Julie Vivienne podcast

Created By The Breath Of GOD

The Being of GOD is abundant life. He not only has life, He is Life. He has life in Himself (John 5:26)
He is The Breath Of Life and once He had created and prepared a body for Adam to live in, He breathed Himself into Adam 's nostrils, ( Genesis 2:7) and, like God Himself, man became a living being. 1Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that we are first of all spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body. Once a human spirit leaves it's "earth vessel" , the physical body, it returns to GOD Who gave it from Himself ( Ecclesiastes 3:21) That spirit is from GOD Himself, and being in the likeness of GOD can never die. People in Hell long to die, but they cannot. The spirit of man is in the likeness of GOD Who is Spirit ( Jonn 4:24) and will live from eternity to eternities either in Heaven or Hell depending on their acceptance of God's salvation through Messiah, Jesus or rejection. 1 John 5:12 says that whoever has the Son( Jesus Christ) by accepting Him as Saviour and Lord, has life, and he who does not have Him, by personal faith, does not have life. The spirit of man lives forever but either in eternal separation from or in fellowship with the love of GOD, Who is Life Himself.
Without the breath of GOD, the spirit which comes from GOD, there is no heart beat. The body dies and returns to dust. The beating heart of the baby in the womb is the physical evidence of the breath of GOD Himself.

The Treasures Of The Snow

The Treasures Of The Snow
Job 38:22-23
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
This is The LORD talking to Job.
Note that GOD's first question is "Have you entered into? " and then "Hast thou seen?"
The Hebrew word for snow is " sheleg" In Scripture , snow represents cleansing from GOD ,the purity of GOD, the Wisdom of GOD and a fresh start in GOD's Grace and Mercy.
See Psalm 51:7, Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 28:2-3, Daniel 7:9, Revelation 1:14
The phrase " treasures of the snow" speaks of the treasure of GOD's grace. Like a white shinning blanket the snow covers everything concealing any mess or dirt. It's all covered by the blanket of snow.
See Isaiah 55:10-11 In these verses rain and snow are both referred to coming down from Heaven as gifts from GOD.
Water speaks of the Life of GOD and cleansing. Snow speaks of the Grace of GOD bringing cleansing and purity
When studied under a microscope every snow flake is revealed as being unique. Whilst they all start with having the same hexagonal shape, as they journey from the heavens towards the earth, through the earth's atmosphere, they all encounter slightly different temperatures and humidity levels, resulting in them each having their own unique pattern and structure when they reach the earth. It is a scientific fact that no two snowflakes are exactly the same. How many snowflakes can anyone count ? Countless billions right now upon the earth and over the last 6000 years since GOD created the heavens an the earth. ( Please note that according to GOD's Word the Earth is only 6000 years old. There was no death in the world before the Fall of Adam. All so called "science" that tells people that the earth is millions of years old and that human beings evolved are fabrications and lies) Yet each is known by GOD as being unique. This is a sign and a wonder of The LORD GOD.
No two human beings are exactly alike. Each of us has our own unique set of finger prints, our own DNA separate from both our mother and father and each of us are an individual unique personality and eternal spirit made in the image of GOD
(See Genesis 1:26-28 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23) This also is a sign and a wonder of The LORD GOD.
How vast is His Wisdom and how vast is His knowledge. Moreover, His Grace is vast enough to be available to everyone of us who call upon Him and enter into His Mercy and Grace.
This is why He asks Job " Have you entered into the treasures of the snow?"
Have you entered into The Grace of GOD?
Then He asks " Have you seen the treasures of the hail" Note , not entered into the treasures of the hail , because throughout Scripture, hail represents Divine Judgement.
See Exodus 9:18-26 the plague of hail upon Egypt, Isaiah 28:2, Haggai 2:17 Rev 8:7 and Rev 16:21.
Thus The LORD says to Job "Have you" entered into" the treasures of snow, but have you" seen" the treasures of hail.
Judgement is stored up for the wicked, for the unrepentant who refuse the Grace of GOD.
For those who love Him however, very different things are stored up.
See 1 Corinthians 2:9
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
The apostle Paul is quoting from Isaiah 64:4
The treasures of the snow speak of the wonder of His Mercy and Grace towards each one of us.
When The LORD GOD says to Job " Have you entered into the treasures of the snow" , the Hebrew word "habata" translated as "entered into " contains the idea of being a part of , having relationship or intercourse with, participation in and with, entering into.
Therefore I must ask, have you , personally , participated with The Mercy and Grace of GOD in Christ, Messiah Jesus ?
Have you entered into that Mercy? Have you entered into a personal relationship with His Grace?
His Grace through the shed blood of Jesus Christ covers our lives.
His Grace covers and cleanses. Glory to GOD for evermore.
Through the death and resurrection of Messiah Jesus, this Grace is available to every human being.
Come into the treasures of the snow today. Come into Christ Jesus today and be cleansed from all sin. Oh the joy of knowing your sins are forgiven and that you are free from condemnation.
Romans 8:1
"Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Saviour]." AMP
Have you entered into the treasures of the snow?
Selah
Shalom shalom

