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 Pastor Lucy Paynter Daily Insights

Pastor Lucy Paynter Daily Insights

By Lucy Paynter

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pastor-lucy-paynter/subscribe Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/pastor-lucy-paynter/subscribe DAILY INSIGHTS by Pastor Lucy Paynter Inspirational and Insightful
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Pastor Lucy Paynter Daily InsightsMay 26, 2020

00:00
03:09
Dealing With Curses ( Deliverance pt2)

Dealing With Curses ( Deliverance pt2)

Dealing with curses
Feb 14, 202430:08
Deliverance

Deliverance

Understanding Deliverance
- Deliverance is a divine act of rescue from life's challenges and afflictions.
- It involves total dependence on God for rescue, beyond physical limitations.
- The example of the children of Israel illustrates the concept of deliverance.

The Importance of Deliverance
- The Israelites were delivered from bondage in Egypt by Moses.
- Deliverance is still necessary in the present day due to spiritual bondage and warfare.
- Ephesians 6:12 highlights the struggle against spiritual forces beyond human comprehension.

Deliverance from Spiritual and Emotional Distress
- Deliverance is needed from spiritual bondage and emotional challenges.
- David prayed for deliverance from distress in Psalm 34:17.
- The Lord hears the cry of the righteous and saves those with a broken heart.

Deliverance from Emotional Distress
- In times of emotional distress, crying out to God for deliverance is crucial.
- The Bible assures deliverance when we call upon Him.
- Deliverance brings comfort and healing during challenges.

Deliverance from Physical Afflictions
- Physical afflictions include sickness and infirmities.
- The story of the blind man, Bartimaeus, illustrates the need for deliverance from physical limitations.
- Matthew 8:16 emphasizes the divine act of rescuing individuals from life challenges and bondage.

Jesus' Healing Power
- Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah.
- Physical afflictions and challenges were addressed through God's power of deliverance.
- Demons were cast out and the sick were healed through Jesus' word.

God is the Deliverer
- The Bible says that Jesus bore our infirmities and took our sicknesses.
- God is the deliverer, even if he uses people to pray.
- The Lord is our strength, rock, fortress, and deliverer.

Seeking Deliverance through Trust in God
- Importance of relying on God as the deliverer during times of spiritual, emotional, or physical challenges.
- God's deliverance exemplified in the Exodus story, where Israelites were freed from 400 years of bondage.
- Seeking deliverance involves trusting in God's strength and salvation.

Seeking Deliverance from God
- God is the ultimate deliverer and source of deliverance.
- Trusting in human beings or one's own strength is discouraged.
- God's reassurance, presence, and guidance should be relied upon in times of need.

Overcoming Fear and Seeking Deliverance
- Fear of defeat and challenges can hinder personal deliverance.
- The Lord assures us not to be afraid, as He is our deliverer and nothing is impossible with Him.
- Certain conditions and regulations need to be fulfilled for personal deliverance.

The Importance of Repentance and Turning to God
- Repentance and turning to God are crucial to avoid opening legal grounds for the devil's affliction.
- Balaam's inability to curse the Israelites despite Balak's sacrifices highlights the power of God's blessings.
- The book of Numbers 24 emphasizes the futility of witchcraft and sorcery against God's chosen people.

The Absence of Wickedness and Iniquity
- The children of Israel were protected from harm because they were free from wickedness and iniquity.
- The enemy, like ISIS, seeks loopholes to exploit and oppress.
- It is crucial to remain vigilant and prevent the enemy from finding any weaknesses.

Repentance and Refreshment
- Repentance and conversion are necessary for sins to be blotted out and for times of refreshing to come from God.
- Genuine repentance leads to the blotting out of sins, making it irrelevant for the powers of darkness to find fault.
- Repentance brings the promise of refreshment.

Repentance and Deliverance
- Genuine repentance can lead to deliverance from afflictions and bondage.
- Repentance blots out sins and prevents the enemy from having a hold.
- Leading individuals to repentance is crucial in prayer for deliverance.

The Significance of Repentance, Faith, and Trust
Feb 06, 202435:44
Battle Grounds For Faith

Battle Grounds For Faith

Battle Grounds For Faith
Jan 30, 202451:57
Test of Faith

Test of Faith

Test of Faith
Jan 23, 202427:25
Levels of Faith

Levels of Faith

Measure of Faith
Jan 19, 202450:10
The Just shall live by Faith

The Just shall live by Faith

The Just shall live by Faith.
Jan 09, 202441:34
The Making of Great Men pt 2

The Making of Great Men pt 2

Revival Revival
Oct 21, 202358:10
THE MAKING OF GREAT MEN PT1

THE MAKING OF GREAT MEN PT1

The great men of David.
Oct 21, 202338:33
Thy will be Done

Thy will be Done

They will be done

Oct 10, 202359:13
Battles Frontline Day 11

Battles Frontline Day 11

And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, And to the kings that were on the north of the mountains, and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west, And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth–maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining. And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he houghed their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire. And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe. As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; Even from the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal–gad in the valley of Lebanon under mount Hermon: and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses. And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities. There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
Joshua 11:1‭-‬23 KJV
Aug 09, 202318:12
BATTLES FRONTLINE DAY 10

BATTLES FRONTLINE DAY 10

Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. He and his people became very afraid when they heard all this because Gibeon was a large town—as large as the royal cities and larger than Ai. And the Gibeonite men were strong warriors. So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. “Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon. The men of Gibeon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal. “Don’t abandon your servants now!” they pleaded. “Come at once! Save us! Help us! For all the Amorite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us.” So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal and set out for Gibeon. “Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua, “for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.” Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibeon. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth-horon, killing them all along the way to Azekah and Makkedah. As the Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven that continued until they reached Azekah. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword. On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day! Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.
Joshua 10:1‭-‬15 NLT
Aug 09, 202313:29
Battles Frontline Day 9

Battles Frontline Day 9

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.” So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night with these orders: “Hide in ambush close behind the town and be ready for action. When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them. We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town. For they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ Then, while we are running from them, you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the Lord your God will give it to you. Set the town on fire, as the Lord has commanded. You have your orders.” So they left and went to the place of ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night. Early the next morning Joshua roused his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel. All the fighting men who were with Joshua marched in front of the town and camped on the north side of Ai, with a valley between them and the town. That night Joshua sent about 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the town. So they stationed the main army north of the town and the ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley. When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn’t realize there was an ambush behind the town. Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten. Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town. There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Point the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand the town over to you.” Joshua did as he was commanded. As soon as Joshua gave this signal, all the men in ambush jumped up from their position and poured into the town. They quickly captured it and set it on fire. When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers. When Joshua and all the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the town, they turned and attacked the men of Ai. Meanwhile, the Israelites who were inside the town came out and attacked the enemy from the rear. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle, with Israelite fighters on both sides. Israel attacked them, and not a single person survived or escaped. Only the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua. When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside. So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day—12,000 in all. For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed. Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the Lord had commanded Joshua. So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day. Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They p
Aug 08, 202314:31
Battles Frontline Day 8

Battles Frontline Day 8

But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah. Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.” So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?” But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. “In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the Lord will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the Lord will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the Lord will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come forward one by one. The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.” Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out. Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.” So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the r
Aug 07, 202315:42
Battles Frontline Day 7

Battles Frontline Day 7

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.” After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will
Aug 06, 202316:29
Battles Frontline Day 5

Battles Frontline Day 5

“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ “Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it. And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’ “The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’ And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. “When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword. But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you. Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. “But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God. “When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food. Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.
Deuteronomy 20:1‭-‬20 NKJV
Aug 05, 202313:28
Battles Frontline Day 4

Battles Frontline Day 4

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar. And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”
Genesis 14:1‭-‬24 NKJV
Aug 04, 202313:51
Battles Frontline Day 3

Battles Frontline Day 3

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
Genesis 4:6‭-‬15 NKJV
Aug 03, 202312:12
Battles Frontline Day 2

Battles Frontline Day 2

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:1‭-‬19 NKJV
Aug 02, 202312:26
Battle Frontline Day 1

Battle Frontline Day 1

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
Isaiah 14:12‭-‬20 KJV
Aug 01, 202312:03
BATTLES FRONTLINE

BATTLES FRONTLINE

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
James 1:2 KJV

For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’
Deuteronomy 20:4 NLT
Aug 01, 202307:46
Revelation of the New Things

Revelation of the New Things

“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 NLT
May 29, 202338:48
Reposition for the New

Reposition for the New

“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 NLT
May 14, 202337:05
Behold the New

Behold the New

“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 NLT
May 08, 202334:03
Splendor of His Holiness Day 5

Splendor of His Holiness Day 5

We are surrounded by both the visible and invisible tokens of the glory of God. His presence is undeniable even to the ignorant mind and apparent to us believers whose faces have been unveiled by the salvation and grace of our Lord Jesus. We have been invited to behold and to share in the communicable, comprehensible splendor of the absolute divine perfection of the Lord God. The glory of He that is clothed in grace and truth. The glory of He that is faultless. We are invited to know the infinite God by His truth. To know His love in our hearts. To be in contact with and experience His gracious aura. To know the Lord with certitude. By the blood of Jesus we are invited across the bridge of the flesh so that there stands nothing between us and our God. So that our spirits are enjoined with His. So that our hearts may know His heart. God has revealed Himself to us so that we may know Him, and know Him intimately.
It is in His nature to elevate His people. To lift them to levels where they can know and experience Him beyond man’s surface understanding of God. This is why the Bible is filled with people who had extraordinary experiences with God. People who got to see a side of God not many people in their generation got to see. And over the past four days, we have been reading of such an experience from Apostle John in revelation chapter 4. In verses 5-6, John says: From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. This is the extent of the power of God. And he invited a mortal. A mere man to bear witness to His glory in its fullness.
And this is the God we serve. A god who does not alienate Himself from us by virtue of being God. He initiates relationships with mankind. He says come and I will show you who I am. Walk into my presence and I will show you the secrets of my dwelling place. We are not strangers to Him and this is why He took Apostle John to the throne room and displayed the very symbols of His righteous power to him. The very tokens of the power of God that adorn His throne and symbolize His righteousness and judgment.
How majesty is He that sits on the throne! Imagine the sublime scene before Apostle John. The intense, glorious appearance of God. The Holy Spirit of God in His seven-fold dispensations. Imagine witnessing the omnipotence of the everlasting God firsthand! Both the manifestations of power and life. The awe and the fearful presence of the Lord and His calm, unremitting influences at the same time. I can imagine the overwhelming feeling in John’s heart when he stood by the shores of that calm crystal-like sea. The very symbols of God’s absolute counsel, His just, holy ways, and His pure love and righteousness. The manifest foundation of God’s throne on grace. You know, these phenomenon communicates the virtual unapproachability of God. The lightning and rumblings are like warning signs. Symbols of the terrifying holiness of God. This is enough to keep anyone away.
And yet the Lord says, come to me. Come and I will show you things never seen before by the eyes of man. And this is why we said at the beginning that God does not alienate us. He does not wish that we should remain as strangers with Him. In Genesis 33:18-19 when Moses beseeched the Lord to show him His glory, the Lord replied: “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. Moses wished that he may see the glorious majesty of the Lord; the brightness of His countenance; a manifestation of the Lord’s excellence. This was after Moses had been in the mountain with God. He had sought intimate communion with God. He thirsted for an even deeper acquaintance. He was earnest with God. And how does the Lord reply? The me
Apr 18, 202314:51
Battles Frontline Day 6

Battles Frontline Day 6

While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
Exodus 17:8‭-‬16 NLT
Apr 09, 202314:34
Matters of the Heart Pt.5

Matters of the Heart Pt.5

For the past four days, we’ve been talking about what we’re calling Matters of the Heart. You know, the heart, in this sense, is called the seat of emotions. It is the seat of will and intellect. The seat of understanding, intent, and thought. Now, if the heart is all these things, it only makes sense that it should be protected. That extreme care needs to be directed to this inner self. The heart, being the center and fountain of our actions, needs to be guarded. It needs to be protected. And to control our thoughts, intentions, and actions, this control needs to be exercised at the source and with more caution and vigilance than we do with our most precious possessions.
Our human nature draws us towards our blind impulses and avid desires and thoughts which heed to no law but that of their own satisfaction. And if these untamed tastes and predilections are not curbed and held in place, if they are not subordinated to our second nature, the nature of Christ, then every area of our lives will definitely be thrown into chaos. And this is why the Bible tells us in Proverbs 4:23 to watch over our hearts with diligence. To develop harmony between will and conscience. Our will needs to be governed because this is the only way we can control the tendencies of our nature, which is to seek gratification even against the most obvious
prohibitions.
The Bible is telling us to guard our hearts. To shield it from the world around it that is constantly appealing to its needs and desires. You see, a believer who does not watch over their heart, who does not rule over his own spirit is like a city without walls. Anything can come in or go out of that heart because it is not guarded. But remember we said yesterday that the heart and the mind of man are weak. It’s frail and wicked in nature. And so, someone might ask, how then are we supposed to watch over the heart of the watcher and the one being watched over are one and the same?
You know, putting our carnal mind to stay guard over the heart is no different than putting traitors guard over the fortress. The carnal mind is as weak as the heart itself. And so it needs to be anchored to something with a higher bar. Something that cannot be deflected by the frailty of the nature of man. A stable and fixed light that we can steer towards. A higher standard of right and wrong. A standard that cannot be warped, and perverted, or silenced by the energy flowing from without and within. And this standard is the word and the light of God. This is the standard we need to subscribe to and submit to. This is the only standard, the coercive power strong enough to oblige the heart of man.
It is the submission to the will and purpose of God that hands us the reigns over our own hearts. It gives us a new and stronger motive that stirs from within us an effort to tame our wills. And this is what keeps us from yielding to even the strongest charms and appeals of our hearts. Because we have an even mightier appeal, which is to let in and let out only what is pleasing before the eyes of the Lord. It is my prayer today that we may open ourselves to the world of the Lord. That we may let the Holy Spirit take possession of the heart He wills to defend. Because there is no other way by which the heart may be guarded but by that which is incorruptible. There is no other way that the heart of man can be tamed
but by submitting fully to the will and the purpose of the Lord. This is how we guard our hearts; by flooding it through and through with the inexpungible light of the word of God; by weighing it against a higher standard. The standard of He in whose name we are called, Jesus Christ.
Apr 05, 202306:24
BE THERE DAY 1

