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Welcome to the question and answer forum which provides a platform to allow you to ask questions anonymously and also see a few excerpts of questions asked and answered.
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QUESTION AND ANSWER EXCERPTS
1 ) How can one interepret dreams?
One of the areas a believer needs to be built up is in their ability to interpret dreams. A scientific study shows that everyone dreams. This being the case, dreams can serve as a platform to reveal activities in the spirit world. Sometimes we get to have intrinsic dreams and sometimes we get to have extrinsic dreams.
Intrinsic dreams are self revealing. These dreams reveal something about the dreamer, on the other hand, extrinsic dreams reveal something about your sphere of influence or that which is around you. E.g country affairs, families, school etc.
You will notice something about dreams, some can be clearly understood, for example in the case of Joseph;
Matthew 1:20
"As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream."Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit."
This was a simple message dream. It was clear. Now there are also dreams that require interpretation. In Job 33:16 we are told that in dreams God opens the ears of men and SEALETH their instruction.
Something that is sealed can be symbolic or in form of parables, that is why certain dreams require interpretation. When you have an interpretation you are positioned to act. Imagine if God was planning something concerning your life and he revealed it in your dream, but because you were unaware you are likely to miss out on that divine opportunity. In the same way, imagine if the enemy made a plot against your life of which it is revealed to you in the dream. But because you were unable to interpret, you eventually fall into his trap.
One thing is certain, you won't stop dreaming, therefore you must develop your ability to discern and interpret dreams. In your pursuit to successfully learn how to interpret dreams, you firstly have to be able to know where dreams source from.
Dreams will have 3 sources
1) God
2) The human mind
3) Satan
The dreams that come from God are evident. They are designed to reveal Gods purpose, will and plans over our lives.
Secondly a dream will source from the human mind. Such dreams result from activities around us.
Ecclesiastics 5:3
" for a dream cometh through the multitude of business and a fools voice is known by the multitude of words."
Sometimes one may be so occupied with many activities during the day. Perhaps you where busy with so much work such that when you sleep, you begin to dream you are performing work duties. Another example is, after you write your examinations, sometimes you get so occupied with thinking how your results will be. As a result of such, you are likely to have series of dreams concerning your results.
Isaiah 29:8 says,
"It will be as when a hungry man dreams- And behold, he is eating; But when he awakens, his hunger is not satisfied"
Have you ever been so hungry such that when you sleep, you find yourself eating? Well, such a dream can directly be sourced from you.
Lastly dreams can have demonic source.
Jude 1:8 reveals to us something concerning this.
"Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones."
Examples of dreams that defile the flesh are sexual dreams.
We must pay particular attention to dreams because they allow us to respond. How? You will ACCEPT the dreams that come from God, and you will REJECT the negative dreams that come from the enemy.
HOW TO INTERPRET DREAMS
In a case where your dream is not direct and clear but instead is symbolic, what do you do? The first thing you must know is that interpreting dreams is not guess work, this is something that is spiritually discerned.
Allow me to bring out two men that were known to interpret dreams. Joseph and Daniel! So what was the approach of these two men with regards to dream interpretation?
On one occasion, pharoah needed an interpretation to a dream he had. Joseph then made a statement that is very fascinating
Genesis 41:16 [NLT]
"It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease."
In the same way, when the king nebuchadnezzar needed to an interpretation, Daniel went and sought the Lord. When Daniel received his answer, he went ahead to meet the king.
Daniel 2:28 [NASB]
"However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed."
Just like Joseph, Daniel attributed dream interpretation to the Lord's working!
So you see, dream interpretation is not merely a talent or something man does on his own. The Lord gets to reveal what is symbolic and sealed. sometimes when you dream of something, God can place in you the meaning of that dream immediately you wake up. But in a case you do not have an immediate interpretation, you've got to learn how to seek him for the meaning.
