A Smack-down

Psalm 24: 7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle, 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.

Psalms 22-24 represents the presentation of the Messiah on the Cross of Crucifixion, His leadership as the Shepherd who leads us His people and of Psalm 24 He talks of the gates of being lifted to let in the King of glory.


Who are the gates? They are people! Hearts are to be turned to God in seeing the suffering of the Messiah for mankind. Hearts are too see His face and understand that God has purpose for mankind. He is everlasting speaking to those who have eternity in their hearts. God placed eternity in us and God surely desires us to be with Him always.
But there are those who choose evil ways, to get the upper hand and to rule over man in every way they possibly can!

Matthew 16: 13-20 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus was not saying the He would build His church on Peter. I mean seriously we are talking about the Cornerstone: Jesus! Jesus was speaking of building the church on the the words that came from heaven revealed to Simon Peter' s heart!
Yet you see a church built on men's own thoughts and purposes and not on God's at all! And if you pay attention to those in leadership of those said churches, you find them finding more ways to wrong than right with God!

This region of Caesarea Philippi was north of Galilee near Mt. Hermon. This was a principle area where idol worship was highly regarded. It was also the area where early people worshiped Pan, the half man, half goat deity. Pan was the cult that was about the "wild". ( we will not go into what they were wild about) Their rituals involved nudity! Yikes!

So when Jesus spoke here in this region ....to Simon Peter and those with him, He also was speaking to that which existed in the forms of idolatry that were against God! And what Simon who spoke revealed to him by God in heaven was that which would prevail. It is those in Jesus Christ who speak the same as Christ Jesus speaks as He did when He spoke of His Father and heaven. 

Again from Psalm 24, the gates who lift their heads and allow the king of Glory are you and me who stand and speak about salvation, the glory of the Lord in Jesus Christ. We speak to declare the life that came to us abundantly through Him. And those who stand at the gate of hell who speak for hell are those who can look like you and me but speak only by lies, human nature, and that which is death. Their hearts are ruled by the devil.

We lift our gates to become those who say this is the way, the truth and the life in Jesus Christ. To walk as He did and prevail by the words given to us from heaven. For all that was presented of His kingdom to us, the greatest is the smack-down of hell that we stand in faith. We understand by daily reading and praying we are connecting with Jesus face to face. And as He opposed the enemy that once for all by the shedding of His blood, so too we have that victory now at our disposal through His sacrifice. Anything that is opposing God & His will is the lie. We regard the truth of God's word and we speak it in warfare of the mind, a warfare against arrogance & those rebellious thoughts, & ideas, those arguments against God. And we know that our God is to be prized.  We are to stand against any un-scriptural idea or personal confused belief that we might hold as true. What you fear, you will find a lie behind it & behind that fear is an idol!

 We are to be intentional to rid anything that is contrary to God & His thoughts. The only truth is that which is given to us by God. May He find us being the faithful stewards in what He left to us to be in charge. 

From Matthew 16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
We are gathered to Him. He plundered the strong man and we have that victory. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and to speak those words Jesus spoke: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus ( and He is seated on our hearts). We abide in Him and His words abide in us,  and we speak what is glorifying to the Father. His peace He has left to us; not as the word gives did He give to us. We let not our hearts be troubled, neither will we be afraid. (John 14:25-27)
 Jesus did a smackdown on the devil and we have the victory! We love the Lord, keep His word and the Father loves us. They have made their home with us! (John 14:23-24)

If we truly know God our Father to be the Creator and Jesus the manifested Word, then the Holy Spirit will speak to us what the Father has told Him from that appointment from the Cross on Calvary.  

Many things are on the airwaves, on videos and in news reports, still our faith is to be in God and Him alone. So what about those viruses with those wild names, and those things that seem to capture headline news day and night for months on end?  What if you get a cough? What if you do not get a cough? Still whatever the list of other maladies may be, still we understand of the end-time prophecies for disease and epidemics. God is still here, and has not left us as orphans. He planned His best for us through His Son and I am not missing this great opportunity to be a witness of His great love in this end-time harvest! How about you? Let's have a smack-down!

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Diffusing the Fragrance

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New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

The Spiritual Recognition

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THE Competitive SIDE

Jesus was never about competing for attention!
He never talked in the city gates about Himself!
No, He was about speaking of His Father.
Interesting was that the disciples focused on His comments and His heart concerning His passion of what would occur in the days and weeks ahead of Him, concerning His first given word on His coming crucifixion.

Matthew 16:21-28
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."   NKJV

As I meditate this passage, and the passage of Matthew 20:20-28

the disciples had a view of the kingdom which was not the view Jesus was relating to them. People desire to be number 1! They want their name known around the world, live in fancy surroundings that is spelled out in palaces, millions of dollars, and more material stuff that you need or require a storage unit to store all the "stuff".

Too many times, people only look for the "stuff" Jesus can get to them and their own fame and glory and then never consider what price He paid for us to have salvation in His Name.!

That suffering in His Name most would like to AVOID. They consider those Words of suffering, of trouble and Refiner's fire as FIGHTING WORDS.

YIKES!

But what we do for and in His Name is higher. He serve and He gave!

What an amazing life!


 Matthew 20:20-28
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." 23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." 24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."    NKJV

Yes, that competitive side of the male came into being. The mother of Zebedee's sons came to him asking for favor for them to seated with Him in His kingdom. Many people want that royal seat to be FRONT and CENTER yet few are willing to pay the price in study, in prayer and in the RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD  to see that occur.

But Jesus' heart was the Father's glory and not His own. His was to do the will of His Father. The FRONT ROW SEAT was THE CROSS!

In this valued testimony written for our benefits, I think on the game of golf.

I am no golfer other than miniature golf. So when my husband and daughter play I am in awe how anyone can keep up with that tiny "very white" ball.  Our daughter desires the fluorescent  colored balls so she can keep a clear watch on where "it" flies and where it might land!

In that game, and the clear cut of grass, one would certainly want to stay out of the trees, the waterways, and the areas that are not within the playing area. Yeah, stay out of the rough!

In watching, I am amazed how the ball can fly so high and fall to the ground and roll and roll and roll! The terrain you hit that ball in and toward, will determine the balls outcome. The point you know is to get that teeny ball down the length of the green in very few strokes of the club and then down that ball into that hole that the flag beckons you too! 

In and around these areas, from teeing off to finding the ball on the edge of the well manicured green, you find in some instances that "sand trap". Considered bad and the dangerous area, the sand trap is where well meaning, (good) people lose their cool. Although my gang here does not go into the sand traps yet they manage that ball to keep it out of that sandy mess, but close by that sand area.

Our lives can look like a golf tourney. Our lives can have many people on board, around and just observing. As they view life, ours is living it. In the moving down the green, we certainly pray and believe knowing our trust is in God and that He is with us. In that we continue, from hole 1 to hole 2, then hole 3.

By the 9th, the issues become apparent. That need to get that ball down to where that flag waves definitely in the breeze mocks one as they try their best to do that hard putt. Now some see it as a challenge, some see it as joy and others just see it as a few hours riding around in the golf cart watching all the other golfers, mince, lose their balls, roll their eyes, see those cute carts go past you on a one lane pathway as they qualify for the Indy 500.............. because you are either too slow either by no practice, or some practice. If we saw the golf game like with another hole to get "my flag" raised would not mean much. We certainly like those times when the ball goes into that round hole and the experience on the next hole takes on the new hope, the new adventure of being master over a tiny ball. Yes life can look like that golf course, hidden there within are the sand traps, the grove of trees, that standing water filled full and with those cat-tails and mosquitoes. Yeah what fun, right? 

When Jesus told His disciples what was to occur, they balked in such a way, that Jesus rebuked Peter for getting in His way and the plan that was set by the Father. We should not be alluded into thinking all our days are coming up roses when being saved. Roses have thorns!

Jesus spoke this in John 17:25-26

25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  NKJV

Jesus prayed.

In John 17 and verses 6 and 26….the Greek word for Name is onoma. When Jesus spoke this: He was speaking the authority, the character, the very majesty, and the power of His very excellence which belongs to God. He was expanding and advancing God’s name on the earth and in the earth.

In His prayer to God He said this: “I have manifested Your authority, Your character, Your very majesty, Your very power and excellence has been given to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

When we can see with our spiritual eyes and understand in our hearts that being united with the Father is not about competition with others. Being united with the Father presents to us the opportunity to participate with the Son as the Son did with the Father. How much more should we expect to see His glory and His majesty to be declared  through our voice?

If one has a VOICE it is because God our Father has given them His wisdom to speak, to teach and to declare.

                                                                                                                                

Playing golf will take you around the green, the well-manicured and the smooth. Still other places will take you across the sand trap, down into the well filled ditches of water and cat-tails. And in other places, the trees just blot out the sun, the leaves hide the ball and you are forever searching in all the debris that accumulates around those out of the way places. Still if we would consider that our life is mapped out. Just like Jesus, He was walking toward crucifixion and death. He was going to die at the hands of those He came to save. We can get into sand traps, end up looking into the tree grove for the teeny white ball and yet come out with a cut on the hand, dried leaf attached to the shoe lace and some kind of spider crawling down the arm of your jacket.
Keeping God and His Word is evident when we declare it to others. The place you will be seated.....well, it comes with a price. It is just in relationship with the Father and many do not want to take the time. They are the busy, bogged down in the sand trap, held down by devices that were never meant to hurt, stop or kill.
In competition, the measuring is done wrong. For those in His kingdom, that measuring is that plumb to check out if our hearts are filled completely with His righteousness. The rightful place will not just be given, but handed to the one who suffered for Christ and for the Name that SAVES.
Jesus WAS NOT HUMAN ENDORSED.
HIS DIVINITY WAS OF GOD!

He voiced the Father, and raised the awareness that heaven had come to earth.
Jesus did not elevate Himself. In leaders that prove their handicap in hate, Jesus walked amid the treachery. His disciples proved their competitive side, and Judas.......well, he wanted the kingly rule now with money, palaces, and royalty.

I know those who value Jesus and all that He spoke and did about the Father should be our example. For those who value Him will rise and be seated with Him. Those who lightly esteem or value Him will reside elsewhere.
Many try to jockey for positions in His kingdom. He gave His gifts to men. We are to know what we are anointed to do. If prayer, then pray. Prayer is never wasted time, it always speaks to the Father and of His glory. And like Jesus spoke, "Holy Father".....He touched heaven to change where He was born, lived, and died.

Jesus did it with humility.May we see that the power and the scope of His teaching was truth and gained Him favor with God and with man!           

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God's Standard; Real Freedom Precious Life

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