try to stop the preaching of the true gospel of Christ, indeed we should expect arrests and imprisonments, especially in these last days. The focus of our discussion today is on how we are to respond to the persecution and the threats from government/religious authorities and other opposing groups against the preaching of the gospel in these last days. We will draw our inspiration from Acts chapters 3 through 5, which narrate the story of the healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, the gospel crusade that was triggered by the healing, and the ensuing persecution and threats against the preaching of the gospel that the apostles received from the governing/religious authorities.

Now, when Peter and John healed the lame man (in the Name of Jesus) at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, they did not stop at the healing, the healing provided an opportunity for them to preach Jesus Christ (in whose name the healing was wrought), calling on the people to repent and be converted for the remission of sins in the Name of Jesus (see Acts 3:17-26). And the Bible says that “MANY OF THOSE WHO HEARD THE WORD BELIEVED; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” (see Acts 4:4 NKJV). However, not everybody who heard the Word believed. In fact, this has always been the case since the beginning of the world: whenever the gospel is preached, there are some who believe the Word and others who don’t. The Bible says of the children of Israel in the wilderness that the gospel that was preached to them did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (see Hebrews 4:2). Among those also who DID NOT BELIEVE the Word that Peter and John preached in the temple were the Sadducees, the priests, and the captain of the temple; these men spurned the gospel, they didn’t even allow Peter and John to finish speaking, but came up to them while they were still speaking, and arrested them, for they were greatly disturbed that Peter and John preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. (see Acts 4:1-3). Obviously, the reason these men were greatly disturbed is because they felt Peter and John were destroying their theology or their doctrine, for “the Sadducees say there is no resurrection from the dead, and that there are neither angels nor spirits” (see Acts 23:8; with Mark 12:18; Matthew 22:23). Indeed it is sad that these men preferred to hold on to their man-made doctrines and traditions rather than accept the truth of God’s Word which was being proclaimed to them by these great apostles of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that they arrested Peter and John and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening (see Acts 4:3). And so Peter and John spent the night in custody; they were kept in custody till the next day (see Acts 4:5). Their only offense was that they had preached in the Name of Jesus Christ, and they had done a good deed to a helpless man (see Acts 4:9). Beloved, what are you willing to suffer for the Name of Christ? Peter and John spent the night in custody, suffering shame for the Name of Christ, suffering for doing a good deed to a helpless man.

The Bible says, “And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them (that is, Peter and John) in the midst, they asked, “BY WHAT POWER or BY WHAT NAME have you done this?” Then Peter, FILLED WITH THE Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for A GOOD DEED DONE to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, BY HIM THIS MAN STANDS HERE BEFORE YOU WHOLE. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:5‭-‬12 NKJV, brackets and emphasis mine). Oh, the boldness of Peter! Thank God for the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that “Peter, FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT” answered the rulers and elders this way (see Acts 4:8). It was the Holy Spirit who gave Peter the utterance when he spoke these words. The Lord Jesus promised all His disciples, saying, “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for IT IS NOT YOU WHO SPEAK, but the Spirit of your Father who SPEAKS IN YOU.” (Matthew‬ ‭10:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). This promise was fulfilled in Peter and John in this story. When  you are also filled with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will give you the utterance to speak. Indeed when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will speak with BOLDNESS, and people will SEE that boldness. The people SAW the BOLDNESS of Peter and John, and perceiving that Peter and John were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and attributed their boldness to the fact that they had been with Jesus (see Acts 4:13). And how right they were! As believers, the Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of POWER, and of love, and of a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7). The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of POWER, He is a Spirit of BOLDNESS. And He makes us bold and powerful witnesses to Jesus Christ.

When Peter spoke boldly about Jesus in response to the Council (that is, the gathering of the rulers of the people and elders of Israel), they could not dispute Peter’s claims about Jesus because they could see the man who had been healed (BY THE NAME OF JESUS) standing with them (see Acts 4:14). The proof was infallible and irrefutable, and so the gospel could not be denied. This is also why God wants us to always preach the gospel in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The Lord wants to work with us and confirm His Word with signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit (see Mark 16:20). We just have to be filled with His Spirit, and yield to Him. You need the POWER of the Holy Spirit to be an effective witness to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will give you miracles, signs and wonders as evidence of the truth of the gospel of Christ, so that people cannot deny it. Indeed the Council couldn’t challenge the fact that a NOTABLE MIRACLE had been done in the Name of Jesus through Peter and John, for it was EVIDENT to all who dwelt in Jerusalem, and they couldn’t deny it (see Acts 4:16). Therefore, the Council set a goal to STOP what later came to be known as CHRISTIANITY FROM SPREADING FURTHER AMONG THE PEOPLE (see Acts 4:17). And the STRATEGY that they employed in their effort to achieve this goal was SEVERE THREATS against the apostles to stop them from speaking to anyone in the name of Jesus. The Bible says, “So they called them and COMMANDED THEM NOT TO SPEAK AT ALL NOR TEACH IN THE NAME OF JESUS.” (Acts‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NKJV). Beloved, the goal and strategy of the enemy has not changed. The devil (through his human proxies) today still has the same goal of stopping true Christianity from spreading further among the people, and he uses the same strategy of severe threats against the preachers of the gospel, and antagonistic laws designed to stop us.

Thus the Council commanded Peter and John to not SPEAK at all nor TEACH in the Name of Jesus (see Acts 4:18). They passed a strict law against preaching the gospel of Christ among the people. But what was the response of the apostles? Did they budge? Did they say, “Oh God, as You can see, the new law of the land is that we are not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus, so we are not going to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus?” A thousand times No! Rather, “Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”” (see Acts‬ ‭4:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Peter and John were basically saying to the Council, “You judge for yourself whether it is right IN THE SIGHT OF GOD (not in your own sight, but in the sight of God) to listen to you (mere men) more than to God (who has commanded us to preach and teach in the Name of Jesus.” And so, here we learn from Peter and John that one important way to respond to the severe threats and laws made by human authorities and institutions against the preaching of the gospel is to simply OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN. This was what Peter and John intended to do, and so they continued their response to the Council by basically saying, “If we are ever going to open our mouth to speak again, we cannot but speak the things which we have SEEN and HEARD, and of course, the things which we have seen and heard concern the Word of Life, which we preach” (see Acts 4:20, with 1 John 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:16-18).

Not quite unexpectedly, this response from Peter and John was greeted with MORE THREATS from the Council, after which they released them, finding no way of punishing them because of the people, since they ALL glorified God for the miracle that had been done (see Acts 4:21). For the man who was healed was over 40 years old, and he had been lame from birth. (see Acts 4:22). Beloved, the miracles God performs by our hands should always bring glory to God, they should cause people to glorify God, and not us. Christ must be at the center of all we do; He must be  lifted by our witness, yes, Christ must be exalted and glorified by our works.

Now, after Peter and John were released from the custody of the Council, having been threatened severely and commanded to neither speak nor teach in the Name of Jesus, the Bible says that “they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them” (Acts‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Let us pay careful attention to what follows next, because it will teach us another valuable lesson about how we are also to respond to severe threats and antagonistic laws against the preaching of the gospel. The Bible says that when the brethren heard from Peter and John about the severe threats against them by the Council, and learned that the Council had commanded them to STOP preaching or teaching to anyone in the Name of Jesus, they (the brethren) also set a goal and devised a strategy: the goal was to PREACH and TEACH the gospel WITH ALL BOLDNESS, and the strategy was to PRAY. (see Acts 4:24-31). And so they raised their voice to God in prayer, they PRAYED LOUDLY (see Acts 4:24); indeed this was no time for silence. For the apostles knew that they were at war, and they also knew that they were not warring against men, they were not wrestling against flesh and blood, “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (see Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬). Hence they did not war according to the flesh, they understood that the weapons of their warfare are not carnal. Therefore, they employed a spiritual strategy: the strategy of PRAYER. And they prayed LOUDLY. You see, some people criticize loud prayers, because they don’t understand that although it is not the loudness of the prayer that brings the answer, there are times and situations in which we can’t help but pray LOUDLY. And this was exactly one of such times and situations where the disciples couldn’t help but pray loudly. The disciples did not only pray loudly but they also prayed IN AGREEMENT or WITH ONE ACCORD. (see Acts 4:24). Jesus had promised His disciples that “if two of you AGREE on earth CONCERNING ANYTHING THAT THEY ASK, IT WILL BE DONE FOR THEM by My Father in heaven.” (Matthew‬ ‭18:19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Therefore, the disciples AGREED concerning what to ask for in prayer. Then they asked. They said, “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all BOLDNESS they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to HEAL, and that SIGNS and WONDERS may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (Acts‬ ‭4:29-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬).

Beloved, if the events surrounding the healing of the lame man at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful hadn’t taught the disciples anything else, it had taught them that miracles performed in the Name of Jesus bring BOLDNESS  to them for the preaching of the gospel of Christ. And so, in their prayer of agreement, they asked the Lord to look on the threats of the Council (and because of those threats) grant to them that WITH ALL BOLDNESS they may SPEAK GOD’s Word; they added that they CAN SPEAK WITH ALL BOLDNESS if God will give them MORE  HEALINGS, and SIGNS AND WONDERS, if God will stretch forth His hand to HEAL and that SIGNS AND WONDERS may be done IN THE NAME OF JESUS, in the Name that the Council had forbidden them from speaking and teaching in. (see Acts 4:29-30). Oh, what noble request these disciples made in their prayer! They asked for more healings, signs and wonders to be done in the Name of Jesus, so as to give them BOLDNESS to preach and teach the Word of God. They asked for notable healings and miracles to be performed in the Name of Jesus, such that they can’t be denied, just like before. The disciples basically believed that more miracles performed in the Name of Jesus will give them more boldness to preach in the Name of Jesus. And they were right. Thus God answered their prayer. The Bible says, “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with BOLDNESS.” (Acts‬ ‭4:31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬).

Truly, God answers prayers. God’s response to the disciples’ prayer was awesome: He empowered or emboldened the disciples by the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of power, the Spirit of prophecy) to do that which the enemy had severely threatened them and commanded them not to do, as the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit, and they SPOKE the Word of God with BOLDNESS. The Bible says (as a result of the prayer) that the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and they did it with GREAT POWER. (see Acts 4:33). And GREAT GRACE was upon them all. (see Acts 4:33). Oh, thank God for answered prayers! What could we do without the grace of God? “And through the hands of the apostles MANY SIGNS and WONDERS WERE DONE among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.” (Acts‬ ‭5:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). “And BELIEVERS were increasingly ADDED to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and THEY WERE ALL HEALED.” (‭Acts‬ ‭5:14-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Indeed this was a great period of progress for the disciples and for the gospel. But did it stop the Rulers of the people and elders of Israel (or the Council) from coming after the apostles again? We will discuss this and more in the next post (or Part 2 of this series). Please return to this Page in two days to read the conclusion of this topic. And may you stand steadfast in the faith and rejoice always when you suffer shame for Jesus’ Name. Amen. #SpiritLife #UnveilingMysteries #shareTheWord #FollowThisBlog

Know Your Enemy: The Three Major Areas Satan Tempts Man

Beloved, we’re continuing our discussion on Satan’s temptation of man in the garden of Eden that caused man to sin, and today we’re going to focus on the three major areas Satan tempts man, because Satan has not changed, he is very predictable, he still operates in the same manner. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2:11 that, as believers, we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices (or schemes). Satan, in his temptations of man always appeals to man's sensibilities regarding three major things:
1. The lust of the flesh
2. The lust of the eyes
3. The pride of life

The Bible sums up ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD into these three things mentioned above (see 1 John 2:16), and then admonishes us that these things are NOT of the Father but are of the world, and so we are not to love them, we are not to love the world or the things of the world (see 1 John 2:15-16). When Satan tempted Eve in the garden of Eden, he appealed to her sensibilities regarding these three things which are not of the Father but are of the world. And the Bible says that “when the woman SAW that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD (that is, the lust of the flesh), that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES (that is, the lust of the eyes), and a tree DESIRABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE (that is, the pride of life), she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6 NKJV, brackets and emphasis mine). Thus, man fell to the temptations of Satan in the garden of Eden because MAN LOVED THE WORLD OR THE THINGS IN THE WORLD. Man succumbed to Satan’s temptation because man was drawn away by his own DESIRES and enticed by the things of the world (see James 1:14-15); man was enticed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; man loved and desired the things of this world more than the things of God.

Beloved, Satan’s goal in every temptation is always to draw man’s love and man’s desire away from the things of God to the world or the things in the world, and unfortunately, Satan often succeeds, but he only succeeds when man gives place to him or submits to him. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, mentioned that Demas had forsaken him, having loved this present world and had departed for Thessalonica (see 2 Timothy 4:10). It is my hope that you will not love this present world, because this present world and all its lusts is passing away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (see 1 John 2:17). I pray that Satan will not succeed with you in any temptation, and I hope you are reading this message because you don’t want to give place to Satan, and you don’t want Satan to successfully tempt you. Yes, Satan will tempt you, but he must not succeed. The Bible says that no man is immune to temptation, nor is there any temptation that is beyond man’s ability to resist. (see 1 Corinthians 10:12-13). If it is your goal to resist every temptation Satan throws at you, then be assured that God shares that goal and He will help you. The Bible says that “God is faithful, who WILL NOT ALLOW YOU to be tempted beyond what you are able (to resist), but with the temptation will also MAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE, that YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT.” (see 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV, brackets and emphasis mine). God has ordained that you are able to bear every temptation that comes your way; indeed God will always make the way of escape for you when you are tempted, but it is ultimately your responsibility to take the way of escape or walk through the way of escape that God makes for you. Beloved, the guaranteed way of escape in every temptation is always the WORD (RHEMA) of God. You will always resist the devil and his temptations if you will simply submit to the truth of God’s Word, if you will simply lay hold on the Word of God for the moment (that is, the now Word regarding the area of temptation). What is God’s Word regarding your current circumstance? For instance, what is God’s word for this moment when you’re being tempted to steal or covet or fornicate or commit adultery? What is God’s Word regarding this moment when you’re feeling sick in your body or feeling oppressed by the enemy? What is God’s Word regarding lack, suffering or hardship? Regardless of the temptation Satan brings, if you will only stand steadfast in the faith, trusting God and submitting or holding on to the truth of the Word of God, the temptation will not succeed, for Satan will flee from you as you resist him (see James 4:7); the Bible says that Satan does not stand in the truth (see John 8:44). Imagine what would’ve happened in the garden of Eden if Eve had responded to Satan’s temptation by submitting to the Word of God and confessing the truth of God’s Word, if she had responded with the simple words “It is said,” “It is written,” or “Thus says the Lord.” She would’ve resisted Satan and Satan would’ve fled, just as Jesus resisted him in the temptations in the wilderness and he fled (see Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus showed us THE WAY OF ESCAPE the Bible promises that God will make for us with every temptation. And Jesus also showed us how to take the way of escape and successfully resist every temptation. The Way of Escape, my dear friends, is submission to the truth of the Word of God and confession of the Word of God, the Rhema of God.

Now, as we analyze Satan’s temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness further, we will notice that, just like he did with Eve in the garden of Eden, Satan, in his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness appealed to Jesus’ sensibilities regarding three major things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

1. THE LUST OF THE FLESH: (Satan basically said to Jesus, “Look, You are hungry, and God has not provided, so IF You are the Son of God, why don’t You exploit the power of God to satisfy this hunger, to satisfy this lust of your flesh by commanding that these stones become bread?” (a paraphrase of Matthew 4:1-3). We can also perceive (even from the response Jesus gave to Satan) that Jesus, after His long period of fasting, was in the Spirit, loving and desiring the things of God. Hence, Satan’s goal here was to try to cause Jesus to be drawn away from His love or desire for the things of God or things of the Spirit, and drawn toward the love or desire for the things of this world, and in this context the lust of the flesh. Now, this was a bonafide temptation, because Jesus was truly hungry, and He being the Son of God had power which He could’ve exploited to satisfy the lust of His flesh if He desired to. But Jesus didn’t desire to do that. God had made the Way of Escape for Jesus, and Jesus took that way of escape. Jesus confessed the Word of God (suitable) for that moment. He answered Satan and said, “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (see Matthew 4:4). And thus with this, Jesus resisted that first temptation regarding the lust of the flesh. Jesus obviously had set His mind on things above, not on things on the earth, which is what the Bible commands us also to do (see Colossians 3:2). Jesus valued spiritual food (the Word of God) above natural food that can only satisfy the lust of the flesh. And the Bible says that Jesus has left us an example, that we should follow His steps.

2. THE LUST OF THE EYES: (“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, SHOWED Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and THEIR GLORY; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” (Luke 4:5-7 NKJV). Here, Satan was obviously appealing to the lust of the eyes by SHOWING Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Satan was basically saying, “See how beautiful and pleasant to the eyes these kingdoms of the world are; they are mine, and I will give all these kingdoms to you, together with their glory if you will fall down and worship me.”) Oh, how many men have fallen for the lust of the eyes! But not Jesus. Jesus took the way of escape God made with this temptation for Him; He answered Satan and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Luke 4:8 NKJV). Again, the way of escape for Jesus was submission to the Word of God and confession of it. The Psalmist says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (Psalms 119:11 NKJV).

3. THE PRIDE OF LIFE: (“Then he (Satan) brought Him (Jesus) to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (Luke 4:9-11 NKJV). Here, Satan was obviously appealing to the pride of life by arousing Jesus’ ego to try to cause Him to prove Himself the Son of God, or show what He is capable of doing with the power and authority He has as the Son of God, and to do it not for the glory of God but for His own glory or to boost His own ego. Also notice the cunningness of Satan, he had the nerve to quote Scripture (the Psalms) to back what he was asking Jesus to do. You see, beloved, Satan can quote Scripture but because he has no revelation or understanding of it, he often quotes out of context. We as believers have understanding, we have revelation of the fullness of the gospel, so we should not allow just anyone (including Satan himself) to quote Scriptures they don’t understand to try to convince us to do stupid things. We don’t need to prove to anyone that we are the sons of God or that we believe the Word of God, we just have to be secure in our identity as sons of God, confident of the inner witness that the Spirit of God who is in us bears with our spirit that we are the sons of God. Even when we have to perform miracles, the motive behind it must be pure and just. We shouldn’t perform miracles out of pride, or to tempt God, or to boost our own ego or prestige in the eyes of men. We are only to perform miracles where there is a genuine need, and we are to do it out of faith, out of love, and for the glory of God. We should not try to do anything from a position of doubt or to tempt God to see if He will really do what His Word says He will do. Indeed, we cannot just pick a passage from Scripture and try to tempt God with it to see if it is true or not, for instance by drinking something deadly just to see if it is true that it will by no means harm us, as Jesus promised in Mark 16:18. Whenever we are challenged or tempted along these lines, we should learn from what Jesus did. Jesus answered and said to Satan, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:12-13 NKJV).

Beloved, just as the Lord Jesus Christ resisted each one of Satan’s temptations, we can also resist all of Satan’s temptations today because Christ is in us, and God is always making the way of escape for us with every temptation we face. May you take the way of escape in every temptation by submitting to the Word of God and resisting the devil till he flees from you. Remain blessed. #UnveilingMysteries #SpiritLife #shareTheWord #FollowThisBlog

Know Your Enemy: Satan is a Liar and the Father of It

During His earth ministry, Jesus spoke a profound truth about Satan, our enemy. Jesus said that Satan “was a MURDERER from the beginning, and DOES NOT STAND IN THE TRUTH, because there is no truth in him. When HE SPEAKS A LIE, he speaks from his own resources, for HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT.” (see John 8:44 NKJV). Every believer needs to know and be always CONSCIOUS of this truth about Satan: he is a MURDERER and a LIAR. In fact, the WEAPON Satan used to commit his notorious murder of mankind in the garden of Eden was LIES or DECEPTION. Satan’s LIES led Adam and Eve to DEATH, by causing them to disobey God and to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had commanded them (under penalty of death) not to eat (see Genesis 3:1-7). The Bible says that Satan (the serpent) is cunning, crafty, or subtle (see Genesis 3:1; 2 Corinthians 11:3), which also means that Satan’s lies are often subtle (that is, they’re not so obvious). So, let us analyze the lies Satan told Eve in the garden of Eden.