The Ravished Heart Of GOD For Me

The Ravished Heart Of GOD For 5
The Ravished Heart Of GOD For Me
Song of Solomon 4:9: “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.”
(KJ V)
The book of The Song Of Solomon is pure poetry and as such, it is very difficult to find the English words that correspond with the emotion and power of the Hebrew words. This poetic song is a love song from The LORD GOD to each of us with revelation of how much He truly loves us and longs for us and how we have so lightly treated His passion.
“Thou hast ravished my heart” in the Hebrew is just one word "livabethini" and can be translated as "captured" "delighted" "enthralled" "filled with pleasure /joy" and also "wounded". This Hebrew word "livabethini" is made up of two Hebrew words: firstly "liva" - "the heart" as in the heart, the core/ centre of a person, the inner man, the spirit man.
Secondly the Hebrew word "beth" meaning "house" "dwelling" or "home" and is also the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Eg Bethlehem means The House /Home of Bread. (Lechem is "bread" in Hebrew)
Bethel means House Of GOD.
Bethsaida means Home Of Fishing. The Hebrew letter Beth symbolises dwelling inside something.
Eg Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning GOD " starts with the Hebrew letter Beth and translates as "Dwelling in the beginning GOD"
This Hebrew word "livabethini" is one of the rare cases, where the double Beth is used. The Beth represents the heart. A double Beth represents God’s heart and our hearts joined together in a love relationship. It is a picture of two hearts opening up to each other and becoming equally as vulnerable.
ABBA Father invites us to know Who He is. He invites us to come home to His heart and to know and understand His heart. Love involves vulnerability and brings pain.
We are made in The image of GOD Himself. He also is wounded when we treat Him with disdain.
Genesis 1:26-28
He desires a ravishing enthralling relationship with each one of us, His children. His heart is easily bruised and wounded.
This imagery in Song of Solomon of a King wooing his bride is conveyed throughout the Scriptures. The LORD is the husband of Israel. Eg Isaiah 54:5
In the New Testament GOD's ekklesia, His called out ones, the church is The Bride of The LORD Jesus Christ. Eg Revelation 19:7
The Heart of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is ravished for each one of us. He, Elohim, created us and pursues each of us to claim us as His own. He is The Lover of our soul. See Song Of Solomon 3:4
Created in the image of our Creator, we are created to be joined to Him, heart to heart. In the womb, the baby receives oxygen and nutrients from the mother through the umbilical cord. Without being connected to the mother, the baby would die. Messiah, Christ Himself is the Umbilical Cord between us and The Father. Before The Fall, GOD and Adam were joined in unhindered fellowship. At The Fall, that cord of fellowship was severed by sin. Jesus Christ is the one and only Mediator between GOD and man, joining us together in fellowship again. See 1 Timothy 2:5
He has loved me and given Himself for me.
See Galatians 2:20
When we give love and it is not treasured or reciprocated, we have the honour of knowing the heart of GOD Himself, Who nevertheless never stops giving His love.
See Jeremiah 31:3
Selah
Shalom shalom

Submit, Stand, Stay Focused

Submit, Stand, Stay Focused.