You may wonder, why are some dreams symbolic? Why are they hidden? Is it some form of punishment or something that is aimed at confusing us? Certainly not! He hides so as to invite you and me to a place of intimacy. He hides so that you can SEEK him
Proverbs 25:2 says
"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
When the Lord conceals or hides a thing, we ought to SEARCH OUT the matter. Search out comes from the Hebrew word "Chaqar" . This word is strongly attributed to the words ,"to seek" and "to Examine intimately"
God will invite you to intimacy by concealing a thing. Respond to his invitation by seeking him. This is why we must not ignore any dream that we do not understand.
The next time you receive something you don't understand, don't ignore it. if you intend on asking someone else for the meaning,before you do so, seek the Lord, he may be inviting you to intimacy. This way, your personal relationship with God will be developed.
May you be positioned to know and understand whatever your dreams mean in Jesus name!
God bless you and I would love to receive reviews and testimonies with regards to how you have applied this teaching.
2) Does the Bible support the Baptism for the Dead?
There seems to be a strong thought line among people believing that the Bible supports baptism for the dead. This is simply because of a misinterpretation of the writings in Paul's letter to the church at Corinth.
I Corinthians 15:29
“Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?”
Is this scripture giving approval to people to engage themselves in this practice? Before I go further allow me to explain a question which some of you have already began to ask yourselves. What is baptism for the dead?
Baptism for the dead, which is also called proxy baptism or vicarious baptism is a religious practice in which a living person is baptized on behalf of the dead. In 1840 a man named Joseph smith began this practice in the church.
This is because of having concern for his followers that died without being baptized. Their belief also comes from the scripture in John 3:5 which says;
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”
This sect of people believe once one is baptized then you can enter the kingdom of God. But you see the scripture above is not talking about water baptism. Plus only receiving Jesus as Lord and savior enables you to be a new creature thereby giving you access to the kingdom of God.
Because so many people have died without being baptized, proxy baptism is practiced even today so that when someone living is baptized on behalf of a dead person then the requirements of salvation are provided for the deceased.
The deceased can then choose to accept or reject what has been done on their behalf. How true is this? Does the Bible support this practice? The apostle peter gave a warning with how Ignorant people will misinterpret the scriptures. He said this;
"Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don’t know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it."[1 peter 3:16 MSG]
Misinterpreting the scriptures is a sure way to destruction. Paul in his writings does not approve the practice of baptism for the dead. In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul begins to give a detailed explanation on the resurrection of the dead. And in the 12th verse he asks; “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”
Some believed that there is no resurrection of the dead and this is why Paul gave a detailed explanation. In the 29th verse he said “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?”
He was pointing out that even those pagans who practice baptism for the dead believe in the resurrection of the dead otherwise why then would they practice such?
Notice how Paul writes in this particular verse. He writes what will "THEY" do who are baptized for the dead. He doesn't say "WE" but "THEY" , a clear indication that it is not practiced by the believers.
He would definitely not approve of what he does not practice. Pagans practiced it during that time and so it is totally absurd for the church to adopt this practice because they think Paul approves of it.
When the word of God is mishandled, many are misled. And so by the aid of the Holy Spirit I shall continue to answer pressing questions and give explanations to certain writings that are hard to understand God bless you.
3) SHOULD A BELIEVER TAKE ALCOHOL?
Increasing in the knowledge of God will enable you to stand firm so that you are not captured by deception or led astray.
Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus wrote;
"Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray." [Ephesians 4:14]
I will provide some answers to one area that commonly has questions and different views among the saints.
Should a believer take alcohol? Did Jesus approve of it? Did apostle Paul approve of it in his writings to the saints?
To answer these questions properly, I shall handle the different aspects in which people justify the intake of alcohol. We see a particular scripture in 1 timothy where apostle Paul advises timothy to take a little wine for his stomach ailments.
1 timothy 5:21
"Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities"
A careful study of history will reveal that water was not treated long ago. It therefore had traces of impurities.
This being the case, it brought a rise to different diseases and stomach problems. In these days, water that is untreated and unclean can give rise to diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
Now with regards to this particular scripture, what was the purpose of taking wine?
Wine has properties that can help in cleansing our body from toxins. So its the element in wine. But is this element or property only available in Wine? Certainly NOT! There are many other remedies.