First, Satan told Eve that she and her husband “will not surely die” if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had commanded them not to eat (see Genesis 3:4). This was a lie because Adam and Eve were surely going to die if they ate of the (forbidden) tree of the knowledge of good and evil, just as God had warned them (see Genesis 2:17). On that same day that they ate of the (forbidden) tree, they died (spiritually); they were separated or alienated from the life of God; they were driven out of the garden of Eden and banished from the presence of God. (see Genesis 3:23-24; with Ephesians 4:18, Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 1:21). Today Satan is telling many people that they will not surely perish or be condemned if they do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But that is a lie, my dear friends. The Bible says that whoever does not believe in Jesus Christ “is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (see John 3:18).  Truly, “he who does not believe will be condemned.” (see Mark 16:16).

Second, Satan subtly told Eve that God is a liar and an evil person. By saying that Adam and Eve “will not surely die,” Satan was opposing God’s word and painting God, not only as a liar, but as an evil person who was withholding something good from Adam and Eve. Satan said “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.” Here, Satan was basically saying that knowing good and evil will be beneficial to man, and God doesn’t want man to have something this beneficial. This was a lie. God didn’t want man to have a knowledge or consciousness of (good and) EVIL, because it wasn’t going to be good for us, as I explained in my previous post. And so God is neither a liar nor an evil person (as we can see from even this story and how it ended); it is Satan who is obviously the liar and the evil one.

Third, Satan said that Adam and Eve will be like God, knowing good and evil, if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had commanded them not to eat. This was a half-truth, which is essentially a lie. Yes, man was going to be like God alright (in the sense or context of) knowing good and evil (see Genesis 3:22), but in another sense, a rather tragic sense, man was going to be like Satan himself if he disobeyed God (and thus sinned) by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God had commanded man not to eat. Man was going to become evil or a sinner by committing that act of evil, and worse of all, man’s knowledge of good and evil was going to condemn him and cause him to feel naked (that is, exposed, ashamed, guilty) and afraid in the presence of the Holy and Righteous God, because of man’s sin. (see Genesis 3:7-10).

Fourth, Satan told Eve that if she and her husband ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes will be opened. In other words, they would see the light. This was a lie because, disobeying or rebelling against God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a sin that was only going to open man’s eyes to his own sin and nakedness (or shame, condemnation and guilt) and cause man to be afraid of the presence of God (see Genesis 3:7-10). It was a sin that was going to rather cause man’s way to be like darkness (see Proverbs 4:19); it was going to cause man’s eyes to be blinded, so that though seeing, he may not see (see Ezekiel 12:2; Isaiah 44:18; Matthew 13:13; John 9:39-41). It was a sin that was going to blind the minds of men, who do not believe God, lest the light of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God should shine on them. (see 2 Corinthians 4:4). Today, Satan is pointing men to all kinds of vain religions that he claims will open their eyes and give them light, but the Bible says that Jesus alone gives light and opens the eyes of the blind, because He is the Light of the world, and anyone who follows Him shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life (see Luke 4:18; with John 9:39, John 8:12).

Beloved, it is unfortunate that Adam and Eve fell for the lies of Satan. Many people often ask the question, “Where was Adam when Eve was being deceived? Maybe he could’ve stopped it; but where in the world did Adam go?” I’ve even heard many renowned preachers ask this question. But the Bible answers this question plainly. Adam didn’t go anywhere. Adam was with Eve the whole time Satan was talking to Eve. And so the Bible says that “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto HER HUSBAND WITH HER; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6 KJV). The NLT translation makes it even clearer: “The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS WITH HER, and he ate it, too.” (Genesis 3:6 NLT). And so when God came into the garden of Eden, He addressed all three of them (Adam, Eve, and Satan the serpent), because they were all still together (see Genesis 3:8-15). Thus, the Bible says that Eve being deceived, fell into transgression (see Genesis 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:14; 2 Corinthians 11:3), but Adam was not deceived. (see 1 Timothy 2:14). Whereas Eve only obeyed Satan because she was deceived to do so, Adam made a conscious choice to obey Satan over God. Hence both Adam and Eve sinned, and they both surely died. The Bible says that “through one man SIN entered the world, and DEATH through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (see Romans 5:12 NKJV). Also, “through one man’s offense JUDGMENT came to all men, resulting in CONDEMNATION” (see Romans 5:18 NKJV). This is why we preach Jesus Christ, persuading all men to believe in Jesus Christ and receive the GIFT of eternal life (see John 3:16; Romans 6:23). The Bible says, “And the GIFT is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in CONDEMNATION, but the FREE GIFT which came from many offenses resulted in JUSTIFICATION. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the GIFT of righteousness will reign in life THROUGH the One, JESUS CHRIST.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:16‭-‬19 NKJV). This one Man whose obedience, whose righteous act has made and will make many righteous is Jesus Christ. For God made Jesus “who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).

In the next post, we will discuss further Satan’s temptation of man in the garden of Eden that caused man to sin, and we will point out and explain the three major areas where Satan tempts man, because Satan has not changed, he is very predictable, he still operates in the same manner. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2:11 that, as believers, we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices (or schemes). May you never give place to Satan. Remain blessed.  #UnveilingMysteries #SpiritLife #shareTheWord #FollowThisBlog

Why God Didn't Want Man to Eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

In the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve ate of the (forbidden) tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis 3:1-7), the Bible says that they became like God (in the sense or context of) KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL (see Genesis 3:22). This was bad for man, because it put a heavy burden on man to consistently choose or make a judgment between GOOD and EVIL -- a judgment only God can make justly or righteously. The knowledge of good and evil is indeed a heavy burden God did not intend for man to bear. God intended for man to have a knowledge of good only. The Bible says, "Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil." (see 1 Corinthians 14:20 NLT). And so God originally created Adam and Eve to know only good. Adam and Eve knew to do good, to eat freely of every tree in the garden of Eden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (see Genesis 2:16-17). And the Bible says, "To him who knows to do good and DOES NOT DO IT, to him IT IS SIN." (see James 4:17 NKJV ).

Thus Adam and Eve had no knowledge or consciousness of SIN, they had no knowledge or consciousness of EVIL, until they rejected God's plan for them, chose to obey Satan and thus chose to NOT DO GOOD but to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had commanded them not to eat. The moment they ate of the (forbidden) tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve received knowledge or consciousness of (not just good, but) EVIL also; hence they immediately became CONSCIOUS that they had sinned or committed EVIL by disobeying God. They felt NAKED or exposed, they felt guilty. Having knowledge of good and evil implies that whenever you commit an act of evil, you will feel naked, exposed, or guilty and condemned before the Holy God and Creator of the universe. No wonder Jesus said that those who do not believe in Him are condemned already (see John 3:18). The natural man is condemned already. God asked Adam, “WHO TOLD YOU that you were naked? HAVE YOU EATEN from the tree of which I COMMANDED you that YOU SHOULD NOT EAT?” (Genesis 3:11 NKJV). God was basically saying to Adam that, "If you have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which I commanded you not to eat, then it is YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL that is telling you that you're naked. You were not supposed to have this knowledge, Adam; it will ruin you. This is why I warned you that on the day that you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall surely die."

Beloved, the knowledge of good and evil Adam and Eve received from eating of the (forbidden) tree, and the resulting knowledge and consciousness that they had COMMITTED an act of EVIL by disobeying God was what caused Adam and Eve to feel naked and afraid and to hide themselves from the presence of God (see Genesis 3:8). Their knowledge or consciousness of sin made them feel guilty, condemned and afraid in the presence of the Holy and Righteous God. And thus their sin separated or alienated them from God. (see Genesis 3:22-24; with Isaiah 59:2 and Colossians 1:21).

The good news today, my dear friend, is that even though all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, if any man BELIEVES in Jesus Christ or comes into Christ, such a man is A NEW CREATION, a new species of man, a son of God, who is righteous and has NO MORE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SIN (see Romans 3:23-26; 2 Corinthians 5:17, with
Hebrews 10:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:1, 9). Hallelujah! This is why we persuade all men to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and be saved, so that you can join us (believers) to come BOLDLY (without any sense of fear, guilt, condemnation or inferiority) to the throne of grace, TO THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD, to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (see Hebrews 4:16). We believers are truly the sons of God, and we are partakers of the divine (or God) nature. Glory to God! #UnveilingMysteries #SpiritLife #shareTheWord

Keep the Word of God in Your Heart, and Bear Fruit with Patience (Part 4)

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard THE WORD with a noble and good heart, KEEP IT AND BEAR FRUIT WITH PATIENCE.” (Luke 8:15 NKJV).

Beloved, we are concluding our series on the Parable of the Sower, and in this fourth and final part of the series we will discuss the seed that “fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” (see Luke 8:8 NKJV). Jesus said, “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having HEARD THE WORD with a noble and good heart, KEEP IT AND BEAR FRUIT WITH PATIENCE.” (Luke 8:15 NKJV). Thus it is in HEARING THE WORD with a NOBLE AND GOOD HEART (a heart that is open or sincere and receptive to the truth of God's Word), UNDERSTANDING THE WORD (see Matthew 13:23), ACCEPTING or BELIEVING THE WORD or keeping the Word in the midst of our heart (see Mark 4:20; with Proverbs 4:20-22), MEDITATING on the Word, and putting the Word into practice or DOING THE WORD consistently (see Joshua 1:8; with James 1:22-25, Luke 6:46-49), that we can bear a hundredfold fruit. In this parable also, Jesus gives us two keys that are necessary to our ability to bear fruit when we hear the Word of the Kingdom with a noble and good heart, and these two keys are FAITH (believing the Word and keeping it in our heart), and PATIENCE (being steadfast in believing, confessing and putting the Word into practice, regardless of what temptation, persecution or tribulation the Word might bring). Likewise, the Book of Hebrews implores us to IMITATE those who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit the promises of God (see Hebrews 6:12). It is indeed through FAITH and PATIENCE that we inherit the promises of God, and bear fruit a hundredfold. Bearing fruit in the Kingdom of God then is synonymous with inheriting (or laying hold on) the promises of God, or walking in the good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (see Ephesians 2:10). The apostle Peter wrote that it is through (laying hold on) the exceedingly great and precious promises of God that we become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (see 2 Peter 1:4).

Beloved, it is very important to our Lord Jesus Christ that we (His disciples) lay hold on all the promises of God, walk in good works, or bear fruit a hundredfold. Thus, Jesus Himself emphasized that He has chosen us and ordained us to the end that we will BEAR FRUIT, and that our fruit should REMAIN. He said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU, and ORDAINED YOU, THAT YE SHOULD GO AND BRING FORTH FRUIT, and that your FRUIT SHOULD REMAIN: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.” (John 15:16 KJV). Then He added that, “Every branch in Me that DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT He (The Father) takes away; and every branch that BEARS FRUIT He (The Father) prunes, THAT IT MAY BEAR MORE FRUIT.” (John 15:2 NKJV, brackets and emphasis mine). Beloved, the ultimate goal of our Christian walk here on earth is for each disciple of Christ to bear a hundredfold fruit; and this can only be attained through FAITH and PATIENCE. Therefore, so long as you are bearing fruit, you shouldn't worry that others are bearing a hundredfold and you are only bearing, say thirtyfold, or sixty; you should be patient, because the Father prunes those who are bearing fruit so that they may bear more fruit. You should thus continue patiently to abide in Christ as He abides in you and His words abide in you, and you will be pruned by the Father to bear more fruit, up to a hundredfold.

Truly, there is no other way to bear fruit but to ABIDE (or remain) in Jesus Christ and allow His words to ABIDE (or remain) in us. (see John 15:1-8). Abiding in Jesus is the same as abiding (or remaining) in the Word of God, because Jesus and the Word are one (see John 1:1,14). Therefore if you abide in the Word or make your home in the Word of God -- give yourself entirely to the Word, read it always, meditate on it and confess it continually -- and get the Word to also abide (or make its home) in you, and then put the Word into practice with patience, you will definitely bear fruit, and yes, you will bear fruit a hundredfold. The Bible says that the fruits of righteousness are BY Jesus Christ  (see Philippians 1:11). This also means that we do not bear the fruits of righteousness by self-effort under the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. For we walk by faith. (see 2 Corinthians 5:7). You will bear the fruits of righteousness if you will simply remain in Jesus and allow His words to remain in you, in the same way as the branch of a vine bears fruit by simply remaining in the vine. Jesus Himself said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, NEITHER CAN YOU, UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who ABIDES IN Me, and I IN him, BEARS MUCH FRUIT; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5 NKJV). Indeed we have to abide in Jesus (the Word of God) and allow Jesus (the Word of God) to abide in us in order for us to bear much fruit. The apostle Paul was walking in the knowledge and consciousness of this truth when he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). Again, Paul said that he labored, striving according to CHRIST’S WORKING WHICH WORKED IN HIM MIGHTILY. (Colossians 1:29). Paul was evidently fruitful in his ministry because he was always conscious of Christ who was in him, and who was his strength, and he also remained in Christ. Paul knew, like the apostle John, that Christ the greater One was in him. (see 1 John 4:4; with Colossians 1:27). He even made the famous declaration, “I have been crucified with Christ; IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live BY FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV). Indeed Paul was fruitful in his Christian walk, so fruitful that at the end of his ministry he boldly declared: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (II Timothy 4:7‭-‬8 NKJV). Glory to God!

