Falling Down: The “Trip” of Humility or Pride?

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Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord [inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life], all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital]. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Since our church-wide fast in January I have been asking the Lord, What does humility, or humbling myself, look like – practically? There are several implications in this passage. “…seek humility [inquire for them, require them as vital].” Seek humility? Inquire for it? Require it? Humble people seek the Lord. Those who are seeking to humble themselves or put it into practice – SEEK the Lord through worship, thanksgiving, prayer, obedience, repentance, change in lifestyle, practicing things they have clearly been shown in Scripture – but have been ignoring, or disobeying. They seek the Lord through seeking after His Manifested Presence. They change their schedules to make room for more of His Presence. They open the Door of Revelation 3:20 – to spiritually “hear” the WAYS He speaks; to “feel” around to discover, Am I spiritually hot, cold, or lukewarm? They open the DOOR to Jesus, the DOOR, to “see” spiritually – asking, What Are You Showing Me? What do You want me to see – spiritually? Seekers – humble people, those who are trying to humble themselves before the Lord – will open the DOOR to make room for all of these things.

John 10:7 So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the Door for the sheep. Only Jesus’ sheep go through His DOOR. You have to belong to Jesus to go through these kind of “doors.” You have to be able to “hear” and “see” to follow Jesus – to recognize His Voice. You have to be a sheep – not a goat. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy…” What’s the thief going to steal, kill and destroy? You and I being sheep. What do sheep do? They eat, drink, and flock with other sheep. They follow the Shepherd. Where’s a shepherd going to be? With the flock – with the sheep. If you are following Jesus, the Shepherd, you are going to follow Him to where the flock is. The thief is going to convince you that you can be a sheep all by yourself. (Of course you can – while the “wolves” of life destroy your life)

Jesus’ sheep are humble. They are teachable. They follow the Shepherd. They recognize His Voice. They see and hear spiritually. As they humble themselves God’s Grace is abundantly supplied. Yet, God opposes all those who set themselves against His Shepherd (disobedience is opposition). As Scripture says, He knows the proud from afar. The Grace, or empowerment, desire, and thoughts – to seek God’s Presence, to humble yourself, to walk in humility, to be Jesus’s sheep, to follow the Shepherd, and enter the DOOR – is minimized. And Scripture is fulfilled: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) Isn’t it interesting that the word for prostration in the Hebrew is often translated “fall down?” There you have it: fall down on your own – in humility OR fall down in destruction – because of pride and haughtiness. What kind of “trip” do you want to take? Humility or PRIDE?

PRAY! Prayer for Soldiers at Home and Abroad

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If you don’t subscribe to Israel 365 News, or Not the Bee News, I want to encourage you to do so. Recently I read that Austin Texas, CBS reporter, Vinny Martorano, was in downtown Austin Texas reporting on the events transpiring there in regard to the news that America had struck Iran. What did CBS tell the reporter to do? He seems to be told not to film a segment highlighting the pro-Trump crowd of Iranians celebrating this weekend’s attack on the Islamic nation, but he decides to be an actual reporter and defy orders. 

Why do I tell you this? 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 states: The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of [pretended] miracles and signs and delusive marvels—[all of them] lying wonders— 10 And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. 11 Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false, 12 In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness.

The Last Days are marked by strong delusion, deception, and lies. Turn off the propaganda of the elites that hate God, hate Jesus, and hate Israel. And can I let you in on a little secret? They hate Jesus-fearing, Bible believing Christians. (I think that’s you and me).

With that rant out of my system, my main point is to ask you to be in prayer for our troops – in the Middle East, and around the world. As of today there have been six US service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice – so that others can live in freedom. Pray that all terrorist cells, and plots will be exposed to upper, middle, and lower levels of law enforcement – here in America, Israel, and around the world. Pray for the protection of our President, the US military, and its leadership. Pray for them to have the wisdom, and counsel of God; to know how to respond appropriately in any given situation.

John David preached out of Joshua 1:9 Sunday. Since Sunday that Scripture has been repeated to me on three separate occasions from three separate sources. This word from the Lord is bigger than our church. Obey, put into practice, what the verses command us to do: Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. (Joshua 1:7-8) What does Joshua 1:9 state? Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NIV 

Followers of Yeshua (Joshua) – Jesus are COMMANDED…to: (1) Be Strong; (2) Courageous; (3) Do Not Be Afraid; (4) Do Not Be Discouraged!

How? Joshua 1:7-8: (1) Obey the Law (Instruction, Teaching) of God; (2) Focus on His Teaching; (3) Speak or Declare His Word, His Teaching; (4) Think on it (Meditate on it); (5) Practice it – Day and Night!

Birthing Jesus?

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1 Timothy 2:13-15 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

Before you shut down your computer and think that Robert has lost his ever loving mind – hear me out. When Paul wrote this you have to connect it with the following: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal. 3:27-29)

If there is no male or female – through Jesus – there must be something more Paul is referring to. In Galatians 4:19 refers to the Galatians believers as being pregnant:my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! Just so you know scholars have been agonizing over the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15 for years yet the implications for Paul’s meaning can be cleared up with one scripture known as the protoevangelium. The what? “Protoevangelium!” What is it? It’s Latin for “the first gospel.” What’s the First Gospel?

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” NIV

Now, in the Old Testament women were never referred to as having a “seed.” What is God actually prophesying to satan? He is prophesying the virgin birth. From the woman will come a “Seed” that will “crush” or defeat satan. According to Paul in 1 Timothy 2:15 our salvation – men and women, youth and children – will come through Christ being birthed in and through us. How do you know if you are being saved? Is Christ being formed in you? Is He being birthed or manifested through your obedience to Him, His Spirit and Word? 2 Cor. 3:3 states, And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Borrowing from the words of Oswald Chambers, are you becoming “broken bread and poured out wine?” You and I become His “bread” by aligning ourselves in obedience to the “Bread” of His Word. As Paul reminds us: if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. Persevering faith, love, holiness and self-control – produces the Bread of Christ; and causes Christ to be birthed or manifested through us. 1 Cor. 10:17 states:For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. NKJV