You Are GOD’s Precious Jewel

See Zechariah 9:16
Firstly this is a prophecy to the physical people of Israel, the Jewish people.
All of GOD's prophecies concerning the land of Israel and the Jewish people shall come to pass. The church has NOT replaced Israel. GOD deals with the land of Israel and He deals with the church.
Secondly, as born again believers in Messiah however, we can also receive the covenant promises of GOD for ourselves through the death and resurrection of Messiah Jesus.
The word for crown here in Hebrew is "nezer" which means to make unique, set apart or separate. It is also a word used for the gemstones in a crown or diadem. Gemstones are precious stones. Their uniqueness which separates them from other stones makes them special and gives them their value. "Nezer" is not so much a crown, but a diadem or, more specifically, the stones in a diadem. The various gemstones in a diadem were considered more than symbolic in ancient times. People believed that these stones actually carried powers to protect, heal, and bring about stability. The ancient Egyptians wore these stones around various parts of their bodies to offer protection, healing. Areas that needed protection were the wrists, neck, head, fingers, and ankles. Today we wear such gemstones mainly for decoration purposes except for those in New Age cults . The king’s diadem would have a white stone set among many other stones. The white stone had his name engraved on it. See Revelation 2:17 If the king were to remove that stone and give it to someone that would represent the ultimate authority a king could give to someone. Later the white stone took on new meanings. By the first century A.D., the white stone became an engagement stone. In modern times it took on the form of an engagement ring with the white stone being represented as a diamond. However, in the first century AD, the groom would give his bride a white stone, and engraved on the stone would be a special name, a pet name. This would be similar to what lovers do today by giving their beloved a name like “Sweetheart,”
ABBA Father gives each of us a special pet name and only He can call us by that name. By doing this He is declaring that we are very special to Him and He gives us His authority. How precious each of us are to The LORD.
See Philippians 2:14-15
Ephesians 3:9-10
The Greek text translated in English as the many sided/manifold/multifaceted wisdom of GOD in Ephesians 3:10 is "polypoikilos" meaning manifold, multifaceted, much variegated, exceeedingly various, many-many coloured, diversely coloured, multi coloured, richly diverse.
The connotation therefore is that of GOD's wisdom being far deeper and varied beyond a single dimension. It is like the tapestry of colours displayed from the multifaceted sides of gem stones shining in the light with ever changing hues like a rainbow.
It is Wisdom that designs salvation before time - 1 Corinthians 2:7
It is Wisdom that confounds pride - 1 Corinthians 1:34-25
It is Wisdom that is unsearchable and beyond tracing out-Romans 11:33
The endlessly varied brilliance of GOD's plan of salvation is displayed in Christ and in His called out people, the church, the ekklesia.
As we shine for our LORD we reveal the beauty and wisdom of GOD everywhere to this dark world.
See Malachi 3:16-17
Our hearts are revealed in our words. Our words of love for Him are treasured by Him and will be revealed to all.
Selah
Shalom shalom

