In the hustle and bustle of the approaching season, its really essential that we stop long enough to reflect on the scriptures to truly understand the mission of the son. When reading the bible, its also important to ask the question of who, to whom and why in order to fully comprehend and understand the context. Who is speaking, to whom are they speaking and why are they saying what was said. The bible also tells us in Isaiah 28:10 that precept must be upon precept, here a little, there a little. Meaning, to fully understand the bible, you must get bits and pieces of scripture and information from all over the bible to get the full content. All that being said, lets now put emotions to the side, use common sense, and like the bible says, search the scriptures to understand what John 3:16 is truly saying.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The word ‘world’ here is automatically translated by us to mean every single person living on earth, unfortunately, this is an incorrect translation. There are 17 different definitions of the word ‘world’ in the bible, showing us that there is more than one world spoken of in the bible. Hebrews 1:2 talks about ‘worlds’ showing us there is more than one world. Therefore, the question begging to be answered is what world is John 3:16 referring to? In Romans 9:13 God tells us Jacob has He loved. Jacob is the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, so God is saying he loves Jacob, and his descendants fall under the blessing of this love. On the other hand, He says he hates Esau who is Jacobs brother. Esau is the father of the Edomites, so God hates Esau and his descendants fall under the curse of God’s hate. Therefore, by process of elimination, it is clear that God was not talking about the Edomites in John 3:16, or this would be a contradiction and the bible does not contradict itself. In Isaiah 45:17- But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. This is the ‘world’ being referred to in John 3:16, the world of Israel and not the world of everyone on the earth. This was where Christ was quoting the scripture from.

Now we have that out of the way, the next question that begs to be answered is who did God give His son for? Acts 13:23 clearly shows that The Most High gave His son for the nation of Israel. They were the ones who needed a savior, not the entire people on the earth. They needed a savior because they were given a law which they never kept and thus led to their captivity, thus Christ came to be a savior to. Taking religion out of the picture and simply reading the bible as it is using precepts upon precepts, we continue to get understanding. Based on your understanding of how God feels about the Edomites, ask yourself if the ‘whosoever’ in Hebrews 12:16-17 would include them? The bible clearly tells us that God rejected Esau and he found no place of repentance for him and his descendants. Even the Zondervan bible dictionary defines Edom as a nation that never received any promise of mercy from God. Therefore, the word ‘whosever’ is not an all inclusive statement. The bible is directed to the Israelites, so ‘whosoever’ is speaking of whosoever within the Israelites. This is further clarified in Exodus 12:15. Whosoever in Israel that eateth leavened bread would be cut off from the nation. This too is not talking about everyone in the whole world, since they cannot be cut off from the nation of Israel considering they are not a part of the nation. 

For more context, we need to read a few verses earlier, John 3:14. Christ gives an analogy saying the same way Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness is the same way he was going to be lifted up. Since Christ was giving a comparison, we need to go back to the old testament to find out who the serpent was lifted up to, so we can determine who Christ will in turn be lifted up to. Numbers 21:5-8 tells us that everyone of Israel that was bitten but looked upon the serpent shall live. This word ‘everyone’ is synonymous with the word ‘whosoever’, and in context is speaking of a specific people and not the whole world. Christ was therefore saying that the same way that Moses lifted up the serpent to the people of Israel is the same way he was going to be lifted up to the people of Israel and die on the cross. Therefore in summary, the who? Christ was speaking. To whom? Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a leader of the Jews aka Israelites. Why? To tell the Israelites why he was on earth and how they were going to be redeemed.

Revelations 12:9 explains that traditions of men have been passed down from generation to generation and is being used by Satan to deceive the whole world. Now, this world here is actually talking about everyone living on the earth. Those lies satan has told by virtue of religion has become peoples reality, and we need to snap out of it. Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us that knowing who Christ came for is not what is going to get us into the kingdom of heaven. Also, knowing he came for us does not mean Edomites won’t make it in either. We are to keep God’s commandments, this is what will get us into the kingdom. We are in the soul saving business and our job as we obey His commandments is to lead others to obey His commandments and lead them also to Christ. That is the conclusion of the matter!

Till next time, shalom and blessings.

Nikki.

We live day to day, try to do our best in all situations, take care of our families, be nice to the neighbor, love our spouse (even though they get on our last nerve), give our best at work….you know, the usual stuff. Everyone likes you, says you’re a really nice person, your family loves you, your friends like having you around, everything is great with the world. Unfortunately, no one knows you’ve, missed the mark in a certain area of your life, and rather than admit or come forward with the issue, you hide it and try to live life as though it’s perfect. You even begin to justify it and explain it away to yourself. Slowly but surely, the burden of it begins to eat away at you till you become numb to it. This is not how we are expected to live.
1 John 1: 5-10 tells us that The Most High is light and in Him is no darkness at all. His light is not blurry or diminished. As we are in Him, doing His works that we each individually have been called to do, our light shows. However, because of the fault or faults we are harboring, we move farther and farther away from the father which ultimately takes us away from doing His works. If we say we have no sin on the other hand, we are completely deceiving ourselves because we know Christ came to redeem us from our sins and if we have none, then we make Christ to be a liar. What we do need to be aware of is that none of us are exempt from falling, but when we do fall the bible says we are to confess our faults one to another James 5:16-20. This means we are not to bear the burden of sin alone which causes us to separate ourselves from each other, thus making us an even easier target to be used by the enemy. However, neither does the above scripture say we are to walk around telling everyone our sin…use wisdom! Ecclesiasticus 6:6 in the apocrypha tells us to be at peace with many, but have only one counsellor. After confessing our faults, the bible then tells us to pray for one another, so we can receive healing and be totally restored. However, the prayer must be fervent and continuous for total healing, so we need to stay the course. 1 Corinthians 10:13 also lets us know there is no temptation that has overtaken us that someone else has not dealt with, so don’t let the enemy lie you out of speaking up and confessing those faults.

What if you are the counselor, how then should you deal with those confessions? I’m so glad you asked. We must restore one another in the spirit of meekness, and deal with others how we would want to be treated. Don’t act all haughty as if you’ve never fallen before, but also guard your heart to ensure you don’t get tempted. Galatians 6:1-10 tells us it is up to the strong to bear the burdens and infirmities of the weak however, every man shall bear his own burden in judgment. Whatever we sow we shall reap. Do good to all people, especially those in the faith.

One key step to keep in mind, which will ultimately save us from even having to confess our faults is we need to be able to identify when we’re being led astray. Mark 5:2-13 describes how we get attacked first by one spirit, which once it gains a stronghold goes to get others which also build strongholds. If we had recognized the one spirit at the onset, like Christ we could have rebuked it so it has no chance to make our temples its home. At all levels, there will always be that one thing that keeps us from reaching perfection. At present, Christ is the only one that can stand as perfect. All of our righteousness combined still are as filthy rags before The Most High. However, there is good news…Christ came for the sinners!

Lets stop putting on a show or being hypocritical and lets get real with ourselves. The only thing stopping us from reaching perfection is us. Whatever that fault is, we need to recognize it, call it out, rebuke it, confess our faults, get prayer and then get on with the business of doing The Most High’s work. Time is of the essence, the clock is ticking, the return of our Lord and savior Christ is near. That is the conclusion of the matter. 

Till next time, peace and blessings, shalom!

Nikki.

When we pick up and read the bible each day (that’s a no brainer right?), we are reading a record about a living, breathing, active in society and the world…group of people. We can’t in one breath say Israel or Jews (not Jewish) don’t matter, yet in another breath use their records to try and maneuver through life. If they don’t matter, then their records don’t matter either. The question here is not who The Most High loves, its who He chose! Romans 3:1-4 shows that The Most High entrusted the law unto the Jews. Why is this important to know? Well, if we know our role, we can step into the responsibility of it. To whom much is given, much is required. Luke 1:67-71 tells us how Zachariah (John the baptists father) prophesied and blessed The Most High, The God of Israel for visiting and redeeming His people. He purchased His people, not everyone on earth. Don’t get me wrong, others can and most definitely will partake too. However, there is an order…it was His chosen people that was given the laws, statues and commandments, and it is these people that Christ’s blood came to redeem. Who are these people?…yes, the Israelites! No other nation was under the law of sacrifice and so did not need to be redeemed or purchased. Once Israel is cleansed and come into their glory, they will be a light to the gentiles, and in turn lead them in to follow those same laws, statutes and commandments. We are to follow the God of Israel, for Christ’s blood was to redeem and purchase his people.
Why then in these days do we hear our fellow brothers and sisters say they are now able to pretty much do whatever we want because Christ’s death sanctified it all? What scripture is that? When clearly Matthew 5:17 tells us what Christ himself said out of his own mouth. He categorically told his listeners not to even imagine that he came to change the law or destroy it, but rather to fulfil it. If his purpose was to come and take away or destroy the law, would that not mean that he came to take away or destroy himself? since he is the written word! As long as there is heaven and earth, there is a law. This means that actions are still being written and judged according to the law and a record is still being kept in heaven. We still have rules that we should go by and should still be guiding us.

