Tag Archive: Ministry


A Prayer Request From Kenya

Filed under: Ministry, Prayer, prayer requests — 5 Comments
April 16, 2009

The Book Cover

My posting today is a bit different. One of my readers has invited me to preach to his community this fall and has asked that we pray together about it. In addition, as he serves a poor rural community of farmers, they have several needs for their ministry. I pass their note on to you so that you may pray also. If by some chance you can be of help to them please contact pastor David directly. I have also attached a picture of him as well.

Brother David Muyoti

Brother David Muyoti

Hi, Papa Joe & family,
Thanks very much Papa Joe and beloved family. We will always pray for your success of coming to Kenya in October 2009.
We pray that you will be able to get all things e.g. passport, funds, yellow fever and other vaccinations, etc, that you would need to be able to travel to Kenya. We pray for God’s favour on you and your family and ministries. Thanks for your prayers for me and my family too.
The following are our prayer request:
1. Pray that we will soon get funds to purchase full set of Public Address Systems, e.g. an electric Keyboard, box and horn speakers (both big and small ones), microphones, generator, amplifier, a drum set, etc.
2. Pray for us that we will soon have funds to be able to buy a 1 acre land upon which to build our own worship venue-currently we are just renting our worship venue.
3. Pray for me and my beloved wife Susan that God will open doors for us to be able to get funds to buy some 2 acre land upon which to build our own home to stay. This is because, we are currently staying in town in a rental home, whose rent we pay every month. We want God to bless us with our own home since we are His servants.
4. Pray for us that God will soon bring to us His people to hold our hands as we do His Divine work in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
That is all for now.
We welcome you to Kenya and to our home in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All for Jesus!!!
REV. DAVID & SUSAN MUYOTI,
P.O. BOX 1079 BUNGOMA,
50200, KENYA, EAST AFRICA.

CELL PHONE: +254712927370.

I hope that God leads you to do His will in regard to these requests.

May God bless and keep you always.

Papa Joe

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of an amazing story of spiritual warfare. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime. They start in his youth when amazingly he has a series of dreams that warn of impending danger that come true. In a mind gripping account he tells what happened when he turned away from God and suffered demonic attacks that took him into spiritual Golgotha, the place of death. There he is confronted by Satin and is brought before the judgment seat of Christ. Fortunately, judgment is not dispensed.

He awakes in the hospital the next day disbelieving what he perceives as a very bad dream. He is then pummeled by a series of physical attacks and teeters near death for months. Out of desperation he picks up a bible and later gives his life back to God.

Immediately God responds by leading him through a series of spiritual and prophetic experiences, that when melded together, communicate God’s desire. Possess the Vision weaves these experiences into a proposal to unite Christians in a common ministry to improve the life and living standards of the world’s people — in support of the command of Jesus Christ that we love one another.

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Perfect Faith Brings Down the Giants Before Us

Filed under: Faith, Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 2 Comments
April 3, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Perfect Faith Brings Down the Giants before Us


In our prior post we discussed the role of faith in the spiritual warfare of Jesus. We presented an example where Moses brought the people to the brink of the Promised Land but they refused to enter it because they saw giants  and they feared for their lives. The result was that God led them back into the wilderness for forty years until all those who refused to enter the land died. God built himself a new nation from the youngsters and taught them to depend on Him totally. They depended on God for their manna to eat every morning, as well as their water that came out of pure rock. They depended on Him for the cloud that covered them from the sun during their day time travels as well as the fire that guided their night time travels. They grew up knowing only a total dependent of God.

The Light at Night from the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

The Light at Night from the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

This led us to consider our faith in Jesus as we contemplate entering into ministry. In our prior post we made the following statement:


Think about this for a moment: Does God give us direction because we have the natural ability to get there without Him? What would such a thing prove except that we are highly capable and do not need God. I don’t think that this is the case. He gives us direction so that we can demonstrate our faith in Him so that He can display His awesome power in our behalf. God gets the glory when others can see His miraculous works. So, step out in faith and know that when the impossible stands before you, that your perfect faith in God will deliver a miraculous work.

While the example of the people fearing the giants in the land showed what can happen when we lack faith, this story shows what can happen when we have faith that even the giants will fall before us when we know that we serve a mighty God:

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Sam 17:40-51)

David and Goliath

David and Goliath

David had perfect faith in the Lord. He knew that the Lord would support him and that the battle was the Lords, not his. He achieved this by announcing that he came in the name of the Lord, and that the result would prove that God supported the nation of Israel. David also prophesied the result, which meant the he had received his direction from God. His steps were illuminated at the Golden Lampstand.


Walk in faith toward your God given mission. Do not trust in your own abilities but rather have the perfect faith that David displayed by announcing that the mission is being done in the name of the Lord. Tell the world that the work is His and that its accomplishment is proof that God supports the mission. Do not initiate activities without these steps. If you engage the mountain in battle without Him you will exhaust yourself. Only after you have given up and turn things back over to Him will His support be returned.

If you are considering entering into a ministry then it may be a good idea to ask yourself the following questions first: Ask yourself if it is possible for you to accomplish this on your own. If so where does God fit in? Also ask how your initiatives will give glory to God? The world will not change much based on the things that we do on our own, but rather, it will change when it sees what God can do through the people that have perfected faith in Him. So in this regard be like David!

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Have Perfect Faith in Jesus

Filed under: Faith, Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, Ministry, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
April 2, 2009

The Book Cover

Read my book, “Possess the Vision,” that tells of the amazing spiritual warfare raging over my life. To learn more go to: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Have Perfect Faith in Jesus

The world is a stage in which each of us has the opportunity to choose what our life is to be. Every person has the ability to change their world and world to the others around them. No mater how insignificant, uneducated, poor, sick, imprisoned, or ashamed you may be of yourself, I tell you that with pure faith in God you can rock the world. All it takes is for you to step out in faith based on God’s leading’s. Consider that Peter was able to walk on water until his faith was shaken by the circumstances around him. He lost his trust in Jesus when he felt the winds blow and saw the waves roaring around him. When Jesus reached out to save him all He could say was: “Why did you doubt”?

Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water

Jesus Pulls Peter From the Water

Our faith in God must be absolute; it must be without doubt and worry, especially for the consequences of our actions. One thing is sure, when we step out in faith in the direction God leads us, we will be met by sharp opposition from the spiritual realm. The winds of contrary opinion may blow around you and the waves of unforeseen obstacles will roar and crash against you. These are the forces of evil engaging in spiritual warfare. This is precisely why we must enter into the Holy Place that is in Jesus. We must pass through the passage way called the Truth, which is Jesus, into the place of empowerment. As indicated in previous postings, we must have our pathway illuminated by Jesus our Golden Lamp Stand. We must have a close personal relationship with the Father through Jesus our Table of Showbread and our Bread of Life. We must be empowered for spiritual warfare through Jesus our Golden Altar. When Jesus said He was the Truth, this is what He meant.

So you want to step out into ministry? You will have to enter into spiritual warfare to be successful. Consider that even Jesus, after being baptized by the Holy Spirit in preparation for His ministry was led into the desert where He was tested by the devil.

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness by the Devil

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness by the Devil

Yes, even Jesus had to be victorious over the devil prior to entering into ministry. Therefore, each of us that step out in faith can also expect that our faith and readiness will be tested. This is why it is so important to be inside of the Holy Place that is in Jesus. Only those who know that have perfect faith in Jesus and know that He will support their actions will see the immovable objects disappear at their approach. They that enter in will be the ones that see the miracles transform the circumstances around them.

Remember the story of Moses leading the nation of Israel to the Promised Land?

Moses before the Burning Bush

Moses before the Burning Bush

He got them to the doorstep but they would not enter because their scouts had reported giants in the land. They had fear in their hearts which is the opposite of faith in God. They ignored the demonstration of God’s power that had freed them from the bondage of Egypt. They apparently forgot that it was God’s desire that they enter into this land. In other words they trusted more in their own ability than they did in the power of their Lord. Here is the story:

Then they told him, and said: We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan. Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!  (Numbers 13:27 – 14:1)

Think about this for a moment: Does God give us direction because we have the natural ability to get there without Him? What would such a thing prove except that we are highly capable and do not need God. I don’t think that this is the case. He gives us direction so that we can demonstrate our faith in Him so that He can display His awesome power in our behalf. God gets the glory when others can see His miraculous works. So, step out in faith and know that when the impossible stands before you, that your perfect faith in God will deliver a miraculous work.

In our future postings we plan to present some Bible passages that help to illustrate how our faith can change the course of our lives and the lives of those arround us.

Until then, may God bless you and keep you always.