BE THERE DAY 1

And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and BE THERE: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Exodus 24:12 KJV
Mar 31, 202306:46
The Splendor of His Holiness Day 3

The Splendor of His Holiness Day 3


Glorifying God, requires us to connect with Him and to understand His holiness and character, and the significance of these things in a believer’s life. Exalting God’s glory is indeed one of the core goals of our salvation. We are made to glorify and enjoy God forever. His infinite perfections, His greatness and worth are the manifest beauty of His holiness that set Him apart and He has them in superabundance. His glory is more than a mere reputation; it is a solid, substantial quality. An embodiment of His essential nature that exists independent of anything else. His splendor is the essence of who He is. The infallible beauty of His spirit. These are the qualities of our God that the Bible talks about when reference to His splendor is mentioned. And we are called to do more than envision or form a mental picture of it; we are meant to experience this beauty.
You know, if you read the descriptions of the people in the Bible who beheld this beauty, it is always a description of something surreal. A beauty out of this world that even the writers seem to struggle to find befitting words for it. John the revelator says in Revelation 4:2-3: At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. John, here, describes the majestic form and appearance of the Lord and the emblem of His glory and universal dominion. Symbols of the divine and excellent nature of our God. Emblems of His wondrous justice and eternal covenant.
If you have read the parts of the scriptures written by John, you notice that he is always very particular with his descriptions of what he saw and experienced. There is barely anything that is lost to him. He is totally engrossed in his experiences. He takes in every sight, every expression, like a man looking straight into heaven. You cannot be this involved in an experience and ever forget its details. If you behold God in His throne like John did, that is an experience that is permanently impressed on you. Whatever experience you may have after that moment, however difficult your trials might be, you will always remember that the heavenly throne is not empty. It is rightfully occupied and the one who sits on it reigns supreme over everything. This is the fundamental truth and the essence of the divine experiences that God exposes us to. To give us assurance that He is our God: That we are not orphaned. This is the reason He invites us to His throne room. For us to behold the self-evident truths of His glorious existence, and to remind us that He is at the center of everything. To elevate us to a new level of confidence and conviction in our faith.
You know, this text carries on further evidence to what we have talked about in the past two days: That everything about and around the Lord testifies to His nature. John says that the one that sat on the heavenly throne was like jasper and ruby. Jasper especially the green one is one of the gems regarded as being both beautiful and agreeable to the eye and is therefore considered a symbol of divine consolation. The fiery color of ruby communicates both judgment and the dazzling appearance of the Lord and so the divine nature of God in His glory, justice, holiness and righteousness is represented in John’s vision. John witnessed the radiance of the glory of God and the setting of His throne as the center of sovereignty, power, and glory. He beheld the covenant of mercy. A testament that God limits Himself by His promises. That He is not man that He should go back on His word.
John tells us so much about the character, the nature and the splendor of the glory of our God in just two verses. And, yes, we may not see jasper and rubies and rainbows when we approach the throne of God in our worship but we sure are invited to the most beautiful of experiences. This is exactly what we sign up for when w
Mar 29, 202311:24
Battles Frontline Day 18

Battles Frontline Day 18

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths. Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory. Interlude
Psalms 24:1‭-‬10 NLT
Mar 25, 202316:08
Splendor of His Holiness Day 6

Splendor of His Holiness Day 6

I have heard so many people ask; is the God of the Old Testament the same God in the New Testament. You know, we believers say that our God, the God of Israel, is consistent. He is invariable in nature and the Holy Scripture speaks widely on this. But it is also irrefutable that in the Old Testament, God’s presence inspired fear. His glory was nothing short of terrifying. Boundaries often had to be set to keep people off and safe when He came down to them. There was a section of the temple that only the serving high priest was allowed to enter because the glory of the Lord dwelt there.
God’s presence was almost always signified by lightning, thunders, thick clouds, fire, smoke, earthquakes, and loud trumpet sounds and this terrified people. Everyone who witnessed these manifestations trembled to their cores. The writer of the book of Hebrews in chapter 12:18-21 reflects on these manifestations when he says: For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”
You have probably heard people say that our generation is living in the times of grace. Or that God is a little lenient with us than He was in the Old Testament times. But does this mean that God has changed over time? Our God is indeed a loving, patient God. But the absence of those dreadful events does not mean His presence is any less fearsome. His glory ought to be regarded with awe. He is still the Law Giver. He is still the eternal Judge. His power and holiness ought to terrify the hearts of men. It ought to inspire reverence for the majesty of God. And those who have beheld the highest physical manifestations of it understand that. This is why when the Israelites stood by the Mount Sinai and witnessed God in His full majesty they begged that no further word should be spoken to them directly. This is why Moses Himself says I trembled with fear!” They were terrified.
Although the Gospel that was delivered to us is kind and we are encouraged to approach God’s presence with boldness, it should never be lost to us that we are approaching the Almighty God. The mercy and resplendence; the sublimeness of the new covenant does not exempt us from the obligation of regarding the splendor and the power of the Lord with as much reverence as it deserves. The dispensation under the new covenant only gives us even more reason for allegiance and fidelity to God. The grace under the new covenant; the greater revelations following Christ should inspire more obedience in us than the law did for the Old Testament generations. It should win and hold our affections for God. It should prompt the deepest desires for righteousness.
We may not have something palpable; something material like a tempest or a mountain surrounded with smoke; or thunder and lightning to call us to attention when the Lord is among us because we have the Spirit of God who is able to reach beyond our external senses to give us an even greater experience; a better knowledge and understanding of our God that would over-awe our hearts. But the glorious privileges bestowed upon us by the Gospel calls for an even greater reverence for God.
The superior excellence of the Gospel to the law demands that we must be upright in our walk in the ways of our God. That we must hold the consideration for greater spirituality in our hearts. The doctrine of holiness must be at the core of our worship. We must learn to approach the presence of God; we must enter the holy of holies knowing that we are approaching the presence of the living God. Yes, we are heirs with Christ and we have been accorded the privilege of the first born through Him, but we must answer the call to join the g
Mar 20, 202314:30
The Splendor of His Holiness Day 1