Let’s touch on a few specific arguments that I have heard Christ followers use to try and defend their theory of a people and a law done away with. We hear the argument that what The Most High has cleansed is clean, therefore we can eat whatever we want. Then, they proceed to take you to Acts 10:9-16. Well, lets break that scripture down and see what this really means. When we further read verse 17, we see that Peter was in a dream state when he woke up and was confused as to why he was being asked to consume the unclean animals. Further reading to verse 25-28 then reveals that Cornelius whom Peter was being sent to was from another nation and was not a Jew or Israelite. Therefore, the revelation is that the dream was actually not talking about food at all, but rather about people. So, Peter was being told not to call anyone unclean, but share the gospel also with gentiles. Then, the very astute and learned christian goes on to 1 Timothy 4 to further state their claim and show that forbidding man to be married is sin and every creature of God is good. Well said! However, further reading and understanding of verse 5 shows that the said food has to be already approved by the word in order to then find those which can be received with thanksgiving. For a food to be sanctified or set apart, it has to be approved by the word and not just by prayer, and what is approved is found in Leviticus 11. Therefore, the approved foods from Leviticus 11 is what is to be received with thanksgiving and not every food under the sun.

Saving the best for last, I love this one…”the children of Israel are done away with, and we are the spiritual Israelites”. Once again, what scripture is that!!! In Romans 11, we read that the curse is to the children of Israel. The gentiles do not suffer for breaking the law since it was never given to them. Has The Most High cast away His people?NO!. Paul was an Israelite and he was not done away with. The Most High did not cast away His people which He foreknew in the old testament. Paul gave the word to gentiles when Israelites did not receive it. However, there will always be a remnant of Israel that will stake claim to the truth. Hosea 6:1-2 tells us that though God took us down, He is now healing and awakening us to the truth of who we are. It was the house of Israel that broke the old covenant with God and not all nations. Therefore, though God found fault with the children of Israel, however, He made a new covenant with them still, Hebrews 8:8-10. 

The conclusion of the matter is that Christ was nailed to the cross to abolish death so that people no longer had to be put to death for their sins. When we turn to the truth of The Most High and follow His laws, statues and commandments, the veil will be taken away. With the new covenant, The Most High gives us space to make things right, this is also known as grace. However, lets not take this grace for granted. Study to show thyself approved, pick up your bible, read, and turn back to Him and He will return to us.

Till the next time, shalom and blessings!

Nikki.

Christ warned us against blaspheming the Holy Spirit because it is unpardonable, while all other sins and blasphemies might be pardoned – Mark 3:28-29. I have always wondered why only the Holy Spirit in particular and not the son or even the father Himself. Well, to get some insight into why this is, we will need to start at the beginning.
In Genesis 1:26 – 27 we read ” And God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness…then it goes on in verse 27 to say that God made man in His image, male and female. Who is the “us” God is referring to? The bible tells us in 1 John 5:7 that there are three that bear record in heaven, the father, the word and the Holy Spirit. The father is evident, and in a previous message we found out that the Word is Christ, so now to the Holy Spirit. Romans 1:20 tells us that to know what is happening in the invisible realm, we need look no further than the visible one. Life on earth comes from a man and a women, likewise life in the heavenlies. What does that mean? The image of the family unit here on earth is man, woman and child, likewise in heaven we have father, son and Holy Spirit. Yes, you got it, the holy spirit is a feminine spirit!

In the apocrypha, the book of Wisdom of Solomon 9:17-18 tells us that wisdom is the Holy Spirit. ” 17 And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above?

18 For so the ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto thee, and were saved through wisdom.” Wisdom teaches us all things that are pleasing to The Most High. So now we know that Wisdom is the Holy Spirit. Further more, Wisdom of Solomon 7:7-8 in the apocrypha says – 7 Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. 8 I preferred her before sceptres and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her, we see that Wisdom is referred to as ‘she’. She is our comforter and counsellor – Wisdom of Solomon 8:9 “Therefore I purposed to take her to me to live with me, knowing that she would be a counsellor of good things, and a comfort in cares and grief” Just like any physical family here on earth, who does the teaching and comforting and warns against the wrath of the father when we’re going down the path of destruction?…yep, mother does! So it is spiritually. 