Elohim Chassedi My GOD Of Mercy.mp3

Elohim Chassedi
My GOD of mercy
Psalm 59 according to its inscription, was written “when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.” It is a psalm in which David pleads with The LORD GOD to deliver him from his enemies, from those who were rising against him to kill him. Though he had done nothing deserving of this treatment , they nevertheless treacherously plotted evil against him.
We read of this plot in 1 Samuel chapter 19
Psalm 59:10 NKJV
My GOD of mercy shall come to meet me;
GOD shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
and verse 17 To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For GOD is my defense,
My GOD of mercy.
Elohim Chaseddi (or Elohe Chasedi), appearing in Psalm 59:10 and 59:17, translates to "the GOD of my mercy" or "my GOD in His steadfast love/lovingkindness". David uses this title to express absolute confidence that GOD's covenant faithfulness (chesed) will protect him from enemies, acting as a refuge, strength, and secure fortress.
The Hebrew word chesed (or hesed) is found nearly 250 times in the Old Testament and is translated with an array of English words: “great kindness” (Genesis 19:19); “steadfast love” (Genesis 24:12); “loyalty” (2 Samuel 2:5); “merciful” (1 Kings 20:31); “favour” (Esther 2:9);“ covenant faithfulness“ It is a rich Hebrew word for which no English equivalent exists. Indeed, the word is frequently found in the context of GOD's covenant faithfulness to his people. That is the case in Psalm 59.
David was a young man when he wrote these words. He had not yet been recognised as king in Israel, though Samuel had already anointed him as such, signifying the fact that he was GOD's chosen one. In fact, when Samuel described David as “a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), he was using language that was employed in the ancient world of a covenant between a sovereign and his chosen appointed ruler under His Lordship in covenant together. GOD described David as "a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do" (Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 13:14). It is important to understand this background because David’s confidence was in Elohim Chaseddi’s covenant faithfulness. He knew that he had done nothing deserving of Saul’s hatred (v. 3). It was through no fault of his that his enemies were pursuing him (v. 4). But he did not appeal to some notion of worth or a sense of entitlement. He was not persuaded that GOD would deliver him not because he deserved it but because he was persuaded that Elohim Chaseddi would deliver him because of His covenant faithfulness. The LORD had personally appointed David as king in Saul’s place and He would protect him in order to keep His covenant with David “I will sing aloud of your steadfast love [chesed] in the morning” (v. 16). This highlights David’s personal relationship with GOD recognizing Him as his personal source of steadfast love (chesed) and mercy.
GOD personally rejected King Saul due to his disobedience and appointed David, the son of Jesse, to be the next king of Israel. This pivotal event is recorded in 1 Samuel 16, where GOD directs the prophet Samuel to bypass all of David's older brothers and anoint the young shepherd instead.
GOD regretted making Saul king because Saul turned away from following Him and did not obey His commandments.
In 1 Samuel 15:23, Samuel tells Saul, "Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king".
GOD tells Samuel to stop mourning for Saul and to go to Jesse in Bethlehem, stating, "I have chosen one of his sons to be king".
The concept of GOD's faithfulness to His covenant is a central theme throughout the Bible, reflecting His unwavering commitment to His promises and His people. This faithfulness is a testament to GOD's 's unchanging nature and His steadfast love, which is evident from the earliest covenants with the patriarchs to the new covenant established through Jesus Christ/ Yeshuah Ha Maschiach .
Old Testament Covenants
1. The Noahic Covenant: After the flood, GOD made a covenant with Noah, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again. This covenant is marked by the sign of the rainbow. Genesis 9:11 states, "I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
2. The Abrahamic Covenant: GOD's s covenant with Abraham is foundational, promising him descendants, land, and blessings. Genesis 17:7 declares, "I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your GOD and the GOD of your descendants after you."
3. The Mosaic Covenant: At Sinai, GOD gave the Law to Israel, establishing a covenant that required obedience to His commandments. Despite Israel's frequent disobedience, GOD remained faithful, as seen in Exodus 34:6-7 : "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion ( chesed) and truth, maintaining loving devotion ( chesed) to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin."
4. The Davidic Covenant: GOD promised David that his throne would be established forever. This covenant is prophetic to the coming of The Messiah, as seen in 2 Samuel 7:16 : "Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever."
Messiah was born of the line of David.
New Testament Fulfillment
1. The New Covenant: Through Jesus Christ, GOD established a new covenant, fulfilling the promises of the Old Testament. This covenant is characterized by the forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 8:10 quotes the promise: "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people."
See Jeremiah 31:33,24:7,Ezekiel 36:26-27,
2. The LORD Jesus as the Fulfillment: Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of GOD's faithfulness. In Him, all the promises of GOD find their "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). His life, death, and resurrection are the fulfillment of the covenant promises, providing salvation and eternal life to all who believe.
God's Unchanging Nature
God's faithfulness is rooted in His unchanging nature. Malachi 3:6affirms, "Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed." This assurance of GOD's constancy provides believers with confidence in His promises.
Implications for Believers
Believers are called to trust in GOD's faithfulness, knowing that He will fulfill His promises. This trust is not based on human merit but on GOD's character. Lamentations 3:22-23 beautifully captures this: "Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!"
In summary, GOD's faithfulness to His covenant is a profound demonstration of His love and commitment to His people, providing a foundation of hope and assurance for all who trust in Him.
The words Elohim Chassedi are personal words. Jesus Christ is my personal Saviour and He must be your personal Saviour too. God has no grand children, only children.
Though we could list many more, here are just four things that we can reflect on in our own walk with Elohim Chasedii
First, let us reflect on the fact that God’s covenant faithfulness is the source of our salvation. Jeremiah wrote, “Because of the LORD’s chesed we do not perish, for His mercies never end” (Jeremiah 3:22, CSB).
If it were not for GOD’s chesed, we certainly would perish. We would be “consumed”.
Second, realise that chesed is our encouragement in suffering. Consider Joseph: “The LORD was with Joseph and showed him chesed and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).
The chesed of The LORD sustains us-in the trials of this life.
Thirdly , be encouraged that Yahweh’s chesed is our hope in time of need. The sons of Korah prayed, “Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your chesed” (Psalm 44:26).
He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. See Hebrews 13:5
He has promised to provide our every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. See Philippians 4:19
Fourthly, we are called to minister chesed to others
Micah 6:8
New King James Version
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,( Hebrew chesed)
And to walk humbly with your God?
Selah
Shalom shalom

Chosen And Cherished Chiefly For?

As A Prisoner Of Christ I Am A Free Man

Is Seeing Believing? .mp3

Is Seeing Believing?
1 Peter 1:8
ESV
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
In this verse the apostle Peter is alluding to the Jewish wedding custom.
After the betrothal, the groom would leave to prepare a place for his Bride. He would build a "chuppah," a bridal chamber, as an extension of his father’s house. See Psalm 19:5
It had to be approved by the father before the groom could return to claim his bride. This period could last up to a year. The bride never knew the exact day or hour of the groom’s return, only that he would return once everything was ready and approved by the father of the groom
Our LORD Jesus, our Bridegroom, has gone to prepare a place for His Bride, the Church and just like in Hebrew Jewish custom, only The Father knows when He will return to bring us home because The Father will approve when everything is ready. We the Bride stay ready in joyous anticipation of His return . See John 14:2-3
Many people say " If I see GOD I will believe , if I see it I will believe it" Is physically seeing actually always going to change a person's mind or heart?
Not all who saw the resurrected LORD Jesus actually believed in Him. In fact, Matthew tells us that there were some who doubted even as they looked upon the post-resurrected Jesus as he stood on the mountain in Galilee See Matthew 28:17.
"And when they saw him they gworshiped him, but some doubted." It is the heart that must see first, not the physical eyes.
See Ephesians 1:18 ESV having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is sthe hope to which he has called you, what are tthe riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
A man who lived with The LORD Jesus during His earthly ministry, ate and drank with Him , heard His teaching and saw His miracles day in day out was Judas Iscariot. He was close to The LORD Jesus and loved deeply by Him.
Let's look at John 13 in the Amplified Classic
Version
Now] before the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.
In Israel , people wore sandals and walked on dusty roads. It was, therefore, very common to have your feet washed upon entering a friend’s house. It was usually a servant that would perform this lowly task and was usually the lowest servant in the household. An exception to this however was if the guest was someone of great importance, someone with a very high rank in society. On those occasions, it was the master of the house who would wash the feet .If the master of the house washed your feet, it was his way of letting you know that you were a very important person to him. It was an extremely high compliment. Right before He was about to suffer and die for the sins of the whole world , The Jesus Christ showed His disciples great honour and love. Judas was one of the disciples. The LORD Jesus, knowing that Judas would betray Him, washed his feet with the same humility and loving care as all the others.
Another item of great significance which is often overlooked is The LORD Jesus giving Judas “the sop.” The word “sop” simply means a small portion, a morsel, or a fragment. for a small piece of There would have been a common dish at the meal. The Jewish bread was flat, thin and round. It was very common to dip a piece of bread into the common dish and wrap the bread around a small piece of food, forming a sop. According to the Israeli custom, when the host would dip his piece of bread into the dish, and then give the sop to someone, that was of extreme significance. The host or master of the house would give the sop to the person to whom he wanted to show his greatest love and esteem. He did that by dipping into the common dish and then placing the sop directly into the person’s mouth. In doing that, he would show to all those present, and to the person receiving the sop, the love, intimate friendship and honour he had for him. This is what our LORD Jesus did for Judas. The two most honoured ored seats at a meal were those to the right and left of the host or the master. That means that the disciple whom Jesus loved ( John) who rested his head on The LORD Jesus’ bosom, which was an act of deep concern, love, and intimate friendship, was sitting in a position of honor at that meal. Likewise, for The LORD Jesus to be able to give Judas the sop, putting it into his mouth, he too must have been sitting very close to The LORD, possibly in the other honoured position. The LORD Jesus knew that Judas was about to betray him. Yet, there Judas sat, quite possibly in a position of honour at the meal, and The LORD gave him the sop. He demonstrated to Judas His unconditional love, mercy and grace by giving him so much honour . Judas had the opportunity right to the last to repent of what was in his heart. GOD gives all us the free will to choose. Even an act of love and honour or directly and personally from the LORD Jesus Christ himself does not guarantee that someone will do what is right. Judas did not repent. See John 13 :27
" Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” " Yet by giving the sop/morsel to Judas, The LORD extended to him a final act of love and affection. He was reaching out to the heart of Judas, but in that moment Judas closed his heart to The Saviour and Satan entered into him.
In John 20:24-29 we read of Thomas who doubted that The LORD had risen from the dead.
See John 20:25
"So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” " Then eight days later The LORD again appeared to His disciples including Thomas See John 20:27-29
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed "
It is the eyes of the heart that must be opened to believe on The LORD . Our ears also must be spiritually open to hear His WORD. In Luke 16:19-31 we read the account of the rich man and Lazarus dying and going to Sheol/Hades . Lazarus was in the protected area known as Abrahm's Bosom. The rich man was in the flames of torment. All were fully conscious and the rich man felt pain, anguish and thirst. See verses 23-24 He also remembered his family members upon the earth.
See verses 27-31
Luke 20: 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Even if someone rises from the dead and testifies of the reality of either Heaven or Hell, people who have blocked their spiritual ears will refuse to believe.
In both the Old and New Testament, having “ears to hear” is an expression for saying that one is spiritually able to understand and obey truth from God. The LORD Jesus used this expression while speaking in parables to call those who would listen (“hear”) and obey His teaching.
See Deuteronomy 29:4 Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2, Matthew 13:14-15
The heart of the matter is always the heart.
Romans 10:10
ESV
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
The Living Bible puts it this way "For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.
Returning to our opening Scripture of 1 Peter 1:8 The Holy Spirit, not physical eyesight, enables us to have our living relationship with The LORD Jesus. Our lack of physically seeing Him, will never ultimately make our faith in Him cease regardless of the circumstances. Peter wrote his letter in around the mid 60s AD to Christians that were scattered throughout Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. They were facing severe persecution. It is the heart that receives the light of the Gospel.
2 Corinthians 4 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants[c] for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
As born again believers , we are to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[d] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
It's not intellectual debates that bring the light of The Gospel to our hearts, but rather it is our hearts being opened by The LORD to be receptive to His Word and His love. We must pray for people's hearts.
So, although we have not yet seen our LORD, our Heavenly Bridegroom physically, we love Him and we wait for Him with joy in our hearts.

Desecration Of The Divine Image .mp3

In January 2007, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives received a donation of a photograph album. The inscription on the album cover is "Auschwitz 21. 6.1944 "
Though his name does not appear anywhere in the album, the dates of the photographs and various decorations including adjutant cords on the uniform of the album's owner, indicate that the album almost certainly belonged to and was created by SS-Obersturmführer Karl Höcker, the adjutant to the commandant of Auschwitz, SS-Sturmbannführer Richard Baer. Höcker was stationed at Auschwitz from May 1944 until the evacuation of the camp in January 1945.
The Germans murdered 1.1 million people at Auschwitz alone.
The album doesn’t have photos of the murders or the pits or the crematoriums. It has pictures of picnics and relaxation at a nearby villa, SS Officers singing together, and young women who worked at the camp as typists, secretaries, telegraph and radio operators, eating blueberries, laughing and enjoying music in the sunshine.
These pictures bring home to us the haunting reality that the people who worked at this coldly super efficient murder machine of human beings , were also seemingly ordinary human beings. Yet perhaps less than an hour before these pictures were taken, all of these people who enjoyed music, sunshine and food, had been working together as a team in the systemic murder of thousands of other equally human beings, men women and children, and disposing of their bodies as if they were simply disposing of rubbish. The only way to achieve their goal, of extermination of the Jews, was to consciously decide to believe a lie: that the Jews were not human beings as they were. This is surely the same decision one must make in one's consciousness if one were to work in an abortion clinic where each day the dismembered body parts of tiny human beings must be disposed of...and then go out for lunch...
One must surely have to convince one's mind and heart that what is growing inside the womb is not human.
The same was true of the Slave Trade. The dehumanisation of the African people who were taken from their homes and sold as slaves was vital for the industry to prosper. The enslaved human beings were referred to as "cargo" or "merchandise" but never as, "people". They were not seen or treated as human beings at all. This was perhaps the hardest issue that William Wilberforce and his friends had to deal with in seeing the slave trade abolished: for people to see the slave as being as equally human as they were, and to reject the lie and misconception that they were not human as they were.
The Devil hates human beings because we are created in the image of GOD Himself. See Genesis 1:27
People who choose to delete this fundamental truth from their consciousness concerning other people, whether in the womb or out of the womb, are then frankly capable of any monstrous act of violence against them.
Because the Devil and demons can’t touch or defeat GOD Himself , they turn their hatred toward humanity, the ones made in His image and whom He loves so dearly.
See Psalm 8:4-5
Man was made just a little lower than GOD. The Hebrew text here says "a little lower than Elohim" with a capital "E" meaning GOD Almighty, The Creator.
Each of us carries something that Hell hates: the image of GOD .
Demons don’t only want to hurt us,they want to desecrate what we reflect - the Almighty GOD Himself .
See Luke 8:26-39
Why did The LORD Jesus and His disciples travel to Gerasenes, a Gentile place of pig farms that no Jew at that time would willingly visit? But our LORD Jesus went to that place on purpose, because He had heard the cries of one tormented precious to GOD human being who had been totally taken over and possessed by thousands of demons.
Thousands of demons had taken his mind, body, voice, and identity....
until that day.... Oh Hallelujah!
The LORD Jesus crossed the lake through a storm ( see Luke 8: 22-26) for one man, not a crowd but for one man that the whole of society had rejected and forgotten. I believe the storm was demonic. The Devil tried to stop The LORD reaching Gerasenes. The LORD Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied.” — Luke 8:30
The demon-possessed man no longer knew who he was. The demons spoke for him. They used the first person, “I am Legion.”
The thoughts that Satan had bombarded him with over a long time would have been something like “I’m worthless.”
“I don’t know if I’m a man or a woman or an animal .”
“I’m beyond saving.”
These aren’t just passing thoughts. They would have been strategic lies, aimed at severing him from his Creator.
Identity confusion isn’t just a new cultural phenomenon . It is a form of spiritual warfare.
Thousands of demons had taken his mind, body, voice, and identity.
What Is the Obsession of Demons with Humans?
Why would thousands of demons care about one man?
Because they can’t touch God, they turn their hatred toward humanity, the ones made in His image.
“So God created man in His own image…” — Genesis 1:27
“For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.” — Luke 8:27
Demons seek to isolate people from:
Family and community
Accountability
Worship
Truth..
because isolation prepares the ground for feeding people with lies when no one is with them to refute them with the Truth of GOD's Word. The Devil continually seeks to desecrate the image of GOD in human beings and for people to treat the human body,the temple of the human spirit as something common....easily disposed of as rubbish just as the Nazis did in the death camps every day with the bodies of men, women and children and how in abortion clinics staff dispose of the dismembered body parts of tiny human beings.... The devil seeks to desecrate and dishonour that which bears the image of GOD. In Mark's account of this event in Mark 5:5 we read Night and day… he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” — Mark 5:5
Self-harm isn’t just cutting. It can be:
Anorexia
Bulimia
Addictions
Self-neglect
Staying in cycles of abuse because you believe you deserve it...
As soon as the demons entered the pigs, the whole herd rushed into the lake and were drowned. The animals were instantly taken over unto death by the demons and yet thousands of demons had not yet been able to totally defeat one human being.. this reveals something to us about the strength and resilience of the human spirit made in GOD 's image.... Man is NOT an animal.
"They found the man… sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind.” — Luke 8:35
The transformation is stunning. The man went from naked to being clothed,from screaming in torment to being at peace and from being possessed and tortured to being with The LORD Jesus.
After such a mighty deliverance you would expect a celebration from the local people ... but tragically this was not the case.
The demon-possessed man’s freedom came at the cost of their economy and that, for them, was too high a price to pay.
“Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them…” — Luke 8:37
The LORD Jesus delivered the man, but it disrupted the economic system and the people would rather have the demons keep the man as their prisoner than lose their pigs. The slave traders would rather have kept human beings in chains than lose their fat profits. The abortion industry doesn't want people to recognise that which grows in the womb of a woman and has a heart beat is fully human.
How I love our LORD Jesus Who came to die for us,
Who crossed the sea for one tormented man and Who still crosses every barrier to reach broken people.
See John 3:16
Let us be sure that we see the image of Elohim our Creator in every human being whether in the womb or out of the womb.
Let the Truth of Genesis 1:27 resound in our spirits. Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them".
Shalom shalom