Jesus Christ was inaugurated as King from birth

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST INAUGURATED HIM AS THE KING OF KINGS

The prophet Isaiah prophesying about the birth and reign of the Prince of peace wrote, “For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince of peace.” ‘Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

When the wise men from the East came to Jerusalem seeking for Jesus, they did not say “Where is he who is born to be the king of the Jews?” but rather, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” For we have seen His star in the East, and have come to worship Him.” And when they came to the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold [to honor Him as a king], frankincense [to honor Him as God], and myrrh [to honor Him as man].Therefore Jesus Christ was a king from birth (Matthew 2:1-3, 110-12).

During His earthly trial before Pilate, Pilate called Him and asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"

Then continued and said; “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom was of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now My kingdom is not from here.” 

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are you a King then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born: and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:33-37).

Therefore, the logical question is, since Jesus Christ was born a king, and for this cause He was born and for this cause He came into the world, there is a Feast of the Lord called the Feast of Tabernacles, who is this feast honoring? And what is the rationale for observing this feast? Is it not to honor Jesus Christ as the King of kings? So how can one say that they do not know when Jesus Christ was born?

The date of Jesus' birth is so important that, in the future everyone will have to observe this feast  or face severe punishment. For it is written: “Every one that survives of all nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of Tabernacles. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain upon them. And if the family of Egypt do not go up and present themselves, then upon them shall come the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16-19). 

This festival which honors the birth of Jesus Christ falls every year on the full moon in late September or early October and observed for seven days and the Eighth Day of this festival commemorates the circumcision of Jesus Christ the day on which  Gentiles who once were far off from the commonwealth of Israel with no hope and without God in the world were brought near by the blood of Christ. 

God has overlooked these times of ignorance and has commanded all men everywhere to repent, it is idolatrous, blasphemous and irreverent to be claiming to honor and celebrate  the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on a day which has absolutely nothing to do with His birth.

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To be continued

With brotherly Love

Lucius Joseph.

 

The date of Christ's birth is it unknown?

According to the World Book encyclopedia, “No one knows the exact date of Christ’s birth, but most Christians observe Christmas on December 25th. On this day, many go to church, where they take part in special religious services.”

The encyclopedia also states that, “The first mention of the celebration of Christmas occurred in AD 336 in an early Roman calendar which indicates December 25th as the day of observance. This celebration was probably influenced by pagan [unchristian] festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god, and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid December to celebrate the end of the harvest season”

But is the notion that no one knows the exact date of Christ’s birth true? And should we make this an excuse to honor pagan gods, in the name of Jesus Christ?

One of the instructions the Lord gave the children of Israel when they left Egypt was this; “I am the Lord your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe my judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:2-5).

We are reminded in the New Testament that, “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and truth.” Therefore, is there any veracity in celebrating December 25th as the date of Christ’s birth?

If the popular saying that, “No one knows the exact date of Christ’s birth” is true, then this must be a conspiracy to conceal His true identity, and to deny Him of His honor and reverence.

 Because during Christ's ministry on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles when Jesus spoke openly in the temple, knowing that they were plotting to kill Him: some of the people who heard Him spoke said, “Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? Yet we know where this Man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from” (John 7:25-27).

This plainly shows that the people knew exactly where Christ was from but they denied Him His honor because they said, “When the Christ appears, no one will know where He [Christ] comes from.” This unfortunately has gain acceptance and credibility through the world.

But according to the scriptures, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Word of God who was made flesh, and dwelt among us was well known by the authorities, they affirmed this by saying, “Yet we know where this man comes from” and so the whole details of His date of birth was not a secret.

Because, on the exact day on which Christ was born we are told that, “In the region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 

And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day [today] in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-12).

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!”

As soon as the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ‘And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they [widely]made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them”(Luke 2:13-18).

So then, was the birth of Christ a secret? Absolutely not! For how could such a remarkable day and event which was widely made known not be recorded in history: If it is not through a conspiracy to conceal it?

Now at eight days old, we are told that He was circumcised, and was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21).

Also, when the days of Mary’s purification was completed, which according to the law; thirty three [33] days for a male child, Jesus was brought to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord [as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord].

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was just, and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:25-32).

So again, I beg to ask the question, how could such a remarkable day, in the life of such a remarkable individual not be recorded in history! Some people make excuses by saying that, the date of Christ’s birth is not that important, hence the reason why His date of birth is not known.

But the irony of truth is; if Jesus Christ was not born on the day on which He was born, we would not have had a Savior, and a permanent dwelling and we would still be in our sins. And what further proof and pronouncement does one need other than that of the angel who said to the shepherds, “For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord,” and that of the multitude of the heavenly host who praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

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To be continued

With brotherly Love

Lucius Joseph.

 

The substance of our faith

The substance of our faith

With all that is presently taking place around us, people losing their livelihood and being regarded as a treat and enemy of mankind simply because they refuse to defile their body with aborted fetuses and stem cells of other creatures, I think that it is imperative that all true believers in Jesus Christ revisit and consider the admonition the apostle Paul gave when he wrote; “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified: But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5-6).

It is also our God given responsibility to test or prove all things and hold fast to what is good and abstain from all forms of evil. The exhortation given to us by the apostle Paul is to examine and test ourselves as to whether we are in the faith, which of course according to biblical terminology is testing the substance of the things we hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. In this particular and specific instance or occasion the substance of our faith is Jesus Christ in us. So the question therefore is, do us as believers truly believe that Jesus Christ is in us?

 Especially in this critical day and age in which we live, it is absolutely imperative that believers examine and test ourselves as to whether we truly are in the faith, since without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Therefore, knowing, understanding and believing that Jesus Christ is living in us is critical especially dealing with this pandemic.

The way we as believers face and handle this pandemic and the agenda which propels it depends largely on the measure of our faith coupled with the admonition that our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. For we have received the consolation that, Jesus Christ to whom all power and authority belongs dwells in us.

In praying to the Father Jesus prayed and said; “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:20-23).

Knowing and believing that Jesus Christ resides in us and having faith and confidence in Him Who abides in us is critical and it is the source of the believers victory over all circumstances as alluded to by the apostle Paul who wrote; “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” And; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 2:13; 4:13).

The apostle John also gave us the consolation and assurance by saying; “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us: By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1John 4:4-6).

As believers we should take time to examine and test our faith and consider for a moment what the apostle Paul wrote saying; “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:9-11).  

Those of us who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ and in the pretext of love towards our neighbor are ready to crucify and disown those who are exercising faith in the power of God by refusing to take a vaccine to fight and control a virus, I would like you to consider this for a moment, if the Spirit of God residing in the believer is able to give life to our mortal bodies and change it from mortal to immortal because of His Spirit who dwells in us, are you therefore implying that, the same Spirit who dwells in us is incapable of fighting a virus! And only a vaccine the work of man’s wisdom (science) that is capable of saving humanity from a virus? Which by the way defiles the temple of the Holy Spirit and disqualifies it from inheriting the kingdom of God: What a tragedy? What blasphemy! What profanity!

But truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYGDD7M

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Man's critical choice of faith

Man’s critical choice of faith

Another critical choice that every individual has to make is that of choosing whether to have faith in the wisdom of men or, having faith in the power of God. There is no correlation between the wisdom of men and the power of God for thus says the Lord; “I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.” God does not share His glory with machines, robots and the science of men because, there is a way which seems right to a man but its end is the way of death. On the other hand, the way of God is narrow and difficult but leads to life, and there are only few who will find it. So let us not make the mistake of associating man’s progress in science with God.

From the very inception, man has been given the prerogative and the power of choice to choose so that in the final analysis he/she has no one to blame but him/herself. This started from the Garden of Eden when the Lord gave Adam the choice to choose between all the trees that were in the garden including the tree of life which would have him to live forever, or the choice of partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which would cause his death on the day that he partake of it.

The rest of the story we know because, we are all paying the consequences of this decision which was made by the first Adam. Then, when the Lord chose the children of Israel as His chosen people He gave them the choice saying; “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” Then He went on to say; “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19)..

Now in our New Testament dispensation with the advent of the last Adam who paid the price for the transgression of the first Adam who chose death over life, we now have the choice to choose between the life which is in accordance to the flesh which we inherited from the first Adam or the life which is in accordance to the Spirit which we inherited from the last Adam and so, we have been duly admonished saying, "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1Corinthians 15:21-22).

So now, we have the contrast between the wisdom of men and the power of God. The same way we have been duly admonished saying; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).

In like manner, our faith should either be in the power of God which is the way of life in the Spirit or, having faith in the wisdom of men which is the way of life according to the flesh and so the crux of the matter is, faith in the power of God is contrary to having faith in the wisdom of men because, they are contrary to each other and therefore, has absolutely no affiliation or cohesion.

For example, faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen is demonstrated and manifested in the application of vaccines and boosters as the solution to curb and defeat the deadly Corona Virus pandemic.  And therefore, the substance of man’s faith in the wisdom of men relating to this pandemic is vaccines and boosters.

 On the other hand, believers are not to have their faith in the wisdom of men but rather to have faith in the power of God, so the way believers ought to express their faith in the power of God is diametrically opposite to the way one expresses his/her faith in the wisdom of men. The way one expresses his/her faith in the power of God in relation to this pandemic and everything else it is to believe that God is who He says He is because, without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Believers therefore, have the alternative to exercise their faith in this time of global pandemic in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men and the way this faith is administered and demonstrated is by having complete trust and confidence in the power of God because, He endowed His disciple with power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease (Matthew 10:1).

Believers have also been given the antidote to counteract every type of situation he/she faces in life by applying the formula which states; “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:13-15).

Prayer and fasting is the remedy that Jesus Christ gave to His followers to combat all manner of challenges that they may have to face in life and He is displeased with those of us who are weak because when the disciples could not cure an epileptic who suffered severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water, Jesus said to them, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me."

Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:17-21).

And so, the admonition to all professing believers is, “Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” But the crux of the matter is, God created us as free moral agents not to choose for ourselves what is right and what is wrong or to walk after the imagination of one’s evil heart: But He created us as free moral agents to choose between good and evil, between being slaves of righteousness or slaves of sin, between being citizens of the kingdom of light or citizens of the kingdom of darkness, between having faith in the power of God, or having faith in the wisdom of men.

The choice is for every individual to make because ultimately, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. There is absolutely no excuse and let us not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

It is imperative therefore, that we examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith, we should all test ourselves, get to know ourselves and know that Jesus Christ the Creator of heaven and earth is in us unless we are disqualified and allow science to defile the temple of the Holy Spirit.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

Man's critical choice of citizenship

Man’s critical choice of citizenship

Another critical choice all men have to make is that of choosing their citizenship. Naturally, we were all born as citizens of this world, the kingdom of darkness, whose ruler is Satan the devil and until we make the choice of having Jesus Christ as our King we remain citizens of the kingdom of darkness as illustrated by the apostle Paul who wrote; “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (1Corinthians 4:3-4).

It is when one accepts Jesus Christ as their sovereign King then God the Father transfers the individual from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Son, as we have received the consolation saying; “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).

The sad reality however is that, the majority of us who profess to have accepted Jesus Christ as our King and supposed to be citizens of the kingdom of light are unable to grasp the reality and practicality of being in the world but not of the world as stated by Jesus Christ in His prayer to the Father stating; “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14-16).

Yes, to be in the world and not be of the world is something many people have not been able to fathom and incidentally are repeating the same mistake made by the children of Israel when they rejected God as their King when they said to Samuel; “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:5-7).

But the irony of truth is, the Lord has never relinquished His power and authority as Sovereign King and Lord over His subjects it is the people that are rejecting Him for this is what Samuel said to the people; “But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, 'No, set a king over us!' Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans” (1Samuel 10:19).

Rejecting God as our King is not pleasing to Him, although He allows it, but it is not what He requires of us. This action is termed the lesser of two evils meaning that, instead of destroying us in His anger He allows us to choose our own king and pay the consequences of our actions as the Lord explained to the children of Israel saying; “O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me. I will be your King; where is any other that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, to whom you said, ' Give me a king and princes'? I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath” (Hosea 13:-11).

Rejecting the Lord as our King and electing others to rule over us is as evil as when the children of Israel made that first mistake and our response should be exactly as the children of Israel who after realizing their error said to Samuel; “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves."

Then Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people” (1 Samuel 12:1-22).

So the way we as believers can be in the world and not be of the world is by, submitting ourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men ---as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:13-17).

On the other hand, we are to consider ourselves as being not of the world since we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us, to implore others on Christ's behalf, to be reconciled to God. We therefore, are representatives of the kingdom of God signifying that, our lives are being regulated by the laws and principles that govern the kingdom of God and appealing to others to get back in harmony with the government of God which will include surrendering ourselves back to God as our King.

To be in the world but not of the world also entails that we priorities our submission because, although we are required to submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, if however, man’s ordinance contradicts or violates the principles of God as was the case of Peter and the other disciples who were commanded not to teach in Jesus’ name and they response was; "We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

In like manner, whatever the authorities of this world commands which are in violation or contrary to the word of God should not be given precedence over the word of God neither should we approve of them because, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Man's critical choices

Man’s critical choices

Man is a unique creation having given the power or the prerogative to choose their own Ruler, citizenship, faith, life or death. This prerogative however, does not give man the power to choose for him/herself what is right and what is wrong. The only time man has such a prerogative it is when the individual has rejected the straight and narrow way and has chosen for him/herself the broad and wide gate as illustrated by Jesus Christ who instructed us saying: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Therefore, anyone with the perception that he/she has the right to do whatever the individual wants to do is a sure indication of deception and gross ignorance on the part of the individual because, man by nature is a slave or servant to whomsoever he/she choose to obey whether God or Satan as exemplified by the apostle Paul who wrote; “ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

It is therefore imperative that we verify the source and origin of whatever we do as a human being and be cognizance of who receives the honor and glory especially, if we profess to be believers in Jesus Christ who in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that were made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist”. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever and we are not our own for we were bought at a price; therefore, we are to glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which are God's.

I therefore, beg to ask the question since we claim to be believers in Jesus Christ who are we honoring and glorifying as we are busy preparing for the upcoming Christmas festival? And on the eighth day celebrating a new year? Who will be receiving the honor and glory! Is it Jesus Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords, or is it Satan the adversary?

Food for thought, remember; "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “One cannot celebrate and worship God and Satan simultaneously; it is either one or the other. So the huge question is, the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations are they based on the commandments of God? Or are they based on the customs and traditions of men? If based on the customs and traditions of men whom are you worshiping, God or Satan? Let the word of God be the judge and exercise your right to choose.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Is God the object of our worship?

 

Is God the object of our worship?

Since one is either a worshiper of God or a worshiper of the Devil, it is imperative that we are able to distinguish Godly worship from false worship and avoid the pitfall of false and vain worship which is automatically diverted to Satan. Some of us do not take seriously enough the fact that Satan desires to be worshiped just as God is worshiped and therefore, any form of worship that is not in accordance to the principles ordained by God is false and  it honors the devil.

There should not be any confusion or ambiguity when it comes to the worship of the One and only true God because in quoting the prophet Isaiah Jesus Christ said; “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:6-8).

Although we may not be able to discern one’s heart in order to render a worship to be in vain but we can definitely define vain worship when the teaching is not in accordance to the commandments of God but rather in accordance to the customs and traditions of men.

For example, concerning the people of Sodom and Gomorrah the Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah saying; “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies --- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:12-5).

God takes pleasure in what He has ordained for His glory and not what man choose to offer to Him, For example, this is what the Lord says; “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. 'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. 'These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2-4).

The Lord went on to identify all the feasts which honor Him and their appointed time of observance by name and left no one in any doubt. So although one has the liberty to observe or not to observe as illustrated by the apostle Paul who wrote: “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it” (Romans 14:5-6).

The crux of the matter is, if one is going to regard a day or an occasion to worship God it must be on the day or occasion He has ordained for His honor and glory. For again the Lord says; “You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 1:30; 26:1-2.

In addition to the set times and occasions there is also a protocol or a prescribed manner by which the supreme God is to be worshiped, anything short of this is vain and useless.  For we have been duly admonished saying; “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns" (1 Chronicles 16:28-32; Psalms 96:7-11).

The irony of truth is, God ordained specific days and occasions for His people to appear before Him to honor and worship Him. He did not leave it up for man to decide for themselves when to appear before Him or to worship Him according to the customs and traditions of men. He did not give man any reason to do what seems right in their own eyes or to walk after the imagination of their own evil heart because this would be confusion and God is not the author of confusion.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

What is man?

