IT IS ABOUT BEING FAITHFUL

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Saturday April 29, 2023

IT IS ABOUT BEING FAITHFUL

And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
John 4:36 (KJV)

Understand that there is no failure in the harvest field. Winning souls involves both “sowing” and “reaping.” Yahushua used these terms in talking to His disciples as recorded in John 4:35-38. Exactly what is the difference between “sowing” and “reaping?” Sowing is the work necessary to enable the seed to enter the ground so that one day harvest is reaped! In agriculture, sowing involves preparing the soil and planting the seed. In winning souls to HaMashiach (the Christ), sowing likewise involves preparation and planting: (a) In which the hearts are being prepared for the reception of the gospel. (b) In which the hearts are first introduced to the gospel and its principles. Reaping is the actual “harvesting” of what has been sown. In agriculture, reaping is the collection of the fruits which have produced by the sowing into the barn or storage facilities for preservation. In winning souls, reaping is that harvesting which occurs when souls who have had the Word planted in their hearts decide to obey it and are subsequently planted in the local church! What is important to appreciate is the statement quoted by Jesus in John 4:37, “One sows and another reaps.” Those who sow do not always witness the reaping that may one day occur. And many times those who reap are benefiting from the efforts of those who did the sowing before them. In evangelism, this means that often times you will be sowing the seed and it may appear that you are not getting any results. But some time later those souls you were trying to reach may decide to finally obey the gospel and another Christian may actually do the reaping in your place! Then again, there will be times when people just sort of “fall into your lap,” ready and anxious to obey the gospel with little effort on your part. In this case, you are reaping what others have sown! The point to keep in mind is that evangelism involves both “sowing” and “reaping,” and there will be times when what you sow will be reaped by someone else. Let this be an encouragement to you when it appears that you are not reaping as you would hope. You might actually be making it much easier for some brother or sister in the future!

THE TIME IS SHORT

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Thursday April 6, 2023

THE TIME IS SHORT

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Revelation 12:12 (KJV)

The devil knows that he has but a short time but unfortunately so many Christians do not know that they have but a short time on this side of eternity. Today we are going to look at prophetic timeline and see why soul-winning is so urgent at such a time as this. Yahweh gave Daniel a vision of what He will do in the end times and it is commonly referred to as the seventy weeks of Daniel (Dan. 9:23-27). The seventy weeks of Daniel is the prophetic timeline of Israel as a nation and people. Whatever Yahweh is doing in the world today, Israel is the point of contact for it. Yahweh’s agenda is in relation to the covenant He made with the ancestors of Israel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In prophetic language, one week is equal to seven years. So seventy weeks is equal to 490 years. Yahweh said that seventy weeks is given to Israel to finish transgression. This seventy weeks started from the 7th year of King Artaxerxes being April 3, 458 BC (Gregorian calendar). From 458 BC to the time the Messiah was cut off around April 3, 33 AD was 69 weeks. This vision of Daniel and the one given to Nebuchadnezzar are one and points to the same end time events. From the Vision of Nebuchadnezzar, the ankle of that image which prophetically is referred as the “Parenthesis” is the times of the gentles which is the age of the Church. One week was remaining from the vision of Daniel which represents the time (seven years of Anti-Christ) of Jacob’s trouble when the Anti-Christ will break the treaty with Israel and unleash persecution which will culminate in the second return of the Messiah.

THE GOSPEL DEFINED

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Wednesday April 5, 2023

THE GOSPEL DEFINED

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
ROMANS 10:9 (KJV)

You have been hearing of the term “gospel” and sometimes, we may get acquainted with a word thinking that it means something only to discover that we have been wrong about the meaning we have come to ascribe to the word. The word translated as gospel in the New Testament is the Greek “evaggelion” meaning “a good message; good news” and the verb “evangelizo“ meaning “to bring or announce good news”. Both words are derived from the noun angelos meaning “messenger”. The gospel is the story that tells humanity that Yahweh has finished the work of salvation in and through HaMashiach (the Christ). The gospel is the good news that Yahweh in came into the world in the person of Yahushua HaMashiach, was born of virgin birth by the power of the Holy Spirit, died, was buried, resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father and that salvation and eternal life is available in His Name. In I Corinthians 15:1-4, the Apostle Paul enumerated these basic ingredients of the gospel. The gospel is the good news that in the Lord Yahushua we are not just forgiven sinners but we are now new creations with the very life of Yahweh in us (see II Corinthians 5:17, 21). In the Lord Yahushua, we are made the righteousness of Yahweh. In the Lord Yahushua, we are heirs of Yahweh and joint-heirs with HaMashiach (the Christ) (see Romans 8:17). In HaMashiach, we have the power of attorney to use the almighty name of the Lord Yahushua to reign and rule on earth (see Mark 16:17).

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH

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Thursday March 30, 2023

THE SPIRIT OF FAITH

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
II Corinthians 4:13 (KJV)

There is the spirit of Faith. The spirit of faith is a speaking spirit that enables you to speak the word of Yahweh before any situation. The spirit of faith empowers you to say what is written in spite of the happenings. The spirit of faith is faith operating from your spirit. It is faith irrespective of the climate insisting for a turnaround and not repudiating until it is delivered. There is a difference between the word of Faith and the Spirit of Faith. The Word of Faith gives you light to enable you act on it. The Spirit of Faith moves you to act on the word. The Spirit drives you (see Mark 1:12). When the spirit of Faith is in operation, reasoning is deactivated. The Spirit of Faith drives you to achieve the purpose of Yahweh and will not stop until it is achieved. In Numbers chapters 13 and 14, we saw the story of the twelve spies sent by Moses and their report. All twelve of them saw the same thing, but they reported differently. What was the difference? In Numbers 14:24 says, ‘But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.’ That another spirit is the spirit of faith. From this story, let us briefly outline what the spirit of offers:

IGNITING FAITH BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

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Wednesday March 29, 2023

IGNITING FAITH BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Jude 1:20 KJV

Praying in tongues is a mystery that delivers so many dividends to the practitioner. In 1st Corinthians 14: 2, we see that praying in the tongues of the Spirit is a direct line to God that cuts off all satanic activities and interferences. Let us outline what speaking in the tongues of the Holy Spirit holds for the believer:

FAITH IS THE VICTORY

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Tuesday March 28, 2023

FAITH IS THE VICTORY

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith

I John 5:4 KJV

There are things that are automatic. Whenever faith is in place, victory is automatic. Our text states that FAITH is the victory. But the way in which we often interpret it tends to skew the meaning. Most of us think that we are being told that if we have enough faith we will press through to the victory. In short, we think that it is faith that carries us into any victory. But wait. Read this verse carefully. It really does not say that our faith carries us into any victory. Rather, this verse states that faith IS the victory. Do you see that? It is not an insignificant distinction. Faith itself – the reality of faith in us – THAT IS THE VICTORY. Anything else that comes about because of this faith is not the victory, but the faith itself IS the victory. God is here telling us that if faith is established in us that this faith IS the victory. It is our victory, yes, but really, it is GOD’S victory – in us. The faith itself IS the victory. The faith isn’t UNTO the victory. The faith IS the victory. In other words, the existence of faith in us is evidence of His victory in us. The two are as one, for the verse says, “This is the victory….our faith.”

FAITHLESSNESS IS VERY TRAGEDIC

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Monday March 27, 2023

FAITHLESSNESS IS VERY TRAGEDIC

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved? but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:16 (KJV)

Faith is not just a treasure but not possessing faith is a tragedy. It is very dangerous to be faithless. It is deadly to exist without faith. It is calamitous to function in life outside of faith in Yahweh. One of the motivations of pursuing faith is not just for the victories that it holds for you but also for the dangers that existing without it holds for you. Firstly, without faith, your eternity is in the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8), then, you exist without eternal life on earth (see John 3:36), then a life full of natural limitations and frustrations (see Matthew 8:26), then a life barren of the help of Yahweh (see 2 Chronicles 25:8), also a life at the mercy of Satan and his agents (see Luke 13:16), etc. The list is almost inexhaustible but for space, we shall be explaining the above-mentioned.

What are the tragedies of faithlessness?

FAITH ENHANCERS (4): PRACTICE THE WORD

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Sunday March 26, 2023

FAITH ENHANCERS (4): PRACTICE THE WORD

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22 [KJV]

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church, said that many people who are in the church are not really saved. They have just mentally subscribed to certain truths. They have agreed that certain things are true in their minds, but not in their hearts. Wesley was referring to head faith versus heart faith for receiving salvation or the new birth; but the same is true concerning healing, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or an answer to prayer.

FAITH ENHANCERS (3): NO ALTERNATIVES

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Saturday March 25, 2023

FAITH ENHANCERS (3): NO ALTERNATIVES

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Psalms 62:5 (KJV)

When it stops being Yahweh only, your expectation will be frustrated. Why? Because Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the Lord; that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Except you let Him have it all, He’s not interested at all! Anything you desire, and for which you have an alternative source, makes Yahweh withdraw. He is a jealous Yahweh! He withdraws when anybody comes on the scene to help Him. So, He warns us in Exodus 20:4-5, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any grave image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” Graven images represent personalities, certificates, self, etc. Every time it stops being Yahweh alone, you have missed it.

FAITH ENHANCERS (2): A HEART OF LOVE

#WordForTodayDevotional

Friday March 24, 2023

FAITH ENHANCERS (2): A HEART OF LOVE

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision? but faith which worketh by love.
Galatians 5:6 (KJV)

There was a time a lawyer came to Yahushua and asked Him, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” And Yahushua answered in Matthew 22:37-40: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Every plan of Yahushua for you anchors on the statement “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all thy heart.” If this is missing, then your foundation is not in place. It is the foundation for a fruitful life as a believer in HaMashiach.

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