Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? 14 And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 15 He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am? 16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros–a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra–a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it]. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven. 20 Then He sternly and strictly charged and warned the disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death. 22 Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You! 23 But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.  Matthew 16:13-23 AMP

 

Jesus was Who He was – the Son of God, born to die as a sacrifice for the sins of every man – and He could not and would not deny it. He could not deny that He was the Son of God just because some people were offended by it, but He did not go around announcing it either. Privately, He asked His disciples who they thought He was and Peter, always quick to speak and reveal what was on his mind, replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus acknowledged Peter’s answer with a blessing – he was blessed because he had heard from heaven. No person showed him that Jesus was the Christ – it was revealed to him by the Father Himself. Every one of us must receive revelation and direction from heaven concerning the things of God. You cannot just listen to what other people have to say and blindly follow them – they might be very wrong. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch (Matthew 15:14). Read God’s word for yourself and let the Holy Spirit lead and guide you. Judge every situation according to your own born-again spirit and not your head.

 

Romans 8:6-7 AMP says, “Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. 7[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.” Your carnal mind – the mind of the flesh – tries to reason and make sense of things without the Holy Spirit and fails hopelessly. If you follow your carnal mind it will result in death – spiritual death, premature physical death, and finally, eternal death. This is because the mind of the flesh cannot and does not submit itself to God’s Law. On the other hand, the mind that is yielded to the Holy Spirit results in life and peace, now and forever.

 

Do you know that it is possible to yield to the Holy Spirit one minute and then to the devil the next? Peter found out the hard way. Jesus knew very clearly what His purpose was and even how He would suffer and die. When He shared it with the disciples, Peter pulled Him aside and rebuked Him. Peter did not want Jesus to die and Jesus, in Himself, did not want to die a painful death either, but He had committed Himself to the will of the Father. When Peter rebuked Him, he was not speaking the will of God over Jesus’ life. It was a voice from hell trying to talk Jesus out of His mission. So Jesus turned away from Peter and addressed the devil. He said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.”

 

Be very careful that you do not yield yourself to the devil, to be used by him. The devil is always going to try to speak to you and drop little thoughts into your head that are contrary to the will and the word of God. Do not receive these thoughts and suggestions and definitely do not speak them out and do them! Be yielded only to the Holy Spirit. Do and say only what He says to you. How do you know the difference? You must spend time reading and absorbing the word of God, spend time praying in the Holy Ghost, and spend time in God’s presence in worship. Lay aside your preconceived ideas, let your mind become still and listen to your own spirit – that is where the Holy Spirit will speak to you – and then you will be more yielded to the Lord and not the devil in your thoughts, speech and actions and your life will bring glory to God.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:

 

2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.

 

3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

 

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

 

5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

 

6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

 

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  Revelation 2:1-7 NIV

 

In the Book of Revelation, John recorded a message to each of seven churches, from Jesus Christ, Himself. The first message was to the Angel of the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus was built near the sea, with a marvelous climate. It was “the Light of Asia.”. Its harbor was crowded with vessels and it had access to the whole interior continent because of the junction of roads which met there. It was wealthy and prosperous. It was even the fashion capital of Asia at that time. In Paul’s time it was the residence of the Roman proconsul and its degenerate citizens would do anything to maintain the favor of Rome.

 

The civilization of the city was a mix of Greek and Oriental. It was the headquarters of the magical arts and various superstitious. The great temple of Diana, the Oriental, not the Greek divinity, was ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World, and Ephesus was her headquarters. The Asians worshipped her first and the Greeks adopted and accepted her. They considered her the great mother of the gods. She represented the nourishing and replenishing powers of nature. Sexual impurity was normal to their worship and their culture.

 

 

Next to Rome, Paul put the most effort into Ephesus – he devoted three years to that city – the center of the circle of churches established by him in Ionia and Phrygia.

 

Jesus says to the Ephesian church, “I know how hard you have worked and persevered with patience. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, including those who claim to be apostles but are not; that you have tested them and realized that they were false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My Name, and have not grown weary.”

 

The members of the Ephesian church had been ungodly heathens, but now they were saved and set free. Paul taught them the Word of God and how they ought to live and walk. Over time, they had focused on doing good works, working hard and not tolerating evil in their midst, but they forgot to maintain a close, personal relationship with Jesus, Himself.

