Your Voice + His Word = Change

September 2, 2016January 20, 2020 Team Activate1 Comment

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You can wait out a storm but battles are won and lost in the fight. If you find yourself in the middle of a spiritual attack, FIGHT! You will not come out the victor until you do. In all the pieces in the armor of God, there is only one offensive weapon listed…the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Ephesians 6:17

Someone who is hungry wouldn’t sit in a room with a biscuit on the shelf all week long and wait to be spoon fed on Sunday. Dust off your Bible and dig out a word for your situation! Heaven and earth shall pass away. However, the Word is forever settled!

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89

Everything else is temporal…temporary, subject to change.

TEMPORARY
adjective tem·po·rary \ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē\
: continuing for a limited amount of time : not permanent
: intended to be used for a limited amount of time

What changes it? He does. Who is He? The Word. The Word is forever settled and He changes the times and seasons!

And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: Daniel 2:21

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? Ecclesiastes 8:4

The angels hearken to what? The voice of my word? No! They hearken to the voice of His word.

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Psalm 103:20

Your Voice + His Word = Change.

The angels are ministering spirits who minister for the heirs of salvation.

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14

We are washed by the water of the word.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word… Ephesians 5:26

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Read: John 1:1-17

The word wasn’t made flesh one time only then mysteriously robbed of its power. It is made flesh over and over again when we speak it! God breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils and he became a living soul.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45

This “living soul” is best translated “speaking or discoursing spirit.” Mankind was given a gift unlike any other in Creation!

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21

But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil… Deuteronomy 30:14-15

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live..Deuteronomy 30:19

It’s your choice! Death and life are in the power of your tongue. What you speak will be made flesh. What we bind here is bound there and what we loose here is loosed there.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18

When you speak the Word only, it supercharges your voice because it never returns void!

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

The centurion understood the power of the Word!

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Matthew 8:8

His words are spirit and life!

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

That’s why scripture identifies the Word of God as a sword. It is a weapon…use it!

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Ephesians 6:17

If you do not know the Word of God, you ARE NOT equipped for battle! Know it. Believe it. Speak it. Receive it.

Your Voice + His Word = Change

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The Right Appetite: Fruit of Praise (Pt 1)

August 30, 2016November 19, 2018 Team Activate2 Comments

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Previously, we’ve explored The Right Appetite: Bread of God. Now, let’s take a closer look at the next spiritual food group…the fruit of praise. Scripture subdivides praise into two main categories: mouth and motion. Today, we’ll explore the first which is the fruit of our lips…mouth.

THE FRUIT OF PRAISE:

Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 1 Kings 18:38

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2 Chronicles 7:1

In the Old Testament, the children of God would offer an animal sacrifice upon the altar and the fire of God would consume it. The only difference in the New Testament is that the type of sacrifice has changed but the fire still falls and consumes the sacrifice.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

We’ll talk more about the New Testament fire in a future post. Today, we are focusing on the sacrificial offering. Unlike the dead sacrifices of the Old Testament, our bodies are a living sacrifice in the New Testament. A living sacrifice needs to be offered over and over again. Exactly how are we supposed to do that? How are we to offer our sacrifice continually?

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1

The New Testament sacrifice is praise. It’s the fruit of our lips giving praise to God. He inhabits, dwells in, our praise. When once the presence of God consumed the sacrifice behind the veil in the Holy of Holies, it now consumes the fruit of praise through our lips and takes up residence in the NT temple which is our bodies.

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

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19

This is where we must put action behind our faith. We’ve heard the Word of God that reveals praise to be the New Testament sacrifice. We act on that by opening up our mouths in praise. If we do not praise Him with our voice, the sacrifice cannot be consumed because the outward manifestation of our praise is the sacrifice. Again, we see that spelled out for us in Hebrews 13:15 above. We are to offer the sacrifice of praise. If that wasn’t clear enough, the writer went on to further clarify by saying “that is, the fruit of our lips.” The sacrifice of praise isn’t the fruit of our hearts or of our minds, but rather the fruit of our lips. This sacrifice must be uttered through our lips. It is important that we offer the required sacrifice. Anything less will not do as we can see in the case of Cain. A blood sacrifice was required, remember without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Cain tried to offer a different sacrifice.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:3-5

