BEHIND JESUS TEXT: Acts 18:28 SUPPORTING TEXTS: John 1:1–14; John 4:8, 24; Philippians 3:3 OBJECTIVES At the end of this teaching, participants should be able to: 1. Understand that God is Spirit and that He has revealed Himself to humanity through Jesus Christ. 2. Recognize the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, and understand why God manifested Himself in the flesh. 3. Explain why Jesus is the only way to salvation and why human religion, morality, or religious tradition cannot save man. 4. Defend the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God manifested in the flesh, using Scripture. INTRODUCTION Acts 18:28 (KJV): “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” The subject of Jesus Christ goes beyond what can be seen physically. To understand Jesus, we must look behind Jesus—behind His humanity, His earthly appearance, His birth, His ministry, His death and resurrection—to discover who He truly is. The Bible teaches that God is Spirit: John 4:24 (KJV): “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” God is also love: 1 John 4:8: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” Love cannot be seen with the physical eyes, and the Spirit cannot be seen with the physical eyes. Yet both are real. QUESTION Have you ever physically seen love? Have you ever physically seen a spirit? Although you cannot see love itself, you can see the manifestation of love through actions. Likewise, God, who is Spirit, made Himself known to humanity through Jesus Christ. John 1:14 (KJV): “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” Jesus is therefore the visible manifestation of the invisible God. Colossians 1:15: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” 1. GOD MANIFESTED HIMSELF THROUGH MAN God revealed Himself through the human life of Jesus Christ so that humanity could know, believe, and receive Him. John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” Jesus did not merely come to teach people about God. He came as God manifested in the flesh. 1 Timothy 3:16: “God was manifest in the flesh…” Jesus showed mankind what God is like through His character, words, works, compassion, holiness, power and love. 2. THE BREATH OF MAN IS LIMITED Man's physical life is temporary. The breath of man is dependent upon God. Isaiah 2:22: “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” James 4:14: “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Man's life is limited, but God's life is eternal. 3. THE LIFE OF GOD IS ETERNAL God does not depend upon another source for His existence. He is the eternal God. John 1:4: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 11:25: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life…” 1 John 5:11: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” The eternal life of God is revealed to humanity through Jesus Christ. 4. THE CHARACTER OF MAN IS CORRUPTED BY SIN Humanity, because of sin, cannot become its own saviour. Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Man therefore needs salvation from outside himself. 5. THE CHARACTER OF GOD IS GOOD God is holy, righteous, loving and good. Psalm 100:5: “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 145:9: “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” Jesus demonstrated the goodness and character of God among humanity. Acts 10:38: “…who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” 6. MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF — JESUS SAVES Religion cannot save man. Human wisdom cannot save man. Good works, by themselves, cannot save man. Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith… Not of works…” Salvation is found in Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The God whom humanity could not physically see came near to humanity in Jesus Christ—and Jesus saves. THE REASON GOD MANIFESTED HIMSELF IN THE FLESH 1. SO THAT WE COULD SEE HIM God became visible through Jesus Christ. John 14:9: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” Jesus is the revelation of the invisible God. Colossians 2:9: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” 2. SO THAT WE COULD TOUCH HIM AND KNOW HIM John testified that Jesus was physically real. 1 John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes… and our hands have handled…” The apostles did not proclaim an imaginary person. They witnessed, heard and physically encountered Jesus Christ. 3. SO THAT WE COULD FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM Jesus did not merely appear to humanity from a distance. He lived among people. 1 John 1:3: “…that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us…”»l Jesus also fellowshiped with His disciples. Matthew 26:30: “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” He ate with them, walked with them, taught them and fellowshipped with them. 4. TO REVEAL THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH THE FLESH Jesus demonstrated God's power through miracles, healing, deliverance and authority. John 2:11: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory…” Acts 2:22: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs…” His works revealed what was behind the humanity—the divine nature and power of God. 5. TO EXPERIENCE HUMANITY AND IDENTIFY WITH US Jesus experienced hunger, thirst, weariness, sorrow, rejection and temptation, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…” Hebrews 2:17: “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren…” He understands what humanity experiences. 6. TO SHED HIS BLOOD FOR OUR SALVATION The ultimate reason for His manifestation was redemption. Matthew 26:28: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” 1 Peter 1:18–19: “…ye were not redeemed with corruptible things… But with the precious blood of Christ…” Jesus came to die for the sins of humanity and rise again. 1 Corinthians 15:3–4: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day…” YOU CANNOT GET GOD CHEAPLY Gold does not usually lie openly on the surface. It must be sought, discovered and refined. In the same way, we must look beyond the outward appearance of Jesus to understand who He truly is. Jeremiah 29:13: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Behind the soil, there may be gold. Behind the humanity of Jesus, there is the revelation of God. Jesus appeared as a man, but He was more than merely a man. John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.” John 20:28: “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.” The Messiah was hidden behind the humanity of Jesus until He was revealed to those who believed. ANY SPIRIT THAT DENIES JESUS CAME IN THE FLESH The Bible gives a serious warning concerning any teaching that denies the incarnation. 1 John 4:2–3: “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…” Jesus truly came in the flesh. He was not merely a spiritual appearance. He was genuinely human while being divine. WHY ACTS 18:28 IS IMPORTANT Acts 18:28: “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” Apollos and the early Christian preachers had to convince the Jews from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. Many Jews expected the Messiah to establish an earthly political kingdom and deliver them from their enemies. They struggled to understand the manner in which the Messiah would first come. Jesus did not come first as an earthly political ruler. He came as the suffering Servant who would deal with the deeper problem of humanity sin. Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…” His kingdom is ultimately spiritual and eternal. John 18:36: “My kingdom is not of this world…” Luke 1:32–33: “…the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever…” Therefore, Jesus did not fit the people's expectation of what the Messiah should look like, but the Scriptures testified concerning Him. PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: WHY PEOPLE STILL REJECT JESUS Even today, many people reject Jesus because they do not understand what is behind the Gospel. Some see religious hypocrisy, fanaticism, scandals, poor leadership or people who claim Christianity but do not demonstrate Christ-like character. But the failure of people does not invalidate Jesus. We must distinguish between Jesus Christ and the imperfections of people who claim to represent Him. Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” Our faith must ultimately be placed in Christ, not in imperfect human beings. Some people look to God for survival, prosperity, longevity or protection but do not truly know Him. They may place their hope in religious traditions, human philosophies or personal beliefs while rejecting God's saving grace. But the Gospel points us back to Jesus. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GOD Jesus made this clear: John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Peter also declared: Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other…” Jesus did not merely claim to know the way. He declared Himself to be the Way. His resurrection became one of the greatest proofs of His identity. Romans 1:4: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The Christian faith is therefore not founded merely on human philosophy but on the person, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. CONCLUSION: WHO IS BEHIND JESUS? Behind the humanity of Jesus is the divine revelation of God. Jesus is the Word who became flesh. John 1:1–3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him…” And then: John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Colossians 1:15: “Who is the image of the invisible God…” The fullness of God dwells in Him. Colossians 2:9: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” He existed before Abraham. John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.” He is one with the Father. John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.” Thomas called Him God. John 20:28: “My Lord and my God.” And the Father Himself speaks concerning the Son: Hebrews 1:8: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…” Therefore, when we look at Jesus, we must look beyond the physical appearance of the man and understand the divine truth revealed through Him. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh. Jesus Christ is the revelation of God. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Saviour. Jesus Christ is the Way to the Father. And in Him is eternal life. FINAL CHALLENGE Do not stop at what you see on the surface. Look behind Jesus. Look beyond His humanity and discover His divine identity through the Scriptures. John 20:31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” The goal is not merely to know about Jesus. The goal is to know Jesus, believe in Him, and receive the salvation and eternal life that are found in Him.

Sunday 16 August 2026 Portland Metro Church Assembly of God Church Services Notes: The is no excuse By Pastor Jon H. ( king James version) Romans 1:18-23 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 1. There is no excuse for not believing in God. Romans 1:18-20- See about for verses; Job 12:7-9 -But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? Psalm 19:1- The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2. The kind of God that creation reveals. Romans 8:19-22 See about for verses; Revelation 22:3- And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 3. The downward spiral of rejecting God. 4. The sin of idol worship. Romans 1:21 – 23 See about for verses; Exodus 20:3-6- Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 5. The spiritual Warfare of idol worship. 6. The strange Culture we are called to serve. 7. Stay grounded

As they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” Luke 24:36 ɴᴋᴊᴠ The disciples were gathered together in Jerusalem on that day talking of His resurrection. He greeted them with that blessed salutation, “Peace to you.” For theirs was to be a mission of peace, and if they were to prosecute it rightly they must be filled with and kept in peace. With a quiet and matchless dignity, He convinces them as to the reality of His resurrection, assures them that it is Himself and none other who stands before them, and opens their understanding as to the teaching of all Scripture concerning Himself. It was this teaching as to Himself that was to prepare them for the mission and to maintain them in peace in it. Out of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, He showed them God’s plan and His glory (Lk. 24:44–45). Their fears, then, that all they had hoped for was lost, were altogether groundless, for in Him, their risen Lord, everything that God had purposed was secured. And further, though it was not then declared to them, they afterwards learned that in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and that they were complete in Him (Col. 2:9–10). All the resources of God were in Him for them, and there was not a power in the universe that could intercept those resources. Brethren in Christ, are we conscious that our Lord is such a glorious Lord, Center, Leader, and Head for His servants? Those who are in the knowledge of this will fear no foe, for all the foes are defeated, as His resurrection is witness; they will dread no lack, for all the mighty fullness of God is at their disposal in Him. His presence in the midst of those disciples made them one: one in heart, object, and purpose. For what place could divergent views and selfish aspirations find in the presence of their glorious risen Lord? J. T. Mawson https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-16

Return to God and be Uplifted! Repentance brings a change of attitude concerning God. The sinner naturally vilifies God. Even when he speaks of His love, he has no conception of God’s justice and wrath. True repentance brings a sense of the Holy God who cannot look upon sin. It impacts a change of mind concerning sin itself upon a person. The unrepentant delight in sin. A child of God may be tempted to sin and even fall into sin, but his bosom aches when he does so. A true child of God who has repented cannot enjoy sin and continuously longs for deliverance. Before every child of God, there is a vision both of what he is and what he ought to be. He cries with the poet; “O that a man might arise in me that I might ease to be.” Repentance gives the sinners a change of mind concerning him. Before our salvation, we all had a good opinion of ourselves. Like the Pharisees, we often thanked God that, “we were not as other men, extortionist, unjust, adulterers, or even as the publican" (Luke 18:11). But, every one that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted (Verse 14). Where there is true repentance, though, men often despair of themselves, and like the publication, their cry is, “God be merciful to me a sinner”. They echo Paul’s exasperated plea: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death" (Romans 7:24). For Christ came not to call the righteousness, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Repentance affects the motions and will, and also creates a change of feeling. We must beware here lest we are deceived. The old time evangelist who specialized in death-bed stories often created mere human emotion filling the mourners' bench with weeping people. These mourners often had a remorse for their evil doings, deeply regretting they had not been better men and women when they were told about meeting their “mother” in heaven. But remorse in not repentance, though I must say remorse