Beloved, we will also bear much fruit with patience if we abide in Christ and His words abide in us. And the evidence that we are bearing much fruit is that others see our GOOD WORKS -- the unconditional love we have for others, our joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (see Galatians 5:22), our testimony about Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation that we preach and minister to others, as well as other great miraculous works that we perform in the name of Jesus (see Mark 16:16-18; John 14:12) -- and give glory to our Father in Heaven (see Matthew 5:16). As we also noted earlier, the Bible says that God prepared these good works beforehand for us to walk in them. (see Ephesians 2:10). What this means is that although the fruits we bear or the good works we do are “our good works,” they are actually produced by God in us and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the days of His flesh, testified of this truth when He said concerning the words that He spoke and the works that He did, that it was the Father in Him who did the works (see John 14:10). Therefore, dearly beloved, as long as we abide in Christ and His words abide in us, as long as we walk in the light (or walk according to the Word of God), as long as we walk by faith or walk in the Spirit, these fruits or good works will manifest in our lives a hundredfold to the glory of God. This is also why the Bible says we are the ones that have to maintain the good works. You cannot maintain what you don’t already have, and so we have the good works already, and we are commanded to maintain them or keep producing them, by remaining in Christ and allowing His words to remain in us. Paul in his letter to Titus wrote: “This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that THOSE WHO HAVE BELIEVED IN GOD SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable to men.” (Titus 3:8). We are all to learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that we may NOT BE UNFRUITFUL. (see Titus 3:14). Again, we maintain good works by abiding in Christ (the Vine) and allowing Him and His words to abide in us (see John 15:4-8), just as the branches of any vine maintain their production of fruits simply by abiding in the vine. Truly, when you hear and receive THE WORD OF THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL with a noble and good heart and keep it in the midst of your heart, it will BRING FORTH FRUIT in you, as it did among the saints in colosse (see Colossians 1:3‭-‬10); you will WALK WORTHY of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, BEING FRUITFUL in EVERY GOOD WORK and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Therefore, desire the sincere milk of the Word, study the Word, believe the Word, meditate on the Word of God for it to abide in you or fill your heart, your mind, your soul, your whole being so abundantly that it would be like a burning fire within you that you can’t help but manifest. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.”But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, AND I COULD NOT.” (Jeremiah 20:9). Again, Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKS.” (Luke 6:45). If you are a true believer (or sincere Christian), you are a good man; you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). And so your words (which are spoken out of the abundance of your heart should bear testimony of Christ. You have to choose to sanctify yourself (or set yourself apart to God) by speaking the truth, which is the Word of God (see John 17:17; Romans 12:1-2), rather than defile yourself with the words of this world that are contrary to the Word of God. (see Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:15). You have to let others see Christ in you wherever you go, and in everything you do. Beloved, I can't emphasize this enough: you need to study and understand the Word of God, and always speak or confess the Word and practice the Word. The Bible says that we are to hold fast our confession (see Hebrews 4:14). In other words, we are to continually confess what the Bible says about us, and what we want to see happen in our lives (in the light of the revelation of the Word of God). We are to confess with our mouth unto salvation (see Romans 10:10) —salvation from diseases, poverty, and every power of darkness or negative circumstance. Begin to use your mouth today to chart the course of your life. The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21). Every word you speak is a seed you’re sowing that will bear fruit unto life or unto death, so always speak words of life, always speak in agreement with the Word of God.

In Mark’s gospel, Jesus told a parable in which “He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, HE HIMSELF DOES NOT KNOW HOW. For THE EARTH YIELDS CROPS BY ITSELF: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”(Mark 4:26-29). The seed in this context is the Word of God, and the ground (or the earth) is your heart. Purpose today to always sow (or study, meditate on, and confess) the Word of God in/from your heart, and NEVER GIVE UP IF YOU DON’T SEE THE FRUIT (or the evident progress) JUST YET; be steadfast in keeping the Word in your heart, and hold fast your confession, for as you sleep by night and rise by day, the Word is definitely working in you —it is sprouting and growing, even though you don’t know how —and you will eventually see the fruit, for the heart yields fruit by itself; the Word that you have kept in your heart will eventually manifest its power in you for a great harvest of good and miraculous works to the glory of God. So hold on to the Word of God, keep it in your heart, and bear fruit with patience. Remain blessed.

I share this message, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 KJV).

To learn more, order your copy of my new book "Spirit Life" on amazon.

Keep the Word of God in Your Heart, and Bear Fruit with Patience (Part 3)

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard THE WORD with a noble and good heart, KEEP IT AND BEAR FRUIT WITH PATIENCE.” (Luke 8:15 NKJV).

Beloved, we are continuing our series on the Parable of the Sower, and in this third part of the series we will unveil the revelation in the seed that “fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.” (Luke 8:7 NKJV). Jesus explained that “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who HEARS THE WORD, and THE CARES OF THIS WORLD and THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES choke the word, and HE BECOMES UNFRUITFUL.” (Matthew 13:22 NKJV). It is implied in this verse that this category of hearers also hear the Word alright, they understand the Word alright, and even believe the Word alright, but the Word does not bear fruit in them because the CARES (or worries) OF THIS WORLD, the DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, PLEASURES OF LIFE (see Luke 8:14), and THE DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS (see Mark 4:19) enter in and CHOKE THE WORD or make the Word of no effect. It is also implied here that this category of hearers become so preoccupied with the things of this life and the desires for other things (including not only material things, but the traditions, opinions and philosophies of men, and the praise of men), that they neglect the Word of the Kingdom and refuse to consistently put the Word into practice, and so they BECOME UNFRUITFUL; they, in the words of the apostle Peter, FORSAKE the right way and GO ASTRAY, “following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" (see 2 Peter 2:15). Jude says,  "Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run GREEDILY in the error of Balaam FOR PROFIT, and perished in the rebellion of Korah." (Jude 1:11 NKJV). He says, “These are grumblers, complainers, WALKING ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN LUSTS...” (Jude 1:16 NKJV). And Jesus says of such people that, “Every branch in Me that DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT He (God) takes away…” (see John 15:2 NKJV, brackets and emphasis mine).

Indeed the Bible has many examples of such people who HEAR THE WORD, and THE CARES OF THIS WORLD and THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, PLEASURES OF LIFE, and THE DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS enter in and CHOKE THE WORD, and they BECOME UNFRUITFUL. The apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy, mentioned Demas, who he said had forsaken him, “HAVING LOVED THIS PRESENT WORLD, and has departed for Thessalonica” (see 2 Timothy 4:9‭-‬10). Then, of course, there is the example of Balaam whom we mentioned earlier, “who LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" (see 2 Peter 2:15). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke against Balaam, that he “taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality." (Revelation 2:14 NIV). Thus Balaam, having heard THE WORD OF GOD, allowed the Word to be choked by THE CARES OF THIS WORLD and THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, PLEASURES OF LIFE, and THE DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS, so he became UNFRUITFUL; he cunningly went against the Word of God by coveting the prize Balak was offering him to curse the children of Israel. The Bible says that Balaam was GREEDY FOR PROFIT (see Jude 1:11), and LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS (see 2 Peter 2:15). How tragic!

JUDAS ISCARIOT is yet another example in the Bible, of a man who heard the Word of the Kingdom, and THE CARES OF THIS WORLD and THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, PLEASURES OF LIFE, and THE DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS, entered in and choked the Word, so that he BECAME UNFRUITFUL. Judas (the son of perdition) betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ FOR MONEY, for THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER. Oh, what ruin the deceitfulness of riches brought upon Judas! Peter said that Judas “became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.” (Now THIS MAN PURCHASED A FIELD WITH THE WAGES OF INIQUITY; and FALLING HEADLONG, HE BURST OPEN IN THE MIDDLE AND ALL HIS ENTRAILS GUSHED OUT. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)” (see Acts 1:16-19).

