God is SERIOUS business...
Most Christians don’t really know Who God is... they think they can mess around, play their grace card and drag His Precious Name through the mud in the eyes of the people of the world, yet turn up their noses at the same people of the world, feeling better than them... yes, you are better... but ONLY because you have accepted the SAME Blood Sacrifice of Jesus that is available to the VILEST of human beings, who could become the daintiest of saints if they accept this SAME salvation...
Many Christians have heard so many soft hush puppy stories about God, Jesus and His little sheep under each arm that they treat Him like a feel-good drug to be used whenever they, well, feel like feeling good... and to be discarded when His requirements feel too hard on them... people gave their
LIVES!!!!! ...for us to have what we
have today... God is not going to mock them just to keep you high while you stubbornly refuse to obey Him...
He does have His soft hush puppy side towards His children, but I am instructed to illustrate His serious bit in this issue, so we can have a fuller revelation of not just His Name as the Lamb of God... but also THE LION... of Judah...
ON APPROACHING THE KING of kings Revival was in full swing throughout Judea, Samaria and all the surrounding regions around approximately AD40 days and over... all the disciples of Jesus had just watched Him go back to heaven... the SAME way Elijah had gone about 538yrs before... they see the angels who tell them to wait for the promise of the Father... which is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God upon all the believers... they've been waiting together in a secluded room for quite a while... praying... waiting... afraid for their lives... numbers reduced to 120 including the first 12... some have left to go pick up lives they once knew... suddenly! ...there is the SOUND of a RUSHING!
MIGHTY!!! ...WIND...
and all who have waited are all baptized in the Holy Spirit of God and begin to speak in other tongues... unafraid now they burst out into the city centre of Judea, around the temple and are speaking freely out of the utterances given to them by the Holy Spirit... these words sound nothing like the Hebrew language, and some begin to laugh saying these men are drunk with new wine... but suddenly, foreign converts to Judaism worshipping in Jerusalem at the time begin to hear the wonderful mighty works of God spoken in their native languages... Parthians (Iran), Medes, and Elamites... visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene; immigrants from Rome, both Jews and Proselytes, even Cretans and Arabs... ALL OF THEM are hearing the mighty works of God being spoken by the 120 in THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGES!? ...a fulfilment of the prophecy spoken by the prophet Joel (chapter 2) OVER 800YEARS BEFORE...
Peter stands up and preaches one of the most anointed sermons of all time which leads to 3,000 MORE DISCIPLES joining the church... those that would seek to control... who thought it was all over when they got the Romans to crucify Jesus are understandably upset... but rather than do their dirty work out in the open, they would rather get others to do it for them... they convince a young Jewish Zealot... Saul... confer authority on him together with soldiers... and get him to persecute the church... Saul becomes responsible for the first Christian murder... Stephen... filled with the Holy Spirit's love... prays for his murderers for God to forgive them because they don't know what they are doing, as they pelt him with rocks... love pally... just as Jesus prayed... THIS IS THE SAME SAUL WHO WOULD LATER BECAME CONVERTED AFTER MEETING JESUS WHILE HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO ARREST CHRISTIANS IN DAMASCUS WITH LETTERS FROM THE CONTROLLING RELIGIOUS POLITBURO... ashamed at his past, he renames himself Paul... yes... the SAME apostle Paul of Jesus who would be inspired to write almost two-thirds of the New Testament of the
Bible... TRAVELED ROUND THE KNOWN WORLD 3 TIMES!!! ...TO PREACH ABOUT THE
SAME
JESUS
CHRIST
HE
HAD
PERSECUTED
WITH
THE
SAME
DETERMINATION WITH WHICH HE HAD USED TO PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS BEFORE HE MET JESUS...
Meanwhile in Judea, the whole congregation of believers are ONE HEART AND ONE MIND... loving each other with the divine love of the Master... so many healings... signs, and wonders are being done in Jesus' Name at the hand of His apostles... even through this trying period, they find solace in each other's love for each other... on the direction of the Spirit of God, many of them sell lands, houses, businesses... and bring the proceeds to the feet of the apostles as a love gift to God... because the Spirit of God has witnessed in their hearts they are about to become travelling missionaries... as such they don't need these lands and houses anymore... but instead need the harvest from this seed... a good foundation for the time which would shortly come... when they have to launch out into the ministry Jesus has called them into...
A couple named Ananias and Sapphira like the attention these precious selfless believers are getting and want it... but are unwilling to give up "self" themselves... so they actually sell some property... but keep back part of the proceeds for themselves... AND DECIDE TO LIE TO THE APOSTLES THAT THE MONEY THEY BROUGHT WAS THE FULL COST... the shocking thing is all they can see are physical men carrying out the ministry... THEY DON'T KNOW THESE MEN FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD ARE MERELY GOD'S PROXIES... AND AS SUCH, THEY THINK THEY HAVE LIED TO MEN, BUT DON'T REALISE THEY HAVE JUST LIED TO GOD... both die shortly after... their sin... not exactly their lies... Sarah, Abraham's wife had lied directly to God hundreds of years before, but had not dropped dead... their sin was their EVIL COVETOUS HEART... THEY WANTED TO GET THE PUBLIC RELATIONS BENEFIT OF GIVING WITHOUT THE HEART COMMITMENT TO THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY WERE GIVING... an example to many generations afterwards to not come before the Almighty irreverently...