The Splendor of His Holiness Day 1

Our God, in His very nature, is infinite. He is an eternal, self-existing God and by nature, beyond our imagination and comprehension. His thoughts transcend our own. His power transcends our power, his ways eclipse our ways and His wisdom by far outmatches our wisdom. The fullness of His essence surpasses any human experience. This is the nature of our God that makes Him deserving of all adoration and the glory in our praises. Our association with this greatness places upon us a special responsibility to proclaim His name, to praise Him, to edify the world and to lead the people to adore Him.
His love and grace, His justice and majesty are nothing short of beautiful. It is, without doubt, a terror to the wicked, but to the righteous it is a treasure. An irresistible drawing power that calls us from the darkest of valleys into an endless admiration. A constant delight for the heart that has tasted of the beauty of the Lord’s holiness. Our consciousness to the sublimeness and the splendor of His beauty becomes an invariable, a constant quality in our songs, in our lives, in what we say, and in the design of our worship.
It is this awareness that we see in David’s words in 1 Chronicles 16:27-30, when he says: Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
As we begin the series we’re calling “The Splendor of His Holiness”, we are going to dwell pretty much on this aspect of the Lord’s essence or nature and we will seek to understand what the Bible means by this phrase. You know, how does our own experience of this beauty influence our worship? How are we supposed to experience this beauty and how should this experience help us render to the Lord worship that is genuine and relevant, and transformative in our lives? How can we as believers transcend the mundane, fleshly realm of worship into the realm of the Lords splendor?
You see, we must rise above the realm of earthly blessings and realities. Above the visual and musical aspects of worship. Above the sounds and motions around us and into the realm of stillness where we can focus and behold the one on the seat of mercy in the fullness of His glory and strength. It’s only when we dive that deep in our worship, deep enough that we feel light enough to let go of everything that tethers us to the world, only then do we experience the splendor of His holiness in full. It is only when we reach into this realm that our reservations are broken and the conflicts within us resolved and only then can we say with the conviction that David had, that splendor and majesty are before our God. That strength and joy are indeed in His dwelling place. Because it is no longer a rumor. It is no longer something we have heard someone say. It is no longer something we read in the Bible; it is something we have beheld, an intimacy we have experienced.
You know, sometimes we read the Bible and imagine that such intense intimacy and experiences with God are mysteries of the servants and prophets of old and apostles like John the revelator. But the fact is, a way into this realm was opened for us when the Lord Jesus became flesh. A way that is lit by a worship rendered in spirit and in truth and we really are capable of experiencing this holiness the way they did. And when we embrace and appreciate the beauty and magnificence of it, how could we not be prompted to cry out with the heavenly beings that Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty?
We are not called to mere outward actions but to explore an even greater depth of worship. To reorganize our attitudes and submit to a higher standard of holiness and worship that makes it possible to walk in the footsteps o
Jan 28, 202309:56
The Secret Place Day 1

The Secret Place Day 1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalms 91:1 NKJV
Nov 29, 202207:03
Splendor of His Holiness Day 7

Splendor of His Holiness Day 7

It would sound very outrageous if someone were to claim that they are too good for God. That they are too accomplished to need God. But the truth is, even while they may not always make public proclamations of it, people sometimes act as if they do not need God. As if God is for a certain class of people. Sometimes we do feel like we are “too good” in our minds; as if God should be the one levelling up to our standards and not the other way round. We approach God with an unconscious indifference. Almost as if we have forgotten that He is the living, Almighty God. That He deserves and demands absolute reverence from us.
We have been reading from Revelations 4 over the past one week, and from verse 6b-7, John tells us that around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. Apostle John provides here a rather vivid description of the four creatures on both sides of God’s throne: And beyond their physical appearances, John’s description offers deep insight to the nature of these beings. He paints an image of super-intelligent creatures. Beings with great understanding given their heightened perception. This, on one hand, means that our worship must be reasonable and intelligent; that our worship must be informed by what we know about our God and that we must be willing to spend time in His courts. To understand and know Him more intimately so that our worship is not blind. On the other hand, this means that however excellent we, or anyone else, may consider us to be, there is no one among us that is too excellent to render worship to God. There is no created being so elevated that they are exempted from bowing before the living God.
John goes on to explain that one of the creatures had a face like a man, another like an ox, one like lion, and one like an eagle in flight, and all these creatures are representatives of their respective spheres of dominance. Each represents the magnificence of their kingdoms, yet all they take their place under the throne of God. Exalted as they are in the world, they recognize that there is a kingdom above all other kingdoms. With all their endowments, they discharge of their duty of worship before the living God. They acknowledge the majesty of God. They acknowledge God’s divine command and governance over all intelligence and wisdom and His dominance and strength over all that exists.
There is not a created being that is sufficient by itself. However courageous, however patient however prudent or wise we might be, our place is before the throne of the Almighty. We are created to render our services to our God. We are called to render worship before the throne of mercy. Even at the height of our blessings. Even at the height of success, our place is before our God. Our blessings are for His glory. We are elevated in status so that we may have even more reason to worship Him. Our blessings should not drive us further away from God. They should be employed in the service of our God whose dominion is absolute; whose design of things is for the purpose of drawing us closer to Him.
And John goes on to say from verse 8-11 that the four creatures never cease to say “Holy hoy holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the cherubim give glory to the Everlasting One that is seated on the throne, the twenty four elders fall down before the Lord God and cast their crowns before His throne saying “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” They never stop proclaiming the transcendence of the Lord. They never stop proclaiming that He is worthy of all honor. That He is worthy of power and glory. They spend all their time worshiping God.
Sep 09, 202211:46
Splendor of His Holiness Day 4