Having a much deeper and more profound understanding of what is man and observing the way we live led me to realize that the majority of human beings lived without having a proper understanding of what human life meant to be and judging from what is being promulgated in today’s society it is a clear indication that human being do not really know and understand our status as being human.

We may all be familiar with the teaching which states; “Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

But what many of us may be not cognizance of, is that there is a stumbling block that stands in our way that hinders us from achieving our God ordained purpose in life and in order to attain God’s ordained purpose we must under all circumstances override and overcome this hurdle which is the power of choice.

From the very inception of man’s existence we are told that; “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2: 8-9).

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:15-17).

So from the very inception man was given the choice to partake freely of every tree that was in the garden including the tree of life, but was commanded not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. These two trees were symbolic, the tree of life represented Jesus Christ the life Giver and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represented Satan the originator of death who originally knew what is good but rebelled and became evil.

Satan originally was created as the light bringer to the earth in fact; the word Lucifer actually means “light bringer” as illustrated by the prophet Isaiah who wrote; “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ' I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars (angels) of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

Lucifer’s downfall came as the result of his pride and iniquities as confirmed by the prophet Ezekiel who wrote; “Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.”

 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.”

 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you: All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever" (Ezekiel 28:12-19).

The sad reality is, Satan’s quest is to be worshiped just as God is worshiped and therefore, it is man’s responsibility to choose who he/she is addressing their worship to, whether it is to God or to Satan because, there are only two masters as attested to by Jesus Christ who said; “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13).

The crux of the matter is, man is not an independent being, and he/she is for example, either a worshiper of God or a worshiper of Satan, a citizen of the kingdom of light or a citizen of the kingdom of darkness, a slave of righteousness or a slave of sin, one whose faith is in the power of God or one whose faith is in the wisdom of men. The call of duty to every human being is to be committed to either one or the other; one cannot be committed to both therefore, it is imperative that we be steadfast and knows definitely to whom we are enslaved and be a profitable servant.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Spiritual blindness

 

1.      Spiritual blindness

The fourth reason why we are alienated from the life of God and unable to bear spiritual fruits it is because of being spiritually blinded which is caused by refusing to retain God in our knowledge, and for this reason, God gave those who does not retain Him in their knowledge over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.

Those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge their minds degenerates from first being knowledgeable to becoming ignorant and from being ignorant to becoming debased which is a state of being lowered in dignity, character, or importance which manifest itself in being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful.

Satan also takes advantage of those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge as illustrated by the apostle Paul who wrote; “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

And so, without being judgmental it is not a difficult task to differentiate a spiritually minded individual from one who is carnally minded and spiritually blinded because it is clearly manifested in our lifestyle and the danger is, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Therefore, even though we personally may not be practicing these things but approve of those who practice them are subject to the righteous judgment of God.

But the sad reality is, when the Lord has poured out on an individual the spirit of deep sleep, closed their eyes and covered their heads the whole vision becomes to them like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed."

Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I am not literate." Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 29:9-14).

Again, without being judgmental it is not a difficult task differentiating a carnally minded individual from one who is spiritually minded as exemplified by the apostle Paul who wrote; “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

A carnally minded individual is one who is antagonistic to the law of God and whose mind is set on the  things of the earth as explained by the apostle Paul who wrote: “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” And, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is and sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Romans 8:7; Colossians 3:1-3).

Being carnally minded and spiritually blinded is the main reason why so many professing believers are unable to perceive the insult, the defilement, the abomination and profanity that the COVID-19 vaccination impacts on the human body and the dire consequences which follows. The apostle Paul alerted us by saying; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)..

So the crux of the matter is, “Are we only looking at things according to the outward appearance? Or are we also looking at things inwardly? The reality is, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

What is essentially taking place around us in connection with this mandatory vaccination is a spiritual warfare with the intention to defile and ultimately destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit and so the admonition is; “Put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places: Therefore, let us take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

.Nevertheless, let us not be ignorant of the fact that, having accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior does not necessarily means that the individual is spiritually minded and can understand and distinguish spiritual things and the sad reality is, perceiving things only in a physical perspective and being merely human will not permit us to understand  the spiritual things that are taking shape around us because, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATINGS6

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Having faith in the wisdom of men

 

1.      Having faith in the wisdom of men

The third reason why we are alienated from the life of God and unable to bear spiritual fruits it is because, we have placed our faith in the wisdom of men instead of having our faith in the power of God. Despite the fact that we have been admonished by the apostle Paul saying; “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1Corinthians 2:4-5).

