The Two Laws: The Struggle Within

Imagine you're at the mall to buy new clothes because you've lost 50 lbs. You was a person who loved sweets. You had to have them after ever meal and for every celebration. The changing point for you was when you went in for a check-up and found that you were pre-diabetic and obese according to the size chart for your age. Therefore after consulting God, you made a conscious decision to leave sweets alone and change your eating habits with food. Now you have reaped the benefits of your labor. The weight melted away and your numbers are now at good levels. You're walking through the mall and a smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies alert your senses. You imagine that they're gooey with warm milk chocolate. You turn to the direction of the smell. Now you are battling. Do I go get some cookies or do I keep going so I don't disrupt my progress? Your flesh is saying "GO GET THE COOKIES!" and your spirit is saying "God didn't bring you this far for you throw it away for cookies. You know how hard it's going to be if you open that door." The flesh says "Two cookies won't hurt you." Next thing you know, you're at counter buying five cookies instead of two and a bottle of cold milk. What just happened? Well Paul tells us about the war between our flesh and spirt. He explains how much of a struggle it is to do the right thing without Jesus Christ. Turn to Romans 7:18-25. 

The Struggle Within

 

Romans 7: 18-25 Paul explains in this block of scripture the battle of good and evil. He says he wants to do right but he can't in his sinful nature. He wants to make the right decisions that God would be pleased with but he continues to make the opposite choice. You can see his frustration through scripture when he says " Oh what a miserable person I am!" Paul is showing us that he totally understands the fight to do good but you keep doing bad. We all go through this from time to time. In the story above it was cookies, for you it may be sexual immorality, alcoholism, bad parenting, etc. You ever heard the saying "The devil made me do it" Through the sin that satan caused to come in this world through trickery we now have a war to fight daily. Paul speaks of two laws: The law of God and the law of sin working in his body. He wants to please God but he continues to succumb to sin. As you read this block of scripture you can almost become discouraged. You may begin to think what's the point of trying to do right if I'm just going to keep failing. DON'T GIVE UP! Paul has a answer that will not only stop you from continuously failing but make you victorious in living a life for God.

The Old Man

Remember in verse 18 Paul said that nothing good dwells within his body. I want you to understand first that Paul isn't saying our body is inherently evil and it will do nothing but bad. What he is saying is that because we were tainted with sin and in bondage to it we have been using our body for our sinful lusts. Our body in itself isn't evil, God made our bodies and said that it was good. He also made us in his image and likeness. Nevertheless, our bodies are on a collision course for death in eternity due to sin. The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death. The way sin works is first through the mind as temptation of something we lust (desire) for. Then we are lured by it to commit sin. Once sin is committed it produces death. Glory be to God he gave us a way of escape from this vicious cycle of sin, JESUS CHRIST. Because we were tainted with sin we must be born again without bondage to sin and that's where Jesus come in. When we accept Jesus and believe that he is the son of the living God and died and rose again on the third day we become saved. The old man has been crucified with Christ but nevertheless we live in our new nature. When we are born again we become free from sin. We are no longer on the collision course to Hell. We now have victory over sin and when we are tempted we have the power of the Holy Spirit to resist the devil and his evil schemes. We no longer have to do the wrong thing when we want to do right. We can now do right through Jesus Christ saving grace. 

The New Man

Now that we are born again we can walk in the newness of life. We often forget this luxury. Many have become so comfortable in sin they think they can"t fight it (they're right) but you don't have to, Jesus has done that work for us. Now it's time to walk in our new nature. One strategy against sin is to make a goal to please God with your body. James tells us in Chapter four a few strategies we can use to walk in our new nature.  

• Submit yourself to God
• Resist the Devil and he will flee
• Draw near to God and he will draw near to you
• Wash your hands of sin and Purify your heart (so that your loyalty won't be divided between the world and God)
• Repent of your sin and show sorrow for it

When we follow this list God will lift us up. He will strengthen us against sin. We must crucify the flesh daily. Paul tells us in  Galatians 5 chapter that we must live by the Holy Spirit. We must learn to keep our flesh under subjection of the spirit. Be aware of the power you have over your old nature through Jesus. If you don't reject the old man and it's practices you will continue to stay captivated by sin. We do not become robots programmed to do right but we become empowered to do right. We must do the work by making a conscious decision to choose God and his commandments. Not by our works that anyone can boast but by the Grace given to us by God through Christ. Now go and be VICTORIOUS!

Scriptures in this blog came from the NLT and the ESV versions for better clarity. If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section. 

We Look Like God, We Were Created In His Image

If you're like most, there is something about you that you don't or didn't like. It could've been the way you stand, the way you look, or how much of a push over you are. There are countless things people look at about themselves that they dislike. I know for me, I hated my name growing up. "Willie Bailey!, Here." (as I raised my hand) this was the first day of school every year. Most of the students were the same from the previous year but I still felt so embarrassed. On top of that, there was a boy in my class named Willie from Kdg - 8th grade. I wondered all the time why couldn't my mother have given me a girls name. Then there was a scar on my forehead that I hated. I always tried to cover it with my hair. Now I don't even know why I made such a big deal about it. We all have things about us that we don't like. For the most part we are looking at outward appearances. Many of us feel unloved, unwanted and unvalued, but did you know that God took great thought in creating you and I? God looked at you and said she/he is good. "This is my prized possession." thought God. He gave you and I certain giftings that are specific to our make up. He thought about what kind of destiny he wanted for each one of us. God created so many beautiful things. When I look at creation I'm amazed at his magnificent creativity. Nevertheless, out of all his creations, it was mankind that God said "let us make man in our image, after our likeness". 

What Does It Mean To Be Made In God's Image?

There is one God, but he is three persons. 1John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. In this manner mankind is made like God. We are a spirit in a body that possess a soul. In Genesis 2 the Bible says God made Adam out of the dust of the earth. This was when he formed his body cavity. Then he breathed the breath of life into Adam and he became a living soul. That breath was God breathing his spirit into Adam. When Adam took a breath and became aware his soul quickened. Our soul is our awareness (mind, will, emotions and intellect). God has a soul. he has feelings, a Will (his Will is perfect), intellect and emotions. Now let's keep it real we will never be on his level of intellect but he did make us like him in this manner. We are the only creation that God gave Free Will to. We are also a spirit being like the second person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit (which is God's Spirit). This is how we connect with God through our Spirit man. God told us in John the 24th chapter that we must worship God with our spirit because he is spirit. We have a body like Jesus has a body. Jesus is the word of God in flesh. I know it's hard to understand for some but when God reveal it to you, you will be amazed 😍 We also was made in the righteousness of God. We were made with God's character. This is why he wants us to portray the fruits of his spirit. Before sin entered the world and marred our true identity mankind was Holy like God. This is why it is very important for us to Repent and be reborn through the Holy Spirit. We put away our sinful nature when we are reborn and are reinstated with our intended nature. It is a new nature for us because when we entered our mothers womb we were marred with sin. Remember before we enter our mothers womb God knows us Psalms 139 which means we were fearfully and wonderfully made without blemish. King David was in awe of God's love for us. In Psalms 8 he asked "who is man that you are mindful of him?". I believe God's reply was because you are my workmanship. You are my prized possession. For you my son, I will send my son to earth to die in order to redeem you back to me. This is the love God has for you and I, even in our mess he love us. 

In Conclusion

Always remember that you were created in the image of the Most High God. The God that created the heavens and earth took time to make you in his image. He loves you with an everlasting love. His hearts desire is for your soul to be saved and to have a relationship with you. Your purpose lies in Christ. What this means is that until you're reborn through Christ Jesus you will never know your true God given destiny. There is a wall between you and God when you haven't confessed Jesus. Jesus is the only way to God. Eternal life comes to those that believe that God sent Jesus to die for our sins and that he rose on the third day with all power in his hands. Everything must flee when Jesus is on the scene because all things are subject to his power. God is waiting to deliver you so that you can walk in your true identity. Be blessed🙏

Please leave a comment if you liked this blog or have questions. If you want more topics like this drop it in the comments. 

What Is The Soul? What Does It Have To Do With My Mind?

When I tell you this was the hardest subject for me to learn. I don't know if it was because years later I would be called to study it and explain it to others or I just couldn't get it :) God has been showing me the importance of the mind for some time now. I have watched countless videos and looked up all scriptures pertaining to the mind. God is constantly giving me a subject and showing me how it ties to the mind. Well ladies and gentleman the reason why God keeps bringing me back to the mind is because that is our Soul. Even in typing this blog right now God is giving me revelation of this subject. He is Awesome!!! Now back to the mind. Everything that we do begins in the mind/soul. Let's go to scripture to give you more understanding. Genesis 2:7 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. Adam's body was made of dust. This is our physical appearance that everyone knows us by (the Body). When God breathe into Adam, he put his spirit into Adam. The spirit man is who Adam really was, not the dust. The dust was just a cavity to hold the spirit and soul.  Then Adam began to inhale & exhale. His heart began beating. The blood pressure was regulated and he became (Aware) a living Soul. Our consciousness, awareness is our soul. The brain center was turned on. See we are a Spirit being (invisible) with a soul (consciousness) that lives in a body (physical representation on earth). 

The Soul (Mind) 

The Soul is our Mind, Will and Emotions. It is the center between the body( flesh) and the spirit (real you). Our soul receives information through our senses from the flesh. Our senses are taste, touch, smell, sound and sight. Once this information goes from the senses to the soul we make a decision. This chicken tastes good. The sun is really bright today. That music is too loud. This tree feels rough. The smell of Lavender is soothing. Those were examples of sensory decisions. It goes a lot deeper than this like what different chemicals in the brain do like dopamine. I will touch on that in a later blog. For now let's keep to the basics. These sensory decisions are made in a matter of seconds. Then through your emotions towards what you've experienced through the body, you will make a choice. That choice is your Will. This is how our soul works. Your soul is affected by the body and your spirit is affected by the soul. The body is worldly (carnal) and our Spirit man wants to please God, for our spirit comes from him. The two battle daily and it's with our Soul that we make the decision as to who wins, namely our Will. 

The Brain (Physical mind)

Let's look at it from a scientific biological point of view. First let me say it is fine to talk about God and Science at the same time. According to sciencecouncil.org Science is "the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence." Shorter definition (my words) The created is trying to figure out the Creator (God). That's all science is in my opinion. Now, let's talk about the brain. The brain is the physical representation of the invisible conscious. If the physical part of us is out of whack, the spiritual is having a issue also. I will explain more of that at a later time. For now, notice how there is a physical representation for all spiritual things. From the Science point of view, the brain is responsible for most of all the body's functions that are essential to life (www.nhs.org). These functions include but are not limited to

• Breathing
• Thought
• Memory
• Emotion
• Heartbeat
• Motor Skills
• Blood Pressure
• All processes that regulates the body

There is a term in the medical field called: Brain Dead. To be clinically brain dead a person is put on artificial life support ( artificial Breath). During this time doctors are trying to recreate the breath of life from God. Nevertheless, the person no longer has any brain function. This means they will never be aware (conscious) again. A person who is brain dead is legally confirmed dead. The spirit and soul (invisible) has left the (physical) body at this time. Why is this important? Remember I said the created is trying to figure out the Creator. They have figured out that we are not our body. If the brain dies, nothing in the body can work because the body needs the soul to instruct it on what to do. 

In Conclusion

So you see the soul has everything to do with the mind. The brain is the physical manifestation of the mind/soul. We can't see our soul but the brain is visible/physical. Isn't God Awesome!!! Your body is the physical representation of your soul and spirit. The real you is a spirit being which is who we worship our Heavenly Father with through his Holy Spirit. John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Isn't God Amazing in his creativity. Scientists are learning something new all the time about how the mind works. Guess What?! The created will never figure out the Creator for his thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways his ways says the Almighty God, As the heavens are higher than the earth, so is his ways from us Isaiah 55:8,9.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments:)

 

Mental Hygiene: The Mind of the Matter

 

"The mind is hungry. The mind wants to be good, we get so many negative thoughts in our mind, it's almost overwhelming to be positive." Mike Tyson

    Before I begin, this article isn't about mental illness or disorders. This article is about how to keep a healthy mind in an evil world as a believer and why it is important.  I recently watched an interview with Mike Tyson and this quote stuck out to me when he said this. We are bombarded with hundreds, maybe even thousands of thoughts and messages within a days span. We are over loading on messages from social media: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Then the news media is sending messages of what's going on in the world around us. Then we have our family, friends, coworkers, etc. Then we have ourselves to deal with as our own thoughts begin to flow. Our mind is processing so much on a daily basis. What's even worse is that most of what we process is negative or unrighteous. This brings me back to Mike Tyson's quote. It's almost as if negativity and wickedness is the new "normal" and to live a Godly life is almost impossible. This is where Mental Hygiene plays very important role in keeping our mind healthy and clean.

The Mind: The Center of the Soul

The mind is very complex. This is our soul center where our mind, Will and emotions function. Our soul is who we are and this is the part of us that God sent his son to save. This is also the part of us that the adversary wants to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).  Our soul receives information through our body from our senses: Touch, Taste, Sight, Hearing and Smell. Through our mind is where we make decisions through using our Will. The Will is very powerful because it gives us the ability to choose right or wrong. What comes through our senses through our body is what influences those decisions. I believe this is why God wanted to guard us in the Garden of Eden. God wasn't deceiving Adam and Eve, he was protecting them from evil/bad/wrong. If all that comes in through your senses is good, you don't have to protect your mind/soul because no negativity is coming through. Nevertheless, once mankind was deceived the Spiritual Warfare began. Now we have to fight to keep our mind/soul pure because negativity and wickedness is at an all time high and we must stay on guard. The Bible tells us in 1Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant (watchful). Then Peter goes on to us why it's important to be clear minded and watchful. Peter says our adversary the devil is like a roaring lion that walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Lions actually don't go for the strong, they look for the weak, alone and sick animals. They look for those that are not alert and easy to take down. These are the instructions that the kingdom of darkness has been given to take us down if possible. How do we keep that from happening?

Godly Mental Hygiene

Great News!!! God has given us all the tools we need to keep our mind/soul from being corrupt by the wickedness in this world :) Now listen even though God has given us the tools, we must be mindful to use them. Paul tells us to not conform to the world systems but allow God to renew our mind to be changed into who God made us to be. Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God . Conformed in the Greek means to assume a certain form or figure. To conform your mind and character to another pattern. Social Media is telling us who we should be, but this is not who God said we should be. Millions are struggling with their identity because of what they allow to go through their eye and ear gates. Now they are confused because they know they should do one thing but social media says different. Not only that but it seems that everyone agrees with it and that's where the struggle comes in at. Do Not change to what the world says is right because it's not. Always search the Word/Holy Scriptures to see what God says. Remember our mind is where decisions are made. This is why it is vital that we allow God to continuously renew our mind through sanctification of his Word and through Prayer. We can't walk in God's Will if our mind is aligned with the world's Will. Transform in this scripture means change of moral character for the better. To change after being with God. This renewal is only achieved by God's power. God does a complete change in us when we turn to him through his son Jesus Christ. 

Mental Self Care

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

God tells us what type of things to keep our mind on. Below is some changes you can make to so some mental Spring Cleaning :)

• First and Foremost, Repent(turn from the world's systems and evil desires and look to God and choose him)
• If you have not already done so, get baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit
• Read your Bible daily. If possible in the morning and before bed.
• Pray daily: Whenever God crosses your mind talk to him
• Choose television programming wisely
• Unplug from all Social Media at least twice a week to give your mind a break
• Make better choices when following people on Social Media. 
• Most music is filled with sex, drugs, demonic messages and murder, so filter the music you listen to
• Do not forsake the assembly of the believers. It is strength in numbers. Filter the people you talk to on a daily basis. It is important to converse with like minded people.
• Be sober/clear minded. Stay away from intoxication and mind altering drugs unless prescribed by a physician.

In Conclusion,

It's difficult sometimes as a believer living in an evil world. When we see all the madness that is happening it can be discouraging at times. Let's be honest, we are human and we have emotions. God knows this. He created us to care about the world like he does, but we can't get entangled in it. We can't follow what everyone else is doing. We must stand out and be different because we are different. If we follow the instructions of the Bible our mind will stay in a spiritually healthy state. Isaiah 26:3 thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is                                                                                    stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

The Future of Our Children is in Danger: Steps to Secure Them

I've noticed in the past recent weeks while watching movies with my 5th grade students that they're sending messages that we may not want our children to receive. In times pass I wouldn't worry about children shows and movies because they were mostly innocent? I know some subtleties were in them but not to the degree it is now. Lately, I've seen so many programs and movements that are targeting our children. I want to remind you before I go further that our fight isn't with flesh and blood. Flesh and blood is being used in the physical but the spiritual realm of darkness is behind it pulling the strings. Our fight is with principalities and powers in high(cosmos) places. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Children are very impressionable. They are easily led in the wrong direction because they are still learning. They are like little sponges soaking up all the information they receive from all sources. Children are not usually able to decipher when wrong messages or information is being given to them. When they trust you, they willingly accept what is being said or done. Molesters know this all too well about children and that's why they target them. Likewise, with games, television programming, Children movies (Disney, Pixar), and series are all taking advantage of the openness of our children. The worst part though is that most parents are allowing it to happen.

We are in a digital society. This is an IPad and Tablet generation. Our children are on Tik Tok, You Tube, Roblox, Instagram and Snapchat all day without supervision. Even the parents are on social media all day. Parents are allowing social media to raise their children. There are less parents everyday that check what their kid is watching and even worse who they're talking to on these forums. Look at the children in the photo above, they are outside on a beautiful day. Each child is glued to the screen of a phone when they should be playing. In addition, no adult supervision is around to see what they are doing on these phones. Let's step inside my 5th grade class. I have one girl that has watched 17 seasons of Bad Girls Club that is filled with with cursing, sex, drinking and fighting. This is why the show is famous because women are making a fool of themselves with no morals or dignity. My student who is 11 has begun to mimic what she watches and I had to talk with her about it. Two of my young ladies had Twerk pages on Instagram. I know this because my students tell me things. They give me the "Tea":) Another one of my girls had a Hip Rolling Page but she has since taken it down. My students are in group chats daily. Some students have fight pages on Instagram and Tik Tok, so they start fights so they can record and upload them. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Guess what? The parents never knew anything about it because they don't check. Did you know that God holds us responsible for our gifts that he has blessed us with? Children are very dear to God's heart. For this reason he told us exactly how to raise our children.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.  For Believers, we often get discouraged when we see our children back sliding, living contrary to the way we taught them because we didn't notice "when he/she is old" This means our children will do foolish things because of their youth sometimes, it will even often look grimm but we can rest in knowing that they will eventually as they grow older revert back to the way they were trained/dedicated. The word train in Hebrew means dedicate. Dedicate means devote (time, effort, or yourself) to a particular task or purpose. This means when we are raising our children we are teaching them to devote themselves to either righteousness or wickedness. Remember the laws of the earth goes both ways. As parents we can either train them to follow wickedness or righteousness. What are you dedicating your child to? What purpose are you teaching your child to have in life? Or better yet, what is your purpose as a parent? These are serious questions we must ask ourselves as parents. The way we start our children out is the way they can end up being. What kind of citizen are you training? Are you teaching them Godly principals to live their life by? Do they even know of God and his son Jesus? Do they know anything about righteous living through your teaching verbally and in your actions? (Or) Are you teaching them to drink alcohol, smoke weed, chaos (no structure), have multiple sex partners, deal with the occult, argue, fight all the time, curse, laziness, procrastination, unhealthy eating habits, slumber, uncleanliness, bad hygiene, etc. Many wonder why their children are out of order, it's simply what you are devoting them to. You should be in control of what they are trained in, not them. Some of our children are dealing with how we trained them, family curses and a world filled with darkness without God in their lives. How can anything other than chaos (out of order) be expected of them. If you are training your child in an ungodly way, ask God to forgive you of your sins. Ask him to lead and guide you on how to train your child in his standards. Turn from the world mom/dad and turn towards God first, then begin to train/devote your child to Godly morals and values. Then watch as you begin to see a change in your child as God begin to create a new creature in you and them through repentance and being born again in through Christ.

Call To Action

Finally, remember that God's Word is extremely important when pursuing a life of righteousness. In Deuteronomy 11:19 God tells Israel to tell their children about the ways of God always...Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. We can't just sit our children in front of devices and leave them. We must take control back and evaluate what our children our learning. Parents, please think about what you want your child to become. Ask God what his intended purpose is for your children and raise them in light of that. Stop allowing media to indoctrinate your children to think about sex before they even know what it is. Stop allowing programs to teach your children witchcraft, murder and sorcery. Listen to the music they are listening to. Look up the lyrics to see what is going in your child. Spiritual Warfare is real. Don't have your child on the battlefield naked without a covering from you and also their own armor through learning the ways of God. Parents lets secure our children before it's too late. Be Blessed

