KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:40 KJV” He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.’

The Bible is an amazing book that uses certain terms and expressions that ought to be looked at carefully and critically before concluding on its meaning This could be realised by comparing other verses and passages to arrive at a clear reasonable truth The bible on many occasions, should not be interpreted by using just a verse. Isa 28:13 KJV “But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” Scripture is well understood as one whole, it goes from precept to precept, then line upon line. It considers here a little, and there a little. In this way, you are able to appreciate the truth of various subjects and even doctrines.

On our topic of discussion, we are considering whether God hardens the heart of men, from believing the truth. When Job the righteous man lost everything, he possessed, including his children, he said that God has given, and He has taken, blessed be His name. Job 1:21.Was it God who gave him, all his riches? Yes, of cause. Was it the Lord who took away all that He gave Job; and the answer is a definite no. What part did the Lord play, in all the calamities? That happened to Job. God only permitted Satan to execute what he requested from Him. If we were not privy to the events happening behind the scenes, we would have accepted that God gave and He had equally taken away. God only granted permission to Satan, yet it was given as He had given and taken.

In Romans chapter one, when the scriptures were referring to the wrath of God, towards those who held the truth in unrighteousness. The said people changed the glory of God to animals and all kinds of things. The following is God’s judgment for them. Rom 1:24 KJV” Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:” He allowed them to go ahead with their error.  This scripture could have said that God hardened their hearts.

We saw that God’s way of punishing them, was to allow them to be destroyed by their own evil desires because they would not accept the thought of God in their dealings. When the scripture used the phrase, and God hardened their hearts so they could not be healed, from our explanations above God, rather permitted them, to continue in their wrong sinful ways, and as a result, they could not avail themselves to be healed. Remember the scripture said there is no evil in God. He tempts no one. This means He does not cause any to sin. He cannot compromise His righteous ways. The bible says God is light and there is no darkness in Him. There is not a single evil with Him. Any suggesting of an evil act has nothing to do with God.

Compare 2 Sam 24:1 with 1 Chronicles 21:1. In the first instant, scripture was presented that God moved David to number Israel.1 Chronicles gives the one who really moved David to number them. God only allowed Satan to do so.  One has to study the bible as a whole to clear himself of supposed contradictory statements.

CONFESSION

Thank you, Lord, for your unchanging nature. There is no error or evil in you. How glorious are your ways. All good and perfect things come from you. You have shown us your ways through your word. I study your word in a very systematic way to unearth the hidden meanings. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Tim 2:15 KJV” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Isaiah 28:10 KJV” For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”:

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:38 KJV “That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

God has always desired the deliverance, peace, and well-being of all men.  The angels that appeared to the shepherd who were watching over the flocks by night, on the night the Lord Jesus was born, sang and said, “glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will towards all men.” Luke 2:14. Unfortunately, men keep trusting in other things and forsake the Lord.

In our key scripture, the Lord asked who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? (According to Isaiah 53:1.) What is the report of the Lord? His report is about the great redemptive work of our Lord Jesus. Jesus is God’s sacrificial lamb for all mankind. Isaiah wrote, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed”. This is God’s report about  the great substitutionary work of Jesus.

The Lord asks who will believe His report? Who would wholeheartedly accept that the Lord Jesus has paid the price for our sins. Paid the price for our healing. He has paid the price for our shame and reproaches. He says all who will believe in His report, would experience the saving power of God. 

There are so many men who have no peace, defeated and accustomed to pain, diseases and all kinds of unbearable conditions. They ask where is the solution to our woes? Why should they keep suffering? The truth is, they have so trivialised what God has revealed and said so much that, the reality of what God has done for us is like a fairy tale. The Bible says God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it, Has He spoken and would He not make it good.? Numbers 23:19.

He says that anyone who believes in Him would not be put to shame Rom 10:11. Every written word of the scriptures is God’s love letter to us. His heart follows whatever He says with passion, ready to honour His word, if only men would be ready to believe and trust Him. History and experiences have proven that all who trust in the Lord experience His goodness and come back with praise unto the Lord.

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly father for your love for all mankind. I am most grateful to you for giving us your son Jesus, who took our place of sin and punishment and brought salvation to all. He bore our sicknesses, that we might not bear them. He became sin that we would become the righteousness of God in Him. I believe every report of the Lord, and so experience the hand of his power in my life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Isa 55:11 KJV “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

2Co 1:20 KJV “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 12:37 ” But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

In our key scripture, the Bible says these people saw so many miracles performed by Jesus, yet they did not believe in Him. In our days, there are many who have heard and even seen miracles, yet they do not believe in Jesus. Why do men refuse to believe although they might have encountered miracles. Miracles does not make believers. Believing is always a decision. Believing is from the spirit and not the mind.

They keep raising all kinds of arguments and reasons against the way of truth. There are some who claim miracles are over, and even every servant of God who works miracles is a false prophet. When men refuse the truth, they would definitely believe a lie. 2nd Thessalonians 2:11 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie”.

There is another reason why people will not believe even after the many miracles they see.

The people of Israel left Egypt through amazing miracles, yet they consistently displayed unbelieve and opposed the way of God. Psalm 78:22-23 “Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven.” Why were these people so rebellious? These people were so much self-centered and were not prepared to cast themselves absolutely on God.

Many people today have the same condition. Although they might have seen some miracles, they remain unbelievers because they are not ready to trust their life and future into God’s hands.

Dear reader, are you a believer in Jesus? Have you entrusted your life into Jesus’s hands? If you are a Christian, have you cast your life on Jesus? Have you decided to believe Him absolutely? To believe Jesus is to tell Him I cast my life on you, and I will trust you with my life under every situation.

CONFESSION:

Jesus you are the Lord of my life. I believe in you and I am ready to trust you whether in life or death. Thank you, Lord, that you are the way the truth and the life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 3:5 -7 KJV Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:35 KJV “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.”

After the Lord Jesus had described how he was going to die, his audience said to him, we learnt from the law that Christ will not die but will live forever. The Lord quickly corrected them and told them to abide in the light that is given to them.

The encounter of Jesus, and these Jews, explains a very important truth about the way most people approach the scriptures, especially in interpreting the scriptures rightly.

These people who were listening to Jesus did not accept what He was saying. They were rather talking about something they had read in the Old Testament while the very person who was the centre of the discussion was referring to something different.

Many people have very wrong interpretations of the scriptures because they do not consider the context of the scriptures or verse in consideration.

In our key scripture, the Lord instructed them to walk while they had the light.

He was the light and was telling them the truth, and they had to accept it and make use of it. If they refuse to make use of the truth, darkness or deception will take over them.

I would like us to consider a particular scripture that many of us make use of, yet most people give the interpretation out of context of the passage. Matthew 20:1-16

This scripture in Matthew 20:16 says, “So the last shall be first and the first last: for many be called but few are chosen.”. What is the interpretation of this scripture? I have heard all kinds of interpretation to this verse, which have nothing to do with the context of the passage

The passage talks about an entrepreneur who employed workers into his enterprise at various times of the day. He agrees with them on how much to give them. At the end of the day, he pays those he hired last first.

The very people who came first got offended and started murmuring, saying why did he have to pay the last people first and at the same amount that he agreed with them. He asked why they should get offended at his benevolence to those who had come late knowing he gave the people who came first the very amount they had agreed to take. Their offence therefore put them in the bad books of the entrepreneur. They were first, but they became last, or better still, they were not chosen. Many are called yet because of such things as offences they fail the standards and are rejected at the final analysis.  The proper interpretation of scripture must always be first considered from the context of the relating passage.

PRAYER:

Father, open our eyes to be sensitive to your ways that we may not fall for offences. Help us by your Spirit to rightly interpret your word always.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Ti 2:15 KJV “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

 Heb 4:11 KJV” Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 12:32″And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

The Lord Jesus said to his audience that if he be lifted up from the ground or earth, He will draw all men unto himself. The Lord was referring to how he would be killed, which was by crucifixion. This he said was God’s way of saving all men. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”

God’s means of giving Him to humanity was by the cross.

In Numbers 21, when the children of Israel murmured against God, and Moses, the Lord allowed venomous snakes to come among them and bit them. They began to die and so cried unto Moses to plead with God for them.

The Lord asked Moses to mold a serpent with bronze and hang it on a pole. Anyone bitten and dying who looked at that brazen serpent was healed.  This was a type of the death of Jesus. Jesus said as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so would He be lifted up.

John 3:14″ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”

How does His lifting on the cross save us? Jesus on the cross was standing in our place. It was a punishment for our sins. The scripture said He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2nd Corinth 5:21. On the cross, he took our place. John 1:29 says, “behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This was done or achieved by hanging on the cross.

The Lord said that when I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself. Jesus was saying, as I die on the cross, I will be representing all men. I will make a way for all men to be saved.

Jesus’s death on the cross did not only   take away our sins , but a number of redemptive acts for men.

These are as follows:

1. On the cross, he took away our sins. John 1:29, 2nd Corinth. 5:21

2. On the cross, he redeemed us from the curse of the law. Gal. 3:13

3. On the cross, he became poor, so we might be rich. 2nd Corinth. 8:9

4. On the cross, he took away our sicknesses. Isaiah 53:4-5, 1st Peter 2:24

5. On the cross, the body of sin in us was taken off us. Romans. 6:6

6. He abolished spiritual death, and brought life and immortality to pass, 2 Tim 1:9,10

If you would believe on Him ,every one of these  redemptive acts can be yours.

CONFESSION

Lord Jesus, I thank you for dying for me. I put my total confidence in you because through your redemption on the cross, I am made complete.

FURTHER STUDIES

Col 2:14 KJV “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

Gal. 1:4″ Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: JOHN 12:30 “Now is the judgement of this world, Now shall the prince of this world be cast out”

The Lord Jesus was about to be finally taken and crucified. He said his crucifixion and its outcome will be the judgment of the world. This statement is explained by his following words. He said now is the time to cast out the prince of this world. The judgment of the world is the casting away of the prince of the world. What does this teach us? The god of this world has influenced the world so much that almost every system of the world is controlled and influenced by the devil.

It is very surprising that our world elite group pushes the LGBTQ+ agenda. It sees no wrong to teach children as old as four years of age about forms of serial issues. Children are taught about transgender, and parents do not have a say about a child choice to become a male or female.

A person born with good eyes but decides to blind her eyes because she has always wanted to be blind. This way of doing things is accepted by the so-called elite group. 

Is it not the devil who has now taken over the world system?

In the near future, it will become very right for people to be taught how to commit suicide. The Lord was very right when he identified the world with its prince or god, who is Satan.

In our key scripture, after the Lord said the world was about to be judged, He said the prince of this world, that is the devil, was to be cast out. Indeed, the death, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus meant the complete overthrow of Satan over men. Heb. 2:14 says Jesus became a man so that through death, he might paralyse Satan, who had the power of death. The death of Jesus is the message of the gospel.

1 Corinth. 15:3-4, ” For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” ;   explains the gospel. The death of Jesus is the truth about man’s deliverance from Satan’s power.

Romans 1:16 says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Dear brother or sister, the death of our Lord Jesus marked the overthrow of Satan over men, yet every man who wishes to be free must believe the gospel and make Jesus Lord over his life.

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying for mankind. Your death was the defeat of Satan and his overthrow over men. I surrender totally to you.

FURTHER STUDIES:

Gal 1:4 KJV “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”

Col 2:15 KJV “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:29 KJV” The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.”

After the Lord received the father’s voice from heaven, the people who stood by remarked that it was a thunder. Some even said an angel had spoken. They could not just explain who or what really happened. They could only guess. The Lord said, the voice came because of them yet they were confused   about who was speaking.

Our world is at a big loss when it comes to matters relating to God and His dealings with us. Is it the doing of God that makes the world go diametrically opposite to God’s ways? The answer is no, man has chosen to listen to another voice, to direct his affairs. 2nd Corinth. 4:4 reveals the following “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God, should shine unto them”.

 A god is a superior being who is adored, worshipped, and revered by its subjects. Satan is the god of this world. Satan is the archenemy of God and men. He has blindfolded men such that they are very confused about God and His ways. This god of this world has caused men to lift their hearts and   minds against God’s ways. 1 Corinth. 1:21 reads, “for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom has not known God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe “

Men hear God’s word, yet it sounds too ordinary to their understanding. It’s the simplicity of the preaching of the cross that God has ordained to save those who believe.

 To experience God, there must first be a humbling of the minds of men. It is amazing how certain people view God. They try to put Him in a test tube to analyse Him. Please that is not possible. God reveals himself to men on His terms, and men must accept Him, according to how He has revealed Himself.

Today can be your moment of salvation if you have not found the peace of God in your heart.

If you would turn away from every proud way and surrender your life to Jesus, you would know a kind of peace that passes all human understanding. You can bow to Him right now, and pray, asking Jesus to be the Lord of your life.

PRAYER

Thank you, dear heavenly father, for your love for all humanity. I pray for the opening of the eyes of men from every blindness of the wicked one. I pray that they would be delivered from the deceptions of the god of this world, to see the glorious light of the gospel.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Co 1:18 KJV “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Rom 1:16 KJV” For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:27 KJV “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.”

God answers the prayers of His children. The ears of the Lord are opened to the cries of the children of God (Psalm 34:15. He that made the ears has ears that hears the cry of His children.

In our key scripture, the Lord Jesus calls on the Father to glorify His name in his life. What was he talking about? The Lord was saying it was time for Him to be killed. He said to the Father, you must glorify your name. You must bring to pass what you promised. The father also answered him. By saying,

I have already glorified it and will glorify my name. God said, what I have said to do is already done and would surely be done. This was an assurance to Jesus and his impending passion and death.

It is very amazing that many people have thought that God does not answer their prayers. Unfortunately, this is the view of some children of God. This is a very wrong idea and concept to hold. The Lord said if men or fathers who are evil know how to give good gifts to their children, how won’t the heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask him for it?  Luke 11:13

Romans 8::32 The Holy Spirit makes it clear that He that spared not His son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.  Please note that he said that he gave his son for us all. This includes you. He added that he would also with him give us all things. The Lord said in John 17:23b, “…and has loved them even as thou has loved me.” This is a very amazing statement.  God loves us just as He loves his son Jesus.

This must make you change any wrong ideas you have about God and prayer. Just as He answers the Lord Jesus, He is equally opened up to us, and always ready to answer us as He did for Jesus.

Dear child of God, keep feeding yourself with the word and the promises of God.  Keep telling yourself that the Father loves you just as He loves Jesus, and so His ears are ever opened to your prayers.

CONFESSION:

 Thank you, dear heavenly father, for your love for me. Thank you that your ears are always open to my prayers. I always receive answers to every prayer I make, which is according to your word. Thank you for your goodness.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 23:1 KJV A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Matt 7:7 KJV” Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

ĶEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 12:27 KJV “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.”

We continue with our discussions on the walk with Jesus through the gospels. The Lord had been talking to his disciples concerning His impending death, that would bring glory to the Father. His human sentiments immediately went into action. He felt the great burden of the pains and the shame that would be coming on Him. The scripture said, He was troubled in His soul. The flesh of man would always cave in under pressure. If anyone allows the flesh to lead him, he will not please God. Rom 8:7 KJV” Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The troubles of His soul led Him to ask the father to take away that cup of suffering.

The Lord did not hold to that position, but quickly added that He was alive to fulfill the will of the Father. That was to die for all humanity. The cries of His flesh to succumb and forsake His divine mission was very strong. He did not yield at all to the fears and worries of the flesh. What made Jesus not to yield?

The Lord had a great reverence for the father and placed His will first above all. Matt 26:42 KJV “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”  The next reason why he stuck to obeying God, was the glory He will enjoy after the pain Heb 12:2 KJV” Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The third reason why He overcame was His deep love for all men. John 15:13 KJV” Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The above were some of the reasons why Jesus decided to accept the pain and shame of dying on the cross.

We are to learn a lot from the master concerning how He subjected His flesh from dictating to Him. Place the will of God above everything, for God is the essence of life, and everything must be done to please Him, for our own good and peace. Every man’s satisfaction, success, peace, and liberation is dependent on him pleasing the Father.

There is always glory from the Father when we overcome the desires to sin.

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly father, for your ways are always higher than ours. I give no place to my flesh to dictate to me. I learn from the master concerning how He also overcame the demands of His flesh, and so I overcome.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 4:4 KJV” But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Isaiah 53:11 KJV” He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 12:26 KJV” If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

Service is the basic criterion for any follower of God. Serving God is the basic sign that you are submitted to God. The reason for God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt was to serve Him. Exo 9:1 KJV “Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.” God always rewards servant and not bosses or titles. In Philip 2:6-11, the scriptures reveal the progression of Jesus’ Service, which culminated in his death, and so God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every other name, and that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord.

Our key scripture reveals two main things about servant of God.

1.  The requirements of servants
2.  The benefits of the servants.

The requirements of service;

The Lord said His servants must follow Him. This implies learning from His example and doing likewise. The Lord worked acidulously through His three years and over of His ministry period. He begins with an early hour of prayer and meditation. Mark 1:35 KJV “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” In some cases, He spent the whole night praying Luke 6:12. The Lord combed through the regions of Judea and Jerusalem and some aspects of Samaria, sharing the Goodnews to multitudes and certain individuals on some occasions. At one moment He explained to His disciples that, I must work the works of Him that sent me, whiles it is day, for the night comes when no one can work John 9:4. At the close of His service, He crowned it with suffering and dying on the cross. He says every servant of His must go that way. The servant is not greater than his master.

The second statement about His servants is about the benefits of His servants.

He said that His servants would be with Him wherever He would be. His servants would share his authority with Him, as He is seated at the right hand of the Father. It also means His servants would be with Him in the heavenly kingdom when they die.

 Secondly, He added that those who serve Him would be honoured by the Father. To honour is to approve the servant by confirming your relationship to Him through various divine acts. Acts 2:22 Men like Moses, Elijah, Peter Paul, and all these   who made impact in their time of their service here.

PRAYER

Thank you, dear Father. I pray for all Christians, especially those who are in leadership to develop a real heart of dedicated servants. May we be true followers of our Lord.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 4:19 KJV “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Acts 13:36 KJV “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption”: