The Mark of God - Do you Have His Mark?

In these last days, we truly need to read and study and discuss the powerful MARK OF GOD! It is well documented in Scripture. It is perfect and unbeatable! Yet, how well do we understand it as Christians?

Poster above created by Curtis Alexander using public domain graphics from: https://openclipart.org/share 

Before we jump into speculations and assumptions about futurism (a doctrine widely held by evangelicals today, created by the Roman Cathloic Jesuit Francisco Ribera to fight the Reformation) and the mark of the beast, we must FIRST investigate the ORIGINAL MARK, THE SUPERIOR MARK, THE MARK OF GOD.

Have you received it? Have you been Marked by Christ? If so, rejoice! You are SAVED. And the devil can't touch that mark!

The mark of God is spiritual, and cannot be ousted or erased by the devil. Do you bear the permanent, eternal, saving mark of God?

That is the REAL question.

Read about the nature of the MARK OF GOD:

God is the FIRST to use a protective mark on a man in Scripture (News flash: it wasn't the devil who invented this idea!!) ;)

Genesis 4:15
And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a MARK on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

What about us? We were sinners deserving of punishment! What MARK does God give to us to protect us snd SAVE US from Judgement??

It is the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON. We must apply His shed blood to our hearts in faith, spiritually.

The Mark is in the BLOOD OF THE LAMB.

Exodus 12:23
For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.

1 Cor 6:19 says the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the blood of Jesus is the MARK on the doorposts and lintel of our HEART!

 1 Peter 1:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Tell me, is there any mark greater than the blood of Jesus? Definitely not!! You cannot exaggerate the great power of Jesus' Blood sacrifice!! Keep boasting of Him alone!!

Galatians 6:14-16 New King James Version (NKJV)

14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

God spiritually marks, redeems, and protects those who hate sin and believe and trust in the Lord God. Ezekiel sees a vision of it. The mark is not literal, but spiritual.

THE MARK OF PROTECTION DURING GOD'S JUDGEMENT:

Ezekiel 9:4
and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

Ezekiel 9:6
Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do NOT come near anyone on whom is the MARK; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

The Mark of God is a real spiritual token of God that He places in our minds and hearts. It is unbeatable, unassailable. The Mark of God is the NAME and BLOOD of Jesus!

Revelation 22:4
They shall see His face, and His NAME shall be on their foreheads.

The Mark of God is the MIND OF CHRIST:

"...we have the mind of Christ."
- 1 Cor. 2:16b

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,"
-Philp 2:5

The MARK OF GOD is the SEAL of the HOLY SPIRIT:

2 Corinthians 1:22
who also has SEALED us and given us the SPIRIT in our HEARTS as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were SEALED with the HOLY SPIRIT of promise,

Can the devil undo the Mark of God in you?... the SEAL OF CHRIST'S BLOOD AND GOD'S SPIRIT? No. He cannot touch you or God's Mark on you.

The Seal is the Mark of God's Love!

"Set me as a seal upon your heart, for love is as strong as death..."
-Song of Solomon 8:6

The spiritual, eternal MARK of GOD is identified by WHO WE WORSHIP:

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. (Mat. 28:9)

What can separate you from God's Love and God's mark? NO devil. NO person. NO technology. NO vaccine. NOTHING can separate you from Him when God marks you as His own!! 😊❤

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:37-39

Note that Paul here states that no spiritual force or natural force can separate us from the Love of God. The Blood sacrifice of Jesus marked on the door to our hearts is sufficient. Paul even says that NO CREATED thing can come between God and us, which means that no technology -past, present, or future-  can overrule the Mark Of God in you! Let us put our faith in God and in His reassuring, peace-promoting, inerrant and consistent WORD!  I hear much talk and fear surrounding the devil and his mark. But I rarely hear anyone promoting and the Mark of God. Once we understand the nature of the mark of God, we realize that Satan, microchips, vaccines do not possess the power to overrule or erase the powerful Mark of God on you.

Keep in mind, this is in no way a promotion of microchips, vaccines, or any other technology. I am not giving any advice regarding medicine or technology here. Please do your own research on those topics. My only point is that, doctrinally speaking, from Scripture, we can prove that the Mark of God is the Blood of Jesus and it is also the Seal, the guarantee of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Thus those natural, created things cannot affect your salvation. To say otherwise is to contradict the Word of God regarding the POWER of the Blood and Spirit of Christ.

This may require us to be humble, and "un-learn" some of the teachings we were taught in evangelical circles. I was taught in my youth that we must not get a microchip, or else my salvation could be in danger.

Now as I have grown, and studied the Word, The Reformers, history, and books and teachings on  Historicism, I can say I had to "unlearn" some things that are unsupported in Scripture, such as many aspects of futurism. No physical marking or chip or vaccine can nullify the blood of Jesus. We must be careful not to undervalue the PRICELESS BLOOD of Christ and His Holy Spirit.

God bless. Be fully assured of your security in believing Jesus. He fully marks you and protects you and cleanses you in His Blood.

You can have the eternal and superior MARK OF GOD. His mark is truly superior to all others, including the devil's counterfeit mark of the beast, which is also spiritual in nature. I urge you to study this more in Scripture. Study the genuine superior mark of God and it will help you understand the counterfeit one from Satan which is inferior by comparison.

Ask the Holy Spirit of Christ to open your understanding as you read, in Jesus' Name. Pray for revelation and discernment from Jesus!

God bless!

Pastor Curtis

Sun Feb 28 2021
2:39am EST

PS Learn more about historicism, futurism, and preterism and their origins here:

 https://historicist.info/articles/historicism-futurism-preterism/

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UPDATE in 2025: I just wrote and released a brand new book on this topic! Purchase the eBook of the Paperback version on Amazon today! It's called "The Mark Of God: Your Victory Over The Mark Of The Beast." 

Amazon Canada link

Amazon USA link

 

Image by Curtis Alexander (c) 2025

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God's Word: The Only Document NOT at the mercy of the Reader!

The Word of God is the only document in the world that is not at the mercy of the reader. Rather, it is the ONLY book the reader can read to discover God's love, grace and mercy! 

"...the Scripture cannot be broken " (John 10:35b)

"the word of God is not chained." (2 Timothy 2:9b)

 Why? Because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. And it ultimately is fulfilled in the Living Word Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came to give us salvation from our sin, and grant us mercy and grace and life and righteousness in His Blood!

Photo (c) 2020 Curtis J. Alexander

The Holy Bible is God's collection of inspired writings and it's power comes from God, not people. It is profitable for doctrine, correction, and instruction in righteous godly living!!

2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

The written word leads us to Jesus, the eternal Living Word:

John 1:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

All other books and documents, good, neutral or bad, are merely human books and documents. These human works rely on the reader to read it/apply it. Human documents can only have power through human obedience. Don't get me wrong. Human writings and documents can be and are highly influential. They have had major impacts on society. YET.....  They are always at the mercy of the current generation and their level of literacy and comprehension and desire to learn. 

And, we actually see this in the Levitical order of the Old Testament. The Law of Moses came from God to Moses, for men to apply in order to deal with sin in Israel. But men failed to keep it as the generations passed. Yet the Word remains effective and powerful. Even if men fail to apply it, the Word continues to accomplish what God so desires and chooses to accomplish. Unlike every other rule book or document, the Word of God is NOT HINDERED BY HUMAN REBELLION or FAILURE. 

Isaiah 55:10-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

If a great human document or book is ignored or forgotten, its power is lost. Yes, it can even sit on the bookshelf, and look great. But as long as it remain closed, it remains impotent due to lack of readership and application.

BUT The Word of God has power in itself, and cannot be broken. Indeed, tyrants and oppressors have tried to get rid of the Holy Bible throughout history. But it was ultimately to no avail. Sure, for a time the Bible would be hard to find in certain areas. 
But I know people who God sent to these oppressed areas, and they secretly brought Bibles into fobidden zones. God has His ways of bringing His word to His people. God is God, afterall.

To this day the Word of God remains.

 It is still here. And it is translated into many languages.
Those oppresive regimes end. They never last because they are not eternal. Yet the Word of God remains. It is eternal. Even if every printed copy of God's Word were somehow removed from the planet, the Word is STILL Living and Active. It does not depend upon paper and ink in order to exist. But by God's grace, He put it into a book (a collection of holy God-inspired writings) for us to read and be saved and nourished by. The paper and ink is for our benefit, not God's. 

The Bible, even if it is often hated or dismissed as irrelevant by the doubter, is still the world's best seller. It is resilient beyond any other book.  It is because this Book is from the mouth of God. And this Book leads to, and is tied to, the Living Word Jesus. 

 The Word of God already has eternal power. It comes from the Lord's mouth. Reading it, and believing it and obeying it plants the seed of power within our hearts: Christ is the Seed. Jesus the WORD accomplished what the Levitical priesthood failed to do: Jesus accomplished PERFECT and FINAL ATONEMENT for the sins of the world. We need only to trust in Jesus' one and only sacrifice on the cross to be saved from wrath and sin.

Hebrews 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 His death, burial and resurrection achieved what men could not do. Jesus is our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. (See Hebrews ch.5-7).

Hebrews 5:5-10 NKJV

5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

“You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.”

6 As He also says in another place:

“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek”;

7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 

8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 

9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 

10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” 

 THUS, the Law of Moses was FULFILLED in Jesus, not destroyed nor forgotten. THIS is how the Word of God has power even if people ignore it. See, Jesus is Living. Active. Powerful. Merciful. Gracious. Kind. Royal. Loving. We miss the point of the Bible if we fail to look to Jesus, the Living Word. The written Word is inerrant, and it tells God's story. It is also filled with many human stories and accounts along the way and how God interacted with them. Ultimately the Book culminates in revealing Jesus the Living Word, the Saviour.

 We must enter into relationship with GOD, through His Blood atonement. Jesus is the God of the Bible, and He is CURRENTLY and ETERNALLY ALIVE, and He is INTERACTING with His creation at all times!! 

The written Word is about the Living Word... and the Living Word is coming to judge the world whether you heed His Word or not. :)

Luke 4:36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”

The WORD OF JESUS' POWER upholds all things! He purged our sins by His Own Blood!

Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

People can shelve the Bible if they want, and ignore it. Or they can choose to read it and believe Jesus the Word for salvation. They can choose to respond to the invitation of the living God, Jesus, and follow Him as a disciple daily.

Just rest assured, the Lord is the Word and the Word is sovereign. He is coming to collect His saints (those saved by grace through faith- see Eph 2:8) and judge the world!

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Jesus' (The Word) and His rock-solid teachings:
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

Jesus is THE LIGHT:

 John 8:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

God's Word is Light!

Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Jesus is God's Word of LIGHT!

God's Word is TRUTH:

John 17:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Jesus is The Truth:

John 14:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus is God's WORD OF TRUTH!!

The Word cannot be bound (chained) or broken!

2 Timothy 2:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.

John 10:34-36 New King James Version (NKJV)

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 

35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 

36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

God bless you!

Open the Word today, read, and absorb His Word, by the leading of Christ's Holy Spirit! Walk in daily RELATIONSHIP to the Living Word. 

If you value my content, please consider giving a one-time donation here! Thank you!

-Pastor Curtis 

Feb 27 2021 2:31am EST

God's Love Builds Trust

God's active Love toward people is Character based. It is based on His own Character. And THAT is what builds trust in Him. And therefore love and trust are what all healthy godly relationships are based upon. 

It is endlessly flowing from within Him toward undeserving people. His love is not reactionary, based on what others do for Him. Instead, He initiated salvation and paid the price for all our sins. We simply need to believe on Jesus for salvation. Simply trust in HIS FINISHED WORK. (Believe in God, and believe in Jesus: see John 14:1)

Psalm 143:8 (NKJV)
8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness (khesed) in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.

NOTE here that God's lovingkindness (khesed) is directly linked to TRUST. Trust is built by God's khesed love. God shows the same love to us in the NT with the word agape. He builds our trust. All worthwhile relationships are based on trust.... and trust is built on the khesed Love of God! 
Salvation comes when you TRUST in Jesus alone for your salvation, not in work or in good deeds! 
Why can we TRUST Him? Because He initiated LOVE for us by coming to earth. God came to earth as a man, Jesus Christ, and died for our sins. He showed love to us in that way, and it allows for TRUST and a RELATIONSHIP to GOD.

God Loves Because God is Love. We love each other, because we abide in that very same Love.

If we let God's love flow out of us first, before the other acts, we are actually demonstrating the kind of Love God had for us. That is how trust is built in godly relationships.

 THIS is the kind of love we should learn how to show others. Jesus teaches us to abide in His Love in the NT. The Law of First mention is a hermeneutical concept that teaches that the way God first uses a word in the Old Testament, is the way He will continue to use that word (or it's Greek equivalent) in the New Testament. So to help us understand God's agape love in the NT, we should start by understanding His love in the OT as described by the Hebrew word khesed. 