is a very common experience for those who commit sin. Someone has called remorse the “echo of lost virtue”. Remorse is the attitude of mind and heart for some evil done. Repentance, however, goes deeper. Repentance creates a sorrow for what we are rather that remorse for what we have done. Therefore says the Hebrews writer, “Leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ (Messiah), let us go into perfection by not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works” (Hebrews 6:1). Christian repentance is not merely the pangs of an injured conscience. Christian repentance follows the Holy Spirit’s convicting work deep within our soul (John 16:7 and 8). It lays strong hold upon the human will and brings the sinners into conformity with the will of God. It is heeding God’s call from a life of destruction (Mark 1:15). Repentance does not mean merely shedding tears over our wrong doings. It ends in faith in Christ, the Saviour. The Church must preach and teach until these conditions are obtained in the ministries. Then our revival shall have come. For this is the will of God for all mankind (Acts 17:30). Today what the Church and the continents at large need is repentance. The call of the pulpit to the pew must be repentance. And that of the crusades to the nations must similarly be repentance, and this must eventuate in confession of sins. The scripture, therefore, tells us: “Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God” (Jeremiah3:13).That will move our God to come down and heal our many wounds. We are reminded that, “The Lord’s hands is not shortened, that it cannot save neither is His ear heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquity have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isaiah59:1 and 2). He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confess and forsake them shall have mercy (Proverbs 28:13). “For as many as the Lord loves, He rebukes and chastens; be zealous therefore and repent!” (Revelation 3:19). The repentance must not only be among the lowly citizens but must spring from the governors trickling to the governed. “Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand,” declares the Lord Jesus Christ (Mathew 7:24 and 26). Almighty God is calling to the people today as He did to former Israel that, “Therefore also now, says the Lord, Turn even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repent Him of the evil. Who knows if He will return and leave a blessing behind Him, even a meat offering and drink offering unto the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bride-groom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar and let them say: Spare your people O Lord and give not your heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them; wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then the Lord will be so jealous for His land and pity His people. Yes the Lord will answer and say unto His people, Behold I will send you corn, and wine and oil, and you shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen but I will remove far off from you northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face towards the east sea and his hinder part towards the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up and his savor shall come up because he has done great things. Fear not O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things. And I will restore to you the years that locusts has eaten, the cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmerworm my great army which I sent among you. And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that has dealt wondrously with you, and my people shall never be ashamed" (Joel 2:12-21: 25 and 26). The Lord’s northern army is the destruction God brings upon a people as a result of their wickedness. Indeed righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 13:34). For the Lord God of Israel, the Creator of the heavens and the earth loves righteousness and judgement (Psalm 33:5). He stresses that judgement is his strange work (Isaiah 28:21). The reason being that when his judgements are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). When a nation leaves wickedness and turns to the Lord, such a people receive pardon and sure favour from the Lord God Almighty. The psalmist thus wrote: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalms 33:12). The Lord delights in the humility of a people. This makes Him hear our plea and smile back at us with a pardon. And this humility must start in His sanctuary. He says: “If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Therefore every Christian by and far, let us rally in repentance for the healing of our lands. For repentance turns away God’s wrath. Nineveh found itself in a similar situation many African nations are in today. Plagued with wickedness in diverse places and faced with imminent judgment, the Almighty God used Jonah to deliver a message of judgment to the people of Nineveh: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing but He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Unlike most of our folks who hear and turn the head the other way, the Ninevehs believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest-including the king-to the least of them. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way, and God repented them of the evil that he had said He would bring upon them, and He did it not (Jonah 3). Repentance touches the core of God’s heart. Humble yourself and return to the Lord your Creator. Repentance automatically brings healing. The Lord says, “Wash you, and make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil. Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, and judge the fatherless plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together; though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:16-19). The Living God is the healer of nations. The psalmist has declared of Him: “God be merciful to us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That your way may be known upon the earth, your saving health among all nations” (Psalm 67:1 and 2). Perhaps this ought to be the prayer on everyone’s lips now. Stay awake O Christian in the truth! The good LORD has always extended this gracious invitation to man over the millennia. And, therefore, if it is your desire to know Him as He truly is - the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Savior, and Redeemer of mankind, then pray this prayer of repentance unto salvation: “Lord Jesus Christ, I come to you with all the sins I have committed and I beg you to forgive me. I confess that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. Please cleanse my body, soul, and spirit with your precious blood. I need your help Lord, and I ask you to come and live in my heart. I want to serve you, obey your commands and do what is right. I want to live for you every day, please lead and guide me by your Spirit into righteousness. Thank you, O Lord for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen!” Welcome now to this grand and mighty army of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on earth. Read the Bible often, and join a congregation near you where Christ Jesus is preached and the Almighty Godhead: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is worshiped in Spirit and in Truth for your own spiritual growth and strength. The Almighty God make you the apple of His eyes as I solemnly declare of Him: “After He has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you - for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye - I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them” (Zachariah 2:8). The peace and love of Christ Jesus the Lord be with you now and forever.

