ANGRY SNAKE A carpenter went home after shutting down his workshop. When he was gone, a poisonous snake entered his workshop. The snake was hungry and hoped to find its supper lurking somewhere within. It slithered from one and to another. Finally it bumped into an axe and got very slightly injured. In angry and revenge, the snake bit the snake with full force. What could a snake’s bite do to the metallic axe? Instead the snake’s mouth started bleeding. Out of fury and arrogance, the snake tried its best to strangle and kill the metallic axe - The object that was causing it the pain by wrapping itself around the axe. The next day the carpenter opened the workshop. He found the dead snake wrapped around the blades of the axe. Here the snake did not die because of someone’s fault. But it faced these consequences merely because of its own anger and wrath. Sometimes when angry, we try to cause harm to others. But as time passes by, we realise that we caused more harm to ourselves. It is not necessary that we react to everything. Step back and ask ourselves if the matter is really worth responding to.

Brenda Walsh Ministries Reasons to Praise God. There’s a verse in the Bible that has some people scratching their heads and wondering what in the world did God mean? It’s found in James 1:2, where it says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” Now, one might say, “Just wait one minute! Does God actually want me to enjoy my heartache?” Well, of course not! Keep on reading verse 3, “because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” And verse 4, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” God is perfecting our characters, to prepare us for heaven, and we must persevere to stay strong, fight the good fight, and finish the race! There’s a reason God allows us to experience trials, although it doesn’t mean every time we go through heartache, that it’s God’s fault - sometimes life just happens as the result of sin! But how we respond to our hard times is what’s important! Instead of blaming God, lean on Him! Ask for strength, courage, and comfort, and you’ll find that working through each trial grows perseverance that is faith-building, and even in the midst of the trial, you’ll find reasons to praise God! Text: Romans 5:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 3:5, Hebrews 12:1, 1 Peter 1:6-7

James 1:2-12 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position. ...

If you lack wisdom, ask God. He gives generously to all without finding fault. He’s ready to guide you 💛✨ #James15 #PottersFieldMinistries #AskForWisdom #DivineGuidance #GodGivesGenerously #SeekHisTruth #ScripturePower #BibleEncouragement #WisdomFromAbove #FaithInAction #TrustHisVoice

Daily Bible Lesson. “BEHOLD THE MAN!” THE INNOCENT SAVIOUR REJECTED FOR A CRIMINAL. Key Text: John 19:5 “Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!” This is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the Bible. Pilate hoped that after seeing Jesus bruised, bleeding, and humiliated, the crowd would show mercy. Instead, they hardened their hearts and demanded His death. ① PILATE TRIED TO SAVE JESUS THROUGH COMPROMISE Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged and mocked. Not because He was guilty... But because he hoped the cruel punishment would satisfy the angry crowd. Pilate thought: The people would pity Jesus. The priests would finally be satisfied. An innocent Man could be released. But compromise never satisfies evil. ② THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST SAW PILATE'S WEAKNESS The religious leaders quickly realized: Pilate was afraid. He wanted to avoid conflict. He lacked the courage to do what was right. Their determination only grew stronger. Every compromise gave them greater confidence to demand Christ's death. ③ “BEHOLD THE MAN!” Pilate presented Jesus before the multitude and declared: John 19:5 “Behold the man!” Again he testified: John 19:4 “I find no fault in Him.” Standing before the crowd was: The Son of God. Wearing a crown of thorns. His back torn by cruel scourging. His face covered with blood. Yet His expression revealed: Gentleness. Patience. Dignity. Compassion for those who hated Him. Even in suffering, Jesus displayed perfect love. ④ THE GREAT CONTRAST: JESUS OR BARABBAS Beside Jesus stood Barabbas. A hardened criminal. A rebel. A murderer. The contrast could not have been clearer. Jesus—the innocent Prince of Peace. Barabbas—the guilty lawbreaker. Yet the crowd chose the criminal... ...and rejected the spotless Lamb of God. ⑤ SOME HEARTS WERE TOUCHED Not everyone remained unmoved. Many spectators wept. Their hearts were filled with sympathy. Even the priests and rulers felt conviction deep within. They knew Jesus truly was who He claimed to be. But conviction without surrender leads to tragedy. ⑥ THE CHOICE STILL STANDS TODAY Every person must choose: Christ or the world? Truth or compromise? Obedience or rebellion? Eternal life or eternal loss? The crowd chose Barabbas. What will you choose? Joshua 24:15 “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” LESSONS FOR US TODAY Never reject Christ for the pleasures of this world. Do not silence conviction when the Holy Spirit speaks. Stand for truth even when the majority chooses otherwise. Jesus willingly suffered so that we might receive eternal life. Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions... and with His stripes we are healed.” PRAYER Lord Jesus, thank You for enduring shame, suffering, and rejection to save me. Help me never to choose the world over You. Give me the courage to stand with You, even when others turn away. May my life always declare that I have chosen Christ above everything else. In Your precious name, Amen.

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026 *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD'S GRACE. *TOPIC:* YIELDING TO GOD'S MOULDING PROCESS. *TEXT:* JEREMIAH 18:1-6 [1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: [2] “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear My words.” [3] So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. [4] And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. [5] Then the word of the Lord came to me: [6] “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. *TOPIC:* YIELDING TO GOD'S MOULDING PROCESS. *THE MESSAGE:* In a world that encourages unchecked freedom and haste, it is challenging to submit to God's purpose patiently. Jeremiah uses the image of a potter and clay to illustrate God's sovereign authority to shape our lives as He wills. Though the moulding process may be uncomfortable and impact our character, desires, and attitudes, it is ultimately for our good. Yielding to this divine process transforms us into vessels of honor, shaped by grace. The key question is whether we are resisting or willingly submitting to God's refining work in our lives. Some delays in life, such as marriage, admission, employment, travel or even promotion, may be a moulding process orchestrated by God for our later glory. Do not allow these moulding processes to discourage you. Depend on God's plans for your life. *REFLECTION:* Yield to God's moulding process. *PRAYER:* Lord, here am I; mould me. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work. *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* JEREMIAH 40-45. ED.ii. TERRIFIED "And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." - Luke 22:44 After the meal, Jesus took three of His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. It was in this garden where He became terrified. Jesus, a man of sorrows, was confronted here with a pain He never experienced before in His life as the Son of man. Jesus was always joyful and at rest, but in this garden, everything became different. His peace was gone, His rest turned into a deadly fear. He even prayed: 'Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.' (Mark 14:36). Jesus' battle Jesus was waging a heavy battle. His sweat even became like drops of blood. He walked to His disciples and wanted to share His terrible fear with them. But they had fallen asleep. I always thought that Jesus was terrified because He was fighting the evil one in this garden. But then I realized that this is impossible, because Jesus already won that battle during the temptation in the desert. I understood that Jesus is talking about a cup here and He is asking His Father to take that cup away from Him if possible. This cup did not come from the Pharisees, nor from the evil one, nor from His sleeping disciples, nor from His traitor or other people, but from His own Father. That cup was filled with our sins, diseases and guilt. All the evil was in that cup. And now He had to drink that cup. That terrified Him, because with this cup God, His Father, would burden Him with all our sins! He was without fault, He was clean and holy. He could not sin. By drinking that cup, He stood in the place of sinners. The curse and the punishment had to come on Him. He was abandoned by God because of that guilt. Today we are able to come into God's presence 24 hours daily because Jesus drank that cup for us. Happy are those who believe this. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening Prayer for today. WP.i. Evening Prayer I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ⏤ Psalm 4:8 A quiet heart is content with what God gives. ⏤ Elisabeth Elliot Our waiting eyes are on You, O Lord, this evening. The close of each day adds to our debt of gratitude for Your mercies and favors. We are not worthy of even the least of all Your goodness and loving-kindness, for we have sinned against You. Yet we hope in Your mercy and cast ourselves on Your grace. We thank You for the protection You have given us this day. We have gone out and come in, and You have kept us safe. You have blessed our home life, keeping us from harm, providing for our needs, and giving us strength for duty. You have blessed us in our work, giving us some measure of success and enabling us to continue in our place and do our tasks. We thank You for the grace You have given us to resist temptation, to bear our daily crosses, and to witness for You among others. Great Shepherd of all Your redeemed people, we ask You to take each member of our family into Your special care tonight. We cannot protect ourselves from the dangers of the darkness, so we entrust our lives to Your gracious keeping. May Your holy angels watch over our home. You who never slumber, keep watch over us. We pray for all our friends and neighbors. They have different needs, and we cannot know what each one requires, but You know. Grant each one what will be the truest blessing. Lead them in right paths. Let none of them be eternally lost. Remember Your church and give it spiritual enrichment. And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be glory forever. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/38/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Please hear my heart: this is not an attack on anyone, nor am I telling you to leave church. No, no I am still in church, and I am still part of what we call church in this modern day. For a very long time, God has been showing me clearly through His Word that much of what we see today is not His original design. Many have come against me and tried to convince me that these modern setups are from God, but when I open the Scriptures, I see something completely different. I am not telling you what to do with what I share in this group. All I know is that revelation does not mean leave, and revelation does not mean attack. Revelation means: Question and search the Word (Acts 17:11). Test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Read and study the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15). Most importantly, PRAY. When the disciples walked with Jesus, received all His wisdom, knowledge, and revelation, they didn't go out to fight the religious leaders or destroy the system the Pharisees had built. Instead, they asked Jesus one specific thing: "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). They knew that prayer is the ultimate source of power, the answer, and the only thing that brings true change from our Heavenly Father. So yes, if you want to do something about what you read here, you have my full support: pray for the Body of Christ and for HIS Church not mine, not yours, but the Church of King Jesus Christ. Amen, brothers and sisters Exposing Religion, Restoring Covenant, and Understanding the True Body of Christ THE ROOT PROBLEM: ADAM'S BLOODLINE VS. THE LAST ADAM To understand what the Church is supposed to be, we must first understand why we needed Jesus in the first place. The Inherited Condition: In Genesis 2:21-23, Eve was taken out of Adam’s side they shared the same life and blood. When Adam sinned, spiritual death and corrupted iniquity entered the human spiritual DNA. The Transmitted Curse: Just like a child born with a condition inherited from their parents through no fault of their own, every human born of human seed inherited Adam’s fallen nature (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:12). The Pure Virgin Birth: This is why Jesus could not have an earthly human father. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary (Luke 1:35). Jesus was born with pure, heavenly, undefiled blood bypassing Adam's fallen seed. "The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." 1 Corinthians 15:45 Key Insight: Salvation through Holy Communion and the Blood of Jesus acts like spiritual dialysis filtering out the toxicity of Adam's sin and replacing it with the pure, incorruptible life of King Jesus! GOD’S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE AND COVENANT Why did God create marriage, forbid sex outside of it, and tell us not to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14)? God is Eternal Community: God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Love requires relationship. When God said, "It is not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18), He wasn't just fixing Adam's loneliness He was creating humanity to reflect His relational, self-sacrificial nature. Godly Offspring: Sex inside marriage creates a covenant shield over the home. Malachi 2:15 asks why God made two into one: "He seeks godly offspring." Born-again parents create a holy atmosphere covered by prayer (1 Corinthians 7:14). Important Note: Born-again parents give their children a spiritual foundation, but every child must still reach an age where they personally accept Jesus as their Savior. God has children, not grandchildren! Marriage as a Prophetic Picture: In Ephesians 5:31-32, Paul reveals that marriage between a husband and wife was created from Genesis to be a prophetic mirror of Christ and the Church. THE TRAP OF MODERN RELIGION, CULTURE, AND TRADITIONS In Matthew 15:6–9, Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His day with a severe warning: "You have nullified the word of God for the sake of your tradition. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules." When the modern Church strays from the Holy Spirit, it falls into three traps: Religion: Replaces raw intimacy with God with mechanical checklists and outward appearances. Culture: Waters down the Gospel to avoid offending people offering a soft "love" without Truth that leaves people bound in sin. Tradition: Protects "how we've always done it," defending empty human routines even when the Holy Spirit wants to move. The Pool of Bethesda Warning (John 5) A paralyzed man lay by the pool for 38 years. He said, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up." He was inside a place called the "House of Mercy," yet he was totally isolated by religious crowds pursuing their own blessings. Jesus bypassed the crowd, spoke Kingdom power, and commanded him to rise! The Holy Spirit does not need a human run-sheet; He needs obedient vessels. TRUTH AND LOVE: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN Modern churches often preach Truth without Love (Legalism) or Love without Truth (Compromise). Jesus came full of Grace and Truth (John 1:14). Truth without Love - Brutality: Uses Scripture like a hammer to condemn people without helping them. Love without Truth - Deception: Tells a drowning person they are fine while they perish in their sin. The Doctor Analogy: A good doctor hates the cancer, but loves the patient. To the woman caught in adultery (John 8): Jesus offered unconditional Grace ("Neither do I condemn you") AND uncompromising Truth ("Go and sin no more"). Why Jesus Acted Differently with Different People: To the broken, lost, and hurting sinner: Jesus was gentle, patient, and merciful (Zacchaeus, the woman at the well). To the hypocritical religious leaders: Jesus was sharp, bold, and uncompromising ("Woe to you, hypocrites! White-washed tombs!" - Matthew 23:27). WHAT IS THE TRUE CHURCH (EKKLĒSIA)? If Jesus walked into our towns today, He wouldn't look for a brand name, a denomination, or a big building. The word "Church" in Greek is Ekklēsia, meaning "the called-out ones." The Origin of the Setup: For the first 300 years, the early Church met from house to house as a family (Acts 2:46). When Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 AD, church life was merged with Roman pagan structures building giant basilicas, introducing altars, and turning active believers into passive spectators watching a priest or pastor perform on stage. What is a "Saint"? In Scripture, every born-again believer is a saint (Ephesians 1:1). The "assembling of the saints" (Hebrews 10:25) was never meant to be watching a weekly 90-minute show. 1 Corinthians 14:26 says: "Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation." Whose Church Does Jesus Visit? Where believers gather in HIS Name (not human brand names - 1 Corinthians 1:12-13). Where people worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24). Where genuine Love is shown to the broken (John 13:35). Where Jesus is not locked outside the door by human programs (Revelation 3:20). REVELATION IS A CALL TO PRAYER, NOT REBELLION Testing what we hear against Scripture is biblical the Bereans were praised because they searched the Scriptures daily to verify what Paul taught (Acts 17:10-11). When God gives you revelation to see the flaws in religious traditions: Do not use it to destroy or attack: Revelation is not a weapon to throw rocks at the Bride of Christ. Use it as an assignment to intercede: In Luke 11:1, the disciples didn't ask Jesus how to preach or do miracles they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." Follow Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer (John 17): Right before the cross, Jesus prayed for the protection and supernatural unity of His believers ("that they all may be one as We are one"). OUR CALLING AS STEWARDS We do not own the Church; we are only stewards of what Jesus built. It was already perfect in the New Testament. We don't need to reinvent it with human business models or cultural traditions. It is time to be soft and compassionate toward the broken sheep, but bold and uncompromising against the religious spirit that keeps people trapped. Let us return to the original blueprint: living in the pure bloodline of Jesus, worshipping in Spirit and Truth, loving one another, and being His living Body on the earth! Amen!