The apostle Paul says of those who HEAR THE WORD, and THE CARES OF THIS WORLD and THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, PLEASURES OF LIFE, and THE DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS choke the word, and THEY BECOME UNFRUITFUL, that they “are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is  their belly, and whose glory is in their shame— who SET THEIR MIND ON EARTHLY THINGS.” (see Philippians 3:17‭-‬19 NKJV). Thus, the root of the problem such hearers of the Word have is that THEY SET THEIR MIND ON EARTHLY THINGS; they love the things of this present world. And so the apostle Paul offers a preventive measure for this condition; he says, “If then you were raised with Christ, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH.” (Colossians 3:1‭-‬2 NKJV). Then he adds, “Now GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN. For WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD, and IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT. And having FOOD and CLOTHING, with these WE SHALL BE CONTENT. But THOSE WHO DESIRE TO BE RICH FALL INTO TEMPTATION AND A SNARE, and into many foolish and harmful lusts WHICH DROWN MEN IN DESTRUCTION AND PERDITION. For THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVIL, for which SOME HAVE STRAYED FROM THE FAITH in their GREEDINESS, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Timothy 6:6‭-‬10 NKJV).

Indeed, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and therein lies the deceitfulness of riches, which chokes the Word of God in some hearers and they become unfruitful. Therefore beloved, examine yourself and determine where your love and loyalty is; is your love and loyalty toward God and His Word, or toward the world and the things in the world? Paul said, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are IN THE FAITH. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified." (II Corinthians 13:5 NKJV). Truly, “if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” (see I Corinthians 8:3 NKJV). Jesus said, “NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS; for either HE WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, or else HE WILL BE LOYAL TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. You CANNOT SERVE GOD and MAMMON (money). “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND His RIGHTEOUSNESS, and ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:24‭-‬34 NKJV,  brackets and emphasis mine). In other words, Jesus wants us to set our mind on things above, and not on the things of the earth, just as the apostle Paul said.

In the same vein, the apostle John also says: “DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD OR THE THINGS IN THE WORLD. If anyone LOVES THE WORLD, the love of the Father IS NOT IN HIM. For ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD —the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—IS NOT OF THE FATHER but is of the world. And THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY, AND THE LUST OF IT; but HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER.” (I John 2:15‭-‬17 NKJV). Therefore, let us set our mind on things above; let us set our mind on the Word of God and continually DO THE WILL OF GOD by putting the Word of God into practice, and never departing from it. For God says, “My son, GIVE ATTENTION to my words; INCLINE YOUR EAR to my sayings. DO NOT LET THEM DEPART from your eyes; KEEP THEM in the midst of your heart; For THEY ARE LIFE to those who find them, AND HEALTH to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20‭-‬22 NKJV). Indeed it is only by keeping the Word of God in the midst of our heart, and being doers of the Word that we can bear fruit a hundredfold. Let us also turn away from those in our assembly who are “LOVERS OF THEMSELVES, LOVERS OF MONEY, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, LOVERS OF PLEASURE RATHER THAN LOVERS OF GOD, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (see II Timothy 3:2‭-‬5 NKJV).

In the concluding part of this series, we will discuss the seed that “fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” (see Luke 8:8 NKJV). Please return to this Page in two days to read Part 4, for I am confident that by the end of this series you will fully understand how having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, you can keep it and BEAR FRUIT WITH PATIENCE. Remain blessed.

I share this message, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 KJV).

To learn more, order my glorious book, "Spirit Life"

Keep the Word of God in Your Heart, and Bear Fruit with Patience (Part 2)

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard THE WORD with a noble and good heart, KEEP IT AND BEAR FRUIT WITH PATIENCE.” (Luke 8:15 NKJV).

Beloved, we are continuing our series on the Parable of the Sower, and in this second part of the series we will unveil the revelation in the seed that “fell on (rock -- Luke 8:6, or on) stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.” (Matthew 13:5 NKJV, brackets and emphasis mine). Jesus said, “But the ones on the rock are those who, WHEN THEY HEAR, RECEIVE THE WORD WITH JOY; and these HAVE NO ROOT, who BELIEVE FOR A WHILE and in time of temptation FALL AWAY.” (Luke 8:13 NKJV). You will notice here that this category of hearers don't just receive the Word into their heart, but they receive it WITH JOY, and even BELIEVE IT FOR A WHILE. They would shout the loudest Amen and then praise the Word when the preacher is preaching, they would receive the Word with gladness. But because they have no root in themselves, because they are not grounded in the truth of the Word, they only BELIEVE FOR A WHILE, they only endure for a while, until PERSECUTION or TRIBULATION arises BECAUSE OF THE WORD (see Mark 4:16-17; Matthew 13:20-21), until TEMPTATION comes because of the Word, then they stumble, they stop believing it, they fall away. How tragic!

What Jesus is saying here also is that when you hear and receive the Word of the Kingdom, temptation, persecution or tribulation MAY ARISE BECAUSE OF THE WORD (see Mark 4:16-17; Matthew 13:20-21; Luke 8:13). And when temptation or persecution or tribulation comes because of the Word, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” (see Mark 5:36; Luke 8:50). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself presents a classic evidence of this truth. The Bible says that after Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan and the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him, “Then a voice came from heaven, “YOU ARE My BELOVED Son, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” (Mark 1:11 NKJV). Then, “IMMEDIATELY the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, TEMPTED BY SATAN …” (Mark 1:12‭-‬13 NKJV). In this temptation, Satan went straight after the Word which Jesus had received from God the Father: “YOU ARE My BELOVED Son, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” Satan came to Jesus and said, “IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD, command that these stones become bread.” (Matthew 4:3 NKJV). But as the story relates, Jesus did not succumb to the temptation of Satan, because not only had Jesus heard the Word of God, not only had He understood the Word, not only had He received or believed the Word, He also had root in Himself and so He kept the Word in His heart and bore fruit WITH PATIENCE -- He believed steadfastly that He was the Son of God, regardless of what charge the devil would bring against Him. Indeed, when temptation came because of the Word, Jesus was not afraid; He only believed, He submitted to the Word of God, resisted Satan, and Satan flee from Him. The Bible says that Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (see Hebrews 4:15 NKJV). Indeed, in time of temptation, Jesus CONFESSED His faith in the Word of God, and CONFESSED His dependence on the Word of God by declaring to Satan that “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.’”(see Luke 4: 4). And so Jesus lived by every Word of God.