Let me also expose another scripture people use to justify the intake of alcohol. Then I shall give an explanation that will shade light and bring clarity to the questions.
Ecclesiastes 9:7
"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do."
Unfortunately a sect of people get excited and say God has approved of this. Has God really approved to take wine?
Well, to know his will we must first ask the question, what type of wine is being talked about?
Bare in mind that wine can be either fermented or un fermented. In the same way, bread can either be leavened or unleavened. Leavened bread undergoes fermentation in a process which requires time. It is the decomposition of living organisms when yeast and bacteria inside the dough convert the natural carbohydrates in the wheat to carbon dioxide. This fermentation process is similar to that of wine.
Allow me to search out God's will both in the new and old testament. Let me begin with the old testament. see what God commanded his chosen people (Israel)
"Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel." [Exodus 12:15]
This was during the Passover and they where told NOT to eat what was leavened [fermented]
He was so serious about it that he would cut you off if you did. So if God told them not to eat leavened bread, do you think he would want them to drink fermented [alcoholic] wine? In the same way,the nazarites well told not to take wine [numbers 6:2-3]
Apart from that, the priestly office was told not to drink fermented wine too
Leviticus 10:10
"You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come"
Think about it, why would the Lord even warn them that they would die if they did so? It didn't matter the reason you had. if you drank, you Die!
Leavened stuff represented "UNCLEANESS", this is why he said do NOT take what is not fermented!
So how about the scripture that said "drink your wine with a joyful heart?" . Just because you've seen wine in the bible, that does not mean it is automatically talking about alcohol. Remember Wine is made from grapes.
And so, even though wine which was not alcoholic was generally termed as wine, well in modern English this is what we simply call grape Juice!
Grape juice is an excellent tonic for the stomach, and so we cannot even conclude that Paul told timothy to drink alcoholic wine. Why? Because in Titus 1:7 paul said;
"For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre"
See, here he says a bishop shouldn't be given to wine [other versions say drunkeness]. So clearly here he is talking about alcoholic wine.
We can't say Paul contradicted himself when in one place he says do not take and when in another place he said do take. Whether alcoholic or non alcoholic, the Greek words translated into English was "wine". So as a believer and a student of the word, you must be able to rightly divide the word to know what is being talked about.
At the last supper, unleavened bread and wine was served. So in short, Jesus and his disciples drank wine. But was this wine fermented? NO!
Remember Everything had to be unleavened as God commanded in exodus.
In Matthew 26:29 Jesus said,
"I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
The fruit of the Vine which are- grapes!
The NLT version says
"Mark my words--I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom."
They drank wine but this was only grape juice. You may wonder, what did Jesus think about alcohol?
Well we do know that Jesus refused to drink fermented wine. when He was hanging on the cross and cried: “I thirst!”, they gave Him “wine mingled with myrrh”, but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it!
Matthew 27:34
"There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it."
So not for a moment did Jesus even approve of the intake of alcohol. If he rejected it, why should you accept it? Others may wonder, but how is it that Jesus turned water to wine?
If the father was strongly against fermented things, then Jesus would not have turned drums of water into alcohol.
Besides he turned the water to wine and it was immediately served. Showing that this was fresh,new and pure wine. Grape Juice! for it to be fermented, it would require to be left for a few days so that the process of fermentation takes place to become alcoholic wine.
Concerning alcohol, the scriptures reveal something about it.
Proverbs 20:1
"Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise."
If it is not wise to partake alcohol then, even as strong as this may sound but alcohol reduces one to a fool.
Proverbs 23:33 says
"Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down . For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things."
alcohol is likened to a poisonous snake bite, this means it is definitely not good for you.
Galatians describes drunkenness as a work of the flesh. Yet again some say, "being drunk is the sin, and not drinking"
But you see, Matthew 5:30 says
“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
This can also mean, whatever that causes you to sin, put it away. You cannot be drunk without alcohol, so if alcohol makes you drunk then put it away.
