So encourage each other with these words.

Who is holy? God alone is holy-God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. The people of God are made holy by God. What will happen to the holy people?

I have done a word search and taken 22 verses with the word ‘holy’ from the Book of Revelation. The verses describe two scenarios: the holy God and His faithful people made holy by Jesus, and the unholy people under the rule of the enemy of God. There will be persecution for the holy people of God. But Jesus will come and judge and to reward. In the meantime the holy people of God must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

Revelation 3:7 [ The Message to the Church in Philadelphia ] “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:

Revelation 4:8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

Revelation 6:10 They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”

Revelation 8:4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.

Revelation 11:2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 11:18 The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.”

Revelation 13:7 And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.

Revelation 13:10 Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.

Revelation 14:9-10 Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.

Revelation 14:12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

Revelation 15:4 Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

Revelation 16:5 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments.

Revelation 16:6 Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.”

Revelation 17:6 I could see that she (Babylon) was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

Revelation 18:24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

Revelation 19:8 She (the Lamb’s bride) has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. (See below 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 about the first resurrection)

Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Revelation 21:10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

Revelation 22:11 Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”

Revelation 22:19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

Revelation 22:21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NLT)
The Hope of the Resurrection
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[a] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[b] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[c] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Footnotes:
(a) 4:13 Greek those who have fallen asleep; also in 4:14.
(b) 4:15 Greek those who have fallen asleep.
(c) 4:16 Greek the dead in Christ.

Words with real power do transform lives

Words must come with real and visible power to transform. Words of God do that when the believers of Jesus carry the power of the words and the Holy Spirit into the harvest. In Acts 13-14 (quoted from Holy Bible NLT version in parts here) Paul and Barnabas demonstrated this truth. I shall quote only the parts wherein Paul preached a powerful sermon in Antioch of Pisidia (in today’s Turkey).

Acts 13:30-38
30 But God raised him from the dead! 31 And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.
32 “And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, 33 and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus:
‘You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.[a]’
34 For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’[b] 35 Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’[c] 36 This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. 37 No, it was a reference to someone else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.
38 [d]“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.

Footnotes:
13:33 Or Today I reveal you as my Son. Ps 2:7.
13:34 Isa 55:3.
13:35 Ps 16:10.
13:38 English translations divide verses 38 and 39 in various ways.

Acts 13:46-52
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. 47 For the Lord gave us this command when he said,
‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’[a]”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49 So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.
50 Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. 52 And the believers[b] were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes:
13:47 Isa 49:6.
13:52 Greek the disciples.

Acts 14:1-4
Paul and Barnabas in Iconium
14 The same thing happened in Iconium.[a] Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

Footnotes:
14:1 Iconium, as well as Lystra and Derbe (14:6), were towns in what is now Turkey.

The harvest is great：be sent

When Jesus looks at the fields He sees a sea of people to be led into the Kingdom of God. He sees how best the Father’s will can be fulfilled. He has given the keys to what His followers must do to work with Him, using His resources: His name and His authority and power. The power of His words. The power of the Holy Spirit.

Reading from Luke 9 (57-62), 10 (1-20)
The Lord (Jesus) now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places He planned to visit. These were His instructions:

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. See what God sees. Focus on His perspective. The time? Now.
So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields. God is the One who sends. He has lots of reserved workers. Just call Him. A prayer away. Use more of prayers than using our cell phone.
Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Beware. There are wolves out there, even in our midst.
Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. No excessively cumbersome equipment. No need the latest tech. Use prayer.
And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road. No distraction. No disclosure of God’s confidential strategy to the enemy. Speak less and pray more. Beware. Watch and pray.

Prerequisites: (Luke 9) Focus on the spiritual and not physical. Kingdom of God becomes their focus.

Get Out of your comfort zone: no more concern with your usual physical needs, e.g. routine living, stability, shelter, bed, regular sleep.
Forget your past pattern/tradition/ritual: no more concern with your usual practices, e.g. physical preparation, continuing association with past duty, physical aspects of life, what others think of you.
Let go of your present relation/emotion: no more concern with even things that matter to you: sentiments with the past, meeting others’ expectations.