The stark reality is, the wisdom of men regardless of how brilliant it appears to be will ultimately result in death as alluded to by the wise king Solomon who wrote;  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

The huge mistake which most people make is to affiliate and associate the works of man’s wisdom with the power of God. Man has been given the power to achieve whatever he sets his mind to achieve. From the moment Adam ate the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" And during the time of the tower of Babel the Lord said; “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (Genesis 3:22; 11:6).

In our present age of technology the world is as united as it was during the days the tower of Babel was being constructed and nothing that man in their wisdom proposes to do will be withheld from them. So man has the capability of achieving whatever they set their minds to achieve. Therefore, to attribute all of man’s achievements to God is gross error on our part for thus says the Lord; “I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 42: 8; 48:11).

The irony of truth is, God does not share His glory with man’s wisdom for it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God; it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1Corinthians 1:19-21).

There is therefore, a huge disparity between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Man indeed has the power to achieve things that are both good and evil, but the good that are to be attributed to God are those which are administered by the Holy Spirit and believers should be able to echo the apostle Paul’s sentiment  by saying; “        I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Because, it is the Holy Spirit living in us that does the work and not we ourselves or electrical gadgets.

And so the admonition is; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy --- meditate on these things.” And of course set out to do it in faith because, faith without works is dead and knowing that it is not by our might nor by our power but by the Holy Spirit, for it is Christ living in us who does the work.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFP1SMV

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Glorify God in spirit

 

Not only are we to glorify God in our body which has become the temple of the Holy Spirit, but we also have to glorify God in spirit which is being manifested:

a.       Through praise

For we have been admonished saying; “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God." We glorify God in spirit; through the inward man by continually offering the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name, and allowing the word of Christ to dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Psalms 50:22-23; Hebrews 13:15; Colossians 3:16).

We glorify the Lord in spirit when we present ourselves before Him at His appointed times and adhering to the protocol which states: “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; the world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously" (1 Chronicles 16:28-31; Psalms 96: 7-10).

We glorify God by being productive as stated by Jesus Who said; “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:7-8).

We glorify God by rendering excellent quality service as we have been duly admonished saying; “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Peter 4:11; 1Corinthians 10:31).

Last but not least, we glorify God through suffering in the flesh and so we have received the consolation saying; “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:14-16).

And so, in this critical and trying times our consolation is; “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1Peter 4:12-13).

With this pandemic the faith of every believer is on trial, but in this we are to greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, we have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of our faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9QXQ4E

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The hardening and insensitivity of the heart

 

1.      Alienated from the life of God because of the hardening of the heart

The second reason why we are alienated from the life of God and unable to bear spiritual fruits it is because of the hardening and insensitivity of the heart, because although we claim to know God, we do not glorify Him as God, nor are we thankful, but we are futile in our thoughts, and our foolish hearts are darkened. Professing to be wise, we became fools, and are changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, birds, four-footed animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).

So how are we to glorify God? We are to glorify God in both the nature of the first Adam and that of the last Adam as we have been duly instructed saying: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

To glorify God in our body necessitates that we do not desecrate of defiled our human body because, from since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the human body is not simply dust and to dust it shall return, but instead, we have been reminded saying; “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."

And so the admonition is, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:15-19).

So let us now think and walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise and consider this for a moment, if sexual immorality, be it homosexuality, sodomy, bestiality, adultery, fornication, all defiles the human body and deems it unworthy to inherit the kingdom of God, I therefore beg to ask the question, what will be the outcome of the human body, the temple of the Holy Spirit which has been injected directly into the blood stream with aborted human fetuses in order to mutate and facilitate whatever is in the vaccine with the human body, whether it be aids viruses or all sorts of stem cells directly into the blood stream?

Be our own judge! For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world, the choice is ours to make and if we are not chastened it is simply because we do not believe that sexual immorality is sin and that our human body is indeed the temple of the Holy Spirit.

But the scriptures categorically state; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

So then, the multimillion question to all professing believers in Jesus Christ is, do you personally believe that, the Corona virus vaccines with whatever its composition defies the temple of the Holy Spirit? The choice is for each individual, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9QXQ4E

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph