A portal can be described as a gate or a doorway. Spiritually speaking, it is a point of access between the earthly and the divine. In Genesis 28:12, Jacob had a dream of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. Jacob named the place Bethel, “house of God” and the “gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).

            In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem served as earthly portals for God’s presence to dwell on earth. In the New Testament, the tearing of the temple veil at the moment Christ died, can be seen as the opening of a new portal, granting believers access to God through Jesus and allowing for a personal relationship with Him.

              The Person and work of Jesus can be seen as the portal of salvation and eternal life. Jesus said, “Yes, I am the Gate. Those who come in by way of the Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures” (John 10:9 TLB).

          When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. “Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary” (1 Corinthians 6:19 TPT).

         The Holy Spirit acts as a portal in the life of a believer, facilitating communication and interaction between the born again person and God.

            It is God’s desire to use our bodies for His glory. I would like to look at seven parts of our bodies and how God can use them as portals, or gateways, to further His kingdom here on earth. In this post, I will look at four – heart, mouth, eyes, and ears. In the next post, I will look at the last three – our minds, hands, and feet.

1. The Heart

           In Scripture, our hearts are considered the centre of our beings, the source of our thoughts, emotions, and desires, or will. Jesus said, “...A person full of goodness in his heart produces good things; a person with an evil reservoir in his heart pours out evil things. The heart overflows in the words a person speaks; your words reveal what’s in your heart” (Luke 6:45 VOICE).

            A heart transformed by God is essential to living a life that glorifies Him. God desires to make our hearts more like His, filled with His love and compassion, with a desire to do His will.

         Transformed hearts bring glory to God by living lives of obedience, sharing God’s plan of salvation with others, and using the spiritual gifts given to us. A transformed heart studies God’s Word and prays in order to align our hearts and wills with His. When this happens, God gets glory.

     2. The Mouth
            The words of our mouth are powerful. They can bless or curse, encourage or discourage, hurt or heal, tear down or build up. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose” (Proverbs 18:21 MSG).

             When we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, our mouth will “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

         Through praise and worship, sharing the Gospel, expressing truth in love, encouraging and edifying others, speaking with kindness and compassion, confessing and repenting from our sin, and controlling what we say, our mouths bring glory to God.
     
      3. Eyes and Ears
          Eyes

            Through our eyes, we appreciate the beauty of God’s creation. The world God designed can teach us important lessons. “Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance – but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?...If God gives such attention to the wildflowers...don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?” (Luke 12:27 MSG).

               God’s creation helps us to better understand Him and His power. “But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see...eternal power...and the mystery of his (God’s) divine being” (Romans 1:20 MSG).

               Jesus called our eyes the lamp of our body, steering our bodies toward evil and destruction or righteousness and life. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV).

            With our eyes, we are to watch. We are to discern the signs of the times. Jesus said, “...You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the sign of the times” (Matthew 16:3). He also said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13).

             Reading God’s word is one of the most important things we can do with our eyes. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV). “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 ESV).

           As we watch the signs of the times outlined in God’s word unfold around us, we will be propelled to share the good news of the Gospel.
           
           Ears

              We are to be careful what we hear. “He (Jesus) also said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you are hearing! The measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you – and more besides!’” (Mark4:24 CJB).

              We’re not to have itching ears, going after all sorts of ideas, some of which will be false and lead us in the wrong direction. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV).

            We are to be mindful of how we hear. “Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have” (Luke 8:18 CEV).

          The Apostle James  tells us to do more listening than talking. “Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]” (James 1:9 AMP).
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            When we listen thoughtfully and carefully to the needs of those around us, we bring glory to God.

        Chronos is a Greek word for “time,” defined as a sequence of moments, emphasizing the duration of time. It is linear, measurable time, like a calendar or clock.

        Kairos, on the other hand, is an ancient Greek word referring to an appointed time for a special purpose. It can also mean “opportunity”, “season,” or “fitting time.” It is the significance of the moment for action, a particular event, or opportunity, a point in time that can change the course of a life.

        Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 states that there is a Kairos, a right time for everything – a time to come alive and to pass away, to plant and to dig up, to construct and take down, to prepare for battle and to surrender, to embrace and to let go, to battle and to be calm.
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        Zacchaeus in the Bible had a Kairos moment. Jesus was coming to Jericho and Zacchaeus, a tax collector hated by the Jews for collecting taxes for the Romans, wanted to see this famous Rabbi. Being short of stature, he climbed up into a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus better.

        Zacchaeus could have jostled with the crowd to get closer to Jesus. But I believe his decision to climb that tree was a Kairos moment for him. It resulted in Jesus noticing him, visiting his house, and salvation coming to him and his family because he repented for his wrongdoing and said he would give half his possessions to the poor, and pay back four times anyone he had cheated.

      Jesus told him, “’...Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’” (Luke 19:9-10 NIV).

        The woman whose bleeding never stopped had a Kairos moment. The problem had been ongoing for twelve years. She’d spent everything she had on physicians and still the bleeding continued. I believe her Kairos moment came when she kept saying to herself, “’If I could only touch his prayer shawl I would be healed’” (Matthew 9: 21 TPT).
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        The Scripture says, “Just then Jesus turned around and looked at her and said, ‘My daughter, be encouraged. Your faith has healed you.’ And instantly she was healed! (Matthew 9:22 TPT).

        And lastly, blind Bartimaeus. It was a normal day for him as he sat along the roadside just outside Jericho begging. Suddenly, he heard a commotion and asked what was happening. When he was told it was Jesus, he shouted for the Man from Nazareth to have mercy on him.

      The crowd told Bartimaeus to be quiet. He could have listened to what they said, but he knew his Kairos moment had arrived. The Scripture says after being told to be silent, he yelled all the louder.
Further proof he knew it was his Kairos moment was that he threw off his cloak – his source of protection from harsh weather, his blanket at night, and what he probably laid on the ground for people to toss their coins onto.

        By throwing down his cloak, he was tossing off his most valuable possession, in faith that Jesus would heal him. When Jesus asked him what He could do for him, Bartimaeus answered, “’...Rabbi, I want to see’” (Mark 10:51 MSG).

     Jesus told him, “’On your way...your faith has saved and healed you’” (Mark 10:52 MSG). The Scripture further states, “In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road” (Mark 10:52 MSG).

     It is important to recognize our Kairos moments and seize them by faith. Saul in the Old Testament had a Kairos moment when he was looking for his father’s donkeys and ended up at the prophet Samuel’s house, where he was anointed to be the first king of Israel.

        Father God, help us to recognize the Kairos moments You bring to us, seize them by faith, and allow You to use them to take us deeper into the marvelous plan You have for each of our lives. In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.  

            
          “You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my cup overflows...only goodness and tender love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!” (Psalm 23: 5-6 TPT).

            The cup of God overflows with His goodness. We can never get to the end of God. He is always overflowing. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the Lord answered him, “...I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and in your presence I will pronounce the name of Adonai...” (Exodus 33:19 CJB). God’s glory is wrapped up in His goodness.

            God has promised never to leave us dry, because He “will liberally supply (fill to the full) (our) every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 AMPC). God’s cup of goodness has given us a future and forgiven our past through the death and resurrection of His precious Son, Jesus.

             Judges 14 tells the account of a young lion attacking Samson on his way to the city of Timnah in the Judean Foothills. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he tore the animal apart with his bare hands, continued on to the city, and then returned home.
           
             When he returned several days later, a swarm of bees had produced honey in the lion’s carcass. From this experience, Samson formed a riddle. “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14 ESV).

            Whatever we’re facing, God is not going to leave us there. Because of His goodness, out of the lion, out of the attack, comes the honey. Hell’s plan is to get us to focus on what we don’t have. That’s what Satan did in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s cup was overflowing with everything they needed, but Satan focused their eyes on what they didn’t have and questioned God’s goodness.

            Are we sipping from God’s overflowing cup, or are we slurping? If we’re drinking deeply from the goodness, kindness, and mercy of God, nothing will overcome us.
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            If we’re a sipper, we’ll sit and stare when problems arise. If we’re a slurper, we’ll shout and praise, because with God, our cup runs over. Which one are you?

        Often, Jesus will ask us for something small to unlock something greater. In John 4, Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, and saw them as a mixed-race people. The hostility between the two groups ran deep.

        The woman may have thought Jesus was audacious to ask her for a drink. But He did not hesitate to make His request. He knew He was going to offer her something far greater than what He was asking for.

        In John 6, Jesus asked for a boy’s lunch to feed a multitude. The small lunch the boy gave up fed thousands.

        Jesus told a blind man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. I’m sure Jesus could have healed him then and there, but the man’s act of obedience gained him his sight.

        In 1 Kings 17, Elijah asked a widow in Zarephath during a famine for a drink of water and a piece of bread. She was gathering sticks to make her last meal before she and her son died.

      But she chose to obey, and through her obedience, Elijah, and the woman and her family, were sustained through the draught.

        Miracles can come our way, even when we’re not searching for them. The Samaritan woman was not searching for God. The Zarephath widow wasn’t expecting a miracle. Their obedience unlocked the door to miracles.

        I recently read about a Christian man who was visiting a woman he hadn’t seen in years. She was celebrating a birthday. He asked the Lord to guide him as to what gift he should bring. The Lord led him to a framed picture of the Confederation Bridge, which connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick.

        When the man gave the woman the gift, she began to cry. That morning, she had asked the Lord about her purpose and calling. The longing of her heart was to do His will.

        God spoke to her that day and told her she was a “bridge connector” – someone who links people together for divine purposes. The photograph confirmed the word she had received from God.

        What God asks of us may seem small, or even unreasonable. But if we choose to obey, our act of obedience can be the key that unlocks blessings for others, as well as ourselves.
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        God often uses the release of what we hold in our hand to loose what He holds in His.

           ​I’ll always remember in elementary school when teams were chosen for baseball. After the two captains were declared, everyone stood around, staring at the ground, hopping from foot to foot, praying not to be chosen last. Being chosen last always felt like you were the least valuable player.

         Ephesians 1:4-5 (TLB) contains some amazing verses. “Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault – we who stand before him covered with his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!”

        God chose us, as believers in His Son, Jesus, before the foundation of the world. When we were orphaned from God because of our rebellion against Him, through Jesus, He adopted us back.

         Adoption is the act of legally taking a child to care for as one’s own. Because of the New Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus, God has legally bound Himself to adopt those of us who accept His Son as our Savior, back into His family and to care for us.
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         “...you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, ‘Abba! Father!’ as we would address a loving daddy” (Romans 8:15 VOICE).

        ‘Abba’ is a term of endearment, and the use of it is based on love rather than performance. Isn’t that freeing?

          The apostle Paul writes about himself in Galatians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle (chosen) not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.” It wasn’t after he cleaned himself up and stopped persecuting Christians that Paul was chosen. He was chosen before he even knew the Messiah.

         “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” (1 Peter 2:9 MSG).
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         Jesus extends His invitation to all, but only those who respond and accept the invitation to join His team are considered chosen by God. And when we accept His invitation, we are chosen for eternity.

         In the last book of the Bible (Revelation), we read, “They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and those with Him and on His side are chosen and called [elected] and loyal and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14 AMPC).

         So, dear one, when satan tries to harangue you and tells you you’re no good and that God is angry with you, remind him that because of your acceptance of Jesus as your Saviour, you were chosen and accepted by God before the world began.

              The first book I wrote is entitled “Seventy Times Seven”. The title comes from Matthew 18: 21-22 NIV: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

            Peter wanted a mathematical equation on how many times he should forgive someone who sinned against him. So, in essence Jesus says, “You want a mathematical equation, Peter, I’ll give you one – “Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22 MSG). In other words, Jesus was saying forgiveness is not keeping count on how often we are wronged.

          Today, I would like to look at a parable Jesus told about forgiveness. It’s found in Matthew 18:23-35. Jesus said the kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. A man who owed him 10,000 bags of gold was brought to him. The man was not able to pay and the king ordered that he, his wife, and his children be sold to repay the debt.

          The servant begged the king to be patient with him and give him time to pay off the debt. The master took pity on the servant, canceled the debt, and let the man go.

      But the man went out and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 silver coins. He grabbed the man and demanded that he pay back what he owed. The debtor begged the servant to be patient with him and said in time, he would pay back the money.

        The servant who had been forgiven the huge debt refused and had the man thrown into prison. When the other servants saw what happened, they went and told the king. The king called in the servant who refused to forgive and said the following: “...’You wicked servant...‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

          “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart” (Matthew 18:32-35 NIV).

            From this parable, we see forgiveness is very important to God. It is part of His heart. That is why He sent Jesus, so we can be forgiven from our sin and when we repent, adopted back into God’s family, a position we lost when Adam and Eve turned from God and invited Satan to be their lord.

            In Exodus 15:22-25 (TLB), we read the following: Then Moses led the people of Israel on from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the wilderness of Shur and were there three days without water. Arriving at Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it was bitter (that is why the place was called Marah, meaning “bitter”).

             Then the people turned against Moses. “Must we die of thirst?” they demanded.
Moses pleaded with the Lord to help them, and the Lord showed him a tree to throw into the water, and the water became sweet.

           The tree made the bitter water sweet. Take your bitterness, hurt, anger, and the wounds of your soul to the foot of the cross. Apply the blood of Jesus to the sin and the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit to the wound in your soul made by the sin of offense. According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, in addition to referring to strength, power, and ability, dunamis can also refer to “moral power and excellence of soul”. Allow Jesus to turn the bitter water inside you to sweet – to restore you to the place where your soul is not damaged and wounded, but is excellent.

         If we want to see the power of forgiveness, look at Jesus. We know that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. Ephesians 2:2 (TPT) says, “It wasn’t that long ago that you lived in the religion, customs, and values of this world, obeying the dark ruler of the earthly realm who fills the atmosphere with his authority, and works diligently in the hearts of those who are disobedient to the truth of God.”

         On the cross, Jesus cried out, “...Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34 NOG). In John 19:30 (MSG), He said, “...“It’s done . . . complete.” Other translations say, “It is finished.”

         At the cross, Satan lost his position of control. The sun didn’t shine – Matthew 27:45 (TPT) says, “For three hours, beginning at noon, a sudden and unexpected darkness came over the earth.” At the cross, Satan lost control of the earth. After Jesus cried out, took his last breath, and gave up his spirit, the earth shook violently and the rocks were split apart.

       At the cross, Satan lost control of death. After Jesus cried out and took His last breath,  “...graves were opened. Then many of the holy ones who had died were brought back to life and came out of their graves...after Jesus’ resurrection, they were seen by many people walking in Jerusalem” (Matthew 27:52-53 TPT).

            Oh my friend, there is power in forgiveness. When you release forgiveness, it closes the door on Satan.

          Boiled down to its essence, whether we extend forgiveness or not, depends on how much we trust God. Will we allow Him to carry our sorrow, pain, and disappointment or insist on holding onto it ourselves? Will we continue to drink the poison of unforgiveness, hoping it will kill the person who wronged us? Do we have faith God will handle our case justly?

            The response of the disciples to the teaching of Jesus about forgiveness in Luke 17 was to ask Him to increase their faith. In order to live out His challenging call to forgive, they knew their faith needed to be strengthened. To forgive is a powerful act of faith.

            I would like to close this post with a prayer. It is a prayer of repentance and forgiveness. It is a prayer for healing. I encourage you to pray it out loud.

          Lord Jesus, today I purpose and I choose to forgive in my heart every single person who has ever been involved in my trauma, be it a loved one, a husband or wife, a family member, a friend, a boss, a person I work with, a pastor, a leader, someone at my church, a government official, no matter who it was, Lord, right now I forgive them in the specific memory of what they did and I repent for getting bitter. I release them and I cancel their debts to me.

           In the name of Jesus, I cancel all of satan’s authority over me in these memories, because they are forgiven and I command the anger, shame, and guilt in these memories to go.

          I want to be healed. I want to have breakthrough. So, I’m taking an intentional action, like Moses did when the bitter waters became sweet. He took that branch, the cross, and threw it into the water. I take the cross. I take the blood Jesus shed for me and I apply it to my bitter memories.

        I put it into my bitter soul to heal these waters, to make them clean, so rivers of living water can flow into my body, into my mind, into my emotions, into my business, into my marriage, into my family, into my ministry, into my finances, into my health, and I see LIFE, HEALING, and WHOLENESS, God’s Shalom peace, coming into every area I need it.

        I pray this prayer in the precious Name of Jesus, the Name that is above every hurt and trauma I have ever experienced. Amen”
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          Prayer adapted from Katie Souza, Katie Souza Ministries

            I don’t know about where you live, but here in eastern Ontario, we have lots of snow, more than I’ve seen in the over eight years I’ve lived in this small town one-hundred and fifty kilometres east of Toronto. We’ve also had our fair share of storms this winter.

            Recently I read about two people who ventured out on their snowmobiles in whiteout conditions. When their machines got stuck, they were stranded and unable to return home. Searchers found one – frightened but in good condition. He told his rescuers he thought he was going to die, alone and abandoned.

            The other person realized he couldn’t make it back, dug into a snowbank, and sheltered there overnight. He was also found – safe and healthy.

          At one time or another, we all find ourselves in the midst of storms. They can be physical, emotional, or spiritual. What do you do when you find yourself caught in one?

        Rule number one is don’t panic.  Panic drives out rational thought. A clear calm mind is essential for survival. Rule number two is to prepare for a storm before it hits. Whatever tempest we face, we need to have the Word of God stored up on the inside of us. Isaiah 26:3 (AMP) says, “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You – in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].”
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        Our spiritual and emotional states are related to our thought life. In the midst of the storm, we have a choice as to what we dwell on in our thinking. The apostle Paul urges us to “use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 MSG).

          I love how The Passion Translation expresses Hebrews 6:19-20 – “We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold, and where Jesus, our forerunner, has gone in before us. He is now and forever our royal Priest...”
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           In the midst of the storm, Jesus is interceding for us. “Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us” (Romans 8:34 AMP).

         God is our shelter in the time of storm. “Then Yahweh will create over all of Mount Zion and over every gathering a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night. And all this manifestation of dazzling glory will spread over them like a wedding canopy. It will be a tabernacle as a shade from the scorching heat of the day and a safe shelter to protect them from the storm and rain” (Isaiah 4:5-7 TPT).

         When the storms of life come, may we not be afraid, but see God’s glory and protection spread over us like a Jewish wedding chuppah – a canopy or covering. Help us never to forget that God is "...such a safe and powerful place to find refuge!... a proven help in time of trouble – more than enough and always available whenever (we) need you” (Psalm 46:1 TPT).

 
            Growing up, our gang of neighbourhood kids often played “Hide and Seek”.  While one person closed their eyes and counted to a certain number, everyone else would scatter and hide. When the counting was over, the person who was “It” would yell out, “Ready or not, here I come!”

            A similar call is ringing out over the earth today. Jesus is coming back for His bride. “On that day, with a command that thunders into the world, with a voice of a chief heavenly messenger, and with a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven; and all those who died in the Anointed One, our Liberating King, will rise from the dead first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 VOICE). When that happens, time for preparation will be over.

            In Matthew 25 Jesus told the parable of the ten virgins who were given the task of being ready to meet the bridegroom. Five of them brought enough oil for their lamps and five did not. The virgins represent all those waiting for Christ’s return and the lamps, the outward profession of faith. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and represents true faith and a living relationship with God through Jesus. The bridegroom is Jesus.

           This parable illustrates the contrast between those who develop an intimate relationship with the Saviour,  spending time daily with Him in His Word, praying, and soaking in the beauty of His Presence (the wise), and those who outwardly profess faith but lack true commitment (the foolish).

         When the bridegroom arrived, the prepared virgins went with him into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. The unprepared virgins were left outside, pleading, “’Lord! Lord! Open the door for us’” ( Matthew 25:11 NLT). “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’” (Matthew 25:12 NLT).  

         Jesus concluded the parable with a sober warning. “Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 25:13 AMPC).

         As the above verse states, we don’t know the exact timing of Christ’s return. Therefore, in order to be ready, we need to live ready – in a state of spiritual preparedness. “Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give him the glory! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his Bride has prepared herself” (Revelation 19:7 CJB).

         In closing, I ask myself these questions. Do I love Jesus more than anyone or anything else in this world? Do I spend time with Him daily, basking in His Presence, reading His Word, and communing with Him in prayer? Or do I leave Him on the sidelines, because I'm too busy with the things of this world?
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        Can we say with the apostle John, “Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua!” (Revelation 22:20 CJB). As I examine my heart before God, I ask myself, am I ready for His coming? Are you?

​Proverbs 12:2 (NOG): “A good person obtains favor from Yahweh...”
            We can’t do anything to earn God’s favour. It is His gift to us. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the barrier between God and man was torn down, enabling us to receive the favour of our heavenly Father. Like everything else in the Christian life, favour is activated by faith. If we don’t activate it, we won’t reap its benefits.
            In the following Scripture verses, I want to look at five of the benefits of God’s favour.

1. Favour produces restoration of what the enemy has stolen. “And the Lord gave the Israelis favor with the Egyptians, so that they gave them whatever they wanted. And the Egyptians were practically stripped of everything they owned!” (Exodus 12:36 TLB).
2. Favour can bring about prominence and preferential treatment, even for an orphan girl. “The king fell in love with Esther far more than with any of his other women or any of the other virgins—he was totally smitten by her. He placed a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti” (Esther 2:17 MSG).

     3.     The favour of God can cause petitions to be granted, even by ungodly civil                authorities.

2 “ When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks” (Esther 5: 2-5 NIV).

4.   Battles are won which you don’t have to fight, because God will fight them for you.
“For our fathers did not possess the land [of Canaan] by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, Because You favored and delighted in them” (Psalm 44:3 AMP).

5.     Divine favour can produce supernatural increase and promotion, even in the midst of lack.
“Now there was famine in the land...Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.” (Genesis 26: 1, 12-13 NIV).

       God wants to give His children favour. Psalm 30:5 tells us His favour is for life. So let’s make 2025 the year we grab onto the Father’s promises and activate them by faith. Even when things don’t look like we want them to, we need to hang on. God's promises are ALL “Yes” and “Amen”.

        Christmas is a reminder of God’s provision for us. Through Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden, humankind fell short of His glory. But before the foundation of the world, He had provided a solution. The Scripture says, “But when the proper time came God sent his son, born of a human mother and born under the jurisdiction of the Law, that he might redeem those who were under the authority of the Law and lead us into becoming, by adoption, true sons of God” (Galatians 4: 4-5 Phillips). Through believing in the work of Christ on the cross and in His resurrection, we are adopted back into His family. 

          God’s provision for us does not depend on the economy. His supply comes from His riches in glory, which are limitless. “My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Yeshua” (Philippians 4:19 NOG).

            Like everything in the Christian life, we appropriate God’s promises by faith. And how do we get faith? “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah” (Romans 10:17 TLV).

           I recently read a wonderful story of God’s provision I would like to share with you. In the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, a pastor and his wife relied daily on God’s provision for their needs. They honoured God, even while experiencing urgency for food. They prayed, professing God’s promise of provision.

        One morning, the wife looked out her window and saw over 20 hens approaching their property. The hens entered their outbuilding and laid more than 20 eggs. Then they marched back to their home.

         The wife returned the eggs to the owner and shared the story. The owner told her, “Those aren’t my eggs. Those hens haven’t laid a single egg since I got them months ago.” Miraculously, God provided for this family.

      So whatever needs you are facing today, look to our supernatural God as your provider. He is our Source and not limited by the constraints of this world. As we speak in agreement with His Word and honour Him with our income, God will open the windows of heaven. If we do our part, He has promised do His.

       I like the rendering of Malachi 3:10 in the New Living Translation: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it!”

​                                                   Merry Christmas!