Thomas Paine at the beginning of the Revolutionary War wrote, ‘these are the times that try men’s souls.’ The deluge of pressures converging during these times raises questions within the heart and soul. Here the bravery of men is addressed; those who fought in the war even at the expense of possibly losing their lives. Yet he contrasted their bravery with the summertime soldiers who would only engage in the battle if conditions were convenient. We are currently at war. The battle is for the souls of individuals and the soul of this generation. The crisis today is the unbelief in Christ and those who are misguided by and through the philosophies of men. The tragedy of our day is that many do not realize it. As it was in the days of Noah before the Flood, business goes on as usual. Nothing about their routine has changed. Spiritual apathy has defined this generation. As we engage in a global crisis, the simple minded are only capable of seeing the effect of it from day to day. The contributing factors are not given any consideration. As ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our primary assignment is the preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only through preaching God’s Truth which transcends human wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, will people be prepared to take the right stand and defend the right causes. The minister must first be called or recruited by God. Then the minister must answer the call by abandoning self and permitting his life to be hidden in Christ. Only then would he meet the criteria to speak as the oracle of God. His message is the message of God’s Kingdom. God’s rule and reign over all His creation. 

The battle is the cataclysmic collision between two opposing kingdoms, the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light. The deceptive strategy of the devil camouflages his agenda thus causing individuals to interpret all things as the kingdom of self. Self-image, self-gratification, self-awareness has become to many their primary focus while he comes to steal, kill, and destroy their souls. The disruptive nature of spiritual light exposes the character of those that would otherwise operate with their motives undetected. The closer we come to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ the more turbulence will be experienced within the culture. As it was when Christ came to earth as the Holy Child, Simeon prophesied, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35

The closer we come to the return of the Lord, a higher price must be paid by the faithful as evidence of their loyalty to His standard of righteousness. The devil knows that his time is short therefore he is using every arsenal at his exposal. Yet there will be faithful servants standing who have set their sights on things above. They will not grow weary even if the whole world stands against them.

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head –Christ- Ephesians 4:14 & 15

One of the primary responsibilities of a priest is to lead people to Christ while leading them away from deception. The Holy Scripture states that the “whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Satan is a dealmaker whose devious plans were creatively constructed to camouflage his real intent while appealing to your interests. Spiritual discernment is necessary and exists among mature leaders who have a track record of making wise decisions. Even Satan transforms himself into an angel of light since the name Lucifer means “Lightbearer.” Although things are not always as they appear to be, God alone knows the end from the beginning and He reveals His plans to His servants, the prophets.

The prophet Ezekiel spoke of this day and the outcome of the decisions made by our modern dealmakers:

Ezek 28:16: “Your business brought you many riches. But they also put cruelty inside you, and you sinned. So, I treated you like something unclean and threw you off the mountain of God.” (Easy to Read Version) 

“You traded with other nations and became more and more cruel and evil. So I forced you to leave my mountain, and the creature that had been your protector now chased you away from the gems.” (Contemporary English Version) 

When making the deal becomes the objective and overrides loving care for the people involved, the chosen path will lead to severe judgment. The question that Jesus asked is still being asked today, “what would a man give for his soul, and what would a man profit even if he gained the whole world but was to lose his soul?”

Secret deals are being made behind closed doors, and negotiations are taking place in private. The stakes are high, and unfortunately, the unsuspecting and misinformed will become the victims. Some people do not care what they may have to sacrifice if they appear to be winning. Count the cost and consider the source, for what may appear as winning may be losing and what may appear as losing may be winning.

Luke 8:16-18 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”  

While Jesus spoke to those who knew the truth by revelation and spiritual insight, He hid it from the eyes of the uninformed and the misinformed. For the underinformed, half-truths are the most dangerous of them all. The Bible warns that those who know the truth but refuse to practice what they know are sinning against God and themselves. The experience gained through practically applied wisdom increases their capacity and allows them to see significant information left unexplored. Some people merely have enough of the truth as a vaccination from receiving further spiritual instructions, where if they were to hear and receive a message preached under the anointing of God, it would change the trajectory of their lives. 

