Pebbles of Perpetuity

Jehoshaphat's prosperous and godly reign over Judah is stained by his alliance to the house of Ahab and Jezebel through the marriage of his son to the princess of Israel. A chain of events after his death lead to one of the lowest points in the history of the house of David.

The monstrous abominations of Ba'al worship that Ahab introduces to Israel through his queen, Jezebel, are so bad that series of reforms could not eradicate them from the land. In these dark times the prophet Elijah is active.

Asa is a fresh breath in Judah and a series of assassinations and even a suicide determines the political chaos in Israel. Throughout there is a prophet to consult and who speak the Word of God and miraculous intervention when prayer is the only way out in the midst of a struggle.

The succession of Solomon. The king with the divided heart, who allowed idol worship in Israel, leaves a divided kingdom behind. His son Rehoboam, rules over the southern kingdom over the tribes Judah and Benjamin (often referred to as one tribe) and a servant whom he promoted and who later became his enemy, rules over the ten tribes in the North.

What can we say about the life of Solomon? Has he failed the test of success? We may think so, but what about Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon? An amazing inheritance of wisdom and devotion.

Solomon's wisdom was internationally known, as well as his international alliances, often through marriage to a "strange" princess. His economic developments, like harbours and trade on the very strategic trade routes running through Israel, established his greatness, with some bitter resentment against the forced labour system.

The beginning of the reign of Solomon and Solomon as Temple-builder.

This session serves as an introduction to the study of the kings of Judah and Israel. Next time we will begin with the reign of Solomon.

Our stance in the struggle - fully dependent on where we SIT and how we WALK.

In the fourth and fifth chapters Paul describes a Kingdom-walk for the soul - in unity, light and love.

It is the first independent position of a baby. It is our spiritual insight into our position in Christ that marks our walk with God with a big DONE and not anything we should do.

We stand in awe when we hear Jesus prays for us in John 17, wait on the baptism of the Holy Spirit just like on the day of Pentecost and know that prayer can crumble the gates of hell itself.

Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught his disciples with an astonishing economy of words laying down the priorities of life. Everything falls into place when heaven invades earth.

The prayers of Nehemiah and Habakkuk. Let us rejoice together in our God - He answers prayer in so many spectacular ways.

We are discussing prayer as one of the strands of a braided rope - the spiritual disciplines that Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 - fasting, prayer and giving.

In this session we discuss Jehoshaphat who announced a fast in a time of crisis and Isaiah 58 where God corrects the people in the shortcomings of their fast days.

We have many examples in the Bible of the successful fasting of people and nations. It is a good guide to leave legalism aside and focus on communication with God, rather than that which we forego in a fast.

In the next three sessions we will be discussing the matter that Jesus addressed in Matthew 6. It is the feasting table in the wilderness, the anointing with oil and the place where the cup runneth over.

Good news, more and better news - a heavenly perspective. We live in the New Jerusalem beside the River of Life, by the Tree of Life that bears fruit 12 months of the year .

Words of wonder and awe with the promise on new things, renewal, full redemption and restoration for the obedient hearers of these words - the true Church.

The very well-known and sometimes controversial concept of the Millennium and the timeline of the Second Coming is part of this chapter. Let us discuss an alternative view to the strong dispensational interpretation that we are used to - the old one, almost the original one.

After the overwhelming descriptions of evil in all aspects of society, Jesus on the white horse as the warrior-Messiah, as the Jewish people have always expected Him to be, now in the spiritual realm as the Victor over death and hell. The good news and the everlasting glory of the true Church.

We are still hearing the interpretation of the sixth bowl of which we have read in Chapter 16. The full implication of the economic and financial impact of Babylon is discussed and judged by God.

A beautiful woman sitting on a beast is an image-message of spiritual discernment. The charm and allure of the woman serve to entice people to sin. Those who are drunk on her attractiveness are oblivious to her true character - the beast.

Seven angels with seven bowls proceed from the Presence of God with the seven judgments - the last in die series of three; the seals, the trumpets and now the bowls that remind us of the plagues of Egypt.

This chapter serves as an introduction to the last seven judgments of the series of three: the seals, the trumpets and now the bowls. The song of worship is the saints' victory over the beast.

The vision shifts to the origin of evil. A beast from the sea, symbolic of chaos and a beast from the land with a mark to spread the vile. (Apologies for the slight repetition where two recordings were combined.)

An important chapter to introduce the next series of visions on the greater vision. The woman and the dragon. The dragon symbolizes everything evil. Satan is cast out of heaven. He has access but no place there anymore.

The two witnesses - death has no power over the truth - killed and resurrected as the testimony of fire brings revival to the world - in the dispensation of the seventh trumpet - the Kingdom of God.

A wonderful metaphor of the Word as bread to eat and to be filled by Jesus through Jesus with everything good. He said He is the Bread of Life. He stands with the rainbow, symbolic of every Covenant promise - sweet as honey.

The fifth and sixth trumpet sound like some futuristic fantasy. We have to keep all the images together to understand the stacking of metaphors that John uses to describe the indescribable.

More angels, noises, voices and majestic action to prepare for the first four trumpets. Then the drama peaks as heaven is silent for the judgment ... and the prayers of the saints. Direct access to God and his power is given to the Church - all of us - the saints.

A chapter serving as both a prelude to Chapter 6 and an interlude to Chapter 8. The same vision with more information and more insight into the Throne in action before the seventh seal is revealed.

In this chapter the Lamb takes the scroll and opens the first six seals. The first four are the well-known horses of the Apocalypse - the consequences of sin. The fifth is the cry of the martyrs, the true witnesses of the Gospel and the sixth is the final judgment with indescribable cosmic upheaval.

Our prayers are in the golden bowl of incense before the Throne of the Most High. We rule as kings and priests through prayer.

A cosmic declaration, cosmic choirs where the saints join and sing in harmony with heaven . What is heaven? Where is it?

The churches in this chapter are Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. The long list of promises are all applicable to the churches today. Jesus is active in his true Church, His body, the invisible Kingdom of God, the New Jerusalem.

The second two churches of Revelation 2

The first two churches of Revelation 2

What a privilege to study the words of this prophecy to receive the blessing that is spoken over the readers and hearers of the vision. We see Jesus, glorified and victorious over death and hell, the ruler over history.

What a privilege to study the book of Revelation - the climax of the whole Bible. The blessing on the hearer implies an open heart to know and understand.

This is the last episode in a long sit at the feet of Jesus according to the text of Matthew. He is laid in the grave with a very illogical story around the bribery of the soldiers. He is risen and lives for his people to see and experience. His last words, the great command to go and make disciples, are burnt in our hearts. Hail the Church of Jesus.

In this session we finish Matthew 26 (the Garden of Gethsemane and the Trial by the Sanhedrin) and continue in Matthew 27 with the trial before Pontius Pilate and the Crucifixion.

A long and fully loaded chapter of which we will discuss some parts next time with Chapter 27. In this session we focus on the stories of Judas and Peter - betrayal and denial - with vast differences in the outcome.

Three parts of this chapter that does not seem like a unit at first, but develop into a beautiful agreement on basic principles of living. The virgins and the lamps with oil, the parable of the talents and the wonder of serving Jesus himself when the Church responds to the needs of the lowly and needy fellowmen here on earth. All three parts are applicable on our lives on earth. Heaven needs no charity.

A deep dive into the complicated realm of events on the world stage, ancient and modern, present and future. Let us open our minds to step up into eternity and the fullness of time.

Outrageous reproaches with a distinct tone of heartbreak and sadness flow from the lips of Jesus to the religious leaders who interrogate him in the last week before the Cross.

Jesus is very busy in conversation with the delegation of the Sanhedrin. Trick questions are tossed around, enemies cooperate. He tells of the vineyard, the fig tree and in this chapter the wedding feast. He is speaking to his own. Then, in a dramatic silence after His question, they look into the face of God.

We listen and learn as we hear Jesus answer the questions of the Sanhedrin delegation around the Temple in Jerusalem after the triumphal entry a few days earlier. His patience and grace are tangible. He speaks to his people, the loved and chosen people, and their hearts are hard.

Jesus enters Jerusalem on the words of all the ancient prophets, deliberately placing himself in the public eye to fulfill all their expectations.