Thank You!

August 15th, 2019

Thank you to all who contribute to Servias Ministries.  We trust the seed you are planting will produce an appropriate harvest in your lives.

Jesus spoke FATHER’S Words and disclosed HIS Divine Intent in Luke chapter 6:

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

My wife and I have stood faithfully on this passage for forty-seven years and FATHER has always blessed us and met all our needs.  I pray HE does the same for you.

Paniym: ~ynp

August 15th, 2019

My friend Alan wrote the following concerning the word “face” expressed in Hebrew and used in the Old Testament:

Paniym, as you well know, is the Hebrew word we most often translate as ‘face’.  The word, in all of its other forms, comes from an unused root ‘panan’,  !np

which is unused in scripture, and therefore Strong’s Concordance did not give it a number, or description, at least that I can find.  Gesenius’ Lexicon lists this primary root ‘panan’, and describes the word as “…to separate; to divide”.  However, that itself is a very misleading description of the activity of this word; in my opinion.  For the primary function of this word is to indicate a ‘change’ in personal focus, and/or a change in direction of pursuit.  I hope that doesn’t sound too confusing.  The simpler verb form of this word ‘panan’ is as ‘panah’, or ‘paneh’, both spelled in Hebrew as  hnp.  This word ‘panah’, Strong’s #6437, and its’ brother’ #6438, have a more distinct definition as being “…a change of direction”.  Many times, this word ‘panah’ is used to refer to a corner; a place where two diverging directions intersect.  A right angle is the most visible understanding of this idea, but it is not limited to that.  This word is also used to indicate a change of understanding, or of taking action based on a different thought process; hence, a change of mind.  Many times in scripture the word ‘panah’ is used to indicate where a person had a change of conviction, or of thought, or of dedication to, or desirous of a specific idea, or ‘god’.  Sometimes it is translated as “…turn away” (Deut. 29:18), or “…turned unto” (Deut. 31:18).  Sometimes ‘panah’ is translated as “…turn unto me”.  From this, you can see that the verb is indicating a change of focus, or attention.

As you have seen, this word is most often spelled in the plural form, ‘paniym’, and translated many times as referring to the ‘face’ (or faces) of God, or of individuals or of self.  From this idea it is often used to refer to something or someone being in front of your face.  But as a noun, as in ‘face’, the word doesn’t necessarily refer to a specific portion of our head, like our face, but rather is more referring to “…the part that changes”.  In Gen. 4: 5-6, we see the word panah, and in this case the plural form of ‘paniym’, translated as ‘countenance’.  “Cain, why has your countenance (your faces) fallen?”  How many times have I said or done something very stupid or cruel, and watched my wife’s ‘face’ change?  Her countenance fell because of my harshness.  Consequently, I can do something very loving, or pleasing, and it shows in her countenance; on her face.  Many have relegated the ‘face’ (panah, paniym)) to the part that turns, as in turning your head, or turning a corner.  However, I believe it is much more visible to understand that the face is the part that reveals ‘change’.  And the letter ‘peh’, the first letter in ‘panah’, is representative of the mouth.  While ‘panah’ is accurately describing a ‘corner’, as far as ‘turning’ is concerned, I believe it is more descriptive to understand this idea of ‘corner’ as more of a change of direction, focus or attention.

This concept, at least to me, dramatically affects our traditional understanding of certain important scriptures.  One of the more obvious, to me, is the impact this word/thought has on Psalm 118:22, where the coming Messiah is referred to as “…head stone (in italics because this word doesn’t appear in this verse in Hebrew) of the corner. KJV.  And in NKJ, “…the chief cornerstone”.  The Messiah, in these western thinking translations, is prophesied as being the chief cornerstone; or the head of the corner.  But I believe the more accurate translation of this idea is that The Messiah is described as being “…to head the turning”.  And in this verse, as in many others, ‘head’ is not referring as much as a noun, but as a verb.  To Head the body would be to lead, guide, inform, and give example to the body, all activities.  The Messiah is where we find the right and ability to change; direction, thought, focus and attention.  It is to Christ as the Head that we are encouraged to ‘turn’ our attention.  Our ‘face’ (paniym, faces) would then be ‘face to face with God’. (Gen. 32:30)  Or more literally, God on your Face(s).   My theology, of course, but I am hooked on it.  Michael Kelly Blanchard has a marvelous song which has a line that says this:  “The Love of The Father, as seen on the Face of His Son”.  As ‘Son of God’, Father is seen on your face.  Sometimes, however, our ‘countenance’ falls, and we forget to be the Face of God to others.

The Highest Authority, Continued

August 14th, 2019

Luke wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 5:

17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.

19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?

24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Jesus did not cast out any demons so that the man could be healed.  Neither did He appeal to FATHER.  He displayed the highest level of authority and power when He healed the paralyzed man.  Our sins are forgiven by this same power and authority yet many do not fully understand and embrace this authority available to us as Sons and Daughters. 

Jesus did not cast out a demon to address this man’s paralysis but simply spoke The Word at Its highest level of authority which has preeminence over any sickness or disease.  This is the same creative power which formed man in the first place.  Our bodies are fully subject to this authority unless we resist it through unbelief.

The enemy comes to steal The Word from our hearts to render us powerless in the spirit realm.  When this occurs, we look to worldly solutions when addressing our day to day problems for this is where the enemy wants us… for he is “the god of this world”.  Jesus is showing us there is power and authority to overcome all issues we are facing in our daily lives.  The Holy Spirit provides us guidance even in the smallest of details if we will walk daily with a willing heart.

Jesus spoke in Mark 11:

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Jesus directed us to walk in the highest level on anointing which includes forgiveness of sins, healing the sick, and all challenges we face on a daily basis.  However, it requires us to have complete faith in FATHER WHO provides us such an anointing.  Additionally, we must remove any and all unbelief thus this power and authority is conditional based on us having a willing heart to accept such great anointing.

The old man will keep reminding us of our past in order to cause doubt concerning our righteousness and authority.  This doubt must be cast down with The Word and we must not allow our minds to dwell on the past any longer.  The old man has passed away, behold all things are new.  Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 2 Corinthians chapter 5:

17   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

In order to walk in the fullness of power and authority granted to us through Jesus Christ, we must totally embrace this Truth.  We must remove any and all unbelief which prevents this power from flowing in us and through us.  We must trust in FATHER’S Word and no longer be moved by what we see and hear from the world.  As we immerse ourselves in The Word, It will cleanse us of the unbelief.  However if we immerse ourselves in “the world”, unbelief will take hold.  It is our choice.

The Highest Authority

August 9th, 2019

An Emperor is the highest power in the region he occupies. … While a King rules one fairly homogenous territory (called a nation or kingdom), emperors often wield power over a fairly heterogeneous territory (ruler of many nations).  Their word or decree is final and there is no challenge or appeal for his decree is supreme over the region.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Deuteronomy chapter 30:

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.

12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,

16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,

18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

In the above passage, FATHER decrees what will happen depending on the choice HE presented to the children of Israel.  There is none other above HIM and HIS power.  In Revelations chapter 4, those who reside in Heaven proclaim:

8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

​​​“Holy, holy, holy,

​​Lord God Almighty,

​​Who was and is and is to come!”

This correlates to the verse in Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” thus both FATHER and Our Lord Jesus Christ share the same preeminence as having full and complete power and authority over all of creation, both the seen and the unseen.  When we embrace this higher authority, we need not focus on any lesser power or authority for such power is subject to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and HIS Son.

As we align ourselves with the preeminent power of Our Elder Brother, we will no longer be subject to any lower authority.  The power of death will no longer reign over us in any manner and we will be found worthy to join the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS in bringing forth the Kingdom to the earth.

The Meek

August 8th, 2019

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Psalm chapter 37:

9 ​​For evildoers shall be cut off;

​​But those who wait on the LORD,

​​They shall inherit the earth.

10 ​​For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

​​Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,

​​But it shall be no more.

11 ​​But the meek shall inherit the earth,

​​And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

And Zephaniah wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 2:

3 ​​Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,

​​Who have upheld His justice.

​​Seek righteousness, seek humility.

​​It may be that you will be hidden

​​In the day of the LORD’s anger.

And Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 5:

5 ​​Blessed are the meek,

​​For they shall inherit the earth.

To be meek means: mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, suggesting kindness and unconditional Love toward all.  Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 11:

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly (humble) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus specifically directs us to learn from Him.  Our focus should be on His acts and His ways for they reflect FATHER, fully and completely.  The Holy Spirit keeps emphasizing this Truth in the writings He has led me to post.  If we are to fully mature as Sons and Daughters, we must “learn from Jesus” Who is The Word made flesh.  All other Scriptures should be studied in light of this directive.

When we learn of and from Jesus, we will slowly but surely become like Him.  Our countenance will change as we become gentle and humble in heart.  People will begin to be drawn to us just like they were drawn to Jesus.  They will begin to see hope for their lives and find rest in their souls.

The less mature believers are focused on what Jesus can do for them and totally skip over this directive to learn of and from Jesus.  They are in a hurry to fix the issues of their life without realizing that as we draw closer to Our Heavenly Father, HE will intervene on our behalf without us constantly petitioning HIM.