It’s interesting to note that Cain was wroth because God had not accepted his sacrifice. Anger is a common side effect of one who is trying to offer another sacrifice. Often, individuals become angry at God because they see the sacrifice of others being consumed, or accepted but not theirs. This is because we don’t get to choose the sacrifice. God in His sovereignty has chosen the appropriate sacrifice and it is our job to offer what is required. God gave specific instructions concerning the sacrifices of the Old Testament. The people didn’t get to choose which animal they would sacrifice but rather certain animals had to be offered for specific things. The same applies in the New Testament. We don’t get to choose the acceptable sacrifice but rather God has already made that decision and we must adhere to what He has set forth if we want our sacrifice to be consumed. When we offer the appropriate sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips, the fire, Holy Ghost, still falls and consumes our sacrifice! (More to come on that.) As we’ve learned, this is not a one time thing. It is a continual, living sacrifice.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15

Praise is a natural occurrence among believers encountering the presence of God.

Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. John 12:14

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. Luke 19:37-38

They didn’t just think good thoughts about God within themselves, they cried out with a loud voice…saying… Their praise manifest in and through their mouths. Some of the religious establishment of that day demanded they stop this outward expression. Notice His response.

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:39-40

I’m reminded of these lyrics:

Ain’t no rock, gonna cry in my place. As long as I’m alive I’ll glorify his holy name

God will have a praise. Period. We are called to be lively stones!

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

Again, why are we to be lively stones? Answer: To offer up spiritual sacrifices. The fruit of our lips, praise, is a spiritual sacrifice. Below, we see again the distaste for public expressions of praise by the religious status quo.

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased. Matthew 21:14

In that day, there were religious folks that did not approve of their loud expressive praise and so it is today.

Again, I’m reminded of a song…

I will Dance, I will sing, to be mad for my King. Nothing Lord is hindering the passion in my soul. And I’ll become even more undignified than this, some may say its foolishness. But I’ll become even more undignified than this.

2 Samuel 6:14-23 tells the account of Michal calling David out for his ridiculous praise to which he replied:

I will become even more undignified than this…2 Samuel 6:22a

It’s high time the people of God become a little undignified when it comes to praise! Why? First, God requires it. Secondly, the enemy despises it because praise is a weapon!

And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 2 Chronicles 20:22

Praise releases ambushments against the enemy! There are many who do not believe it necessary. However, we are commanded to receive God’s Word as truth and every man a liar.

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Romans 3:4

The above verse cues us into how we are to identify lies. The scripture says “as it is written.” If anything contradicts the Word of God, it is wrong not God. We must beware of the traditions of men and let the word of God be the deciding voice in our lives.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Mark 7:8

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8

What others think, feel, and believe has to be weighed out against the Word of God. There are no doubt many who no longer believe in the outward expression of praise as a commandment of God but that doesn’t alter what the Bible has to say about praise. Public expressive praise is required by all.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1

Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 150:6

Praise is even required of the angels in the presence of God.

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:1-3

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Revelation 4:8

There are deep-seated reasons why the enemy assaults praise so vehemently. The fruit of our lips, the sacrifice of praise, is the necessary sacrifice for the fire of God, Holy Ghost, to fall. And while there are no doubt people who will choose not to praise God right now, there is coming a day in which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the praises of God.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

Again to summarize, the first aspect of our praise sacrifice is the fruit of our lips. This sacrifice is the chosen sacrifice of the New Testament. In the next part of our series, we will discuss the second aspect of praise…motion.

Praise is mouth and motion!

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1

If you haven’t yet explored expressive praise, I am super excited for you to give it a go! Nothing, and I mean nothing, supercharges your prayer like expressive praise!

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Your Mouth Will Abort The Promise

August 27, 2016May 16, 2018 Team ActivateLeave a comment

tongue

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21

Zacharias (father of John the Baptist) received a word from God via the messenger angel Gabriel foretelling the birth of John.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. Luke 1:13

Because of the circumstances, their age in this case, Zacharias doubted and was struck dumb for a season.