Watch a short 5 minute video on this from an independent Christian channel on youtube called Bibleproject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfbyFLgs_NM 

God's Love/mercy/kindness in the Old Testament is "Khesed" (Strongs H2617). https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2617&t=KJV

His khesed love comes because of Who He is, not what we can offer Him, as the above video explains.

Keep this in mind when we love others, around the time of valentine's day, and at any other time. Love others based on who God is, and who you are IN CHRIST. God's khesed/agape love is our "battery power" - our source for enabling us to love people the way God loves us. We get that love from God only through the Son Jesus Christ. Pastor Rev. Steve Coates also has some great graphics on the Church page explaining the difference between human/romantic love and God's agape Love. (link is here: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1059006371284974&set=g.48711223086 ).

God loved me when I had nothing to give Him. I was born a rotten sinner. But Jesus' blood cleansed me.

All I have to give is the love that He Himself gave me. He gave me Jesus. He gave me salvation. I simply had to believe in Jesus that He paid for my sins in full. Now He abides in my heart and spirit.

Build all your relationships, by abiding in God's eternal and lasting love, as understood by both the OT word khesed and the NT word agape.

Even in dating or marital relationships between two serious Christian disciples, it's not about what the other person can do for you or give you. It's about how you can serve your significant other in the khesed/agape love that God has shown you. You are practicing love by demonstrating His Character-driven everlasting lovingkindness and mercy and goodness. Yes this is a growing process, for me and for everyone. We all make mistakes as humans. But God's forgiveness is part of His khesed Love. He forgives us for our sins when we repent and call on Him for mercy. So we should forgive one another as He forgave us.

Why do you love your significant other? I suggest we love them not because of what they can do or give, or produce. I urge that we love them because GOD IS LOVE. As we abide DAILY in that love, we too can learn to love, because that is part of our new Creation nature in Christ! That means we extend the khesed love of God to our spouse or romantic interest. It involves loyatly, mercy, kindness, goodness, love. 

 His love does not depend on how He is treated. He does not hold back until He is treated right. It does not depend on romance or romantic feelings (as nice as those feelings can be!). Romance is external, and temporary. Yet khesed and agape are internal, eternal, and they flow out of your spirit, from Christ in you the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27).

His love came first. And it keeps coming afresh, every day.

It initiates.

It loyally protects.

It gently tends.

It rejoices not in lies, but only in the Truth.

It lasts.

It forgives.

It builds trust.  

When others do not see any potential, God's love sees it, and provides room for it to grow.

When others do not see you.... GOD'S LOVE sees you, and extends out to you. There is no place where He cannot reach you.

Romans 8:15 (NKJV) For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Galatians 4:6 (NKJV) And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

If we can tap into His love in our spirit, and let it flow out to others, we can build TRUST with others in the same way: by taking the initiative to show others the KHESED LOVINGKINDNESS of God!

God bless you!

Pastor Curtis

Thu Feb 4th 2021 4:30am EST

The Verse That Struck Me!

Ever been struck by a thought??? I have before! But this time, I have been struck with not just a thought, but with a revelation out of the Word of God. His word hit my mind and heart and opened my understanding about what God desires to do to promote women who may feel sidelined by society or religion or tradition.   

Psalm 113:9 NKJV

He grants the barren woman a home, LIKE a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 113:9 AMP Classic

9 He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker and a joyful mother of [spiritual] children. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

I have recently been confronted with the heavily implied idea that a single Christian man is better to marry a woman who can bear natural children to him. This may be true in some cases, but this did not feel like a complete Bible picture to me. I couldn't put my finger on why.... at least not at that time.

What is it that makes a marriage work? Is it the ability to have children? I think not.  There must first be a oneness and a unity of mind and in the Spirit of Christ in order to make a marriage last a lifetime. This oneness in agape Love is what makes a marriage work. Through that oneness, children are often conceived. But not always. Even without children, a unified marriage can last for decades... see Abraham and Sarah, who had a successful marriage for MANY YEARS long before they ever brought forth a child (by miracle of God).

So, to be clear I completely agree with and support the Bible concepts that God is for marriage and He is for family. Be fruitful and multiply. (Not to mention that Jesus fulfilled Gen 1:28 without having natural children by raising disciples - Mat 5:17).

BUT

Not all people are able to have children. God cares about them. Should they be denied married life? How can they fulfill the desire of God to raise up new generations? I believe the Word of God supplies us with all these answers.

 I used to be married to an infertile "barren" woman years ago. I prayed to the Lord and was at peace with giving up my natural heritage to gain a spiritual heritage in the family of God.
 I was faithful to her. My church family, Church On The GO was gracious to welcome her as my new wife and included her as spiritual family. I am grateful for my pastor and my church to this day because of their godly, agape attitude toward those that society would overlook.

Sadly, she took the kindness, inclusion, and love for granted, and abandoned me, and our church. After refusing to come home, I became divorced after that (1 Cor. 7:15). Now, my marriage is over (Hosea 2:2) and I have forgiven my ex-wife and moved on from her. I have been divorced for over 11 years now, and God has healed me and maintained me and grown my ministry thanks to His grace, and thanks to my church.

But my heart to minister to certain kinds of people never stopped. Due to my own loss, my desire to minister to them with God's care has only grown. 

 See, I really have a heart toward the singles, and the childless.

Toward Christians who wanted marriage and have not gained it (as of yet).
Toward divorced Christians who were faithful, yet were betrayed and abandoned by their former spouse.
Toward Christians who wanted to have children yet never could.
My heart breaks for these dear saints of God.
God loves them just as much as He loves those who marry successfully and have lots of children.
God does not forget those that society forgets. And I have a heart to understand the dear saints who feel dedicated to do the work of the ministry exclusively, focusing on raising only spiritual children. I had previously discovered some precious truths in Isaiah 56. That chapter shows God's heart toward the eunuch, the one who could not reproduce naturally. If the man would dedicate himself to the Lord, then God offered him an eternal name and monument "better than sons and daughters". Read that chapter to learn more. (Isaiah 56:3-5)

And Jesus expanded the idea of eunuchs to include those who choose to stay single and also to those who do not have kids for the Kingdom of God's sake. (Read Matthew 19:12) 

Blueletterbible - whole definition of eunuch here: 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2135&t=KJV

Key Part of the definition is as follows:
"one naturally incapacitated

1. for marriage

2. begetting children"

The other word for eunuch in that verse is:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2134&t=KJV

Basically some people are single or childless, but not by direct choice. Jesus loves and accepts you, just the way you are. He loves you. He has a place and a home for you. This has both natural and spiritual implications. 

Others are single or childless by direct choice, "for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake" (Mat. 19:12). Jesus loves and accepts you as well. Not all can accept this kind of special calling that yields up the natural heritage to focus on building the spiritual heritage of the Lord. But certain Christians CAN accept it. Jesus recognizes that and has a home and place for them as well!  

Now the Biblical pattern in marriage is when a man and woman marry, and produce natural children. This is GOOD and RIGHT! It is to be commended and encouraged, especially among young Christian couples (aged 18-30).
(According to Psalm 90:10, the average human age is between 70-80, thus middle age actually begins around 35, upwards of age 40, based on Scripture). As long as it is medically and financially feasible, and the couple is hearing that call of God, they should be encouraged to produce children and grow their natural family, and raise that family to follow Jesus Christ! If you do so, prepare for some immense challenges that will force you to focus on your natural family more than your church ministry. People with a spouse and children must treat their spouse and children as their first ministry. Church ministry will have to come lower down the list.   

But what about those who cannot reproduce? Does God cast them aside? Does He sideline them, the way other people do? (even some in the church do that sadly, though not all)

 Or does He place them in their own home? Does He grant them marriage?
I knew the answer was yes... BUT could not see the verse.

I was certain God wanted to show me more. And THEN I discovered it, the verse above, Psalm 113:9.  It struck me.

 Psa 113:9 NKJV

He grants the barren woman a home, LIKE a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

The Lord desires to give the barren woman a home. Her own home could mean living as a single. It could mean living in a marriage. And I also believe this refers ultimately to the churches, the family of God as well.
 He desires to make her "like" a joyful mother of children. That term "like" is a comparative term, not necessarily to be taken literally. Some translations just say "make" but the NKJV says "like". So for this reason I believe God can make the barren woman a joyful mother in different ways. 

 This can happen three ways. 

1. God intervenes with a miracle and enables her to literally conceive in marriage, or 

2. the childless married couple adopts, or 

3. she becomes a spiritual mother, and trains up spiritual children as disciples, just as Jesus, Paul and John do in the New Testament.

All three options are valid. Each option stands alone as valid, or can stand together as valid.

 God is in the business of growing families and it is never too late to start (see Elizabeth or Sarah's stories in the Bible). 

