The word of God was preached to ancient Israel, but it did not really help them. The reason for this is that the word of God was not mixed with faith inside them when they heard it (Hebrews 4:2). They didn’t really believe what God said. 

The word of God contains infinite power. But the power within the word of God is only unlocked in our lives when we believe it. When people do not believe the word of God, then its power will not operate in their lives.

Two ingredients are necessary – the word of God and faith. These two ingredients need to be mixed together in our hearts in order for the power of God’s word to be unleashed in our lives.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). It is possible to hear God’s word all the time, but if we don’t believe it, then it won’t help us. 

If you think about it, faith is important for almost everything we do. I trust the car will start if I turn the key. I trust that the food I had for lunch was good to eat. I trust that the chair I’m sitting on won’t suddenly collapse. I trust that my refrigerator will keep the food cold. Operating in this world depends on faith at a basic level.

Just like we need faith to operate in the material realm, so we need faith to operate in the spiritual realm. We must believe that God exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). God will do us good and not evil. When we keep his word, he will bless us. The word of God is the pathway to abundant life. When we believe this, we will keep God’s word.

When we believe in material things, like the stability of our chair, we will experience its support. When we believe in the spiritual things of God, we will experience God’s power.

All spiritual things are experienced through faith. Faith unlocks the power of God’s word.

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel has the power to cause spiritually dead people to come alive and be born again. But this power only operates when people believe it. When we believed that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again, then we were born again. We experienced the power of God’s word. 

Jesus wants to baptize all his children in the Holy Spirit. But we will only experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit when we believe his word about it. If we don’t believe him, we won’t experience this.

With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). All things are possible to the one who believes (Mark 9:23). When we unite faith with God’s word, then the infinite power of God’s word is released and miracles will happen. This is what the Bible says. God does not lie. But we must first know what God is saying, and then we must believe what he said.

The word of God is invisible, spiritual, heavenly reality. We cannot see the word of God with our natural eyes, but we can see it with our spiritual eyes. Faith is evidence of the unseen spiritual reality of God’s word (Hebrews 11:1). It is a substance of this heavenly reality upon the earth. Faith is a hint, sign, or indication that this invisible reality exists and that it will impact the earth. Faith is the beginning manifestation of heaven upon the earth.

The Bible says that we are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are to live according to invisible, heavenly reality, not according to what we see with our 5 natural senses. 

Four times in the Bible, it says “the just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38). Righteous people are those who see invisible things with God and walk according to those things. They do not lean on their own understanding. They rise above that to live supernaturally by communing with God.

Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). He dwelled in tents, refusing to live in an earthly city, for he looked for a city that was going to be built by God. That city that he was looking for is the New Jerusalem. Abraham labored well for the manifestation of that city on the earth, although he didn’t see it revealed on earth in his lifetime. That city is the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2), and today we are much closer to its revelation upon the earth. Let us seek for that city like Abraham did, by walking in faith in God’s word.

We are called to look at unseen things (2 Corinthians 4:18). We will see these things through God’s word, which reveals these things to us. The material things around us are temporary, but the spiritual things are eternal. These invisible things are revealed to us by God’s word. The things that we do on earth according to God’s word will have eternal results, and they will ultimately endure forever. All other works will be burned up. Let’s labor to fill the earth with eternal, heavenly realities.

We have a spirit of faith that first believes and then speaks (2 Corinthians 4:13). The spirit of faith sees things in and with God, and then it speaks according to these things. It does not speak out from the carnal mind. The power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). We are to speak out the word of God. We are not to speak out carnal things. We believe God, and therefore we speak. Then our words are powerful and will bring life rather than death.

With the heart, man believes, and with the mouth, he confesses unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When we believe God’s word in our heart and speak it out with our mouths, then we will experience salvation. Salvation is a big word that encompasses many things like health, wholeness, eternal life, and divine blessing. We should not speak out words from Satan, cursing ourselves – “I always fail. I never do anything right. This will never work.” This will produce spiritual death. Instead, we need to believe God’s word first, and then speak. This is operating in the spirit of faith. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I have all I need according to the riches of Christ’s glory. I am more than a conqueror through Jesus.” We need to believe and speak truth, releasing the power of salvation.

Whatever we bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven. Whatever we loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18). In the original Greek, the tense of the verbs is important. The binding in heaven has already happened, but the binding on earth has not yet happened. Through faith, we see what has already been bound or loosed in the heavens. Then we bind or loose those things on the earth, according to pre-existing heavenly reality. We are not binding and loosing according to our own will, but according to God’s will. Miraculous actions upon the earth begin in God, not with ourselves. We are to speak them out and release God’s kingdom upon the earth.

Peter and John did not have silver and gold to give to the lame beggar. But they had something better – a revelation from God that he would be healed. Peter said, “What I have I give you – in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). What did Peter have? He had a revelation of heavenly reality that caused a miracle to happen upon the earth. If we can get a revelation of words God wants us to speak or works he wants us to do, then supernatural things will happen .

Faith comes by hearing. But people hear the word of God all the time, but it often doesn’t profit them. We need to mix faith with our hearing. We must not just be hearers of the word, but we must be doers of the word. When we do the word, it shows that we believe it. We need to hear the word with the understanding that God is speaking to me, this is vitally important, and I need to change my life because of it. This is mixing our hearing with faith, and it will cause supernatural results to happen.

Throughout the New Testament, God’s people gathered in house churches. In fact, the only place where church meetings happened in the New Testament is in homes (Acts 2:46; Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2). There are no examples of any NT church meetings happening anywhere else. Sometimes the early Christians evangelized in synagogues or in the temple, but they only met for church meetings in homes.

The first church buildings were built much later, in approximately 300 AD. Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever told anyone to build a church building. 

Today, however, there are many church buildings. In fact, most Christians today meet for church in church buildings, and house churches are rare. 

Some people say there are good reasons why Christians today have “moved beyond” house churches into church buildings today. 

Let’s examine some of these reasons.

1. Too Few People. Some argue that the early church did not have many people, but today there are many more Christians, and therefore we need buildings to accommodate them all. However, the early church had thousands of converts (3,000 people converted to Christ on one day alone in Acts 2), but all these people did not need a building to meet in. Instead, they met in several homes throughout each city.
2. Too Poor. Some say that the early church was too poor to build buildings, but we have more money today, therefore we can build buildings. However, the early church had a lot of resources, as many people sold their houses and lands and brought the money to the apostles. But instead of using the money to build religious buildings, they used it to support servants of God and poor people. 
3. Persecution. Some say that the early church was too persecuted to build church buildings, but we are not persecuted today, and therefore we can build church buildings. However, the Roman Empire only began to systematically persecute Christians only after 250 AD, during the reigns of Emperors Decian and Diocletian. (The earlier persecution under Nero was limited to the city of Rome.) Ironically, during this time of intense persecution, the first church buildings were constructed – around 300 AD. There was less persecution earlier, but they didn’t build buildings during this time. Furthermore, the apostles never let persecution stop them from obeying God. If God wanted them to build church buildings, they would have done so, regardless of whether they were facing persecution or not.
4. Too Weak. Some believe that the early church did not build church buildings because it was too weak; but now that the church is stronger and more established, we should build church buildings today. However, the early church was full of the Spirit and power of God, and the Bible says they turned the world upside down. The church of the 1st century was far stronger than the church of the 21st century, and they didn’t need buildings.
5. Times Have Changed. Some say that times have changed, and therefore we can now build church buildings. But the Bible never said that we should start building church buildings when the culture changes. We have no authority to change the form and function of church that was given by God in the New Testament.

Instead of these reasons, there is a more obvious reason that the early church did not build church buildings – Jesus never told them to build any! Rather, Jesus (through his apostles) told them to meet in homes. The reason the early church met in homes is because they were following God’s plan.

There are many advantages to meeting for church in homes.

1. Eating Together. Sharing a meal was a basic part of early church meetings. Whenever the first Christians came together for church, they shared a meal and partook of the Lord’s Supper. This common meal was also called a love feast. Eating together regularly in homes is easy, but in religious buildings, it’s harder.
2. Participative. In the early church, each believer had an opportunity to participate in the church meetings (1 Corinthians 14:26). People could ask questions and discuss things in church. In a building, it’s hard to discuss, participate, or ask a question. In fact, in most large church buildings today, if you stand up to say something, you risk being escorted out by security guards. Furthermore, there are too many people in many churches today for people to meaningfully participate. In a church of 500 people, if everyone were to share something, the meeting would last all day. Furthermore, in church buildings, there is a stage where people speak, and an audience which is supposed to sit quietly. This spectator format prevents meaningful participation and produces a clergy/laity mindset.
3. Growth in Spiritual Gifts. The New Testament says that every believer has a spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). As we operate in our spiritual gifts, the body of Christ will grow. In a house church, believers can be encouraged to operate in and grow in their spiritual gifts. It’s a comfortable place for people to develop in their own ministry. But in a large building church on Sunday morning, multiple people operating and growing in spiritual gifts is usually seen as disruptive.
4. Effective Discipleship. In a house church, the specific spiritual needs of each person can be identified so individuals can receive specific ministry and grow rapidly. But in a large building, the specific spiritual needs of most people are generally unknown.
5. Accountability. In a house church, people can truly know each other, and this means that they can keep each other accountable. Error and sin can be more easily confronted. But in a religious building, relationships are often superficial, and people often remain anonymous. This produces a lack of accountability, and sins may never be dealt with.
6. Avoid Hypocrisy. When a person is on a stage or hiding in an audience, it’s possible that no one really knows what’s going on in his life. But in the informal setting of a house church, in which people actually know each other, masks will come down and reality will be exposed, eliminating hypocrisy.
7. Bear Burdens. In a house church, it’s possible to share your struggles and receive prayer, counsel, and help. But in a large building, there is generally no opportunity to share burdens or request prayer during church services.
8. Avoid Persecution. House churches are low-profile. When the government seeks to control churches or shut them down, they will start with the church buildings. House churches can stay under the radar, which is why house churches survive today in Communist China or Muslim Iran. As we prepare for the end times and the Antichrist, we will need to get back to house churches for our own survival.
9. Saves Money. Buildings are expensive to buy, build, and maintain. But people already have houses, and they can use these houses as meeting places for the church of God. Instead of spending money on religious buildings, money can be spent supporting servants of God and poor people.
10. Rapid Growth. House churches can expand rapidly and are not limited by the need to raise funds for building projects. When the church outgrows one home, it can multiply into more homes throughout the city.

In the New Testament, the apostles only did house churches. They never met for church anywhere else, and they never built any church buildings. They never told anyone to build such buildings. As we have seen, there are many good reasons for house churches. The apostolic model of church is the only one that is really going to work. We need to follow this example today. It’s Biblical, spiritually healthy, and the means by which the church will be prepared for the end times.

Knowing how much God loves us is foundational for our spiritual health. We need to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). We can only know the love of God, which is beyond our knowledge, through the help of the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how much God loves us. The reason we need to know the love of Christ is so that we can be full of ALL the fullness of God. That’s a lot of God.

Our souls were made to be full of God. There is no one and no thing that can satisfy us like God. God loves us and wants to dwell inside us. We are the temple of God. In the end of the age, at the marriage supper of the lamb, the bride of Christ will be full of God. We can only be filled with God to the extent that we know God’s love. We need a greater revelation of God’s love throughout our Christian lives so we can increasingly be filled with God.

How will we know God loves us? There are several ways.

First of all, God created us because he loves us. He wanted us to exist. We are not an accident. We didn’t just appear because of our parents. We’re here because God wants us to be here. He purposely made us in our mother’s womb, knitting us together. 

Second, God knows all details about us. He knew us from the foundation of the world. He takes care of us, keeping us alive in this world. He counts the hairs on our head and knows all our thoughts. He is so attentive because he loves us.

Third, the Bible tells us that God loves us. Jesus said that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but should have eternal life (John 3:16). As the song says, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

These are all good ways to know the love of God. But the best way for us to know the love of God is through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

By this we know love, that Jesus laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16).

God demonstrates and shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

In this, the love of God was revealed, that God sent his Son into the world to be a sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

Jesus is the lawgiver. He gave perfect laws, and he expects us to follow them. We were criminals who broke his law, and his law says we must die. But in a shocking twist, the lawgiver himself, Jesus Christ, died. Why? Because we broke his law, which demands death, and he loves us and wants us to live.

Jesus is the judge. Someday, we will all stand before his throne to be judged. The judge should have declared us guilty and sentenced us to death. But instead of that, the judge took the sentence upon himself. The judge stepped down from his judgment seat, went onto trial, and was condemned to death. Why? Because Jesus loves us and wants us to go free.

Jesus is the officer who would have carried out the sentence against us and sent us into hell. But instead, the officer (Jesus) died instead of us, and then he went into hell instead of us (Acts 2:27; Ephesians 4:9; 1 Peter 3:18-20). Then he rose up again. 

Can you imagine a lawgiver who gave a perfect law, a perfect and all-powerful judge, and an omnipotent officer all dying in your place so you can be free from condemnation? This is what Jesus did for us, and he did this because of his great love for us. 

Not only this, but Jesus went through an agonizing death on the cross for our sins. Crucifixion is an excruciating way to die. The cross is not only a means of death, but also of torture. The very word “excruciating” comes from the words “ex cruce,” which is from the cross.

Being crucified involves nails being driven through sensitive nerves in the hands and feet, and great loss of blood. It involves being naked, exposed to the public view, and being humiliated. It involves birds plucking out eyeballs and picking at wounds. When people were crucified, they died by suffocation as the weight of their bodies collapsed their lungs. Why did Jesus endure all of this? It’s because of the horrible nature of our sins, and the fact that he loved us. 

Jesus gave up everything for us. He gave up his glory. He gave up his comfort in heaven and took on the flesh and pains of humanity. He gave up his reputation and was made of no reputation. Jesus even gave up his closeness to the Father, for he cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Jesus didn’t want to condemn us; he wants us all to be saved. He doesn’t want anyone to perish but to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

God is just, and our sins had to be paid for. On the cross, Jesus paid our complete debt to God, and there is nothing more for us to pay. Praise God!

If we know God’s love, then how will we live? What will we do?

First of all, we’ll believe that God loves us. We won’t doubt it. We’ll be confident that God will take care of us (Romans 8:32). We’ll know that God is working all things out for good in our lives (Romans 8:28). And we can overcome whatever the world, the flesh, or the devil throw at us (Romans 8:37-39). NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.

If we know God loves us, then we’ll love him. We’ll be so thankful for what he did for us. We owe him our lives. If he tells us to do something, we’ll do it. If he’s written something in his Word that we don’t understand, we’ll do it anyway, as a sign of our love to him. We’ll keep his commandments (1 John 5:3). We’ll want to please him. We’ll love others, especially the children of God.

The love of God doesn’t justify disobedience, lawlessness, demonism, sin, or the religious traditions of men. Instead, we’ll run away from this garbage into the arms of our heavenly Father so we can have life.

John the apostle had a special revelation of how much God loved him. John called himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 20:4; 21:7, 20). Jesus loves all his children, but John in particular knew how much Jesus loved him. Because John had a revelation of God’s love, he was full of God. He was mightily used by God and had great revelations of God.

When we know God loves us, we have security. We have confidence in our relationship with him. We won’t run away from him; we’ll run toward him. We’ll embrace his word. We’ll run away from vain religious traditions, knowing that these things don’t please him. The closer we are to a fountain, the more we can drink from it. The closer we are to a river, the more we can swim in it. We want to know God’s love so we can be close to him, and so we can be filled with our awesome God.

Jesus tells us we should not just hear God’s word, but we should do it. We should do what God says because he told us to do it. He is our Lord and Master, and therefore whatever he says is what we should do. It’s healthy for us to obey God: it blesses us, and it conforms us to the image of Jesus. When we follow God’s word, we bless other people, because God’s word causes us to love others.

When we hear God’s word but don’t do it, we deceive ourselves (James 1:22). We may expose ourselves to God’s word in many different ways – through reading the Bible, listening to messages, watching videos, listening to Christian podcasts, or going to church. Exposing ourselves to the word of God is very good. But if we hear the word of God and don’t do it, we deceive ourselves because we may think we’re in a position we’re not.

Jesus says many people will call him Lord but not do what he says (Luke 13:24-27). These people are deceiving themselves. They heard his teachings and thought they were in his presence. They are sure they’re saved, but they’re actually headed into hell.

The word of God should transform us. It should change our lives. But if the word of God is not having an effect on us, then what’s the point of hearing it?

It’s possible to become hardened to the word of God or even bored with it. We’ve heard it so often that we get used to not doing what God tells us. Becoming accustomed to hearing God’s word and not doing it is a very dangerous habit.

Jesus once asked his disciples about this. “Why do you call me Lord and don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus seems puzzled. The very definition of a Lord is a Master – someone who is to be obeyed. There is no point in calling Jesus “Lord” but not doing what he says. Jesus’ disciples had this problem in the first century, and many Christians have this problem today.

There are several reasons people may hear God’s word but disobey it. Maybe they think it’s too hard to obey his word. Maybe they don’t know what God wants them to do.

But there is another reason people hear God’s word and don’t do it. There are many different voices today, and many people who claim to represent Jesus. Many ministers teach contradictory things, and Christianity is divided up into thousands of denominations. We can’t obey all of these people, because they contradict each other. For example, some people teach baby baptism, and others say that’s wrong. Some teach that pastors should wear vestments, others say that’s wrong. Some say we need candles, incense, altars and other things in church worship, and others say these things are wrong. Some say there is pre-trib rapture, some mid, and some post, and others say there is no rapture. It’s impossible to obey all these contradictory teachings.

Since we are inundated with all kinds of “Christian” teachings, we have learned that we should not obey all teachings, for many of them are wrong. This is healthy, and comes from discernment. But the danger of this is that we may train ourselves to hear Jesus’ own teachings and not do them.

There have always been false teachings around, and we need to reject them. But at the same time we need to discern what Jesus actually wants us to do. Then when we find that out, we need to actually do what he says. This is basic Christianity.

How will we find out what our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to do?

We need to read the Bible for ourselves. LIke the noble Bereans, we need to look things up for ourselves and see what Jesus and the apostles told us to do in the New Testament. Many errors have crept into Christianity over the centuries, and we need to line all church practices up with God’s word. If it’s a religious practice not originating in the Bible, then who made it up? We are under no obligation to follow such things, but must reject them so we don’t engage in vain worship like the Pharisees.

We need to be full of the Holy Spirit, who is our teacher and will lead us into all truth. Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned, and Holy Spirit will help us. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes inside us. Then we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, so the Spirit will become richer and fuller in our lives, helping us know God’s will.

We need to recognize and receive from true servants of God. God has anointed some people to minister for him, and these true ministers are essential for building up the church (Ephesians 4:11). We must discern who is serving God and who is not. The best way to discern is to line up their lives and teachings with the Bible. Are they teaching and promoting the apostolic teachings of the New Testament? It’s time to cut through the noise and confusion and discern what is God’s house and what is not God’s house, and who is serving God and who is not serving God.

We must pray. God knows the truth, for he is the truth, and he wants us to know the truth as well. When we know the truth, we will be set free (John 8:32). We can pray, “God, show me the truth! What do you want me to do?”

We need to exalt God above ourselves. Christianity is not about what we want, it’s about what God wants. If God tells us to do something in his word, we should do it. It doesn’t really matter how we feel about it. 

Jesus is to be our Lord. He’ll be our Lord as we do what he says. Let’s not just say he’s our Lord and then disobey what he says. 

Jesus said there will be many people in the end times who call him Lord but don’t do what he says (Matthew 7:21-28). They are those who build their spiritual lives on the sand of their own desires, human traditions, or culture, rather than on the rock of God’s word. When trouble hits (and it will!) Jesus warned they will be swept away into hell. Jesus’ words will be the only way to survive the reign of the Antichrist (and he’s coming).

May God give us grace to follow his words, for his words are spirit and life. He wants to give us abundant life, and this abundance will come as we lay our lives down and say “God, do with me whatever you want.” Let’s be willing to lose our lives in this age that we may keep them unto eternity.

As God’s people, we need to stir ourselves up to take hold of God. We should not be spiritually lazy and passive, just waiting to be acted upon by God or by other people. We need to exert ourselves spiritually. 

Sometimes no one stirs himself to take hold of God (Isaiah 64:7). No one rouses himself, awakens himself, or gets excited about God. They don’t seem to care about God anymore. When this happens, we may wonder where God is. Why does he seem far off? Where is his power? God’s power is there, but he’s not going to force us to experience his miracles. He’s waiting for us to exercise our free will and stir ourselves up to take hold of him; he’s not going to force himself upon us.

People may try to take hold of someone for various reasons. We may take hold of someone because we need help getting out of a mess. If we are in a pit, we will take hold of someone’s hand to help us get out. We need wisdom, guidance, and deliverance, and we will experience these things from God as we take hold of him.

Taking hold of someone shows affection. Children take their parents hands or give them a hug. Spouses will hold hands. This shows that people love each other. Since we love God, we should take hold of him to show we love him.

God is our strength, and the Holy Spirit is divine energy. We need to touch the living power of God. When we take hold of God we will be strong. We will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Lack of spiritual power is connected to a lack of stirring ourselves up. When we don’t stir ourselves up to take hold of God, we will be spiritually weak. Paul told Timothy to fan the flames of the gift of God in him (2 Timothy 1:6). This is something Timothy had to do himself. God lit the fire in us, but we have to actively tend this fire.

How do we stir up ourselves to take hold of God?

We must awaken when we read God’s word. The Bible is the most powerful book there is. It is not dull and boring, but it is full of divine life and power. Satan lies to us so we don’t want to read the Bible, or he tries to put us to sleep when we do read it. We need to stir ourselves up to the power of God’s word. Even if we’ve read the Bible 10 times through, there is still more we can get out of it because it is infinite. There is spiritual power in the Bible, and as we focus on it we can be filled with that power.