Evidently, Jesus was also continually PERSECUTED, and eventually given over by the Jews (the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and chief priests) to be CRUCIFIED, because of the Word which He had received from the Father, which He had kept in His heart, which He had lived by, and which He had continually confessed with His mouth that He was THE SON OF GOD. The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to our law He OUGHT TO DIE, because He MADE Himself THE SON OF GOD.” (John 19:7 NKJV). And so they accused Jesus of blasphemy and killed Him. Jesus’ truthful confession that He was the Son of God, had Him falsely convicted of blasphemy and crucified. It was Jesus’ confession of the Word of God that infuriated the enemy and got Him killed, because the enemy couldn’t stand it! Today Satan still can’t stand to hear us confess who we are as new creations in Christ. He can’t stand to hear us confess that we are the beloved sons of God who are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. (see John 1: 12; 1 John 3: 2, with Ephesians 1: 3). Satan can’t stand to hear us confess that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5: 21), and that there is therefore now no condemnation for us because we are in Christ Jesus. (see Romans 8: 1; Romans 8: 33-39). Satan can’t stand to hear us confess that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under Law but under Grace. (see Romans 6: 14). This is why the Bible tells us to hold fast our confession. (see Hebrews 4: 14). We have to continually confess who we are in Christ according to the Word of God. Indeed, we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, and by the WORD (logos) OF OUR TESTIMONY, not loving our lives UNTO DEATH. (see Revelation 12: 11). Jesus wasn’t afraid to confess who He was even if it meant death, and neither should we be afraid to confess who we are in Christ, even if it means death, because that is how we overcome the enemy.

Thus the Bible tells all believers to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (see Ephesians 6:10), exhorting us to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through MANY TRIBULATIONS enter the kingdom of God.” (see Acts 14:22 NKJV). “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION.” (II Timothy 3:12 NKJV). So we are to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (see Hebrews 12:1‭-‬2 NKJV). But unfortunately there are many who fall away or reject the faith in time of temptation, persecution or tribulation, and of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom Paul delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme (see I Timothy 1:20 NKJV).

There are many today who hear the gospel and receive it with joy; they hear or read John 3:16 and receive it with gladness: “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.” (John 3:16 KJV). Oh, what joy, what great news! They are also told that if they will sincerely confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead, they will be saved (see Romans 10:9). So they gladly receive the Word, and FOR A WHILE they BELIEVE the Word, and they believe that they are saved because of their faith in Christ, until they are TEMPTED and they sin, or until PERSECUTION or TRIBULATION ARISES BECAUSE OF THE WORD, until the people who seek to put us back in bondage to the Law, whom Paul refers to in Philippians 3:1-11 as “dogs,” “evil workers,” “the mutilation,” and later in verse 18, “enemies of the cross of Christ,” come along to condemn them and persecute them for believing that they are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and then THEY STOP BELIEVING THAT THEY ARE SAVED, and start working FOR their salvation, they start seeking the righteousness that comes through the Law, instead of laying hold on the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ Jesus; they fall away. To such people the apostle Paul says, “You have become ESTRANGED FROM CHRIST, you who attempt  to be justified by law; YOU HAVE FALLEN from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:4‭-‬5 NKJV). Then he asks, “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the WORKS OF THE LAW, or by the hearing of FAITH? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3: 2-3). “For by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8‭-‬9 NKJV).

Indeed, the Christian walk is a walk of faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (II Corinthians 5: 7 NKJV). To the Corinthian Church, Paul said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, BY WHICH ALSO YOU ARE SAVED, if you HOLD FAST THAT WORD WHICH I PREACHED TO YOU —unless you BELIEVED IN VAIN.” (I Corinthians 15:1‭-‬2 NKJV). Thus, those who, WHEN THEY HEAR, RECEIVE THE WORD WITH JOY; and these HAVE NO ROOT IN THEMSELVES, who BELIEVE FOR A WHILE and in time of temptation FALL AWAY, have BELIEVED IN VAIN. “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence STEADFAST TO THE END ” (Hebrews 3:14 NKJV).

There are also those who are well-rooted in the elementary principles of Christ, the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Yes, they steadfastly believe that they are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and yet they do not believe in some of the benefits or the fruits of redemption -- for instance, they do not believe in the healing that is theirs by the stripes of Jesus, they do not believe in prosperity even though the Bible says our Lord Jesus Christ though He was rich became poor that we through His poverty might become rich, and John also prayed that we may prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers, they do not believe in speaking with new tongues even though it's among the signs Jesus said will follow those who believe, neither do they believe in miracles, and so they do not enjoy any of these benefits.

Beloved, is there any remedy for this category of hearers of the Word of the Kingdom? Indeed, there is. Jesus implied in the Parable that their problem is not that they do not understand the Word they hear; their problem is not even that they do not believe the Word, for they believe it alright. But their problem is that THEY HAVE NO ROOT IN THEMSELVES. Now, what does Jesus mean by this? He means they are not deeply-grounded or rooted in the truth of the Word, they are not fully submitted to the Word, they do not give themselves entirely to the Word, they do not put the Word into practice. And so such people are easily tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (see Ephesians 4:14). Having no root in themselves, they only BELIEVE THE WORD FOR A WHILE, not putting the Word into practice, not being doers of the Word, for they stumble or stop believing the Word and fall away WHEN TEMPTATION, PERSECUTION OR TRIBULATION ARISES BECAUSE OF THE WORD. You would remember that Jesus had said earlier, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and DO NOT DO WHAT I SAY? As for everyone who comes to me and HEARS MY WORDS and PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE, I will show you what they are like. They are LIKE A MAN BUILDING A HOUSE, who DUG DOWN DEEP and LAID THE FOUNDATION ON ROCK. When A FLOOD CAME, the torrent STRUCK that house but COULD NOT SHAKE IT, because IT WAS WELL BUILT.  But the one who HEARS MY WORDS and DOES NOT PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE is like a man who built a house on the ground WITHOUT A FOUNDATION. The moment THE TORRENT STRUCK that house, IT COLLAPSED and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:46‭-‬49 NIV). What this means is that only those who hear the Word of the Kingdom AND PUT IT INTO PRACTICE become rooted or have root in themselves. Jesus said that such people are like a man who has built his house on a rock, who has dug down deep and laid its foundation on rock, and is thus unshakable by the flood or torrent when it strikes. Beloved you will not be shaken by temptation, or tribulation or persecution, when you hear the Word of the Kingdom, understand it, believe it, keep it in your heart, and put it into practice. Submitting to the Word of God and putting it into practice will give you root in yourself, so that you can resist all the temptation, persecution, and tribulation that the devil might throw at you. James says, "Therefore SUBMIT TO GOD. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NKJV). Submitting to God is the same as submitting to the Word of God, for God and His Word are one (see John 1:1). Indeed you need to believe the Word of God enough to be moved to confess what it says, to do what it says and to claim what it says, regardless of what temptation or persecution or tribulation the Word might bring.

In Part three (3) of the series, we will discuss the revelation in the seed that “fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.” (Luke 8:7 NKJV). Please return to this Page in two days to read Part 3, for I am confident that by the end of this series you will understand how having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, you can keep it and BEAR FRUIT WITH PATIENCE. Remain blessed.

To learn more, order my glorious book, "Spirit Life"