Posts Tagged ‘ Judgment ’

Tweets & Rants 12 March 2013: Matthew 24:36-51; Romans 7:1-25; Psalms 57-58; Numbers 23-27

remains locked in this perpetual internal war between his flesh desires and the will of God. Rom 7:22 @WeeManWest

Matthew 24:37 Am I the only one who finds it interesting that Jesus compares His judgment coming against Jerusalem to the days of Noah and mentions specifically, marrying and giving in marriage? We mustn’t forget the story of the Nephillim and the rebellion against God they invoked among mankind.

The theme here is that life went on as usual without a thought toward God. The focus of existence was on what to do rather than on the worship of God. So it was in Noah’s day, so it was in Jerusalem’s last days.

Matthew 24:41 In Noah’s day, who was taken away from the earth and who was left on the earth? The wicked were taken from the earth in the flood and Noah was left on the earth to repopulate it in his new covenant in which he, in a sense, inherited a new heavens and new earth.

In the coming of the Son of Man in judgment against Jerusalem and Israel the unbelieving among Israel and Jerusalem were taken along with the old covenant system and who was left? The church and the new covenant!

Matthew 24:48 We should live the opposite of the days of Noah. Our existence should be God-centered…though He may tarry…we should live daily with Him on our minds and in our hearts.

Romans 7:4 It’s quite clear that either we are alive under the Law, or we have died and been resurrected into a life that is not under the Law but instead under the Spirit in Christ Jesus.

Romans 7:11 The Law creates our awareness of what is right and wrong. Sin seizes upon the opportunity to lead us into unrighteousness. The Law exposes what sin is already doing in us. In order to be free from both we must die in Christ.

Romans 7:15 We have each been in that place in which we have thought to ourselves, “why in the world did I just do that?” Sin still lurks in our flesh seeking to trap and enslave us to its will.

Romans 7:22 We delight in the law of God and in the goodness of God and yet within ourselves we are at internal war with our flesh that seeks to impose against the good things God is doing in us and turn us to captivity to sin.

Psalm 57:1 Has God truly become our refuge? Are we fully vested in Christ Jesus or are we holding back, still dependent upon our own skill and ability?

Psalm 57:5 In all that we are we should seek that God would be exalted.

Psalm 58:1 Wicked people find it impossible to be righteous in their judgments. We will note, just from the political processes of our day, that instead of justice and equality our leaders instead favor one group over another for political gain.

Psalm 48:11 The reward for the righteous is knowing that one day God will settle accounts with mankind. Justice will come.

Numbers 23:8 God alone has the sovereign authority to bless and curse.

Numbers 23:21 We must keep note of this statement for Balaam was quite certainly paying attention to it when he instructs Balack in order to still turn a profit on this venture.

Numbers 25:3 Israel was to be the covenant executioner of the Moabites for such activities and now instead has joined with them in these activities.

Numbers 25:11 Phinehas was jealous with a godly jealousy for the worship of His name alone and put an end to the plague and as such would secure the priesthood to his family.

Numbers 25:18 The Midianites are to be destroyed for having acting so deceptively among the Israelites.

Numbers 26:2 Now, 40 years later, that all the prior wicked generation has been removed (probably the last vestiges wiped out in the plague), it is time to muster up the army for invasion.

Numbers 27:18 Moses is soon to die and is going to appoint Joshua, a man full of the Spirit, to lead Israel into the promised land. Joshua and Jesus have the same Hebrew name.

Moses (the Law) can only bring us to the promised land, we need Joshua (Jesus) to bring us into the promised land. The Law makes us aware of sin and righteousness, Christ provides our righteousness and deals with our sin.

2013
03/12
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Tweets & Rants 10 March 2013: Matthew 24:15-35

has but one word of caution to the church when reading Matthew 23-24 and that is to heed the warning of Romans 11:21-22! @WeeManWest

Matthew 24:16 We cannot miss the specificity of this command. Those who are in Judea. That is a specific place in which Jerusalem and the Israelites lived in Jesus’ day. This enforces the context from Matthew 23 and Matthew 24:1 that Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem that they would indeed see happen in 70AD.

Matthew 24:18 Jesus’ instruction was that when these things begin to occur in Jerusalem the only option will be to flee for their lives. They will have to forsake everything if they hope to survive.

Such isn’t a bad principle to apply to ourselves today. Would we be able to leave all of our possessions behind if our lives depended on it?

Matthew 24:27 Jesus is talking about His coming in covenant judgment against Israel and Jerusalem. He is not speaking of His return. The Roman armies invaded from the east, instead of the more natural west.

Matthew 24:28 Two notes here. Jesus is prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem. He is letting His listeners know that indeed Jerusalem would be full of corpses and that that vultures/birds of prey.

However, another note is that the word in the Greek used here is the word for eagle. Eagles don’t happen to go after carrion, yet the eagle was the Roman Military standard. The “eagles” on the roman standards (flags) would surround Jerusalem before it would be destroyed. Luke says this very thing in his account of Jesus teaching.

Matthew 24:29 After the tribulation of those days, the days of vengeance in which Jerusalem would be left desolate and full of corpses surrounded by birds of prey, we immediately see a reference to both a literal and symbolic understanding.

The sun, moon, and stars would be blotted out by the fire that would engulf Jerusalem as Rome burned Jerusalem to the ground. Anyone who has been close to a fire at just one location should be acquainted with smoke’s ability to block out the sun. I recall how dark it was in New York City in the days that followed 9/11 as that cloud of smoke covered the city.

Imagine what impact the smoke of an entire city being burned down would have on the sky. Enough of an impact that the sun, moon, and stars would be unseen until the city was burned down.

The symbolic reference requires us to understand the symbolism in Scripture of the sun, moon, and stars. In order to get this understanding we must return to the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis.

When God created the ‘lights in the expanse of the heavens’ He designed them to “be for signs’ (Genesis 1:14) and they were also to ‘give light upon the earth’ (Genesis 1:15) so we should recognize the immediate symbolism.

Then two great lights are made, a greater one to ‘rule the day’ and a lesser one to ‘rule the night’ (Genesis 1:16) and a reason for their ‘rule’ is given in that they are to (Genesis 1:18) ‘rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.

What we see is the symbolic picture presented to us in the sun, moon, and stars as the religious authorities put in place so ‘rule’ and ‘separate the light from the darkness’.