The real invincible equipment that each disciple carries: power and authority of Jesus over spiritual and physical realms (both seen and unseen worlds.) Use His words -The power of God’s words. Be led by His Spirit. Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. Let the Son of God manifest in us.
In practice, Jesus has given these examples in Luke 10 of what the disciples would encounter in real life. They would not lack the physical supplies they needed. But their focus continued to be on the spiritual reality. Jesus told them that what they proclaimed in the spiritual realm would become real in the physical realm.
The positive supernatural power of the phrase “MAY GOD’S PEACE BE WITH YOU” proclaimed by the disciples based on the authority given by Jesus is real and tremendous.
Only the disciples can carry the blessing of this phrase on their mission.
The blessing is real and brings tangible outcome in the physical world.
It will go to the house that genuinely opens and grants hospitality to the disciples.
But the recipients in the house must respond correctly: they must be in peace and not in strife. They must supply the disciples all they need during their stay including free lodging and food –as an obligated payment for their work.

The disciples have Jesus’ authority over all the power of the spiritual enemy, and can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure them. Evil spirits have to obey them. They can do miraculous work in the town that welcomes them: heal the sick and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

nations are like trees in the Garden of God once

nations are like trees

Today the watchman-intercessor was woken after midnight to read Ezekiel 31-32. Why? He asked the Lord. The answer is in the reading. At 3am, a name was given. Then he read the news. Indeed, it was exactly as the Lord has spoken through prophet Ezekiel. When the prophet recorded the words none of the events had happened. But history had proven that they had come to pass. God’s words are forever settled in heaven. Why did the prophet have to utter them in his days even when no one listened? The actual speaking of God’s words bring them to pass. So be it even today. The Bible verse below are quoted in parts. Please read the whole chapters (31-32). After reading these prophetic words, the watchman was led to read chapter 33:33 “But when all these terrible things happen, they will know a prophet has been among them.” God is still merciful and wants people to repent and return to Him. That is why He sent prophets to warn beforehand and not after. And He warns both the good and the bad. (chapter 33)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
On June 21, during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, give this message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his hordes: “To whom would you compare your greatness?
You are like mighty Assyria,
which was once like a cedar of Lebanon,
with beautiful branches that cast deep forest shade
and with its top high among the clouds.All the great nations of the world
lived in its shadowBecause I made this tree so beautiful,
and gave it such magnificent foliage,
it was the envy of all the other trees of Eden,
the garden of God.
“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because Egypt became proud and arrogant, and because it set itself so high above the others, with its top reaching to the clouds, I will hand it over to a mighty nation that will destroy it as its wickedness deserves. I have already discarded it. A foreign army—the terror of the nations—has cut it down and left it fallen on the ground. Its branches are scattered across the mountains and valleys and ravines of the land. All those who lived in its shadow have gone away and left it lying there.I made the nations shake with fear at the sound of its fall, for I sent it down to the grave with all the others who descend to the pit. And all the other proud trees of Eden, the most beautiful and the best of Lebanon, the ones whose roots went deep into the water, took comfort to find it there with them in the depths of the earth. Its allies, too, were all destroyed and had passed away. They had gone down to the grave—all those nations that had lived in its shade.
“O Egypt, to which of the trees of Eden will you compare your strength and glory? You, too, will be brought down to the depths with all these other nations. You will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his hordes. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
“You think of yourself as a strong young lion among the nations,
but you are really just a sea monster,
heaving around in your own rivers,
stirring up mud with your feet.
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I will send many people
to catch you in my net
and haul you out of the water.
“I will disturb many hearts when I bring news of your downfall to distant nations you have never seen. Yes, I will shock many lands, and their kings will be terrified at your fate. They will shudder in fear for their lives as I brandish my sword before them on the day of your fall. 11 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“The sword of the king of Babylon
will come against you.
I will destroy your hordes with the swords of mighty warriors—
the terror of the nations.
On March 17,during the twelfth year, another message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, weep for the hordes of Egypt and for the other mighty nations.For I will send them down to the world below in company with those who descend to the pit.Say to them,
The Egyptians will fall with the many who have died by the sword, for the sword is drawn against them. Egypt and its hordes will be dragged away to their judgment. Down in the grave mighty leaders will mockingly welcome Egypt and its allies, saying, ‘They have come down; they lie among the outcasts, hordes slaughtered by the sword.’
“Assyria lies there surrounded by the graves of its army, those who were slaughtered by the sword.
“Elam lies there surrounded by the graves of all its hordes.
“Meshech and Tubal are there, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes.
“You too, Egypt, will lie crushed and broken among the outcasts, all slaughtered by the sword.
“Edom is there with its kings and princes. Mighty as they were, they also lie among those slaughtered by the sword, with the outcasts who have gone down to the pit.
“All the princes of the north and the Sidonians are there with others who have died. Once a terror, they have been put to shame.
“When Pharaoh and his entire army arrive, he will take comfort that he is not alone in having his hordes killed, says the Sovereign Lord. Although I have caused his terror to fall upon all the living, Pharaoh and his hordes will lie there among the outcasts who were slaughtered by the sword. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Ezekiel 33
The Watchman’s Message
10 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ 11 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
12 “Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.

conversation with a child

“God is good.” I told her. She was upset with God because she thought God was a tyrant who wanted to control, restrict, and punish her if she did not do well academically and performed as a human being in all aspects up to His high standards. The one thing she could not do was to obey parents without questioning whether it was right and reasonable and within her ability. The parents had projected an unfair, unjust and uncaring portrait of God because they quoted the Bible to force the child to obey without allowing her to be heard. They quoted part of the passage about respecting parents but omitted quoting the rest of the Scripture about parents not to antagonize children. The child was full of anger-rage-aggression. She rejected God because because she thought her parents were God.  Eventually she threatened to leave God and Christianity. The conflict between her parents and her and God blew out of proportion. The threats of death that came with a situation where people are without God manifested. What can we do in this crisis?

In Christian counseling there are both physical and spiritual steps to be taken as follows:

show unconditional love and acceptance to the hurting child.
show what true unselfish love means to the parents.
read God’s words and show the true meanings of God’s words.
pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide through each step.
guide the parents through a functional way of communication with the child.
practice the win-win way of conversation and discussion of matters.
show and explain what mutual interests and benefits really mean to the parents and child and walk them through the practical parts, including making lists and covenants to keep by both parties.
repeat the above steps as often as needed.
review and follow through until a healthy Biblical lifestyle is established.
all parties (including the counselor ) are to walk the talk and give honor to God and not selves.

Notes: My own conviction is all the above require a spiritual lifestyle including the counselor. Psychology alone or Bible words alone have no power to change and transform. Only the power of God that works together with His words (through which we acquire His truth and wisdom) can do it. Nothing can be more powerful and lasting than the power of the Holy Spirit. The words of God is the Sword of the Spirit. This is true and practicable in my own life. I believe that in counseling praying in the Spirit is important and essential too. I ask the parents to read the Bible and write down notes. That usually calms them down. I also ask them to pray in the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit minister to them and reveal matters about themselves that need to be changed. This has worked. I also help the child to draw pictures using a verse or even a short psalm. It works too as the words and the picture minister to the little one.

relevant Bible verses:
Romans 1:16 [ The Just Live by Faith ] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:18 [ Christ the Power and Wisdom of God ] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 2:5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
Ephesians 3:7of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Ephesians 6:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)
Children and Parents
6 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,[a] for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”[b]
4 Fathers,[c] do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
Footnotes:
6:1 Or Children, obey your parents who belong to the Lord; some manuscripts read simply Children, obey your parents.
6:2-3 Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
6:4 Or Parents.

Ephesians 6:10-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Whole Armor of God
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[d]
Footnotes:
6:12 Some manuscripts read you.
6:15 Or For shoes, put on the readiness to preach the Good News of peace with God.
6:16 Greek the evil one.
6:18 Greek all of God’s holy people.