A friend of mine in Birmingham got a revelation about 2 Kings 4:8-36 (Previous post) and as i read through it, God is revealing some things to me too.
vs. 16: The Promise.
It is funny how sometimes, God gives us dreams that are so impossible, so improbable that most times are reactions are laughter (like in Sarah's case) or a mix of denial and anger (as in this case). Sometimes it is hard to get a hold of the dream when all you have known in a long while has been disappointment (vs 16b. “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”). In other words, we get to a place where we kind of tell God either implicitly or explicitly, "Please don't raise my hopes up".
vs. 17: The Promise is Fulfilled.
But God has a way of making the impossible, possible.
vs. 20: The death of the promise.
Sometimes the promise dies. Maybe it was your fault or the life killed it. Whatever the case, the question still remains. What do we do with a dead promise? Do we bury it and say it wasn't meant to be? Or do we blame ourselves, our friends, time, the church or whoever/whatever we can attach blame to?
The thing that strikes me the most about this woman was her sincerity of emotion. In vs 28 she says “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn't I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” The rest of the story tells us that those promises are not meant to stay dead. They are meant to be revived by the one (and only the one -vs 29-31) who gave them to us in the first place.
As we were discussing this passage, we were reminded of Ezekiel 37:1-14. But that is a topic for another day.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
2 Kings 4:8-36
The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”
11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”
She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”
14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.
Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!”
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”
23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”
“That’s all right,” she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.”
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”
11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”
She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”
14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.
Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!”
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”
23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”
“That’s all right,” she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.”
Number One
Wale: I was going through how God created us... God created us in His own image. I kinda got it twisted thinking that God has two hands and two arms just like us. What is wrong with that line of thought is that it's practically impossible for both a man and woman to see Him in their different genders. God is Spirit. He must be talking about our spirit in its holy nature. He gave us commands and we lost that image when we disobeyed. But Christ came to restore the image (1 John 3:8). In 1 John 3: 2 we know that we have no idea what He looks like, but when He appears we shall be just like Him. So He's not going to look like anything we've seen. When Christ comes we'll look just like him in His holiness. Also from 1 John 4:17, on the day of judgment we'll have boldness to face Him and we won't be ashamed because we'll be like Him. This mortal body has to die, but our living spirit will be the image like God's.
I'll compare the life we had before Christ came into us to a recordable CD. Recordable CDs have only one shot at burning stuff on them, once burned, they can't be erased (restored). The life we were born with is like that, piles of sin we accumulated on it got stuck with it and there was nothing we could do about it. How could death be avoidable for this life that had too many inerasable junks in it, when the Bible says the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). The death actually happened when Christ took all our junks to the cross and replaced our old life with a brand new one that knows no corruption. More than that, this new life is superior to the old one, in that, it's like a flash drive - anytime we get it stained, we can freely go to God with repentance to wipe it clean.
Please do not forget that this new life has been bought with a price (death of Jesus) and we owe it to who paid the ransom (1 Corinthian 6:20, 1 Corinthian 5:18-21). Do you know of free will? Yes, we had it in our old life, but because this life we currently have belongs to God, His will (God's free will) must be done. We have to go about it the way we are directed by God, the owner.
Just like my pastor (Mike Patz) said, Hell is full of people that do their own will and paradise is full of people that do God's will. We the redeemed of the Lord listens to Christ, the head of the church and whatever He tells us to do we do. And what He wants us to do is to be an ambassador for Him in reconciling people of the world back to Him (1 John 18:20) and that God is ready to forgive them all their sins and give them a brand new life.
Moses: I'm kind of seeing the ministry of reconciliation differently. We tend to see it as reconciling people outside to Christ, but it's also bringing people in the body back to God. The disciples were asking when Jesus washed the disciples feet why. We should have a long devotion in the same direction. So many times we derail,m we do things that we don't want to do. But that's why we exist in the body. The power of the holy spirit in us is given the job of reconciliation.
Mathiena: THe brother was explaining about how we wont know what he looks like, but we'll know when he comes back. But we must also remember that he lives in us. In the world, mostly when you speak about the image of God, they already have an image of God, but really it's not. It's worldly. But really it's spiritual. He went on the cross and said that he'd always be with you. Really from the heart, we'll have the spirit. He won't be a baby, or just a man. He'll be a father. How he looks, you can read here, his appearance. Most of the people who want to believe in Christ won't see this picture in the last book. When we were in the religion we also didin't know. The priests won't say because they want to keep the customers. No where else can you get the real God who loved us. There are many religions but they don't have everything. Christ has given everything. Many things have come in the world in the name of Christ which is not true, not according to the biblical way. Like Paul says, don't look others, look to what God says. Whosoever walks before him, the spirit of God lives in us. That's why God says we are all ambassadors. Those days, the Lor dwas far off so he spoke through prophets, But he lives in us these days. So we really have to see what God wants. Looking at what happened. If we really want to love the Lord, he says take your cross and follow me. WHen we live in the Lord, some problem comes. Even when he was born, he was persecuted (Herod). We will be persecuted if we follow him. Why else would be say that you must take up your cross and follow me? Nobody is taking seriously about AChrist. Many religions are coming inside. We are getting cold. They don't see. they're afraid. The lord says also, many believers will get cold. That's why we have to get together and see what he wants. Then we'll have his life. Otherwise, there's a word also that he will judge us with the unbelievers. That's terrible. That's terrible. And i;m so thankful that he lord opens our eyes to see him further.
Eyitayo: 2Cor. 5:17 What that passage implies, that once we are born into flesh, we are reformatted, yes but we need to be careful that when you're in Christ you'l just have a happy life, just smooth, just fresh. But hte bible doesn't--Jesus himself-- doesn't promise us that. He says in this world you will have trouble but He has overcome the world. The holy spirit helps us to discern what is good and what is wrong. That life that we hope for, we'll eventually be living right here on earth. Most time it begins smooth but eventually hard times come, the fires come. In isaiah it says that in teh fire he'll be with you. Your faith wil be stretched so that you can go to the next level.
Wale: We read from1 John 3:7 that "he who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous". We also read from 1 John 2:29 that "if you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Now we know that it takes only the Spirit of God in us to do righteousness through us. The righteousness we struggle to attain in flesh are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Only the manifestation of the Spirit in our lives yields fruit of the Spirit, and that can be counted for us as righteousness.
Moses: That's kind of really amazing. There's just one person that pleases God. It's Christ. He has substituted himself for ourselves. He sees Christ. Therefore he is pleased in us. It's just the blood of christ. Even in spite of our short comings. Someone was talking to us about love. Oen thing that stuck out of me was that love does not keep record of wrongs. That perfectly describes God. There was an interesting story He'd meet his mom and say "mom, i saw jesus" "keep playing" it kept reoccurring. The woman said finally "okay, i can't handle this, we'll go take him to church" the person said "are you sure you saw jesus"...(finish) It's true to the bible, because he loves us.
John 13:34 - John 14 "..you know the way to the place where I am going... I am the way" He says he'll give you the spirit forever. HE'll be with us, even after the second coming, and we've gone to heaven the Holy spirit will be with us. I'm seeing this "mansions" thing in a different light. Wale started out talking about how God made us in his own image. There was a time when I was looking at the original scripture, and it says literally that we are made as his image. For so many evil spirits to be able to live in one man, and for the holy spirit of God to be able to live in us and for God to be a spirit and to say where he is we can be, he is talking about us as a temple. We have this temple that is of flesh. But Jesus was going to prepare a place. Paul had a thorn, we don't know what it is, but in this new body, He won't have any thorn. I feel like, i'm not sure, but i think Jesus is making a new body for us where the desire of sin will be done for once and for all. The bible said the spirit and the flesh will always be in battle. Thanks be to the Lord who does not count our sins. Who does not keep the record of wrongs.There's no way we wouldn't do wrong but the bible syas live in the spirit and you wil not do the works of the flesh.
Mathiena: if we don't realize what is new creation, we'll keep living in the old way. The Lord specifically says you shouldn't be like other people. That's why he wants to separate us. Separation from babylon. We won't do what the world would do. So we'll be ready when he returns.
Edwin: What I understand, is that when the lord appears his hearts desire will be fulfilled. We won't be all like model car, but we will be HOLY. When Moses came down from the mountain, his face was shining because he was in the presence of God. Two things are there. we can choose to obey or disobey. When we obey--Matthew 16, when the Lord asked "Who do people say the son of man is" and then "what do you think?" Peter said "you are christ, the son of the most high" "This is a revelation from the Father in heaven" Our vision changes in a minute when our mind is opened to the Lord. The church is which the lord builds. It has nothing to do with a building. its a deception. the lord is so clear and simple. where two or three get together in my name, there i am in their midst. and that is the church. we as living stones give ourselves to his work. That's why it is written in hebrews that we should not neglect our get togethers. the most important thing is the edification. The church that is not made in human hands. In verse 21... It becomes very clear that when we become open to the lord when we listen to the lord then we are godly. When we listen to ourselves, we are not not godly. The most important thing is that He is holy. Be holy as i am holy. this should be our way today, that we seek him, listen to him, and try to bey. Submitting ourselves.
Moses: Even the world doesn't know who we are. the work of this sanctification was done in darkness. That's why people don't realize. Jesus is the light, and only then will we see clearly and recognize what is important. When God comes, all the things, the tradition and confusion, will be clarified. Jesus came and he fulfilled everything but because he was light and they loved darkness, they killed him. when he comes this time, he'll be the light again but he will be in a body that cannot be killed. and that is wonderful because its the hope we have. Stay int he holy place, keep purifying yourself in his presence.
Mathiena: Lets see that verse about how God will appear.
Edwin: It's the first book of revelation when John saw him. 1 John 2:6 We need the fear of God. And when we have the understanding that Christ is in us, we will avoid doing the things that are not pleasant to our Lord. Sometimes we're more afraid of man than we are of God.
Wale: When Moses was talking about what matters, I remembered the thief on the cross. Everything we've been talking about was complete in him when he turned to Jesus for salvation. He chose life and forgot the world around him. Sometimes we burden ourselves with so many things, when all that matters is just to surrender to Him. When we surrender to Him, walking with Him becomes second nature.
Moses: Yeah, it's in Luke 23:32 This summarizes the whole gospel because here at the point of death, Jesus also was there for sin he didn't commit. We have to ask ourselves, which one of the thieves are we. It's kind of crazy becuase you'll see that people have just chosen ot be the other thief--they mock Jesus.
Ethel: I kind of have a question, when Jesus was talking in Matthew 16 and he said for Satan to get away from him. In verse 23, I'm kind of confused about the last verse 28, when it says that "some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."
Moses(after reading a commentary): Whatever way His kingdom would be manifested for that to happen, it was fulfilled.
Edwin: When he is resurrected, then the kingdom of God begins in us because we believe that he lives in us. We try to do his will and that's when his kingdom lives in us. John 9 says that while I am in the world, I am the light of the world. He also says that he has given what the father gave to him to those that the father has given to him. God expects today that His light can be seen in his people. Everyone has been created in his image but the expression changes. When i listen to the enemy then i'm not the expression of God. I have a free will. When I listen to him, then I have assurance. Never lose that assurance--this assurance saves us. I don't know what I am doing in the world, but when i get a call form a brother, the assurance comes because i remember my identity. In the religion we dress up nicely and show all of our teeth and say hi and bye but we are fooling ourselves. That's not enough. If you love somebody, you will take time and go to them.
Moses: Everything preaches the gospel--all of creation. People are without excuse. When he was saying that analogy, I was like everything can just express the gospel. Even the Sun. It even comes back.
Eyitayo: Back to the question about Jesus saying people living at this time will see his kingdom. I think he was talking about the churches.
Edwin: Through Paul, the Lord says how he will build the church, as he'd mentioned to Peter. Following the love is prophecy. Prophesy to edify the church. Peter says take the pure milk of the word so that ye may grow. It's very important for us to be reading daily. Just as a baby must start from milk to grow. In verse 29 of chapter 14, let the prophets speak and let others judge. And prophesy is very important. Enjoy at home anything and then what you get the form the Lord share with others. That is the order of the church. it's not like in the religion when one person comes and shares and the spirit is bound. It's like in the family. Anyone can come talk to the father. Even the Israelites said in the desert, let us get a captain to take us back to Egypt. Don't hesitate, open the mouth and let the spirit flow.
Just like my pastor (Mike Patz) said, Hell is full of people that do their own will and paradise is full of people that do God's will. We the redeemed of the Lord listens to Christ, the head of the church and whatever He tells us to do we do. And what He wants us to do is to be an ambassador for Him in reconciling people of the world back to Him (1 John 18:20) and that God is ready to forgive them all their sins and give them a brand new life.
Moses: I'm kind of seeing the ministry of reconciliation differently. We tend to see it as reconciling people outside to Christ, but it's also bringing people in the body back to God. The disciples were asking when Jesus washed the disciples feet why. We should have a long devotion in the same direction. So many times we derail,m we do things that we don't want to do. But that's why we exist in the body. The power of the holy spirit in us is given the job of reconciliation.
Mathiena: THe brother was explaining about how we wont know what he looks like, but we'll know when he comes back. But we must also remember that he lives in us. In the world, mostly when you speak about the image of God, they already have an image of God, but really it's not. It's worldly. But really it's spiritual. He went on the cross and said that he'd always be with you. Really from the heart, we'll have the spirit. He won't be a baby, or just a man. He'll be a father. How he looks, you can read here, his appearance. Most of the people who want to believe in Christ won't see this picture in the last book. When we were in the religion we also didin't know. The priests won't say because they want to keep the customers. No where else can you get the real God who loved us. There are many religions but they don't have everything. Christ has given everything. Many things have come in the world in the name of Christ which is not true, not according to the biblical way. Like Paul says, don't look others, look to what God says. Whosoever walks before him, the spirit of God lives in us. That's why God says we are all ambassadors. Those days, the Lor dwas far off so he spoke through prophets, But he lives in us these days. So we really have to see what God wants. Looking at what happened. If we really want to love the Lord, he says take your cross and follow me. WHen we live in the Lord, some problem comes. Even when he was born, he was persecuted (Herod). We will be persecuted if we follow him. Why else would be say that you must take up your cross and follow me? Nobody is taking seriously about AChrist. Many religions are coming inside. We are getting cold. They don't see. they're afraid. The lord says also, many believers will get cold. That's why we have to get together and see what he wants. Then we'll have his life. Otherwise, there's a word also that he will judge us with the unbelievers. That's terrible. That's terrible. And i;m so thankful that he lord opens our eyes to see him further.
Eyitayo: 2Cor. 5:17 What that passage implies, that once we are born into flesh, we are reformatted, yes but we need to be careful that when you're in Christ you'l just have a happy life, just smooth, just fresh. But hte bible doesn't--Jesus himself-- doesn't promise us that. He says in this world you will have trouble but He has overcome the world. The holy spirit helps us to discern what is good and what is wrong. That life that we hope for, we'll eventually be living right here on earth. Most time it begins smooth but eventually hard times come, the fires come. In isaiah it says that in teh fire he'll be with you. Your faith wil be stretched so that you can go to the next level.
Wale: We read from1 John 3:7 that "he who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous". We also read from 1 John 2:29 that "if you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Now we know that it takes only the Spirit of God in us to do righteousness through us. The righteousness we struggle to attain in flesh are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Only the manifestation of the Spirit in our lives yields fruit of the Spirit, and that can be counted for us as righteousness.
1 John 3:9 says "whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God". He cannot sin because when you look at his life, there is no sin - his record is clean. Just like Paul said in 1 Cor 4:4 that he knew nothing against himself - he has a clean record. This does not mean that he never committed sins, but he never remained in sin - continually going to our advocate, Jesus Christ for cleansing (1 John 2:1). Like the flash drive, once all the junks are deleted, they are gone forever. It's been wiped clean. All this doesn't mean we should go on sinning but instead, he who is born of God keeps himself, that the wicked one touches him not(1 John 5:18 ).
Moses: That's kind of really amazing. There's just one person that pleases God. It's Christ. He has substituted himself for ourselves. He sees Christ. Therefore he is pleased in us. It's just the blood of christ. Even in spite of our short comings. Someone was talking to us about love. Oen thing that stuck out of me was that love does not keep record of wrongs. That perfectly describes God. There was an interesting story He'd meet his mom and say "mom, i saw jesus" "keep playing" it kept reoccurring. The woman said finally "okay, i can't handle this, we'll go take him to church" the person said "are you sure you saw jesus"...(finish) It's true to the bible, because he loves us.
John 13:34 - John 14 "..you know the way to the place where I am going... I am the way" He says he'll give you the spirit forever. HE'll be with us, even after the second coming, and we've gone to heaven the Holy spirit will be with us. I'm seeing this "mansions" thing in a different light. Wale started out talking about how God made us in his own image. There was a time when I was looking at the original scripture, and it says literally that we are made as his image. For so many evil spirits to be able to live in one man, and for the holy spirit of God to be able to live in us and for God to be a spirit and to say where he is we can be, he is talking about us as a temple. We have this temple that is of flesh. But Jesus was going to prepare a place. Paul had a thorn, we don't know what it is, but in this new body, He won't have any thorn. I feel like, i'm not sure, but i think Jesus is making a new body for us where the desire of sin will be done for once and for all. The bible said the spirit and the flesh will always be in battle. Thanks be to the Lord who does not count our sins. Who does not keep the record of wrongs.There's no way we wouldn't do wrong but the bible syas live in the spirit and you wil not do the works of the flesh.