Then we arrive at Joseph’s story.

Joseph dreamt that the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed before him. Jacob (Israel) realized the dream represented himself, his wives, and his children bowing before Joseph.

Israel, given authority by God to shine its light in the world, lost its place of authority in the kingdom and was shaken and darkened in its day of covenant judgment in 70AD.

Matthew 24:30 The sign of the Son of Man appears. What is the sign? It is the great cloud of smoke raised up as Jerusalem is burned to the ground. He is coming on the clouds of judgment. Those clouds are dark clouds of billowing smoke as the city was burned to the ground by the Roman armies in 70AD.

At this billowing plume, all the tribes of the land, specifically the tribes of Israel, will mourn when they realize their day of judgment has come.

Matthew 24:31 He will send out His messengers with a loud trumpet. This is the dispersion that would take the church OUT of Jerusalem and into the nations. We are part of His messengers still today gathering His elect from the four winds.

Jesus was stating emphatically that the new age, the Gospel age, was soon to come upon the entire earth. However, the Law age had to come to an end, and it did so decisively in 70AD.

Matthew 24:32 As if anyone had missed the point that this was about Israel, Jesus brings in the fig tree which is one of Israel’s national symbols.

Matthew 24:34 Jesus repeats Himself from Matthew 23:36 so that it couldn’t be more clear. The very generation Jesus was speaking to was indeed going to see Jerusalem destroyed and desolate suffering covenant vengeance, the coming of the Son of Man on the clouds of judgment. He could not have been any more clear!

His word came to pass, 40 years later (a generation, i.e. the wilderness wandering) Jerusalem would lie desolate.

2013
03/10
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Tweets & Rants 3 March 2013: Matthew 22:1-14; Romans 2; Psalm 50; Numbers 5-6

is ashamed at how little time he spends in actually giving thanksgiving to God, we should all spend more time in it! Psa 50:23 @WeeManWest

thinks we often point out and judge the sins of others because we don’t want to look at our own sins and judge them. Num 6:23 @WeeManWest

Matthew 22:7 Jesus chooses another parable to lay out what was soon to come to Jerusalem. Their city would be burned and destroyed. The kingdom would transition to the nations as it goes today.

May we be wary in and of ourselves that our jobs and finances will not be more important than His kingdom.

Matthew 22:11 This man wasn’t clothed in wedding clothes. He wasn’t walking in the righteousness imputed to him by Christ Jesus.

Many will cling to Chritianity for its benefits while simultaneously denying the God of Christ. They don’t know Christ, but believe the Christianity is the right way to go. Do we really know Jesus? More yet, does Jesus really know us?

Romans 2:4 We are so drawn to judgment, especially when it comes to the actions of our enemies. Yet we commit sin just as they do so we really are in no place to judge them as condemned. God’s grace to us is designed to lead us into repentance. Instead, it hardens our hearts because we presume that we deserve grace.

Pharoah’s heart was hardened by grace because he failed to repent, but yet presumed upon the mercy of God.

Let us not be found with the same judgmental, unrepentant heart in the day of judgment for God will judge justly.

Romans 2:11 We can be certain that God will not be partial when He judges. Everything will be laid bare before Him and we must all give an account. How woefully we approach the judgment as we live for ourselves with judgmental attitudes and yet we presume that God should be merciful to us when we have shown no mercy and no repentance.

Romans 2:13 The Law is not about hearing, but about doing. Justification comes to those who do the law by faith. Everyone hears the Law of God in one form or another. Yet those who believe will do the Law.

Do we really believe what God says? If so, we should live like it without question.

How do we explain those who haven’t heard the Law and yet keep the Law? They hear the Law in their conscience that is informed by God and they either obey or disobey their conscience.

Romans 2:24 We have set a terrible example of holiness if indeed God’s name is blasphemed among unbelievers because of the way we act as believers. We are so quick to rush to judgment when so often it is we ourselves who should be judged and found guilty!

Romans 2:29 Circumcision is a matter of the heart. Are our hearts circumcised to God to do His will and heart His voice? All the outward adornments and trappings of religion and religiosity are meaningless. What matters is that our heart belongs to God and the works that show up in our lives as a result bring honor and glory to God alone!

Psalm 50:6 The heavens declare the righteousness of God. Look how they shine and light our days and nights and yet we don’t give God the glory they do.

Psalm 50:16 We wonder how God may feel as people who openly reject Him try to call upon His blessings only to give themselves credit for them. Here we get a glimpse. Wicked people call upon God as though He is a talisman or token to get them through difficult and perilous circumstances.

Is that what God has become to us? Is He our token, our talisman, our get out of jail free card? He should be our King from whom we take orders and live our lives in full obedience.

Psalm 50:23 The sacrifice that glorifies God is one of thanksgiving. Do we really have a thankful heart when we approach God? We should be continually thankful for all that He has done in our lives.

Yet, we tend to take God’s blessings for granted and we presume upon His mercy and barely even speak to Him, much less thank Him.

Numbers 5:2 The Scriptures give us a picture of both sides of God. Here we see a picture of God’s holiness and how disastrous sin (leprosy pictures sin) is to the community of God.

Yet, we see Christ touching the leper and thus see the other side of God. So many are quick to judge the word when they have only read it in part. We must commit ourselves to read the whole word of God in order to get the fullest picture of God that we can in this age.

Numbers 5:15 I know, some of you are like, “Seriously, the guy only has to be jealous to do this?!” Yet, one thing this should get across to us is that God cares about our marriages and wants us to remain faithful to one another.

Another point is that the guilty woman, more than likely isn’t going to submit to this but will testify to whom she has committed adultery with so that both will be punished.

Numbers 6:8 The Law of the Nazarite was separationg from fermented drink or from any fruit of the vine. He was also not to shave or cut his hair. He was also not be touch anything dead or he would have to start the vow over again.

The Nazirite was to be holy to God the entire time of his vow.

Numbers 6:23 The priests were charged with blessing the nation of Israel. They were to ask for God to bless and protect them. They were to call His face of blessing, mercy and grace to be upon them. They were to call for God to bring them peace with Himself.