A yoke is something that attaches one to another.  Jesus tells us to attach ourselves to Him and His Divine Intent for His yoke is much easier and lighter than the yoke of bondage.  The world enslaves us to walk according to its principles which lead to death and destruction.

Many people like to quote “As He is, so are we” in 1 John 4:

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

If we are to be as He is, we must learn of Him and from Him.  The result will be a meek and humble heart.

Fifty Healing Verses

August 7th, 2019

In 1984 I was walking in Divine health until suddenly I contracted Hepatitis from eating tainted shellfish.  It was the worst case the local clinic had seen.  When I asked FATHER why this occurred, HE said I was void of HIS Word in the area of healing.  It had been a long time since I focused on HIS Word in this area.  I then immersed myself in the Scriptures focused on healing.  In eleven days I was back to normal.  The doctor had projected a minimum of six to eight weeks before I would recover… if I didn’t die (as I found out later).

The following video may be of  benefit to you who wish to keep these fifty healing passages at the forefront of your consciousness.

Face-To-Face

August 6th, 2019

Mark wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 16:

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

The disciples spent 3 ½ years with Jesus, heard His Words concerning The Kingdom, and saw a multitude of miracles, yet they continued to have a heart issue.  Their unbelief and hardness of heart caused them to be rebuked by Our Lord Jesus Christ.  In Acts chapter 9, it is written by THE SPIRIT:

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Paul later wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 15:

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

All of these men and women had face-to-face encounters with Jesus after His resurrection.  Since then, many more have testified of their face-to-face encounters with Jesus.  T.L. Osborn stated that Jesus entered his room and spent six hours with Him which changed his life and ministry forever.  Others have seen Him and received both salvation and healing at the same time as The Word was being preached.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 13:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Is Jesus willing to appear before you and me face to face?  Is He reluctant to have such an intimate relationship with us who desire to be called His brethren?  Absolutely not!  Why hasn’t He appeared to those who seek Him on a daily basis?  I would suggest there is a lack of expectation in most cases.  This is why I am directing your attention to the above passages where He appeared to many after His resurrection. 

We are not told specifically who were included in the five hundred Paul mentioned but you can be assured they were not reluctant to testify of their encounter.  Over the years, Jesus has appeared to many for various and sundry reasons.  Before Paul was saved, he could not see the face of Jesus, but instead Jesus appeared in a bright light.

Unbelief and hardness of heart are the issues keeping us from having an intimate face to face encounter with Jesus.  As members of The Bride, shouldn’t we long for and seek such a face-to-face encounter with The Groom?  There are those who would have us believe that we must wait for some future date or season to have such an experience yet the above passages prove otherwise.

Unbelief and hardness of heart are corrected by the revelation of Agape Love.  As we increase in this revelation, our hearts will become tender and pliable which allows for the intimacy with Our Lord.  Our hearts must be circumcised and have the hardness removed.  As we press into this revelation, all unbelief is exposed and removed so that we can present ourselves spotless for His appearing.

There are those who are always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth (2 Timothy 3:7).  Let us not be gullible to those who fall into this category.  Let us seek the Truth in Love as we seek an intimate face-to-face relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Great Cloud

August 5th, 2019

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 12:

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are to look away from all that will distract us and focus our eyes on Jesus who is the Perfecter of our faith.  If He is the Perfecter of our faith, where should our focus be if we seek to have great faith?  If we are to be included as The Bride, shouldn’t our focus be on the Groom?  When my wife and I were engaged, we both wanted to spend every waking minute with each other.  Our love being so intense, caused us to have only one priority… be together.  All other priorities were at best a distant second.

There is a great cloud of witnesses in the spirit realm who are urging us on to the perfecting of our faith.  Several of us have had encounters with some of those witnesses and their presence is occurring more often.

Our Beloved Brother Alan shared the following:

We are ‘surrounded’ by a great Cloud of Witness(es).  Rarely, I believe, do we understand a ‘Witness’ when we first receive it.  I have studied, some times at length, the aspect of ‘cloud’ in scripture.  In the Hebrew, there are several different words used that get translated as ‘cloud’.  But all of these words can be understood to be ‘an answer received’ from on High.  One of the Hebrew words literally means ‘answer’.  The Greek word used in Heb. 12:1 is only used once in the New Testament, though it is used in the Septuagint several times translating the Old Testament Hebrew.  There seem to be some parallels we can discern if we recognize that Our Father can, and does, speak to us through different venues.  But he is always ‘answering us’ by revealing to us the Christ He is calling us to be.  I would like to think that Father is revealing to me that there are many, many ways He communicates to us, and through us, and most times we are unaware of what He is doing.

In Gen. 9, Noah is being taught what he just went through in ‘the flood’, and all that the flood represents.  The word translated as ‘bow’, which we assume is a rainbow, in Gen. 9:14 is also translated other places as referring to an archer’s bow.  I believe a better understanding could be had if the bow is seen as an arch.  Noah was told, in Gen. 9:13 that God would ‘set’ his bow in the cloud.  The word for cloud here is ‘ah-nan’, and is from the same root that we get ‘ah-nah’; to answer.  ‘ah-nan’ can be seen as ‘ah-nah’, in plural form.  Several times, this word ‘ah-nah’, which we normally think of as ‘answer’, is translated as ‘afflict’, ‘deal harshly’, and in Gen. 34:2 is translated as ‘defiled her’.  In other words, sometimes the answer we receive is a harsh or punishing response.  However, God told Noah, in Genesis 9:13 – 16, that He would set His “…bow in the cloud”.  The word bow can be considered synonymous with ‘covenant’.  And the word ‘ah-nan’ is also synonymous with answer, though sometimes translated as cloud.  From this I believe that if we substitute the understanding of ‘bow’ as also being ‘covenant’, and the word ‘ah-nan’ as being cloud or answer, God is revealing that His covenant is revealed in His answer.  Does God respond to sincere inquiries with harshness and cruelty?  I don’t think so.  Jesus never responded with harshness or cruelty.

When we look unto to Jesus as we study Scripture, we are able to keep the proper perspective as we ponder the Divine Intent found in the various stories.  Let our faith be perfected by looking unto Jesus as our foundation for understanding The Word.

Pursuing The Way

August 4th, 2019

THE FATHER of Jesus Christ, is THE ONE who has united to HIMSELF in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with HIS purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation, and made to share also in HIS own Divine nature.  This is Our Heavenly Father whom I speak of when I refer to the Sons and Daughters of GOD.  Consider these words closely.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Jesus established the one and only way to Our Heavenly Father in this passage.  It is of paramount importance for us to fully understand the brevity of these Words if we are to fully mature as Sons and Daughters.  You can spend a lot of time pursuing the “acts of GOD” and never know HIS ways.  Many have done this and have not drawn closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why spend time learning and memorizing the meaning of numbers in the Bible (numerology) if the study hasn’t brought you closer to the revelation of Love?  It makes you appear to be an expert in Scripture but it doesn’t change other people’s lives.  I made this mistake myself.  Yes, there are times when we should seek the meaning of a number as FATHER directs but we should not spend an inordinate amount of time simply to study a secondary topic for our own supposed benefit in order to impress others.

Pursue life and pursue Truth but pursue both by pursuing The Way.  Jesus Christ must be preeminent in our focus lest we miss the point of what the New Testament is all about.  Let us not simply be observers of The Kingdom coming forth in the earth, let us be a part of The Kingdom spreading over the earth.  How do we do this?  We become one with Christ and take on His attributes.

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

Are we to ask in the name of Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, or Jeremiah?  No, there is only one name, one way, and one Truth.  Let us keep this perspective in our daily prayers and study.  As it is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 12:

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Amen!

Glorifying Jesus Christ

August 3rd, 2019

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in John chapter 16:

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Jesus prepared the disciples for the coming of The Holy Spirit.  Jesus sent The Holy Spirit to be our Helper, Advocate, Teacher, but most important:

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you

To glory means: to think, to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate to honor, do honor to, hold in honor, to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendor, to impart glory to something, render it excellent, to make renowned, render illustrious, to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged.  Who else should receive such glory?  No one!  Who else should we exalt in our study or conversation?  No one!

These writings are meant to exalt Jesus, His Words, and His ministry above all else.  As we are led by The Holy Spirit, He will direct our focus to Our Lord Jesus Christ in all things.  As it is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 13:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If your focus has waned and shifted to other priorities, repent.  Do you think The Holy Spirit will instruct you by shifting your focus away from glorifying Jesus Christ?  Is there any person or event that can claim “All things that the Father has are Mine”?

9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

The Amplified Version:

9 Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.

Men would have us follow rituals as though those rituals will bring forth the anointing.  They would use Old Testament instructions to direct us what to eat, what to abstain from, what to wear, etc.  I had one man chastise me once for wearing a shirt which contained blended fabric rather than 100% cotton.  He immediately caused division by exalting himself as being superior.

If we are not glorifying Our Lord Jesus Christ in thought, speech, and actions, can we say we are being fully led by The Holy Spirit?  In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 19:

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

In Revelation 6:2, Jesus had a crown but now He has many crowns.  The Sons and Daughters gladly exalted and glorified Him with the crowns they had been given.  Who else would be worthy to receive the “crown of life” in chapter 2 verse 10?

We must not allow ourselves to quench the ministry of The Holy Spirit whose primary focus is to glorify Jesus Christ.