Joe

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Jesus Prays Before Battle

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment
March 12, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

Jesus Prays Before Battle

Here is another lesson of the spiritual warfare of Jesus. This example along with the others supports the claim that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Golden Altar of Incense found in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Since the Jews believed the smoke that went up to heaven from the Golden Altar was symbolic of the prayers of the people, the following actions by Jesus directly support the necessity of prayer in bringing down the strongholds of the devil:


In this example, we find Jesus sending His disciples on so that He could pray prior to entering into spiritual warfare with the demon named Legion day.


Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me!  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. (Matthew 14:22-34)

Jesus Calming the Storm

Jesus Calming the Storm

The storm was fostered by evil spirits that attempted to sabotage Jesus victory by preventing Him and His disciples from getting to the other side. The battle with evil rages but with Jesus we have power over evil.

The bottom line here is pray always, anticipating that the call to battle can come at any time.

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon


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Spiritual Warfare Requires Prayer and Fasting

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 2 Comments
March 11, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

Spiritual Warfare Requires Prayer and Fasting

Here is another lesson of the spiritual warfare of Jesus. This example along with the others supports the claim that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Golden Altar of Incense found in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Since the Jews believed the smoke that went up to heaven from the Golden Altar was symbolic of the prayers of the people, the following words from Jesus directly support the necessity of prayer in bringing down the strongholds of the devil. More specifically, Jesus designates that prayer and fasting are necessary in the most difficult battles:

Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:15-21)

Jesus Heals

Jesus Heals

From other scriptures we know that Jesus both prayed and fasted prior to entering into ministry. Therefore, we should do the same.

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Jesus Heals The Sick And The Lame

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle — 2 Comments
March 2, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

The Book Cover

Jesus Heals The Sick And The Lame

This posting is designed to demonstrate how the life and words of Jesus demonstrate that He is the fulfillment of the Golden Altar of Incense found in the Tabernacles Holy Place. If you have not had the opportunity to review these postings you may find it desirable to review the following summary: Jesus-Is-The-Golden-Altar-Of-Incense. With that out of the way we can not dig into the subject of this posting.


Throughout His ministry, Jesus is victorious over the power of evil. Many of these victories came in the form of healings. The scripture that follows is one example in which Jesus frees a man who is held in the paralysis of his own sin:


Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’“ Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 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 5:2-14)

Jesus heals the man at the pools.

Jesus heals the man at the pools.

In this case, Jesus is very clear about the relationship between the man’s bondage and sin. This correlation signifies that the gratification of sin is outweighed by the bondage it imposes on our body, mind and spirit. The devil, who seeks to abort your purpose, your mission and your Godly identity, sets traps for you in an effort to destroy you. This is what the devil attempted with Jesus in the wilderness. The reason for the devils actions is that he is jealous of you and is angry at God for having created you in Gods image. Therefore, the devil has a outrageous hatred of all God’s people and seeks to render them incapable of achieving the mission that God created them to accomplish.

When we look back at the above scripture, we see a man who is healed by Jesus after being disabled for most of his adult life. The spiritual victory of the warfare of Jesus was made visible in the dramatic change of his physical condition. But the man’s physical condition was only symptomatic of his spiritual condition. Let me clarify this a bit.


Jesus said to the man, sin no more less something worse come upon you. The implication is that the man’s condition was a result of sin and in addition, his healing was a result of his sins being forgiven. Miraculous healing is a victory in spiritual warfare and spiritual warfare is fought at the Golden Altar of Incense, which is Jesus Christ. Only through Him can we have victory over evil.


Thank God for Jesus. Jesus broke the bondage that the devil once held over us. Jesus, who was the only sin free man, defeated the devil on the cross with His own blood. While on this earth, Jesus defeated the devil in every encounter.

crucifixion

These are the kinds of victories that result from spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare means taking dominion and defeating the forces of evil through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit power that Jesus demonstrated here on this earth. Most importantly, the spirit of Jesus is the Holy Spirit and is available to those who are able to enter into God’s Holy Place of prayer. Spiritual warfare is manifest by the people who are illuminated by the light of the Golden Lamp Stand to see the truth about God, the steps that they must take in ministry and their purpose in life. Spiritual warfare is enacted by people who have developed an intimate relationship with the Father at the table of Showbread. In addition, it is for those who are able to enter into prayer at the Golden Altar of Incense.