❤️HOW TO KNOW GOD'S WILL FOR IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN YOUR LIFE. Part 5 of 6. How God Makes Known His Will for Specific Decisions and Needs. Continued. God is under no obligation to fulfill the promise in James 1:5 to give us wisdom unless we are willing to meet the conditions for obtaining it. Moreover, God declares that He only answers prayer when the motive is right, and that mere asking is not sufficient (Jam. 4:3). Frequently the Christian prays for guidance, or a revelation of God's will about some matter, but already has his mind made up as to what he wants to do, or how he would like for God to answer. Some people have been known to lie awake all night pleading with God to answer their prayer with no higher motive than the desire to persuade Him to come over to their side and give them their own way. Therefore, it is just as great a fallacy to emphasize the notion which is so popular today that prayer is the solution to all our problems, as it is to neglect prayer, using it only in an emergency. That is to say, we find the unscriptural idea being promoted on every hand that mere prayer is supposed to be the panacea for all our needs. In every time of crisis, when problems or troubles arise, when a difficult or seemingly impossible situation confronts us, the first thing most people advise is prayer. "Have you tried prayer?" they will ask. Or we are told, quite sincerely, "Did you know, prayer changes things?" They do not tell us, of course, just how prayer will change things, nor do they teach us how to pray about the problem confronting us. We are not advised, furthermore, as to whether or not God requires anything from us in the matter. "Just pray" we are told, "for prayer usually helps." However, as we have seen, God clearly states that He does not answer every prayer, in fact, He emphatically declares that He does not even hear our prayers unless they meet the conditions He has set forth in His Word. One of the most important conditions we must meet when asking for divine wisdom and guidance is that we must ask in faith, believing, without any reservations, that God will answer our request. This is clearly stated in James 1:5-7: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. But how? Let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." The prayer of faith is simply a prayer of expectation. What God tells us here in James 1:5-7 is that when we ask for divine wisdom and guidance we should pray expecting Him to grant our desire. Moreover, the prayer of faith is to be offered but once, for Jesus tells us in Mark 11:24, 'What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." Faith asks but once for God to fulfill a promise. To continue to pray, pleading with God to answer, is our confession that I do not really believe that He has answered when we pray as He tells us to do (Mark 11:24). In view of this fact, if we pray ten times for the same promise, we have prayed nine times in unbelief, for faith knows when to stop praying about the promise and start praising God for the answer. There is a time to stop praying or you will pray yourself out of faith. When is this? You should always stop praying for a promise when you believe you have received the answer. Since Jesus tells us to believe we have received when we pray, quite obviously we should do our believing and receiving when we pray. Then we should cease praying for the answer and begin praising God that the manifestation of the answer is on the way. Jesus does not say in Mark 11:24 that the symptoms will improve immediately when we pray, or that the circumstances will show immediate change, but that we are to believe that He has both heard and granted our petition when we pray and that we shall have it. Faith keeps a distinction between accepting the answer and receiving it to our sight. We are to accept the answer when we pray (believe that God has granted our petition), and we shall have it (manifested to our sight). Merely because we do not see it immediately does not mean that God has not heard our petition and granted the answer, but only that He has not manifested the answer as yet. The question often arises concerning the widow and the judge in Luke 18, as to whether or not Jesus here approves of repetition in prayer for the same thing. This is not, however, an instance of repetition prayer, for Jesus would not contradict Himself elsewhere, but here He is stressing the need of persistence and perseverance in prayer; that is, holding onto a promise by faith, reaffirming daily, by praise and thanksgiving, that we believe that He has heard and granted our petition. In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus condemns repetition prayer as typical of the prayers of the heathen, saying, "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking," but "when you pray believe that you receive" (Mk. 11:24). Our first concern, therefore, when guidance from heaven is needed is not merely to resort to the shallow suggestion we so often hear today that one should "try prayer" as it may help, but it should be a time of searching the Word, and then our hearts, to see if we are fulfilling the conditions for God hearing our prayers and granting our petitions. As A. W. Tower once remarked, the popular notion that God always answers prayer (with "yes" or "no") is a device of Satan to deceive the carnal or indifferent Christian whose request was not answered because of his failure to meet God's conditions. To think that God always answers prayer, even if He says "no," is to take God's refusal to answer a disobedient Christian as the answer itself, contending, "Well, after all, God did answer me - He said 'no'." Such a view of prayer is contrary to Scripture, for God clearly states that He does not even hear those prayers which are not in harmony with His will (1 Jn 5:14-15; Ps. 66:18). Moreover, if an individual erroneously believes the popular notion that God always answers any prayer, and that "no" can also be an answer, then this person is never challenged to face the fact that his failure to receive an answer was due to his disobedience, lack of faith, or his failure to meet some other condition. I can personally testify to the fact that when we are careful to meet the scriptural requirements, then God delights in directing our steps, giving divine guidance and wisdom concerning those matters we place before Him. Thank God it is true, if any man lacks wisdom he may ask of God and it shall be given to him. Do you need wisdom or guidance in some important matter? Have you tried asking God, and in faith expecting Him to answer you? You are invited to do so in James 1:5. By Direct Revelation; As stated at the beginning of Chapter 2, there are eight scriptural methods by which God's will is revealed - three are active, in which we take the initiative, and five are passive, whereby we become the recipients of divine revelation concerning God's will for us. Passive revelation always comes to us unsought. Direct revelation may be either by vision, as in the case of Paul's vision in Acts 16 which was revelation of God's will for him to carry the Gospel into Europe; by direct voice, as seen in the case of God's call of Samuel (1 Sam. 3); by angelic visitation, as, for example, in the angel's visit to Mary and his revelation to her of the birth of Christ; or by dream, as we find, for instance in God's revelation to Daniel of the establishment of His Kingdom (Dan. 7). Jesus promised to continue revelation to the Church after His ascension, saying, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come (Jn. 16:13). When the Church lost the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, she closed the channel and source of revelation. As a consequence, the Church changed her theology to conform with her experience, and there arose the erroneous concept that God purposed that all revelation was to cease with the apostles in the first century. It is interesting that there is not a word in the Scriptures to support this theory, but, on the contrary, God clearly states in 2 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4:11 that He has set in the church the gifts and ministries of revelation. In Romans 12:3-6 and 1 Corinthians 14 He admonishes us to ask for and use the gift of prophecy. In Joel 2 He clearly promises that in the last days "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (2:17); While He promised in John 16:13, quoted above, to continue revelation to the Church through the Holy Spirit whom He would send. The various methods by which He would give His people direct revelation are stated to be by means of prophecy, vision and dream (Num. 12:6; Acts 2:17-18; 1Cor. 12; 14), by direct voice and vision (Jn. 16:13), "speak"' and "show" and on occasion, by angelic visitation (e.g. Luke 1; Acts 10:12; 27:23-24; cf. Heb. 13:2). It is important that we understand that although God occasionally uses each of the passive methods of revelation to unveil His will to us when He so chooses, we should not seek guidance by these means. Why does God choose the direct means of revelation, as, for example, through visions and dreams as a method of communication of His will and purpose? Why does He not merely illumine our minds as to His will as we pray or read His Word seeking guidance? Among other reasons, occasionally He must speak directly to us because of the urgency of the matter about which we are seeking guidance which must be dealt with immediately, or in a certain way, often contrary to what our wisdom and logic might tell us to do. At other times He speaks directly, imparting instruction or guidance, not concerning some matter about which we are praying, but about some important purpose which He wants to accomplish in or through us, which could only be made known to us by direct revelation. Again He speaks to us in visions for the obvious reason that one picture is worth a thousand words. God sometimes communicates His will to us through dreams, inasmuch as the state of sleep has certain definite advantages. At this time the conscious mind is at rest and is free from distractions. The spirit, of course, remains awake and can accept without analyzing and questioning what God desires to impart to us. Moreover, through the medium of vision and dream God can impress upon us revelation which transcends the sense realm and the ability of the intellect alone to comprehend. In some instances, God speaks directly in an audible voice in order to instruct us or reveal His will in some matter. By Indirect Revelation: God speaks to us occasionally by direct means, but generally He communicates His will to us indirectly. It may in the form of an inward knowing or witness in our spirit, or it may come as an inner witness to our spirit, or it may come as an inner witness from the Holy Spirit. At other times the Holy Spirit may give the guidance we need by the illumination of our minds to understand and interpret some portions of scripture which He will direct us to, or by giving the necessary wisdom and insight we require to make the correct decision concerning some matter about which we have prayed for direction. It is in the realm of indirect revelation that the importance of being completely yielded to the Holy Spirit is so evident, as was pointed out in the first chapter. To the extent one is yielded to the Spirit will he be sensitive to His voice when He speaks, and to the extent one is sensitive to His voice will he be able to respond. Moreover, there are many voices seeking to influence the believer, some of which are from God and some are not. Unless one is fully yielded he may be insensitive to the voice of the Spirit, or be deceived and ensnared by that which is false. A small puppy will respond to anyone who calls or offers it a crust of bread, but a well trained mature dog will not do so. It is sensitive only to the voice of its owner. It did not get this way by spending all its time running and playing with the other dogs, but it is the result of devoting long hours in discipline and training, learning to obey and respond to the voice of its master. We become sensitive to the influence and leading of the Spirit in the same manner. God is preparing His children for spiritual warfare ahead which will consist of men and women who will be so sensitive to the voice of the Spirit they will respond immediately and obey without question. Like a computer, they will be able to filter out that which is false and sense any error immediately. They will not have to call the pastor and ask if this or that doctrine is scriptural, or whether the prophecy which they heard is true or false, or whether or not some task they feel led to undertake is from God, the flesh, or the devil. However, the only way the believer will become sensitive will be through total consecration to Jesus and fully yielding to the Spirit. At present we find Christians so untrained in the Scriptures and so insensitive to the voice of the Spirit that many frequently will reject what God is saying and allow themselves to be deceived by that which is false and unscriptural, just as Jesus predicted would occur in these last days (Matt 24; 2 Tim 4:1-4). Again and again we are hearing of those who are falling victim to various errors, such as ultimate reconciliation where God will save everyone regardless if they repent or not including the devil and his demons, false hyper-grace gospel where a Christian does not need to confess sin after he is saved or does not need repentance to stay in fellowship with God, errors on the Godhead where they deny that the Father, Son, Holy Spirit are co-eternal and co-equal, once saved always saved that it does not matter how a person lives his life after salvation, we are all sinners even after salvation and no need to live a consecrated life, the give to get carnal prosperity gospel where you give me money and 100 fold comes back so you will be rich. Or the heresy taught by some that Jesus had to become a sinner on the cross to redeem us and suffered three days in hell tormented by demons. We find others, in a time where we are witnessing the revival of all forms of the occult, being deluded by believing everything supernatural is from heaven, and everyone who prophesies, has a vision, or predicts the future is from God. We find men and women calling themselves Apostles and Prophets commonly now who were never appointed or anointed from heaven but self-appointed deceiving many. As Jesus said, take heed lest YOU be deceived. (Matt 24:4) DISCERNING THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND RECOGNIZING THE WITNESS WITHIN; In order to mature in faith and become effective instruments in God's hands so that we will be in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing, it is necessary for us to learn how to recognize the inner witness of the Spirit, as well as discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. These are the two basic ways by which God leads and directs His people, whether in answer to some prayer for guidance, or in order to fulfill His will and purpose in their lives. We find that God frequently endeavors to speak to His people by means of the voice of His Spirit in order to direct guide, teach, or influence them along some line, but since they have not been taught how to discern His voice He often goes unheeded. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me" Jn. 10:27). How can they follow Him if they do not know how to discern His voice? He certainly did not mean that He intended to shout down out of heaven in order to direct them, but He did promise that He would speak to them by His Spirit which would be within them: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you in all truth" (John 16:13), and "he shall teach you in all things" (14:26). Some Christians are waiting for God to give them a revelation through a vision or prophecy concerning His will for them, or regarding some important matter about which they are praying, when, if they only realized it, God is already trying to communicate His will to them by His Spirit within them. If they would spend a little more time in His Word and in prayer, and be willing to get still before Him for a while, then they would begin to discern His voice and hear Him speaking inwardly to their spirits. The inner voice of the Holy Spirit is the voice of God speaking directly to your spirit in order to guide, admonish, teach, warn, or influence you concerning some matter (about which you may or may not be praying). God also enables us to know His will regarding some matter about which we are praying, or about some question which concerns us, by means of a witness within. This is an inward knowing in your spirit that a certain contemplated action on your part, or some doctrine, or revelation, for example, is right or wrong. Not only is the Christian the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who abides within to speak the direct revelation of God's will to him (Jn 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-13), but he also has, by virtue of the new birth, a new heart to discern spiritual things himself, and know the will of God intuitively by his own spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-16). He has received an anointing which abides in him and teaches him all things (1 Jn. 2:27). Thus, we find that it is also through his own enlightened spirit that the Christian is able by an inward knowing or witness to discern whether or not something is right or wrong. Let us say, for example, that you are praying about some matter about which you must make a decision, such as whether or not to buy a certain piece of property, marry a particular individual, or accept an invitation to speak to some religious group. If after thinking and praying about the question you find that inwardly there is a positive confirmation in your spirit to go ahead in the matter, or, you find that you experience a sense of uncertainty, reluctance, or heaviness of spirit, then this is an inner witness in your spirit informing you of God's will in the matter. In the former instance, your spirit was witnessing to you to go ahead, and in the latter, it was a warning not to take the proposed action. The witness within is an inward knowing intuitively, through the enlightened spirit of a Christian, that a certain contemplated action, a doctrine, some individual, or a ministry, for instance, is right or wrong, whereas the inner voice of the Holy Spirit is God speaking directly by His Spirit within you concerning some matter. It must be stressed, however, that the inward witness and the inner voice of the Spirit are not merely some "feeling" we may have about a matter. They have nothing to do with what one feels either with the physical senses or the emotions. It is either an inward knowing (inner witness) that something is right or wrong, or it is an inner awareness that the Spirit of God is speaking directly to our spirit about some matter (inner voice of the Spirit). Edited. Shared. To be Continued. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead), continues to dwell in bodily form - giving complete expression of the divine nature [Colossians 2:9] Amplified.

Psalm 82 Explained. Does God charge His angels with folly? Yes. That is what David saw and wrote about in Psalm 82. He saw this in a vision because God allowed him to see the judgment of angels. Eliphaz also mentions God charging His angels with folly in the book of Job: Job 4:18 Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly. God seemed to be unsettled about the complacency of these gods who walked and lived among the sons of men. They had watched the evil deeds of men go unpunished right in front of their eyes. Why I believe that God was rebuking angels and not men is because of Psalm 82: 1. The scene is related to heaven, and not Earth, and Job has revealed to us that the sons of God always go before God to present themselves continually, after a long time sojourning amongst the sons of men. Psalm 82 expressly shows how God is often displeased with the negligence & lack of compassion shown by these angels towards those who face injustice the most - the poor, the widowed, the fatherless, and the afflicted or disease-ridden. 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Angels are not perfect beings from the least to the highest ranking, not even Lucifer, who was the most beautiful and wisest of the angels. Isaiah said Lucifer was the sum of all beauty and wisdom, which means, of all the angels that God had made, he was the wisest and the most beautiful. Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. The gods of Psalm 82: 1. The "gods" in Psalm 82 refers to angels of the lowest hierarchy. They are the sons of God that continually go before God's throne to present themselves after a long time sojourning on Earth. They are the watchers of mankind. These angels are not like the higher-ranking ones such as the Seraphim and Cherubim, who by their proximity to God and the throne of mercy are expected to worship God in the purest form of holiness and perfection, by maintaining the purest thoughts and holiest intentions. This is why the bible said Lucifer was perfect from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. Iniquity by definition is the manifestation of any thought or intention that falls below the purest & holiest admiration for God and His throne, which is not the same standard for the lowest ranking angels that are farthest away from God and his throne. For the earthly angels, like the gods, as Psalm 82 calls them, God saw the fault in the dispensation of their Earthly duties and judged them for their inability to do rightly by the sons of men. The gods in Psalm 82 are the earthly angels who work closely with the human race. They are not angels of worship like the Seraphim or angels of God’s presence like the Cherubim. In Psalm 82:2-7, God stood among the host and judged between who did wrong and who did right, considering that heaven is a place of perfection, and holiness. No iniquity is allowed in heaven. Any detection of iniquity leads to immediate eviction and judgment, which we read in the case of Lucifer. For a Cherubim like Lucifer, his eviction happened like a flash of lightning due to the thoughts of his heart. It was the first iniquity that was ever recorded in heaven. Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!... For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the most High. He was evicted while the thoughts were still running through his heart, nowhere does the bible say he led a rebellion afterwards. The Bible says he was perfect from the day he was created till iniquity was found in him. That iniquity was his thoughts, and nowhere did the bible say he ever carried out the desires of his heart. All of heaven’s hosts including the 24 elders worship the Godhead, but Lucifer thought within himself to exalt his throne above every other throne, which means, there are still thrones above his station. Heaven is a place of order, you don't break ranks, and are expected to be faithful in the office that you have been called to serve. As the highest ranking angel, he has a throne, except that he is still outranked by higher levels of authorities that are non-angelic beings, such as the 24 elders. Lucifer was not called before God to be judged for his iniquity, he was evicted from heaven at the instant. The sons of God, however, must go before God to present themselves after they have completed a milestone in their assignment, primarily to watch over the sons of men, and do what is right in God's eyes. These sons of God who sojourned among men were also the class of angels that were ensnared by the beauty of the daughters of men in Genesis 6 and decided to take wives for themselves, which indicates just how closely they interact with the human race. They walk among men, disguised as regular human beings, and some probably become kings, rulers and judges etc like Melchizedek, King of Salem. Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Psalm 82:6-7 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. These are consequences they can relate to. The sons of God share the same fate with mortal men they work closely with. The mighty ones fall and become like territorial princes, like the Prince of Persia that Archangel Michael had to fight to free Gabriel. Daniel 10:13, 20 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me… Then he said, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. Mind you, Gabriel mentioned he would return to "fight his way out." Michael is still actively fighting the prince of Persia until Gabriel’s message is delivered to Daniel. Gabriel could not prevail against the Prince of Persia alone because the prince of Persia is a fallen host from the class of the mighty ones — princes of war and deliverance — while Gabriel is a messenger. The prince of Persia is one of the fallen hosts God referenced in Psalm 82:7 when He warned: you shall fall like one of the princes. God was talking to no human rulers. Gabriel is not primarily a warrior, but that doesn’t mean he cannot fight. The prince of Persia was a mighty one who outranked Gabriel, but not Michael. This is like a non-combatant officer trying to break through an enemy’s frontline. They can defend themselves, but lack the expertise. Michael has that expertise. He is the one who broke through the blockade of the Prince of Persia, and the one who fought the dragon and cast him to the earth in Revelation 12. So Gabriel was stranded with the Prince of Persia. He fought well enough to defend himself and hold his ground until Michael came and broke through. Who Are the Mighty and the Gods? Psalm 82:1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods. Who are the mighty? They are the princes - the angels God assigned to war and the deliverance of His people. Isaiah 13:3 I have commanded My sanctified ones, I have also called My mighty ones for Mine anger, even them that rejoice in My highness. God pronounced judgment against Babylon in Isaiah 13 and called His mighty ones to depose the prince over Babylon. This coincided with the Medes overthrowing Babylon in one single night. Joel 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. This is a prayer request from Joel pleading with God to send His angels of deliverance to deliver Israel from his enemies roundabout. Who were the gods that God was judging amongst in Psalm 82: 1? These are the angels called the sons of God. Their role is to monitor and watch over the sons of men and the Earthly realm, the Earthly angels, who also by appearance can blend perfectly among the sons of men without raising suspicion. Oftentimes, they work their way up among the peoples, nations and kingdoms where they sojourn and become their rulers, judges and nobles. I believe that this is the case of Mechizdek, King of Salem, who met Abraham on his way back from rescuing his household from captivity. The sons of God are the lowest ranking angels in God's kingdom, and are the ones right above mankind in the divine ladder. Just like Adam was called the son of God in Luke 3: 38, these angels are called the sons of God because they were created in the image and likeness of God. They have no father nor mother, and no beginning nor end of days, like Melchizedek. They are the closest beings in resemblance to the image of God before man was created. Luke also refers to Adam as the son of God - made in the image and resemblance of God. Luke 3:38 The son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. The higher you go in the angelic ladder, the lesser angels look in resemblance to God's image. The lowest ranking angels can blend into the human world perfectly while the highest ranking angels will be very frightening for humans to behold. The word "gods" has a broad meaning. It can refer to God’s angelic hosts or fallen angels. Psalm 82:1 says God standeth in the congregation of the mighty, He judgeth among the gods, these gods is a reference to God’s angelic host, and not satanic hosts. In Exodus, God said He would execute judgment upon the gods of Egypt: Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt tonight, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Here, God identifies the gods of Egypt as devils: Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not. The witch of Endor saw "gods" ascending out of the underworld: 1 Samuel 28:13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. The gods whom she saw are the satanic hosts and pagan deities which the heathen nations worship and make graven idols & groves to honour and worship. The term “gods” was also used for the Spirit of wisdom in Daniel: Daniel 4:8 In whom is the spirit of the holy gods The term "holy gods" is used four times in Daniel to refer to the Spirit of God. The Judgment in Psalm 82:2-7 In Psalm 82, David sees God standing in the midst of a heavenly host of princes (the mighty ones) and watchers (the gods). God is judging among the sons of God for letting evil go unpunished when they had the opportunity to act, but refused. So, technically, God has two categories of angels assigned to work on Earth, one to preside over nations and kingdoms spiritually, and the other to blend in perfectly among sons of men. If there are fallen princes, then God must surely have his own active host of princes to mark, reclaim and depose fallen princes from spiritual territories as well. I believe this is a constant spiritual war behind the scenes. This would mark the era of angelology, rather than christology where the sons of men have now been given power to become the sons of God. In the era of angelology, God assigned angels to spiritual war and deliverance, and there is war constantly in the heavens, which explains why there was war constantly on the Earth also, among warring factions of fallen princes and between God's host and the fallen hosts categorically. In the book of Daniel, Greece fought against Persia and deposed it, which is reminiscent of the vision of Daniel about the goat with one notable horn that smote the ram with two horns. This also brings to remembrance the spiritual battles of angel Gabriel while in the realms of the kingdom of Persia. Psalm 82:2-7 Psalms 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Who was God addressing? This was never and address to the sons of men nor earthly rulers, judges and princes but the sons of God who that were tasked with watching over the sons of men. Verse 1 had already made it clear that God was judging among the gods. The sons of God are compare to gods among men, because they neither age nor die, they're immortal, divine and angelic compared to humans. Some people would say, angels are not the ones being addressed in verse 2 - 7 because they are perfect and holy. Here's my answer, well, we know from Lucifer's Story that they are not, insomuch as there is present in them the knowledge of good and evil, which God himself admitted to in Genesis 3: 22 Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: If God were addressing the sons of men, how do we reconcile Psalm 82: 6 where God also called the people he was rebuking “gods” and children of the most high? God would never call wicked earthly rulers "gods" and "children of the Most High" after accusing them of injustice. Psalm 82: 7 But thou shalt die like men. It seems as though God is saying that he is able to subject the sons of God to mortal death. Their nature must be so close to that of humanity, that they can also lose their immortality, just the way Adam lost it. It would seem impossible but seeing Adam also could have lived forever like Melchizedek if he had abstained from eating the forbidden fruit but chose to eat from the tree of the fruit of life instead. These sons of God are also the angels that took wives in Genesis 6 and gathered giants with the daughters of men, indicating that they are not just angelic hosts, but are also biologicals to an extent, which also explains why they are the lowest in the angelic ranking prior to God creating Adam. If Adam had not fallen, and the death that God warned him about never took power from him, Melchizedek would have been the absolute blueprint of God's design for Adam and his race. He would have eaten from the tree of life and lived forever, he and all of his seed. Earth would have been the material replica of God's kingdom in heaven. As angels that live forever to serve and worship God, so would mankind live forever to serve and worship God. Man will be like the angels in heaven, like the sons of God to be precise, except in a lower form, and as biological beings that have a responsibility to marry and reproduce, where angels in heaven cannot. Psalm 82: 7 Thou shall fall as one of the princes. Examples of such fallen princes referenced are the princes over Persia and Greece. The prince of Persia delayed Gabriel for 21 days. He broke through only with Michael’s help. These are examples of fallen hosts previously among the class of the mighty ones. The angels Charged with Folly Job 4:18 Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly. Folly means God expected them to carry the banner of righteousness wherever they went, but they failed to act. They were supposed to supernaturally confront evil doers when they had the chance, but they didn’t. They let evil go unpunished. Their assignment is not to circle the earth like superheroes vanquishing all evil, but to watch the sons of men, as the eyes and ears of God. This doesn't mean they are expected to do nothing, or act as though there is a non-interference policy in their work. It's that when they sojourn in a place, they are expected to flip the tables so that righteousness reigns rather than evil. It doesn't mean all the Earth will be righteous nor does it mean all the Earth will be evil either. It only means that if there are a handful of nations that are righteous in God's eyes, it's most likely because there are righteous men & sons of God present there. An evil nation or kingdom will probably mean there is no son of God or righteous man sojourning in that nation. Let's take a look at the conversation of Abraham with God as he journeyed towards Sodom & Gomorrah. Genesis 18:24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 18:26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. Genesis 18:31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. God said that if he had found twenty righteous people in Sodom, he would have spared it for the sake of the twenty. This doesn't even mean the righteous nations are “righteous” in the real sense, it only means that God won't destroy the wicked with the righteous, so for the sake of the righteous, God would spare those wicked nations. Sodom was just as wicked as every other nation, but there was not within it a single soul or son of God that sojourned there except for Lot, which means one righteous person is not enough to save Sodom, but if God had seen twenty righteous souls, he would have spared it. This is the reason why God came down to see the wicked deeds of Sodom for himself. The same thing goes for Noah, he was the only righteous man on Earth, God decided to save both Noah and Lot alive, while he wiped out everyone else and everything associated with them. The sons of God that were supposed to do righteousness behind the scenes in Genesis 6 decided to take wives instead and somehow, they abandoned their duty post instead of preventing God’s judgment from coming upon the sons of men. They let evil go unchecked and when not so much as one righteous man was left in God's sight, God decided to close that page in human history, visited Noah as a means to rekindle human civilization after the first world has been destroyed. So, this is why God was angrily rebuking the gods in Psalm 82. From what I can discern, they are prone to negligence in their work. Genesis 6 was the worst case scenario where they went too far by taking wives, while abandoning their duties to watch over the sons of men, and in that process men became more and more evil, because there was nobody to do the check and balances. Evil spiralled out of control and God called it. Same pattern, same wickedness.

Acts 17: "1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. 5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. 10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed. 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them."

✨ The unity of One True God #Lordsbook #Godhead #Matthew28

✝️The Holy Spirit now lives in every believer. #Lordsbook #Salvation #Godhead #Trinity #John316 #John1426 #HolySpirit #GratefulForSalvation