So it is with church meetings. We can always glean something from the word of God that is being shared. There is power when we come together, for Jesus is among us. The Lord’s Supper happens within church, and we need this for our spiritual health. When we stir ourselves up in church, others are benefited.

In prayer, we need to stir ourselves up to take hold of God. We don’t need dead prayers that have no life. Instead, we need effective, fervent prayers that avail much (James 5:16). 

When the early church prayed, the fire of God fell upon them (Acts 2). When they prayed again, the building where they were praying was shaken (Acts 4:31). It was like a small earthquake when the early Christians prayed. Paul and Silas prayed, and another earthquake happened (Acts 16:25-26).

Stirring up ourselves is a spiritual operation. It begins in the spirit, and then it affects our souls and our bodies. There are signs and symptoms of being stirred up. We will be able to see when others are stirred up, and we will know it when we ourselves are stirred up. Remember, we have to stir ourselves up, no one is going to do this for us.

if we put forth this effort and stir ourselves up, we will take hold of God. We are not to just wait, but we must exert ourselves.

Jesus said violent people seize the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:12). We need zeal, vehemence, and energy regarding spiritual matters.

At the end of the age, there will be a people who will stir themselves up to take hold of God. The bride of Christ will prepare herself for the wedding supper of the lamb (Revelation 19:7). God’s people will arise and shake themselves from the dust of the earth (Isaiah 52:1-2) and be prepared for his return.

Even though God already took hold of us through Jesus Christ, he expects us to stir ourselves up to take hold of him. When we do this, we show that we understand and appreciate the great things he has done for us. 

In conversations, when one person is not really listening to the other person, it gives the impression that that person doesn’t care about the other person. To maintain a healthy relationship with someone, we need to show interest and make time with that person a priority. Sometimes we can give an impression that we don’t really care about God. We correct that by stirring ourselves up to take hold of God.

We are to praise God. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But we can’t do these things if we don’t care.

Praise God that he loves us and gave his life for us. Now let’s stir ourselves up to take hold of God. As we do, he will bless us.

All Christians are wearing spiritual garments. In fact, everyone in the world is wearing a spiritual garment of some sort, whether he is a believer or an unbeliever. These clothes reflect our spiritual condition, but they are invisible and can only be seen in the spiritual realm. God can see these garments, angels and demons can see these garments, and believers can see them when they are in the Spirit. When we are wearing garments that are according to God, then we will be blessed, but when we are wearing dirty garments or garments with holes in them, we will face challenges.

Adam and Eve were clothed with the glory of God before they sinned. But when they sinned, they lost this spiritual covering and became naked. Their physical nakedness reflected their spiritual nakedness, and they were sinful, guilty, and under God’s judgment. They tried to run away from God and hide.

This is the condition of all people in the world apart from Christ. They are in bondage to their sins, exposed, shameful, and vulnerable. So they try to make garments for themselves to cover their spiritual nakedness. Adam and Eve tried to solve the problem of their nakedness by sewing leaves together and wearing them. This feeble attempt failed, and they were still spiritually naked.

The fig leaf shirts of Adam and Eve represent the different ways that people try to cover over their spiritual nakedness. Some people try to cover over their spiritual nakedness with pride – “I don’t have a problem, I’m perfectly fine.” Others may be hypocrites, pretending to be someone they’re actually not. They may be self-righteous, thinking they’re good in and of themselves. Others may try to cover their spiritual nakedness with righteous works. But the Bible says that all our righteous works are like filthy garments (Isaiah 64:6).

These garments that people use to try to cover their spiritual nakedness are all inadequate and filthy. These garments do not cover us spiritually but leave us naked. It’s like trying to cover yourself from the cold with a blanket that is too small (Isaiah 28:20).  Even Christians may be spiritually naked, covered over with a garment that really doesn’t cover them (Rev. 3:17).

To be clothed spiritually, we need clean garments from God. Only God can give us the spiritual garments that can cover over our sin.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God provided them with the skin of an animal as clothing. This implies that blood must be shed, and someone must die, in order to atone for sin. Without the right sacrifice, there is no real spiritual covering.

Jesus is the true lamb of God, slain on the cross to take away our sin. He took our sins, so that we can take his righteousness. Now he lovingly offers us the gift of his righteousness as the only covering for our spiritual nakedness.

The soldiers gambled to see who would get Jesus’ shirt while he was being killed on the cross. But we can receive Jesus’ cloak of righteousness freely through faith. On the cross, he took our cloak of sin, and we can take his cloak of righteousness.

When we first trust in Christ, we are born again, and our sins are taken away. We “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). He is our spiritual clothing that we are supposed to wear, that will protect us. When we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, when God looks at us, and he sees Jesus instead of our sins. We are clothed with righteousness (Psalm 132:9).

We are commanded to put off the old man and put on the new man (Eph. 4:24). This is like taking off the old, dirty shirt and putting on a clean, new shirt. The old man is corrupt because of the flesh and sin, and the new man is who are in Christ. We are to live and walk in Christ, and not in the flesh. 

We are to wear the garment of salvation (Isaiah 61:10). We are to wear the garment of praise. We don’t need to walk around wearing the clothes of depression and oppression, but we can be clothed in God. We are no longer lost and aimless. We are found by God and have a purpose for our lives. This is because we are clothed in Jesus Christ. Let’s praise him for his goodness.

We are also to put on the clothing of compassion, kindness, and humility (Colossians 3:12). We don’t need to be clothed in greed, rudeness, and hatred like the world. We can be clothed in the spiritual garments of Christ.

When we wear clean garments, we will walk according to the Spirit, confess our sins, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and be humble.

Clothing serves many purposes besides covering our nakedness. It protects us from cold, heat, rain, and wind. The right clothes enable us to do work— hard hats for construction, gloves for gardening, heat shields for welding. 

Spiritual clothing protects us in the spiritual realm. It protects us from guilt and shame, and also from demonic attack (Revelation 16:15). Spiritual clothing enables us to accomplish things for God. Spiritual clothing is essential for us to live in Christ in this broken world. Our spiritual garments reveal our identity as children of God. We belong to Christ, not to the world.

Even after we trust in Christ and have clean garments, our garments can become defiled (Rev. 3:3). Sometimes Christians defile their spiritual garments through sin or walking in the flesh (Jude 23).

When Christians defile their spiritual garments, we need to clean them. Only Jesus can clean our spiritual garments. He can remove their stains and spots. We need to confess our sins, tell God specifically what we did wrong, repent, and turn away from those sins. We may need to seek accountability and make restitution wherever possible. Then the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all sin.

We must keep our spiritual garments clean by reading the Scripture, maintaining accountability in relationships, being in a healthy community, encouraging each other, and breaking bread together.

Even if your garments are dirty, there is always hope. Unbelievers can turn to Christ and they will receive a garment of righteousness. For Christians, if our garments become defiled, we can clean them again in the blood of Jesus. There is no stain or spot that the blood of Jesus cannot remove, because he died to take away all of our sins.

The Bible says that everyone who believes in Jesus is a priest (1 Peter 2:5,9). There is no clergy and laity distinction in the New Testament, but every Christian is a priest. Being priests is one of our basic identities, and it’s who we are in God. Being a priest is a high calling, and it’s important for us to understand what we’re supposed to do as God’s New Testament priests, so we can fulfill our priestly duties well.

One main thing priests do is offer sacrifices. Throughout the Old Testament, priests continually offered sacrifices to God to pay for sin. Today, we don’t offer sacrifices for sins, because Jesus has already laid down his life as the final sacrifice for all sin. Instead, there are other sacrifices that we are called to offer today.

What sacrifices do we offer as New Testament priests?

We are called to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:5). In order to offer such sacrifices, we must find out what they are. It’s important for every Christian to know what we’re supposed to sacrifice as priests, because we want to do our job as priests well.

1. Broken and Contrite Heart (Psalm 51:17). We should be broken for our sins, contrite, and humble about our condition. We recognize our helplessness and utter dependence upon God. This type of heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God because God wants to dwell in our hearts by his Spirit.

2. Lifting Up Hands (Psalm 141:2; 1 Timothy 2:8). The lifting up of hands is a physical posture that reflects our inward condition. The lifting up of hands shows surrender. It shows neediness. It shows that we are receiving something. When we do this in prayer or praise to God, we show God that we are relying on him. God says the lifting up of hands is a sacrifice that pleases him, because it represents a proper condition of our heart.

3. Bodies (Romans 12:1). We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Our sinful flesh is to be put off, and our Spirit-man is to be renewed. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are members of Christ’s body. We are to lay aside our own will and do God’s will, speaking his words and doing his works. Our bodies are owned by Jesus, who bought them at the price of his life, and it is only reasonable to give them over to God and allow him to live his life through us. We are not to yield our bodies to sin, but unto God to serve him. Our bodies are an acceptable sacrifice to God.

4. Our Life (Philippians 2:17). Paul poured out his life in ministering to people, and it was like a drink offering that pleased God. When we pour out our lives in service to God, we offer God a sacrifice that pleases him.

5. Faith (Philippians 2:17). Our faith is a sacrifice that pleases God. Faith shows that we trust God, rely on him, and are willing to serve him and others. When we are strong in faith, we open the door for God to act. Faith is an acceptable sacrifice, and without faith we cannot please God. 

6. Support to Servants of God (Philippians 4:18). When people donate support to servants of God, it is like giving a sacrifice to God. Supporting the ministry of true servants of God means supporting the works of Christ, and the Bible says such donations are sacrifices that are pleasing to God.

7. Praise and Thanks to God (Hebrews 13:15). God is worthy of receiving our thanks and praise, for he is good and all he does is good. Every good gift we have is from him. It is reasonable to praise God, and it is spiritually healthy to offer such sacrifices to him. 

8. Doing Good and Sharing (Hebrews 13:16). When we do good and share our resources with those in the body of Christ, we offer an acceptable sacrifice to God. Jesus said if we do something good to the least of our fellow-Christians, we do it to Jesus. This is because Christ is a many-membered body (1 Corinthians 12:12). We are called to share our resources in the church, for we are all members of Christ and united with each other. These sacrifices will bless God and help others.

We are priests, and one of our main jobs as priests is to offer sacrifices to God. We don’t offer sacrifices for our sins, because Jesus’ blood has paid for our sins once for all. Instead, we are called to offer spiritual sacrifices that are listed in the Bible. As we offer these sacrifices to God, we will please him and fulfill our calling as priests.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a furnace. They were three men who refused to compromise their faith in God. They refused to bow down to false religious practices, even it was going to cost them their lives. They knew that false religious activity that is not based on God’s word is demonic, and they wanted no part of it. If God would keep them alive through the fiery furnace, praise him. But even if they got burned alive, they were not going to bow down to false religion. They would reject it and refuse to go along with the crowd. They were thrown into the furnace, but God brought them out again. This is an example for us. God is refining his remnant, purifying them, and preparing them.

Peter said our faith is being tested like gold (1 Peter 1:7). There is a refining process in the Christian life. When metal is refined, and large chunk of it is put into the fire. Then impurities are separated, and the pure gold remains. During this refining process there is separation. Things are distinguished from each other. The good is separated from the bad. Before the refining process there is too much – it’s a large lump of metal that is not useful. After refining the lump is smaller. An uneducated person may look at the large lump of unrefined metal, compare it to the smaller lump of refined gold, and say that the unrefined lump is more valuable. It is heavier and bigger. But the smaller lump is more valuable because it is pure.

Our faith needs to be refined because it is often mixed up with other things. We have faith in God, but we also have faith in ourselves. We have faith in God’s word, but also in the world. The fire will refine our faith because it will separate faith in God from faith in other things because these other things will fail. After going through the fire, our faith will be purified so it is in God alone.

Jesus tells us to buy gold tried in the fire (Revelation 3:18) so we are ready for the end times. To buy means we must be willing to pay something. This spiritual gold may be expensive. We’ll have to give up something in order to get this pure gold. It will cost us time and energy. But it will be worth it.

For non-Christians, the fire is random and destructive. They don’t see a purpose in it. They become angry, frustrated, and bitter. They ask, “Why did that happen?” They blame God and blame other people. They say their childhood caused the problem, or its their parents’ fault. They say they are just victims, and life is unfair.

For Christians, it’s different. The fire can fulfill a higher purpose. All things work together for good in the lives of those who love God (Romans 8:28). Fire can help us grow.

Mature saints will embrace the fire. Peter said we should rejoice in the fire (1 Peter 4:12). James said we should count it all joy when we go through the fire (James 1:2). Mature saints know that the fire of God will produce things in them that cannot be produced in any other way, and that the fire will deliver them from things that they could not be delivered from otherwise.

The good news is, God is greater than the fire. He promises that when we go through the fire we will not be burned (Isaiah 43:2). This is because he is with us in the fire. Just like he was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as the fourth man in the furnace, so he will be with us. 

Things are going to be removed from our lives when the fire comes. Sin will be cleansed. Wrong thoughts will be removed. We need to believe the truth to get through. We will stop relying on ourselves but will rely on God, because we see only God can handle the challenge we’re facing. We will stop relying so much on the world, because the fire shows that the world will fail us. Only God will stay the same. Even hobbies and time-wasters will be eliminated. Some of our relationships will not abide the fire.

Job lost many things in the fire, but he said he would come forth as gold (Job 23:10). Gold is a metal that represents God. The fire will eliminate the flesh and strengthen the spirit. It will help us be conformed to the image of Jesus.

After the fire, things will get smaller. There may be less options. Our lives won’t be the same. But the things that were removed were a hindrance, and now we are free to run forward farther in God.

Fire will come to the church to purify the church and cleanse it from evil. Judgment must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). The judgment begins at the church in order to cleanse the bride from evil and prepare her for the marriage supper of the lamb. The end times will be a time of fire all over the world, as the fire of God comes into the world to test everything. The bride must abide the fire of the end times. She must contain the fire of God and release the fire of God. The bride must go through fire now so she is ready to fulfill her calling.

There will be a refining – both in our individual lives and in the church. We should not be surprised by this. Some things will be destroyed. Other things will be exposed.

Malachi says the Lord will suddenly come to his church, and he will purify his people (Malachi 3:1-6). The Lord will first cleanse the church. The temple will be prepared for his coming, and it will be cleansed from evil. Vain religion will be thrown out. Man-made traditions will be rejected. The pure radical apostolic words will ALL be embraced, and then the church will be ready for the coming of Jesus. Until then, the church will continue to be refined.

Jesus is cleansing his church out of love. He wants his people to survive the tribulation. He wants his faithful remnant to be prepared. He is purifying his remnant now, so they are strong and do mighty works at the end of the age (Daniel 12:10). 

When the fire comes, some people will give up and fall away. They won’t abide the fire. Someday, all the wood, hay, and stubble will be removed from God’s house (1 Cor. 3:13). This process is already going on. A remnant will come through the fire. They will be equipped to face the future by God’s power.

Jesus often mentioned how the old religious system is a hindrance to what God is currently doing in the earth. Throughout his ministry, Jesus clashed with religious leaders who felt threatened by his radical teachings. This clash between true and false religion has happened throughout history, and it happens still today. It’s important to understand the nature of this clash.

Jesus once told 3 short parables about this (Luke 5:36-39).

1. Jesus said no one will cut a piece of cloth from a new shirt to patch a hole in an old shirt. He gives three reasons for this. First of all, the old and new cloths won’t match. Second, the new shirt will be ruined because it will now have a hole in it. And third, when the new patch shrinks, it will tear the old shirt even more (Matthew 9:16).

The old shirt is the old religious system. It is old, wearing thin, and has holes in it. It can’t provide any real spiritual covering or protection. The new shirt is true religion. You can’t take a part of the new work of God to try to patch up the old system. These systems are incompatible. If you try to do this, both will be ruined.

2. Jesus said new wine (grape juice) can’t be put into old wineskins. The old wineskins are dry and brittle. They won’t bend or flex. When the grape juice begins to ferment, it will break the old wineskin and the grape juice will be spilled. Grape juice has to be put into a new wineskin which can bend and expand. Then when it begins to ferment, the wineskin will expand along with it. 

The old wineskins are the hard, inflexible, dry, and worn out religious systems of man. These religious systems are unable to hold the new wine of the Holy Spirit. Even if God was to pour out his Spirit on them, they would just break under the influence of God’s presence. New Wineskins are needed – churches and religious works that are ordered according to the word of God. These will be able to hold the new wine of the Holy Spirit.

3. Jesus said that if a person drinks old wine (alcoholic), he will not immediately want to stop drinking that and start drinking new wine (grape juice). He will say the old alcoholic stuff tastes better.

People who are involved in an old, dead religious system are often like those who drink alcohol. Many of them are unable to think or see clearly, and they do irrational things. However, they really enjoy the taste of the old wine, and they don’t want to leave it and start drinking of the Holy Spirit. This is because they say their old system is better than the work of the Holy Spirit. They have invested their lives into this old system, and they don’t want to leave it.

Through these three examples, Jesus describes how true and false religious systems are incompatible. 

Both claim to serve Jesus. But the true religion does things according to God and his word. The false system does religious things according to their own minds.

Those who represent the true religion will tell people to get back to God’s word and forsake man-made religious traditions. Those who represent the false system will defend man-made religious traditions and become offended when these traditions are criticized. They will often say that we shouldn’t be too rigorous with the word of God, that we have to “bend” a little here and there.

True religion is holy. The false system is sinful.

The false religious system has many people in it. Most of God’s people have been ensnared in a false religious system throughout history. 

The true is only a remnant, with only a few people who follow it.

The false religious system is the establishment. It is firmly entrenched. It often has worldly power and influence on its side. 

The true is outside the established religious system.

When there is a clash, sparks fly. There are arguments, debates, contentions. We see this throughout the book of Acts and the rest of the Bible. There are big debates and people leaving each other. 

Often the true is just trying to quietly mind its own business, but the false comes up and attacks it.

Religious wars are terrible. They are the most powerful conflicts upon earth. This is because there are powerful spiritual forces behind these conflicts.

Man fights against the true religion. 

God fights against the false religious system.

Victory for the true religion may take longer, but it will endure.

In about 4000 BC, the brothers Cain and Abel offered a sacrifice to God. Abel shed the blood of an animal to atone for his sins, following the ancient example given by God in Genesis 3:21. But Cain just offered a bloodless sacrifice of vegetables. Abel followed God’s word, but Cain did whatever he wanted. Abel had true religion, but Cain represented a false religious system that was based on man’s ideas.

Cain’s religion was exposed as false, whereas Abel’s was true. Then the clash began. Abel was just quietly worshiping God, but Cain was angry at him. He killed Abel. They were brothers. They should have gotten along. But the religious conflict was too great, and the false system killed the true. This is a pattern that is repeated. The false system sometimes becomes enraged in a Satanic frenzy and turns against the humble people of God.

Around 1080 BC, Eli was the high priest who represented an old and dead religious system that was devoid of God’s presence and power. He was fat, lazy, and unable to hear from God. He allowed sin to come in among God’s people.

Samuel was a young boy who stayed in the presence of God. He represented true religion.

The clash between these systems began when God told Samuel that Eli and his sons would die because they had forsaken God. Soon, they all died, and the ark of God was taken. This was Ichabod – as the glory had departed from Israel. After this Samuel became a mighty prophet and judge.

Around 1040 BC, Saul was king in Israel. He represented the old religious system. David was a young man anointed by God who represented true religion. Saul began consulting witches because he couldn’t hear from God. David killed Goliath and began walking in his calling. Saul tried to kill David. He threw spears at him. He sent the Philistines against him. David was just trying to obey God, but this mad king Saul and his demonic religious system came after him. David didn’t kill Saul when he had an opportunity. Soon, Saul died, and  David became king.

In approximately 930 BC, Jeroboam became king over 10 tribes of Israel. He put some shiny golden cows up, and called people to come worship. 90% of God’s people enthusiastically ran to worship Yahweh using these golden cows, showing how most of God’s people can be easily deceived by crazy religious ideas. King Rehoboam of Judah represented true religion, but only 2 tribes of Israel followed him. Centuries of conflicts and wars between the people of God followed.

In about 33 AD, Jesus Christ had many conflicts with the Pharisees. Jesus is the Son of God, and he is true religion. The Pharisees were the false religious system who dominated Israel. They didn’t obey God. They made up their own ways of worshiping God. Jesus called their traditional worship styles vain. There were many arguments and debates between Jesus and the Pharisees. Finally, the Pharisees killed Jesus. Dead religion killed God’s Son.

But Jesus rose up from the dead. He’s still alive. He is an eternal witness against dead religion. And someday soon he’s coming back to put an end to false religion once and for all.

In the early church, there were conflicts between those who wanted to stick to the purity of the apostolic teachings, and those who wanted to introduce things from the Old Testament. Thankfully, the apostolic purity was preserved in the New Testament.

In the future, at the end of the age, there will be a great clash between true Christianity based on the word of God and lawless Christianity that is based on man-made traditions and ideas. True Christianity will follow the word of God alone. False Christianity will compromise, adding and taking away from God’s word. True Christianity will be a faithful remnant, but false Christianity will sweep over the entire world. And like it has done throughout history, false religion will attack the true, trying to kill it. But the true will prevail, and the false will be destroyed.

It’s important to recognize the reality of this clash. No clash is pleasant. But this clash is unavoidable because of the power of God’s word.

We should not be surprised when there is a clash among Christians. Some Christians will want to follow the Bible, and some will want to follow man-made traditions. These two things are incompatible. We should not be discouraged or alarmed when conflicts arise in the church about such things.

We must discern true religion from the false. We need to recognize which ministers represent true religion, and which ministers represent false religion. We will discern these things by God’s word. What did the apostles do in the New Testament? Let’s do that. What religious traditions in the church are not based on the Bible? Let’s throw those things away.

We must choose the right side. We don’t want to choose to be a part of the wrong system, like the vast majority of God’s people have done throughout history.

Finally, if you choose true religion, be prepared for the false system to attack you. Persecution, slander, and even threats will come against true religion from the old system. The clash between true and false religion is real and long-standing. It will continue until Christ returns. Stay on God’s side. Stick to his word. Though you may face some trouble now, you’ll be on the winning side.

The name of God is very high, but the word of God is higher than his name (Psalm 138:2). 

We will explore how God’s word is higher than his name in this important message.

What is God’s name? 

The name of God refers to his nature and person. It is who he is. The name of God is how God is seen and understood. It’s the way he is known and perceived. God has many different names, because he has many different aspects and characteristics. He has revealed himself to his people in many different ways. He is El Shaddai, Almighty God. He is Adonai, which means Lord. His proper name is Yahweh, which means I am that I am. 

Jesus is also the name of God. The name Jesus means God saves. The name of Jesus is above every other name (Philippians 2:9-10). Everyone will bow down to the name of Jesus. There is no other name higher than the name of Jesus. His name alone is exalted (Psalm 148:13).

The name of God is powerful. Through the name of Jesus demons are cast out.

Yet as high as God’s name is, there is something higher – his word.

God has magnified his word above all his name. To magnify means to make great, important, or large. 

How can the word of God be greater than his name?

The word of God is the communication of himself. Jesus is the word of God made flesh. Jesus is the communication of God to us. If we want to know God, we find out about him through Jesus, the word. The word of God includes things that God wants us to know or do. God has spoken to us through the Bible, which is his word. If we want to know about God, we need to look in the Bible. 

To accept the word of God is to accept him. To reject the word or communication of God is to reject him.

When Jesus walked the earth and spoke his words, people had a clear opportunity to accept or reject him. If they believed his word, they believed him. If they rejected his word, they rejected him. The people in Capernaum rejected his words, therefore they rejected him. Therefore Jesus left them. 

If Jesus met us, and said something to us, then we would have a direct opportunity to accept or reject his word. Our response to his word is the same as our response to him. Once Jesus spoke a word to a rich young man. The young man did not want to obey Jesus’ word, so he went away from Jesus. You can’t have Jesus without having his words.

The word of God Is higher than God’s name because the word of God leads to his name. If you have the word of God, you will automatically have the name of God. But if you don’t have the word of God, you will lack God’s name.

The word of God makes the name of God powerful. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The word says he is the eternal Son of God. He has all power in heaven and in earth. These words make his name powerful.

In a worldly sense, it’s similar. The name Bill Smith is a fairly ordinary name. There may be many men who have this name. But if you find out that a specific Bill Smith is the mayor of the city and owns several large businesses, suddenly the name Bill Smith carries more weight or power in the world. These words about Bill Smith make his name powerful.

So it is with God. God’s word shows us who God is and what he does. It tells us what to do. This revelation of God’s word gives power to his name.

Jesus is the name above all names because the word of God tells us that Jesus has infinite power.

There are many people named Jesus in the world. Jesus is the 4th most popular name in Mexico for boys. We need to know the words about these Jesuses in order to determine the power of their names.

If you’re drowning in Mexico City, and there are many men on the shore named Jesus, you need to call out to the right Jesus in order to be saved. Many of the Jesuses on the shore may not know how to swim. And maybe only one Jesus knows how to swim well enough to rescue you. You need to call out to that specific Jesus in order to be saved.

In the spiritual realm there are also many different Jesuses (2 Corinthians 11:4).

There is the Roman Catholic Jesus, who tells us to pray to his mother Mary in order to be blessed.

There is the cessationist/fundamentalist Jesus who forbids us from speaking in tongues or being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

There is the charismatic Jesus who wants us to dance around to rock music and wave banners on Sunday mornings.

There is a pop culture Jesus who tells us to buy chocolate bunnies and colored eggs for the kids on Easter.

These different Jesuses share the same basic name, but they are distinguished from each other by their words.

The true Jesus, who is God himself, has spoken to us in the Bible. His words are recorded in the gospels in the New Testament. HIs apostles gave us further revelation of his word in the letters. If we want to know the true Jesus, we need to know his words in the New Testament.

Other Jesuses have different words than the true Jesus. We can easily distinguish between Jesuses by looking at what they say. The true Jesus never talked about praying to his Mother Mary, or about bunnies and eggs. If any Jesus is talking about these things, it is another Jesus.

Paul said the Jesus whom we preach is the real Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4). The pronoun we in this verse refers to the apostles. The apostles told us words from the true Jesus. We need these original apostolic words in order to know the real Jesus. They are found in the New Testament.

Using the name of Jesus in religious activity is no protection from deception. Many people use the name of Jesus, including Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, but the words they believe about this Jesus are not according to the Bible. They know another Jesus, who is not God.

If we abandon the word of God, we render Jesus’ name powerless. Keeping the word of God keeps his name powerful, and it makes sure we are connected to the real Jesus.

The sons of Sceva used the name of Jesus but did not have any power (Acts 19:13-14). When they tried to cast out a demon, the demon stripped off their clothes and sent them running away. They lacked the power of Jesus’ name because they did not keep his words. 

If we know Jesus, we’ll keep his words. If we don’t, we won’t.

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). 

To know God’s name, we must keep his word. 

The word of God is fundamental to a true revelation of the name of God. To know the name of God, we must know his word. This is because the word of God is exalted above his name.

Throughout their journeys, God provided all the Israelites needed. They had miraculous food everyday, and water flowed for them out of a rock. Their sandals did not wear out, even though they were walking through hot deserts for years (Deuteronomy 29:2-6). They saw the pillar of cloud and fire every day and night, and God worked miracles to overthrow their enemies.

Yet, in spite of all these daily miracles, the Israelites were unable to understand the main message that God was trying to tell them. 

God’s message was simple – “I love you.”

God wanted Israel to know that he loved them. He took care of them faithfully, year after year. He worked  many miracles that proved his love for them. And yet, in spite of all of this, Israel just could not believe it. They didn’t believe that God loved them. They didn’t believe he would continue to be good to them. They didn’t believe he would keep taking care of them. They doubted his love so much that they accused him wanting them to starve. When times got tough, they even accused God of wanting to kill them. They hated God so much they wanted to run away from him and go back to slavery in Egypt.

Loving God by Knowing his Love

We need to know that God loves us. This is the starting point of our spiritual lives. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:36-40). In order to obey this command, we must first know the love God has for us. God loves us with supernatural, agape love. Agape love originates only in God. To know agape love, we must receive it first from God, for there is no other source of agape love. If we don’t know how much God loves us, then we won’t be able to have any agape love whether for God or for anyone else. We love God because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). 

God has done so many good things for us, including sending his Son to die for our sins. He did all this because he loves us. 

Love Causes us to Enter Rest

If we don’t know God’s love, we won’t be at Rest. The Israelites could not enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10) because they kept doubting God’s love for them. God wanted them to rest and relax in his love. But they didn’t want to. They were frenzied with worry and anxiety. This is because they didn’t believe that God loved them and would take care of them. They thought, “We have to run around and do all these things because God doesn’t love us. He won’t take care of us. He won’t provide for us.”

The Israelites couldn’t enter God’s rest because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).

Jesus told us that if we seek first his kingdom and righteousness, he will give us food and clothing and whatever we need (Luke 13:29-31). If we believe this, we can enter into rest. But if we don’t believe this, then we won’t be at rest. Instead we will chase after all these things and be dominated by mammon (the god of money). This is what the rest of the world is doing. God wants us to live differently. Jesus wants us to be at rest in him. He wants us to stop stressing out. This is only possible when we believe that he loves us.

Experience is Insufficient

How will anyone learn about the love of God? 

Some people want a miraculous sign to prove God’s love for them. “God, just show me a sign that you love me. Let me feel your presence. If you do that then I will know that you love me.” This doesn’t work. The Israelites saw many miracles day after day. They felt his presence, saw his glory, and heard his voice. Yet, in spite of all these miracles, they still didn’t believe he loved them. They had many experiences, yet they had no faith. No matter what God did for them, it didn’t convince them. No wonder Jesus said that some people won’t believe even if they see someone rise from the dead (Luke 16:31).

God’s Word is the Basis of True Faith

God’s word must be the basis of our faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). We don’t need experience in order to have faith. This is because God doesn’t want our faith to be limited. We can believe God’s word for things that we’ve never experienced.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). We don’t see it yet, but we believe it. This is true faith. True faith comes first, and it makes experiencing God possible. We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Walking by sight will hold us back, but walking by faith will open doors for us to move forward.

Faith is powerful. It opens doors for us to access God’s infinite grace and resources.

Joshua and Caleb believed God before they had experience. God told them he would defeat the giants in the Promised Land. They had not seen that happen yet, but they believed God’s word. Therefore they had faith that made that possible.

Connection Between Love and Faith

There is an important connection between love and faith. Faith and love go hand in hand. When we know how much God love us, we can believe his word. We believe that he won’t lie. We know that he will take care of us and provide for our needs. He won’t forsake us. But if we don’t know that God loves us, then we won’t be able to believe him.

Knowing God’s love is the basis for our faith.

Faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). Faith has an energy or power that operates because of love. The basis of faith is love. Love never fails (1 Corinthinas 13:13). Love sustains faith. Love makes faith possible. 

Israel didn’t have faith in God because they didn’t have love. Without love for God, they couldn’t believe God’s word. This is why love for God is the first and most important commandment, because it is the starting point for obeying all others.

The reason Israel didn’t have love for God because they didn’t know that God loved them.

It all starts with knowing that God loves us. 

When we know that God loves us, we can believe God’s word. Then we will enter into his Rest.

“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

Jesus told a parable about a woman who was being harassed by an evil person. The woman sought justice from a judge. The judge wouldn’t help her for a while, but the woman kept knocking at his door and didn’t give up. After a while, because she kept bothering him, the judge helped her overcome her enemy.

Jesus told this parable to teach us to keep praying and not give up. The woman represents the church, and at the end of the age the enemies of the church will be very strong and threatening. Through prayer, God will act on behalf of his people and deliver them, even though it may take a while.

Then after telling this parable, Jesus asked, “When I come back will I find faith on the earth?”

Looking for The Faith

Jesus is looking not just for any faith, but for the faith. In Greek, there is a definite article before faith, which indicates that Jesus will be looking for the specific faith when he returns. This is the specific faith that was given through Christ and his apostles.

Jude told us “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)

The original faith was delivered to God’s people through Christ and his apostles, once for all. We don’t need to add anything, and nothing should be taken away. Jude says we have to fight for this faith because it is under attack from Satan. There are many alternative faiths and false forms of Christianity, but we need the original version delivered through God in the first century. This is the version that Jesus will be looking for when he returns.

In other words, Jesus was asking something like this: “When I return, will I find original Christianity in the earth, or will I find counterfeits?”

When a group of people follows the original faith of Christianity,  they please God, but Satan hates them. They will be persecuted and face trouble. They will need deliverance, which is why they cry out to God for help like the woman cried out to the judge. Will there be Christians at the end of the age who are willing to go through trouble for the sake of God and his kingdom? Will they be willing to follow the teachings of the New Testament even if it leads to intense persecution?

If we were to ask Jesus’ question today, and look around for the original version of Christianity anywhere on the earth now, we might have to admit we can’t find it very easily. Do we see many Christians following the New Testament principles completely? Do we see many churches obeying all the commands and instructions of the NT?

The original faith is not easy to find, hence Jesus’ question.

The Answer to Jesus’ Question

Jesus answered his own question in other parts of the gospels. In other places he makes it clear that when he comes back he will find the faith in the earth. He said two will be in the field – one will be taken (and destroyed), and the other will be left. Some virgins won’t have oil in their lamps, but some will. Not just the tares, but the wheat will also yield a harvest. All these are pictures of some who are faithful to God even when most  people aren’t. And of course the bride of Christ will be prepared, and the wedding supper of the lamb will occur. This can only happen when people are fully conformed to the original faith of the New Testament.

If Jesus already knows that the answer to his question is YES, then why does he ask it? He asks because he’s trying to make us understand that it will only be a few who will be faithful to him at the end of the age, and even for them it won’t be easy. Jesus wants us to prepare to follow him even when it gets hard.

The remnant will need courage, bravery, and steadfastness. They will have to wait for God. They must not compromise, not let their love grow cold, nor be deceived. They must press onward, taking new spiritual ground for years if necessary. We can’t give up when things get hard, and we can’t lose heart when we see things take time.

In summary, from Jesus’ poignant question we learn the following important points:

1. We need to understand the original faith and follow it. Jesus is not looking for any Christianity, but he’s looking for the real thing that is based on his word.
2. There will only be a small group of people who are faithful to God at the end. We should not be dismayed nor discouraged by this fact.
3. We need to pray with persistence, never giving up, especially as things get harder.
4. We need to trust our vengeance to God, and let him deal with our enemies.
5. We need patience, for things may take a long time.

At the end of the age the Lord will come through and deliver his people. He will answer their prayers, Babylon will fall, and the remnant will become the bride of Christ through whom God radiates out into the world, swamping it with his glory. 

Let us endeavor to get there from here.

Jesus sympathizes with us (Hebrews 4:15). He feels the same things we do – if we’re sad, Jesus is sad. If we’re happy, he is happy. He shares in our emotional state. 

Jesus is able to sympathize with us because he took on our flesh (Hebrews 2:16-18). He went through what we did while he was upon the earth, and he faced the challenges common to all humanity. He got the victory over these challenges, and he never sinned or gave in to temptation. Therefore Jesus both knows the struggles we face as we are in the flesh, and he knows how to overcome these struggles.

When we face hard times, Jesus will comfort us. We can turn to him in prayer and tell him our troubles. We can find comfort in his word – especially the Psalms. After being comforted, we can encourage and comfort others with the comfort that we received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4).  

Sympathy Among God’s People

We are to be sympathetic like Jesus – “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). In a Biblical church, if one member suffers then all members will suffer. If one member rejoices, then the others will rejoice (1 Corinthians 12:26). This will happen especially within a Christian community where believers are sharing things, for their lives are interconnected and they stand or fall together. The Christians who comprise the bride of Christ at the end of the age will be characterized by great love and sympathy for each other. 

Jesus Knew When to be Sympathetic 

When Lazarus died, Jesus wept (John 11:33-35). He cried out of sympathy for Lazarus’ family, not hopelessness in the face of death. Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, and knowing that Lazarus was about to be resurrected, Jesus could have been happy or excited. But instead Jesus was sad because he entered into the emotional state of the mourners.

Another time Jesus came to a house where a girl was dead, and the house was full of weeping and wailing people (Mark 5:39-40). However, this time Jesus did not enter into the mourners’ emotional state. Instead he rebuked them and told them not to cry. Jesus knew there was something wrong with their sad emotions, and this is apparent because after Jesus rebuked them, these people suddenly began laughing at him. They quickly changed their emotions. This is probably because their sorrow wasn’t genuine, and Jesus discerned this. Jesus threw them out of the house and then raised the girl from the dead. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit as we discern how to be sympathetic.

Lack of Sympathy

Sometimes a person needs sympathy but finds none. This world is often very unsympathetic. When there is no sympathy, it is like taking away someone’s coat in the cold weather (Proverbs 25:20). A person faces a problem but another person refuses to sympathize, then troubled person feels “out in the cold.” Lack of sympathy means there is a lack of human warmth. This leaves a person feeling unprotected and worse than before.

Without sympathy, it is like vinegar mixed with baking soda (Proverbs 25:20). There can be a violent reaction. It may spark an argument – “You just don’t understand!” “You just don’t get it!” 

When we face a lack of sympathy from others, we don’t need to have a violent reaction or suffer as if out in the cold. We can turn to God. He will sympathize with us.

Healthy Limits to Sympathy

As we seek to be sympathetic, it’s important to recognize that there are necessary limits on sympathy. Sometimes a person may have sinful emotions like bitterness, anger, jealousy, or hatred. We don’t enter into these emotions and share them, because that would be wrong. Instead, we try to help people come out of these sinful emotions.

At other times healthy emotions can be misapplied. For example, we are commanded to refrain from rejoicing when our enemy falls (Proverbs 24:17). Joy is good, but if someone is joyful about the destruction of their enemy, then that is sin. We should not enter into the emotional state of joy regarding this. Instead we should try to help others love and forgive their enemies.

Sometimes a person is in an unhealthy emotional state. For example, a person might be mired in a pit of depression and always be complaining. To help that person, we don’t need to climb into the pit with them and start wallowing in the mud. Instead we need to pull them out. We can encourage that person to trust in the Lord, recognize God’s goodness and power, and take steps to praise and thank God.

We are commanded to be sympathetic, following the example of Jesus. We will do this as we are led by the Holy Spirit. True sympathy is spiritual and comes from God. It begins in the spirit, not in the soul. It starts with God, not with ourselves. As God leads us, we can show divine sympathy to others. This will help others and comfort them. And it will cause us to be more conformed to the image of our sympathetic high priest Jesus Christ.

This is a message from Matthew:

The name of Jesus is central to the Christian faith. It represents not only the identity of the Savior but also His divine authority, power, and ability to transform lives. Throughout Scripture, we see that Jesus’ name holds unparalleled significance, offering believers access to God’s power, healing, salvation, and victory. In this article, we will look at Jesus’ name, examining its significance, authority, power in prayer, and its role in salvation.

Jesus’ name is more than a title; it is a symbol of His divine authority and power. In Philippians 2:9-10, we are reminded that God has exalted Jesus and bestowed on Him “the name that is above every name,” declaring that “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” This passage highlights the supreme significance of Jesus’ name, demonstrating its power to command the reverence of all creation.

The Authority of Jesus’ Name

The name of Jesus carries supreme authority over all creation. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus Himself declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This establishes His sovereignty over all realms, both spiritual and physical, confirming that His name holds unmatched power.

Throughout the New Testament, we see Jesus’ name associated with healing and miraculous works. In Acts 3:6, when Peter encounters a beggar unable to walk, he boldly declares, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” The power of Jesus’ name was at work in the apostles, bringing healing and restoration to those in need. Jesus’ name continues to be a conduit for miracles today.

Jesus’ name brings healing, restoration, and miracles, demonstrating His continued power and love for His people.

The Name of Jesus in Prayer

One of the most powerful aspects of Jesus’ name is the access it gives us to God the Father. In John 14:13-14, Jesus assures His followers, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” This promise invites believers to approach God in prayer with confidence, knowing that when we ask in the name of Jesus, our prayers are heard and answered.

In John 16:23-24, Jesus further emphasizes the power of His name in prayer: “Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” Jesus’ name not only opens the door to communication with the Father, but it also provides believers with the confidence that God will respond to their requests.

Jesus’ name is our access to God in prayer, offering us the assurance that He will answer our petitions according to His will.

Salvation Through Jesus’ Name

The name of Jesus is the only name by which salvation is found. Acts 4:12 declares, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” This truth is central to the Christian faith, as Jesus’ name is the key to eternal life and reconciliation with God.

In addition to bringing salvation, Jesus’ name is also associated with the forgiveness of sins. Luke 24:47 reveals that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations.” Through Jesus’ sacrifice and the power of His name, we are offered forgiveness and a fresh start in our relationship with God.

Jesus’ name is the only name that can bring salvation and forgiveness, offering the hope of eternal life to all who call upon it.

Victory in Jesus’ Name

Jesus’ name carries authority over the forces of darkness. In Mark 16:17, He promises, “In my name they will cast out demons.” Believers are empowered to confront spiritual opposition and demonic forces through the authority of Jesus’ name, which remains a powerful weapon in the spiritual battle.

Jesus’ name is also a source of strength and victory in times of trial and difficulty. In Luke 10:19, Jesus reassures His followers, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” This promise underscores the protection and power that believers have in Jesus’ name, enabling them to overcome the challenges and attacks of the enemy.

The name of Jesus provides believers with victory over spiritual forces of darkness and the strength to endure life’s trials.

Living in the Power of Jesus’ Name

As believers, we are called to proclaim the name of Jesus boldly. In Acts 5:40-42, when the apostles were arrested for preaching in Jesus’ name, they boldly declared, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Despite persecution, the apostles remained faithful to sharing the power and truth of Jesus’ name, demonstrating the boldness that comes from living under His authority.

Colossians 3:17 encourages us, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” This verse highlights the importance of living in alignment with Jesus’ name, ensuring that every action and word reflects His authority and love. When we live under the authority of Jesus’ name, we glorify God and reflect His character to the world.

The name of Jesus empowers believers to boldly proclaim the gospel and live in a way that honors God in all things.

Reflecting on the Power of Jesus’ Name

The name of Jesus is not just a historical title; it is a living, powerful force that continues to transform lives today. From salvation to healing, from victory over the enemy to boldness in witnessing, Jesus’ name offers believers a source of divine authority and power. As Romans 10:13 reminds us, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Let us continue to call upon the name of Jesus, trusting in His power to bring salvation, healing, and victory into our lives.

In the name of Jesus, we find hope, strength, and eternal life. May we never take lightly the privilege of invoking His name and living under its power.

Jesus calls out to the people of the world – If you are hungry or thirsty, come to me and be satisfied (Isaiah 55:1). The only one who can truly satisfy us is God. Everything else in the world will leave our souls empty.

God calls out to the poor of the world – if you have no money, come and eat! A poor person doesn’t have resources. He has run out, and now he lacks things. He can’t buy any more from the world because maybe he’s already spent all that he had. It’s like the bleeding woman who spent all of her resources on doctors who didn’t make her any better, but she only got worse. The world operates on the basis of money, and if you want to have any fun in the world you’ll have to pay for it, and it can be expensive. But God says that when the poor and needy seek water and there is none, God will satisfy them (Isaiah 41:17-18). When we’ve tried all there is to try in the world and found out that it’s empty, God is willing to receive us, heal us, and fill us with himself.

We can come to God and don’t have to pay any money, and he will give us true satisfaction. 

God asks why do you spend money for things that don’t satisfy? Why spend so much time and energy doing things that will ultimately only leave you empty? You buy things, but they don’t nourish or feed you. You do things, but they leave you empty and hurting. God asks, “why do you do this?” He says we need to come to him.

God tells us to listen to him. We need to hear God’s word. Jesus is the one who will satisfy us, and he is the word of God. His word is revealed in the Bible, and this is the bread by which we will live. The word of God is like food. It is like bread (Matthew 4:4), honey, milk (1 Peter 2:2), and meat. This is the food that we need. Maybe we’ve known this, but we haven’t really believed it or experienced it, and that is why we’re looking for satisfaction elsewhere. But God says that true satisfaction is only found in him, specifically in his word. We need to actually believe this and turn to the word of God to fill us.

We need the new wine. The new wine is God’s love (Song of Solomon 1:2,4). There is nothing better than experiencing the love of God. And this love is available freely to all who come to Jesus. He loves us so much that he gave his life for us on the cross.

We are to delight ourselves in God. God wants us to delight in him and find joy in him. Our greatest happiness is in God, it’s not in anything else. No hobby, no relationship, no entertainment is a substitute for God. If we can draw on God, then we won’t need these other things to satisfy us. We can become a source of life and blessing, rather than needing things from the world.

Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35). He said if people come to him, they will never be hungry or thirsty again. He is the living bread who came down from heaven. He shouted out to people, “If you’re thirsty, come to me and drink!” (John 7:37). 

Once Jesus met a woman who was chasing after all kinds of things that only left her empty. Jesus told her that if she keeps drinking dead water she’ll be thirsty again, but if she drinks the living water of heaven she will have a living fountain of water inside her. We need the living water of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives us living bread and living water. The world provides dead food that has no nutritive value, and we don’t need this. We need the living food that comes from God so we can be spiritually alive and full of vitality.

God’s people sometimes turn to the broken pots of the world that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). Like parched people in a desert, they press their dry lips against the broken things of the world, trying to satisfy the longing of their souls. They turn from God and waste hours of their lives in empty and vain pursuits, only to feel drained at the end.

This leads to spiritual dryness because the world can never satisfy (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

It’s ok to have hunger in our souls, because this hunger tells us we need God. We need to guard this hunger. Don’t feed it with other things. If you’re hungry at 11:30 and eat 2 donuts, then you won’t be able to eat the healthy food available for lunch. If you’re hungry and fill your soul with the meaningless things of the world, then you won’t have any hunger left for God. We don’t need spiritual junk food. We need God.

The world is empty and it is passing away (1 John 2:16-17). We are not to love the world neither the things in the world, for these things feed our flesh, not our spirit. The flesh needs to be crucified, not fed. It doesn’t make sense to feed our flesh and weaken our spirit. The world is like a desert for the spirit-man, and so we need to starve ourselves of the world so we can glut ourselves on God. Why would we waste time on anything else? What would be the purpose?

As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you oh God. My soul longs for you, as in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water (Psalm 42:1-2). We need to turn our hungry souls to God and allow him to feed us. May our eyes be opened to see how good God is. He is the most awesome, glorious, and majestic person in the universe. 

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him (Psalm 34:8).

When the Israelites came through the Red Sea, the water was a wall on both sides of them, and they walked through on dry land. The Egyptian army chasing after them was drowned. This was an astounding miracle.

After this, they said, “God is our strength and our song, and he has become our salvation” (Exodus 15:2).

When we know God as our strength and our song, we put ourselves in a position to experience his salvation. We are already saved eternally when we trust in Christ, but salvation is more than a one-time deal. In our lives, there are specific times we need deliverance from God – we need to be saved out of trouble. These specific manifestations of salvation will come to us more readily when God is already our strength and our song.

Strength is the consistent ability to do something. A song reflects our joy in the Lord.

We need God to be both our strength and our song. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

God Our Strength

The Lord is our strength. Apart from God we have no real strength. We will falter and fail, but God can do anything. He is all-powerful, and there is nothing impossible with him (Luke 1:37). Jesus declared and proved that “with God nothing is impossible” (Matthew 19:26). 

Sometimes we want God to do things he doesn’t want to do, and then when he doesn’t do those things, we think God doesn’t care about us. But God has his own timeline for doing things, and our timeline is not his. We need to learn to wait patiently for God, because he may be working something out during this time. Let’s not be disappointed in God when things don’t work out in the time or the way that we want them to. We can trust that he knows what he’s doing, and we can praise him that he is God and we’re not.

“Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). 

One of the keys to tapping into the strength of the Lord is waiting upon him. When we wait on the Lord our strength is changed from our own ability to God’s ability. 

Waiting on God doesn’t mean wasting time on worldly or carnal things, or lazing around doing nothing. It means waiting actively, alertly, and expectantly upon God. It’s like a waiter at a table in a fine restaurant – he will alertly look to the tables to see if the diners need anything, and if they call for him or make a signal that they need something, he will come promptly to give them what they need. So it is when we are waiting at God’s table. When we wait on God, we actively look to him to see what he is saying and what he is doing. We are quick to respond to him as he leads us. We serve him in the small things while we wait for the big thing, and if we are faithful with little, he will entrust us with more.

If we can actually tap into God’s strength, we will find an inexhaustible fountain of power. This power will enable us to do all things. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Christ is in us, he can do all things, and therefore we can do all things. We need to rise above the normal into the supernatural.

Strength from the Word of God

The word of God is our strength, because it is living and active. It is full of spirit and life – the life of God. We need to believe that, because if we believe the word of God is alive, then we will experience its life and power, but if we don’t believe that we won’t experience it. Our experience of God is often determined by our level of faith.

Satan will attack our reading of the word, but we need to overcome this inertia and spiritual deadness in order to spend time in the word of God. When we are strong in the Lord, we will read his word, but when we are weak in the Lord we won’t. Our interest in the Bible is a good barometer to measure our spiritual condition. If we are going through a phase of weakness in the Lord, then other things will seem more attractive than God’s word – we will fritter time away on videos, movies, podcasts, video games, or infotainment. This is not our strength, rather these things will weaken us. The word of God is our necessary food, and we can’t really live without it.

Strength from the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit will help us by imparting to us spiritual strength. We are to be “strengthened with all might by his Spirit in our inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). The Holy Spirit is power. When we were born again, the Spirit came into us, and this gave us a taste of this power. When we were baptized in the Holy Spirit we received much more divine power (Luke 24:49), and we were able to function more in the body of Christ. As we continue in our Christian life there are times we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit afresh (Ephesians 5:18). These times of filling are to be fresh impartations of God’s power. 

Strength from the Body of Christ

We can also draw on the strength of the Lord in the body of Christ. In fellowship with our brothers and sisters there is a flow of divine power, for the river of the Lord flows through his city. There are spiritual resources within the body of Christ that we can draw upon – there is counsel, there is power, and there are divine words. As we look to Christ in his body we will receive these things and draw them out so we can be blessed (Proverbs 20:5). A singular person will not be able to overcome, the body of Christ is required for successful forward movement. Lone individuals will dry up, burn out, and be left on the wayside. The body together will move forward to inherit the land. This is the Lord’s requirement for forward progress especially in the end times – and it may not be easy. It will crucify our independence and self-reliance. But the only way successfully forward into the challenging future is in unity with the body of Christ.

The Lord Our Song

The Lord is our strength, and he is also our song. We sing about what we care about, about our dreams, and about what makes us happy. The world sings about sin, illicit love, revenge, and even demonic power. These songs that spew forth from the radio reflect the cares of humanity, and they further affect the subconscious minds of the masses, hypnotizing them with the spirit of this age. We need to tune these songs out and tune into the songs of God – spiritual songs from the Holy Spirit. We care about God because we know he is the most awesome, majestic, and amazing Person in the universe, and therefore he is our song. The Holy Spirit can cause a melody to bubble up in our hearts to God (Ephesians 5:19), and when our hearts are full of this song we will be full of joy.

Songs have become a very important part of many people’s lives, and they listen to songs almost all the time. We need to take this desire for a song and turn it to the Lord. A spiritual melody can be birthed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This holy song can sustain us throughout the day, and when we come together as a church, we can sing this melody and join together in a spiritual song to the Lord. This powerful symphony of voices to God will greatly edify the church.

The Lord is our Strength and he is our Song. 

We need the Lord to be our strength and song now, before the problem hits. If he is not our strength and song now, then we may not experience the level of deliverance we need later.

When he is our strength and song now, we will surely declare like the Israelites did, “He has become our Salvation!”

In the beginning, God placed Adam in a beautiful garden. This garden was full of delicious fruits, beautiful plants and flowers, precious stones, and rivers. God also planted a unique tree in this garden – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a portal to evil, but it was a beautiful tree. Like the other trees, it was full of delicious fruit. It was part of God’s good creation. But this tree was poisonous: God said if Adam ate of this tree he would die.

Why was this deadly tree even created by God? Why was it put in the middle of the perfect garden?

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was placed in Eden to make sure people had freedom to choose. People could choose to follow God or not. They could reject him if they wanted to. God values human free will so much so that he was willing to risk the loss of Eden in order for people to have free will. Free will was so valuable to God that it was worth the life of his Son.

Eve saw the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she desired it (Genesis 3:6). Her desire for that tree became so strong that she just had to have it. Finally she ate it.

Free will is powerful. Free will destroyed the garden of Eden. It ultimately killed Jesus Christ.

Our choices can unleash either life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19).

In the New Testament Jesus accentuated the importance of the freedom of our will. It is for freedom that Christ has made us free (Galatians 5:1). Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). God wants us to choose him so we unleash the cascading power of Life.

But people often choose to fulfill their own desires which brings death instead.

The Israelites in the wilderness really wanted some meat. For years they had only been eating manna, and they were sick of it. It was so boring – the same old thing day after day. They wanted some flesh to eat. They probably cried out to God: “Give us meat! Give us some flesh to eat!”

God had a timing for everything. He was going to bring them into the Promised Land, and then they would have plenty of good food. But they didn’t want to wait. They wanted to satisfy their desire NOW.

God saw their desire and heard their prayer. He gave them what they wanted, but sent leanness into their souls (Psalm 106:13-15). Sometimes a person may get what he wants, but it causes spiritual poverty.

God caused a wind to blow and rained quail down upon them. There was so much quail that it was over a couple feet thick (Numbers 11:31-35). The Israelites were overjoyed. They thought God answered their prayers and gave them just what they wanted. It was an undeniable miracle! They ran out of their tents and were swimming in meat. They gathered up the quail and began stuffing their faces with fat birds from heaven. 

But the judgment of God came upon them while they were stuffing their mouths. 

They died. Their strong desires killed them (see Psalm 78:25-31).

Strong desire can cause a person to not fulfill his calling. He might fall away from God in order to fulfill his desires.

Once Israel wanted a king. They saw other nations had a king, so they wanted a king too. They wanted a king to fight their battles for them.