Mathiena: if we don't realize what is new creation, we'll keep living in the old way. The Lord specifically says you shouldn't be like other people. That's why he wants to separate us. Separation from babylon. We won't do what the world would do. So we'll be ready when he returns.
Edwin: What I understand, is that when the lord appears his hearts desire will be fulfilled. We won't be all like model car, but we will be HOLY. When Moses came down from the mountain, his face was shining because he was in the presence of God. Two things are there. we can choose to obey or disobey. When we obey--Matthew 16, when the Lord asked "Who do people say the son of man is" and then "what do you think?" Peter said "you are christ, the son of the most high" "This is a revelation from the Father in heaven" Our vision changes in a minute when our mind is opened to the Lord. The church is which the lord builds. It has nothing to do with a building. its a deception. the lord is so clear and simple. where two or three get together in my name, there i am in their midst. and that is the church. we as living stones give ourselves to his work. That's why it is written in hebrews that we should not neglect our get togethers. the most important thing is the edification. The church that is not made in human hands. In verse 21... It becomes very clear that when we become open to the lord when we listen to the lord then we are godly. When we listen to ourselves, we are not not godly. The most important thing is that He is holy. Be holy as i am holy. this should be our way today, that we seek him, listen to him, and try to bey. Submitting ourselves.
Moses: Even the world doesn't know who we are. the work of this sanctification was done in darkness. That's why people don't realize. Jesus is the light, and only then will we see clearly and recognize what is important. When God comes, all the things, the tradition and confusion, will be clarified. Jesus came and he fulfilled everything but because he was light and they loved darkness, they killed him. when he comes this time, he'll be the light again but he will be in a body that cannot be killed. and that is wonderful because its the hope we have. Stay int he holy place, keep purifying yourself in his presence.
Mathiena: Lets see that verse about how God will appear.
Edwin: It's the first book of revelation when John saw him. 1 John 2:6 We need the fear of God. And when we have the understanding that Christ is in us, we will avoid doing the things that are not pleasant to our Lord. Sometimes we're more afraid of man than we are of God.
Wale: When Moses was talking about what matters, I remembered the thief on the cross. Everything we've been talking about was complete in him when he turned to Jesus for salvation. He chose life and forgot the world around him. Sometimes we burden ourselves with so many things, when all that matters is just to surrender to Him. When we surrender to Him, walking with Him becomes second nature.
Moses: Yeah, it's in Luke 23:32 This summarizes the whole gospel because here at the point of death, Jesus also was there for sin he didn't commit. We have to ask ourselves, which one of the thieves are we. It's kind of crazy becuase you'll see that people have just chosen ot be the other thief--they mock Jesus.
Ethel: I kind of have a question, when Jesus was talking in Matthew 16 and he said for Satan to get away from him. In verse 23, I'm kind of confused about the last verse 28, when it says that "some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."
Moses(after reading a commentary): Whatever way His kingdom would be manifested for that to happen, it was fulfilled.
Edwin: When he is resurrected, then the kingdom of God begins in us because we believe that he lives in us. We try to do his will and that's when his kingdom lives in us. John 9 says that while I am in the world, I am the light of the world. He also says that he has given what the father gave to him to those that the father has given to him. God expects today that His light can be seen in his people. Everyone has been created in his image but the expression changes. When i listen to the enemy then i'm not the expression of God. I have a free will. When I listen to him, then I have assurance. Never lose that assurance--this assurance saves us. I don't know what I am doing in the world, but when i get a call form a brother, the assurance comes because i remember my identity. In the religion we dress up nicely and show all of our teeth and say hi and bye but we are fooling ourselves. That's not enough. If you love somebody, you will take time and go to them.
Moses: Everything preaches the gospel--all of creation. People are without excuse. When he was saying that analogy, I was like everything can just express the gospel. Even the Sun. It even comes back.
Eyitayo: Back to the question about Jesus saying people living at this time will see his kingdom. I think he was talking about the churches.
Edwin: Through Paul, the Lord says how he will build the church, as he'd mentioned to Peter. Following the love is prophecy. Prophesy to edify the church. Peter says take the pure milk of the word so that ye may grow. It's very important for us to be reading daily. Just as a baby must start from milk to grow. In verse 29 of chapter 14, let the prophets speak and let others judge. And prophesy is very important. Enjoy at home anything and then what you get the form the Lord share with others. That is the order of the church. it's not like in the religion when one person comes and shares and the spirit is bound. It's like in the family. Anyone can come talk to the father. Even the Israelites said in the desert, let us get a captain to take us back to Egypt. Don't hesitate, open the mouth and let the spirit flow.
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