Word Of Wisdom Ministries
By Cheryl Arnold

James tells us this. A double-minded man is a believer. He has a mind split if he is double-minded and a single mind if he is whole-hearted towards God. It’s easy to tell. A double mind does both godly things and ungodly. He just manages it all. He is seen indulging the bad and suppressing the good. He will deny himself good things God has given to him to enjoy and think he does good in doing so. He thinks that if he does not partake of the good God has given then he is permitted to partake of the evil things his flesh likes…and he does it.

I was reading in 1 Chronicles. I’ve read it a hundred times. David brought up the ark with great joy and dancing before the Lord. The Bible says he wore a linen ephod. I have read it so many times. This time I stopped. He did what!

He wore the linen ephod. David, my friend, was a priest. That’s right. He was a priest. But he was not a Levite. only a Levite could be a priest and only a son of Aaron, a High Priest…an inherited office.

He not only wore the ephod but he made offerings. He went into the presence of the Lord. He ate the Showbread. I am sure many more things if we search. But if not a priest after Levi, then who? Melchizedek! Israel was not permitted to have one person who was a king and a priest. We first see Melchizedek as such, and of course Jesus was, then this is what overcomers will be and I would say already are in a prophetic sense. But so was David! Why? He is a picture of Jesus first of all. But then he is a picture of the Bride of Christ.

Once I saw that he had to be a priest to wear the ephod, I searched it and landed on a blog of a pastor who pointed out all the other priestly things David did. He mentioned Melchizadek and that confirmed everything. Of course.

David was a man after God’s own heart because he is a picture of the Bride of Christ. Thats it!

Now here is an amazing point. It’ll teach us to discern Jesus’ use of literary subtleties and devices . In Matthew we read that Jesus says King David went into the temple doing the thing forbidden and ate the showbread that was only for priests. At first glance we might think Jesus is saying David wasn’t a priest but He is saying the opposite. He is absolutely declaring King David to be a priest; therefore both King and priest.

Here’s how: We see it in these two situations I’ll mention but certainly there are more…The man called Jesus good and His response was “Why do you call me good seeing only God is good”. Well Jesus is God and He is good. In other words, Jesus was saying to this man: “If I am good then I MUST BE GOD…since only God is good. I must be Him then.

So this is a powerful way, for those with understanding, to hear Jesus claim that He is God.

He is saying to the ones He is trying to teach, that David DID eat the show bread reserved for priests and did not trespass in doing so, which means King David was a priest.

We see in 1 Samuel 2:35 that Eli, the priest, is told that no man in his family line will live to old age because of Eli’s sin. He is told that God will instead raise up a faithful priest who will do all that is in His heart and mind. And He will build him a sure house and will walk before His anointed forever.

This is actually astounding proof and prophecy. We know that David often prophesied of Jesus and in His voice. When we see it, David is speaking of two events at once. The first is actual things that applied to himself but then a closer look reveals, wow, this is about Jesus at the same time. Well here is an example.

God is mostly speaking of Jesus who is the faithful Priest coming. But meanwhile and in a parallel way, God is talking about David as King. But not only as King but also as priest.
We see is the verse that, oh yes, this is Jesus who is the King and Priest God is talking about. But not only that. The last verse says something curious: “He (the faithful priest) will walk before my anointed forever…”

This is where the parallel prophecy stops and God wants us to know who He is talking about mainly in this context: Jesus isn’t walking before God’s anointed forever. He IS God’s anointed.
We also know by context. At this point Israel is asking for a king and they get Saul. But then we quickly see that God says He will replace Saul with a man after God’s own heart…David.

The wording is intentional and is a clue if we are searching. In verse 35, God says that this priest will do all according to His heart… David was indeed king and priest.

He is also saying in the analogy, that if Jesus is doing what He is doing, healing on the sabbath, then He must have power to do so. He is God.

He does the same thing with the woman who asks Him for help and He says to her that He came for the lost Nation Israel, why should He then turn to help a dog?