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. Luke 1:18-20

His tongue wasn’t loosed until after the promise came to pass.

And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. Luke 1:64

Doubt and fear can sometimes cause us to speak words that abort the promise. God did Zacharias a favor. We see the same principle at work at the fall of Jericho. They were to encircle the city once per day uttering not a word…no sound from their mouths.

And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. Joshua 6:10

Jesus also chose to endure in silence…

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: Acts 8:32

During these Gethsemane (crushing) moments, one must close their mouth when it comes to the emotional soul dimension. When spoken, the doubt and fear of the flesh will abort your promise. Instead, we should follow Christ’s example. When tempted in the wilderness He spoke the word…

But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Your emotions will deceive you. Isaac heard the voice of Jacob but felt the arms of Essau. He knew Jacob’s voice but was fooled by his feelings.

And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. Genesis 27:22

If you are claiming a promise, don’t allow your emotions to speak. This includes emotional vents to your spouse. I know it’s tough but every word uttered has power especially when spoken through the lips of a regenerated spirit. In trying times, use your weapon…the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Ephesians 6:17

Speak the word only and you will surely see it come to pass!

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A Right Appetite: Bread of God

August 26, 2016November 19, 2018 Team ActivateLeave a comment

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

If we are to be blessed through spiritual hunger, what then will satisfy our hunger? If we are to be blessed through spiritual thirst, what then will quench it? In “The Right Appetite” series, we will explore a balanced spiritual nutrition plan that includes the Bread of God, Fruit of Praise, Living Water, and Oil of Anointing. In order to develop a right appetite, we must first understand the individual elements of the spiritual food pyramid. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the first…the Bread of God. What is the Bread of God?

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THE BREAD OF GOD:

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. John 6:33

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35

We see, in these two scriptures, that Jesus is in fact the bread that came down from heaven. He, the Bread of Life, was born in the House of Bread (Bethlehem) and laid in a manager (feeding trough) for all the world to eat thereof. Great! We’ve established Jesus Christ is the bread we must eat. But, what does this mean? How are we to eat this bread? You see, the OT Jews were already expecting the Messiah to bring manna from heaven again. We can see this illustrated in numerable places. Here is my favorite.

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. John 6:7-15

Okay, we see in this setting of scripture there were at least 5000 hungry mouths to feed (not including their wives and children) with only five loaves and two small fish. Jesus gave thanks and multiplied the resources. (Side note: If you want to multiply your resources…give thanks for what you already have.) Now back to it. Everyone ate their fill and the leftovers were so numerous they filled 12 baskets. When the men saw this miracle, they perceived Him to be the Messiah that should come into the world. Why? Was it because of the miracle? No, Jesus had performed 18 previous miracles. They already knew Him to be a miracle worker. That was the reason 5000 men along with their families were already following Him in this setting of scripture. No, they perceived Jesus to be Messiah because He supplied manna (bread) from heaven. In verse 15, Jesus perceived this new revelation was so powerful that the people wanted to take Him by force and make Him king. They received revelation and were beginning to make the connection between Jesus and the manna from Heaven but their revelation was not complete. Therefore, Jesus departed. On down in the chapter, the people pressed Jesus further:

Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. John 6:31

To which Jesus replied:

…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. John 6:32-33

Next…

Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. John 6:34

And…

Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35

This puzzled the Jews which heard it exceedingly.

The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? John 6:41-42

Their limited revelation needed to be expanded. Jesus obliged beginning in verse 48.

I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:48-51

We’ve scripturally outlined Jesus as the Bread of Heaven of which we are to eat. Like the Jews, this may present a new question for many.

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? John 6:52

To discover how we are to eat His flesh, we must know more about who Jesus is.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Here, we see the Word was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. In verse 14, we see the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. At the end of verse 14, we see that flesh revealed as the only begotten of the Father. Who is the only begotten of the Father? John the Baptist reveals the answer in the next verses. Let’s read on.

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:15-18

So the Word that was with God, was God, and was manifest in the flesh as none other than Jesus Christ the only begotten.

