Pekoudah

Rather than pursue a spiritual fellowship among brethren we have opted for an artificial religious order based on creeds and algorithms in a bid for conformity rather than true unity. God has resisted this scheme by giving us over to another mystery....that of Babylon. Rev. 17:4-6 "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."

In this podcast we will be looking into what brings the whole body of Christ together in the same mind and same purpose. Whether we are new to the faith or else experienced in the deeper things of God, we share a common cause in the fellowship of the mystery. See you in the podcast.

If someone wishes to hear the album....which is too long for the video section...go to Youtube and search for "Quest for Zion --Songs of Ascent" When videos of individual songs become available I'll post them in the video section under Christian music.

Thought I'd share this project of mine with ya'll! It does say to sing to one another in spiritual songs. Have a listen or two. If you click on the Youtube logo you can go to "show more" and get the time links to the tunes. Appreciate any comments, likes and/or subscriptions to the Youtube channel. Videos to follow!

The first death is a death to holiness. A separation from God. Like Adam and Eve being cut off from God in order to live according to the flesh. Most people will never know what being alive in Christ is all about. When the soul dies that is the second death.

Clint Eastwood quotes aside...I think that quote is one that could "make my day." (or his day)

I didn't say that righteous people are hypocrites. I was saying that the holy are few...very few. The righteous are many...like the stars in the sky...and the hypocrites are no doubt also many. The righteous are saved...but the holy are more than just saved, they will rule over the righteous in the nations in the next age.

Christendom is for the masses...but the disciples of Christ are still a tiny flock. The ease with which people are declared Christian these days stem from a mass marketing strategy to get as many people as possible into the pews. This gives an aura of success at a time where the church is without power or influence in the world. We "dumbed" down the message to fit more people in. The narrow road got a whole lot wider..at least in our own human efforts at spreading a gospel lacking in truth.. We made carnality OK by focusing only on forgiveness rather than the power over sin that is the gift of grace from God. People are being catered to and God is seen as the servant of man...it's all about getting "saved" now. But God isn't being served...and neither is His kingdom being entered into. There is a lot of religious smoke and mirrors. But God will have the final say on whom He accepts. We are in for a lot of shocks and surprises on that day when God judges His own house. Judgment begins at God's house.

We are just ordinary people called to be extraordinary through Him. We can do all things through Him as we abide in Him. His works become our own....so that looking back we see how the impossible was done. We serve an extraordinary God after all!

The authority rests with the witness of the Spirit. In the early church signs and wonders accompanied the truth. These signs are still there but have been attenuated so that only the careful can perceive them. Jesus said.."My sheep know My voice" So then the inner witness of Christ in us will tell us which way to go and what is of Him or not. If we don't have that inner witness of the truth...then there is really no other way other than observe the fruit of the person speaking.

Or this one... Butt Prints In The Sand One night I had a wondrous dream, One set of footprints there was seen, The footprints of my precious Lord, But mine were not along the shore. But then some stranger prints appeared, And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?" Those prints are large and round and neat, "But Lord they are too big for feet." "My child," He said in somber tones, "For miles I carried you alone. I challenged you to walk in faith, But you refused and made me wait." "You disobeyed, you would not grow, The walk of faith, you would not know. So I got tired, I got fed up, and there I dropped you on your butt." "Because in life, there comes a time, when one must fight, and one must climb. When one must rise and take a stand, or leave their butt prints in the sand."

I think it is wise to consider that we have a share in more than one type of soil...and a believer perhaps in all 4 kinds...at least to some degree. As we eliminate one kind of ground...or at least reduce it's effects in our lives...we grow that part into good soil...so then our good soil increases...30, 60, 100 fold. So how does a believer have all kinds of soil? Well if we are not ready for a word from God...we don't understand it and it is taken away from us at THAT time. That doesn't mean we will never learn it...but simply that we need to grow in a deeper and wider way so that the seed falls on good ground. How many of us have no cares in this life? None? If we would be honest there are very few of us indeed that can say they are not attached to this world by our loves and interests. So we would progress further and sooner if we would be honest with ourselves. We can grow into being a better recipient of His word through an honest and sincere knowledge of ourselves and our true condition. But it would seem that many believers prefer a theoretical status that changes nothing in our receptivity to an actual honest appraisal of what we lack.

That's not what grace is. Grace is the power to fulfill the commandments of God. God is still holy. And we need also to be made holy by the empowerment (grace) that is by faith. God is merciful...but there is a purpose to this beyond what we want for ourselves. We were created for HIS pleasure...not our own. Grace conforms us to be as Jesus Christ in this world. That is the effective working of grace in our lives...that we do the works OF Jesus. What grace is NOT...is a carte blanche over the effects of sin. No, we need to go to the cross to get the power that governs the flesh out of the way so that we can walk in His new life....by the Spirit. There is no permission from God to continue to walk in the power of the flesh. The flesh does not inherit life. One just needs to have a little honesty when reading the bible to see that what I am saying is true. But the truth is very difficult to hear these days...since there is another gospel being promoted that serves mankind...and is very seductive to the carnal mind. But it is better to go to the cross now than be disappointed later.

And the other side of the same coin... (less popular however). Luke 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. 27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Grace is God's power to us-ward who believe. Eph. 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 1 Tim. 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That power is found in Him...to live and to walk in Him. Not of ourselves...but we take on His power and holiness as we abide in Him. Col. 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: The grace of God empowers us to walk as Jesus did...and as His followers did that we read about in the NT testimony. Through Him, His acts become our acts. There is a great reward for walking in HIS works...and keeping them till the end. That is, to rule with Him. To rule with Christ. Rev. 2:26 And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: So then in order to have power and authority in eternity we need to walk in His power (grace) at this present time.

Amen. We are called into a new life....a life that is more fulfilling than chasing after our own lusts and ambitions. A surrendered life submitted to God's will. And a call into an eternal life that is in the power of Jesus Christ. To live from Him. To live from heaven. The flesh needs boundaries. But the Spirit liberates into a bigger place. Where the Spirit is there is freedom!

A follower of Jesus can't just have a message about Him...but also walk as he did...in love, humility, and the fear of God. We are to be witnesses of HIM...not ourselves and our own beliefs. We are to do HIS works...not our own. God is not looking for reporters...but followers. We are to walk IN Him. Just as with technology...the medium IS the message. We are to be living epistles of God's love. When they meet us...they are to meet the One who sent us. So we are to walk in His love and invite others into that love. So the gospel is preached.

The purpose of redemption is not just to save us....but to bring us into friendship with God. Enoch and Elijah were friends with God...they loved God. And that means that we all can be friends too...if we have a change of heart. So then these men prove that we are "redeemable"....we just need rescuing. But some of us need more rescuing than others. How far does Jesus' love extend? It extends as far as death. There is no greater love. The mistake of much of modern ministry is that it is man centered. Getting people "saved"...by a religious belief and belonging to a religious movement. But where is God in all that? No, the purpose of redemption is to be won over by God's love into a relationship that is similar to that of Enoch and Elijah. All other considerations are just religious in nature and come from an indoctrination into the modern man-centered doctrines. Jesus came to reconcile us with the Father. For many of us (but not all) that means repentance....a turning away from our life course. But to make a doctrine out of anything than just a simple heart of obedience to God is to muddy the intent of God. We may all be weak in our flesh, but we are not all the same. No one doctrine covers all people. The kingdom of God has no cookie cutters.

That is the old covenant concept, not the new convenant concept. No one tears a patch from a brand new set of clothes And sews it on an old one, for everybody knows They end up being ruined the ones which are new And neither will the patch match the old one too The Law had its purpose and now it is fulfilled It brought conviction of our sin which is what God willed But now by grace we're saved through faith we cannot ask for more Let's not tear apart that grace to be justified by law. The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources But to properly understand what Jesus was saying one must look at both sides of the equation. You can't put an old cloth into a new garment BUT likewise you can't put a new cloth into an old garment. The sword has 2 edges after all. So that means you can't take away the righteousness of the old testament to replace it with grace. But neither can you attempt to put a human righteousness (OT standard) onto grace. So then there exists old and new garments. Mat. 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old. It is a grievous error to relinquish all old garments to the flames in favour of an exclusivity of new garments. And vice versa. So there are 2 kinds of garments that continue. Righteousness and holiness. These are different and remain separate. They are separate standards...what a man can do in and of himself (like loving others as himself) AND...what God can do through a man (to love as Jesus loved). They who deny this distinction...and continuation of both standards ...deny the word of God.

The focus was taken away from a functioning spiritual body that worked by love into individual salvation whereby everyone went on the defensive about one's take on things...as an individual. So then the gospel went from it's destination towards the inner man...in weakness...to the outer man and it's strength in the natural realm. The truth then is exchanged for a half-truth...and soon becomes an outright lie. The cry now is peace and safety. Watch for that. What matters now is a good sounding message. The truth cannot be tolerated unless all is well. In these times sound doctrine can no longer be "endured." It's like pulling teeth nowadays. So then as soon as things go off the rails...there's no way to correct it. It's like a car with no brakes. Brakes sound negative. No one seems able to take correction anymore. Everyone feels they already have everything. They are rich. No one seems able to look beyond themselves. Sure there is "Christ in you." But at one point this becomes everything which then misses out on "you entering INTO Christ." To the point where hardly anyone sees the difference. The one-step salvation doesn't go far enough. Salvation is a race. But a salvation status has replaced the need to take more steps...even negating that we are to enter into Christ. But we are to run to win!

Now what of the scarlet cord that the spies were let down the walls from...and also serving as a sign of salvation for all who were in that house? This is akin to the Passover lamb...whereby the judgment of God passed over they who were covered by the blood. So then the scarlet (crimson) cord was a sign. Crimson or scarlet represent the blood of Christ. And the spies warned that whoever was outside of the covering of that house...that their blood would be on their own heads (Josh. 2:19) The rope also represent faith...our attachment to God...our trust in Him. Now to the name...Rahab. The name Rahab I: Summary Meaning Wide, Spacious Etymology From the verb רחב (rahab), to be wide or spacious. God wants to increase the inner man...to make us prosperous from within. He takes us to a place of growth...a wide place. A place where there are no limits on what we can become in Him. But as everything regarding mankind there is a very real danger that we will develop the wrong way. The name Rahab II: Summary Meaning Pride, Arrogance Etymology From the verb רהב (rahab), to be proud or arrogant. Of course favour is deceitful. We can take something meant for one part of us...the person who is humble and contrite...and make that favour and grace to serve something it shouldn't. So we add sin to sin. How many believers are such...proud and arrogant? What is the reputation of Christians in the world today? Broken and humble people? So we have another warning from God written into the text of the bible.

Once God destroyed the walls of Jericho there was a curse put on whoever would rebuild it's walls. We see this in... Gal. 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Joshua 6:26 26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. Attested to here... 1 Kings 16:34 34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. So then by building up the outer man again we lose our first love...our firstborn love in the faith. And that does not take into consideration all who have never entered into the promised land to begin with. Many have their "Jericho's" fully intact...living fully from the outer man with human opinions and strength...and yet trying to take on the outer appearance of they who would possess the land. A superficial conversion and self-helps...but without the power of God and His visitation and dealings with the cross. So these have not yet known the fear of the Lord. These remain unconquered therefore and still remain at a place in the wilderness...outside of the land. Outside of the Spirit. But these need to cross-over. They who yet remain on the other side of the Jordan, spiritually speaking, cannot discern the difference between the inner man and outer man...it seems like foolishness to these....as with all spiritual things.

The word Jericho comes from two possible Hebrew words...one means "fragrance" and the other "the moon." Etymology From the noun ריח (reah), scent or fragrance. From the noun ירח (yareah), moon, in turn from the verb ארח ('arah), to wander or travel. We are travellers in this world...pilgrims. We but pass through this world...like the moon in it's course through the sky. But we are a dead place (of ourselves) with no light of our own. The bible relates Jericho as "the city of palms" (Deut.34:3). In this way we humans are like a fragrant flower that blooms and soon fades. We seek to make a goodly place for ourselves and provide ourselves with the best possible circumstances during our brief stay here. Of course life tends to intrude on our plans. Thank the Lord for that! The moon rules the night...the darkness. And it rules until... Mal. 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. The light of Jesus Christ brings the day to our hearts so that the moon becomes obscured...invisible really. He must increase and I must decrease. So then as long as we (the outer man) live in darkness, there is no need to fear the Lord as we feel safe. God is but a concept to him. Who fears a concept? We rule the night from the outer man. We are like the moon in that way. But when the light of the Lord comes...the outer man fears and defends himself. Even religiously using the bible as a defense. The inner man fears also...but acts differently. The inner man is held as a captive within the walls of the outer man. So then the fear of the Lord in the inner man brings a change of allegiance from the fear of man...and the need for his walls of protection...to the fear of the Lord and the transparency of love. No weapon or wall formed against the Lord will prosper. Even the gates of hell cannot stand against Him or His people. The inner man realizes this. This is liberation for the captives. And God has chosen to take the inner man under His wing. Not so the outer man. The outer man must be put to the sword. All of him.

The Old Testament gives us analogies and pictures of the spiritual process which is salvation in Christ Jesus. So then the New Testament is in the OT concealed....and the OT is in the NT revealed. That brings us to Jericho...the first city to be conquered by God's people upon entering into the promised land. Now the land represents the spiritual realm of the kingdom of God. We are called to displace the squatters (principalities and powers) in heavenly places. But we must first be renewed in our way of thinking....after we have been crucified in the outer man. Our walls need to come down and everything we once held as our own...our own ideas, words, opinions...need to be destroyed by the edge of the sword. So Jericho represents the outer man. Conquered by whom? Well...us, with a lot of help from God. So it is a joint venture, so to speak. God brought down the walls and the people put the city to the sword. God does the impossible part, and we are to do the doable (for us) part. Now I would like to contrast Jericho with ourselves as the basic human being....with outer defenses and a whole life going on that is oblivious to God...at least at first. So then the fear of the Lord came on the city. But one person, Rahab, received the spies as of the Lord and their words as of the Lord, and helped them together with a promise from them to be delivered by God. So then Rahab represents the inner man. The man within the man. The fear of the Lord caused nothing but dread to the outer man...but that same fear brought about a surrender and a shifting of allegiances to the inner man (Rahab). Her allegiance was now with God and His people. Now Rahab protected the spies..and hid them..the way we hide the words of God in our hearts. By faith we hold to the promises of God...as we wait on the Lord. As Rahab did.