Since their ears are more attuned to incomplete instructions, they remain incomplete and never converted by the Holy Spirit. They spend their time defending the issues of life while remaining ignorant of the things that pertain to life and godliness. It is like the fox that stands guard in front of the chicken coup. Moreover, “Lampshade Christians” are willing to ignore the obvious for the sake of accommodating their constituents, while others place their light underneath where dreams occur. As they sleep in the dark, they bury their light beneath them. The dream that Dr. M.L. King spoke of is then reduced to conversations where the original intentions of God are subordinated by whatever is politically popular. Each political party has the same references while conveying conflicting messages. They both speak of life issues and how to save lives and reinforce the quality of life, yet how do they define life?   

God is the Giver of life. Life is sacred, and therefore, life ought to be lived with respect to God’s original design. The conflicting views on life lead to its demise. The murderers are among us, even though they see themselves as the champions of their cause. However, what they seem to know will be exposed as a lie when the whole truth is revealed. There is an internal life and an external life, and if it is to be fulfilling, life must include peace within the heart and soul. The psyche of the person is more important than the trappings of success attained in this life. If he does not have peace within, he cannot fully enjoy what he manages. Also, what is inside of a man eats away his insides and causes ruin to his body. Thankfully, God offers us Whole Life and not just Term Life. He will expose the secrets of those who speak of life but whose hearts are set on bringing about destruction. Those who are born of God and enlightened in their understanding of spiritual truth must let their lights shine brightly among mankind so that all may see their good works and glory the Father who is in Heaven.  

As we enter this new year of 2025, God requests us to become willfully transparent before Him. Even though He sees and knows all things, it is another matter to request Him to search us and know us for who we are. This process occurs when we voluntarily open our hearts and give permission for God to explore our thoughts and their origin. His love for us should compel us to reciprocate by allowing the Holy Spirit to perfect the love that we share, and only then can we love rightly. Our motives and agendas may have been influenced by many eternal means; some of which we are not fully aware. We live in a world where many things vie for our attention and devotion. Since we cannot tell how we are being influenced, our prayer is for God to protect us from those subtle attractions that might appear benign but draw our passion and devotion away from Him.

The first step in being transparent is to be honest with ourselves. The things that we already know to be either good or bad must be reckoned with. There are times when it is hard to admit our faults. Delayed repentance, if repenting at all, must be immediate. The interval between awareness, acknowledgment, and action often gives the devil the opportunity to provide excuses and justification for bad behavior. The promptings of the Holy Spirit are often those immediate thoughts of conviction and warnings that grieve the soul. The more we learn how to respond to the Holy Spirit rightly, the more work He can do through us. 

Transparency is the key to intimacy. An open heart paves the way for the joining of hearts to one another. Intimacy has been described as“into me you see.” One person asked the question, “If you really knew me, would you still love me?” This compels many to project a false image of themselves so that they might be worthy of love. It is truly remarkable that the One who knows us best loves us most! God does not love us because we are worthy of love. His love for us is unconditional. Because He loves us, it is His love that changes us into becoming what He intended for us to be. We can come to Him as we are and receive from Him the grace to become more than we could ever dream of becoming! Transparency before God can produce transformation, and this is our year to be transparent and allow His glory to shine forth through us.

Psalm 89:15 “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.”

Hope was being restored to all of humanity through the announcement of a King who would provide light for those who were currently walking in darkness. A clear choice was being made evident. The nature of man had gravitated towards those things that produce death, robbing mankind of their dignity, and destroying the landscape of any possibility of hope. The sound that resonated to which all would respond in dance was the Pied Piper leading the masses to their own demise. What was popular then is even popular today.  It is a sound that merely pacifies and does not heal the wounds of society. The reflection of the “fallen one” is the shadow that looms over God’s creation. There is no pronouncement of blessings upon a nation whose god is defined by habits of the heart of its fallen nature. The sound is not joyous but rather grievous when decisions are made and in vogue that deny and defy God.  Compromise has occurred even among the gatekeepers and preservers of the godly standard for which every minister of the gospel of peace has been called. 

 The sound of Christmas is the introduction of a government which transcends the rule of men. Through humanity, those who will hear the melody of heaven and will sing heaven’s song. It will be strange to the ears of those who are attuned to patterns and rhythms introduced to them throughout their lives. No longer will it be what the people have come to know and conditioned to accept and eventually like. A new reference will pierce the darkened hearts and consciences of the people for the light of the glory of God will shine upon them. He is the King of Glory. His glory: that is, what God had in mind from the beginning will be introduced and celebrated among a people who walked in darkness but have now seen a great light. They will “walk in the light of His countenance.” 

 How can a people be brought to a place of wanting what is right? The work of the Holy Spirit is to make known to us the things pertaining to God. People are destroyed for the lack of knowledge. It is what they think they have already figured out that blocks the way from their ever knowing the truth. Religious practices that anesthetize the conscience does more harm to the soul than outright defiance. A Christless Church is more dangerous than a godless atheist. True conversions provide a contrast between what was and what shall ultimately be in the lives of the converted. “I once was lost but now I’m found.” If I had never been lost, I could never have been found. Now that I have been found, I can now be led as I now submit to the government of my King. 

 “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-12) No longer afraid but now confident as the Savior who leads is able to save me from my sins and their severe penalties both in time as well as eternity. He is introduced as the personification of the Gospel message to all who would receive Him. Christmas should never be Christless. The sound of His coming has the power to restore all that humanity had lost by the deception of the evil one. Let’s make His Name glorious.

A grateful heart pays close attention to the blessings that come its way. Nothing is taken for granted because all things received are derived from a source. Even though they may have passed through the hands of an individual, the truth remains the same that “Every good and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights where there is no variation or shadow or turning” (James 1:17). The Word of God admonishes us to find something to give thanks for in every person by “Giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). It could be the mercy extended to those who deserve punishment, or the grace extended to bless others. The Book of Genesis recalls how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Although their cruelty meant to end his life, the outcome was left in the Hands of God. As a result of his journey, Joseph was used as a resource for his household and nation.

Gratitude opens our hearts to see God and people in a different light. He is in charge of every situation and will ultimately cause all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are the called according to His purpose. It takes foresight to thank Him for valleys as one would thank Him for mountains. The pressures of life prove our faithfulness to Him as we are assured of His faithfulness towards us. Our faith must precede our gratitude, and that faith is exercised before what we trust Him for manifests while gratitude is after He has shown us where He is and what He has provided. 

We must pray to God for the gift of faith and request a heart of gratitude. This is the heart of Jesus, the Son of God, towards His Father. His absolute dependency on His Father was exercised throughout His earthly ministry. This was left as an example that we may follow in His steps. Our fruitfulness is then increased in every good work, for all things done through us will be done for His glory. I pray that our hearts will align with the rhythm of His heartbeat. As we give thanks to Him in and for all things, may all things be done to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Eph 3:8-9 “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”

The comprehensive vision of Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, was to affect the whole world. He would speak of it as being a “heavenly vision,” a revelation from God and a clearer revelation of Jesus Christ. The keys to the Kingdom of Heaven were given to him as well as Peter. This revelation of Christ would open doors that no other could open and shut doors that no one could close. Yet, he was quick to acknowledge that all the revelations he received were merely viewed through a smoky and clouded mirror. He was not able to pursue a clearer and more profound view of what he had originally seen. The spiritual insight of Paul challenges us to pursue a vision into the mysteries of Christ and not merely to observe from a distance what could possibly become a new reality for the new creation in proportion with the newness of life. Unless the individual becomes new, all the newness of a future world would be meaningless to him. God will one day cause His Kingdom in Heaven to descend upon the earth. The manufactured kingdoms of this world system will soon vanish away at His Appearance, and the true value of what was once treasured will be exposed as trash in comparison. He called what can now be gained by those who seek to know Christ as “unsearchable riches,” and on another occasion, the permanency of what can be attained is referred to as “enduring riches” that do not fade, cannot be lost, corrupted, or stolen.

It requires more than surface knowledge and mental or emotional stimulation. Colossians 2:7-9 in the New Life Version states, “Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him. Wisdom of the world is empty (8). Be careful that no one changes your mind and faith by much learning and big sounding ideas. Those things are what men dream up. They are always trying to make new religions. These leave out Christ. (9) For Christ is not only God-like, He is God in human flesh.”

Finally, the key that unlocks the mystery of God is within the soul. Within the soul is a composition of historical data whereby human beings attempt to express the truest meaning of their lives or what it means to live. What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a man? Simply put, what does it mean to be? The restlessness within the soul is borne out of frustration. Too many merely settle for what they think they know and conclude that the mysteries of God are unknowable. Paul discovered the mystery and was committed to making it known to all. It is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory!” He expresses His life in you and through you, thus demonstrating through us His will to the world!

“We surely toil among weeping, carrying the burden of seed; he surely comes with rejoicing carrying his sheaves.” Psalm 126:5-6

The burden of hope is the burden of the seed carried with the promise of future glory. When a woman is pregnant, there is no other option but to wait for the time of delivery. Those who have placed their trust completely in the Lord must currently suffer the agony and pains of pregnancy. Although the appearance has changed, the physical obstructions endured, and the attractive figure is not the same. It then can only be appreciated by those who know and understand the reason behind it all, especially if the former pregnancy culminated with a miscarriage. Why take the risk again when the outcome may be uncertain? There are those who dreamed of a bright and glorious future merely to suffer setbacks and disappointments. It is difficult to recover from a thing that may have left you shipwrecked and feeling momentarily isolated. There are many who have walked in your shoes and suffered what is called, “The dark day of soul” when they possessed more questions than answers. Yet why didn’t the setback destroy all hope? Even though the fire may have been extinguished, the embers of hope remained. God has placed within the heart of His own a resilience that no experience in this life is able to destroy.

I have learned over the years that setbacks are merely setups and what is lost is preparation for greater gains. Cain slew his brother Abel and the future that was assigned to Abel was assassinated. Even though Abel was killed, his murder did not destroy the promise. “Adam knew his wife intimately again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth because God has given me another child in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” The question is, will Cain strike again and kill the second one as he did the first? Surely God can preserve the seed of promise and carry the evidence of faith that has been tried by fire.  The delay was only a test of Cain’s character, and through that test, God does not merely wish to produce something through you, but to reveal what He is developing in you.

The day of rejoicing will surely come! The fruitful life will never be barren, and the testimony of your faithfulness will impact many lives for ages to come! The most blessed part of all of this is that it is not merely restricted to time, but it is for all eternity. “Your weeping may endure for a night, but your joy will be forever fresh as the dew of each oncoming morning.” Raise up high the sheaves that you carry, for they represent the burden of your hope and the faithfulness of your God who never disappoints His own!

It is essential to remember that holiness is not a denomination. Over the course of the last few centuries, the standard of God has been reduced to suit the lifestyles of those who have rejected God’s requirements. Our generation has been raised in an environment where God serves man, and where the highest good runs contrary to the Westminster Catechism, which believes that man was made “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”, but rather to deify the flesh and enjoy the pleasures of life to the fullest. Holiness has the connotation of being drab and dry, and those who ascribe to the standard of holiness appear not to have a life. That is why so many avoid God’s standard like a plague because it appears to counter and be an affront to their very nature.

The initial work of the Holy Spirit is to create a holy passion within the individual. By nature, because of our fallen state inherited from Adam, we despised God. This is hard for good natured individuals to accept because most are so busy trying to develop their positive self-image and build up their self-esteem that they fail to recognize the effect of original sin. “We were by nature children of wrath.” The spirit that worked within us was one of disobedience, and even our best efforts led to rebellion because we lived in a state of rebellion. The initial objective of the Holy Spirit is to produce within the individual a new nature. This is what it means to be “born again.” He convicts the person of sin which was unknown as sin beforehand. None of us were fully aware of the sinfulness of our nature until the Holy Spirit brought us to the awareness of sin. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, all would seek to find justification for acts of rebellion against God.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, ² in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Eph 2:1-3 NKJV

God alone is Holy. It is His Spirit alone that can produce holiness within us. Without holiness, wholeness is impossible. Fragmentation and fragmented lives are lived by those who religiously pursue goals that only lead to a partial pacification of the longing within their souls. Holiness must be our objective because without it no person can see God in His reality, but rather is left to create a god that agrees with his present state of being.

 The Holy Spirit produces within the heart a new passion that is after God. Only then can this message and others like it have an appeal to you as an individual. Otherwise, you would naturally gravitate towards a more passive language that is easily agreeable. The Word of God, when preached by way of the Holy Spirit, will challenge the very foundation of our being. A disturbance occurs, and restlessness will follow. The question will be “what must I do”, rather than “how can I be relieved.” When the message is received, the individual is “born of the Spirit.” This is often called, “The New Birth.” There is the will to do His will, but the power to do it is still left to be desired. Only when our will and His will converge will the power be released. He empowers us to participate in what He is doing. The joy of participation with God in His greater works is a fulfilling experience, so therefore, “be filled with the Spirit speaking to one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.”