The WORD of God is singular and without contradiction. This is why seemingly contradictory statements such as “let the weak say, I am strong” (Joel 3:10b KJV), “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted” (James 1:9 KJV), and “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 KJV) are found in Scripture.
The explanation for these apparent “contradictions” is not as previously suggested by many, that ‘the word of God is difficult to fully grasp,’ ‘we are mere humans,’ or ‘if God wanted us to understand everything, He would have simplified it or made it plain,’ among others.
The Truth is: “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” (Psalm 115:1-8 KJV)
Imagine what flipping falsehood for the Truth would mean in the context of I AM the Way, The Truth and The Life (John 14:6a KJV)? “…every knee [sh]would bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue [sh]would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11 KJV
Just as the Messiah grew as a shoot from the stamp of Jesse, in the same manner a remnant, a holy seed (the terebinth and the oak) – the faithful – those whose are atoned for by the Blood of the Lamb, will see Jesus Christ at His return.
The Oak (Quercus)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 2:7a; 2:11a; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; & 3:22 KJV)
Based on Song of Songs by Jedidiah, (“Beloved of Yahweh”)
[1] Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
[2] My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
[3] I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
[4] Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
[5] Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
[6] Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
[7] As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
[8] There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
[9] My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
[10] Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
[11] I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
[12] Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
[13] Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
The LORD of hosts, The Righteous Judge has revealed through the beloved prophet Malachi, “I AM the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6a KJV).
This quality of non-variability is also revealed by Apostle Paul in his letter to the Hebrews: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, KJV).
Christian faith is rooted in this revelation.
Throughout history, philosophers have unsuccessfully tried to explain change (or the absence thereof). Today, “change” dominates debate in business, industry, science and politics. Yet, there is less, not more, clarity on what it means. Ridiculous as it seems, even scientists and politicians haggle whether the climate is changing or not!
By contrast, in Scriptures it is written “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
Hallelujah! “…The Word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8b KJV).
Anyone who is born again, believer in the Son of God and follower of Jesus Christ, is one with Christ. That means Romans Chapter six verse ten applies to them. ““For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him].” (Romans‬ â€6‬:â€10‬ â€AMPC‬‬)
What is the Resurrected Life For sure, it is eternal (1 Corinthians 15:17). It is a life of faith (Job 19:26) and promise (John 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). It is Spirit-filled and led (1 Peter3:8; 1 Corinthians 6:15; Romans 8:11). It is a life of love (1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 John 4:12, 16 & 5:2) and service (Matthew 27:53; John 5:29; Galatians 4:8). It is victorious (Revelation 20:6). It is selfless (Romans 6:4). It is prayerful (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It is Christ-centered and quintessence of Christianity (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:47-49; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2).
Dear brethren, let us walk in the newness of our resurrected life, for “… if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians‬ â€5‬:â€17‬ â€KJV)
Believers, that is born-again Christian who have called from darkness into His marvellous Light belong to the Kingdom of God and not the kingdoms of this world. In other words, we are citizens of the former, not the latter. There is no dual citizenship; you either belong to one domain, or the other.
The kingdom of God is not a geographic space. It is not an abstract space either. Rather, it is experiential field. “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke‬ â€17‬:â€20‬-â€21‬ â€KJV‬‬)
It is also written in the Scriptures; “…for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans‬ â€14‬:â€17‬ â€KJV‬‬)
Finally, the kingdom of God is everlasting: “Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.” (Psalm‬ â€145‬:â€13‬ â€KJV‬‬)
Consider Paul the Apostle, who “dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” (Acts‬ â€28‬:â€30‬-â€31‬ â€KJV‬‬) For as the Lord Himself declared, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John‬ â€3‬:â€3‬b â€KJV‬‬)
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord for the Kingdom of God has come. And our King is Jesus – “The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:13 KJV)
In 1 Corinthians 2:9, the Apostle Paul proclaims a revelation from the Spirit of God.
He quotes the Prophet Isaiah, “But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’”— (Isaiah 64:4, ESV). He then proclaims thus: “but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (v. 10a).