Jesus has just said that the fate of a person who drags a child into sin is going to be so terrible that it would be better for that man to be drowned in the depths of the sea. He has also said that if one's individual appendages causes one to sin that the fate of being in sin is so horrific that it is a better fate to cut that appendage from your body and cast it away. Jesus was not advocating for bodily mutilation, He was bringing to mind that the penalty for sin is so severe that the horrendous alternatives to the punishment were to be considered minor in comparison. He uses the parable of the shepherd who lost one sheep and the man's response to finding the lost sheep being one of joy. He celebrates the find which necessitated him leaving 99 sheep who had not gone astray. Jesus specifically linked this teaching to the children. And He makes it clear that God is not willing for any of these to be lost. Are we training our children right? Or by following our example are we ‘teaching’ our children to sin in the same ways we do? But Jesus expands on our responsibility for our brethren. He tells us to warn our brothers if they are committing sin. “Show him his fault” If we have a brother or sister in Christ and they are sinning, we have an obligation to pursue them and bring them back to God. It's sad that some will suffer just because we were busy “minding our own business” when we saw a brother in sin. We may not even be successful in the endeavor because his response still has the freewill to reject the opportunity you present. If he chooses to reject your instruction, it is imperative to return with 2 to 3 witnesses. If he refuses to repent, it is time to address it within the church. If he again rejects the opportunity to repent, he is to be treated as an outsider to the church. This is the concept of what some organizations call, ‘shunning’ or ‘excommunication’. So for the churches who proudly admit that their church won't mention ‘sin’ as a selling point for attending their congregation, they are admitting that they are NOT the church of true Christianity. Sin is what sent Jesus to the cross. It was His very foundational reason for even coming the first time. So for organizations to ‘cover’ sin for purposes of advancing progressive doctrines is in itself a sin. What is being discussed here is our commitment to the Gospel. Are we faithful enough to warn a brother or sister that is diving into sinful habits or situations? Are we concerned for the eternal consequences of our temporal lives? We are all being tempted by the same enemy. His goal is to make sure that as many humans as possible end up in Hell with him. His hatred for the creation God intended to be higher than the angels, mankind, is palpable. Satan HATES humans. He knows it's too late for him, so all he can do is cause destruction and pain for us, and that he does on a daily basis. Jesus then discusses the ‘gathering together’ only requiring 2 people. What is this ‘gathering together’? It comes from the word translated ‘church’ which literally means, “the called out ones”. That’s all of us. We were called out of the world to be a part of His people. And when two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus, not only is that a “church” but Jesus is there with the gathered ones. This was in truth the reason we started Porch Ministries. And two years ago, it was myself and a few others who would meet on my front porch for worship, prayer and to be challenged in the things of the Lord. And in that 2 year period I was earnestly desiring to be a part of God's kingdom as one of His witnesses. I was distraught at my physical limitations. I am incapable of going pretty much anywhere. I saw my handicap as a failure on my part. But when Porch Ministries started all I could do was these lessons and pray when asked. Here's the thing, many Christians treat the “I'll pray for you” as an excuse they can't (or won't) do anything else. That is dead wrong. Our ability to gather in His name with Jesus in our midst is one of the most worthwhile, beneficial and powerful works a Christian can do, period. God has taken the prayers I've offered as a believer and within this two year period, we've seen answers to prayer as we reach out, we are preparing to aid a mission in the Philippines where impacts are already being felt and people are being saved. And now we are praying for that mission, two schools in the same city, and we are reaching folks in Pakistan, Uganda, and Michigan. I've seen miraculous answers to prayer, confirmation of God moving in this work and I truly hope you will join us on Lordsbook in the Porch Ministries page. If you are looking for an avenue of service to God, join us! If you've been wanting to see God work and be an integral part of God's kingdom there's no better place than a ministry dedicated to reaching those who churches do not pursue. Addicts, bikers, church-hurt individuals who have for cultural or political reasons been ostracized from a church, not due to sin, but strictly for reasons they couldn't control. Does it matter if i take sin seriously? Yes. Does it matter how i treat prayer? Absolutely. [12] “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost? [13] And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray. [14] So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish. [15] “Now if your brother sins , go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. [16] But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. [17] And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [18] Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. [19] “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. [20] For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Christianity is inherently divisive, and that division is by design. It draws a bright line between right and wrong, good and evil, and calls people to love what pleases God rather than what merely pleases human appetites or cultural fashion. The Gospel centers on the fact that Christ suffered bodily for our sins while keeping His soul pure and undefiled. Modern culture has inverted this. Instead of recognizing that we are not required to suffer for others’ sins in the same redemptive way, many now compel their own minds, hearts, and consciences to accept, celebrate, and affirm those sins. We treat affirmation as compassion and judgment as the only real offense. Nowhere is this inversion clearer than in the widespread celebration of hedonism, homosexuality, abortion, sexual perversion, no-fault divorce, and other practices Scripture identifies as contrary to God’s design. These are frequently defended with the claim that “people are just being themselves” or “we are not God and therefore must not judge.” Both claims collapse under scrutiny: personal authenticity does not override moral reality, and the biblical command is not to refrain from all moral discernment but to judge with right judgment while leaving final condemnation to God. In short, the faith that once distinguished light from darkness is now pressured to erase the distinction in the name of kindness. That is not an evolution of Christianity; it is its negation. It is rejection of the gift Christ and his message!

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.