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No King But Caesar?

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In the Book of Exodus 7:10-12 Moses records the following: So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.11 Then Pharaoh called for the wise men [skilled in magic and divination] and the sorcerers (wizards and jugglers). And they also, these magicians of Egypt, did similar things with their enchantments and secret arts.12 For they cast down every man his rod and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Interestingly enough in Exodus 3 Moses’ shepherds rod becomes a serpent. When taking the account regarding Aaron, Pharaohs magicians, and the showdown of the serpent rods one could deduce that the “King Snake” swallowed up all the other snakes. Also, you must add that the Shepherd became a King – this is true regarding Moses and Jesus.

I was curious about the etymology of our English word king and wondered where it all derived. The online etymology dictionary provides the following: a late Old English contraction of cyning “king, ruler” (also used as a title), from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz (source also of Dutch koning, Old Norse konungr, Danish konge, Old Saxon and Old High German kuning, Middle High German künic, German König). It proceeds to state that the word implied a leader of the people, noble birth, a chief, or ruler.

What I found interesting was the late Old English contraction cyning. When I seek to sound it out at first it sounds like I am saying, sinning. Which calls us back to the accounts in Exodus 3, and 7. Were you aware that Pharaoh wore a headdress which bore the symbol of a cobra? Incidentally you will see that symbol on King Tuts burial mask. The cobra symbol is called the uraeus, which is an upright or rearing cobra. It derives from the worship of the goddess Widget – the patroness and protector of the Nile Delta and all of Lower Egypt. Uraeus was a symbol of royalty, divine authority, and sovereignty. Pharaohs wore the uraeus as part of their crown, and it was often depicted with a golden sun-disk on top. The pharaohs thought they were gods and it was only fitting that their “priests” were able to perform supernatural feats.

What many Christians and Jews fail to realize is that Moses and Aaron were sent by God for a showdown with the “so-called” gods of Egypt, and to force all of these idols to bow before the feet of the True Shepherd-King – Jesus! It’s interesting to note that even in Herod’s day (1445 years from the reign of Pharaoh) it was a crime, (whose punishment was immediate death) to say you were a king – as there was no king except Caesar. Which sadly during Jesus’ trial before Pilate the chief priests stated, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). (The chief priests would not even acknowledge that only God was their King).

In 2025 you need to ask are you “cyning“ “making anything other than Jesus your Leader, King, Ruler, or Chief? Jesus is the King Snake who has come to swallow up all other so-called gods, or rulers and He rewards those who make that distinction with a crown of their own. But His crown will not have the depiction of the serpent, satan. No, Jesus’ crown, will only fit on the heads of those who have made Jesus their Crown. In 2025 why not surrender and bow your thoughts and actions to the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords? Will He be your King? Will you allow Him to swallow up all that has ruled your life?

Strange Fire

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Leviticus 10:1-2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord, as He had not commanded them.2 And there came forth fire from before the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord.

In 2013, Pastor John MacArthur, popular, national Christian radio and television teacher, promoted a conference entitled, Strange Fire. It’s purpose? Strange Fire, part of Grace to You’s Truth Matters conference series, evaluates the doctrines, claims, and practices of the modern charismatic movement, and affirms the true Person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

In 1833, the Church of Scotland excommunicated Pastor Edward Irving. His crime? He acknowledged that supernatural gifts, especially the gift of tongues, and any other miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit were available to every born-again follower of Jesus. What connection does this have with John MacArthurs’ Strange Fire Conference? In 1882 American Baptist pastor A.J. Gordon described Irving as a man of wonderful endowments” who “was accused of offering STRANGE FIRE upon the altar of his church because he thought to relight the fire of Pentecost.” Several old adages sum up the ironic coincidence: there’s nothing new under the sun, or those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.

Interwoven between my blog excerpts from author Frank Di Pietro I want to bring you up to speed regarding the FIRE of God that manifests in strange ways to those who do not know His History. Obviously God’s Ways are not our ways, and when He draws near He is truly a consuming FIRE. What we consider abnormal and strange is actually normal when it comes to the Presence of God manifested throughout Church history. Through this series of blogs I will introduce you to the writings of Christian historian Jeff Oliver who has written a series of books titled: Pentecost To The Present.

Book One: Early Prophetic and Spiritual Gifts Movements: “Continuationism is a theological term for the belief that gifts of the Holy Spirit like miracles, prophecy, and speaking in tongues, as recorded in Acts, have continued throughout Christian history until this present age. A continuationist or continualist is one who believes the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are still distributed, still in use, and still needed, and that the same Holy Spirit who came on men and women of the Old Testament and on the apostles in the New Testament empowers Christians today with supernatural abilities. The teaching stands in contrast with cessationism, the belief that supernatural gifts ceased with, or sometime after, the original twelve apostles….others acknowledged that miracles continued past the apostolic age, ceasing sometime around the fourth century when the Canon (Bible) was finalized. This idea is based on an erroneous interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. Though “when the perfect comes” clearly points to the Return of Christ, some, over the centuries, believed this phrase pointed to the (Canonization) of the Bible.

So this question begs an answer: If these supernatural gifts never left the Church and if the Holy Spirit has been active throughout Church history, working through each generation to build Christ’s Church since the day of Pentecost, why haven’t we heard more about such activity?

John Wesley argued that, “with the creation of the institutionalized Church, the love of many grew cold. Many practicing heathens became “Christians” and many Christians acted like heathens, thus grieving the Holy Spirit.”

Hebrews 12:25-29 warns of refusing the FIRE of God: See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

As everything in the world has been shaking you can rest assured that the Consuming God of FIRE – the ONE WHO is still speaking and hasn’t lost His Voice – is about to appear and before that event we will see some strange things indeed.