He is declaring the lie she has believed so she can see the truth. Yes He did come to Israel first, in order to fulfill prophecy, but He came for the gentiles too, who were not dogs but precious jewels as well. God formed the nation Israel for one reason…to save the whole world!!! So the reason Israel exists as a nation is to show the world who He is and to save them! There are no dogs.

Actually, in using her misunderstanding to teach her truth, Jesus is saying to her: I formed a whole nation to save you, woman. You are no dog. And more… If you are a dog, then why am I saving you? You’re no dog. That’s a lie. You don’t understand.

There is more here to find. It’s a hidden treasure. Thank You Lord!!

Where did Jesus ever give life application messages? He never did. He told Nicodemas for instance that he had to be born again to enter the Kingdom. Nicodemas, accustomed to keeping the law in doing, asked how does one do that? Jesus didn’t tell him how.

He simply said that as the wind blows and no one can tell where it is going or where it came from, so it is with those born of the spirit. That which is flesh is flesh that which is spirit is spirit. Flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom. You must be born of the spirit (have a spiritual birth).

There are teachers today who focus on life application of the Word. I will tell you that we don’t see this in the Bible. We do see an exhortation against life application. Where? Hebrews. The writer says in essence that walking in the Spirit is not a matter of don’t do this or don’t do that. It is a matter of knowing God. If we focus on knowing God and walking with Him by making it our purpose in life to know Him, we will automatically do His will.

Life application focuses on self , and all that can do is pretty up the flesh by telling it to do this don’t do that, do this, don’t do that. Jesus never did that. Life application is a keeping of the law…which is impossible. It is flesh centered by focusing on the doings of me, myself and I.

When we study the Word of God it should never be in effort to make me better. That won’t work. We should study the Word to converse with God, to understand Him and marvel at Him and love Him. Paul said it is the love of Christ that constrains me. I must decrease and His must increase. If I will do this then I will automatically, as a bi-product of knowing Him, fulfill all the law of God and keep all of His word. This is what walking in the Spirit is.

The life application believer is both a legalist and a liberal at the same time. These are two sides of one coin. Here’s why: If I am a life applicationist, I will say I should not fear. I will work all kinds of ways to rid myself of fear. This is a doing, a bolstering of the flesh so I won’t fear. Failure. It won’t work. You don’t want to be fearful? If you will know His word and do His word by loving Him ( for He said that if you love Me, you will keep My commandments) a bi-product of that love is fearlessness. Knowing God brings with it fearlessness.

The Word says that perfect love casts out fear. How simple is that.

When we come to the Word of God there are two possible focuses. In the left hand we have me. How can I apply all that I am reading. Then on the right hand I have God. Who are You? What are you saying here? What a beautiful Psalm. How lovely are Your ways! Who was this You are talking about? Oh look at how this person knew You! Look how perfect Your Word is. Thank You for this day.

The focus of the left hand is like wanting a person to have a good godly day so you say, wake up early, brush your teeth well, eat a good breakfast. Be careful now driving. Make sure you don’t text and drive. Arrive on time to work, each a good lunch. Don’t talk about ungodly things, come home on time, and on it goes. But we already know to do these things. Maybe a toddler needs to be reminded but a grown person does not. They already know these things. They had them instilled upon the heart since birth and know them. This is what don’t do that, do this is. Why belabor what is obvious?

The very person who takes this route is a continual law breaker. They take this verse which says this walk with Christ is not a matter of don’t do this and that, and think it is license to do this and do that. But this verse means to know God and you don’t need these instructions because they are kept in Him automatically. Know God and all else follows without effort.

If I have spent my efforts to know God, sin will become repulsive to me. Period. This is walking in the spirit. If I am truly knowing Him, I will automatically produce the fruit of the Spirit like breathing. All sin will be a revulsion to me without effort. When I spend my time to know God, the things of the flesh lose their appeal.

Seek His face. You’ll find Him if you do.