 

Jesus goes on to say, “However, I have somewhat against you. You have forsaken your first love. Remember where you have come from – the height from which you have fallen. Repent and go back to doing what you did at first, when you first fell in love with Me.” He is talking about the first enthusiastic devotion of the Church to her Lord and Savior.

 

He adds, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place!” The KJV says that He will, “remove thy candlestick out of his place.” Indeed, its candlestick has been for centuries removed out of his place. Obviously, they did not listen to the warning. This was a center of Christianity and now there are no Christians left there. It is a mass of shapeless ruins, the harbor is a reedy pool, and the marshes are stagnant and full of malarial mosquitoes. There is almost nothing to indicate that this was a once such a wealthy ancient civilization.

 

Jesus says one more thing to them, “But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” These Nicolaitan heretics were hated and expelled by the Church of Ephesus, but were, unfortunately, tolerated by the Church of Pergamum (Pergamos).

 

The Nicolaitans were a sect which sprang from Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch, one of the seven deacons of Jerusalem, who perverted the truth of the Word of God, and became the founder of an Antinomian Gnostic sect. They appear to have been characterized by sensuality, seducing Christians to participate in the idolatrous feasts of pagans, and to sexual immorality. The Nicolaitans taught that, in order to master sensuality, one must know the whole range of it by experience.

 

Therefore they abandoned themselves, without reserve, to the lusts of the body, since they believed that it involved only the body and did not touch the spirit. This is not very different from the way some ungodly people behave today! But the scripture tells us that sexual sin is sin against your own body. Sexual impurity definitely negatively affects your spirit and your soul as well as your body.

 

What can we learn from the Ephesians? Keep the main thing, the main thing. It is good to live a godly life and to keep yourself pure, however, at the same time, do not forget to put JESUS FIRST. Whatever else you do, spend time with Him yourself, walk closely with Him, and allow Him to speak into your life, every day.  

 

Now the judgment (crisis) of this world is coming on [sentence is now being passed on this world]. Now the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world shall be cast out (expelled). 32 And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself.  John 12:31-32 AMP

 

Adam, in the garden, was given authority over the earth and everything in it. When the devil succeeded in deceiving Adam and Eve, he took this authority away from them. God told him that he should not get too comfortable, because the seed of the woman would bruise his head – representing his authority – and he would bruise His heel – representing the physical battering that the seed would endure.

 

Jesus was this Seed. Jesus died and rose again and in the process, bruised the devil’s head, stripping him of his authority over all those who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Men would turn from the devil and his influence and turn to Jesus. He plundered hell to populate heaven! 

 

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ( unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

 

17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

 

18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation–he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]   John 3:16-18 AMP

 

God gave Jesus the right and ability to judge all men, but Jesus loves us so much that He chose to save the world and not to judge, to reject, to condemn, or to pass sentence on the world. He came to give every one of us an opportunity to miss hell and make heaven. You can see how much He loves us by the way He forgave those who crucified Him, and He even asked God not to lay this sin to their account. What we need to realize is that you don’t have to die before God decides whether you go to heaven or hell. That is already decided. Judgment has already been passed on every man. If you have not received Jesus – if you have rejected Him – you are already destined for hell. The only one who can change your eternal destiny is you!

 

If you want to make heaven your ultimate destination, then you must hear the words of Jesus and you must make a decision to believe them, receive them, and act on them. Jesus took the punishment that you deserved and when you realize this, believe it, and accept that it was done for you, personally, in the courts of heaven, you are acquitted of all your sin. Judgment ceases instantly.

 

You will never again be judged – even after you die. You are made safe and sound in Jesus. You need never be afraid to die again. Those who have already accepted Jesus, already have eternal life now. Eternity lives in their hearts. They have passed from death into life.

 

The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.

 

20 For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.

 

21 But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are–wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence upon Him].  John 3:19-21 AMP

 

Jesus came to shine His light into every heart. The way every person responds to Him is an indication of what is in their heart already. You will either want to be free from sin and will welcome Jesus or you will embrace sin and wrongdoing and reject Jesus. You are the one who chooses your judgment – not God.