John 14:26 calls the Holy Spirit our comforter, but uses ‘he’. The greek word for ‘he’ here is ‘ Akinos’ which means ‘that one’, no gender was ascribed to the Holy Spirit in this text, but was injected by translators. She sits by Gods throne “Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne; and reject me not from among thy children” – Wisdom of Solomon 9:4 and she is privy to the fathers thoughts and is His breath. Just like Eve was pulled out of Adam, so the Holy spirit came out of the mouth of the father. She was sent to teach us about the father, just like the mother teaches her child to love, honor and respect their father. We were saved through Wisdom, and unless the father send her we cannot have access to her. The Most High loves the Holy Spirit so dearly, and that is why He will not forgive anyone who blasphemes her, just like a physical man would defend his wife to the end. Who better to learn from than the most beloved of the father! Seek her earnestly and listen to her words and you will always be in The Most Highs will, she will not steer you wrong.

Till the next time, shalom and blessings.

Nikki.

There is quite a lot going on in the world today. Nothing is at a standstill, life is hectic and we feel as if the waves of change just may knock us right off of our feet. We recognize the need for some much needed reenforcement, but in our frantic state we find ourselves grabbing for something that is non existent, insufficient, has no power, and is completely useless and counterproductive. Our lack of any prior foundation quickly becomes evident as we flay and get tossed and blown around by those so-called waves. Well guess what…there’s an app for that and it’s called ‘seeking the kingdom!
How long did The Most High have to endure us? I have found that in our understanding of Christ, we have become judgmental and lack patience, as God has patience with us. The greatest law is the law of Christ which is all about self application. If we self examine and judge ourselves, it will ultimately stop the judgement from befalling you and I. Isaiah 30: 20-22 shows us that it is certain we will go through adversity. What’s even more certain is that sometimes that adversity will come from The Most High Himself. The affliction is there to put us back on the right path. We are not the enemy, but we need to be long suffering and patient through the process. During this period of affliction, we will more so still have access to our teachers, which is a blessing and privilege from God. This is not the time to stay away from them. These teachers of The Most High are there to help us through the process, while our conscience (by way of the Holy Spirit) bears record to the truth being taught. What we learn is meant to change our spirit and force us to adjust in a world (in which we don’t fit) for something greater. During this time is when we are expected to cast away all images that led to idolatry all the while putting all we have learned that is contrary to God behind us. 

During the period of adversity, we are to stay prayerful and meditate on Gods words and commandments. The lords prayer is a commandment and law from Christ. Matthew 6: 9-13 shows how Christ commanded us on how to pray to the father. We start by praising the father and hallowing His one true name. Thy will be done in earth like it is in heaven. His will that is being done in heaven is order. The earth is in chaos, but we pray for that order to also be established here on earth with total peace and no fear. Give us this day our daily bread. The Most High has done His part if you are able to eat each and every day. We must be content and not complain because The Most High gives us food, clothing and shelter daily. We owe the father a debt because He wiped our debt clean, so we ask Him to forgive us our debt. However, He can only forgive us to the degree that we forgive others. We must forgive! We first start by forgiving ourselves because we are now worthy through the blood of Christ, then we forgive others. We ask the father not to lead us into temptation, by detouring us from it by way of the Holy spirit. We pray to stay away from temptation that always comes in the form that does not seem evil. He always makes a way of escape – 1 Corinthians 10:13. Deliver us from the evil one. We finish off by declaring that the kingdom and the power and glory all belong to Him.

In Matthew 6: 24-34 we see that we cannot serve both God and mammon. The purpose of us going through the affliction is for The Most High to remove us from the bonds of this world that we have become attached to and care about. He gave us gifts that can help us get through, so this is the time to discover and tap into those gifts. The Most High knows what we need and He tells us that life is more than food and clothes. In fact, the Holy Spirit that abides within us is greater. If our father will feed the birds each and every day, will He not feed us His children that are better than the birds? We expend a lot of energy and time worrying about little things, which is a key indication that we lack faith. There is a greater mission and plan outside of ourselves and we need to seek those heavenly and spiritual things. What we desire and what we need are two separate things. He promised to give us what we need. Our value should lie with The Most High. Working and providing for our families are definitely important and a high priority, but hear this…it is not our highest priority! Our highest priority is to seek the plan of His righteousness first to ensure our plans are one with His.

Seeking the kingdom is seeking the plan of His righteousness which we do by not transgressing the law – Galatians 3: 22-29. Committing sin is transgressing the law – 1 John 3:4. Before faith came we were under the law which was our schoolmaster. Keep in mind that the law is not only referring to the ten commandments, but rather to every command, statute and ordinance that God spoke. We are no longer under the schoolmaster, but under Christ. However, Christ did not come to abolish the law Matthew 5:17, rather, the law is now under Christ. Therefore, under Christ we are to be obedient to the law and not be a slave to sin. The more we are obedient to the law, the more we seek the kingdom, and the closer we get to the plan of His righteousness. I urge you therefore, strap on your boots and  lets begin this amazing journey of seeking the kingdom together, it’s a worthwhile adventure!

Till the next time, shalom and blessings.

Nikki.

What we know for sure is that satan always attacks marriages because he knows its the image of The Most High. If he attacks marriages and makes them weak, we will have a weak nation. Vice versa, strong marriages leads to a strong nation. Ephesians 5:22-33 is the foundation for all marriages, wives are to submit unto their husbands as unto the Lord, and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Simple right? Well, the truth is, it reads easier than the actual ability to walk this walk…trust me, I know. I’ve been with my husband for eighteen years, and I’m still figuring this thing out. The funny thing about the whole situation is that when I think I’m submitting to my husband, he tells me I’m not, and when he feels he is loving me, that’s when I feel the least loved. This has made me realize that there is way much more to this whole marriage thing than we actually give it credit for. What makes grasping this concept so hard for both parties?…we’re about to find out.
To understand the situation we’re in, we need to start at the beginning with our father and mother, Adam and Eve. Genesis 3 tells us the story of the serpent and how man fell. In verse six, we see how satan uses desire, deception, visual lust, pride, curiosity and verbal persuasion to carry out his evil, and this was how our trouble started. These are the the tools of the devil that we need to steer clear of. Because Eve was unable to resist satan, she succumbed to the temptation, and did the one thing that she was told not to do…eat from the tree of life and death. By verse sixteen, The Most High is wroth with anger and reads them their rights by virtue of curses upon them. The woman will go through physical pain when bringing forth children, but she will also go through pain as she raises them up. This is evident today with missing children and kids being disobedient and running wild. Who typically shows up at the school when the child is behaving badly…yep, the mother! The curse continues with the desire of the woman being to her husband and her husband ruling over her. As you can see, the whole concept of the husband being the head of the woman started with conflict. The whole paradigm came out of a negative and sad to say, we are stuck in this position.

Let’s switch to the man. Verses seventeen through nineteen tells us that the ground is cursed for his sake. The significance of this to Adam was that he was to till the ground as a farmer for food. Fast forward to 2015, mans job is the tilling of the ground and how he ultimately gets paid to take care of his family, cursed is it! Through the sweat of his brow will he get his substance and anything he puts his hands on to take care of his family is now cursed. In modern day, this applies to jobs, opportunities, and business. The woman is rearing her children in pain, the man is tilling the ground to no avail, overall, there is anger and frustration all around. 

What does this mean? The first thing a man and woman needs to recognize before they get married is that there are curses attached to it. Therefore, each party needs to be sympathetic to the other and understand the state we are in. These curses still stand causing women to be in a situation where she is married to a man who cannot provide for her or its difficult for him to provide due to the curse. The end result is resentment on both sides, she is resentful because he cannot provide, and he is resentful because he cannot provide for her. The man is constantly reminded while he is out fending for his family that he is cursed, and wants to come home and be the authority he feels he should at least be in his own home. This causes the man to overcompensate for his feelings while in the home because he wants to at least feel he is in charge of something.

In the Apocrypha, the book of Ecclesiasticus (or Sirach in some bibles) 25:16-20 and Proverbs 21:19, clearly we see there were marital issues even back then. How did the woman get this way, where she is being described as contentious and angry? To get a better understanding, let’s get some insight into how a woman is wired and the type of men she is attracted to. Typically, a woman without even realizing it, goes for the man that she feels needs fixing. An example of this would be the bad boy persona. The attraction here is the protection she feels she will get from him while she is fixing him, the whole time there is a lack of trust because neither truly understands the other’s true agenda. Therefore, the biggest problem in marriage becomes the issue of being able to properly coexist with the head of the wife structure, the whole time dealing with a lack of trust. The woman does not trust the man because she feels he is going to take advantage of his position. The man does not trust the woman because he feels she is not going to submit to his position. Therefore, we end up in a Mexican stand down and eventually something has to give. The man begins to feel he has to establish his authority in the home because he does not feel as if he is in control. 

What is real interesting to understand is when a man and woman relationship begins, it unconsciously, but naturally takes on the position of a mother and a son. What do I mean by this? Well, women only know how to naturally express love from a mother to a child. This is all they know because they have not been taught any other way. So, when they express and fall in love with a man, the first thing they want to do is to take care of him…fix his shirt, tell him to pull up his pants, because that is the only way she knows how to express love. The man on the other hand who wants to be the boss of his home and does not feel like he needs any fixing, takes on the role of a rebellious son. Therefore, the whole atmosphere of the home becomes that of a son rebelling against his mother, and of a mother trying to fix her son. If this perception can be removed, then both parties can begin to settle down.

The way to remove this perception is to strategize independent of each other first on how to keep peace in the home, then together. Understanding these curses should also cause us to be more mindful of the undertones and how we relate with each other. We should be sympathetic towards one another. We also need to break down the wall of perception to allow each other to naturally be who we were created to be. Women, the best way to a mans heart is through his ego. Reverse psychology works in society and will work in marriage. It is our responsibility to create an environment where our husbands do not feel threatened. Men, allow your wives to grow in their greatness and don’t be afraid of losing your authority because you won’t . Satan is creating an environment that is anti-scripture and it is our duty together to ensure he does not destroy what we are building.

In closing, we need the fruit of the spirit in our marriages. Galatians 5:16,22 tells us we need love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. We are not to provoke one another, neither are we to envy our spouses position. Women, we cannot envy our husbands position of authority. Men, you cannot, misuse your authority and more importantly, you need to become the man your wife will want to follow. Overall, lets all make the sacrifices needed to ensure our marriages work and build a strong nation!

Till next time, shalom and blessings.

Nikki.

Who do you say that Christ is? This could be considered to be a loaded question, and then again, maybe not. There is no one answer, neither is there a right or wrong one. Even Christ himself asked this question of his disciples, and they responded with different answers. Growing up, and even till a lot recently, all the teachings I received about Christ mostly only came out of the new testament. I was always taught to read the new testament if I wanted to learn more about him, “study how he lived while he was here on earth”, I was told. However, it’s quite enlightening to note that we can learn so much more about Christ, long before we get to the new testament. 
To understand the ‘who’, the best place to begin is understanding the ‘why’. Why did Christ come? The answer to this will lead us directly to who he is. Some may answer saying he came to forgive our sins. This is a true statement, but begs the answer to the next question which is, why would our sins need to be forgiven in the first place? Our disobedience to God and His laws, statutes and commandments is what needed to be forgiven. The ‘why’ therefore is because Christ had an assignment…to come and undo the wrongs we had done, and get us back in right standing with God. One of the answers to ‘who’ Christ is would then be that he is our sacrifice! When he willingly came, humbled himself and died on the cross for our sins, he became our sacrifice. Christ is also our Savior, because he will be coming back to save us. For the bible says ‘but he that endures unto the end, the same shall be saved’ – Matthew 24:13. What is even more enlightening of all is that John 1:1 tells us he was the word. He is the word because he is what was written of in old times, oh my gosh… he is the old testament! We see this in action since when Christ was walking the earth and performing miracles, there was no such thing as the new testament then. In order for those that were with him to understand him, they would have needed to have read the old testament scrolls…they had to have read HIM! He is that word, he is what Moses was speaking of and what all the prophets were speaking of. He was a living testimony of the old testament. In John 1:14 we read that Christ was the word made flesh, everything written of in the old testament was made flesh and he dwelt among us. 
Psalms 147: 19-20 is a prophecy from back during the time of David showing that one day the word will be revealed to Jacob (Israel). For those that walked during Christ’s day, if they had truly studied the old testament scrolls, they would have recognized him as the word made flesh. This is why Christ himself chastised the so called scholars and teachers of the law for erring in their understanding of the word, because they could not relate the word to Christ. 
In Luke 24: 24 – 48 Christ called the disciples fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken, because they came to see proof at his sepulcher, when the proof that he was the Savior was evident before he died. If they read, studied and believed the old testament, they would have known that Christ was supposed to die, be in the belly of the earth for three days and then rise and go into his glory. Christ was the word and many did not believe while he walked the earth, and if he were walking the earth today, people still would not believe him to be the Christ. Everything written in the old testament had to be fulfilled concerning Christ. Now, the testimony of the fulfilment of the old testament must be preached to all nations. This is what we have been charged to do!
Christ is the sacrifice, the Savior, the mediator, the high priest, the word…and by these things, as we operate in the physical, what we observe will strengthen our belief, because it was spoken of in the old testament and he has fulfilled it. We see the word having been made manifest, and through that, people are being converted and becoming believers in Christ our Savior. What is the conclusion of this matter? The next time someone asks you who Christ is, simply respond by saying he is the word, he is our Savior, he is our sacrifice… and if they want to know more about him, tell them to pick up the Old Testament and read!
Until next time, keep sharing the good news. Shalom and blessings!
Nikki.

Being British born and bred, with a Nigerian heritage and now living in the United States, I consider myself multicultural. Of course through the years as I transitioned from one place to the other, I picked up the different tongues and ways of speaking, and today I have a mixture of them all. Therefore, it always tickled me when after speaking with people I was meeting for the first time, they would cock their head to the side and very nicely say…”I perceive an accent, where are you from?”. My answer always is “what are you hearing?”, then I listen as they try to guess…I hear some Jamaican or some Island some would say, and some correctly pick up the british in me, while every so often, some will correctly guess my African heritage (but not necessarily pinpoint it to Nigeria). Depending on the answer they give me, I would then go on to explain and confirm what it was they were truly hearing, and either claim my British or Nigerian heritage.
What makes the above information interesting is that in the grand scheme of things, neither am I British, nor Nigerian. My forefathers did not originate from either of these places, but rather were refugees that ran into them to escape persecution. History as we know it today, neglects to reveal to us where we originated from, prior to running into and populating these present day land masses. Why is this important to know? Well, Jeremiah 29:14 says ” And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive”. We need to know where we came from to know where we are going back to!
One of my goals is to expose and teach the next generation as much as I can about the truths of the bible. For them to carry on the torch from where we left off, they need to know who they are and from where they came. One of the many resources that is being used to give them exposure is a book by R.H. Charles called ‘From Babylon to Timbuktu’. This is an amazing history book that gives very detailed information about the journey of the children of Israel all the way into captivity and beyond, using bible references to corroborate and confirm the information. Below is a summary of that book and our history as written by 16-year-old, very bright, up and coming writer Daniel Brown as seen from his perspective. I urge you to get a copy of the book and read it with your family, you will be blessed. The next time someone asks where you are from, let that be an opportunity to remember The Most High’s promise to return us back home. In the meantime, please enjoy Daniel’s excerpt.

Until next week, shalom and stay blessed!

Nikki

From Babylon To Timbuktu by Daniel Brown

FromBabylontoTimbuktu

I know you already know this, I mean, who doesn’t know that Christ is love, right? This is so elementary you say. Christ is the son of The Most High God. He came down from heaven to die on the cross for our sins. He was born to earthly parents, Joseph and Mary and had other siblings. He rose from the dead, and he is our intercessor and advocate who sits at the right hand of the father pleading our case. There is so much more you can say about Christ you say? Of course there is! But my question to you is…do you really know him? Don’t be alarmed, this is not a call to take a walk down to the alter to receive him as your savior, (though if you have never done so, today is as good a day as any). No, this is not an alter call, simply an invitation to take a deeper look at who Christ really is, and then determine if we truly know him as we should.

Christ means anointed and by virtue of the fact that the Hebrew language came first, his Hebrew name Yashaya, is more reflective of his true function as savior. His function before he came to earth however is different. Genesis 1:1 tells us that Christ bare record in the beginning and functioned as a creator. The creator that was sent in the beginning to create us is Christ – John 1:1-2. He was always powerful! Christ is the author and fore runner of the word we read. He was the word made flesh. Everything that was made was by Christ under the authority of the father. He loved us so much because he loved what he created. Everything was created in the beginning, which means no new spirits are being created. We were all with him in the beginning and he knew us.

There was total darkness in the beginning and God shone a light. What was that light you ask? Christ was the light – John 1: 1-5. He delivered us from the power of darkness – Colossians 1: 13 – 14. When we don’ t have Christ the light, by default we are being led by dark forces.

Christ was the first born of every creature, which makes him the higher creature of God and makes him a higher power. In all his power, remember that Christ is not God! The Most High decreed and Christ executed the creation. We should never worship the son and neglect the father, he is the mediator between us and always has been. Remember the story of the three righteous men thrown in the oven? Guess what…It was Christ in the oven with them.

1 John 5:7-8 tells us that three bear record in heaven, the father, the son and the Holy Spirit and they are in one accord. Christ plays as a function of the body, since they are not all the same and have different functions. The rock in the wilderness that Moses struck was Christ too. Even Paul affirms that the rock was Christ in 1 Corinthians 10:4. Of course the relationship is a symbolic one, and not referring to his essence. The rock provided water for Israel and it was smitten in the process, just like Christ was smitten in his work of providing salvation.

After his crucifixion, Christ had the function of going down to hades where he took power over that realm and conquered death. After his death, be became more powerful, and a cloud received him out of the sight of the apostles, and he shall return the same way. We have redemption through his blood so our sins can be forgiven, there is no redemption without bloodshed. Romans 5:7-8 tells us of the love Christ has for us. Scarcely will anyone die for a righteous man, yet Christ died while you and I were unrighteous. The simple truth is if not for his sacrifice, we would all be dead! We have been allowed a period of grace because Christ is patient with us as we continue to believe in him. He came to lead us out of this dark world and those that don’t believe in him are condemned already, since they have no advocate at the throne pleading on their behalf -John 3:18-21.

The conclusion of the matter is that Christ is so much more than you can even begin to imagine or perceive. He is coming back to those that need him and to restore the earth to its right order. If you don’t know him, I urge you not to harden your heart and get in a relationship with him today. He is waiting with his arms outstretched to welcome you home. Get in the bible, search him out, repent by following God’s laws statues and commandments, ask him to reveal himself to you and ask for his forgiveness. Only peace, honor, love and respect should be on our lips when we speak concerning our savior. Christ is love!

Till next week, shalom and blessings!

Nikki.

We live in a world where anything goes! There’s freedom of speech, freedom to wear whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. Freedom of leadership by anyone who desires to lead…the list goes on. Even in cultures where there used to be some decorum and order, things are changing drastically by virtue of the western world’s influence, and our gradual movement away from the father. God in His infinite wisdom, has always expected His children to live by a standard that will never be understood by this world, because we are not of this world – John 15:19. As a matter of fact, we are expected to be the light of the world, setting the trend and examples to be followed to the glory of The Most High – Matthew 5: 14-16. Unfortunately, we have fallen short…way short, but there is hope!

Let’s go back to the best success book ever written. Romans 15:4 says that whatsoever things were written aforetime were for our learning , so we can have hope. In Genesis 17:15-21 we learn about Sarai whose name was changed to Sarah. Sarah’s name means princess, and The Most High chose to bless her and make her a mother of many nations. She was a beauty to behold, but Proverbs 31: 30 tells us beauty is vain so we know she was not blessed because of her beauty. Sarah feared and judged Him faithful who had promised – Hebrews 11:11, she was also obedient to her husband, that is why she was chosen to bear kings. 

In the book of Judges 4, we read about Deborah, who was a prophetess that also judged Israel in her time. The Most High made Himself known to prophets by way of visions and dreams and they in turn would speak what was revealed to the people. The sign of a true prophet/prophetess was that whatever was spoken always came to pass. A judge also known as a deliverer, was someone of honor and integrity whom The Most High Himself raised up in those days. The hand of the children of Israel defeated the Canaanites through Deborah, and she gave all the praises to the father. She recognized that it was not her power or might that helped deliver the children of Israel out of the enemy’s hand.

Judith from the apocrypha was a very wealthy widow who stayed fasting from the time her husband died. She fasted everyday except on the eve of sabbaths, sabbaths and holy days. She only ate what she prepared and was also an exceptionally beautiful woman, but her beauty stayed hidden behind her covering. However, when she and her fellow Israelites came under attack, and were at the risk of being wiped out, she used wisdom and her beauty to save her people.

Suzanna, also in the apocrypha was beautiful and feared the Most High. Her parents were righteous and taught her the law. She was accused of being promiscuous by two elders who were lusting after her. She had the choice of either succumbing to the wishes of the elders, and be defiled in the eyes of The Most High, or defying them and trust that The Most High would vindicate her. Suzanna chose to keep her trust in the Most High and she was eventually vindicated and the elders were punished.

It is still oh so chic to be called a virtuous woman, and I am still a work in progress. A virtuous woman like Sarah, who fears The Most High and submits to her husband. Like Deborah, who is a person of integrity and honor, who recognizes that all power to defeat any enemy in her life comes from the father. Like Judith, who lives a fasted lifestyle and uses wisdom and her beauty unto righteousness to help those around her. Finally, like Suzanna who sat under her parents teachings and remembered those commandments in time to wholly trust The Most High when it mattered most. Women can be and, are still being used by The Most High, all He asks is our obedience. We are urged not to place too much emphasis on adorning ourselves outwardly, but rather place the value inwardly by our works – 1 Timothy 2:10. Let our sight not be skewed by the changing times and let’s turn things around. We need to step it up and show the world that its chic to be virtuous. Teach your young girls what it takes to be virtuous, and your boys how to settle for nothing less than a virtuous woman. Stand tall, remain beautiful and put your trust in the father…it pays to be virtuously chic!

Till next week, shalom and blessings.

Nikki.