To add on, Romans 13:14 says
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
make no provision for the works of the flesh. So even when you say drunkenness is a sin, what causes drunkenness is alcohol, therefore put away alcohol!
final conclusion, refrain from alcohol as a believer!
God bless you
4) IS THE ARCH ANGEL MICHAEL THE SAME AS JESUS?
Whenever one has a wrong interpretation or understanding of certain aspects of the word of God, it results in missing divine benefits and thereby leading to destruction. If men wrote scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit then we ought to depend on the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand the scriptures.
There seems to be division within the Body of Christ and people continue to ask the question;
Is the arch angel Michael the same as Jesus?
Due to the fact that individuals can be known by more than one name for example the apostle peter is sometimes addressed as Cephas or Simon. Barsabus was also called Justus or joseph. In the same way, some strongly believe that the arch angel Michael is actually Jesus. This belief surfaces because Michael actually means ‘’who is like God’’ , hence forth Jesus is attributed to fit into the description. Arch means ‘’Chief’’ so just as It is believed that Michael is a chief angel in the same way it is believed that since the bible says angels have been made subject to Jesus then Jesus is the chief of the angels thereby concluding that Jesus really is Michael.
More Scriptures are used to establish a firm belief in this thought line. The most common used is 1 Thessalonians 4:16
‘’For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first’’
Because the scripture says Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout, and makes mention of the voice of the arch angel, this is why people have concluded that Jesus is really Michael. How true is this? What is the authoritative truth about this?
The Arch angel Michael is NOT Jesus
The belief that Michael is actually Jesus is wrong and heretical. Such a doctrine distorts the true identity of Jesus and thereby it gives people a different perspective of Jesus.
Firstly, it must be known that angels are created beings were as without Jesus nothing was made. Jesus is creator and he therefore cannot be attributed to be an arch angel [ created being]. A creature is not worthy of worship and that is why we do not worship angels. On the other hand, Jesus is worthy! He is not a creature!
Well what about Michael being chief angel and Jesus also being in charge over the angels, does it not mean they are the same? Well having such a suggestion is inaccurate. This is what Daniel wrote concerning Michael
‘’Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia" [Daniel 10;13]
Notice it says ONE of the Chief princes. This means Michael is not the only Chief prince or arch angel. so there is no accuracy in saying since Michael is a chief of angels and Jesus is supreme over them too then Jesus and Michael are the same. Absolutely NOT!
The author of the book of Hebrews clearly gives a clear picture showing that the arch angel Michael is not Jesus.
‘’Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high [Hebrews 1:3]
So Jesus is firstly described as the express image of God and in verse two the writer reveals that through him the worlds were made. The writer goes on to reveal something powerful
‘’being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" [Hebrews 1;4-5]
See that? God did NOT say to any of the angels that thou art my son. So Clearly Jesus cannot be the arch angel Michael. Concerning Jesus, the next verse says
"And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him" [Hebrews 1:6]
The scripture above reveals the deity of Jesus and shows that he is worthy of worship. and a demand is placed saying let ALL angels worship him [Jesus]. If Jesus was an angel, he would be considered as a creature and hence be disqualified for worship. But Jesus is Lord, Jesus is God. The doctrine of assuming that Jesus is Michael denies the Lordship of Jesus.
A distortion of the identity of Jesus is a work of Satan [2 Corinthians 4:4]. May the Spirit of God preserve you from false teachings and beliefs
5) Should we judge or judge not?
We ought to be students of the word that go to the extent of doing extensive studies over certain aspects in the word of God. I seek to answer a question that has brought confusion to many within the body of Christ. The question is should we Judge or Judge not?
A sect of believers are strongly sided and believe that it is okay to Judge. Yet again another sect of believers unwaveringly choose to believe that we should Judge not. What does the authoritative word of God reveal to us? Should we Judge or Judge not?
On one occasion Jesus spoke to the multitudes saying;
"Do not judge, or you too will be Judged.For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" [Matthew 7:1-2]
On another occasion Jesus said something that leave many people Confused.