We should call similar blessings upon our families and our churches that we may shine a light for this world to see

2013
03/03
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Tweets & Rants 20 February 2013: Matthew 18:15-35; Acts 25:13-27; Psalm 41; Leviticus 11-13

is startled how we take a verse about church discipline and make it about healing…where 2 or 3 are gathered…Mat 18:20 @WeeManWest

“If a man’s hair falls out from his head, he is bald; he is clean.” Lev 13:40 #goodtoknow @WeeManWest

Matthew 18:17 This is the final phase of church discipline. After you have gone individually to a person who is sinning against you and have made no means, then you go to one or two other believers. If that doesn’t work then present the issue to the whole church. If that still doesn’t work the person in the wrong is to be dis-fellowshipped for a time. All in all Christ is saying we should exhaust the means available to us to put an end to conflict within the body.

Matthew 18:20 I would really like for someone to explain to me how a verse contextually used to discuss the application of church discipline has somehow been twisted to mean that if two or three of us agree on a certain activity God should perform, whether it be healing, prosperity, etc, that God has to do that for us?

We cannot interpret a text while divorcing it from the context in which we find it being used.

The context is two or three agreeing on church discipline, to bind someone under church discipline or to loose someone from church discipline. This text is not about healing or prosperity but instead it is about church discipline.

Matthew 18:21 With the talk of binding and loosing, which Peter was already told the church would be empowered to do, it is fitting that Peter would ask this question. How often should we show mercy?

Biblically, we should ALWAYS show mercy. This is a very difficult practice because some people will do horrible and terrible things to us and those we love in this world. Yet Christ commands us to show them mercy. Let that simmer for a little while.

Matthew 18:34 We are to be people of mercy because we have been shown great mercy. Mercy is so difficult to show when we have been devastatingly wronged, but it is what God calls us to show.

Acts 25:23 Leaders in this world like to show out in their “authority”. Here we have great pomp and pageantry around King Agrippa. Yet the man most authorized by God in the room will slink in held by chains.

Psalm 41:1 We should be motivated by the Holy Spirit with a care and concern for those in poverty. We won’t necessarily be able to deliver all the poor in this world by ourselves but we should each do as we can to help them in their plight.

Psalm 41:10 Jesus would surely be raised up from the dead and He did indeed have His vengeance upon Israel in 70AD.

Leviticus 11:3 We see hidden spiritual discernment found in God’s detail of clean versus unclean land animals. Clean land animal will have a hoof that is cloven and chew the cud.

The cloven-hoof pictures for us a separation from the world. Whereas the other animals walk barefoot, these are not so exposed. They are separated and set apart.

Chewing the cud pictures for us our meditation on the word of God. We should continually bring back up what we have read and digest it again and again and again until we have chewed all the meaning and application from the text that we possibly can.

Leviticus 11:9 We see similar principles among the sea creatures. They must have fins and scales.

Fins for guidance in the sea as we should all have the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we maneuver through this world around us.

Scales for protection from the sea (just like the hoof). The scales are a barrier to the sea around them. They are separated and set apart.

Leviticus 11:13 The birds that are unclean are those that eat flesh. We are not to live by the flesh but by the Spirit of God.

Leviticus 11:20 The insects that are clean to eat are those with jointed legs and the ability to escape from the earth that feast of the grass of the field. It’s about being separate and not eating the flesh.

Leviticus 11:44 The point is that God wants His people to be consecrated, set apart (sanctified) and holy. The clean animals point us to the spiritual principles of holiness.

We should be separate, set apart, sanctified from this world we live in.

We should meditate continually on God’s word.

We should have the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We should be led by the Spirit of God and not feast on the flesh.

We should be ready to escape this world.

We should feast only on the word of God.

Leviticus 12:3 I’ve seen a lot of people get bent out of shape about the double the period of uncleanness in giving birth to a girl versus giving birth to a boy. However, we can’t miss that the boy is circumcised while the girl is not. I think this may be part of the reason for the difference in time. I believe the circumcision makes the difference.

Yet, it could also be that girls are just so special that the whole process takes twice as long :).

Leviticus 13:8 Leprosy is a disease that gets into and under the skin. Leprosy is a picture of our sin. Leprosy is difficult to overcome.

Some things only appear to be bad on the surface, but given time everything works out ok.

Yet other things really are a problem of the heart and require divine intervention in order to be healed.

Leviticus 13:15 Leprosy, if bad enough, would expose the raw flesh underneath through the wounds. However, if healed the flesh would be again covered up.

How often do we, through our sinfulness, give full exposure to the fact that we are following the lead of our flesh and not the Spirit of God?

Leviticus 13:46 A leprous person had to wear torn clothes, let their hair hang free, and cover their upper lip crying out their uncleanness. They must dwell in solitude outside of the camp.

We must be willing to pronounce our uncleanness and to face solitude outside the camp to be fruitful for Jesus Christ. His most fruitful moment was on a cross outside the camp as He bore our uncleanness upon Himself.

2013
02/20
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Tweets & Rants 13 February 2013: Matthew 15:1-20; Acts 21:1-26; Psalm 35; Exodus 32-33

believes the best revelation of who we are is found in the things we say because such comes from our hearts. Mat 15:18 @WeeManWest

asks for the humility to deal peacefully with those who seek to trample on his goodwill at the slightest inconvenience. Psa 35:12 @WeeManWest

thinks that sin doesn’t just “happen”; it is the result of the compromises and longings we allow to guide us instead of God. Exo 32:24 @WeeManWest

must ask God as Moses did, “Please show me Your glory,” and truly desire this above all else in this world. Exo 33:18 @WeeManWest

Matthew 15:9 We must take great care that what we teach others is truly what the word of God teaches. We do not want to be guilty of supplanting the word of God with the teachings of man.

Matthew 15:18 If we do a spiritual inventory of ourselves the most important place for us to look is to our words. What do our words reveal about what is in our hearts? Our words come from what is in our hearts so we should pay very close attention to what they reveal about us.

Acts 21:8 We reunite with Philip, one of the 7 deacons in Jerusalem, who was called to the desert place where he baptized the Ethiopian eunuch and then whisked away. Philip is now known as the evangelist and has four unwed daughters who prophesy. He was truly a man of God as evidenced not only by his ministry to the world, but also to his own family.

Acts 21:14 Paul, even with the prophetic word of Agabus promising that he would be bound in Jerusalem, believed his mission was to return to Jerusalem even if it meant his own death.

Paul was willing to pay whatever price was involved in order to be obedient to Christ. Our obedience tends to wane when the cost seems to high. We tend to step back and compromise rather than continue intently in obedience to our King.

Acts 21:21 Isn’t it sad to see that what drove Paul to the temple, where he would be arrested, was the religious suspicions of other believers?! It is truly sad indeed when we allow our “religious” concept to come before the relationships we could be building with other believers.

Why not instead do these believers not come and meet Paul and become acquainted with Paul rather than have such a wall set up that he has to prove himself to them before they will receive him as their own. Truly shameful!

Psalm 35:7 Jesus and Paul both endured those who hated them and sought their destruction without cause. So also should we endure those who are against us without cause.

I can’t be caught up in continually seeking out and pursuing those who pursue me without cause. My focus should be on Christ and on following him. Christ will have His vengeance.

Psalm 35:12 One of the most difficult things for me is when people return evil to me when I have done them good. I don’t respond well when this occurs. I need more humility to face such a challenge.

It is very frustrating when to your utmost you have done good to an individual only to have them trample on your goodwill simply because of a slight inconvenience. Humility is the only way to face such a challenge.

Psalm 35:14 We must continue to humbly care for all people that God brings into our path, even though we know that it will matter very little at all to some of them. Some people are inconsolable in spite of our best will and efforts and we just have to accept that.

Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed they assumed he was not coming back. Their interest was not in waiting for the things of God or in the timing of God…it never had been. Their interest was in having everything their way…even if it meant staying in Egypt.

We must never assume that God’s delay is his neglect or abandonment. His delay is simply that, delay.

Also, it is easy when we credit a person with our success to replace that person when times become convenient. Since they credited Moses with bringing them out of Egypt it was easy and convenient since Moses delayed on the mountain with God to replace him with a golden calf to worship.

Exodus 32:7 Notice how God phrases this: whom you brought up. God is playing on what the Israelites themselves were saying. They were crediting Moses, not God, so quickly after affirming themselves under God’s law by blood oath and now they have quickly broken the law.

Exodus 32:10 God offers Moses the chance to wipe out the entire rebellious and stiff-necked nation in order to replace it with one from his own family.

How often are we tempted to seek the removal of those who oppose us when really God’s plan for us includes them?

Exodus 32:11 Moses corrects the Israelites. God is who has brought them out of Egypt. Moses humbly pleads for God’s mercy upon the people of Israel. True leadership is humble and merciful.

Exodus 32:15 The tablets of God’s law were written by God on the front and back of the tablet just as the scroll (Revelation 5:1) was written front and back in the hands of Christ.

Exodus 32:24 And out came this calf…as though it wasn’t fashioned by his own hand and craftsmanship. Aaron seeks to blame the guilt of the whole matter on God. God gave them this people set on evil to watch over. God kept Moses up on the mountain too long. God made this calf hop right out of the fire on its own.

We are so quick to blame God when the sin that is festered within our hearts springs forth into this world rather than take responsibility for our internal longings that have led us into sin in the first place.

Exodus 32:28 Does anyone else find it similarly interesting that the Levite tribe has been responsible for the most killing up to this point in Israel’s history?

Levi and Simeon struck all the men of Schechem, and now Levi is striking 3000 men of Israel for the sin with the golden calf.

Exodus 32:32 Moses exudes even more humility than before in that he is willing to bear their sin and himself be blotted from God’s book. Christ, the greater Moses, would indeed bear the sin of all mankind upon the cross.

Exodus 32:34 I believe that God is looking ahead to the days of Christ when He visited His people and yet they continued in their stiff-necked rejection of Him. He visited their sin upon them in 70AD at the hands of the Romans.

Exodus 33:11 What we must realize is that Christ made this relationship possible for all of mankind. God desires to speak with each of us face to face as our friend. He provided the means for us to have that relationship through the atoning blood of Christ.

Our sinfulness is dealt with on the cross. Whereas God could not dwell among the Israelites or they would be consumed but instead met with Moses in a tent on the outskirts of the camp. We all know go, as Moses did, to the tabernacle outside the camp (Hebrews 13:13) where we meet with God face to face as friends because of Christ.

Exodus 33:18 Moses pleaded with God to be present with the people of Israel, to make them distinct from the other peoples on earth. God promises to do this for Moses. Moses then asks to see God’s glory. This should be our plea, that God’s glory would break out in our lives.

2013
02/13
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Tweets & Rants 28 January 2013: Matthew 10:1-20; Acts 15:1-21; Psalm 23; Genesis 50

must be more attentive to the people of peace that Christ brings into my life for His own kingdom purposes. Mat 10:11-13 @WeeManWest

is thankful that salvation is not about our ability to completely follow God’s law, but instead it is about grace! Act 15:10-11 @WeeManWest

believes if we don’t get what we want we get unhappy, whiney, and complain until we get what we want bc we’re selfish. Psa 23:1 @WeeManWest

is certain that contentment in Christ leads us to see every circumstance as green pasture beside still waters. Psa 23:2 @WeeManWest

Matthew 10:1 Jesus begins to share His authority with His disciples. He gave them the authority to cast out spirits and to heal all diseases and afflictions. Jesus didn’t have to share His authority but He chose to share it with His disciples. Maybe He was laying a principle for stewardship upon the early believers that they would know best to share the authority they would have with others.

Jesus was beginning to lay the foundation for His ministry surviving His death and departure. More pastors would be wise to do similar things in their own ministries.

Matthew 10:5-15 The disciples were given this authority and sent specifically (Matthew 10:6) to Israelites. It was time for the Jews to either believe or remain in unbelief.

What will we think when it comes time for the church to do the same thing, to believe or remain in unbelief?

The disciples were given this authority and given a specific (Matthew 10:7) message. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The brunt of Jesus’ work was so focused on this kingdom. Some places its called the kingdom of heaven, others call it the kingdom of God. The kingdom is what Christ came to establish.

It was said to be “at hand” because Jesus was surely laying its foundation and would soon die and come back from the dead to establish this ever-growing, ever-lasting kingdom that no dominion shall defeat.

Jesus’ principle was simple and specific (Matthew 10:8) that the disciples had freely received this authority and should freely extend the authority. They were not to be profiteers in the kingdom of heaven. This should cause all who are doing “works” under the authority of Christ to pause and make certain they are not given to filthy lucre.