Amen

Let me explain. It is. Hebrews explains this to us in the context of explaining why Jesus had to die for the sins of man as our Kinsman Redeemer.

In the effort to further explain, God says that just as a man’s testament has no power until the death of the testator, so there was no power in the Law to save until the death of THE Testator, God, in the person of Jesus Christ.

Now men were saved before the death of Jesus, of course, but it was the same way, through the messiah who was yet to come. However…the Holy Spirit (the power, or Dunamis) had not come to indwell the believer until after Jesus’ death and ascension.

So then, the Bible is God’s Will and testament. The Old Testament proclaimed the wishes of the Testator (God) for His dependents, His children. The New Testament is the dispersement instruction for His possessions and people after His death.

1-To whom do His possessions go?

2-How and to what degree are they to be distributed?

3-Who gets what?

4-How are His children to be cared for in His absence?

How incredible is this!

The definition for will and testament is this: written instructions on how and to whom to disperse the possessions and to take care of dependents.

There are those who misunderstand and think the old testament is over and useless. Here is why this os false teaching and why it reveals such lack of understanding…

The Old Testament is God’s Will and Testament. It is fulfilled in the New Testament. It is not canceled. It is fulfilled. Big difference. If it’s canceled, then there is no New Testament, there is no fulfillment. So we can never cancel the old testament. We just have the fulfillment of it the disbursement of it the power of it in the New Testament. That’s why Hebrews tells us that a will is powerless until the death of the testator. The person who owns the will, that is. But once The owner of the will dies, then everything is disbursed. And the receiver of that will gets all that was in the will.

The only thing that is canceled in the New Testament is the need for the blood of bulls and goats. We cannot cancel anything else…that God gave anyway. We see a lot of nonsense added to the Word of God, and some of the little particulars that pertained to Israel alone but those are obvious. God gave us 10 Commandments. They are fulfilled in Jesus Christ they are not canceled. Keeping them is not possible in the flesh, by my effoets (dont do this or that). Hence the need for the bulls and goats. But the blood of the Lamb of God, accomplishes everything. The death of the owner of the Will (God, who is Jesus) unleashes all the power that was promised in the Old Testament but could not send us power to keep them until the New Testament because now the death of the owner of the will has come.

How amazing.

This is not referring to the tongues of fire seen over the heads of those who believed when Peter preached in Acts 2. You can make an argument for a dual meaning. It is reasonable to think this is part of the meaning but the context of what is said here speaks of the coming judgment.
This fire is the fire of God’s wrath in the last day. Just read. It’s clearly stated. The earth is going to be burned up. Jesus will do it. Global warming won’t. Mankind won’t. Satan won’t. Jesus will. He is coming to judge the earth and all its inhabitants. Are you ready?

Jesus states in Matthew 10 and Luke 3 that we should not think He came to bring peace. The writers are giving accounts of the same discourse so it is clear that we can read all of these to get a complete message. He did not come to bring peace, He came to bring a sword. In Luke before this He says he came to bring fire to purge the earth and how He wishes it were already kindled.
In Matthew 3:11,12 John the Baptist reveals that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He clarifies in the next verse, 12, what this fire is. It isn’t the fire of Pentecost. It is the fire of His wrath when Hw returns to judge the earth.
2 Peter 3 tells us that the heavens and the earth will be burned with fire. Consumed. He will remake the earth. Later we see that He forms a new heavens and a new earth. But the earth is headed for a fire. Bank on it. Those who say the earth is not going to burn up are poor students. They have come to conclusions based on their wants and own understanding rather than on the word of God and His voice.
Jesus speaks of this as a baptism in such a way that He is referring to a crossing through point, an initiation, a predetermined path He is set to walk. He will trample the earth and burn it up.

The Psalms are replete with this witness. Psalm 50 speaks of the fire that devours before Him and it will be tempestuous round about Him…this is Last Day wrath of the Lamb. Psalm 97 speaks of fire burning up the earth in judgment. It’s everywhere.

