If you would like to sign up or re-sign up to receive the E100 emails, please respond to me at denise.satrape@citlchurches.com and we will set you up to recieve the daily devotions that coincide with the days readings.

Many have asked, “What’s next?” now that I have completed the E100 Challenge.   I am so glad you asked!  E100 also produces a quarterly Daily Bible Reading Devotional Booklet.  

Each day is marked with a new selected Old and New Testament readings of about 12 verses per reading (an easy read) with commentary on things to reflect on and challenges to apply the truth.   If you are interested in obtaining one, it will be available for a small cost of $5.50 per quarterly (April,May & June).  If you respond to this email  I will be sure to have a copy available for you (May 6th).

As you continue to press forward in your walk with the Lord, let me encourage as His disciples with these closing words:

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

John 8:31

PS For those wishing to start the E-100 again, remember we have great resource tools and E100 devotionals and cards to help you on your journey.

Revelation starts off with a blessing to those who read it, and concludes with the warning of a curse to those who add or take away from the words written in this book. Plagues will come on those who add, and the names of those who take away from this book will be taken away from the Book of Life. The integrity of the book of Revelation is highly guarded and regarded.

A new heaven and earth are created as the old ones pass away, to make room for the New Jerusalem to come down out of heaven from God. Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband the New Jerusalem comes to complete all things being made new, and the passing away of the ungodly, sin and curse of the law.

The New Jerusalem is the Lamb’s wife, having the glory of God – in other words, reflecting the likeness of God. Her light was like the most precious stone of jasper and clear as crystal. She had a great 200 ft. high wall with 12 gates which represent the government of God and the 12 tribes of Israel. There were 3 gates each in the north, south, east and west in the wall.

Again we see the number 12 in the 12 foundations of the wall represented by the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. The most amazing thing is the size of the New Jerusalem being 12,000 furlongs squared or 1200 square miles. Even harder to fathom is it’s height of 1200 miles! A city literally built as a mountain 1200 miles high and 1200 square miles wide!

There’s no temple in the New Jerusalem, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple, and there’s no sun or moon because the Lamb is its light which shines and brings light to all the nations which come to honor God.

This is the great city Abraham and the Patriarchs longed for that far exceed anything ever imagined before that’s being prepared and waits for us.

This is one of my favorite parts of the Bible where we can say “we saw the end of the game and we win!”  Chapter 19 begins with a loud voice and a multitude praising God for His salvation, glory, honor and power. All those in heaven who had been tortured and killed by the devil, and his crowd, are finally avenged and justice is executed as they worship God.

John gets caught up in the worship and falls at the feet worshipping the one speaking to him, telling him that these are the true sayings of God.

And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Revelation 19:10

Heaven has no substitute when it comes to worship; it’s reserved only for God. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy. When we testify we’re telling of prophetic events in our lives that God did for us, so that He can be glorified in heaven and do what He did for us to others on earth.

Worship is the prelude to the opening of heaven; and the Lord’s going forth to battle on His white horse with the armies of heaven. That which created, the spoken Word of God, becomes that which destroys the beast, the false prophet and the kings and soldiers gathered together against God and His people.

The devil is bound for a thousand years and cast into a bottomless pit and the saint’s reign with Christ for 1000 years. Those who suffered with Christ will reign with Christ starting with the first resurrection of the dead, as priests of God. Blessed are those who die in Christ!

The grand finally is when the devil is cast into the lake of fire, the lost are judged for their sins (Those written in the book of life were free from judgment.).

All the inhabitants of heaven are focused around God’s throne on worshipping Him. The 24 elders represent the most mature of believers leading the way in worshipping God. Heaven is a place of awesome worship. It’s a place where all authority and power is made subject to the One who gave it!

The beauty, color and awe of God and heaven are beyond human comprehension, John had to be escorted “in the Spirit” into this marvelous realm. He sees God in all of His majesty, surrounded by an emerald like rainbow, seated upon a throne with a sea of crystal before him and 24 elders robed in white wearing crowns.

He sees 4 angelic creatures  around the throne with eyes in front and back that resembled a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle all with six wings each worshipping God day and night saying:

 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 4:11

He’s obviously over whelmed by what he sees and with what he was ignorant of. John weeps when there appears to be no one able to open the scroll and loose its seals. He’s told not to weep as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah comes and takes the scrolls out of the right hand of God.

As the Lamb takes the scrolls as He is worshipped in a new song, worshipping Him for His worthiness to open the seals, for His redemption, by the shedding of His blood, affecting every tongue, people, nation and king, making us kings and priests to God, and we shall reign on the earth.

God reigns in us through worship. Heaven visits the earth through worship. God’s authority is established from the throne in heaven to the throne of our hearts through worship. Worship releases revelation of that which is to come when the Lamb of God opens the seals of end time judgments, tribulation and closing last day’s events.

Jesus lets each church know He understands their situation. He affirms their positive qualities. He touches their hearts, then voices concern over areas that need attention. Finally, He beseeches them to listen. He consistently shows compassion before He corrects. As John Maxwell points out, “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.”

Ephesus, the loveless church, kept people busy, and were commended for their labor but somehow they had left their first priority, which was to love God. Their work for God had actually distracted them from God! They had busy hands, crowded calendars, full heads, but empty hearts. What did they need to do? Remember, repent and return to the first works.

Smyrna, the poor but truly rich church, was facing a period of persecution, betrayal and suffering. Jesus warns them to remain faithful even unto death, and they would be rewarded with the crown of life.

Pergamos, the church of compromise was being influenced by its evil surroundings. Jesus warns them to repent from their false teachings or He would come with the sword of His mouth to fight against them.

Thyatira, the church of good works was harboring a false prophetess whose seductive teaching was causing people to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Jesus gave her time to repent and promised judgment in the form of sickness, tribulation to her and death to her children if they didn’t repent.

Sardis, the church that was dying, was not producing good works. They were warned to repent, be watchful and strengthen the things which remain.

Philadelphia, the weak but faithful church, kept His commands and were encouraged to persevere.

Laodiceans, the lukewarm church, was self-satisfied, boasting of their wealth while being really poor spiritually. They were encouraged to be hot or cold or be spewed out.

There is much we can learn even today from the exhortations and corrections to each church. What was the repeating theme spoken to all of the Churches? The overcomers would be greatly rewarded.

The Apostle John said “blessed is he who reads this prophesy”, not understands it, and keeps those things which are written in it. This is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing for reading it, and a curse for tampering with its contents.

There have been many different interpretations of the book of Revelation and hundreds of books have been written upon this book, not one which has been generally considered satisfactory. There are widely diversified opinions concerning its meaning and teachings.

There have been three principal schools of thought which deal with the subject matter:

1. The Preterists, who believe that the prophecies of Revelation have already been fulfilled.
2. The Futurists who hold that the book contains a forecast of universal history.
3. The Eclectics, who lay stress upon the spiritual elements of the book, and do not attempt to dogmatize upon the meaning of the details of the more mysterious visions.

They believe that there are three classes of passages. Those that are very clear in their spiritual teaching; those that are more mysterious, and yet contain an element of truth which is instructive; and finally there are some of the visions that are so veiled that it is futile from our present standpoint of knowledge to give any positive interpretation of them.