 

The Book of Revelation: Chapter 1 explained

The book of Revelation is a book that many steer away from. To many, this book brings fear because of all the imagery inside it, so they just don't read it at all. I remember as a little girl I liked scary movies and all of them in the 80's seemed to have a scripture from Revelation in the introduction along with a priest that seemed to have no power against evil. Well I'm an adult now and I see that was a tactic to program the masses against reading this book of the Bible. The book of Revelation is actually a beautiful book, it speaks of the hope that believers are awaiting for which is Jesus Christ return. God sends hope, warnings, encouragement, love, victory and judgement in this book. This is also the only book of the Bible that has a blessing for those who read it. I have had the pleasure of going through a Revelation Study course twice. My overseers Prophet John Guy and his wife Pastor Wynett Guy has done an extensive study of this book over the course of several years. I have learned so much from their teachings and now I will like to share with you. We are in the end times and this book prepares us for what's coming. Some things have played out already in the world but there is much worse coming. I will be doing an explanation of each chapter in Revelation. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comment section. Also if you find this helpful please share for others to read and learn. In addition, please read this along with your Bible. Never replace the Bible with other writings, only use them as resources. Let's begin:)

The Chain of Custody

Chapter 1:1-3 tells the origin of the message and how it was distributed. The Revelation was given by God to Jesus. Jesus then gave the message to an angel. Then the angel gave it to the disciple John whom Jesus loved. God shows us who he is sending the message through and who the message is to be sent to. God gave this message to show his servants (followers of Christ) the things that will come to past. You will notice that the scripture says "that will shortly come to pass." You may be saying but it has been over 2,000 years since this has been written. Remember a 1000 years is like a day to God. 

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

He is not bound by our three dimensional world. God is outside of time. Mankind follows the rules of time, God doesn't. Therefore to him it will shortly come to pass. This is also why some prophecies you receive is spoken as if they will happen tomorrow but manifest 5 years later. The book of Revelation is a record of the Word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ and everything that John was shown on the Island of Patmos where he was exiled for preaching the Gospel. 

The Blessing

Verse 3 has some very important information in it that the enemy doesn't want us to know about which is the blessing of reading this book of the Bible. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

 Everyone that reads this book of the Bible will be blessed. This is the only book in the Bible that has a blessing connected to reading it. Don't get me wrong it is a blessing to read the entire Bible, but God has literally written that we will be blessed in Revelation. You will be blessed if you read it or hear it and keep all that's written within this book. How can we keep what's in the book if we don't read it? Exactly. The time is at hand statement was said often by Jesus throughout the gospels. This phrase means the time is near. This phrase is saying, this is of the utmost importance, the time is now. Many have asked why is this phrase used when it has been over 2,000 years? Remember God is outside of time. God sees the present, pass and future at once. We have to keep living to get to what he has already seen. 

Who are the Recipients of the Message

Verses 4-6 tells the reader who the message is for. John begins by addressing the Seven Churches of Asia Minor and speaking blessings to them. He also praises Jesus for being the: first begotten son of the dead, prince of the kings of the earth, loving us and washing us in his blood to cleanse us from sin and making us kings/queens and priests unto God his father. Remember this book is written to all Believers but since he is about to speak to the seven churches that's who he addresses at this time. John also shows us that God has no time as we do by saying " to him which is, and which was, and which is to come." God invented time but isn't bound by time.

The Seven Spirits before the throne of God

In heaven there is a visual of everything. Our prayers become incense in Heaven which you will see as we go further. The seven spirits that John sees are the annointing that comes from the Holy Spirit. From the words of my overseer "Jesus is God, he is the source of the seven spirits, His spirit lives in us so we have what he has." Nevertheless, this annointing costs. We must spend time with God in prayer and fasting, reading his Word and having an ear to his voice. 

In Isaiah 11:2 we see these spirits listed when speaking about Jesus. 