Isaiah speaks the most about this fire. In 66:16 he says it outright, that His wrath in the last day upon the earth and mankind, will be a sword and fire…Jesus repeats Isaiah and clarifies.
Most of the prophets speak of this. Zephaniah says all the earth will be devoured with fire at His wrath. On it goes. So the fire that He is “baptizing” the world in is wrath and this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Bless His holy name.

As believers we share communion. We share bread and the cup, representing the body and the blood of Christ, showing our belonging to the body of Christ, and declaring His death till He returns, done in remembrance of Him.

We are warned not to take communion in an unworthy manner. We are also warned to be discerning as we do this.

God doesn’t elaborate, knowing that believers will be discerning…or at least that they are able and aware. In other words, the Spirit of God within a believer will cause us to know what and how, by knowing His word concerning this.

Non believers should not take communion. Until there is a New birth in Christ, there is no reason to partake of the body of Christ because we do not belong to Him yet.

The instruction concludes with this: some of you are weak, sick and even sleep because you have not taken communion in a worthy manner. Unconfessed, known sin is the major reason. Not belonging to the body because we have never repented of sin and been born again is another reason. Not declaring His death and being thankful and mindful of His sacrifice for our sin is another.

Let us then come together as believers, joyfully sharing His body and blood, and declaring His death till He returns; mindful of all the things He said. This is a tool also to keep a believer. Jesus is the keeper of the sheep. If we come together regularly sharing communion, doing it in the right way, won’t we get in the habit of keeping ourselves? I think so. We don’t want to be weak or sick or die even because we have not taken communion in a worthy manner…so we examine or hearts, our ways. We are reminded of our glorious calling and election in Him. We are thankful that we are worthy to share communion.

So let communion be a means by which He keeps you. He is faithful. Be diligent to be found worthy each week when you gather with believers and share communion. What a blessing this is.

Amen.

We know that the fruit of the Spirit, is love,joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience, faith and self-control. But this is not the work of the Holy Spirit. People are very confused, and therefore treat the Holy Spirit as if He is a thing rather than Almighty God Himself. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit came to do what? Hear this: receive it and then think on it. The Holy Spirit came to reprove. His work is to reprove. To reprove of what? He came to reprove of sin, of righteousness, and of the judgment to come. So all of the lovely, soft, peaceable things that people love to attribute to the Holy Spirit, are not His purpose or work at all. But all these things that are the fruit of the Spirit, not fruits, but fruit, singular, are effects of the work of the Holy Spirit…they are the result of one who has been first reproved by Him.

I’ve often heard people say: “that person is filled with the Holy Spirit”. Then a closer look reveals that this very person is living in immorality and sin, yet very amiable and happy and exuberant…easy to get along with. The truth is, that this person, happy as they may be, if they have not first been reproved of sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come, which leads to walking in obedience to the Commandments of Christ, then they are not filled with the Holy Spirit, and have not even heard from Him. Now He is the Comforter, but who does He comfort? His own. So even as the Comforter, His comforting is also a by product of reproof.

We can say, I feel the Spirit’s presence when the situation is light and easy and warm. But we do not unless we have first been reproved by Him.

Likewise, If a person isn’t exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, the effects of His reproof, then one wonders if they have been reproved yet?

Amen.

I think so. I love my country but no other country fits the description of Mystery Babylon the Great. The Woman who rides the beast in Revelation is a harlot. We can say she is an adulteress. She once belonged to God but turned to other gods.
An individual could not be described here because once a person believes, they cannot become an unbeliever. Salvation is permanent and irreversible.

But a nation can be adulterous. A nation can once follow God then turn away from God. That is one way we know that the harlot is a nation. The USA began as God’s nation. It no longer is. The nation as a whole has turned away.

Now the church system collective has also turned away from God in the same sense. The saved individuals within the true church cannot fall away. We are sealed. But the collective entity that calls itself the church but falls away to the world system is a harlot. The entity that is the false part within can fall away. I think that’s what we see with Mystery Babylon.