I would have to agree that it’s not inconsistent for God to veil prophetic truths in a mystery. It’s also important that we are open and available should the mystery be unveiled in part or whole in our lifetime. That’s why there’s a blessing for reading it.

This unusual book contains not only a message for the first century church, to whom it was written, but also a message to the church through the ages, particularly those living in the “end times” who will see Christ return to the earth. The name “Revelation” comes from the main event of the book: the revealing of Jesus to the world’s inhabitants in the final days. Keep reading and watching!

How do we know we have eternal life? How do we know real love? How do we know that we know the truth? How do we know that He abides in us? How do we know what’s the Spirit of God and what isn’t? How do we know the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error? John tells us how to know if we’re on target and what’s God and what’s not.

We know we have eternal life because we love others, and if we hate our brother, we’re murderers and don’t have eternal life. It’s not the absence of hate but the presence of love that identifies eternal life. If we’re offended with a brother or sister in Christ and that’s keeping us from loving them, we’re operating in hatred because there’re only two choices; light or darkness; love or hate. Forgive them; it’s an act of love that starts by faith.

We know we love others, not just because we forgive them, but because we lay down our lives for them. When we see them in need of necessities and we can help them, we do.

We know we know the truth because we do the truth, by keeping His commands, seeking to please Him, and loving one another.

We know He abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us. We know how to test what is the Spirit of God and what is the spirit of the Antichrist, by its confession of Christ.

We know we’re of God because we listen to a different voice than that of the world. We also know we are loved by God and His love lives through us and us through Him. His love for us, fully matured in us, casts out all fear, because we know He’s for us and not against us, just as we are for and not against each other. This makes us confident and bold in approaching God, because there is no fear, when we’ve fully experienced His love.

If you were looking for a pear tree, you might notice that it was much like any other trees, it would have a sturdy trunk and plenty of foliage, but it’s most defining characteristic is that it would have pears. James is not saying that “our works or fruits” save us, rather that they identify the reality and existence of our faith. We are all saved by grace through faith and all genuine faith produces works or fruit when it is in the heart, not just the head.

“Head faith” only is like a body without a spirit, it is dead. Head faith is dead faith. Dead faith is corrupted or defiled faith, very similar to corrupted or defiled religion. Pure religion is not a philosophy or way a way of thinking, it is a way of living and it produces actions, not just emotions.

John the Baptist came to expose the unfruitful defiled religion of the Jews in much the same way as James who was speaking to the Jewish Believers who were so easily able to be deceived again.

And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
Luke 3:9-10

Notice, they asked in response “what must we do?”

Faith without doing is dead. What we do does not give us eternal life, only what Jesus did brings eternal life. What we do shows that we have eternal life that resulted from faith. Our works don’t create eternal life, they reveal it!

Our fruitfulness reveals our attachment.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

Being a consumer of Christianity does not prove you are a Christian. Bearing the fruit of Christianity reveals our attachment to Christ and glorifies our Heavenly Father.

Why do we have a living hope as Christians? We have it because Jesus Christ has gone ahead of us and prepared the way for us to follow right into His holiness, righteousness and a complete heavenly inheritance!

In other words, it’s a set up from heaven. We access our inheritance in the future through now faith and we persevere in the present through living hope. Hope stabilizes us and keeps us spiritually alive.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind their veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19-20

Hope is like an anchor that holds us steady in turbulent times.

The triune Godhead is invested in our full and complete transformation. The Father represents love, for God so loved the world He sent His Son. The Holy Spirit represents faith – for He is our revelator and leads us into all truth. When the Holy Spirit speaks God’s Word and reveals it to our spirit faith is born. Jesus Christ the Son represents the living hope that resulted in His being raised from the dead. We are born and kept by God through the living hope He brings.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.

1 Peter 1:3-4

By faith we believe, by hope we endure, and by love we mature!

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1Co.13:13

Our faith and hope are in God because He demonstrated what He will do for us, by what He did for Jesus Christ! Choosing us as His obedient, living stones, built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, who make acceptable spiritual sacrifices

The Corinthian believers were having a struggle understanding why their leaders were going through such difficult times. Some were being told that something must be wrong if their leaders were suffering so severely. Don’t be deceived thinking that people are guilty by association to troubles, suffering, shortages or difficulties. Going through stress, persecution, affliction and difficulties are not incriminating – what we become through it determines if it’s of God or the devil!

Don’t judge others by the outward appearance or circumstances wait for the harvest (outcome) to identify the seed of its origin. Why does God let us go through such difficult times? So we can be on display, revealing to others that our sufficiency is of God and not of ourselves. If we suffer in His death, then we will be victorious in His resurrection. But most importantly of all, Christ will be revealed to a lost and dying world.

The more the flesh is reduced through hard times, the more the spirit man is increased and renewed. Even if our body dies as a result, we become present with the Lord. To live is to reveal Christ and to die is gain – we become present with Christ. Ultimately we will receive a new immortal body in the resurrection when Christ returns.

Our body is but clothing for our spirit. We shed the old clothing in death and put on new clothes in the resurrection. At that time all will come before the Judgment Throne of Christ to answer for their life’s deeds. For the believer, Jesus paid for our sins and bad deeds. At that time, He will reward us for our good deeds. Those without Christ will pay eternally for their sins.

We are new creations in Christ who is at work in us, old things are passing away and new things are coming into our lives. We must gladly display the reality of God through our difficulties and blessings in life, while looking to reconcile others to God. We must show and tell, not just tell.

In the previous chapters, Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper and spiritual gifts which are both centered on unity and diversity. We find unity when Jesus Christ is the focus of our diversity. We may all have different functions, gifts and abilities but when focused upon Christ and His Body, our differences unity us instead of dividing us. We’re all one Body in Christ – yet as individuals each uniquely different and equipped to build up the Body of Christ.

In this chapter Paul elevates Love as the greatest gift of all. Love is the endgame of all that we are gifted and equipped to do. We can actually give without loving, but we can’t love without giving. How? We do that by doing things, good things for selfish reasons. Expressing love is the purpose of all the gifts God gives us. Love is the experience others have through our giving.

We can focus on what we have or our individual gifting, instead of why we have them – to express love to others, not so we will be needed or esteemed by them, not to obligate or indebt others to us. Love is expressed in its purity when we invest in others without bringing the attention or glory to ourselves but to the giver of all gifts Jesus Christ!

Love has contenders and pretenders that must be overcome. What we do for God we must do without pride or false humility. We must not only reflect the gift of God in our giving, but we must reflect the character and likeness of the God who gave it.

Our giving must also be enduring, longsuffering, without judgment, kind and child-like in motive but adult in expression. Our spiritual growth must also parallel our spiritual contribution made through our God given gifts and abilities. If we don’t overcome love’s contenders and pretenders we won’t be enduring givers, we’ll become selfish quitters, when others don’t pay us back or treat us right. It’s then that we discover we were giving but not loving.

We’re not to be ignorant about the Second coming of Jesus Christ. If we are ignorant then we will be hopeless and overwhelmed when our Christian friends and family members go home to be with the Lord. It’s only natural to grieve the passing of those we know and love, but it’s not God’s will for us to grieve the way the hopeless and lost do about death.

