Need to know. CAN A CHRISTIAN LISTEN TO WORLDLY SECULAR MUSIC? THE SHOCKING TRUTH MANY BELIEVERS ARE AFRAID TO DISCUSS Child of God, this is one of the most debated questions in Christianity today. Some believers say, "Music is just entertainment." Others believe anything outside worship is dangerous. But the real question is this: What is your music feeding? Your flesh or your spirit? Music is never just background noise. It shapes emotions, influences thoughts, creates atmospheres, and affects your spiritual sensitivity. Many people judge music by the beat while ignoring the message it carries. The Bible shows that music has spiritual influence. In 1 Samuel 16:23, David's harp brought relief to Saul as the evil spirit departed. If godly music can usher in peace, worship, and God's presence, shouldn't we also consider what ungodly music may be inviting into our hearts? This is why discernment matters. Not every secular song is evil, but neither is every song spiritually safe. The issue isn't simply the rhythm—it's the message, the values it celebrates, and the fruit it produces in your life. Much of today's music glorifies lust, immorality, pride, violence, greed, drunkenness, revenge, and rebellion against God's ways. Ask yourself honestly: • If I spend hours every day feeding on messages that oppose God's Word, how will that shape my heart? Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Music enters through emotion and repetition. What you repeatedly listen to eventually shapes your desires, attitudes, and spiritual appetite. It is no surprise that many believers know every lyric of a worldly song but struggle to remember Scripture or spend time in prayer. At the same time, avoid legalism. Not every secular song promotes sin. Some simply tell stories about life, family, or human experiences. That's why believers need the guidance of the Holy Spirit—not blanket condemnation. Instead, ask these questions: • Does this music glorify sin? • Does it stir ungodly desires? • Does it weaken or strengthen my relationship with Christ? Philippians 4:8 calls us to dwell on whatever is true, pure, honorable, lovely, and worthy of praise. Romans 12:2 reminds us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The truth is simple: • Not everything lawful is beneficial. • Not everything popular is healthy. • Not everything entertaining is harmless. Guard your heart. Protect your spiritual atmosphere. Let the Holy Spirit shape what fills your mind, because what fills your heart will eventually shape your life. What do you think? Can Christians listen to secular music? Have you seen music affect your walk with God?

In the Scripture, the prophet Samuel chose a young man named Saul to be the first leader of Israel. Saul was tall, good looking, strong, he looked like a king. But over time, Saul got off course. He started compromising and not making good decisions. Finally, God told Samuel that He was rejecting Saul as the king. Samuel was so disappointed that the Scripture says he wept and wept. In 1 Samuel 16, God said, “Samuel, how long are you going to mourn over Saul?” God is asking us, how long are you going to mourn over what you’ve lost? How long are you going to be discouraged over the relationship that didn’t work out, over the position that you didn’t get, over the loved one that didn’t make it? The problem with continuing to mourn is it will keep you from the new things that God has for you. Yes, there’s a time for mourning, but you can’t let a season of mourning turn into a lifetime of mourning.

Lifeline Today Sunday August 16 Extending Grace The king said, is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the [unfailing, unsought, unlimited] mercy and kindness of God? Ziba replied, Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet. 2Samuel 9:3 (AMP) The grace of God has a vertical significance as a gift from Him. And like the Cross of Christ, there is also horizontal grace – our extending it to others. When we remind ourselves always of where God has brought us from, to where we are, we easily allow Him to take another person through us. Mephibosheth has zero personal appeal; but David stooped in grace. Like the late pastor and Bible scholar Donald Barnhouse said: “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoop is grace.” To show grace is to extend favour or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. This is your day. Wisdom Fountain: "Be graceful in everything; in anger, in sadness, in joy, in kindness, in unkindness, retain grace with you!" Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the boundless grace You constantly pour into my life. As You have forgiven and accepted me, please grant me the strength and compassion to extend that same unearned grace, mercy, and patience to the people around me in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS: SERMON TOPIC: IS YOUR LIFE A STAGE OR AN ALTAR? Main Text: Romans 12:1 «“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”» WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING WITH YOUR LIFE? Every day, we stand before an audience. People watch what we do. People listen to what we say. People observe our success, relationships, appearance, ministry and lifestyle. But there is an audience greater than humanity: God. The question is not simply, “What do people think about me?” The deeper question is: “What does God see when He looks at my life?” A stage is where people perform to be seen. An altar is where a person surrenders to God. On a stage, the question is: «“How do I look?”» At an altar, the question is: «“Lord, what do You want from me?”» Many people are living on a stage while believing they are standing at an altar. They pray publicly but disobey privately. They appear spiritual before people but live differently when nobody is watching. They want the applause of men but have lost the approval of God. Today, God is calling us from performance to surrender, from appearance to authenticity, and from the stage to the altar. 1. THE STAGE SEEKS APPLAUSE; THE ALTAR SEEKS GOD'S APPROVAL Jesus warned about religious performance. Matthew 6:1 «“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.”» Jesus was not condemning good works. He was exposing the wrong motive. You can do the right thing for the wrong reason. You can preach because you want recognition. You can sing because you want applause. You can give because you want people to celebrate you. You can post Scripture because you want people to praise your spirituality. But God looks beyond the action and examines the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 «“Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”» The stage asks: “Who is watching?” The altar asks: “Is God pleased?” A person living at the altar does not need human applause to remain faithful. Spiritual insight: If your Christianity only works when people are watching, you may be performing rather than worshipping. 2. THE STAGE DISPLAYS TALENT; THE ALTAR REVEALS CHARACTER Talent can put you on a platform. Character determines whether you can remain there without destroying yourself. David had musical ability. David had courage. David had leadership ability. But before David stood before kings, he learned to stand before God in the wilderness. The altar develops what the stage cannot produce. The stage can reveal your gift. The altar reveals your heart. A person can be gifted and still lack character. A person can preach powerfully and live carelessly. A person can sing beautifully and still have an uncontrolled heart. A person can be celebrated publicly and be broken privately. That is why God is more interested in who you are becoming than merely what you are doing. Galatians 5:22–23 The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Notice that Scripture calls these fruit, not performance. Fruit grows from a life connected to God. Ask yourself: What happens to my character when nobody is watching? That question can reveal whether your life is a stage or an altar. 3. THE STAGE WANTS TO RECEIVE; THE ALTAR IS WILLING TO SURRENDER An altar is a place of sacrifice. Romans 12:1 says: «“Present your bodies a living sacrifice…”» God does not merely want your Sunday. He wants your Monday. He does not only want your voice in church. He wants your conversations at home. He does not only want your offering. He wants your heart. He does not only want your public ministry. He wants your private obedience. The stage says: “God, bless what I want to do.” The altar says: “God, I surrender what I want to do to Your will.” That is the difference. Jesus demonstrated this in Gethsemane. Luke 22:42 «“Not my will, but thine, be done.”» That is altar language. Sometimes the greatest worship you can give God is not a song. It is surrender. 4. THE STAGE CAN BE MAINTAINED BY APPEARANCE; THE ALTAR REQUIRES TRUTH A stage can be decorated. An altar cannot hide the condition of the sacrifice. God is calling His people back to authenticity. Psalm 51:6 «“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts…”» God wants truth in the hidden places. Who are you when the phone is off? Who are you when nobody is applauding? Who are you when you are angry? Who are you when you have money? Who are you when you have power? Who are you when temptation comes? Who are you when nobody can reward you? That is where character is tested. Christianity is not merely about looking holy. It is about becoming holy. 5. GOD DOES NOT WANT A PERFORMANCE; HE WANTS A LIVING SACRIFICE Romans 12:1 gives us the picture clearly: «“Present your bodies a living sacrifice…”» Notice the word living. The Christian life is not a one-time emotional experience. It is daily surrender. Every morning, we should be able to say: “Lord, my life belongs to You.” My plans belong to You. My career belongs to You. My relationships belong to You. My finances belong to You. My gifts belong to You. My body belongs to You. My future belongs to You. That is life on the altar. BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: SAUL AND DAVID Two men were anointed by God. Two men were given opportunities. But their responses to God were different. Saul became increasingly concerned about how he appeared before people. 1 Samuel 15:24 Saul admitted that he feared the people and obeyed their voice. David, despite his failures, repeatedly returned to God with a repentant heart. Psalm 51:10 «“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”» Saul was concerned about his image. David was concerned about his heart. One was more concerned about the stage. The other understood the altar. This does not mean David was perfect. He was not. It means that when confronted by God, David learned to return to Him. STAGE VS ALTAR THE STAGE| THE ALTAR Seeks applause| Seeks God's approval Focuses on appearance| Focuses on character Wants recognition| Wants obedience Performs before people| Surrenders before God Protects image| Pursues holiness Says “Look at me”| Says “Lord, use me” Lives for public approval| Lives for divine purpose PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS 1. Examine your motives Ask: “Why am I doing what I am doing?” 2. Build a private life with God Do not allow your public ministry to become larger than your private relationship with God. 3. Stop living for human applause People can praise you today and criticize you tomorrow. God's approval must become your anchor. 4. Repent where necessary If there are hidden areas of compromise, bring them before God. Do not protect what God is asking you to surrender. 5. Practice obedience when nobody is watching The secret place is where genuine Christianity is developed. 6. Make your whole life worship Your workplace can become worship. Your family life can become worship. Your business can become worship. Your ministry can become worship. Your private decisions can become worship. DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS 1. God is more interested in your heart than your platform. A bigger platform without a deeper heart can become dangerous. 2. Public success cannot compensate for private failure. You can impress thousands and still grieve God. 3. The altar comes before the platform. Before God uses a person publicly, He often works on that person privately. 4. Your greatest audience is God. People see moments. God sees the entire life. 5. The altar is where ambition dies and purpose is born. Sometimes God must remove our desire to be seen before He can trust us to be used. QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION 1. Am I living to please God or to impress people? 2. Who am I when nobody is watching? 3. Is my private life consistent with my public confession? 4. Am I more interested in being celebrated or being transformed? 5. What have I refused to surrender to God? 6. Have I allowed social media to become my stage? 7. Is my ministry flowing from intimacy with God or the desire for recognition? 8. If God removed the applause, would I still serve Him? 9. What area of my life needs to return to the altar? 10. Can God trust me with a greater platform? POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. Prayer for a pure heart Father, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Let my private life please You. 2. Prayer against hypocrisy Lord, deliver me from every form of hypocrisy and spiritual performance. Let my public life agree with my private life. 3. Prayer for genuine surrender Father, I surrender my plans, ambitions, gifts, relationships and future to You. Have Your way in my life. 4. Prayer against the desire for human applause Lord, free me from the bondage of seeking human approval. Teach me to live for Your approval alone. 5. Prayer for character Holy Spirit, develop Christlike character in me. Let my character be greater than my platform. 6. Prayer for usefulness Lord, make my life an instrument in Your hands. Let everything You have placed in me bring glory to Your name. COME DOWN FROM THE STAGE. Perhaps the greatest question today is not: “How many people know me?” It is: “Does God know me?” Not: “How impressive is my life?” But: “How surrendered is my life?” The world says: “Build your platform.” God says: “Build your altar.” The world says: “Make people notice you.” God says: “Let your light shine so that people may glorify your Father.” The stage is temporary. The applause is temporary. Popularity is temporary. Titles are temporary. But what you do for God and who you become in Christ have eternal significance. So today, come down from the stage. Lay down the need to impress. Lay down the need to be celebrated. Lay down the hidden compromise. Lay down the pride. Lay down the fear of people's opinions. Lay down your plans. And say: «“Lord, here I am. My life is Yours.”» FINAL DECLARATION My life will not be a stage for human applause. My life will be an altar for God's glory. My gifts will serve His purpose. My character will reflect Christ. My private life will honor Him. My public life will glorify Him. And everything I am and everything I have will belong to Jesus. Amen. If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my selar/Amazon shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon/author/umohedembooks CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540 Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com

Acts 22: "1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them."

Amazing Facts Daily Devotionals Once you are saved, can you ever lose your salvation? Pt. 1 August 13th, 2026 There are many examples in the Bible of people who had a saving relationship with God and were filled with the Spirit, but then they turned away … such as King Saul and Judas. Jesus will never let go of us, but we can let go of Him. We always have that freedom. The concept that once you are saved you can never be lost is unbiblical. People sometimes turn from God after following Him for a time. Peter puts it like this: “But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire’ ” (2 Peter 2:22). On the other extreme, some people believe that you need to walk every day in doubt of your relationship with the Lord. Yet the Bible is clear that we can walk in assurance. Paul writes, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Another verse says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). According to the Bible, the notion that once a person is saved he cannot be lost is just not true. One of the clearest verses in Scripture states: “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die” (Ezekiel 18:24). In other words, a person who was righteous can turn away from God and be lost. If a person is saved and cannot lose his salvation, why would he need to “hold fast” and not waver according to Hebrews 10:23? Because God has given people the freedom of choice. Key Bible Texts Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 2 Samuel 1:19 King Saul was a chief enemy of David. He tried every means to kill him and when he could not, he killed those who withheld information from him that could have led to him killing David. He hunted for David day and night, from mountains to valleys, from cities to villages, from the room to the palace. Yet, when David heard of Saul's death, he lamented calling Saul THE BEAUTY OF ISRAEL. No matter how bad someone is to you, he is still good to others. No matter how bad someone may be to you, there is something good in that person. David teaches us to focus on the beauty in people and not their ugliness. For David, the beauty of Israel was not the garden but one person called Saul because he was anointed of the Lord. David kept seeing the anointing of God upon Saul and not his human weakness. And even in his death, David kept to that. Let's learn to see the good in people. Telling people how bad others are will never make you good. SELAH. YAHWEH IS ON YOUR SIDE TODAY PST EMAMUZO PETER

The spirit of assumption: Lessons from the Life of King David 👑 We partner with this principality every day. We assume we know someone’s heart, we assume we know how a situation will end, or we assume our secrets are safe. But history shows that partnering with this principality is the quickest way to ruin relationships, leadership, and lives. Look at the web of toxic assumptions that surrounded King David in the Bible: ❌ What others assumed ABOUT David Samuel assumed Jesse’s oldest son Eliab was God's chosen king based entirely on his tall, noble appearance. Jesse assumed David was too young, insignificant, and unqualified to even be called from the fields to meet the prophet. Eliab (his brother) assumed David was an arrogant, vain thrill-seeker who only came to the battlefield out of malice, mockingly asking who was watching his "few sheep." King Saul assumed David was just an inexperienced kid who could not possibly survive a physical fight with a veteran giant like Goliath. Goliath assumed he could easily crush David, mocking his youth and his simple shepherd's staff. King Hanun of Ammon assumed David's comforting messengers were actually hostile spies sent to map out and overthrow his city. King Achish of Gath assumed David had become fiercely loyal to him and hated Israel, completely unaware David was secretly raiding Philistine allies. The General Public assumed he was a lawless, desperate rebel when he fled Saul; assumed he ordered a political hit when Abner died; and assumed God had permanently cursed and abandoned him during Absalom's rebellion. Assumptions made by David's men The Quick Vengeance Assumption: In the cave of En Gedi, when King Saul entered alone, David's men instantly assumed God had delivered Saul to be killed (1 Samuel 24:4). They assumed David's path to the throne required assassination, and they were shocked when David chose mercy instead. The "All is Lost" Assumption at Ziklag: When the Amelakites burned their town and captured their families, the men assumed David was completely to blame for the tragedy (1 Samuel 30:6). In their grief, they assumed stoning David was the only logical response, momentarily forgetting his years of faithful leadership. The Spoils of War Assumption: After rescuing their families, the greedy men in David's army assumed that the 200 exhausted soldiers who stayed behind to guard the baggage didn't deserve a share of the recovered goods (1 Samuel 30:22). They assumed rewards belonged only to those who physically fought. Assumptions made by Michal (His First Wife) The "Vulgar Fellow" Assumption: When David danced dynamically before the Ark of the Covenant, Michal watched from a palace window [2 Samuel 6:16]. She assumed his ecstatic praise was not genuine worship, but rather cheap, vulgar exhibitionism meant to show off in front of young servant girls [2 Samuel 6:20]. The Status Assumption: Coming from royal blood as King Saul's daughter, she assumed a king should always maintain rigid, aloof, and majestic dignity. She assumed David was degrading the royal office by stripping down to a simple linen garment. Abigail (His Second Wife) The Imminent Bloodshed Assumption: When her first husband, Nabal, insulted David, Abigail immediately assumed David was on his way to slaughter every male in her household [1 Samuel 25:22]. She didn't wait around; she assumed David’s wrath was volatile and fast-moving, prompting her to intercept him with gifts to prevent a massacre. The Inevitable Royalty Assumption: While David was still a hunted fugitive living in caves, Abigail assumed his ultimate rise to the throne was an absolute certainty [1 Samuel 25:28-30]. She explicitly told him she knew God would build him a lasting dynasty, assuming his current hardship was just temporary. Bathsheba (His Most Famous Wife) The Absolute Monarchy Assumption: When David summoned her to the palace after watching her bathe, Bathsheba likely operated under the assumption that a king's command could not be refused or questioned [2 Samuel 11:4]. In the ancient Near East, challenging a king’s sexual summons often meant death or ruin for a woman and her family. The Protection Assumption: After her husband Uriah was killed, Bathsheba assumed marrying David would bring her security, legitimacy, and protection for her pregnancy. She later assumed she had to aggressively secure the throne for her son Solomon when David grew old and passive, knowing her life depended on it [1 Kings 1:15-21]. ⚠️ The dangerous assumptions David made HIMSELF: The Cover-Up Assumption: David assumed he could permanently hide his adultery with Bathsheba by engineering Uriah’s death, learning the hard way that death doesn't silence secrets. The Prideful Census Assumption: David presumed that taking a national military census—fueled by self-reliance—was a harmless administrative task, ignoring warnings and violating divine law. The Passive Parenting Assumption: He assumed family trauma and friction among his children (Amnon and Absalom) would just blow over, letting resentment brew until it exploded into a violent coup. The Political Trophy Assumption: David assumed pulling Michal away from her new husband to reclaim her as a wife would easily solidify his political claim, miscalculating her deep trauma and resentment. The Despair Assumption: For the first time, David assumed God’s protection had an expiration date, telling himself "Saul will destroy me," which drove him straight into enemy territory as a double agent. The Survival Assumption: In a moment of deep despair, David assumed God’s protection had an expiration date and told himself, "Saul will destroy me." This single assumption drove him straight into enemy territory. The Takeaway: We See how this principality wreaked havok in David's life. People will misjudge you based on your appearance, your past, or their own insecurities. But the real danger lies in the assumptions you make when you are desperate, prideful, or trying to hide a mistake. While we all been afflicted by this spirit at some point in our lives, if your life looks anything like David's, I urge you to seek deliverance. Stop guessing. Stop assuming. Check your heart, look at the facts, and trust the truth over your feelings, and God's Word over this spirit's deception.

A Nugget of Truth. WHO IS SPIRITUAL ISRAEL? The Bible shows that being part of God’s true Israel was never based solely on physical ancestry. God’s covenant people have always been identified by faith, obedience and a surrendered heart. Paul explains: “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” Romans 9:6 “He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly… But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly.” Romans 2:28–29 Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that their privileged position as God’s covenant nation would be removed if they rejected Him: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” Matthew 21:43 This did not mean that individual Jews could no longer be saved. The apostles themselves were Jewish, and salvation remained open to every Jewish person who accepted Christ. What changed was that the Jewish nation was no longer the exclusive covenant nation through which God’s work would be carried forward. That decisive rejection is seen in Acts 7, when Stephen gave his final appeal to the Jewish council. They rejected his testimony, stoned him and laid their garments at the feet of Saul. Immediately after this, the gospel began to move more fully beyond the Jewish nation. “They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” Acts 8:4 God’s covenant people would now be formed from both Jews and Gentiles who accepted Christ by faith. “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28–29 Gentile believers were not placed into a separate plan of salvation. They were grafted into the same spiritual olive tree through faith, while unbelieving branches were broken off. “Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.” Romans 11:20 Spiritual Israel does not replace faithful Jewish believers. Spiritual Israel includes every person, Jew or Gentile, who belongs to Christ. The true Israel of God is not determined by bloodline, nationality or earthly borders, but by faith in Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart.

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.