Splendor of His Holiness Day 4

We are talking about the splendor of our God’s holiness: And two days ago, we said that we do not approach the throne of mercy to only receive but also to render to the Lord the glory that is due to Him. But what exactly do we mean when we talk about receiving? What do we seek to get when we go to that place of glory? Today we are going to continue with Apostle John’s description of his vision of heaven. In verse 4 of Revelation chapter 4, John says that he saw twenty four thrones, and seated on these thrones were twenty four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
As you know, there were, or are, twelve tribes of Israel. And so someone might ask; ‘why twenty-four elders and not twelve?” My understanding of this is that the two sets of twelve allude to or represent the church of the Lord in its complete form. They represent both the past and the future. The union of the gentiles and the Jews. The patriarchs and the apostles. This is the united church that John was looking at. And the way John explains their sitting demonstrates a people who have been elevated to a state of honor. A people who have found their rest. A church that has found satisfaction in the presence of the Lord. It shows the relationship of this church to the Lord. Their closeness to Him and the joy they derive from the relationship. These are the fruits of our intimacy with the Lord. This is what we inherit from the Lord’s presence. There is honor in our salvation. There is rest in the Lord Jesus. There is a satisfaction in Him that we cannot get from anywhere else. A level of contentment that can only be felt when you are in the presence of the Lord. When you dwell; when you worship Him in the splendor of His holiness.
The next thing that Apostle John notices is how the twenty four elders are dressed. They were clothed in white garments. A symbol of both the attributed and inherent righteousness of that place and of those who dwell in the throne-room of the Lord. A symbol of not only how we should approach the splendor of God’s holiness but also the attributes it bestows upon us.
This is what we present before the Lord and also what is added upon, multiplied tenfold for us. And John goes on to say that the elders had on their heads crowns of gold; symbols of honor. Symbols of the authority and the glory that the saints have with the Lord. This is the greatness that we are called into. This is what we get when we walk with the Lord. This is what is promised those who dwell in the presence of the Lord. These are the gifts of this dimension and we have been made heirs of them with Christ. And not only in this life, but it is our inheritance in the everlasting kingdom of God.
This is our inheritance when we pay homage to our God. This is the place of those who have walked in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus. A place of special service to our God. A place of blessing and favor. A dwelling place where Christ walks among us because when we walk into the splendor of His holiness, when we walk in the glory of the Lord, we become a part of it. His righteousness rubs off on us. When we seek to understand the ways of our God, he infuses us with understanding. He elevates us to the level of the saints. He crowns us with honor. He makes us stable and fixed under His shadow.
This is the beauty of taking residence in the secret place of the Lord. Our relationship with our God is not a trial and error thing. His dwelling place is not just a place we need to frequently visit or pass through but a place we need to inhabit and settle in. This is the only place where our identity as believers is affirmed. It is only in the splendor of the glory of the Lord that we are assured of who we are in Him. We are supposed to dwell in it. We are called to live in it. And this calls for a permanent attitude. A choice to embrace and maintain the Lord’s standards of righteousness. A decision born out of absolute surrender. Out of willful yielding to the o
Sep 06, 202213:30
The Splendor of His Holiness Day 2

The Splendor of His Holiness Day 2


In our God, lies all that is glorious and beautiful. All that is elegant and beautiful. His elegance and transcendent excellence ought to make us regard Him with the highest veneration. Honor and majesty accompany His presence. The whole universe displays His glory. Justice, holiness and mercy light His courts. He adorns Himself in holiness. His very nature diffuses a pleasantness, a gentleness over those that dwell in His presence. These are the symbols of His style. The uniqueness that testifies to His praiseworthiness. These are the qualities of our God that the Bible, almost in its entirety, calls us to acclaim, to resound and bless our God for.
This is the wisdom in the psalmists’ words in Psalm 96:6-10
when he says: Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
And this is a constant theme throughout the Bible: that our God is worthy of praise from every created being. That we must recognize and declare, not as a people conferring a new attribute to God, but a people acknowledging his glory and strength. This is an imperative call. A call demanding compliance from God’s people to give Him both time and attention. To approach Him with absolute surrender and service. To present ourselves before Him, not just to receive, but to give the Lord the honor that is due His name and to acknowledge his just, holy and true nature.
The psalmist’s words are a call to us to present to the Lord an offering befitting the one true and living God. A holy, living and acceptable sacrifice. A sacrifice of prayer, of praise and a broken heart. A token of our own submission. This is what it means to worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness. To bring to Him what is due to Him because of His nature and perfection. To confess the Godness of our Lord Jesus and to worship God in the manner in which He Himself has prescribed. And how do we know what kind of worship the Lord demands of us? By being intimate with Him. By staying in constant contact with Him.
And this is why we said yesterday that we can never fully appreciate the splendor of His holiness until we have experienced it. And we cannot claim to have experienced it until we have lived in His presence. Until we immerse ourselves into the worship of the Lord without reservations. The testimony of our experience of the Lord’s holiness and greatness makes the matter and the motive of our worship because it does not leave a heart that has beheld it empty. The divine presence invokes a profound reverence for the Lord. It makes hearts tremble with awe. It breaths a life into our hearts. It triggers a provocation in a believer that cannot be contained until all we want to do is proclaim it to the world. To shout for all to hear that we have seen the goodness of the Lord. That we have seen His favor and mercy. That we have tasted of the Lord and we know that He is good.
This is why the psalmist says in verse ten of the text we have read today; Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! This proclamation comes after the people have worshiped the Lord in all His splendor. After they have experienced the fullness of His glory. And this draws the implication that it is only where the Lord reigns that He can be worshiped in spirit and in truth. That the profession of our faith relies deeply on our worship. We proclaim and invite people into a kingdom that we have dwelt in and whose goodness we have experienced firsthand. Our experience of the Lord’s goodness, His majesty, and holiness lays the foundation for our testimony.
You see, you cannot walk in the splendor of His holiness and stay the same because it is a life-altering, a chain-breaking, freedom-giving presence
Sep 02, 202210:56
Battles Frontline Day 19

Battles Frontline Day 19

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Revelation 12:7‭-‬11 NLT
Jul 18, 202210:44
Battles Frontline Day 17

Battles Frontline Day 17

Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.
1 Samuel 17:41‭-‬51 NLT
Jul 14, 202214:27
Battles Frontline Day 16

Battles Frontline Day 16

Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:38‭-‬40 NLT
Jul 13, 202207:07
Battles Frontline Day 15

Battles Frontline Day 15

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
1 Samuel 17:23‭-‬37 KJV
Jul 12, 202214:39
Battles Frontline Day 14

Battles Frontline Day 14

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jeremiah 1:5‭-‬10 KJV
Jul 08, 202211:48
Battles Frontline Day 13

Battles Frontline Day 13

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:3‭-‬5 KJV
Jul 07, 202211:06
BATTLES FRONTLINE DAY 12

BATTLES FRONTLINE DAY 12

Ephesians 6:12 MEV

For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Jul 06, 202210:26
Matters of the Heart Pt 9

Matters of the Heart Pt 9

I’m sure we’ve all gone through that time when people make unfair judgment about us. You, know, you’ve been months without a job and people assume you’re just lazy, or you make a mistake and people assume it was intentional… it hurts. You wish people understood you. But are we any different from them? We put people through the same thing every day. We make snap judgments and assumptions, we stereotype people even when we know nothing about what’s going on in their lives.
We so often reduce people to a handful of characteristics. We label them without consideration for their circumstances. You see, there is enough pain and bitterness for every heart. The distress of the conscience and the anguish of mind can only be known by the person going through it. And this is why the Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:10 that only the heart can know its own bitterness and no stranger can share its joy.
You know, we can say that we understand because we’ve probable seen someone in a similar situation or we ourselves have been there, but people are as unique as snowflakes. It takes a lot of sympathy and open-mindedness to fully appreciate the depth of the pain and the height of the joy in the heart of another person. Our sorrows and joys are in their entirety beyond the insight of strangers. There is no one in so intimate a relationship with us that they can perfectly put themselves in our shoes to feel what we feel. It’s only Jesus, who put himself up to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows has that capacity.
And so what does this mean for us as brethren, as people yoked together to Christ? How then do we deal with the ultimate solitude of each other’s souls? You see, we need to develop a great deal of sensitivity and tolerance towards each other because there is always more than meets the eye. Hearts are breaking right in front of us. Someone is crumbling down in the midst of that brotherly after-church hug. But are we close enough to feel it. Are we close enough to each other that they can share their burdens with us without fearing that we’ll judge them? Have we ourselves established a relationship intimate enough with our brethren that we know we have someone to lean on? Someone we can share both the joys and the pains in our hearts? Has anyone gained your confidence enough that you have the desire and the courage to share your heart even to the very depths of it?
Yes, we may never fully grasp the burden of another’s heart, but we must keep our hearts and arms open for them. We must practice sympathetic empathy with each other. We must learn to slow down and look deeper, to listen better, to care more about what’s going on in the lives of our brethren. We must learn to open our hearts to the love of others. To reciprocate with love and trust when it is offered to us. May we strive to never censure the grief of others when we have not made any attempts to understand the heaviness of their blows.
We have a responsibility towards each other as parts of the same body. The Bible tells us in Galatians to carry each other’s burdens, and in this way we will fulfill the law of Christ. The word of God obliges us to mutual forbearance and compassion towards each other. This is the law of love. It is the law of brotherhood. May we be one in our griefs as in our joys. May we reach out with open arms and open hearts. With trust, with tolerance, and without judgment in Jesus’ mighty name.
May 25, 202206:44
Matters of the Heart Pt 8

Matters of the Heart Pt 8

We live in a world where everyone is trying to maintain an image of themselves. Whether real or imagined, I think we all want to be known or to be remembered for something. And I think we could agree that under the right conditions, who or what we are eventually comes out. Whether you’re a bad person pretending to be good or a good person pretending to be bad, the right circumstances, the right conditions eventually draw the real us out. The feelings and thoughts in our hearts eventually become evident through our words and actions. The truth is, we try as much as we do to maintain certain characters and images of ourselves because what others think of us matters to us.
But as believers, what we know about ourselves, our affections, our intentions, our thoughts and feelings also counts because that’s what the Lord searches for. That is what He weighs us by. And this is why we’re talking about matters of the heart because at the end of the day, this is what matters. But the fact is, sometimes we look inside and all we see is what we have painted and justified on that internal mirror as true. We put so many layers of paint on that internal mirror that it can no longer reflect back our real selves to us.
We flood our hearts and conscience with so much noise that it cannot echo back what really lies within us. We mask our intentions, our thoughts and feelings until we can no longer tell which ones are true. But the Bible tells us in Psalms 27:19 that as water reflects back a man’s face, so does the heart reflect man to himself. And this is where I want us to focus our talk today. How do we examine and judge our own character? You know, how do we defog the looking glass that is our heart so that it does not reflect back a distorted image the way turbid or disturbed water does?
You know, when we become believers, when we let the Holy Spirit take possession of us, that is when the defogging process begins. Because we get a new standard, a higher standard, like we said the other day, to weigh ourselves against. The spirit of God, the word of the Lord, becomes the silver backing of our hearts, a medium of vision through which we can see our own true selves. A medium through which we can discern our sins and the plague of our hearts. The spirit of God sets a true light before our hearts.
You know, we said the other day that the human heart is wicked. Our wills are averse and our consciences defiled. And so it’s only when we weigh ourselves against the word of God and the counsel of the Holy Spirit that we can really discern our sins. It’s only by having the word of God as a standard that we can get a clear echo of the condition of our hearts. It’s the only way we can get a true understanding of how our hearts are. And this understanding, this discernment is what underlies genuine, conscious repentance. It’s my prayer that we may have the grace to open ourselves to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. That we may be able and willing to look deep into ourselves for what contradicts the will of the spirit of God. That we may be led by truth in our assessment of ourselves. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
May 12, 202206:29
Matters of the Heart Pt 7

Matters of the Heart Pt 7

Yesterday we read from the book of psalms where David prayed that the Lord creates for him a clean heart and a steadfast spirit. And we said that the reason for this prayer, was because he did not just want to simulate virtue or appear to do right before people. He wanted a genuine change of heart. That his morals and virtues may be founded in God. He wanted something we all wish we could have every time we mess up. A fresh start. A clean slate. And psalms 51:17 paints for us a picture of the heart that was making this request for a clean heart. David says that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart. And God does not despise such a sacrifice. You see, the kind of prayer that David made in verse 10 is not made in a vacuum. Just because we have that provision from God as His children to ask for a clean slate does not mean that God is just sitting there waiting to dish out new hearts every time we mess up. Such a prayer needs to be accompanied by a genuine desire for change. By a conviction of the heart. By humble and penitent faith.
A prayer for penitence or forgiveness is an offering; a sacrifice of the broken heart and remorseful spirit. Such sacrifice requires more than the external sacrifice of simply giving up the old ways. It is not just a formality. David offered his broken heart and a fully penitent spirit first, and only then did he follow up with external acts of penance. Internal repentance always comes first. The spirit must first be emptied of all vainglory confidence. It must be brought to acknowledge that it is empty without God. The inner man, the mind, and the will must be transformed first. They must be humbled. They must be drawn into submission before God, before He can remake them. The heart must first become tender and pliable to the word of God.
The soul must accept to bear the burden of conscious guilt until it is broken. Until it is melted down and subdued under the sense of God’s displeasure. It must thirst for reconciliation with God. A broken heart mourns for its sinfulness. It does not seek to lessen its guilt. It acknowledges its sin. It calls it by its right name. It melts at the thought of the pardoning grace of the pierced and wounded savior. This is the kind of heart, the kind of sacrifice that the Lord says He does not reject. This is the kind of heart that mercy lifts up. The kind of heart that the Lord regards and accepts with pleasure. The kind that He binds up and mends. The kind of heart that He looks upon. The kind of hearts that the Lord looks to come and dwell among. This is the kind of heart, the kind of spirit that we should present before the Lord. He looks upon such hearts with favor. May we desire to have such hearts. To approach the Lord in our brokenness and bereft of our own self-importance that we may receive in full the joy and gladness of His salvation. That we may fall upon His tender mercies and grace knowing that He shall not turn us away. In Jesus’ mighty name.
May 11, 202206:39
Matters of the Heart Pt.6

Matters of the Heart Pt.6

One of the reasons why we are talking about matters of the heart this month is so that we may develop a consciousness, a conviction that will lead us to see the impurity of our hearts and nature. We have said over the past couple of days that the affections, the feelings and thoughts of the carnal mind are corrupted. They alienate us from God. And to rid ourselves of this veil, we would need to have our affections and thoughts made right. We would need to have the crudeness of our hearts replaced by something better. Something that is firm in the purposes of righteousness. Something that is steadfast in the service of God that it will not yield to the temptations we have yielded to before. We need something new. A new heart. The kind of heart that David hungered for when he said in Psalms 51:10, create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.
You see, David looked back at his life and realized that he had been wrong all along. He had a wrong spirit. He had a wrong attitude. And he needed a new one. A new heart and spirit that would be more faithful to God than the inclinations that drew him away from the Lord. He needed a clean implantation of grace. A clean installation of faith. And this is why, after realizing how far away he had wandered from God, he sought a radical change of heart and spirit. He desired to have a heart that however hard it was assaulted by temptation, it would remain fixed and resolute in its allegiance to God. He prayed for a renovation of his inner essence. Of both his mental and moral nature.
He did not just ask that he be forgiven of his sins. He did not just ask that he be changed so that he does not follow his old path anymore. He desired something more. Something deeper than a mere change of heart. He did not just desire to be separated from sin, he wanted to be separated for God. To have a relationship with Him. To have the spirit of God dwell in him so that his would be a conscious devotion to God. You know, so often we seek after outwardly change. We stop doing the wrong things that we were doing. We so often seek after the constructs of human conduct and goodness or what we call morals or virtue without necessarily committing to God. But we see that David’s plea was to be led back to the path of righteousness. That he does not just have a change of conduct. His prayer was that the Lord may lay a new foundation in his heart. A clean heart and a steadfast spirit!
David was yielding himself to be God’s instrument. He understood that he could do what was right by men and simulate virtue the way irreligious moralists do. But the blossom of this would still be vain because the only true perfection of morals and virtue is that which is founded in the spirit of God. And this is what we pray for when we pray for a clean heart. This is what we plead for when we pray to be filled with the holy spirit of God. To be changed not just to appear right before the eyes of men, but that we may stand right and justified in the sight of God. To be possessed through and through by the spirit of God. To bear fruits that are evident of the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit.
May 10, 202206:27
Matters of The Heart Pt.4

Matters of The Heart Pt.4

We said a few days ago that the affairs of the heart are open to the gaze of the Lord. There is nothing therein that is hidden from Him. All the complexities and subtleties of our hearts are known to Him to the tiniest details. You see, the muddles and devices of the human heart when it is not rooted in God are not to be entirely trusted even by he that holds them. Our hearts are not just weak and frail, they are wicked and deceitful. Even when we think that we are on the right, there still lies sin in our hearts. More than we are aware of. Our hearts, in their apprehension of things, are deceitful in nature. A man’s heart is capable of coloring things to fit its

narrative. It declares to those to whom peace does not exist that there is peace. A  heart lures one to their ruin.

This is the state and the nature of the human heart. And it is impossible for someone to search their own heart through all its windings to reveal what is at the very bottom of it. No one can neither fully know his own heart nor that of his neighbor. It is unsearchable. And this is why the Lord tells Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 17:9-10 that the heart of man is deceitful above all things. That none but the Lord can understand its motives. None but the Lord can search and know the mind of man.

Only the Lord is fully acquainted with the affairs of the heart and mind of man. The thoughts and designs, the counsels and intentions the affections and determinations of humankind are only fully open to the inspection of the Lord. It is only He that can pass a just judgment on what He discerns. It would be to fool ourselves if we think we can rely on our own righteousness. And it’s my prayer that we may be cautious of the inclinations and direction of our hearts.

May the Lord give us the grace to challenge our own hearts and minds and to judge them by the measure of God's truth. May we have the wisdom to trust God's testimony on the matter of our hearts because it is only from Him that we can receive instruction by

which we can measure ourselves.

You see, the truth is that the only way we can truly escape the deception of our own hearts and minds is by abiding in the Lord because the heart that is alienated from Him is sick and unreliable. Yes, sin has made a mark in our hearts even with the depth of a diamond point, but we have been called and grafted to He that can overwrite those marks. Yes, we live under constant temptation from without and from within. But we have been called to drink from the fountain that purifies the heart. And it’s my prayer that we may desire to drink from the very fountain of righteousness. That its waters may flow even to the deepest ends of our

hearts and rid them of all deceitfulness. That the light of God’s word may shine even to the darkest corners of our hearts until no shadow of wickedness is left therein.

May we surrender to Christ. May we let Him dwell in our hearts so that we may be rooted and grounded in Him that is righteousness itself. He died and rose so that the old self may die and we may receive a new nature. He was stricken so that our hearts may be healed. May we lean on Him. May we let Him search through our hearts and uproot all that is of the old nature until we are in sync with His nature. Until our will, our intentions, and thoughts are in sync with His. Because only then are we safe from the deceptions of our own hearts.

May 05, 202207:45
Matters of The Heart Pt.3

Matters of The Heart Pt.3

I don’t know if you have ever looked at someone; maybe they are being recommended for a certain position, or you have heard something about someone and you’re meeting them for the first time, and the moment you lay your eyes on them, you’re like they definitely look the part! You see, we often make the mistake of judging people by their appearances, or the uncommunicated impression they make. It’s a natural inclination, a natural fault in us because we cannot read the secrets of another’s heart. But the sad thing is that the value we attach to semblance in this generation is almost to the level of idolatry.

But not everyone that has a noble aspect has a noble spirit. And this doesn’t just apply to our judgment of the rest of the world. We make the same error of judgment even towards ourselves. Sometimes we also hold ourselves in such high regard that we manage to convince ourselves that we’re doing okay. We listen to what everyone else says about us and let it get into our heads that we are without error. We blind ourselves to the faults in our faith. To the faults in our relationship with God. Because we have projected a certain image to the world and the world reflects it back to us.

But we said that this month we’re addressing the state of our hearts. We want to pursue something deeper

than countenance and stature. We are seeking to polish not just how we look in everyone else's eyes but who we are. Our concern is how we appear before the God who judges men by the heart. Our question this month should be, can God esteem us by the goodness of our hearts? Is He pleased with the inward condition and the endowments of our minds? Does our outward briskness and liveliness match what is within our hearts?

You see, the Lord looks deep into the core of our hearts. His light searches deep for the integrity, the mercy, and goodness that is expected of those that have the fear of God in their hearts. And this is why He cautioned Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, against

looking for the countenance and stature of the man that was to be king because He, the Lord looks at the heart. He looks at the raw potential. That which cannot be dressed up to look pretty. He looks at what one is. He measures someone on a different scale. He looks for the part of us that identifies with Him.

The part that does not change whether we’re stripped down or added to. That which we cannot conceal from Him even if we managed to conceal it from the world. He searches for the foundation of our lives. And so as we continue with the discussion on the Matters of the Heart, I want us to ask ourselves; what sort of hearts do we have? If

your heart was laid bare before the Lord, what would He find there? What lies in the closet of your soul? Beyond the peripheral things and the externals of this life, who are you? Is God satisfied by the condition of our hearts? Would God vouch for who we are on the inside?

It is my prayer today that we may seek to be right in the sight of God. That we desire to develop the kind of spiritual character that God is looking for. The kind of love for God and attachment to righteousness that sets us apart. That disposition of the heart where everything else becomes subordinate to God. May we desire to have hearts that are set upon truth and righteousness. Hearts that are set

upon God. Hearts that are right with God. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

May 04, 202207:11
Matters of the Heart Pt.2

Matters of the Heart Pt.2

Some of the most basic components of identity include language, values, customs and expectations of the world around you. You see, when you say you’re an American, there are those things that people automatically ascribe to you. When you say you’re an African, an Asian, there are those things that people, expect you to be familiar with or to be doing. Some biases and assumptions. Identity inspires in us a sense of who we are and who we relay to others that we are. Our identity forms a stable core and an anchoring point to our individuality and values. And that identity or in other words, who we are, is what determines what we do.

We are doing a study in Tweens and

Teens this Season and one of theme focuses on Identity.

If you read the book of Samuel and Psalms, or anywhere else that David is mentioned, you’ll realize that he was not called a man after God’s own heart for no reason. As imperfect as he was as a man, David is portrayed in the Bible as a kind man, a generous and noble man. He was a repentant man. A man who had unwavering faith in God. Psalms 78:72 describes another character of this man, and this is what I want us to talk about as we continue with this month’s topic of Matters of the Heart: he is described as a man of integrity, who governed Israel, by the skillfulness of his hands.

David aimed at nothing else but the glory of God during his reign. Integrity and the fear of God were the maxims of his government. This was a man who was humbled first before he was exalted. His beginnings were as small as it could get, but at the height of his achievements, the heart he had when he was a shepherd did not leave him. This is a man whose character was shaped by his relationship with God. He remained upright before God, never swerving in heart from the obedience of God. He was sincere in his allegiance to God and he shepherded His people with an honest heart.

He avoided and abhorred the counsel and courses that were contrary to the

will of God. He acted in singular prudence and sought the good and welfare of his people. He did not seek his own honor and interest or the advancement of his family. David fulfilled his vocation with a pure heart. He realized God’s design and followed it to his last day.

As we talk about matters of the heart this month, I want us to assess our hearts and ask ourselves if our hearts can be described in the manner that David’s heart was described. Does our relationship with God inspire a sense of identity in us? Does what we relay to the world reflect a people who know God? You know, we said at the beginning of today’s podcast that our identity is what determines what we

do. Our values, our thoughts our actions… all these are anchored to a certain core. And if that core is not stable, if what lies in our hearts is not founded in God, we can only maintain some characters for some time before we slide back to our real selves.

And so I want to challenge us today. Let us desire to have the kind of heart that David had. A heart that seeks for nothing less than the glory of God. A heart that has unwavering faith in God. May we desire to let our relationship with God shape our characters. Until those who interact with us can say these are a people of integrity. This is a man, a woman with an honest heart. This is a young man,

or a young woman whose obedience and allegiance to God has not wavered because what is in their heart is solid. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

May 03, 202206:25
Matters of The Heart Pt 1

Matters of The Heart Pt 1

“Matters of the Heart.” You know, the heart, the soul contains layers of thoughts, feelings, and intentions; some are known to us, and some are not really conscious of.

The depth and detail of one's character are so far-reaching that we sometimes don’t even understand our motivations, interests, purposes, and plans. Sometimes we don’t even understand our own decisions.

And this is why David, in Psalms 139:23-24, got to that point in life

where he realized that he didn’t know himself that well. So he figured out that he needed someone who knew him better than himself. One who could be trusted to search him. To know him at the deepest levels.

Let that sink, David knew that he could not afford to content himself with generalities. He knew the danger of giving himself over to the judgment of self-delusion. And so he gathered himself before the divine light of God that it may penetrate even to the deepest ends of his heart. He laid his heart bare, before God, with all its outward manifestations. He desired that the divine light may penetrate him and cleanse him of all that cleaved onto him that was evil.

And this is the prayer we see in verses 23 and 24: the prayer and the yearning of a devout heart that craves nothing short of purity.

A heart that wants to be separated from its former times and ushered into the way of endurance. The way of righteousness. The way everlasting way of God.

And this is the desire I seek to stir in us, to have in our lives as believers. A desire for righteousness at any cost. A desire so deep that even when we’re conscious of our fallen nature, we can still go before the Lord with a longing for His light and ask Him, “Search me, O Lord. To the deepest parts of my heart. Search even to my inmost self. I know you will find evil in there, but

such me still”. You know this is more than a desire. It’s a frank acknowledgment of the state of our hearts. It’s a confession. It is a bold acceptance of a terrible fact to the carnal mind. The fact that God knows us altogether. That He sees what lurks at the center of our being. Yes! He sees all that lurks within us. But He looks not with an eye of condemnation. Instead, he looks with a loving eye.

This is the secret that the psalmist knew. The conception of his relationship with God was evident, and this is why he was willing to turn himself inside out before Him. This is a demonstration of confident love. A love that knows it is surrendering to

the greatest of loves. This is the prayer of a heart that knows its sinfulness and is willing to submit it to the heart that bears it all away. This is a heart that’s willing to submit to the search process. Not so that the God who knows all may know something new. But that the man may know the condition of his own heart. Even what lies hidden from his conscious mind may be unveiled until he is no longer ignorant of it. This is a prayer for enlightenment even to the sins we may consider minute. It is a prayer for deliverance. Pray with me now.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Amen. Shalom

Pastor Lucy Paynter with your Daily Insights Matters of the Heart Part 1.

May 02, 202207:23