As we have communicated in previous postings, Jesus is a far better replacement for these objects of the Tabernacle of Moses. Going to Jesus for all of these reasons will be the force that empowers our ministry.

resurrection

This is precisely the reason for this section; to demonstrate the nature of spiritual warfare and to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Tabernacles prophesies. In the above example Jesus demonstrates His spiritual power over the sin and illness that had rendered a man incapable of achieving his purpose in life. In doing so He demonstrates the power to break the bonds of evil that block people from hearing God’s voice in their life.

Our next posting will explore the spiritual warfare associated with casting out demons. Until then, may Gods blessings be upon you.

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon


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Jesus Resists The Devils Temptation

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 5 Comments
February 28, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link:Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

 

This posting and several others that proceed it are designed to demonstrate how the actions and words of Jesus prove that He is the fulfillment of the Golden Altar of Incense that resides in the Tabernacles Holy Place. If you have not had the opportunity to review our prior postings on this subject you can catch up by reading the following summary: Jesus-Is-The-Golden-Altar-Of-Incense. With that out of the way we can now dig into, “Jesus Resits the Devil’s Temptation.”

Jesus Resists the Devil’s Temptation

The devils temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is a classical example of spiritual warfare.


jesus-tempted-on-the-mountain

The devils goal was to persuade Jesus to renounce His identity as the Fathers beloved Son as proclaimed by the Father at the baptism of John. The consequence of this would be that Jesus would have also renounced His purpose as well, which is the salvation of all mankind.

There are remarkable lessons in this story because the devils temptation has not ended and he will attempt to achieve the same end result with each and every one of us. He will attempt to get us to give up on the reality that we are sons of the living God, and he will try to convince us that we are born without an exceptional purpose.

To start with lets drill down into some supporting material for the statements we have made above. Let’s start by presenting the scripture documenting the spiritual battle between Jesus and Satan in the wilderness:

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’“

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’“ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’“

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’“ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Matthew 3:16 – 4:11)

So, What Does This Scripture Teach Us?

Some very important point must be noted here. The spiritual warfare commenced immediately after Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit and just prior to His entering into ministry. Also, Jesus initiated the attack as He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for the purpose of testing his ability to resist the devil and all the glamors of the world. In addition, His leading by the Holy Spirit suggests that victory over the devil is necessary for proceeding into ministry, and that it is an integral part of ministry. It also suggests that entering into spiritual warfare should only be done at the leading of God’s spirit. Another key point is that the attack came when Jesus was at His weakest from fasting.


Via Dolorosa Station 5 - Roman soldiers instruct Simon of Cyrene to carry the Cross

So, all who take up the cross of Jesus can expect that the Holy Spirit will lead us into spiritual warfare and that they must be victorious in order to proceed into ministry. This is because this warfare is a form of testing. We must overcome all temptation and the desires of this world, just like Jesus did. Our intelligence, hard work, capability and desire are not enough and do not offset any lust for the world or the things in it. The weapons of this world, be they the power of persuasion or military might, are useless in spiritual battles. We must demonstrate the ability to resist the temptations of the world prior to moving on to addressing our mission.

The spiritual warfare initiated by Jesus characterized His entire ministry right up to His ultimate victory over Satan on the cross. We should expect our ministry to be the same.


In our next posting we will present even more examples of how Jesus is our Golden Alter of Incense. Until then, may God bless every one of you.

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link:


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Jesus Is The Golden Altar If Incense

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Altar, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, spirtual warfare — 2 Comments
February 27, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

The Book Cover

The Book Cover

Jesus Is The Golden Altar If Incense

To put things in context we are discussing the Tabernacle and how the objects found in it are prophetic of Jesus Christ.

The Tabernacle Courtyard

The Tabernacle Courtyard

To date we have covered the objects in the Tabernacle Courtyard as well as the objects found in the Holy Place of God.

Priest in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

Priest in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle

To summarize, the Courtyard is a place of grace. In it forgiveness of sin can be obtained. In addition, it is a place of cleansing ones self in preparation for a closer relationship with God. This closer relationship with God is achieved by entering into the Holy Place. The Holy Place is a place of enlightenment and empowerment. In it our pathway to the Father is illuminated and we are strengthened by the Spirit for spiritual warfare. All of this is achieved through prayer, as so the Holy Place is a place of prayer. We have previously discussed the Golden Lamp Stand that illuminates the Holy Place;

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as well as the Table of Show Bread that signifies a personal relationship with God.

The Table of Showbread

The Table of Showbread

In our previous posting we initiated a discussion about the Golden Alter.

The Golden Altar is directly in front of the Most Holy Place

The Golden Altar is directly in front of the Most Holy Place

In it we indicated that the things burned on the Altar were to produce sweet incense for the Lord, and that the smoke and incense were thought to be the prayers of the people going up into heaven. Therefore, the Golden Alter is the center of spiritual warfare through prayer. In todays as well as subsequent posting we will present examples from the life of Jesus that support the thesis that His life is a continuous form spiritual warfare. These will in turn lead to a conclusion that Jesus is our Golden Alter of Incense. In other words, prayers that come through Him get to the Father and are effective in bringing down the forces of evil in this world.

If you would like to get caught up to date on all of the above, the past ten postings will follow this one on this web page. In addition, most of these subjects can be found in the “Pages” section of the site, under the title “Seeking Jesus”. You can like directly to this section by clicking the following hyperlink:

https://possessthevision.wordpress.com/seeking-jesus/

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Applying Jesus the Golden Lampstand To Our Lives

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Golden Lampstand, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle — 1 Comment
February 25, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

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Applying Jesus the Golden Lampstand To Our Lives

We have recently posted “Jesus the Light of the World” which correlated the attributes and purpose of the Golden Lampstand (found in the Tabernacle), to that of the Life of Jesus. In this post we will look at how to apply these attributes to our own lives.

Jesus is the Light of the World

Jesus is the Light of the World

In looking at the life of Jesus as the Light of the World, we find several key traits that can be used in molding our lives to that of Christ Jesus. One such trait is to illuminate the pathway to the Father to others, just as Jesus did. Being a light to others means that our good works should be visible to others so that the goodness of God is clearly seen. Our lives should enable them to understand what we are and what we believe. Therefore, those around us will not be surprised that we are a Christian. We should be a light to others so that they will not stumble in the darkness, but rather, have the everlasting light of Jesus. Read the words of Jesus in regard to becoming a light for others:

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-6)

Jesus is Transfigured into Light

Jesus is Transfigured into Light

In this scripture Jesus passes the purpose of the Lamp Stand on to His disciples who are to be held on high to dispense the light of Gods own Son to everyone in the world. The key principle is that it is the mission of every Christian to be light to those around us. We must illuminate the truth that God gives to our fellow man. Like the Golden Lamp Stand we must illuminate the Table of Showbread and the Holy Place of God. Therefore we must illuminate Jesus who is the light of the world, the bread of life, the only begotten Son of God. We must illuminate the fact that Jesus came to tell us the Fathers Truth, that He came to save us from our own sin and that He is the Savior of the world.

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Another principle discovered at the Golden Lamp Stand is to become enlightened through prayer in the Holy Place of God. Jesus turned to prayer to seek guidance from the Father and we should do likewise. It is critical that we get our guidance in the Holy place. The following passage is a good example of Jesus getting His direction from the Father through prayer:

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:36-41)

Jesus in Gethsemane

Jesus in Gethsemane

This is what coming to the Golden Lamp Stand was all about. In this example Jesus is getting directions from the Father that seem counter intuitive and illogical to our earthly mind, yet they are very effective in achieving God’s purpose. As in Jesus’ case this guidance came through prayer. It is prayer that comes once we are inside the Holy Place that illuminates our pathway. In addition, remember that the seven globes of the Lamp Stand represent the perfect vision of the Father. It is this all knowing vision that enables the Father to guide us when we pray an enable us to setting our course as well as avoid obstacles. This guidance is essential to proceeding effectively toward our mission.

So, we as imitators of God seek to become more like Jesus who is the Golden Lamp Stand, in the following ways:

Enter into the Holy Place in your Prayer Life

We must move from the Outer Court and into the Holy Place of the inner courtyard. We need to get past our sinful nature that drives us back to the Courtyard begging for forgiveness. To enter into enlightened prayer in the Holy Place we must become a fundamentally changed person who can live with a pure heart, not desiring the world or anything in it.

Your prayers in the Holy Place fill the bowls of the Lamp Stand with the oil that illuminates Jesus, the Bread of Life and enables you to see the truth (after all you have passed through the door call the Truth). Your prayer will illuminate your walk with God and the anointing oil of the Lord will cover you such that you can be a light unto others.

Jesus went to the Mountain to Pray

Jesus went to the Mountain to Pray

Seek God for Direction

Our prayer time then becomes a time of communication. We seek closeness with God and God in turn illuminates our path.

Be Visible

Our actions and life need to be visible to others. The world must know that we follow in the steps directed by our Father. Do not be dismayed if the things that God shows you seem to be impossible. The best way to be visible is to set out and attempt the impossible and proclaim it to the world. After all, if we only attempt what we can achieve then where does God fit in? He certainly gets no glory from our independent actions. But if we undertake the impossible in the name of God, then God will support our actions with miracles that make the impossible possible. Others see what God has done and are impacted by their experience. Most importantly, God gets the glory that He justly deserves.

Jesus Proclaims: "Today this scripture is fulfilled"

Jesus Proclaims: "Today this scripture is fulfilled"

Be a Light to Others

Let your actions, words and life be an inspiration to others. When they see God’s favor in your life they will look to you for guidance. Point them toward Jesus. Disciple them and nurture them in the way of the Lord.

Expect Miracles to Follow the Truth from God

Speak the truth of your enlightenment to others and expect the power of God to support your action with His miraculous power through the Holy Spirit. Step out in faith, do what He puts in your heart and expect Him to do what you cannot:

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bringforth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”“ (Zec 4:6-7)

Jesus Heals the Leper

Jesus Heals the Leper

In our next posting we will introduce the Golden Altar of Incense.

May God bless you all.

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Jesus Our Laver Teaches That We Will Be Tested

Filed under: Jesus, Jesus the Brazen Laver, Jesus the Tabernacle, Jesus the Tabernacle Courtyard — 3 Comments
February 2, 2009

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

Jesus Our Laver Teaches That We Will Be Tested

Jesus was baptized John in Jordan River by John:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt 3: 13-17)

John Baptizes Jesus - Making Straight The Way Of The Lord

John Baptizes Jesus - Making Straight The Way Of The Lord


I often wondered why Jesus had to be baptized since He was without sin. The answer is revealed however, when we look at the Tabernacles’ Brazen Laver and find that the priests were required to wash at the Brazen Laver prior to entering into the most sacred ministry in the Holy Place of God. Therefore, Jesus was simply fulfilling the Tabernacle’s prophesy by being baptized in prior to entering into His most sacred ministry.

This conclusion is further reinforced when one looks at Israel having to cross the Jordan before it could enter into its ministry of possessing the Promised Land. This battle, which is symbolic of our spiritual warfare, required that Israel destroy the evil people, religion, places of worship and false gods found in this land. Jesus is immediately led into battle as we soon find out.

Immediately after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is led by angels into the wilderness where He is attacked by Satan after forty days and nights for deprivation (fasting made Jesus weak). Satan tempted Jesus with everything that he had in an effort to get Him to deny his purpose and his God given ministry.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Matt 4: 1-11)

Jesus is Tempted by the Devil

Jesus is Tempted by the Devil

In denying the temptations of Satan, Jesus proved that He is worthy of ministry. He defeated Satan by resisting all of the temptations of this world and by remaining true to His Father’s mission for Him. He successfully resisted the temptations of the flesh, of power, of riches and fame. He chose the path of the Spirit of God in favor of the path of the flesh.

Please understand that if you are to enter into the ministry that God has created you to achieve that you will enter into spiritual warfare and you will be attacked. You must stay strong, remain pure and know that your prayers and words are the weapons against the enemy. Know that the enemy is attempting to destroy your God given purpose and mission.

Know the Scriptures

Get an understanding of what Jesus did, what He valued, what He said, what He prophesied, and who He proclaimed Himself to be. Memorize the words of Jesus that you find uplifting. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the scriptures so that Jesus is revealed to you. Most importantly be ready to use these scriptures when the time comes. This preparatory work must be done at Jesus our Brazen Laver (as we have previously communicated.)

Take Time to Meditate and Reflect

Reflect on the state of your heart and your life. Bring to mind the actions and words of Jesus and ask how do His actions compare to those of my own life? How could I have done things differently?

Ask the Holy Spirit for Help

We need God’s help to achieve the kind of change we are looking for. We simply cannot achieve this kind of change on our own. Seek the Holy Spirit (who comes to us as we purify ourselves in the words and deeds of Jesus, our Brazen Laver.) and bring the issues you are dealing with to Him. Pray for positive change in the name of Jesus.

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