Instead, at the passing of every Christian we should be reminded that Jesus Christ is coming back and those who have passed away before His coming will be coming with Him to meet us for a great family reunion in the sky! And we will forever be together with the Lord. Jesus said to comfort one another with these words.

We don’t know the time and season because He will come like a thief in the night to those who live in darkness, but not to those who are in the light. We are instructed to be watching and living soberly in a state of spiritual readiness, keeping our armor and helmet on, having hope in our salvation.

Are you watching yourself and living in a state of spiritual readiness? Are your loved ones ready? Have you warned those who aren’t ready that He is coming? It’s not a coincidence that the second coming of the Lord is spoken in context to Christians who’ve died. Death is the best time to question whether we’re right and ready to meet our maker. Just as sudden as death can come, the Lord will come.

A funeral for a Christian is a homecoming celebration, and an opportunity for those who’ve suffered their loss to examine themselves and either repent and follow Christ. It’s also a time to comfort those who have suffered the loss of a dear loved one. One must have eternal life before they die, or before the Lord returns with a shout, otherwise it will be too late. We preach must preach the good news, with a warning!

The greatest challenge of the Gospel then is the same challenge now. That challenge is defining truth. Souls lie in the balance off rightly divided truth. Starting with Satan himself, the assault against truth has been relentless.

Why do Satan and his children among men hate the truth? Why has such an assault been made and continued throughout the ages against the truth? Truth is the only doorway into eternal life with God and all that is good. Truth is a door that darkness cannot enter.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.”
John 14:6

Truth is essential to life and also to light and can only be done in God.

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
John 3:19-21

Truth is the very foundation to freedom, and without it freedom is not possible.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32

Since truth can only be done in God, truth must come as God’s Spirit who leads us into all truth.

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
John 15:26

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
John 16:13

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God to profit us spiritually, by totally refining and defining the Spirit-revealed truth.

The greatest strength of a spiritual soldier’s endurance is the grace of God. Whenever we enter into God’s grace, we move beyond mere human ability – into divine ability. No greater place is grace demonstrated than through great endurance. By grace Jesus endured the cross.

Paul uses three examples when illustrating endurance. A soldier, an athlete, and a farmer are each exemplary of endurance. We need grace to:

• Endure conflict as a soldier fighting against spiritual attacks as they offensively advance the Kingdom of God.
• Endure conditioning as an athlete who has to restrict, discipline and chasten his body in readiness for contending with an opponent of the truth.
• Endure harvesting as a farmer who must sow seed and cultivate in for themselves and others, looking for the harvest of the seed they’ve sown.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (faint).
Galatians 6:9

Why is endurance so important? What we can receive from God is proportional and conditional to our endurance! Obedience is reliant upon endurance. Character is gorged in the fires of enduring trials. Fruit is harvested through enduring laborers; we will reap only if we faint not. Faith also grows only through enduring conflict. That’s why we must fight the good fight of faith.

Endurance grows as we sow to the Spirit, when we really want to give in to (or sow to) the flesh. The outcomes of life will be determined by which we chose to sow to, and whether we continue to endure through.

Do 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.
Galatians 6:7-8

Don’t quit sowing to the Spirit; keep fighting soldier; keep going athlete and keep growing farmer – because God is not mocked, whatsoever we sow, that will we reap.

Paul told Timothy that Biblical error is driven by greed and pride. It’s very tempting to attach our identity and trust to money or wealth. We can feel superior to others because we have more wealth or we can judge others for thinking that they’re superior to us because of their wealth, when perhaps they don’t think that.

Money can certainly divide people if they don’t have a Biblical perspective. The Pharisees and Sadducees had falsely taught that people had wealth because they were righteous and the more wealth you had, the more righteous you were than others. They believed people were poor because they were all unrighteous. Their wealth and status made them self-righteous, prejudiced and greedy lovers of money.

Paul said that the love of money was the root of all evil. He did not say “Money was the root of all evil”, as we often her it misquoted. The word love used here in the Greek means to be covetous and literally covet silver. It means that having and getting money becomes your guidance mechanism and purpose in life.

Some were pursuing ministry for the sole purpose of personal financial gain. Make no mistake about it, if your motives about money are driven by pride and greed, you’re in for some real disappointment and trouble regardless of your field of endeavor. Whom the Lord loves, He corrects. We must remember the ending of those who He did correct like the rich young ruler, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira – to name a few.

One thing is for sure, we’ll all be tested. All true disciples will be sent without money to fulfill their ministry and purpose, while others wait to obey until they have the money before doing ministry. Jesus sent His disciples out without money knowing they needed to learn to trust God not mammon (money). Many are called and few are chosen. Don’t wait for money or benefit to obey God, put your purpose and ministry first and the money will follow in its right order.

The apostle Paul defines the qualifications Church leaders must possess. He starts off by saying that it’s good to desire the office of a bishop, and then He speaks of the office of a deacon. The King James Version uses the word office while some other modern versions say position.

New Testament leadership wasn’t really “positional” as much as it was practical and functional. There are actually 4 different Greek words used for the word “office”, and they are each used differently according to the function that accompanies it. For example:

• Office of a Bishop – the word office used is “episcope”, which means inspection, superintendence, go and see. This is a leader who oversees ministry or churches in different or multiple locations. 1Timothy 3:1
• Office of a Deacon – the word office is “diakoneo”, which means an attendant that waits upon, menially or as a host, to act as a servant friend. 1Tim.3:10
• Office of a Member – the word office is “praxis”, which means to practice, act, function, or work. It comes from the Greek verb “prasso”, which means to perform repeatedly or habitually. Romans 12:4
• Office of Priest – the word office used is “hierateia”, which means priestly sacerdotal function, to be a priest and perform his function. Hebrews 7:5

Leadership in the world culture had actually corrupted the temple, because leaders became very positional, self-serving and self-centered. Leadership was sought for its prestige and became very authoritarian.

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”
Matthew 20:25-26

Paul is exhorting leaders to be an example in function. Be humble, disciplined, have good family relationships and order. Start by being consistent members, and then progress to serving and hosting ministry. Then, ultimately, lead multiple ministries and churches. Also, have a good respectable testimony within the community.

Paul tells us a lot about how he prayed for the Church and what the ultimate goal of his prayer was. Prayer’s ultimate goal is not that God’s people would be comfortable or happy, but that Jesus Christ would be manifested and glorified and reign supremely through His Church.

This is not something that can happen without prayer. Jesus leads the way in prayer.

Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25

Paul gets specific about what has to happen in the Church. Prayer has to be consistent:

• Praying always
• Praying for fruitfulness
• Praying to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will
• Praying to be filled with wisdom and understanding and continuing to increase in it
• Praying to be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power
• Praying to be patient, longsuffering, with joy while giving thanks to the Father

When we pray and give thanks, we become partakers of our inheritance by:

• Coming out of darkness into the light
• Out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son of His love
• We experience complete redemption

All God does in the Church is for the purpose of bringing complete reconciliation in both heaven and earth through Jesus Christ. He‘s the perfect snapshot of what God the Father is developing in us the Church.

It’s not something we can do, to be like Jesus, it’s something God does as we continue to believe and pray that He will. Be careful about being critical of the church, as though the church was of its own making. Remember, the One who died is inside (Jesus in you the hope of glory).

He is perfecting that which concerns us (the church). Our part is not to be critical, but to pray, and obey, believing that God can and will bring us into the fullness and likeness of Jesus Christ.

Paul mentions two women who were quarrelling. Has a quarrel ever affected you? Division can affect the joy of many, not just the one we’re in conflict with. Paul starts off exhorting Euodia and Syntche to be of the same mind and for the other leaders to help them get things worked out.

This gives us some insight into how conflict can be turned into rejoicing in the Lord. We must start by either getting into joy or restoring the joy lost because of relational conflict. Conflict can help us as long as we see conflict as an opportunity that comes from God to move us to a higher level.

Through conflict we learn about things that we didn’t know (or thought we knew). We can misunderstand conflict to be something that shouldn’t happen, or that invalidates and disqualifies us which can result in losing our joy. So we must learn to see conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Ignorance is not an indictment of “you should have known and are to blame for not knowing”; rather it’s an opportunity to learn what you don’t know. When you approach conflict that way, you can have or get your joy back! We can say “Thanks God, this is an opportunity, not an accusation!”

To be of one mind doesn’t mean we see or do things the same, it means to do them in harmony, like different instruments playing different parts of the same song. We also need to approach relational conflict with humility and gentleness. We can’t let fear and anxiety make us abrupt or hard to be received.

We can resolve our anxiety through prayer, knowing God will help us resolve every conflict by trusting in Him to answer our prayers. This will guard our hearts and minds and bring peace.

After that we need to guard our thoughts and meditations using the list given in verse 8 so we don’t sabotage ourselves and our prayers. Remember - we’re leading others in how we process and resolve conflict.

In Ephesians Paul talks about being in right relationship and in submission to God’s order and authority and concludes with “Finally, my brethren.” We’re wasting our time if we’re putting armor on a rebel or someone who’s out of alignment to God’s order.

The first thing I ask myself before putting on the final application of God’s armor. Am I in right relationship with others? Have I forgiven those who’ve offended me? Am I under authority and submitted to those God has placed in and over my life? Armor covers love, but it doesn’t cover hate, selfishness or selfish ambition. It’s the final application before entering into warfare prayer, and persevering there for the brethren.

Notice the word “against” is used six times! We are to be in the aggressive, offensive position. We can’t just be for the right things; in warfare we are against an enemy or enemies. Jesus came for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil, not to just defend us from the works of the devil. He was on the offensive, not defensive.

The gates of hell are the headquarters of where the works of the devil originate. Jesus said that “the gates of hell will not prevail against the church”, in other words we’re on the offensive and they won’t be able to keep us out of their territory. It’s time to break through hell’s gates and snatch souls and populate heaven.

And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, “hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
Jude 22-23

We’re opposing the wiles of the devil, principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the spirit realm, not people – but who’s influencing them. The armor of God is how we protect ourselves spiritually from our greatest vulnerability – the enemy attacking us through the weakness of our flesh or the weakness and passivity of our mind and heart, which accompanies a defensive only stance.

How do we know if we’re being directed or led by the flesh or by the Spirit? The apostle Paul spells it out so we won’t be deceived when we are being directed by our flesh but think that we’re being led by the Spirit.

The flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other and desire completely different things. The fleshly nature is selfish and wants to remain first. Adam represents the flesh nature, while Jesus Christ represents the second or new spiritual nature. We see first and second nature in conflict throughout the Bible.

Whether it’s Cain and Able, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob and or King Saul and King David, they all illustrate the elder (born first) or flesh nature in conflict against the younger (born after) spiritual nature. The first Adam will be in conflict with the second Adam, Jesus Christ. One’s driven and the other is led.

The enemy will try to abort your spiritual destiny by attacking you through the avenue of the flesh. When we walk in the Spirit we’re Christ-like and completely protected. Jesus Christ chose not only to not live under the dominance of the flesh but to live completely led by the Spirit.

Jesus brought sin back through the same door that it originally came through – the doorway of the flesh. Jesus took sin captive in His sinless flesh and carried it to the grave, breaking its power over all who believe in Him.

How do we know if we’re following Him? We die by faith to sin, and are raised up by the Holy Spirit, and led like Jesus was. We must choose daily to be led by the Spirit knowing that the flesh produces works, and the Spirit produces fruit.

The flesh conflicts against the Spirit, to keep us from sowing and reaping from the spiritual seed we’ve sown. The harvest of our life reveals the seed of its origin. Keep sowing to the Spirit and don’t faint – your harvest must come.

It’s amazing how much condemnation we can accumulate! God convicts and the devil condemns believers. Some folks just don’t think they’ve been to Church unless they’ve had a good dose of guilt, shame, condemnation and blame.

If you’re a Christian, walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, you can’t be experiencing condemnation. In other words, when you’re living right you’re not being influenced by condemnation! Living right can only happen by walking in the Spirit.

The condemned will condemn. The convicted will convict. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin so we can repent, be forgiven and set free. Condemnation is the belief that you are over, a failure, beyond help, being punished and rejected by God.

Jesus was condemned so we wouldn’t have to be, if we will look to Him to pay for our sins and look to Him to give us resurrection power to rise from the death of sin to life. So if you’re in or under condemnation, you’re in the flesh because there isn’t any condemnation when you’re walking in the Spirit.

Jesus died to condemn sin in His flesh and then rose from the dead leaving sin in the grave! We’re His body now and by faith we die to sin with Him and rise from the dead leaving sin behind in a watery grave along with all the guilt, shame, condemnation and blame! Thank You Jesus!

That means we must make a major mind shift. What we’re mindful of, our life becomes full of. So we have to shift from fleshly thinking to Spiritual thinking, from dark thinking to light thinking. When bad things happen, we must begin to think that good can come from it; that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are the called, according to His purpose.”

Paul only made that statement right after talking about praying in the Spirit. God will help turn bad things into good when we’ll pray in the Spirit and start and continue thinking right.

In the Jewish opposition leader’s efforts to silence Paul, they came up with false charges which ultimately brought him up before the highest courts. It’s amazing to see how the prophesy given to Paul, audibly by Jesus Christ played out.

The opposition unknowingly participated in the fulfillment of that prophesy. Paul is brought to the highest levels of influence in Jerusalem before King Agrippa who finds no fault with Paul. King Agrippa almost believes and becomes a Christian. He finds no fault with Paul and would have released him but Paul had appealed to even higher Roman Courts.

Paul understood that God often lets the winds of adversity and opposition blow our ship or ministry where He directs it. Staying on the offensive is like the rudder of our ship which only directs us deeper into our destiny. The more the winds of adversity blew the more God directed through revelation of the coming storm and wisdom for making it through it. While others watch it play out, they become believers.

The storms of life, as with Paul, might cause a shipwreck, but the wind of God gave wisdom and revelation followed by healing, signs and wonders leading to the salvation of many. The whole crew was saved; the natives were saved when they saw the poisonous snake bite Paul to no effect.

Word got out and Paul and those with him were invited to be housed and entertained by the upper crust folks of the Island. The father of the host fell ill and Paul laid hands on him and healed him which caused an Island-wide healing revival. Paul is honored and sent off to sail to Rome with plenty of provisions!

Paul finally gets to Rome where he’s acquitted and released to continue ministry in Rome. Adversity is the breakfast of Champions, when you know that God uses the storms of your life to blow you right into your destiny.

Ask God to blow you into something better if the winds have started picking up lately!

Paul not only knew the importance of missionary journeys, but also the importance of developing people while on the journey. Timothy, a teenager at the time, was only half Jewish on his mother’s side. He agreed to be circumcised but not to be a believer, but to be received in ministry by the Jews they were going to. This would give him credibility and influence.

Paul was wise in dealing with Timothy’s necessary development, not just as a believer, but as a minister. Ministry requires more sacrifice and becoming all things to all men in order to win them to the Lord.

Paul knew the importance of being led by the Spirit and flexible to the Spirit’s direction. They would head out with one direction in mind, only to be redirected. At the same time he realized that prayer greatly directed their journeys:

• They met the demon possessed girl (who Paul later delivered), on the way to prayer.
• They were miraculously delivered from prison after praying and worshipping God, leading to the salvation and water baptism of the Jailer and his whole household.
• Paul concluded his journey in Ephesus in prayer before moving on.

The more aggressive Paul became the more defensive his opposition reacted. He incited jealousy by his effectiveness, anger from the idol makers, fearing the coming loss of their livelihood, anger from other religious leaders fearing the loss or decline of their followers.

When falsely accused, Paul never took it personally, but instead saw it as an opportunity for God to move supernaturally on his behalf, with healings, miracles, signs and wonders.

What divine appointments could we miss if we become passive, prayerless, and take things personally when encountering opposition from others? Paul saw opposition, not as obstacles, but as opportunities. Though being warned prophetically about the opposition he would face in Rome, he remained determined to continue on in the offensive.

Today, determine that you will be on the offensive and relentless in your pursuit of God, looking for opposition opportunities.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so anxious to put others under bondage. Certain men came down from Judea teaching that if you don’t get circumcised you can’t be saved. It’s thousands of years later and certain men are still trying to bring believers under bondage. Believers need to be Biblically literate and led by the Spirit!

Can you imagine how the requirement of circumcision would have affected evangelism? The Jews were circumcised as infants for the most part and asking adults to get circumcised is no small matter. As missionaries Paul and Barnabas weren’t about to let legalism stop them from reaching the Gentiles.

The New Covenant is all about what God does on the inside of man’s heart, not about man’s outward attempt to “do” the law through the works of the flesh.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but from God.
Romans 2:28-29

Rules don’t influence the heart like God’s Word revealed by the Holy Spirit does. Legalistic people use legalism to conceal the sin in their hearts of their own self righteousness, not recognizing that righteousness comes only by faith, which happens on the inside, changing us from the inside out.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10

One thing that continues to repeat its self is that conflict is constant. What we learn here is how safety came from 3 things – the multitude of leadership council, leadership of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. They didn’t rely on their intellect or their feelings alone.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than necessary things.
Acts 15:28

The Holy Spirit leads us through the unknown!

The first missionary journey was launched through corporate prayer and fasting of the leadership. As they were ministering unto the Lord the Holy Spirit said. When we minister to the Lord He speaks and lets us know how to fulfill His desire to reach the lost. God’s heart desire is to send out missionaries.

Through the laying on of hands the corporate anointing was imparted upon them as they departed and the rest is history. It’s important that missionaries are sent as representatives of corporate leadership and that they continue to function under corporate authority and with corporate prayer cover. Every believer is either a sender or sent one.

Paul takes an offensive approach with Elymas the sorcerer and identifies him as the son of the devil and as an enemy to righteousness and commands blindness upon him for a time. As Elymas searches for someone to lead him by the hand, the Pro-counsel believes and is astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Paul preaches the Word and the Jews believe.

When the Gentiles hear the good news was preached and invited Paul to preach to them, almost the entire city showed up. The Jews became envious and began to refute, denounce and blaspheme the Gospel. Those opposing became defensive, while the Word spread throughout the city!

As Paul and Barnabas continue to advance the Gospel taking an offensive approach, defensive opposition began to grow which brought the weapons of heaven to bear, healing signs and wonders. The intellectual pride of those in opposition was no match for the supernatural arena.

Signs and wonders require the right platform off aggressive, offensive positioning of the Church. Passivity and defensive actions of the church render it ineffective. Though stoned and left for dead Paul rose again to continue his mission to raise up elders and leaders and strengthen the churches that were newly started.

Continued community and missionary outreach keeps the church and believers in the oppositional mode, and guarantees opposition from within and out.

Do you know who makes the best reformers? Often, it’s the reformed. Saul was doing “God’s work” – arresting, torturing and murdering Christians. Wasn’t he in for a surprise when the light shone brighter than the afternoon sun upon him and the presence of God knocked him to the ground? Then to hear an audible voice calling him by name asking why he persecuted the Lord!

You really have to know how surprised Saul must have been. Here is a man highly trained and educated in Judaism who was supposed to know God, asking who it was that was speaking to him.

And he said, “Who are You, Lord? ….And what do you want me to do?” Acts 9:5-6

Saul got up trembling and completely blind, and had to be led by hand by the men that were with him who were also dumbfounded. He had to be blinded so he could see the truth. For three days he remained blind and didn’t eat or drink.

Our mind and flesh have a lot more control over us than we think. Saul was ready to see what he obviously hadn’t been able to up to then. Sometimes God allows things to blindside us and break our confidence in something that’s flat out wrong.

Meanwhile God appeared in a vision to a man named Ananias who had a completely different vision and mindset than Saul, and asked him to go to Saul who was on the street called Straight, praying to see things right. Saul was praying to see things straight!

Ananias obeys God even though his mind tells him otherwise. Saul has a lot to learn from this man. He lays hands on Saul and restores his sight, baptizes Saul, and tells him why God sent him and what God would do through Saul.

Saul answers God’s call and now the devil’s best disciple becomes his worst enemy! It’s a good thing Stephen prayed for his enemy instead of getting offended. The worst offenders can become the best contenders.

What was it that made Cornelius attractive to God? He was devout, feared God with his whole house, was generous, helped the poor and was a man of prayer. However, the Angel that appeared to him specifically mentioned his giving and prayer. Generosity and devotion make us attractive spiritually to the supernatural.

It’s amazing how God can be working in different people at the same time and then bring them together for a divine appointment. Peter had to be prepared for this encounter because it didn’t fit his doctrine or paradigm.

Why did Peter have the same vision three times? In the mouth of two or three witnesses things were established legally in Scripture and a new theology was being developed in Peter’s thinking that was necessary for him to reach the gentiles. Are there mindsets that can keep us from reaching people that God wants us to reach? Thank God Peter took time to be open to God and whatever He might want to change in his thinking.

Even then Peter wondered what these things meant until the men knocked on the door looking for him. What did Peter and Cornelius have in common? They were both in prayer when God communicated with them, and they both obeyed God’s directives.

Cornelius had a crowd at his house and the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the Word. The same experience as Pentecost was now happening with the Gentiles too; the Jews were astonished as they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God.

Peter led them to all get water baptized and stayed with them a few days. It doesn’t take long for the word to spread and now Peter must defend what had just happened by the grace of God.

There will forever be a challenge for the Church to not let tradition or culture make the Gospel exclusive. There seems to be a natural resistance to people who aren’t like us. Is there anything holding you back from reaching people who are different?

Both Stephen and Philip were deacons who were propelled into ministry through the avenue of service. Their service to the ministry formerly done by the apostles not only released the apostles to focus more on making disciples, but it also released the apostolic anointing in both of their ministries!

An angel spoke to Philip, telling him to go to an Ethiopian man of high rank to preach the Gospel. The man had come to worship in Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia. He was searching for the truth and God sent Philip via an angel of the Lord!

What do the accounts of Stephen and Philip have in common? They shared the Word and it created an experience – they didn’t just offer an experience, without the Word.

Do we focus too much on having an experience and not enough on the Word which creates experiences? These servants of God knew the Word. so God used them and move them into the supernatural realm. Signs and wonders follow the Word!

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs, Amen.
Mark 16:20

We need preachers and sharers of the Word that will attract signs and wonders as heavenly encores! After explaining the scriptures, the Ethiopian requests to be water baptized, which Philip gladly does. They just happened to come upon water (in the desert) right at that time? When we’re led by the Spirit, we’re always on time!

What does Philip do after being translated over 50 miles? He continues to preach in all the cities between Azotus to Caesarea! Signs and wonders follow the Word. Is there enough Word in your life for signs and wonders to follow?

Philip and Stephen had three things in common – they were both deacons or servants, and they were both lovers of the Word of God. They knew how to make the Gospel relevant to their audience whether it was one or many. They were also always on the offensive not the defensive.

Once again the Church is on the offensive as God answers their prayers for extending His hand to heal and perform signs and wonders. Who does He use to do it? Does He do these great things through an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher? No, God uses a newly appointed servant. The word deacon means servant.

Not only was Stephen anointed to do signs and wonders, he was also anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom which the most intellectual leaders couldn’t resist. Stephen was on the offensive and the corrupted leaders had to go on the down and dirty defensive in their effort to stop him.

The devil doesn’t play fair so don’t wonder why life isn’t fair. False witnesses were brought in to make false claims against Stephen which brought him before the High Priest and highest counsel.

When accused of blasphemy again Stephen goes on the offensive telling of the history of Israel’s leaders working against the prophets, killing them and opposing God given authority. He starts with Abraham and brings out the history of the opposition of the forefathers and confronts them using the Word of God about doing the same thing.

Stephen goes on to say that they had killed the Just One Jesus Christ who Moses said would come. He asks, “Which of the Prophets did their fathers not persecute?” They brought Stephen to court and Stephen ended up trying them! They were so convicted that they actually gnashed him with their teeth, while covering up their ears to stop from hearing the truth.

Stephen prays for their forgiveness including the man holding his coat – Saul who later becomes the apostle Paul. Stephen sees the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God before Stephen goes to be with the Lord as the first Martyr.

Persecution intensified which pushed Christians out, fulfilling the command to go out and preach - which they did. Saul was on the forefront of the persecution not knowing his destiny was about to change.

It’s important to see that when the church (or individual Christian) is rightly positioned, it is functioning in the offensive, not the defensive. The corrupt religious system was not on the offensive against the Church. The Church was on the offensive against them. The Church knew their purpose, and it was the same as God’s purpose.

“…For this purpose was the Son of God manifest, to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8

The early church advanced when it was on the offensive against the works of the devil. They advanced when they were led by the Spirit to heal a lame man who had begged at the gate Beautiful most of his life.

This man wasn’t quiet about it either. After 40 years of being disabled now he was not only walking, but also leaping and praising God! This immediately got attention and drew a crowd. Peter tells them that this man was healed not by any virtue of their own but by the authority and power of the name of Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified! He preaches boldly and warns them of the consequences they’ll face if they don’t repent.

The corrupt religious leaders and rulers go on the defensive; but how do you defend against a miracle healing? The best they can do is to threaten them not to teach in the name of Jesus. Their response was again aggressive – not reactive or self-protective. They ask who should they listen to, the God who just performed this great miracle, or them.

If that wasn’t enough, they gather together and celebrate their persecution and ask God to do what? Not protect them, but give them more boldness to preach the Word and to heal and do wonders and signs in the name of Jesus Christ. When they prayed the place was literally shaken and they were all filled with the Spirit and went out preaching. They also went out giving, and sharing with those who had been converted.

Boldness + Generosity = Revival Breakthrough.

About 500 people were invited to this Pentecostal event and only 120 showed up! The invitation was made by Jesus Christ himself, yet 380 people had something else more important to do. We should all take note how easy it is to miss a divine appointment because our priorities are out of order!

How would you like to have been one of the 380? Can’t you hear them talking when they hear what happened? “What happened at Church Sunday? The Holy Spirit did what? What fire? How many got saved? Peter said what?” Will you be there when revival comes suddenly? Will you be there for your appointments with destiny? If you’ll choose to be faithful now, you’ll be faithful then. Make a decision to be consistent in attending Corporate gatherings.

They were in unity, praying and fellowshipping with each other when suddenly… things can change very suddenly when we’re faithful, in right relationship with God, ourselves and others, looking expectantly for the Lord’s coming whether in revival or in His return.

They were all filled and they all spoke in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. They all spoke – not just the “super spiritual, more gifted than others” people. Not just the men or women. This was a corporate experience - and what were they saying in other tongues?

They were praising God in different languages that they never learned.

We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
Acts 2:11

Some have mistakenly said that they were preaching the Gospel in the native languages of those there but that’s not what happened. Peter gives an evangelistic explanation about what had just happened and 3,000 people were saved and water baptized that day.

Peter is simply acting as a witness explaining what happened and how it was connected with when they crucified the Son of God, using scripture to show how it had been foretold! Have you received power to be God’s witness? Why not ask Him today?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ wasn’t some brief obscure passing event. He remained there for forty days after He resurrected, giving commandments and instructions to His leaders as well as evidence of his resurrection. It’s been estimated that as many as 500 people saw Jesus after He resurrected!

Jesus spoke His final words to His men before ascending to heaven. A big change was taking place because they would no longer just followers, but leaders. They asked when the kingdom of Israel will come and Jesus doesn’t tell them, but instead communicates a vision about reaching the world, not just Israel. His men thought defense; Jesus wanted them to think offense.

Jesus instructs them to stay in Jerusalem until they received power, then start being witnesses in Jerusalem (where they are), Judea (next door), Samaria (the outskirts), and the rest of the world. God always wants us to start where we are. Have you started where you are yet? Have you received power yet?

They were to be witnesses of what He’d done and would do through them by the power of the Holy Spirit. This was no man-made vision; this was a God-given vision. John Maxwell notes the following differences:

Man-made                                                              God-made:

1. Created based on human gifts and skills        Received as a revelation

2. Fulfilled by staying ahead of others                Fulfilled by obedience

3. Sees similar organizations as competitors      Sees others as complementary

4. Grow the org. & generate money                    Serve people; advance God’s rule

5. Stress may emerge inwardly & outwardly     Inward peace & outward opposition

6. May be dropped for something better            Compelling & captivating til fulfilled

We are called to a God-made vision because it takes a God-made vision to get God-made results. The vision of God is something seen from the heart, revealed by God from the inside.