This wisdom, as Apostle Paul makes clear is from the Spirit of God – Who “searches all things, even the deep things of God” (v. 10b, NIV).
Another clarification is ‘this wisdom is not of this age or of the rulers of this age’. ” But…the wisdom of God…, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7, KJV).
As it is written, answering a question by one of His Disciples, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37, KJV).
This ‘first and great Commandment’ is foundational to knowing what God has prepared for those who love Him.
As I was fellowshipping with God in the Holy Spirit, He intuitively conveyed what I received about Jesus. On the day He died He was buried. On the second day, which was a Sabbath, He rested to fulfil the law. On the third day He rose, and He appeared severally to His disciples on diverse days before ascending into heaven.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteous law of God in all aspects.
I proclaim this knowledge was not taught to me by human wisdom, but by the Spirit. In spirit I sought and waited patiently for instructions whether, and how, to impart to others this spiritual knowledge; That on the second day – between Jesus’ sacrificial death by crucifixion on a cross, shedding His atoning blood on the cross, and resurrection on the third day – Jesus rested, buried in a grave having finished His work, thus fulfilling the righteous law God instituted at creation as Scriptures confirm (Genesis 2:2-3).
The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament ends dramatically, just as it begins, with the Great Commission - "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching then to observe whatsover I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:19-20. KJV).
Our Father, we desire that they also, whom Your beloved Son Jesus Christ has given us, be with us in Him (The risen King) so that they may hear Your Word – The Gospel of Jesus Christ – be quickened, believe, receive and continually know (You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You sent) having their eyes opened to see His glory, which You have given Him, for You loved Him before the foundation of the world, and He loved us and gave His life as a ransom for our sin that we would be called children of God. Amen
In Part One we established that Christianity in Africa has acquired superpower status. ‘Acquired’ is probably not the right choice of word for none did anything to deserve it. It’s all by God’s grace.
Attained is a more accurate description. The Church is the bride of Christ. The Gospel of Matthew records in verse 18 of chapter 16 the following statement, “thus art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church” (KJV) The Church belong to Jesus Christ, and He is the master builder. We are co-workers in His project. Hence, only Jesus Christ deserves the glory for the growth of the Church in Africa.
We will return to this crucial point in future posts because there’s a big misunderstanding of positions and roles in various ministries. My aim here is to take the conversation a step farther. To do this, I pivot to my Podcast on God’s promises to the Church (not only in Africa, but worldwide) aired in June 2023 to provide the context of what we characterize here as the Prophetic Moment. Of course, the focus is on the Church in Africa.
In Psalms 87, a Psalm for the sons of Korah (Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph), it says “…The Highest Himself shall establish her” (v. 5c, KJV). This proof that it is the hand of God at work in establishing His Church. So, whether you live in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya or Zimbabwe, wherever there is a Church know you and you are not just a statistic. “The LORD shall count, when He writes upon the people, that this man was born there” (v. 6, KJV). It might also be helpful to remember that “…glorious things are spoken of thee” (Psalm 87: 3, KJV). Which are these glorious things the Korahites speak about?
To be sure, although many of God’s promises to His glorious Church are recorded in the Psalms, they can also be found throughout the Old and New Testament Scriptures, as the following references, among others, aptly reveal.
Isaiah, 49:15b “…I will not forget thee.”
Isaiah, 54:1: “Sing, O barren woman, thou that didst not beat; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.”
Jeremiah, 31:9 “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”
Ezekiel, 34:15, 31. “I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.” “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.”.
Haggai 2:5 “According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.”
Matthew 16: 18-19: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Revelation 14b-15: “…These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”
Since we know that God is faithful, and His promises are yes and amen, the Church is dutybound to appropriate His promises altogether and not be selective about it, as some prosperity preachers have tended to emphasize. When God says, ‘be holy because I AM HOLY’, that is essentially what He means.
As the redeemed of the LORD, the Church ought to say so. This is essentially what Isaiah means when He says, “And they shall call them, the holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, sought out, A city not forsaken” (Isaiah 62:12, KJV). Let the Church go forth in power of the Holy Spirit. As Apostle Paul reminds us, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9, KJV).