God didn’t want to give them a king. He told them they would be oppressed and have many problems if they had a king. But they didn’t listen.

So God sent his prophet and gave them what they wanted. He selected a king for them. God did a supernatural work to bring this to pass. He sent his word and picked out a man to become their king. That person was taller than everyone else. He was good looking. It was a miraculous selection. But it was not God’s perfect will.

God may work miracles to help us fulfill our desires. Surprisingly, there may even be prophetic words to encourage us. 

But that doesn’t mean our desires are good.

Esau once wanted some food so badly he thought he would die if he didn’t get what he wanted. “If I don’t get what I want then I’ll die!” Maybe he thought, “If I don’t get what I want, then it shows God doesn’t care about me!” Statements like this show that a person’s desire has become dangerously strong.

Esau sold off his calling for a bowl of soup. Many people today abandon their high calling for something they desire. It may not be a bowl of soup, but something in their life has become too important – higher than God. 

After this, Esau became bitter. He knew he had made a bad choice that would block him from fulfilling God’s plan. He became angry. He wanted to kill his own brother! But he couldn’t go back from his choice. It was too late.

Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God giving people what they want – even working miracles to make it happen – but the fulfillment of these desires leads to their own destruction.

Why would God work miracles to fulfill a person’s lusts?

Sometimes a person’s desires may be so strong, that the only thing God can do is give them what they want. The fulfillment of this desire becomes a judgment on them.

Our God is a jealous God. He wants us to have strong desires for him. If a person’s desires for other things are too strong, then God may judge that person through a miraculous fulfillment of his own desire. 

God wants us to crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts (Galatians 5:24). We need to kill our overly strong human desires before they lead us away from God and destroy us.

We need to recognize and regulate our desires. We can do this through the Holy Spirit. The Bible will tell us what we need and what we don’t need. 

Desire the things of God rather than the things of the flesh. Desire God and his word. Desire to accomplish God’s purpose. Desire to build his church and fulfill your calling. Desire spiritual gifts. As we desire these things and seek first for his kingdom, he’ll give us everything else we need.

In the beginning, Adam’s wife Eve chose to disobey God and doomed the creation. But this isn’t the end of the story. At the end of the age, God’s holy bride will choose him in the midst of a broken and dark world. Through her obedience God’s kingdom will be unleashed, and the creation will be set free from the bondage of corruption. 

Then Eden won’t just be a small garden. It will be everywhere.

“The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

The Lord Jesus Christ became a life-giving Spirit after rising from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:45). After his resurrection he came to his people by the Holy Spirit. He still comes to us today by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus did not leave us alone as orphans, but he comes to us (John 14:15-21).

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of the Lord. The Lord is the Owner. The Lord bought us with his blood and now owns us, and we have become his property (Romans 6:22). Because God owns us, we are now free from all other owners, and we cannot be owned by any other master. To the extent that we obey our Lord Jesus, to that extent we will experience freedom from all other masters.

Freedom From What?

The Spirit of the Lord sets us free from slavery to sin (John 8:32-36). He sets us free from the penalty of sin, which is eternal damnation in hell. He sets us free from guilt and shame of sin, because he clothes us with his own righteousness. He frees us from tormenting thoughts and an accusing conscience because he forgives us of our sins. He frees us from the effects of sin because he is the healer of our souls and bodies.  He also frees us from slavery to sin, so that we can get the victory over sin (Romans 6:16). We do not have to keep on sinning. We can be free from the bondage of sin because of Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of the Lord also frees us from dead religion. Religious rituals bring death because they are based on human wisdom and therefore have no power to save. Religious liturgies prove the deadness of man-made religion because it is just saying the same thing over and over again. In any relationship, if we just say the same thing over and over again to the other person, this is not a very good relationship. We do not pull out our book of sayings in order to read someone else’s words repetitively to our spouse or good friend. Why would we pull out a book of liturgy in order to say rote things to God? To do this proves the deadness of our religious experience. We need life, and that comes from the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Lord also frees us from slavery to the world. We don’t need the world anymore, we need God. We don’t have to be slaves of what the world can give us, because we know that the things in the world are empty and will not satisfy. We need God. When we have him, we have all that we need.

The Spirit of the Lord frees us from slavery to the flesh. Before, we were slaves to the flesh, and we lived in the flesh in order to satisfy its lusts. But after trusting in Christ our flesh has been crucified with Christ, and our old man is dead. We do not need to live for the lusts of the flesh anymore. We live in the Spirit, not in the flesh; we live for God, not ourselves.

The Spirit of the Lord frees us from fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). Jesus died in our place. He rose up again, conquering death and giving us eternal life. If our bodies die, our souls will go be with God. This is not something to fear. This is something to look forward to. Since we are freed from fear of death, we are freed from many other fears which are closely related to the fear of death such as the fears of lack, disease, persecution, etc.

Removing Spiritual Veils

Many Jews were in darkness because their minds were blinded (2 Corinthians 3:14). When they read the Bible, they could not see Jesus Christ was the Messiah, so they didn’t believe the gospel and become saved. This is because there was a spiritual veil on their heart. When there is a spiritual veil over a person, he cannot see Jesus clearly and he cannot get free.

We are set free by the truth (John 8:32). In order for the truth to operate in our lives and actually set us free, we need to know and believe the truth. The word of God is the truth (John 17:17). The Holy Spirit will lead us into ALL truth (John 16:13). He leads us into all truth because he wants us to be completely free. The more truth we see, the more truth we can obey; and the more truth we obey, the more freedom we will experience. Veils must be removed so we can see clearly.

The truth sets us free from lies. Lies produce spiritual veils that block us from seeing our inheritance in God and who we are in Christ.

The Spirit of the Lord has come to teach us the word of God. This sharp sword of God’s word will cleanse our minds from the cobwebs of lies, unbelief, the world, and dead religion. He will renew our minds to see and believe the truth of God to set us free.

Where is the Spirit of the Lord?

The Spirit of the Lord is within the church, which means a church should minister freedom to people. In a Biblical church, the truth of God is taught and this will bring freedom. Truth has differing levels. Some truth is basic, and some is deep. Some truth is like milk, and some is like meat. Some churches teach more truth than others. The more truth is taught in a church, the more freedom the people in that church can have. Some churches teach false doctrine. False doctrine throws a veil over people that blocks them from seeing aspects of truth and puts them in bondage. Some churches minister more veils than truth, which is why some churches produce a lot of bondage. Churches are in various spiritual positions in relation to the Lord because they have varying levels of truth acceptance. A church must always press into more realms of truth in order to mature. At the end of the age, the bride of Christ will accept a full revelation of truth and thereby become the glorious counterpart of Christ in the earth.

The Holy Spirit is within the heart of the individual believer. This indwelling Holy Spirit will set us free. The Holy Spirit will lead us. When the Holy Spirit leads us to do something, we should do it. As we walk in the Spirit, we will experience more freedom in increasing areas of our lives. Sometimes obedience to truth in one area will lead to deliverance in another, seemingly unrelated area of our lives. 

Jesus came to set us free. He sent his Spirit into his church and into our hearts in order to set us free. We need to stand in the liberty that we have already experienced in the Lord and not go back into bondage (Galatians 5:1). We must also continue to press into new realms of truth as long as we are on this earth. 

God says to strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees (Hebrews 12:12).

Spiritually, when a person’s hands hang down and he has feeble knees, he is discouraged, tired, or might even be wanting to give up.

Hands do things. When a person has weak hands, he doesn’t do the things that he once could do. He doesn’t do what God has called him to do.

When a person has weak knees, he can’t stand. He is inconsistent and unstable. He is easily knocked over. A person with weak knees can’t walk well. To walk spiritually means to move forward and go where we need to go in God.  A person with weak knees is not able to move forward. He is stuck.

There are times in the Christian life when a person may feel discouraged. Maybe you are discouraged now or one of your friends is discouraged. 

God doesn’t want us to wallow in discouragement. He tells us to strengthen our weak hands and knees. We can rise up and shake off hindrances and weights. God wants us to have abundant life. The devil wants us in a dark pit of depression, but God wants us to be strong and recover. As we follow God’s instructions, the Holy Spirit will help us get out of the pit and be healed.

Sometimes we get hurt spiritually, and this causes discouragement. We might be offended by what someone did. Maybe someone sinned against us. We might have faced a bad situation and didn’t understand why it happened. Maybe we sinned. We developed a wrong way of thinking. 

Those who get hurt spiritually often try to deaden their pain with distractions, wrong relationships, podcasts, movies, shows, or sin. But ignoring spiritual pain or deadening it with our own version of spiritual Tylenol will make things worse.

Pain is a sign of a problem. Injuries need to be attended to quickly. Symptoms of pain must be addressed before the wound becomes infected. 

Those who are hurt spiritually will sometimes seek to avoid the means of their deliverance. They might stop reading the Bible. They may not pray much anymore. They will often avoid fellowship. These things would bring healing, but they avoid these things because Satan is trying to block them from getting healed. When we are hurt spiritually we need to come to God and to his house in order to find healing and help. Don’t collapse into a pit of darkness where wounds fester and get infected with dark spiritual bugs.

The Bible says we will be healed by making straight paths for our feet (Hebrews 12:13). The Lord’s path is straight. This narrow road leads to life, and we need to be on this road (Matthew 7:14). We need to focus on Jesus and the things that God has specifically called us to do. As we walk on this path, we will be healed.

The broad path of the world leads to destruction. This wide road is full of distractions, compromises, and bad relationships. We need to rid ourselves from these “options” and focus on God. We must seek first his kingdom. When we make God number one and weed out distractions, then we will be on the straight path of Jesus. This is the way of healing.

We must choose to make straight paths for our feet. No one can do this for us. God won’t force us to make the straight paths. We must do it ourselves. When we start to walk on the straight paths, the Holy Spirit will give us strength to keep going and we will be healed.

Once Jesus met a lame man who hadn’t walked for years. The lame man had no ability in himself to walk, but Jesus commanded him to get up and walk. As the lame man obeyed this seemingly impossible command of Jesus, he somehow stood up and started to walk. His response to God’s word unleashed divine strength, he was healed.

A discouraged person may feel so weak that he feels unable to do the right thing. He feels too tired and depressed to stand up and move forward. But as he begins to obey what seems to be an impossible command of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will enter into him and he will be healed. By beginning to walk on straight paths, he will be healed.

If we see that someone in the church is hurting and has started hobbling around, we can help them. Before they were running for God, but now they’re limping. When one member of the body of Christ hurts, everyone hurts. Reach out and encourage that person to get on the straight path.

There is infinite grace in God, and this grace heals us. This grace is enough for us to be spiritually healed from all wounds. Let’s access this grace.

Seek God for healing. Obey his word. Forgive others. Release them. Give up the world. Focus on God. Pursue his word. Call out to him in prayer. Seek to assemble with his people. 

Don’t live with a spiritual wound, hobbling around. Make straight paths for your feet and walk in those paths. As you do, the Holy Spirit will quicken you, and you will be healed. God said healing would happen, and he doesn’t lie.