What is He speaking to your heart? Is it bigger than you?

Mary Magdalene stayed home when Jesus arrived 4 days after her brother Lazarus died. Her sister Martha went ahead to meet Jesus. This time, after the resurrection of her brother, Mary goes to see the one called “Resurrection.” Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” when He raised her brother from the dead.

After experiencing the resurrection power with Lazarus, Mary learned to look for it in her walk with the Lord. Not finding Jesus there, though others went home, she stayed and wept. Maybe Mary wondered how there could be a resurrection if they had already taken the body of Lazarus.

She had seen the resurrection and yet not known it until Jesus called her by name. We must know God and be known by God to recognize and experience His resurrection power. Was it a coincidence that Mary was the first to see Jesus resurrected – or was it because she continued to look?

Do you look for resurrections in your life or does your pursuit end when you can’t prevent death? The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you! Only when we let our old life die can we experience the new resurrected one that’s ours in Christ. Only when we let our losses, regrets and failures go can we find new resurrected opportunities and victories that rise up from them.

There is but one qualification for resurrection – death! One must experience the cross before they can experience the resurrection. We only experience the resurrection to the degree that we experience death. We must die to ourselves in order to live for our Lord. The flesh life must be conquered by the Spirit life; the cross is the intersection where that happens.

Jesus ascended into heaven as our High Priest to make not just atonement, but complete remission of our sins. Then He returned to prepare His disciples and give them marching orders that started with waiting until they also experienced Holy Spirit resurrection power to preach the Gospel.

Pilate started off mocking Jesus by scourging Him, putting a crown of thorns and purple robe upon Him. After repeatedly finding no fault in Jesus, he tried to find a way to let Him go. But His accusers would have not accepted it. Pilate turned Him over to them and they crucified the spotless, innocent Lamb of God.

Jesus knew that authority and power came from above and that no one had power over Jesus unless it came from above. He also said that the greater sin was committed by the one who delivered Him to Pilate. He was speaking of Judas but also of the one who entered Judas.

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.
Luke 22:3-4

Jesus gave the enemy enough rope to hang both Judas and himself! Through His death on the cross Jesus Christ openly defeated Satan; He removed all of Satan’s claims upon those who believe in Jesus Christ through the payment of their sins on the cross, leaving Satan owing for his own greater sin of murdering the Son of God!

Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Colossians 2:14-15

Satan and his crowd had no idea that they were being outdone and totally out-maneuvered by Jesus Christ through the hidden mystery of the wisdom of God.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8

Jesus gave us victory over Satan, sin and death – through a death instrument!

It is so significant that Judas betrayed Jesus at a place he knew Jesus would be, in prayer. Judas showed up with a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. Do you need all these people to arrest one man who’s (for the most part) by himself in prayer in the early morning hours?

When Jesus said “I am He” they all stepped back and fell under the power of God. You would have to wonder if they thought that might have been significant; but they just went on like it didn’t matter.

Jesus intercedes for His disciples, asking if them to let them go their way. Jesus walked right into the prophetic fulfillment of His purpose – to become the sacrificial lamb for our sins. When Peter reacted and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, Jesus healed him instantly, yet they just went on like it never happened.

The mock trial was an effort to find a spot or flaw in the Lamb of God, and they found no such flaw, spot or sin. When they choose to have Him executed, they were fulfilling all of the prophetic requirements identifying the Messiah that would come and be sacrificed for all men’s sins.

The corrupted, religious people of His own house had a problem, not the world. A worldly leader had more mercy than God’s own people. He offered to let Jesus go, but they chose to kill a righteous man, and let a robber go free.

When people are blind to the truth, they overlook a lot of things that would tell them otherwise. Scriptures were fulfilled before their very eyes; supernatural events took place (them falling under the power); Jesus healed the servant’s ear after Peter cut off; and Peter denied Him 3 times as a rooster crowed at the very same time. Pilate rightly spoke when he said, “What is truth?” The Truth came in person, and they killed Him because they didn’t want to know Him (the Truth). Their truth was relative.

The stage is being set for the revealing of hearts. The chief priests and scribes plan Jesus’ murder; Judas becomes a betrayer. Peter has a problem with commitment and fear. They all had a problem with pride and selfish ambition. While arguing over who would be the greatest, Jesus tells them they are called to be servant leaders, not worldly, selfish leaders.

Jesus predicted all of the events which played out totally synchronized with the Passover events. The next day a lamb would be sacrificed for every household for the atonement for sins, at the very same time that the Lamb of God would be sacrificed for all the sins of the world.

This new covenant meal called the Last Supper was a time when Jesus was foretelling His coming betrayal, death, burial and resurrection. He foretells Peter’s denial which Peter denies could ever happen. Yet Jesus says He was praying for Peter and that after Peter returns from his failure he will strengthen the brethren.

Is failure a part of God’s plan for all those who follow Him? Perhaps it’s just the result of those who don’t rely on prayer because they haven’t yet been convinced about the weakness of their frame. They all failed in the Garden of prayer, not on the battlefield of life. Jesus fulfilled His mission by securing the victory through prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus was about to face His ultimate challenge and test, and they couldn’t even pray for an hour for Him or for themselves, knowing they would be tested! All leaders go through their Gethsemanes. What did Jesus teach us in His Gethsemane?

• Spiritual battles occur
• Loneliness is felt
• Submission is required
• Strength is received

The disciples all failed for a reason, they had to fail enough to quit relying on their own strength and stop hiding from their weaknesses and lack of commitment. Prayerlessness is the greatest evidence of pride and self-centeredness; failure can be the greatest remedy for convincing us of prayer’s necessity.

It’s so easy to see our problems and crisis’ as standalone events that await God’s intervention. Like Mary and Martha, we know God loves us and has been faithful to be there, especially when we need Him the most. Our whole focus shifts to prayer and preparation for divine intervention during these critical and desperate times. We recruit our friends and family to pray that God will stop our impending crisis.

Little did Mary and Martha know that their crisis was connected to a much bigger purpose. They had no idea that Jesus wouldn’t do for their brother what they had so many times done for others, and come and heal their brother.

Jesus didn’t answer their request to come and heal their brother; instead He fulfilled God’s purpose for letting Lazarus die so he could be raised from the dead! Sometimes we have a mindset for a particular outcome. They wanted Lazarus to live and not die – God wanted him to die and live again.

Are there some things that you’re trying to keep alive, like they were? God wants them to die so something better to come out of it! Jesus wept for their loss, knowing that their loss would be short lived when the better came out of the worst.

The resurrection of Lazarus set the stage for the Pharisees to plot his murder not knowing that a better thing would come out of a bad thing. A healing wouldn’t have made Jesus such a threat; raising the dead was just too much of a threat to them and they fell right into God’s hands.

While Mary and Martha both felt forsaken and abandoned when Lazarus died, it all changed when Jesus raised him from the dead. Perhaps that’s why they were the ones who showed up at the grave after His resurrection. They had already learned to trust God for the outcome and not be too set on their determined outcome. God brings life out of death! Let go and let God.

Though demon possessed, a man is drawn to Jesus and runs to Him. I wonder what the others thought. “Man, we just escaped a storm, and now a demoniac is coming to get us?” “We’ll let Jesus get out of the boat first this time!”

To their surprise, this unclean, demon-possessed man worshipped Jesus. Don’t assume that even the worst of men aren’t hungry for God, or that the unclean in captivity aren’t looking for freedom and cleansing.

Jesus demonstrated that He not only has authority over the weather, He has authority to cast demons out! Many people before Him had already tried to subdue this man with chains and shackles, which he only tore apart. The pursued (demoniac) became the pursuer (worshipper).

Jesus never feared demons – but they sure feared Him and recognized Him as God. Jesus asked the name of the demon that possessed this man who responds, “It is Legion because we are many”. They feared they would be tormented, and asked permission to be sent into the pigs.

The demons communicated in the singular initially (what have I to do with You?) and when asked what is your name, they identified themselves as Legion. Many demons were united under one name until confronted by the One whose name is above all names.

Then each one individually begged Jesus to send them into the pigs. Jesus gave them permission. Demons unite against man, but take flight individually from the Son of man.

Why pigs? The unclean spirits need an unclean environment. Jesus sent them knowing that even unclean pigs would rather die than have them as company! Unclean things draw unclean demons. Ask God if there’s anything that needs to be cleaned up in your life or home. There is just some company you don’t want to attract!

Being unclean is the passive result of not cleaning up our lives daily with the washing of the water of the Word, and the cleansing river of worship and prayer.

Jesus introduced a whole new concept to His disciples when they asked if a man blind from birth was blind because of his sins or his parents. In other words – “Whose fault is it that this man is blind?”

The disciples see the situation as the judgment of God. Is that the first thing that comes to mind when something bad happens to someone you know? How about when something bad happens to you?

Jesus was teaching them to see through the eyes off opportunity instead of the eyes of judgment. There are other reasons why bad things come, and bad things can come upon good people! What good could possibly come from being born blind?

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
John 9:3

Perhaps more good would come from bad situations if we changed how we see things, especially the negative things. Did you ever stop to think that God has a mission for every unjust, negative situation? Did you ever stop to think that you may be there to bring good out of it when you come across it?

It’s easier to make judgments, thinking people are guilty by association. Thinking that “bad things only happen to bad people” seems to make sense, but that’s not always the case! After the blind man was healed, the Pharisees saw good things (a blind man being healed) as being bad. To them it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath because they were not supposed to work on the Sabbath.

You know people are in trouble when everything good or bad is judged critically. The judgmental find fault as if there was a reward for finding it. There’s only a reward when good comes out of bad – because that was what you were looking for.

When problems come your way, ask God if this is an opportunity for the works of God to be revealed through the situation. Don’t be a judge; be a willing vessel for the works of God to flow through.

The trust lessons continue with the disciples. They learned to trust God to meet their needs individually and to meet the needs of other individuals when they were sent out to heal and preach. They learned to trust God to meet needs corporately, in the miracle of feeding the 5,000 through them as a team. What could be next on their trust expedition?

Jesus asks them to get in a boat and go to the other side while He sent away the multitudes and went up a mountain to pray. The weather became stormy and they were alone, when they thought they saw a ghost walking on the water straight toward them!

Now wait a minute – didn’t Jesus just use them to heal? Didn’t He just do a miracle and feed 5,000-plus people through them? He can’t be trusted for the storms in life? Jesus comes in the midst of their storm and what do they do? They cried out in fear!

However, Peter catches on and asks Jesus to confirm that it’s Him by helping Peter walk through the storm with Him. Fear makes us cry, while faith makes us try. Faith takes steps forward. When Peter stepped out of the boat, he stepped out of his comfort zone. He did great until he took his eyes off of Jesus, and went back to trusting his intellect.

Though Peter didn’t keep walking on the water, he continued to trust Jesus, who rescued him. Peter learned to trust God while his faith grew. Jesus asked Peter, “Why did you doubt?” He said Peter had little faith, but where did that leave the others who never got out of the boat?

When they got back to the boat, the storm stopped and they all worshipped Him, knowing that they could trust God through their storms. Are you going through a storm in your life right now? Don’t look for ghosts; look for Jesus and you’ll have an opportunity to walk through it together with Him.

Jesus Christ called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and diseases. He sent them out to preach the Kingdom and heal the sick.

He also commanded them to take nothing on their journey, including food, clothing or even a staff. They were not just sent out to preach and heal others, they were sent on a trust expedition. When they obeyed Christ’s commands, they could trust God to meet their needs.

When you obey the Lord and understand His Kingdom, you learn that He uses us to meet the needs of others, trusting that He will meet our needs. How many of us have learned to trust God to meet our everyday needs? Could we be waiting on our needs being met before we obey God’s commands to minister to the needs of others?

Jesus brought His disciples into His Kingdom and out of their kingdom of self. And what is their ultimate test of trust? If we’ll seek to obey God and minister to the needs of others, He’ll meet our needs with plenty left over.

The disciples grew to trust God to heal individuals through them individually, and then had to learn to trust God to meet the corporate needs of over 5,000 hungry people through them as a team.

Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” They preferred to avoid the problem by sending them away. Sometimes we would rather get rid of problems than trust God to help us solve them, whether individually or corporately.

The answer of how to do it only came after they gave God what they had first – five loaves and two fishes. We never learn to trust God by not having; we learn by giving what we have, trusting Him to make the difference.

Is there something God told you to do that you’re waiting on, or trying to turn away from instead of giving God what you have and trusting Him to multiply it? He is our seed multiplier.

Chapter 15 of Luke is called the “lost chapter.” Jesus gives examples of how people are lost. The sheep got lost naturally; the coin got lost accidentally; and the son got lost willfully. In each case someone went out to look for what was lost.

Though often criticized for eating and drinking with sinners by religious leaders, Jesus underscores God’s passion for reaching the lost regardless of the reason they were lost. In all three stories there was celebration and joy in heaven and on earth when only one sinner repented and got saved!

There was a culture of celebration when the lost were found and brought back home in each example. Friends, neighbors and family were all included in the celebration. We know we’re in sync with heaven when we celebrate the same priorities. Worship services are full of celebration when the lost are reborn or come back home to the Father’s House.

Jesus tells these stories to those who had forsaken their mission to reach the lost because they had become hard-hearted and judgmental. Don’t think that this hasn’t happened to many Christians.

We can reach out to the lost at work, in our neighborhoods and communities, and especially our families. We can invite the lost to our homes, small groups, gatherings and church services. We can come up with new, creative ways to serve the lost and show them that God loves them.

Our worship services must be inclusive of the lost and not just exclusively what we want. We can build a culture of love and hospitality toward the lost in our churches. Opportunity must be given to reach the lost in every worship service as well as in small groups, gatherings and individual meetings. The Holy Spirit will guide us if we’ll make it our priority and focus – just like Jesus did.

Do we need to restore our focus on reaching the lost or have we become hard-hearted and self-centered like the prodigal’s brother? Has offense quenched our passion?