They were to go and take nothing with them on their journey (Matthew 10:9-10) but their trust in the provision of Almighty God. In certainty, doing the work of Christ was to be their food and their drink as it was Christ’s.

They were sent to specific (Matthew 10:11-13) places of which they would find a man of peace, someone prepared for them by the Holy Spirit. Please be amazed at how this gospel works and should transform our lives. We are to seek where Christ is at work and follow Him in His work. The people of peace will be spiritually prepared for us whether they realize it or not. Our task is to be dilligent in finding people whom we see the Holy Spirit working among.

They were given a specific (Matthew 10:14-15) means to deal with those who despised and rejected their message. They were to follow the common tradition of their day of shaking the cities dust from their feet as they left. We do a similar thing today when we drag our feet to figuratively remove the foulness of a situation from our lives. Such a measure was not to be done lightly for it would mark such place for the judgment of God.

They were sent with a specific (Matthew 10:16) warning and advice. Have you ever seen sheep among wolves? Helpless, defenseless, sentenced to death! Wolves see sheep as a food source and will hunt them down and kill them without mercy! The disciples were to expect the same treatment from those they were being sent among.

They were told to be both wise and innocent meaning that yes they would have to be clever, like the serpent in the garden was clever. Yet in their cleverness they were to be innocent in that they were not to delve into the realm of deception or detention or death in order to make converts.

Jesus describes that yes indeed His disciples would be hunted by men, and imprisoned by men, and taken to trial by men…but yet that their testimony would stand….that in that day God Himself would speak through them to their adversaries.

We should follow the specific things Christ leads us into and be undeterred by the terrors of those who seek to silence our message in evil ways.

Acts 15:1 We see here how difficult the breakaway was going to be for even within the church a contingent existed that believed that obedience to the covenant of circumcision was necessary for salvation. I’m certain that they had in view God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14), especially Genesis 17:14 which said, “Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

The real question is: Can we belong to God if we don’t keep all the Law and Covenants?

I believe that answer is yes. While this covenant made with Abraham was a circumcision of the flesh, the true circumcision is the one made without hands (Colossians 2:11) in our hearts. This circumcision is alluded to in the Law (Deuteronomy 30:6) and in the Prophets (Jeremiah 4:4) and is said to be fulfilled in the New Testament (Philippians 3:3) .

Acts 15:9 Peter here argues from his own experience (Acts 10:44-48) in evangelizing the Gentiles. They, the uncircumcised, had received the Holy Spirit just as had the circumcised. Peter saw this as evidence that among the Gentiles who don’t have God’s law that God didn’t require physical circumcision before including them among His people.

This marks for us the difference between the physical seed of Abraham and the spiritual seed of Abraham. The physical seed of Abraham were marked in their flesh on the 8th day. The spiritual seed of Abraham are marked in their hearts on the 8th day (their new beginning in Christ).

Acts 15:10 No one in all of history aside from Jesus Christ has been able to keep the Law. Why would we now ask people to keep a Law that no one has ever been able to keep and say that in their keeping of it is their salvation? Such makes no sense and this council was wise in finding it so.

Acts 15:11 All of mankind is either saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus or falling short of grace by their own efforts. We cannot, through good works or great compassion earn our way into God’s presence. We must humbly come as unworthy sinners seeking His grace.

Acts 15:16-17 We see that James applied what was going on to the prophecy in Amos 9:11-12. Jesus Christ was building His temple among men and amazingly enough the Gentiles are included. Amen and Praise the Lord!

Psalm 23:1 Can any of us truly say this? I’m afraid so many of us want this, or want that, and will be unhappy and whiny and full of complaint until we get what we want. We are so selfish and self-motivated in all we do.

Why can’t we be content in Christ and content with Christ?

Contentment see whatever lot or circumstance you happen to be in, so long as you are in Christ and with Christ, as green pastures next to still waters.

Psalm 23:3 Christ restores our soul and leads us into His righteousness. He does all this for His name’s sake. God doesn’t work in this world to make our names great but to make His own name great. When we come to Christ our life purpose should be to make His name great, if it isn’t, we are chasing idolatry.

Psalm 23:4 What comforts us? With what was David comfortable? David was only comfortable with the presence of God.

We have trained ourselves to be comfortable. We are comfortable with a good job, nice house, dependable car/truck, pleasant lawn, solid alarm system, powerful gun, various cable channels, great love life.

Yet, are we comfortable with God? Are we comfortable just being in God’s presence or do we allow all these other things we are comfortable with keep us from sitting in God’s presence?

I think that many of us would rather find our own solutions and timing and then ask God to bless our craftiness. Then when God resists we get frustrated and discontent and begin lodging complaints about what is fair or not fair, then we pretend that what we really need is more prayer. If we prayed more then God would bless our plans on our time. Instead, God withholds His blessings because He is only going to bless His plans and His timing.

Here David is walking in death’s shadow. He spent a LOT of time running and hiding from people who wanted to KILL him! What was David’s comfort? The very presence of God brought him comfort.

Can any of us really say the same thing?

Psalm 23:5 I believe that in our chase to capture the American dream we have forgotten that we dwell on the battlefield.

This world isn’t our home! We live daily in the presence of our enemies, just as the sheep we daily accosted about their head by flies that would lay eggs in their ears and noses. The shepherd would anoint their heads with oil that would be a salve to ward off the flies.

We so desperately need the salve God offers us in the midst of our enemies. He prepares a table for us and fills our cup to overflowing.

Do we notice or are we too caught up in what we see that we don’t have? We should be satisfied to dine with God, our Creator, in the midst of the battlefield as our enemies bear down on us.

Instead we are discontent. We are not happy with what we have an where we are so we leave the table and try to make our own table instead.

When will this stop?! When will we learn to be satisfied with God alone? Our satisfaction is always God plus wealth or God plus health or God plus food or God plus clothing or God plus shelter.

Why can’t we, like David the shepherd be content with God alone?!

Maybe we really are just that selfish that instead of seeing our Shepherd and His oil and rod and staff we instead focus on the flies and the wolves!!!!

We are so unworthy of the abundance that God has blessed us with in just His willingness to be present in our lives and yet He gives us so much more and we are still not content. Woe unto us for we shall never be satisfied!