Strong’s Reference:
monogenés: only begotten
3439 monogenḗs (from 3411 /misthōtós, “one-and-only” and 1085 /génos, “offspring, stock“) – properly, one-and-only; “one of a kind”
Literally: one (monos) of a class, genos | the only of its kind

The manifested Word of God was declared unto the world through the flesh of Jesus Christ the one and only. The flesh of Jesus and the Word of God are one and the same thing. Most are familiar with interchanging the name Jesus with the term Son, Son of God, Son of Man etc. Below we find an interesting exchange of terminology.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5:7

I highlighted the previous scripture because it further validates our conclusion that Jesus, the Son, and the Word are interchangeable. We see the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost phrasing used in the NT. Here, the writer interchanged the Word in place of Jesus or the Son because he understood the terms as referencing one and the same entity. This brings new light to our current question. How do we eat the flesh of Jesus. Now that we understand the flesh of Jesus to be the same thing as the Word of God, we can rephrase the question as such. How do we eat the Word of God? Phrased this way, the question makes more sense. When we study and learn the Word of God we are actually devouring the flesh of Jesus Christ. We now know that Jesus Christ is the real manna. The phrase “bread of God’ in Leviticus is actually referencing the bread of the Presence.

They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. Leviticus 21:6

Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy. Leviticus 21:8

How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Matthew 12:4

Showbread
(Hebrew: לחם הפנים lechem haPānīm‎‎, literally: “Bread of the Presence“), in the King James Version: shewbread, in a biblical or Jewish context, refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present on a specially dedicated two crowned table, in the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to Yahweh.

An alternative, and more appropriate, translation would be presence bread, since the Bible requires that the bread be constantly in the presence of God (Exodus 25:30).

In the ESV, the term for shewbread is correctly translated as bread of the Presence as seen below.

How he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Matthew 12:4

SIDEBAR:

God’s Word, or the Bread of God, is further subdivided in scripture into two categories: milk and meat. Paul acknowledges feeding milk to some while reserving meat for others. (1 Corinthians 3:2) He also admonishes those who ought to be feeding others but instead have returned to the bottle and not the meat. (Hebrews 5:12) Can a mature Christian eat strong meat? Absolutely! More importantly, a fully mature disciple of Christ is one who digs into the meat of the Word not only for himself but for others. Like a breastfeeding mother, a fully mature Christian will hunt down dinner, prepare it first for themselves, digest it, and then deliver the milk to the youngling. In nature, we know breastfeeding is best for babies. The same applies in discipleship. Bottle feeding baby Christians does not deliver the same quality of nutrients, immunizations, etc. as breastfeeding. As disciples who desire to feed others, we cannot serve up another’s milk. The most effective discipleship happens when we personally break down the meat of the Word and build up our own milk supply for nurturing others. Mature Christians should be fully stocked with milk and meat and be able to discern who needs which. We’ll talk more about these subdivisions in the future.

In conclusion, Jesus is the bread that came down from Heaven. To grow spiritually, we must continually consume Jesus Christ…the bread of God…the Living Word.

FOR ADVANCED STUDY:

There is a connection here between the presence bread and Jesus Christ. As we read above in John 1:14, we know that Jesus Christ is the dwelling place for the Shekinah or glory of God. The person of Jesus Christ was how the world beheld or looked upon, the glory of God. It was this Shekinah, or glory, that was revealed to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration in Mark Chapter 9 when Jesus pulled back the veil of His flesh. Just as the presence bread is constantly in the presence of God, so also is Jesus Christ continually before the presence of God ever living to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25) The indwelling Spirit of God in the flesh of Jesus Christ ever lives, ever remains, in the Presence interceding on our behalf. Does this mean Jesus is praying continually? No, it means every time God looks upon a blood bought child of God, He must look through the veil of Jesus Christ. That sacrificial flesh is a continual reminder that the price has been paid once and for all. We are hid. Where are we hid? We are hid in Christ with God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then we too will also appear with Him in the glory. (Colossians 3:3-4)

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Your Mouth Is Telling On You

August 9, 2016August 27, 2016 Team ActivateLeave a comment

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matthew 7:18

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. Proverbs 16:28

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. James 1:26

And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. 1 Timothy 5:13

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. Proverbs 10:18

And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for THY SPEECH BEWRAYETH THEE. Matthew 26:73

BEWRA’Y, v.t. beray. To disclose perfidiously; to betray; to show or make visible.

