Bible In One Year-Day 307 (Monday, November 03, 2014)

Commentary: John5-8. Talking about rules, we are talking about;

1. Conditions to follow
2. Established statement indicating what is allowed in a contest.
3. Ways that best suggest how to easily achieve something
4. A criterion
5. A regulating principle
6. A binding law
7. It is the standard operating procedure (SOP) to get quality result
8. It is the law
9. What ought to be

Virtually all things in existence are guided by rules and conditions otherwise known as laws. Even in the spirit realm, divine rules and conditions are followed. Wherever you see the word “if”, it means there is a condition that must be fulfilled.

In our reading today, we could see that in many instances Jesus changed the rules and conditions to give joy to an individual or group of people. A scenario is what happened by the pool of Bethesda.

John 5:5-8 “And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith to him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith to him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”

Here, Jesus met this man and asked what his intention was. The man was narrating conditions to be fulfilled for him to get his healing; he regarded this as a contest. Jesus was talking about result; the man was talking about the process to getting result not knowing that the Angel he was talking of was only fulfilling the spiritual conditions to give healing. This condition was given by Jesus; that is, the angel was an errand of Jesus. Jesus ignored the conditions the sick man was striving to fulfill to get healing. At Jesus’ word, he became healed. Once Jesus speaks to your situation, all conditions must change in favor of what He said.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

All creations must obey the conditions that allow the word of God to come to pass. His word is spirit and life; Life to the dying thing and Spirit to break yokes and fulfill God’s agenda.

Whenever Jesus walks into your situation, the rules must change for your joy to be full. The rule of the Sabbath changed for a man to be healed. In chapter6, He changed the rule for 5000 people to be fed with only five loaves of bread and two small fish. The rule changed when Peter and company were faced with the troubles of the powers of the waters, also in chapter 6. In chapter8, a woman was accused of adultery; this was against the law of the land. She fulfilled the conditions of death; sin is a condition to fulfill death. But when the woman ran to Jesus, the rule changed and no one could stone her. She ran to Jesus as a sinner, but left His presence as a free person.

Whatever the unfavorable condition is, run to Him, He will change the rule for your sake. To enjoy this grace of change of rule, humble yourself before Him and be opened for His words to have its course in you.

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak to you, theyare spirit, and they are life.”

Psalms 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

His word will change the binding condition of the sin and death and makes His grace to abound towards you; grace to flee the appearance of sin, grace to break the yoke of iniquity, grace to be restored to the original, grace to be re-branded just as Peter enjoyed. Only Jesus can change the rule. Your past could be horrible, Jesus can change the rule and you have a glorious and unimaginable future that would confound your mockers.

Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is John9-12. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA

Bible In One Year-Day 306 (Sunday, November 02, 2014)

Commentary: John1-4. This book is one of the most important in the New Testament. This is the book that could help us to understand the other parts of the New Testament. We need to understand that we, human beings, have two natures; the physical and the spiritual. On the physical side, we could relate with the physical; this is the shallow part of us. The food for this aspect of us is different from the food necessary for the other side of our being. In the physical, we could reproduce our selves (procreation). We are able to relate with the world and walk around. All our intellects are in the physical aspect of our being. As we age, the physical side dies gradually. The food we eat does not give eternal life but helps our physical sustenance. Through this physical being we are able to be identified with a clan, persons (father and mother), kindred, family and tribe or race; these are just gates to our entry into the world. This is the meaning of being born of the will of man or of the flesh according to John1:13.

John 1:13 “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The other side of our being is the spiritual side. Who we are is a matter of the spirit and soul. if the soul (with its elements- mind, emotion and will) is detached from the spirit of man and becomes attached to the issues of this world, a man becomes carnal and, consequently, its elements comes under the control of Satan, the prince of this world, through the gate of the flesh. Unfortunately, our birth makes us to be born in this way because of what Adam did in the Garden of Eden; i.e. naturally, we are born sinners, the soul identifying with this world (we are all carnal-minded, naturally). This natural state cannot obey the law of God for the law is spiritual. It is only the spiritual nature that obeys the things of the spirit, i.e. when the soul is under the control of the spirit of man.

May I digress a little bit that spiritual nature can take its origin from either of two kingdoms; Kingdom of God and that of Satan. If the spirit controlling the soul of man is demonic, the person will manifest the spirit in charge and this is what is responsible for all demonic manifestations which demand for deliverance. The evil spirit must be cast out in the name of Jesus before such could enjoy God.

1 John 3:8 “that committeth sin is of the demon; for the demon sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the demon.”

In Apostle Paul’s statement, he recognized the fact that he was carnal and the law is spiritual. Not until the law in his soul changes, he could not obey the law of God.

Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

To those who followed in our readings, we would realize that the book of Luke (read in Feb2-9, 2014) presented Jesus as “Son of Man”. This is presenting Him as a nature of Man, which is one side of Jesus’ being. This book of John is different as it is presenting Jesus in His true nature, i.e. who He is; His deity. The Gospel of John presented Jesus as “Son of God”

This book started with the “beginning” and identified the Element of the beginning, which is the WORD. Verse 1 through 5 perfectly revealed deep things about the WORD.

1. The WORD was, before the beginning; i.e. existing before the beginning was initiated
2. The WORD was with God; i.e. if God has no beginning and the WORD was with God before the beginning, then the WORD has no beginning but initiated the beginning according to verse 3
3. The WORD was God; inseparable because as God is Spirit, so the Word is Spirit and life according to John6:63

Verse1 focused on the beginning. The WORD was not the beginning but the initiator of the beginning. This means He has been in existence before the beginning. Verse2 started bringing our focus to the WORD and other verses (3-5) focused on how the beginning was initiated. Verses 9-14 described the features of the WORD. This same WORD (God, incorrigible, life and light) filled the earthen vessel of human being (corrupt and filthy being). This is grace in action. The human nature does not deserve to be filled by divine nature because it is sold out to Satan.

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

This is the root of the divine nature of Jesus, the WORD. To address Jesus in both natures is right. If He is seen as the “Son of Man”, we will appreciate GRACE better; “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”. If He is seen as the “Son of God”, we have seen and known the truth; “I am the Way, the TRUTH and the life, …”

The first person to receive this revelation of the Divine nature of Jesus was John The Baptist.

John 1:33-36 “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

The second person was Nathanael. What he perceived beat his imagination; he never expected a Divine nature to come through anyone from Nazareth (probably because of their social life and notoriety. This is to teach us that God’s grace can use anyone.

John 1:49-50 “Nathanael answered and saith to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, … thou shalt see greater things than these.”

The transformation of a man from carnality to being divinely spiritual starts with seeing Jesus and His calling. Once He calls you, you are out of darkness. He told the disciples of John The Baptist that followed Him to “Come and see”. He told Philip “Follow Me” These ones never knew darkness again in their lives. They believed Him unto death.

John 1:4-5 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

He is the Light of men and He made us to understand that our carnal nature cannot obey or please God; only in our divine or spiritual nature could we please God. This is because since the Spirit of God is in us, He will do that which is of God and God’s will is perfected. This is the advocacy of Jesus telling us to be born again.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This is for our soul to be detached from the issues of this world and from the activities of the prince of this world by receiving the breath of Life (to be expounded in further reading of this book) which changes the law in the soul to that of divine.

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

The law is spiritual because it is from God, therefore, we need the divine nature to obey it. Our spirit must be in agreement with the Spirit of God before proper communication could be established.

Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

God communicates with our spirit and not our soul. if the soul is carnal it receives nothing from God, but if redirected to be under the control of the spirit of man, the light of life shines in that soul and such will not go into the pit of this world.

Job 33:28 “He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.”

Job 33:30 “To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living (light of life).”

Once the spirit of man receives this light of life, he dictates to the soul of man and the elements (mind, emotion and will) receives this light and walks in light and no more in darkness.

Not until the soul is connected to the spirit of man in which there is light, one cannot receive the gift of faith. In this view, the first evidence of becoming a born again Christian is not the speaking in tongues but it is the FAITH manifested as the fruit of the Spirit.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit (Breath of Life) and belief of the truth (FAITH):”

Just as hunger is the power that makes man to crave for food, so this faith is the driving force that makes man to crave for more of God through the Word. Faith makes a believer to rejoice through trials and tribulations. Faith makes the believer tarry before the Lord to receive the gift of the Spirit. The disciples locked themselves up in the upper chamber because they had faith in the spoken Word of Christ for them to tarry in Jerusalem, Luke24:49. When they were threatened, they gathered in faith to pray and they got result.

Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant to thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,”

In the face of persecution and condemnations, imprisonment and beatings, they never looked back but got stronger and tough for Christ.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is John5-8. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA

Bible In One Year-Day 305 (Saturday, November 01, 2014)

Commentary: Isaiah64-66.Our working text in rounding up the book of Isaiah is Isa64:6.

Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

This passage describes the condition of man in four ways and these conditions take their various roots right from the Garden of Eden.

1. Our condition is described in the likeness of unclean thing; this refers to filthiness, dirtiness and not fit for use. This is the reason it was not possible for any man to be used as sacrifice for the remission of our sin; not even Isaac was qualified or fit for it.
2. Though we do some righteous work in one sense, because it is done by an unclean thing, it is still not pure but quite dirty. Adam and Eve used leaves to cover their nakedness when the glory departed because of sin, but they could not stand the power of the word of God when the Lord called them. The leaves were not good enough to cover their sin and filthiness. Instead of crying to God for their infamous actions, they opted to deceive God using rags of leaves. The motive behind our actions is, in most cases, the problem we have before God. Jesus says “no one is good …” A rag is a piece of clothing not descent to wear because it is torn; it cannot cover up our nakedness because it has lost its relevance and value. It becomes totally useless if it is filthy; this means it cannot be touched because of the stink that comes off it. Again not qualified to clean off dirt; Isaac was not qualified, again, in this wise.
3. “fade as a leaf” Leaves fade when they no longer receive sufficient supplies of nutrients. They lose their greenness and take another color and once this happens, they lose the ability to manufacture food even when the sun shines. This condition is a sick condition. When Adam and Eve fell, they lost the glory that earned them respects from animals; this glory shielded animals from attacking them. Because of this, they tried to cover themselves with leaves in place of the lost glory. But the leaves were just like rags that couldn’t cover them. This was why they ran hiding from God’s appearance. Nakedness is a sinful condition; this is a sick condition. And man is always trying to cover their sins. It was a right thing for them to cover their nakedness; unfortunately, they opted for rags of leaves which had no life in it. The self-righteousness of man is absolutely lifeless to give security and filthy before the glory of God.
4. “iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” Sin is as fierce as the whirlwind that blows us far away from experiencing the joy in God’s presence. The moment Adam and Eve were driven out of the glorious Garden of Eden, they became vagabonds on earth, full of sorrows and grief. This is the condition of man on earth. Prayers are not close to where God is anymore because of the source of the prayers; unclean vessel. Man couldn’t find God any longer to be near. Since he was removed from the presence of God, man lost the best of joy ever.

It is good for us to read Isaiah59 very well. Just as the chapter says, man’s thoughts, actions, heart and the general nature of man has become filthy and unfit for God’s presence and for use. It is disheartening to realize that man became faded leaf (sick) and consequently took the nature of the serpent after losing God’s glory which made him to be like God.

Isaiah 59:4-5 “… they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.”

A viper’s egg will definitely hatch viper. If they hatch viper’s egg and it breaks out into a viper, they have taken the nature of a viper. Here, man needs redemption from this shameful nature and needs to be saved from damnation. No wonder Jesus called the Pharisees “generation of vipers” (Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”)

Satan is the viper that struck man with its venom which changed the nature of man. Sinning sinners are those who take after the nature viper.

1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the demon; for the demon sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the demon.”

Because of the condition of man, Jesus came to make things right; to reconcile us with God and restore us to the original nature. Our self-righteousness is not good enough to cover us. We lost the glory and life because sin has alienated us from God and therefore, we die gradually as a fading leaf. Christ’a purpose is to come into us as life in the dying body.

Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

When Christ fills you, you are reconciled with God and the glory is restored. Receiving Him makes Him to be your righteousness which is acceptable before God. When you receive His word and do them, then He has become your righteousness.

Deuteronomy 6:25 “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.”

The receiving of Christ as Lord and Savior is the first step to enjoying God and this becomes the foundation of any righteous work towards God.

Jeremiah 51:10 “The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.”

Only Jesus can be the righteous righteousness that God honors, not our works. This is grace.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. We are moving to the New Testament to read about Christ and grace. Today’s reading is John1-4. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA