Holy Ground

Posted on March 20, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“The Lord said, ‘Draw not near, put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground'” (Exodus 3:5).

“The Captain of the Lord’s Host said to Joshua, ‘Loose your shoe from off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy'” (Joshua 5:15).

Holy: (Heb. Qodesh): A sacred place or thing, sanctity, consecrated, dedicated, hallowed, clean

Contemplate that mysterious phrase, “the place on which you stand”. It begs the question, ‘Where am I standing?’ Have I encountered the holy? Am I anywhere near the holy? Hopefully, the answer to that question is yes. If it is yes, what is my response?

In your encounters with the holy what do you feel? Comfortable, want to stay there, don’t want to move, just abide? Fear, want to run away and hide, shame? Our reaction to the Presence of the holy tells the story of our relationship with God. Is the holy strange, foreign, unusual; or is it wonderful, glorious, reviving, strengthening, empowering?

For Moses and Joshua, the Presence of the Holy was the encounter that changed everything. For Moses it was the call to deliver the Children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt; for Joshua, it was the command to go forth in the battle at Jericho and achieve victory when the walls came tumbling down.

Ground: (Heb. Adamah, from Adam): Soil, earth, land (Adam: To show blood, be flush, or rosy in the face, red, ruddy)

The Lord has given us a holy place in which to dwell, to abide; it is the holy ground of our mortal body. For those who are in Christ we now have a mortal body that has been consecrated, dedicated, hallowed, made clean and sanctified by the Presence of the Holy, the very Spirit of Christ who dwells in us. This “earthen vessel” (cf. II Corinthians 4:7), this Adam, that shows blood in the face, shines with the glory of God as the very Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Too many of us despise our bodies, instead of seeing our bodies for what they were intended to be: “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13); “vessels of honor” (II Timothy 2:20); Temples of the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 3:16). Holy Ground, indeed.

What then are we to do while in these mortal bodies, these earthen vessels, these vessels of clay? Keep your feet clean, keep your walk before the Holiness of God free from things that defile, that sully and make dirty. Jesus said to the Apostle Peter, “He that is washed needs not, except to wash his feet; but he is clean every whit, and you are clean. . .” (John 13:10). Yes, the ground is holy, the vessel is clean, and has become an instrument of righteousness; indeed, the vessel of honor is ready for the Master’s use. That is how it should be with those who are called to be saints (cf. Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:2). Those who are the sanctified in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle wrote concerning these things to the Church at Rome: “I beseech you, therefore, Brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). We have been given a standing in Christ. It is a standing by grace through faith into the very Presence of the Holy where we are accepted in the Beloved.

With this understanding, perhaps we will find new meaning to the old song:

Holy Ground

We are standing on holy ground, and I know there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in His Presence on holy ground.

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Guard Your Heart

Posted on March 16, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“Guard your heart with all diligence; for out from it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Guard: (Heb. Natsar): Protect, maintain, keep, preserve, watch, observe

Issues: (Heb. Towtsa’ah): Goings forth, outgoings, boundaries

To get to the heart of the matter, our hearts are the pivotal points in our actions, discourses, courses or paths we take; decisions we make, and commitments we keep. Therefore, guarding our hearts could not be of any more importance in maintaining our equilibrium in the outgoings, or outflow of life.

How is it with your heart, the seat of your affections, affinities, desires, and intentions? Is your heart steadfast, firm, rooted and grounded in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit? To stay in that holy place in the Lord requires constant vigilance, and protections from the onslaughts of life and wiles of the devil.

The heart needs constant maintenance to protect it from the wear and tear of daily living. The heart needs refreshing, restoration, renewal and revival. The constant bombardment of events and activities surrounding us can break our hearts, grieve us, crush us and stop us from advancing in our journey in our life in the Spirit. The heart needs protection and a guard to preserve and keep it in the times of trouble.

The heart needs daily cleansing and washing in the Water of the Word. The Psalmist cried: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalms 51:10). Cleansing and renewal come by daily attentiveness to the will of the Lord and taking heed to His Word (cf. Psalms 119:9). The Lord is a Sword and Shield to the saints in our distress (cf. Deuteronomy 33:29). It is only by putting our complete trust in Him that our hearts are protected and kept in safety.

Issues: The goings forth, the outgoings from our hearts will tell the world the condition of the heart. Jesus said, “A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). The “abundance of the heart” the “good treasure” or “evil treasure” is brought forth through the mouth by speaking words of love, joy, comfort, peace, or words of hate, abuse, fear and torment. Oh, how we need to guard our hearts, lest we cause offense, strife and confusion and every evil thing.

Diligently seek the Lord. Fervently pray at all times. Be vigilant, watchful, awake and discerning. Live out of your spirit and listen intently to the voice of the Lord. Be on guard for evildoers, and walk circumspectly for the days are evil (cf. Ephesians 5;15).

Yes, we have come to the heart of the matter, and the heart of the matter is we have to be on our guard. We have to set a watchman over our hearts to preserve, protect and defend it all the days of our sojourn in the land of the living that the Lord our God has given to us to enjoy in our life-long service to Him.

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Annual Missions Appeal

Posted on March 12, 2022 by AntiochCMI

Thank you to everyone whose prayers and donations to AntiochCMI has made it possible for us to provide continuous support for Missions in Ireland, Mexico, and Ethiopia, which have been our primary ministries focus.

With an ever-growing vision to expand to other areas this year’s Missions Appeal is your opportunity to share from your heart your willingness to give to these worthy Ministries. Please click on the Donations tab and visit the homepages of our current Missions Support Organizations:

Fire Ministries International – Ireland Mission

NANA Ministry – Mexico Mission

Greenstone Ministry – Ethiopia Mission

You can give directly to these organizations through their websites, or through AntiochCMI at our Donations page.

Have questions? Just click on our Contact Us tab and we will respond to your inquiries.

Giving can be through Paypal (see Donations tab), or through Cash App at $JamesMcCardell (linked to AntiochCMI bank account). One Hundred Percent (100%) of your giving will go directly to our support charities. Just note which charity you prefer, or to Where Needed and we will direct your gift to where the needs arise.

In these trying times the needs are great and your gift, large or small, will help some child, or minister in one of our support countries be blessed.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your donations as the Lord directs your heart in this 2022 Annual Missions Appeal.

From our hearts to yours,

James McCardell, Founder and President

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Antioch Christian Ministries, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit Arizona Corporation. Your donations are tax deductible for Federal and State Income Tax filings. EIN #: 86-0731261. Contact: Phone: 1-623-934-3086 or Email: Antiochcmi@Outlook.com.

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Paradise

Posted on March 10, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Paradise (Gr. Paradeisos, from Pardec): A park, orchard, garden, a place of future bliss

Paradise is a very real place though not of this earthly realm. It is a heavenly realm in the Spirit. It is a place of which words cannot convey. It is a place of glorious splendor and beauty. The Apostle Paul was taken there as he describes in his second Epistle to the Corinthians:

“I knew a man in Christ over fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knows). Such a one was caught up to the third heaven. He was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (II Corinthians 12:2,4).

These two witnesses to Paradise, Jesus and the Apostle Paul, give us strong evidence of the reality of this garden park, this orchard, this place of bliss, happiness and extreme joy.

Jesus told us He is going to prepare a place for us in His Father’s House and within that glorious Estate is the Paradise of God (cf. John 14:3).

The Apostle John in his visions in Revelation says in the Letter to Ephesus: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).

The Paradise of God. There is something glorious upon which to contemplate regarding this Paradise of God. Heavenly splendor, brilliance of Light, the River and Tree of Life, ineffable glorious beauty; indeed, too marvelous of which to speak. It is enough to know of its glorious Eternal Reality and that it awaits those that overcome.

“Awake, O North wind, and come thou South, blow upon My Garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let My Beloved come into His Garden, and eat His pleasant fruits” (Song of Songs 4:16).

Do you sense the fragrance of Paradise? Does the zephyr of the Holy Spirit draw you to that place of tranquility, peace, joy, ecstasy and delight? You do not have to be a mystic to enjoy this rapturous estate. The Psalmist said, “You will show me the path of Life; in Thy Presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalms 16:11).

The Apostle said he was “caught up into Paradise”. The Prophet Elijah experienced this catching away when “it came to pass, as they (Elijah and Elisha) went on and talked; then, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (II Kings 2:11). Oh, the glory of the great catching away we will all share upon the return of our Lord in that glorious day when He declares again, “This day you shall be with Me in Paradise”.

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The Bond of Perfection

Posted on March 5, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“Above all put on love which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14).

In all of life there is always, when enumerating anything, the highest and best, the “above all” which is the perfect. In the Apostle’s discourse in his Epistle, he enumerates virtues that we esteem highly among our higher values: mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness (cf. Colossians 3:12-13); but “above all” there is “love” the “bond of perfection”.

Bond: (Gr. Sundesmos, from sun, desmon): a band, ligament, shackle, joint tie, uniting principle, control

Perfection: (Gr. Teleiotes, from Teleios): of full age, the state of completeness

We know God is good, merciful, kind, patient, and forgives us when we fail; but above all God is Love. The Apostle John knew well of this Love calling himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved“ (cf. John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Then in John’s First Epistle he spoke frequently of the God of Love and the bond of perfection that comes from Him (I John 3:17; 4:7-12, 16, 20-21).

Bonding with God in love comes from being birthed into Him by the Spirit. This bonding is perfect and brings us into holiness, truth, and into God’s love. The Holy God is in the bonds of love with His Son, the bond of perfection; and we, the communion of saints in Christ, are held together in unity and in the “bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) in the Son of God’s love, the Beloved.

The Apostle Paul described Christ as the Head of His Body, “from Whom all the Body by joints and bands (sundesmos) having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase of God”. The bond of perfection in the love of God is nourishment to the spirit and is the unifying joint tie, the ligament that keeps us bound together in one Body in Him.

It is the desire of God, the Father, that we grow into the maturity and fulness of the stature of Christ, unto the perfect (teleios) man, into a state of completion. We must cease being children carried away with every wind of doctrine by those who seek to deceive (cf. Ephesians 4:14). This will be accomplished as we above all put on love, the controlling power of perfection for those of full age and maturity in the Lord.

The Greatest of These: We all know the power of faith, the joyful expectation of hope and the virtue of love. Yes, indeed, as the Apostle so well described in the Love Chapter of I Corinthians 13: “And now abides faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13). Love, the above all, the highest, the best, the bond of perfection.

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It’s The Anointing

Posted on February 28, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“The Lord spoke to Moses and said. . .prepare the sacred Anointing Oil. . .Anoint with it the Tent of the Presence and the Ark of the Testimony, the Table. . .the Lampstand. . .the Altar of Incense, the Altar of Burnt Offering. . .You shall consecrate them, and they shall be Most Holy” (Exodus 30:1a,25-29a) NEB

There are in the interplay between God and Man, between the heavenly and the earthly, between the invisible and the visible, symbols, types and shadows to provide a visible and tangible expression of the holiness of the Divine. Anointing oil is one such symbol of the sacred Presence.

Prophets, Priests and Kings were consecrated to the Lord through the pouring over them of the precious Anointing Oil which though physical in nature was the manifest expression of the reality of the Spirit of God (cf. Exodus 29:7; 40:9; Leviticus 8:12).

The Anointing Oil is poured out for consecration for service to God, physical healing for the body, and an outward sign of Holiness to the Lord.

Anointed: (Heb. Mashiyach, from Mashach): To be anointed with oil, consecrated, Messiah

The Anointed One, the Messiah: The Anointed One, was the One of whom the Prophets spoke (cf. Daniel 9:25-26; Psalm 2:2; I Samuel 2:35). This is the One Who bears upon Himself the witness and expression of the Holy. Thus Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the words of Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because He has Anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn” (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19).

Anointing: (Gr. Chrisma, from Chrio): To make contact through smearing or rubbing with oil, to consecrate to an office, an unction or special endowment, The Holy Spirit

“But the Anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same Anointing teaches you all things, and is the Truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him” (I John 2:27).

This is the blessedness of being in Christ, in the Anointed One, and the blessedness of having the Anointed One abiding in us (cf. John 15:4). It’s the Anointing working in us, teaching us all things, revealing the Truth, guiding, instructing, correcting, encouraging us to continue in the Light and Life of the Word. It’s by the Anointing you have been consecrated in the Anointed One, our Prophet, Priest and King, so that even now as you abide in Him, you are Most Holy unto the Lord.

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Hear My Cry, O God!

Posted on February 24, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“Hear my cry, O, God! Attend unto my prayer” (Psalm 61:1).

There are times and seasons when the “heart is overwhelmed”, and we desperately need to be led to “the Rock that is higher” (Psalm 61:2). That Rock of Ages where we can hide and find refuge in times of trouble.

These times of trouble may come from the stresses of life in relationships, accidents, sickness and matters of law that press us beyond measure. They come to all of us and sometimes we are not prepared; we are caught off-guard, unsuspecting and shocked. We scramble for answers and cry unto the Lord in desperation.

When Heaven is Quiet: There may also be the quietness of heaven from which we cannot seem to hear or receive. There is no vision, no dream, no word, no communion, no conversation. We cry from our loneliness, heartache, fears, doubts, questions and curiosities. The silence compels us to call out, Hear my cry, O God! Attend unto my prayer, even as David in his time of distress. Sometimes we are like the child playing in his pen with the mother out of sight. The child cries, “Mom!” The mother responds from another room, “I am right here, baby”. The child does not respond, they just wanted to know mom was near, and just wanted to hear her voice. The quietness of heaven may cause us to call, “God,” “Father,” “Jesus,” “Lord”! Quietness does that sometimes. What daughter has not called her dad, just to hear his voice.

Are you going through such a time or season, when you need to hear from heaven? Remember, “we walk by faith and not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7). We walk by faith and not by hearing, touching, tasting, smelling or by sight. None of the senses, for God is Spirit. With Him our relationship is intuitive, not sensual, spiritual, not after the flesh. We walk by faith, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Crying From the Spirit: Our emotions are important, but ultimately, we must be governed by a higher realm. Our cries must come from the spirit and not from emotional insecurities. We must cry in the Spirit from the Spirit of the Son within. “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father” (Galatians 4:6).

Crying from the “Spirit of the Son” is the best place, the higher place, the Rock that is higher than our emotions. Here there are no dropped calls, disconnects, or separation. Here there is constant communion in faith, confidence, trust and security. Here there is constant love, peace, comfort and joy. Here the desperate call is answered. Here there is believing we have been heard and if heard than we have the petition (cf. I John 5:15).

“Hear my cry, O God!” Thank you, Lord. Blessed be your Holy Name!

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Broken Bread

Posted on February 19, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“This is My Body which is broken for you (I Corinthians 11:24)

Broken: (Gr. Klao): To break, separate or divide into pieces

There is such a rich fellowship in the Body of Christ when we gather to break bread together. This was the practice of the early Church Fathers as expressed in the Book of Acts “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness, and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).

My Body Broken for You. To capture the rich significance and spirit of the words of Christ is to capture a very special treasure of communion (koinonia) in our conversation in the Spirit of Christ. Breaking bread together, sharing in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, identifying with Him with His Presence in our midst is a joyous moment and truly does bring gladness to our hearts. It is a wonderful blessing to be together, breaking bread from house to house and in the house of the Lord.

In Remembrance of Me. When Jesus gathered His disciples on the night of His betrayal, when He gave them the broken bread, He said, “Take eat, this is My body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of Me” (I Corinthians 11:24b). When breaking bread together, we are to call to mind, or remind ourselves, and reflect upon Christ and His sufferings for us. This is not to make us sad with worldly sorrow, but to rejoice in Christ our Savior Who bought with His brokenness our salvation.

The Fellowship of His Sufferings. The Apostle Paul was always in remembrance of Christ and expressed his one desire “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Philippians 3:10). This focus, this one desire, this purpose and singleness of heart is not just for Apostles and Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. No, it is for everyone. It is for you and me whatever our calling, whatever our place in the Body of Christ. We are all in this together, this communion, this brokenness, this oneness of heart in the Lord.

The Bread We Break. In his Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul wrote “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the Body of Christ”? (I Corinthians 10:16). It is a glorious gift of our Heavenly Father to share in the Holy Spirit, communion and fellowship in the Son. Knit together, fitly joined, compacted together, in bonds of love and grace in communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we are enjoined in one heart for one purpose and one destiny. What a glorious thing God has wrought upon the sons of men.

Broken Bread. Beloved, we have been called; we have been chosen to be conformed to Christ (cf. Romans 8:29). In this conforming there is a participation in the Spirit with the nature of Christ. There is a knowing; there is a recognition of Christ in the broken bread. May our testimony be as the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus and gave witness to the risen Christ to the Apostles when “they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them in the breaking of bread” (Luke 24:35). Oh, what glorious things, indeed, are known there, in the breaking of bread.

The True Bread. “Jesus said to them, Verily, verily I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven; for the Bread of God is He who came down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33). Yes, and this Bread was broken for us and given to us that in Him we might have eternal life.

“Jesus said to them, I am the Bread of Life; he that comes to Me shall never hunger, and he that believes on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). “I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven, if any man eat this Bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

May we ever live in remembrance of Him and know Him in the breaking of bread.

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The Pursuit of Peace

Posted on February 16, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“Seek peace and pursue it” (I Peter 3:11b).

Pursue (Gr. Dioko): Press forward, follow after, given to as an attendant

In our world peace is elusive because someone, some nation or some group is constantly stirring up trouble, speaking of war, or causing some kind of conflict. Therefore, pursuing peace takes a lot of effort, a lot of concentration, a lot of diplomacy; and will sometimes even drive us into isolation and to taking the solitary way.

The Apostle Peter in his Epistle wrote about the importance of living unto God. For those who would love life and desire to see good days (cf. I Peter 3:10), there are conditions in play that determine the degree of peace one may find. There are negative things to lay aside, like “refraining the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking guile” and positive things to do as “doing good”.

The problem is there are too many who do not have the right perspective. The Psalmist said, “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war” (Psalms 120:7). This is our constant dilemma; but we must not despair; we must press forward, follow after, and be given to the pursuit of peace, if that is our aim; if we, indeed, love life and desire to see good days.

The Apostle Paul addressed this matter in his Epistle to the Romans where he wrote: “Let us, therefore, follow after (dioko) the things which make for peace, and the things wherewith one may edify another” (Romans 14:19). There it is again, “the things which make for peace”. Oh, those elusive things of which we must lay hold; that we must do, that must become within us our very nature to the intent that we may find the place of peace in our own hearts and in our walk in this life in the Lord.

The Prince of Peace. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, gave us such encouraging words in the Gospel of John when He said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The pursuit of peace, therefore, becomes the pursuit of Christ, to receive Him into our hearts and the peace He brings. Seeking, pursuing, and knowing Christ becomes the way to peace for all who shall believe.

The Way of Peace. Many there are who sit in darkness. Many there are who dwell in the shadow of death; but there is a “way of peace” for those who pursue peace, who press forward to know peace and give attendance to the One Who is Peace, Christ Jesus (cf. Luke 1:79). The wicked know not this “way of peace” as, indeed the Scripture says, “There is no peace for the wicked” (Isaiah: 48:22; 57:21).

The heart of those who seek peace, pursue peace and follow after peace becomes evident to all. They become the peacemakers, the intercessors, the mediators in matters of dispute, in matters of conflict and in matters of war. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Love life, Love God, Love your neighbor. Seek peace and pursue it.

“Now the Lord of peace, Himself, give you peace always, by all means. The Lord be with you all” (II Thessalonians 3:16).

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All the Kingdoms

Posted on February 12, 2022 by AntiochCMI

“Again, the devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and said to Him, ‘All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me'” (Matthew 4:8-9).

It is interesting to think about all of Satan’s ploys and schemes to get people to “fall down and worship” him; even offering “all the kingdoms of the world” to Jesus. Oh, how many have taken the bait and sold their souls for fame, fortune and power. Oh, how many have fallen down at the feet of Satan for worldly success, luxurious living and have become an idol of worship and obsequious adulation.

There is something to this “bowing down” that is as “stolen waters and bread eaten in secret” (cf. Proverbs 9:7), that is sweet and full of pleasure for both those who bow and to those receiving the adulation; but in the end the idolatry only leads to death.

Where have we heard of this demand for bowing down? Oh, yes, at the great Statue of Nebuchadnezzar, where it was demanded of all to bow down at the sound of the music (cf. Daniel 3:5). But what of those who do not bow? A fiery furnace awaits them.

Three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, know well of the demand to bow. But for them a “baptism of fire” of another kind was at the ready. A fourth man, the Son of God, of Whom it is to “baptize in the Holy Spirit and Fire” (cf. Matthew 3:11) joined them in the furnace in the Fire of His Presence without a hair of their head singed, or their clothes bear the smell of smoke. “For our God is a consuming Fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

All the Kingdoms of the World is a mighty temptation in our day, as it was to Nebuchadnezzar and so many to follow. Who are those today enticing, then demanding subservience to the latest talisman to bring us all under one rule, and one decree? Will we bow or walk in the fire? Do not let the promise of “all the kingdoms” betray you. There is a greater Kingdom, and worship is due, as Jesus so well said and as it is written, “You shall worship the Lord, thy God, and Him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10b).

What is your “kingdom” tempting you? Has it become an obsession? Is it total independence? Be careful. Beware. The subtlety and cunning of the serpent is deceiving. It may not be “all the kingdoms,” it may just be your “kingdom”. Either way, it is a deception. It is lying to you, and it will take you down. Remember the words of our Lord. Wise counsel goes a long way, all the way to eternal life. “The Lord has prepared His Throne in the Heavens; and His Kingdom rules over all” (Psalms 103:19).

What is the Tempter showing you? Where is the Tempter taking you? What offer have you received? Is he asking you to bow? Be wise. Be prudent. Be full of understanding and know the One of Whom you are, the One Who made you and called you to worship and serve only Him.

“O, Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, You Who dwell between the Cherubim; You are the only God; You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth, You Who made the heavens and the earth” (Isaiah 37:16).

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