It was a heady time in Judea and all the surrounding regions... Israel's God... the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob IS REAL TO THEM once again... they can see His mighty works being done in their midst... the lame are walking... the blind start seeing... the deaf hear... the dumb speak... oppressing demons are being cast out left, right and
centre... everyone... I mean, EVERY rank and file believer is being FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD... they are astonished at the goodness of God!!! ...previously, NOT EVEN THE HIGH PRIEST could be filled with the Holy Spirit, but now SIMPLE everyday workers... not even qualified priests... are being filled... the SAME way the qualified priests among them are being filled... its glorious... even though they are facing heavy persecution and many have to leave Jerusalem for the last time, EVERYWHERE they go they are preaching about Jesus and healing the sick :-D... Philip, one of the disciples is sent to Samaria to preach the gospel... he arrives, and there is such an astounding revival that kicks off, that the WHOLE city of Samaria want to give their hearts to Jesus... they are astounded by the mighty miracles being done by the Spirit of God at Philip's hands... it is such as wonderful revival, Peter and John go down to help out... astounding miracles are being done by the Holy Spirit at the apostle's hands and all the people are astounded!!! ...ALL including... Simon the wizard... who had held the whole city spell-bound with his witchcraft before Philip arrived... but Simon's heart is not completely true... he observes the apostles carefully... he notices that the people are being filled with the Holy Spirit as the apostles lay their hands on them... he is intoxicated by power... HE WANTS THIS POWER... not because of a new-found love for God, but to have sway over people's lives once again... he's spent a lot of money in the past to acquire all kinds of dark arts from many parts of the world... so he offers the apostles money to acquire the ability to lay his hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit... HE'S INTOXICATED BY POWER... he's seen a HIGHER POWER that all of his sophisticated witchcraft is USELESS against... so he offers money... for what God gives freely... and almost loses his life for it... but God is merciful... and Simon repents of this wickedness... and is saved along with the rest...
THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE GOD... IS A KING... THE KING... just
OF THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!!!
like any earthly leader, there is
........and
a CERTAIN protocol involved
in
approaching Him SAFELY... a certain heart attitude REQUIRED... if we are to gain audience in His Presence... a lowly heart of humility... seeking Him in utter dependence... on His Way... on His Plan... and the second REQUIREMENT... is a heart uncluttered of wickedness (Psalm 66 vs 18)...
David, the king... outlines the following ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION... before the Almighty... in the 15th Psalm... further... he helps us understand HOW to get our hearts into this right state, as we seek God and attempt to approach Him... David outlines for us THE PROTOCOL REQUIRED to ensure our hearts are in the right order to approach THE KING of kings... he wrote simply, "...enter into His gates with thanksgiving... and into His courts with praise..." Psalm 100 vs 4
.....please
don't attempt to approach with arrogance... because of love... and for your safety, GOD RESISTS the proud... those who think they can go it alone without His help...
please don't attempt
to approach all grumbly, complainy and negative, GOD IS PERFECT... He is NOT responsible for the issues troubling you... but He is THE solution... to them...
So you need to come with THANKS... GIVING... GIVING GOD THANKS... for what you already have... this PASS gives you ACCESS into His gates... now, if you want to proceed further... and come before His Majesty... into His very courts.... YOU MUST PRAISE HIM... for Who He is... this process gets your heart in the right order... "...but Temisan, Paul wrote that we should come boldly to the throne of grace, to find grace in the time of need...", yes... I am illustrating HOW you come...
THIS IS THE JUDGE
OF THE WHOLE EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .......we're talking about here... for those that need to hear this, we're not writing about some backyard, junkyard witch seance pundit with a horrorscope ouija board tarot card crystal ball......... that you THINK you can control... look at you.......... created in the VERY IMAGE of God, and depending on spiritual CONVICTS.... outlaws... for help and advice.... devils... eternally condemned felons... you are approaching the end friend... your cup is ALMOST full... please get your heart right before SIN kills you... God is different... you can't control Him... HE IS IN CHARGE... how it works is you do what He says... please understand my choice of words, I'm trying to jolt you into the REALITY of your situation... for most of us... God does not reveal His Presence out of CONCERN for our safety... humanity fell WAYS too far...
HIS PRESENCE COULD KILL YOU!!
...and that's why He's continually preparing our hearts... as much as we allow...
Moses... who was described as the MEEKEST MAN ON EARTH!!! ...wanted to see everything... but God told him... look son... I will keep you safely behind this Rock... Christ... and then I will cause MY GOODNESS... to pass before you... and you'll be able to see My rear parts... FOR NO MAN CAN SEE MY FACE AND LIVE!!! .............THIS IS THE HOLY THING OF THE AGES WE ARE TOUCHING HERE.... WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD.... that's why the Spirit of God is constantly working on our hearts... making us better and better, because we were created for this very purpose... what we truly desire... and the ONLY THING that could bring lasting fulfilment and peace to our lives... fellowship... deep relationship with God... God can still be the soft hush puppy teddy bear Daddy you desire, but this is one Daddy you DON'T dare dishonour... I'm more relaxed now, but in the early days I would put on my BEST clothes... when I wanted to approach God in prayer... would you treat an earthly ruler any different? ....I interact with Him now regardless of what I'm wearing because it is what is WITHIN your heart... that matters... not outward appearances...
................we WILL
experience more of God's Presence in our lives TO THE DEGREE of humility and reverence towards Him in our hearts.......
in conclusion, David ... and Solomon wrote, "...reverence for
God is the BEGINNING... of wisdom..." Psalm 111 vs 10; Proverbs 1 vs 7; and 9 vs 10
“...You are
the
salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour?
Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are
the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be
hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father...” – Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:13 – 16) New Living Translation