 

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life.  John 5:24 AMP

 

 

Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.  Amos 3:7 AMP

 

The NIV says, “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

 

Can you change the future or is it inevitable? Can you know the future or are you blind to it? Will the Lord speak to you in this hour about things to come?

 

As you stand at the brink of this New Year, you may be wondering about what your future holds. Will it be a year of blessing or will it be a year of calamity? Can you determine your future and your destiny or are you just a victim of fate? Some people embrace the New Year, seeing it as a time of new beginnings and new opportunities. Some people dread the New Year – perhaps they had a terrible year this year and they just expect that they will see more of the same in the next year.

 

What does your future hold? Can you know your future? Can you change your future? Everybody wants to know what their future holds. Some people go to the devil – to psychics and mediums – to find out what they can expect. Why on earth would you want the devil to tell you about your life and your future? You know that he is a killer and a thief! The only plans he has for your future are plans for your destruction!

 

If you want a good future – a future full of blessing – you need to go to God for your insight and for wisdom and guidance. You know that He has good plans for you! The Bible says that the Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing His secrets – His plans – to His servants, the prophets. If you are washed in the blood of Jesus, you are more than a servant – you are a son! God will show you your future, but you must give your life to Him and you must press into His presence.

 

Deuteronomy 29:29 AMP says that, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this law.”  There are some things that you will never know about God, but He has revealed His will and plan and purpose for His children in His Word and by His Spirit. You can know what your future holds. You can know what God has planned for you. After that, it is up to you to obey Him and to see it fulfilled in your life.

 

And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do,

 

18 Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him and shall bless themselves by him?

 

19 For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised him.  Genesis 18:17-19 AMP

 

When God made a covenant with Abram, He treated Him like a valued friend. He was about to pour out His judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, but He would not proceed until He had told Abram about it.   

 

In John 16:12-15 AMP, Jesus prepares His disciples for the coming Holy Spirit. He tells them, “I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now.

 

13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

 

14 He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.

 

15 Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.”

 

The Holy Spirit will show you things to come – the Holy Spirit will show you what lies ahead and He will reveal the future to you. If you are sensitive to Him, then the Holy Spirit will reveal, disclose, unveil, and transmit to you the future. You are a child of God. You are the Body of Christ. He will tell you what is going to happen. Nothing will come on you unawares. Nothing will take you by surprise.

 

This next year 2008 what does it hold? The Lord has spoken to me about New Year Ablaze and that He wanted me to speak on this subject: “What About the Future?” What is God about to do? I believe that this week will set the pace for the New Year. Don’t miss one of these exciting services as we share insights into 2008 nd what is going to be happening in the New Year.

 

 

Now about food offered to idols: of course we know that all of us possess knowledge [concerning these matters. Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature]. 2 If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary. 3 But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him].

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 AMP

 

It is not enough to know the Word of God off by heart, back-to-front, and inside out, you must allow it to change your heart. A great deal of knowledge does not make you great – on its own, it could puff you up and make you feel important and lead to pride and arrogance. However, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty – who trust in themselves and their own power or goodness – and gives grace to the lowly – those who are humble enough to receive it (James 4:6). You may have knowledge, but without understanding, you will be unable to walk it out in your day-to-day life. For many people, God and His Word are just a theory and not a reality in their lives. The purpose of the Word of God is to bring you into a place where you do know God, where you come to love Him and accept His Lordship in your life. The love of God builds you up. Everything God does for you and speaks to you is designed to bring you into that place of where you know Him and love Him and trust Him and become like Him.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness. 9 He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge. 10 He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  Psalms 103:8-12 AMP

 

God is love and He deals with us in love and with love. He gives all of us an example to follow. He does not deal with us according to our weakness, but according to His love and grace.

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. 19 We love Him, because He first loved us.   1 John 4:18-19 AMP

Perfect love casts out all fear. When you understand how much God loves you, you have no fear. No fear of coming into his presence boldly (Heb 4:16), no fear of the enemy, no fear period!

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

2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

 

When you grow in love, you grow in the knowledge of God and in the knowledge that God is on your side. You can be calm because He watches over you. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you are in control of your emotions, your thoughts and your feelings. You manifest the fruit of the Spirit at all times.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. 8 He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God loved us so [very much], we also ought to love one another. 12 No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!   1 John 4:7-12 AMP

 

Love springs from God – God is love. The way you learn about God is by walking in the love of God. If you are born of God, you are a child of love – you show forth His love everywhere you go. The more you make the choice to walk in the love of God, the more you come to know God and know His character. The more you walk in the love of God, the more His love is perfected in you and the more other people see the character of God demonstrated as His nature is manifested through you.

 

Rodney Howard Browne is currently in Oklahoma City and 6,670 souls have been reached so far. He vowed to win 100 million souls to Jesus and to put $1 billion into the harvest!

 

 

 

He is currently speaking at the

 

GREAT AWAKENING TOUR CITY OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

 

November 9, 2008 – November 14, 2008

 

This tour kicked off to a great start as people came expecting. With 92 harvesters, so far we have seen over 6,670 decisions for Christ.

 

Come join us, God wants to touch you too! Be a part of this explosive move of the Holy Spirit as we light fires at the Crossroads Church all week long.

 

What is The Great Awakening Tour?

 

The Great Awakening Tour is not just another Christian Conference.  This is a radical campaign to REACH a radical generation—to impact your community with the life-changing message of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Many precious people have been praying for God to touch your city and this nation. We believe that The Great Awakening Tour is an ANSWER to those prayers. 

 

Only Jesus can bring peace and forgiveness and change a life, a family, a neighborhood, a city, and a nation!

 

Don’t miss out. Register today as one of the cooperating churches. May God richly bless you.

 

 

Crossroads Church

(formerly Crossroads Cathedral)

8901 S. Shields Blvd.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73149

United States

(405) 634-1495

Visit https://www.seeingjesus.com

Power Evangelism November 5th-15th @ 9 AM.

 

 

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders

 

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

12 “Everything is permissible for me”-but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”-but I will not be mastered by anything.

 

13 “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”-but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

 

14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

 

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

 

16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”  

 

17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

 

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

 

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

 

20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 NIV

 

“Everything is permissible for me-but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me-but I will not be mastered by anything.”  Many of the problems that had arisen in Corinth concerned their behavior and morals. They were saved, but they needed to realize that some of the behaviors that they were accustomed to were physically, morally and spiritually destructive behaviors and therefore unacceptable for God’s children. Paul spent a lot of time giving them ethical advice in his correspondence with them.

 

“Everything is permissible”-but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible”-but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.  1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV

 

The main principle Paul teaches is that “all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” Christians ought to use their freedom for the glory of God and the good of their neighbors, not for not for their own self-advantage. It is not about a bunch of “do’s and don’ts,” but it is a blueprint for a way of life that will produce life, liberty and blessing, not death and destruction.

 

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  Galatians 5:13-15 NIV

 

Just because you can do something, does not mean you should do it. Our freedom is tempered and shaped by our love. Love leads the way into godliness and a way of life that brings blessing to our liberty. We are free – not free to sin, but free from sin. We are not free to be selfish, but we are free to love each other.

 

Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers and exiles [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul.

 

12 Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock].

 

13 Be submissive to every human institution and authority for the sake of the Lord, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,

 

14 Or to governors as sent by him to bring vengeance (punishment, justice) to those who do wrong and to encourage those who do good service.

 

15 For it is God’s will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons.

 

16[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.

 

17 Show respect for all men [treat them honorably]. Love the brotherhood (the Christian fraternity of which Christ is the Head). Reverence God. Honor the emperor.  1 Peter 2:11-17 AMP

 

2 Peter 2:19 NIV says that, “a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” We are free from sin and free to worship God and serve Him. If we come into the freedom of the gospel and then use our freedom to excuse our wickedness, we are just putting ourselves back into bondage. You are truly free when you have placed your flesh and carnal appetites under the control of the Holy Spirit and when your only Lord and Master is Jesus.

 

 

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy one of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!

 

2 And yet He is wise and brings calamity and does not retract His words; He will arise against the house (the whole race) of evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.

 

3 Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit; and when the Lord stretches out His hand, both [Egypt] who helps will stumble, and [Judah] who is helped will fall, and they will all perish and be consumed together. Isaiah 31:1-3 AMP

 

In this verse, God calls Egypt “the flesh.” Egypt is symbolic of the world and the world’s system, which is influenced and controlled by the enemy. The devil, first and foremost, is a liar. He offers, but never comes through – he promises, but never delivers. He deceives and confuses. Hebrews 3:13 says that sin is deceitful. Sin promises wealth, power, satisfaction and freedom, but delivers only poverty, frustration and bondage.

 

Mark 4:19 AMP says that, “The cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” When you look at the world and you allow yourself to crave and lust after what they have, you will choke the Word, the anointing, and the power of God in your life and leave yourself vulnerable to destruction.

 

If you are a believer, a child of God, and you think that worldly people have it better than you, then you are deceived. All the money and power in the world cannot buy one drop of the blood of Jesus and only the blood of Jesus can guarantee eternal life! If you keep your eyes on that which is eternal, God will take care of you.

 

Say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster [of sluggish and unwieldy strength] that lies in the midst of his [delta] streams, [boastfully] declaring, My river Nile is my own and I have made it for myself.  Ezekiel 29:3 AMP

 

It shall be the lowliest of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations; I will diminish [the Egyptians] so they shall never again rule over the nations. 16 And never again shall Egypt have the confidence and be the reliance of the house of Israel; their iniquity will be brought to remembrance whenever [Israel] looks toward them [for help]. They shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord God [Who demands loyalty and obedient service].  Ezekiel 29:15-16 AMP

 

In this passage, God pronounced Himself to be against Egypt, because Egypt was proud and arrogant, taking credit for what God alone had done and given, and because Israel looked up to Egypt and trusted her instead of their Lord.

 

God set Himself against Egypt, to make her land desolate and a waste, to bring her low, to place her in subjection to her enemies and to scatter her people among the nations. However, He promised to restore the Egyptians to their land at the end of forty years, but they would never be restored to their former glory, they would never again rule over nations and never again would Egypt have the confidence and be the reliance of the house of Israel.

 

The world’s system is not reliable or trustworthy. The world puts its trust in money and wealth, but history will show that the same way money can be made, it can be lost and there is little that you or anyone else can do about it. Another lie, perpetrated by the devil, is that money can buy health, peace of mind and happiness. Money can pay for doctors and treatments, but it cannot cure a terminal illness.

 

Money can buy a fancy wedding, but it cannot buy a good marriage. Money can buy a nice house, but it cannot guarantee a happy home and family. Money can buy things and even some people, but it cannot buy genuine friendships. Money cannot guarantee happiness and contentment.

 

As long as you look to the world for help, as long as you trust in the arm of the flesh, and as long as you covet what the world has, you will never enjoy the fullness of the blessings of God. God will bring down the earthly things you trust in. You must wake up and realize that He is the only One worthy of your trust and reliance.

 

You must KNOW that HE is the Lord God and you must put your hope and trust in Him. He is the Lord and He demands loyalty and obedient service in exchange for love, peace, joy and blessing. True blessing and everlasting life are in the hands of the Father and He offers it to you today. Take your eyes off the world and place your life firmly in the hands of the Lord, Who loves you and watches over you to do you good in the end.

 

A Prophetic Song by Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne

Faith counts it done without any proof in the natural
Faith counts it done, thus saith the Lord
Faith counts it done without any proof in the natural
Faith counts it done according to His Word

This is the place of the commanded blessing
This is the place that He wants me to be
He said, “Command, command ye the harvest”
This is the day of Jubilee

You are not here, you’re not here by accident
You are here by His divine plan
This is the hour that your victory is upon you
This is the hour to possess the land

He’s wrapping you in His presence
He’s wrapping you up in that which is divine
The coat of many colors the master is giving you
He’s put on a banquet and said, “Come and dine”

I love His presence, I love the anointing of my Father
I love to sing and bask in Him all day
I love to go sit by the fast flowing river
He is my Lord and I love Him today

Faith counts it done when I don’t feel it
Faith counts it done when everything doesn’t go my way
Faith counts it done no matter what the circumstances
Faith counts it done because that is His way

It is a realm, a realm of no striving
It’s a realm of His rest and what a rest it is

Come on dear brother, come on dear sister
Come and sit at the table that’s been set for you
If you don’t sit down then you will be missing
All that He’s promised that He said He would do

God’s got good things, good things He wants to give us
God’s got good things, good things He wants to give you
He is so good, so good that He does what He’s promised
O, taste and see that He is so good

Brighter and brighter shall be their portion
The righteous man shall flourish in the courts of our God
Blessed coming in and blessed going out
This is not man-made, but this is His Word

I am in the place of the commanded blessing
I am in the place, thus saith the Lord
The ravens are coming; they’re bringing provision
The ravens are coming, thus saith the Lord

He said, “Go stir up the church of America”
He said, “Stir them up for a revival that will come”
He said, “There was going to be another great awakening”
He said it according to His Word

I see whole towns and cities to be shaken
I see whole states, whole regions by His Word
I see America shaken by revival
This is not my idea, but it comes from the Lord

God’s not finished with America
America is an instrument in His hand

I know what He told me, I know what is coming
I know what’s coming, it’s coming this way
It’s a mighty storm of hurricane proportion
It’s a mighty storm of the glory of the Lord

There is nothing that the devil can do, that he can do to stop it
There is nothing that he can do to stand in its way
The wind of the Spirit is presently blowing
But it’s gonna blow more and more each and every day

There is no time, no time in the spirit
There is no distance that takes time for Him to cross
Everything is instant, it’s now in the spirit
That’s the way that God is, so get on board

O, I hear heavenly music
O, I hear the sound coming from His throne
I am being lifted up, being lifted up in His glory
I am rejoicing because I’m one of His own

You’re too good to me, Jesus
You are too good, you bless me, bless me, bless me some more
My cup is running over, I’m drinking out of the saucer
You bless me, sweet Jesus, and you bless me some more

I want every one of my friends to get in on this blessing
Because God does not have favorites, but He is moved by our faith
I want every one of my friends to get in on this blessing
The table’s not just for me but for you as well

I declare it and your ear has to hear it
When your ear hears it then it arises great faith
When great faith arises you act on the promise
I must declare it, the Word of the Lord

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.

7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.

9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. John 2:1-11 NKJV

The Word of God, on many occasions, likens the relationship between God and the Church to a marriage relationship. The wedding between a man and a woman is symbolic of our first true commitment to the Lord, when we are changed from within and when we become born-again from the dead. The marriage is symbolic of our ongoing relationship with Him – coming to know Him more and to love Him more every day.

The first miracle Jesus performed was at a wedding, not healing anyone or raising up the dead, but changing water into wine. The wedding wine is symbolic of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It represents joy and rejoicing. Many people treat their relationship with God more like a funeral than a wedding. They come together at church – sad, somber and stiff – but it is not a funeral, it’s a wedding! We should be glad, we should rejoice, we should enjoy our time with the Bridegroom!

13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:

14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. Deuteronomy 16:13-15 KJV

The feast of tabernacles was a “solemn” feast at which God’s people were commanded to rejoice. The Hebrew word for “solemn” means “to move in a circle; to march in a sacred procession; to observe a festival; by implication, to be giddy; to celebrate, dance, and to reel to and fro.” This sounds more like a celebration than a mournful occasion!

This solemn feast was a celebration of the goodness of God. Because the Lord God blesses us in all our produce and in all the work of our hands, we could and should be altogether joyful. In the New Testament, we are to celebrate the Lord. We are to celebrate His presence in our lives and His goodness to us every day, not just a few times a year.

Every time we come together to worship the Lord, it is like a wedding celebration. Even though a wedding has a serious and sacred purpose, it is also a happy occasion. Even though we come together to worship and honor the Lord, to seek His face and to offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, we come with a joyful expectation that He will meet us there.

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalms 22:3 KJV

But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Psalms 22:3 NKJV

11 You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11 NKJV

God dwells in the praises of His people and in His presence is fullness of joy. We come together – as the Church, the Bride of Christ – to praise Him, to seek His presence, and to experience the fullness of joy that is found only in His presence.

When you obey the word of God and it even becomes part of who you are, not simply something you believe, then you will bear much fruit – the fruit of His word and work in your heart and life. When you bear the fruit of the word and work of the Spirit in your life – you will bring much glory to the Father.

When you bear the fruit of the word and work of the Spirit in your life – people will know and recognize that you are Jesus disciple, that you have spent time with Him and that you have been trained and taught by Him. So if you are His disciples – go forth and abide in His word, walk in love and bear much fruit!