11And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

Establishing the Purpose of the Prophecy

In verses 7-8 John signifies the importance of this unveiling. The coming of Jesus Christ is why this is so important. The entire Bible from the beginning to the end foretells the coming of Jesus. Even Jesus talks about his coming. This is a very important event. The book of Revelation tells of the events that happen up to the Coming of Jesus in the end times which is now. John tells us that Jesus comes with clouds and that everyone will see him. He begins to list those that will see Jesus: those that pierced him, and ALL kindreds of the earth shall cry at his coming. Some will be crying because they now see that Jesus is real, which means Hell is too. Some will be crying because they have been waiting for this moment since they believed that Jesus was the Son of the true and living God. Next Jesus speaks, in your Bible it will be in red lettering when ever Jesus literally speaks. He says "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending" It started with Jesus and it will end with Jesus. The Alpha and Omega is the first and last letter of the Greek Alphabet. People of that time knew exactly what he was saying. God wants us to know this and be prepared for his coming.

The Prophetic Timeline Vs. 9-11


9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 

John is showing us who he is and the prophetic timeline in verse 9. John is our brother because once we are born again the Bible says we become sons/daughters of God (John 1:12). The timeline that he shows is Tribulation, The Kingdom and the Patience of Jesus Christ. Despite what we have been taught the church will not get raptured out of chaos. There is no scripture that tells us that, but if you stick with me you will see that scripture does say the saints will be here DURING the tribulation. The only saints that will not be here is those that die before the Tribulation comes. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 24:29-31 I will go more in depth as we go along, but I will ask you not to read this through the paradigm of your church. Take the religious glasses off so that you can clearly see what God is preparing us for. I had to do the same. The Kingdom is next in the timeline. The scripture says that Jesus comes with the Gov't on his shoulders, this is the Kingdom of God. With Jesus comes the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 9:6-7). The Kingdom of God is an actual Government that Jesus will establish on earth when he returns. Lastly, the patience of Jesus Christ. The world has been patiently waiting for Jesus and the saints also. It will be really hard for the saints during the Tribulation. God doesn't do this, satan does as a campaign against God's children. Jesus will be finally here, the wait is over. To read more about the patience of the saints read Revelation 14:12-13.

Key Things to Know Before you go Deeper in Revelation

God gives three major visions that deal with the timeline of things to come. Each vision has 7 key parts to it. These are the: 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets and 7 Vials. Please note that each vision covers a specific length of time. Each one zooms in closer to the event of the coming of Jesus Christ. You will understand more as we go through but always keep that on the forefront of your mind. If you don't, you will be very confused as most are and thus decide to not read it. Please just hang in there because there is truly a blessing in learning it. 

John is in the Spirit Realm vs. 10-11

John tells us the he was in the spirit on the Lord's Day. He is in the spirit realm outside of our three dimensional realm. Jesus instructs John to write everything he sees in a book. This is so you and I along with other believers can be prepared for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the events before his coming. John gives a beautiful description of Jesus. To me it sounds like one of the Most powerful Marvel characters except he's the greatest of the greatest, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Great I Am, the son of the living God, the creator of all things. (Praise Break) 

John is so much in Awe that he falls to his knees in Amazement. Jesus puts his right hand on him to calm his fear and tells him who he is in great detail and what the 7 candlesticks and the 7 stars are. 

7 Candlesticks & 7 Stars

Jesus tells John to write to the 7 Churches of Asia Minor. Now in those days church wasn't what we have made it to be. There wasn't all these denominations to separate us and our beliefs. They either believed Jesus was the son of God or they didn't. The Church was all the believers in that area. For example all the believers in Detroit would be the Church of Detroit, not Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Catholic, etc. Just the Church. Plain and simple. Leave it to man to make it all about him. The 7 stars were literal angels over that particular region. Each Church listed in the following chapter has an angel assigned to it. The 7 candlesticks are literal churches of Asia Minor which is now Modern day Turkey. Each church is the light in that region. Remember we are suppose to take the light with us where ever we go. We are instructed by Jesus to let our light shine (Matt. 5:15-16). Remember the gathering of believers are the church, not the building. The building has the church in it because we are there. When God uses the word church it's a group in a city. The word used for church is Ekklesia which means a gathering of Called Out Ones, assembly or congregation.

Conclusion

My prayer is that I help others understand the book of Revelation like I was helped. If this detailed over view of Chapter One helps you please share with others. This is not for likes, this is to advance the Kingdom of God. This is to reveal what the devil wanted kept secret. You will never read the Bible the same after you learn the book of Revelation. 