John 7:24
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
Is there a contradiction here? How is it that Jesus says we can Judge? but in Matthew’s writings he said don’t Judge! is this a scriptural contradiction? The apostle Paul also writes to the church at corinth saying;
"The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one." [1 Corinthians 2:15]
Paul is saying a spiritual man Judges all things. So the question that rises is do we Judge or not Judge? To answer this question and understand this, allow me to point out only two Greek words for the word Judge.
1) KRINO
2) ANAKRINO
The greek word Krino means to condemn.it means to negatively conclude and pass sentence or pronounce judgment against one. This was the word Jesus used in matthew 7:1 saying "do not judge [Krino]
On the other hand Anakrino means to evaluate, examine,discern, question or investigate. "A spiritual man Judges[Anakrino] all things". The confusion concerning Judgment has resulted in wrong decisions being made.
DO NOT JUDGE ME?
‘’do not judge me’’ is a statement used by many as an excuse to continue living unholy lives. Now you see, when one addresses you and admonishes you to turn away from evil then you are not being condemned or Judged [krino] as people say. You are being corrected and pointed to live a higher life. Unholy living makes you live a life below your standards. So an encouragement to live Holy is not being judgmental but simply an invitation to live a higher life.
The scriptures only disagree to make a Negative final conclusion about someone. Never use the statement ‘’do not judge me’’ to neglect correction in your life. Such an approach only makes things worse in ones life
Proverbs 29:1 [MSG]
‘’For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, There'll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it'll be too late to help them’’
We are not to krino- condemn, conclude negatively and pass sentence but we must learn to Anakrino-examine,discern.. The bible says test the spirits! In order to test the spirits we must learn to evaluate and discern what is right and wrong so that we are not deceived!
So instead of saying "don't judge(krino) me" one should be able to evaluate (anakrino) what is right from wrong. This evaluation will position you to be pruned by God so that you become more fruitful and effective!
So what is the conclusion? Judge or not judge?
Well do both!
Judge[anakrino] but don't Judge[krino]
God bless
6) does god create evil?
Does God create evil? To answer this question, one must carefully understand the scriptures by the aid of the Holy Spirit. Some scholars and other people in general are convinced that God creates evil. They seem to source their confidence from the writings in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 45: 7 [KJV]
‘’I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."
While others are convinced that God creates evil, yet again others seem to be confused because they do not seem to understand this scripture and deep within even without having proof, they still believe that God is NOT the author of evil.
The writings in Amos 3:6 seem to add on to the confusion. The king James translation says;
"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?"
So, with these two scriptures being brought out, does this mean that God really is the author of evil?
To properly answer this question, let us examine these scriptures. One thing you will note is that the word "evil" in these two scriptures comes from the Hebrew word "RAH" . The word rah is associated with words such as displeased, hurt, calamity, disaster, trouble or evil.
The king James version translated the word rah to evil. However other versions translate this word differently. The NKJV translates it as calamity while the NIV translates it to disaster. From this we can understand that the context is merely an expression of Judgement. Distress, calamity and trouble come upon they that are disobedient.
So the word ‘evil’ in these scriptures should be translated as calamity. a similar case is found in Exodus 32. When the children of Israel turned away from God by making themselves a golden calf to worship, God was displeased with their disobedience and he therefore wanted to destroy them. But Moses pleaded to God for their sake and God spared them from the calamity.
Now see how the King James Version puts it
Exodus 32:10
"And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."
The word ‘evil’ in this scripture is still translated from the Hebrew word RAH but the context of this whole event is God wanting to destroy or punish the Israelites who were disobedient.This is an expression of Judgement no wonder the NIV and ISV translate the word rah as disaster and calamity respectively
"Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. [Exodus 32:14 NIV]
"So the LORD changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people. [Exodus 32:14 ISV]
Clearly God does not create evil and so when other versions bring out the word as rah(evil), the true interpretation is simply calamity or punishment [ expressions of judgement].
Deuteronomy 32:4 says Gods work is perfect, and all His ways are just. So you see, in his perfection he continuously remains good and can neither be evil nor create evil. This is why 1 John 1:5 says God is light and in him is NO darkness at all.
In addition, Habakkuk 1:13 declares that Gods eyes are too pure to approve or behold evil. He therefore cannot be the author of evil and thereby sin.
His ways are perfect! He remains perfect!
God bless you.
7) what does one do after they are free and delivered?
I desire to bring out a very important aspect that needs to be practiced by many. Usually after someone experiences victory in a certain area, what goes through someone's mind is , "what exactly do I need to do after I have experienced freedom or rather what exactly must I do after undergoing deliverance?"
Since people do not know what to do, they end up doing nothing. So among many things to do I shall explain one thing one must do after experiencing their freedom.
REMAIN FREE & DELIVERED
If someone once experienced the adverse effects of being captive, he or she will ensure they do not find themselves in chains again. Staying free is a responsibility one must take and so one must not be careless with how they live lest they become bound again.
On one occasion, Jesus prayed for a man who had an infirmity for 38 years. The man was immediately made whole but after sometime Jesus gave this man a caution which he was meant to follow;
"Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” [John 5:14 NKJV]
See that? He told the man to watch his ways and not sin. He told him to change his lifestyle. Can you imagine, 38 years is already too much for one to be in bondage, so a careless lifestyle can lead you back into captivity.
If you've experienced your freedom, do not associate with sin or an ungodly lifestyle. Such only lead you back to chains. Further more, build yourself by reading of the word. Commit yourself to prayer and the fellowship of the Spirit. Once you cut off SIN, you've just guaranteed yourself of a continuous WIN.
Another reason you need to take responsibility to remain delivered and free is because the enemy who loves to enslave people is also an enemy that loves to revisit. If you had victory over a particular enemy, it will probably want to revisit and enslave you again.
Concerning this, Jesus said;
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” [Matthew 12:43-45 NKJV]
The wickedness of an evil spirit can be so shocking. It even has the audacity to say i will go back to "my house". This is why the bible tells us to RESIST the devil. Who should resist? God? No! It's you! It's your responsibility to remain delivered.
The enemy loves to revisit. This is why someone can experience healing in their body but months later they see symptoms again. Why? The enemy revisited but was not resisted.
Have you observed that even after pharaoh finally let the Israelites go, he then decided to pursue them. And the bible records he took with him all captains and their chariots. [Exodus 14]. He practically pursued Israel with his best ability.
With an enemy that loves to revisit, then the saints must be all learn how to Resist him.
Now from the scriptures above, we can see that one's inability to remain delivered does not result in merely going back into bondage, But it results in the persons situation becoming WORSE.
"Sin no more, lest a "WORSE" thing come upon you.” [John 5:14 NKJV]
Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is "WORSE" than the first." So if you do not ensure you remain free, you might go back to captivity and have a situation that is even worse.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus said watch and pray? Have you ever wondered why Peter said be sober and vigilant? It is because you must guard yourself returning to captivity.
So do not only seek freedom but ensure that you remain free.
God bless you
8) why do some prophecies not come to pass?
Receiving direction and prophetic revelation is so beautiful. Have you ever received a prophetic word about your career, future or concerning things that are meant to be established in your life?
If yes, I believe you were excited and amazed when what was spoken came to pass.
But let's look at it in another angle. Have you ever experienced a delay in the manifestation of what was revealed? Worse off, have you seen a prophetic word that was revealed to you not come to pass at all?
Many ask themselves this question. Why hasn't my word come to pass? " it was spoken about me that I will go to nations, but how come am stuck and I see no progress with regards to this prophetic word?"
Sadly this question causes many to complain and thereby doubt God. Well I seek to answer why some words do not come to pass. I will use the parable of the sower [Luke 8:1-15] to get to answer this. After Jesus gave this parable he said,
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” [Luke 8:8]
This connotes that a revelation ought to be caught with regards to any aspect. My interpretation from the parable of the sower is not contextual but rather a revelation derived from it.
The parable of the sower describes how a sower went sowing seed. His seed fell on four grounds hence producing different results. The seed represented the word of God. Likewise prophecies you receive are representations of God's spoken word.
In the parable of the sower, the first seeds fell on the way side and the birds of the air devoured them. Sometimes we are not careful enough such that we allow the devil to snatch what is meant for us. This is why when you receive a word, begin to pray over it. Your prayer initiates spiritual activity that causes things to work for you.
When Daniel's answer was blocked by the prince of Persia, he used the platform of prayer that provoked the angel Micheal to fight on his behalf. Once you are prayerless you become careless. That is why some people lose out. Pray over every prophetic word you receive.
In the parable, the second and third ground that the seed fell on was a rocky place and on thorns respectively. The seed crop that was on the rock sprang up but it withered because it lacked moisture. The one that was sprang up in the thorns was chocked.
This connotes people who receive words gladly, excited but later on not believe what God had said. Their doubt is perhaps caused by listening to negative words and also circumstances around. You've really got to be careful with how you handle prophetic words because you might chock its manifestation.
Have you noticed that it was spoken through the prophet Moses that Israel would enter the promised land? These people were excited and believed God's word for a while. They later began to doubt, complain and thereby rebel against the word that God had spoken. The bible records that no one in that generation entered the promised land. Only two people entered it, I. E Caleb and Joshua son of nun. It was prophesied that they would all enter, but they missed out because of their unbelief.
Refuse to allow anything to dissipate your confidence in what God has spoken lest you miss out what is meant for you. In the parable, Jesus exclaimed that the seed that fell on good ground connotes one who receives the word and HOLDS on to it with patience. [Luke 8:15]
If a prophecy was given to you,pray over it,hold on to it. The apostle Paul admonished Timothy to wage war using the prophetic words he received. [1 Timothy 1:18]. When you hold on to a word, you can use it as a weapon. Once you declare over it and pray over it, you will initiate spiritual activity to work in line with your prophetic word.
Position yourself to ensure all prophetic words you receive come to pass.
9) Did jesus have fear ( timidity)?
There seems to be a division among commentators and questions have come up in relation to a particular verse in the book of Hebrews.
The question is did Jesus have Fear?
This question is sourced from the scripture that says;
"Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;" [Hebrews 5:7]
Carefully examine this scripture, what could be the reason that Jesus would offer prayers with Loud cries and tears? Like others believe, could it really be true that Jesus would be afraid of dying?
We cannot get to describe the magnitude of pain that came by hanging on the cross because it was way too much. But did the Messiah fear dying a painful death?
The line of thought believing that Jesus was fearful because of dying on the cross is questionable because more than once, Jesus gets to reveal to his disciples that he would die and rise after 3 days.
So clearly Jesus was not afraid of physical death. Because he was going to rise up.
But why did he cry to the one who was able to save him from death? Doesn't that mean he feared death?
Physical death was not a worry for Jesus. Jesus did not want another type of death. So there are types of death?
Oh yes!
God told man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said if they do so, they would surely die [genesis 2:7]
Well Adam and even ate the fruit, but did they die instantly? Certainly not. Infact Adam lived 930 before he died physically. But this is the man that ate the fruit and God said if he did so he would surely die.
The light of the scriptures will enable us to understand that there are different kinds of death. Adam and Eve experienced a spiritual death, then later on experienced a physical death
The book of Revelation also gets to reveal a type of death.
"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." [Revelation 20:14]
See that? The lake of fire is described as the second death.
So what then is the writer of Hebrews trying to reveal such that Jesus would cry to the one who would save him from death? Well he is talking about spiritual death. Being separated from God.
The sins of man were imputed on Jesus and this caused him to be separated from God [spiritual death].
Jesus valued the presence of his father and so he couldn't imagine being without the father. with strong cryings he offered his supplications to God.
No wonder when he hang there on the cross, he cried out;
"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. [Matthew 27:46]
Well this dear saints is not being fearful, but it is having the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is not timidity, but a reverential fear that does not for a second seek to be without God.
The fear of the Lord is valuing the presence of God. Jesus did not at any single moment want to be separate from the father. So this was not timidity [fear].
If Jesus valued the presence of the father this much, how about me and you? This should provoke us to embrace the presence of God more and more.
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