Lord, by Your grace, grant us contentment with Your presence that we may focus on You alone and see how truly blessed we are in just having You.

Psalm 23:6 Whether we dwell in a castle or are totally exposed, if we are in Christ we dwell in His house and will dwell with Him forever.

Genesis 50:3 I can’t help but wonder if this was one day for each of his descendants?

Genesis 50:15 Joseph’s brothers were still bothered in their conscience for how they had mistreated Joseph. Now that their father was gone they feared Joseph’s reprisal.

Only in our conscience can our guilt eat away at us. Let us therefore be diligent to do nothing that will cloud our conscience with guilt regarding any other person.

Genesis 50:20 Joseph understood and was content with the plan, purpose, and timing of God. He held not grudge nor ill will toward his brothers. He saw their evil act as divine providence.

How challenging it is for us to see evil things done to us as divine providence guiding and preparing us for God’s plan, purpose, and timing for our lives.

2013
01/29
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Tweets & Rants 21 January 2013: Matthew 7:15-29; Acts 10:24-48; Psalm 18:1-24; Genesis 39-40

believes religion is incapable of providing us with our greatest need which is to know God and to be known by Him. Mat 7:21-23 @WeeManWest

thinks we need to apply Peter’s lesson, no person is common or unclean but all are sought to enter Christ’s kingdom. Act 10:28 @WeeManWest

Matthew 7:15-20 Everyone is capable of playing the role of the good christian, however, we have no control over the fruits that flow from our lives. Christ alone can produce fruit in us through the Holy Spirit. We should be admonished over the fruitlessness of our lives. We should expect fruit if we truly belong to Christ.

This passage was also involved in my conversion. I realized that no fruit was coming from my life.

Matthew 7:21-23 So many fail to realize that the underpinnings of religion are irrelevant with Christ. What matters is whether or not God knows us and we know God. Do you have a relationship with God? If you do not then it is likely that you’ve missed the core of the Gospel message.

We are quick to do religion: saying the right words, doing the right things; yet we hesitate when it comes to relationship. We live as though we are afraid of what God might ask us to do if we were to really truly enter into a relationship with Him beyond religion.

I realized during my conversion, that I had been very religious, but had drastically missed the point of entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:24-27 Everyone who hears Christ’s words must realize that we are totally, absolutely incapable of keeping His words without Him doing so within us. We can’t keep Christ’s law, hence we need a savior. Christ shows us where we should be so that we will realize that we have a need because we can’t fully obey.

Matthew 7:29 Jesus taught with authority as one would expect God to teach. In Christ we walk in that same authority.

Acts 10:28 Peter learned the lesson of his vision/dream. God doesn’t call the Gentiles unclean or common but instead desires that they have a share in His kingdom.

We need to intently to apply this to our understanding. No person is unclean or common, all people matter to Jesus Christ and He desires that all of them come into His kingdom. We must stop judging people unworthy of the Gospel, it is not our call, but Christ’s.

Acts 10:47 The lesson learned is that Christ is greater than the religion of Christianity. Jesus had totally superceded the entire structure that the church was practicing. He went outside of the Jews, He spoke in a vision, He led by an angel, He responded to a charitable heart, He gave the Holy Spirit outside of baptism or laying on of hands. Jesus worked outside of religion to reach Cornelius.

Religion cannot bind what Jesus is doing with the Gospel. We tend to attach too many unnecessary connotations to the Gospel when the Gospel is powerful enough to speak and work all by itself.

Psalm 18:6 I think David was referreing to something other than the tabernacle here. He says that God responded from His temple. No human eye has yet to see the beauty and spectacle of God’s temple in its fullest glory.

Psalm 18:7-15 Here we see the coming of the Lord associated with darkness, storms, and terrible things. The Jewish culture had a different construct for how they viewed the coming of the Lord in judgment versus the actual presence of God coming into the earth. Two different concepts.

Psalm 18:16-19 Christ has done this for us all. He rescued us from the over whelming enemy of sin that we were defeated by and has placed us in a much better place.

Genesis 39:2-6 & Genesis 39:21-23 I hope so that this is our testimony in the jobs that we work and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. May God work in us a consistent and faithful heart and fill our work with the fruit of His blessings that others cannot help but notice what God is doing in our lives and receive glory for how we handle ourselves.

Unfortunately, we are too often lazy and lax in our work as though secular employment is a secondary thing to God’s kingdom when in honesty and actuality our secular employment may just be a launch pad for God’s kingdom work among us.

Genesis 39:19-20 Joseph has been falsely accused and imprisoned. We don’t read that had made a spectacle trying to prove and assert his innocence. Here again his life becomes a type of Christ’s life who also did not cry out and battle for his own innocence but rather accepted God’s will. God was actually going to use the prison to propel Joseph into His plan for his life.

Genesis 40:5-8 The cupbearer and baker of the king each had dreams and who is here but the “dreamer” who understands that dreams and their interpretations come from God.

Genesis 40:9-13 & Genesis 40:16-22 We see that God allows Joseph to interpret their dreams and then God fulfills exactly as they had dreamed. God is working to exalt humble Joseph.

Genesis 40:14-15 & Genesis 40:23 Joseph had requested the cupbearer to remember him before Pharoah. Unfortunately, the cupbearer did not. Joseph would have to wait for God’s timing.

So often we hope that our timing is God’s timing when it is not. We MUST wait for God. He will make the circumstances work to reveal His timing and He will do so for Joseph.

Amazingly, God continues the avenue of dreams in Joseph’s life. Pharoah’s own dreams are soon to propel Joseph to the place of which he dreamt many years prior.

2013
01/22
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20 January 2013: Matthew 7:1-14; Acts 10:1-23; Psalm 17; Genesis 37-38

thinks we spend more time judging others for their sins when we should be living out a loving example for them. Mat 7:1-5 @WeeManWest

believes that God gives what is best for us instead of the rocks and snakes for which we don’t realize we are asking. Mat 7:7-11 @WeeManWest

recalls with gratitude that nearly 14 years ago, I read Mat 7:13-14 and God began a true and lasting transformation of my life. @WeeManWest

is troubled that we are intellectually quick to diminish God’s authority to speak in visions and dreams. Act 10:9-23 & Acts 2:17 @WeeManWest

so wants to awake daily in satisfaction with God’s likeness and righteousness having been imprinted upon him by God. Psa 17:15 @WeeManWest

Matthew 7:1-5 The point of the Law is not that we stand and judge our brothers but rather that we hold ourselves up the light of scrutiny. We are so harsh toward others when we ourselves are equally guilty in other areas of our walk with Christ. Jesus wants to transform you. He doesn’t want you to brow-beat everyone else into full obedience. He wants you to be a loving example of how to live and by your example to SHOW others the difference.