Giving the Gospel in the Midst of Uncertainty: It's needed more than ever

 

We are in the midst of a Pandemic. Hundreds of Thousands have died and many are becoming infected with Covid 19. California has been burning for weeks. This is the largest wildfire season recorded in California history. We are in a coin shortage, many stores are not accepting cash. We are on the verge of a cashless society. The shelves at stores are lacking where they were once full. There is talk of Russian war planes flying in U.S. air space in Alaska. This is just to name a few. The year 2020 has set a precedent for many things. We are closed in our homes, not knowing what to expect. Children are being taught virtually missing their friends. Parents are stressing out about childcare and not being able to help their children with education. Morals and Values are at an all time low. We need Jesus more than we ever have. Where are the children of God? Where are the Pastors? Where are the prayer visuals? People are looking for "normal" to return, not knowing that we are in the midst of a change. Normal as we know it I believe will not return. I believe that Jesus return is closer than we think. The Bible tells us what signs to look for and we are at the tipping point. 

Many believers are relaxed and idle. We just go to church on Sunday and Wednesday and we don't minister to anyone throughout the week. We see people hurting, spiritually dying and in despair and walk by without a care. God is calling for US to repent because we are not doing our job. We are here on earth to bring the kingdom of God. This is the message Jesus carried everyday. His heart was to please the father. The father heart was for the world, to save them out of sin. He wanted to save their souls to give them hope and a future. He wanted to justify them so that they could be in his presence. God so loves his workmanship that he sent his son to be the perfect final sacrifice to redeem the world back to him. Nevertheless, this is a mystery to many. They are in the dark and it is our (believers) job to be that light that illuminates Christ in their lives. Paul said in Romans How shall they call on whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in of whom they have not heard? It is time for us to turn our ear to God and inquire of him what he wants. We preach messages that are not of God. We prophesy false prophesies lying on God. We cause people to doubt him because of our disobedience. I never want to be the cause of a soul going to eternal torment. I want to be a daughter that my father is pleased with. I want people to see the light of Jesus flowing through me and not the darkness of the world. I want to fulfil my fathers business here on earth. Many of us don't even truly know our father the most high God. We don't spend any time with him. How can you know someone who you never talk to. We are laxed in our prayers, fasting, reading the Word and carrying the Gospel. Many of us are weak ambassadors right now because we are not looking like the Kingdom of God. Instead it seems our alliance lies with the world. 

We must prepare for the coming of the Lord. First and foremost the Church of God has to repent. You may say for what? I'm a believer. Repentance isn't only for the sinner. Whenever you have taken your eyes off God and put them elsewhere, you must repent. The word for repentance in Greek is Metanoia and it means a change of mind, a change in the inner man. We often have to go through a mind transformation. When our mind is transformed it renews us Romans 12:2. We have allowed ourselves to be over taken by life here on earth. We've forgotten about the lost souls. We've forgotten about our mandate from Jesus to take the Gospel to the world. When Jesus prayed in John 17 he prayed that we would be one that the world may know that God sent him through our words. He also said in John 14 that we should do the works that he did and even greater because he was leaving. How many of us can say that we are doing the works Jesus did. We are not saved from sin to be selfish. Our job is to grab as many as we can along the way that God may make the increase. We must have a change of mind and a care for the world as God cares for it. He left us here for a purpose, are we fulfilling it. Are we prepared for his coming? Are we prepared to endure the tribulation before he returns? Do we have the Word hidden in our hearts? Are we consecrating ourselves? Are we battling in the spirit? Do we have our full armor on in Ephesians 6? Are we prepared for his coming and are we preparing others along the way.  

It is important in this season that we draw near to God. We can't survive in our own will and power. We need the power of God. The only way we can do what Jesus did is through his power. We must ignite the Holy Spirit that we have so often quenched. Ask God to fill you with his fire. Ask him for a new stronger relationship and do your part to make that happen. Pursue him, knock and the door will be open, seek and you shall find, ask and it shall be given. It is time to fast and pray and go before the throne of God. Inquire of God what he would have you do in this season. We all have a part in the body. God made each of us with a purpose hidden in Christ that would fulfil his purpose. He equipped us with gifts that we may do good works. It is time for God's bride to stand up and be counted. I tip my hat to my brothers and sisters that are out there doing the work of the Lord. Continue in the strength of the Lord and know that your work isn't in vain. It will accomplish God's will.