Translation: Tsk tsk…you’re not fooling anyone. Your mouth is telling on you! 🙊 🙉

discipleship

Lost In The House

April 8, 2016March 21, 2019 Team ActivateLeave a comment

lostfound

Reflecting on the timeless lyrics of Amazing Grace this morning.

🎶 I once was lost but now I’m found 🎶

I wanna be found over and over again!

Consider the parable of the lost coin…lost…in the house. The difference between the lost sheep, the lost son (prodigal) and the lost coin…the sheep and son are cognizant they are in fact lost. A lost sheep cries out so the shepherd can hear and thereby rescue. The lost son comes to himself and makes his way back to the father. The coin, on the other hand, is in the house (church) and yet completely oblivious that it too is completely and utterly lost. Worse still, it cannot cry out or rise up and walk.

Without the intervention of one who cared enough to light a candle, shine the light, and sweep the house (preach the word) the coin would remain lost.

Too often, the peril of the lost coin befalls seasoned people of God. The ones who have been in the house long enough that habit, tradition, and status have perhaps masked their struggle to the point they are now a dusty coin in the corner of the church house…out of sight, seemingly forgotten, and in need once again of being found.

After all, you can be a follower (Paul’s diviner damsel) and not be a believer. You can be in the inner circle (Judas) and still be a devil. You can be in the inner circle (Peter) and fail miserably denying what you once professed.

The only way to find something lost in the house is to illuminate and sweep…reveal (shine light on) and preach. Being in the house doesn’t mean you are (or will remain) found. It simply means you are in close proximity to The Seeker…the One who came to seek and save that which was lost. He’s perpetually seeking and saving you. This act was never meant to be viewed as a one time occurrence but rather a continual process of being renewed daily by every word that proceedeth (perpetually, continually) out of the mouth of God.

Rest assured, you are not forgotten. Someone is lighting the candle and sweeping the house. Be grateful someone cares enough to come looking!

Every day…in every service…start and end as one always striving to be found!

discipleship

New Year’s Tradition

January 1, 2016August 31, 2016 Team ActivateLeave a comment

newyear16

As is tradition, the Fergs rang in the New Year with an official last word of the year spoken at 11:59 PM followed by silence until 12:00 AM where we utter the first word of a New Year. We like to call the tradition “The Alpha and Omega.”

2015, we leave you declaring the name that is above all names as we welcome 2016 with the same!

Jesus: The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last, the Aleph and the Tav.

Happy New Year!!!!!

discipleship

Christmas Bread

December 25, 2014August 31, 2016 Team ActivateLeave a comment

Christmas Bread

Jesus, the Bread of Heaven, born in Bethlehem (the house of bread) and laid in a manger, feeding trough. O taste and see!

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalm 34:8

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:51

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:12

ON A SIDE NOTE:

In Old Testament customs, the shepherds would wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes to protect the body of the lambs which would be offered as sacrifice at the Temple just four miles away in Jerusalem. Wrapped in swaddling clothes to keep the new lambs without spot or blemish, they would be laid in a manger until they had calmed down.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Wrong King

August 10, 2014August 10, 2020 Team ActivateLeave a comment

Really?!?! Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge basketball fan and a diehard citizen of the BBN. Go Cats! But all this LeBron “The King is Coming” and “The Return” marketing makes me nauseous. I’m all about a good marketing gimmick but these are offensive to me as a Christian. On the flipside, if a sports star came out with a marketing plan that disrespected Muhammad and the Quran in such a manner, there would be a global outcry in the Islamic community. Meanwhile at the ranch, many Christians seem to be onboard with pairing LBJ’s likeness with references to the Second Coming…sheesh! As a Christian and a designer, I’m not a fan at all. Sorry Bron, had to vent! #wrongking