Matthew 7:6 We should be careful with our time. We often cast must effort to pigs who will merely trample what we have given them under their feet and attack. I think this reference was concerning the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

Matthew 7:7-11 I believe this passage has become grossly misapplied in our day. We don’t ask God for the sake of ourselves. Jesus isn’t promising material prosperity to anyone who asks. Jesus is teaching a simple lesson about the prayer life. If we are asking, seeking, and knocking concerning His kingdom and His righteousness which He had just said a couple of verses prior (Matthew 6:31-33) were more important than food and clothing.

What Jesus is promising is this, if we ask God He will give us what is best for us. If we ask God for bread He will not give us a rock, or if we ask for a fish He will not give us a serpent. We ask in accordance with what we think is best for us. Yet God knows what is best for us and will give us what is best. We may indeed in our flesh be asking for what we think is bread but instead it is actually a rock. We may indeed in our flesh be asking for what we think is fish but instead it is actually a snake.

Matthew 7:12 A key principle to the law of Christ is that we treat other people in the same way that we ourselves would like to be treated. Even if such is to our own harm!

Matthew 7:13-14 This passage means a lot to me. These two verses were the beginning of God manifesting Himself to me. He began to rip me away from religion with this text. So many of us are on the broad road unawares. I was on this road in spite of walking an aisle, saying a prayer, and being baptized on three separate occasions. Still I found myself, well the Holy Spirit found me, on this road. I recall the sheer terror of the moment in my life in which it seemed that God was sitting next to me on my couch ripping away the veneer of religion with which I had surrounded my sinful, compromising, deceitful existence.

I’m thankful that God opened my eyes and gave me a new life. He put me on the narrow path in Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ I remain on that path. I add nothing to the equation other than my sin and failure. He keeps me in His righteousness.

These verses are a descriptive comparison. Which best fits your life?

Acts 10:4-5 Here we have an interesting case of which to note. We just read (Acts 9:42) that Peter was in Joppa of all places. Now we see Cornelius, a Roman centurian, who was a God-fearing, generous man of prayer, who is visited by an angel. God is choosing to allow this man to hear the Gospel in an extraordinary circumstance. Note: God is choosing this for two purposes, #1 Cornelius is seeking God (he who seeks shall find (Matthew 7:8) and #2 Peter needs to learn that the Gospel is for the whole world, not just the Jews.

God didn’t have to send for Cornelius to send for Peter. Cornelius didn’t have to send for Peter. But the righteousness of God and the sincerity of Cornelius is shown in that God responded to this sincere seeker by telling him to seek further and that Cornelius responded to God in obedience.

This reminds me of the “Experiencing God” model. God is always at work, God desires to bring us into a love relationship with Himself…Cornelius is presented with a Crisis of belief. My how we need, like Cornelius, to be attentive to how God is working around us everyday so that we can respond and experience God in new ways.

Acts 10:9-16 Peter is praying and falls into a trance and has a vision. I’m dismayed at how in our modern intellectual church mindset we have diminished the value of visions and dreams even though the opening sermon (Acts 2:17) of the church said that God would speak to people in them. Peter is shown in this dream a sheet from heaven full of unclean animals. The lesson to Peter was to obey God, even if it didn’t make religious sense to do so. Jews were forbidden to eat from unclean animals, yet, God is telling Peter to kill and eat an unclean animal. God says, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

Basically, when God gave Peter permission to eat the unclean animals God was declaring them clean. He is God, He can do such things. Yet, Peter had a religious objection to what God was asking him to do. How often are we guilty of letting religion stand in the way of what God is doing? Religion is man’s creation, not God’s. He wants us to experience Him in a loving relationship…not through a myriad of legality.

Acts 10:17-23 When we’ve had a dream, or a vision, or a message from God from His word or through His Spirit we must watch our circumstances for its reality. I had a dream nearly 20 years ago that is still in my mind. A dream for which I just recently began to see the initial fulfillment in my trip to Uganda last October…20 years of waiting for what God had shown me to become reality!

Fortunately for Peter, he waited only mere moments…the vision was still fresh on his mind when his visitors arrived. Peter also was spoken to by the Holy Spirit to reinforce the vision. Peter was going to find the meaning of his vision only if he obeyed and went with these strangers. God will drive us into a crisis of belief because He deeply desires to fully manifest Himself to us. He is going to do so with Peter. Peter and his Joppa crew accompany these men to meet Cornelius.

Psalm 17:3 I may be alone in this, we shall see, but have you ever awoken at night and been so aware of the spiritual realm that surrounds us that you are frightened? I have on many occasions. Usually I awaken and sense a deep, unexplainable darkness, yet I’m not concerned for my physical state. Instead, my mind begins to be reminded of my sinfulness and my failure. I lay in my bed and confess those sins, some of which I was previously unaware of, to Christ and beg for His forgiveness. Suddenly, His peace falls over me and I can return to rest. As I said, I may be totally alone in this, but just wanted to share. David talks here about being tested in the night and it recalled this to my memory.

Psalm 17:6-7 Carrying forward my previous thought. When I call upon Him in these instances this is the experience that I have, the warm comfort of His loving refuge.

Psalm 17:15 It seems from the conclusion of this Psalm that all of this was a dream for David. Possibly a dream about his enemies who were out to get him. I love the way he closes this Psalm! David speaks of the prosperity of the wicked and their ability to pass it to the next generation Psalm 17:13-14 while following that statement here in verse 15 by saying that all he desires is to behold God in righteousness and that He would be satisfied with God’s likeness when he wakes up. WOW! I so want that to be my desire, that daily when I awake, that my greatest satisfaction would come from being like God and being filled with His righteousness!

Genesis 37:2 Joseph brought a bad report of the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, which would be Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali. What will be interesting is what role they will play later on.

Genesis 37:3 Of all the lessons Israel could have learned from his father this is the one that stuck…he is playing favorites with his children just as Isaac had with he and Esau.

Genesis 37:5-11 It looks as though most of my devotional time today is centered upon God speaking to us in dreams. Here we see that Joseph has two significant dreams, both of which place his brothers and his family into subjection to him. This doesn’t play well with him already being Israel’s favorite son and the youngest of the sons to boot.

Joseph first pictures his work as a sheaf that stands while his brothers works/sheaves all bow in subjection to his own. Joseph’s dream was for several years in the future. He would not see this dream come to pass in his homeland but in a foreign nation.

Joseph next pictures the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing to him. As I’ve discussed that the sun and moon are signs of biblical authority, here we see Israel interprets the dream to be himself bowing to Joseph. Again this dream is for a future fulfillment in a foreign land.

Yet we must make note of the symbols and their usage for future discussion of dreams, visions, and prophecies. Sheafs are a symbol for works or the harvest of one’s labor. The sun, moon, and stars are a symbol of Israel and her tribes and the authority/dominion they were supposed to have. When we see them mentioned poetically we must take into account that the author may very well have Israel in mind.

Genesis 37:12-36 Joseph serves as a picture of Christ. He is sent as Christ and the prophets were sent to see the state of the flocks of Israel. Yet, his own brothers conspired against him to kill him just as they later would do to Christ Jesus. Christ was sent my His father to the flocks of Israel. I wonder if it was the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah who were seeking to kill Joseph.

Note: Reuben seeks to save Joseph from certain death. Reuben is trying to atone for his wrong-doing with Bilhah. As such, he probably wasn’t respected among her sons.

Judah comes with the plan to sell Joseph for 20 pieces of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt. Reuben freaks out and they hatch the plan to pretend that Joseph was slain. Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

The importance of the coat cannot be missed. The coat symbolized Israel’s favor upon Joseph and became the object of his brother’s spite. Christ’s own cloak would be ripped off and gambled over by those who slew him.

They offer the torn and blood-stained cloak of Joseph to Israel. Jesus was sacrificed, killed by his brothers.

Genesis 38:2 Judah chooses a Canaanite woman as his bride.

Genesis 38:6-11 Judah had wicked sons. Er was struck dead by God for his wickedness. Onan suffered the same fate when he treated Tamar like a prositute. Judah fearfully promises his youngest son Shelah to Tamar at a later date.

Genesis 38:12-23 Judah, after mourning his wife’s death, travels to see his freind Hiram in Adullam where he had met his wife. Judah is deceived into taking Tamar as a prostitute. She takes his signet and cord as pledge of his return. Yet when he returns he doesn’t find her.

We should always be careful to honor our word when we give it. Judah hadn’t honored his word to give Tamar to Shelah when he came of age. Now the plight of Tamar has been laid to his account.

Genesis 38:24-26 Tamar is found to be pregnant by immorality. Note the judgment against her, but not the vindication to find the one who had been immoral with her. He had excused his own immorality, but was ready to prosecute Tamar to the death. Then the BIG surprise…Judah she’s bearing your children!

Suddenly, Judah realizes his own unrighteousness and I guess water and dirt are poured on the fires of judgment. Now that its Judah’s sin as well it looks like the time to judge this sin has been deferred.

Genesis 38:29 Perez breaks through from being second born to being first born. Perez means “breach” and it was said of him, “What a breach you have made for yourself.” Zerah means rising.

2013
01/21
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Pray, It’ll Get Up Out Da Way!

“And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”” Mark 11:22-24

While reading this morning I had one of those magic moments. A moment that will stick with me forever. My daily reading is in Revelation 8 and as I read verses 8-9 my little holy whistle in my noggin began to scream, “YOU’VE SEEN THAT SOMEWHERE BEFORE!!!!”

So I began thinking…

…and meditating…

…and praying…

…where have I seen this before?!

I read, “The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea,” Revelation 8:8.

I recalled that Jesus had said something similar to His disciples. As they were walking up to Jerusalem one day, because Jesus happens to be “uphill” from its surroundings, Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree. Now, it was out of season for figs but Jesus cursed the fig tree because it was empty. Mark 11:12-14

So Jesus has set up the imagery of the empty fig tree being cursed as they enter Jerusalem. Where did they go? None other than the Temple Mount!

Did Jesus find any fruit on the Temple Mount? In the immaculate phraseology of Phil Robertson, “NNNNope”!

What does Jesus do?

He builds on the image of the cursed fruitless fig tree by scolding the people in the Temple and driving them out saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a den of robbers.’” Mark 11:17

Jesus and His disciples leave the city and they walk past the fruitless fig tree that Jesus had cursed. The disciples noticed that the fig tree was wilted down to its roots and Peter even states the fact with excitement. Jesus responds by stating the passage with which I opened this article.

My hunch, is that when Jesus said, “whoever says to this mountain”, that He may just have motioned back to the Temple Mount from which they had just descended. The Temple Mount and the fig tree had something in common…neither bore the fruit their Master was expecting!

Jesus is not only warning the disciples against fruitless religion, he is also teaching the disciples about the art of imprecatory prayer. This is the art of praying against the strongholds of Satan that are barriers and hindrances to the movement of the gospel.

Jesus was teaching His disciples, through the withering fig tree, that it was necessary for them to pray for the removal of barriers to the gospel. They were to begin praying for the religion of the Temple Mount to be removed so that the barrier to a relationship with Himself could be unhindered.

Such is what we see happening in Revelation 8. The passage I read in Revelation 8:8 above, was the heavenly response to the imprecatory prayers of the saints. Look at the preceding passage below:

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:3-5

We see that the prayers to God of the saints are presented to God with incense. The response is that the very censer that carried their prayers would now carry God’s judgment-response (fire from the altar) to the earth.

The following trumpet judgments come from the sky to the earth. Including the great burning mountain, this represents the Temple Mount and the religion barrier of the Jews, being removed as a barrier to the Gospel.

The Temple Mount was demolished in a flaming inferno in 70AD. The mountain was on fire!

When we ask God to remove barriers and strongholds we can trust that those prayers will be answered. We just have to have enough faith to ask God and trust Him to remove them in His time.

Missions begin with prayer, especially with prayer that asks God to remove the barriers and strongholds that will seek to prevent and inhibit the Gospel work.

Hope this gets you praying?

In the Lamb,

Mark West

2012
12/12
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