God wants to set the barren and the eunuch (naturally infertile) in their own marriages. He wants them to have homes and families. It may be that the family they have is spiritual. First the natural, then the spiritual. Both rails ("natural" and "spiritual") are needed to keep the train of understanding on the track. Natural childbirth will always be with us. If one couple does not have kids, another couple will.

BUT precious FEW are willing to raise up the spiritual family of God in Jesus' Name! We need more spiritual fathers and mothers in the church!

 1 Corinthians 4:17  (NKJV)

17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

And more specifically, God wants all believers of every walk of life to belong to His Spiritual family in the Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 3:14-15).

God sets the childless people in their own home. That could very well mean a happy married home... a couple who is growing the spiritual family unit.

They can grow the natural family, AND/OR the spiritual family of God!

I would raise concern for any Christian couple that is NOT interested in raising any kind of family. They should, if capable and called to do so, be willing to grow the family. If they cannot raise/produce natural family, they can still work in the church (and outside of it) to raise up disciples, spiritual children for the Kingdom of Heaven, just as Jesus raised His disciples and trained them to raise their own spiritual children!

I realize this is a sensitive topic. I understand that many women WANT to be a natural mother, and they may feel utterly dissatisfied with the concept of discipleship/spiritual motherhood being a substitute. Being a natural mother is a special honour. 
Being a spiritual mother is also a special honour.

I am not here to negate those feelings of disappointment or heartbreak. Rather I am here to tell you that I was once married to such a woman, and had she remained consistent and believed the Lord's Word, she would have had a successful ministry raising spiritual children.

Our childless marriage was "honourable" to God (Heb 13:4), it was valid. Because at the time, we focused on raising God's spiritual family in church. 

 As it stands, I am successfully raising spiritual children in the church on my own. I have done so for 20 years, by the Grace and Strength of Christ. God even showed me a recent vision, in 2020, of my spiritual legacy. He showed me all the children I have ever taught or impacted with the Gospel. He showed me a tiny glimpse... of me walking into the dawning light of Christ in eternity... and following behind me were ALL the children (many are now adults) that I have taught and raised up spiritually in the church or marketplace. My legacy is not apparent to the natural eye, but God showed me that my SPIRITUAL legacy is significant and eternal. My spiritual children are following me (from afar) into heaven! Praise the Lord! I trust God by faith on this, as always, since many of my students have grown up and gone into different parts of Canada or the world. 

For those of you whose desires are overlooked, sidelined, or ignored by people... God sees you. He sees your desire for family and marriage. Regardless of your condition, age or situation, Jesus HAS a way to make it happen.

Psalm 113:9 tells us he will make the barren woman like a joyful mother of spiritual children. (according to NKJV and AMPC translations)

He can and still does natural miracles. But even if He does not do so for you, He can use you and your (future) spouse to raise up spiritual children. 

Psalm 68:6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

 Psa 113:9 NKJV

He grants the barren woman a home, LIKE a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

 Perhaps you know you are not able to have a child. But you desire marriage. What then? Should you be ignored??? Of course not! God tells us in His word He sets the solitary in families and sets the barren in homes! You SHOULD GET MARRIED if you so desire that. 1 Corinthians 7 makes it crystal clear that any man or woman with desire should get married to avoid sexual sin. There is no hidden stipulation that the barren/eunuch must remain single.
SO then, rather than focusing on what you cannot do, focus on what GOD can do in in YOU, through FAITH IN CHRIST!  No matter what your condition is, God has a home and a family for you! 

God bless

Pastor Curtis

Nov 22 2020 Sunday 1:05am EST

 

Christ is the Future of Every Christian

LOSING TO GAIN - Christ Is the Future of Every Christian

If you love and follow Jesus as Lord and Saviour , this message is for you. Yes Christ is here, right now. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). Today I want to focus on the "forever" part. Christ is the Christian's secure, eternal, and blessed FUTURE! And by Christian, I mean every sincere follower and believer in Christ. Peter tells us who the Christian is:

1 Peter 4:16 NKJV

 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

And now for our key text:

MARK 8:34-35 NKJV
"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will LOSE it, but whoever LOSES his life for My sake and the gospel’s will SAVE it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

My original song "Song Of Discipleship" is about these very verses: Listen to it here: 




Jesus' earlthy life, His earlthy future, on the earth appears to have been cut short. His carpentry career did not reach its maximum potential.
He did not have any natural children.
What WAS His future then?

He was crucified for our sins. He died. He was in the grave until the third day.
I can only imagine his natural family wondering why he didn't just settle down, use his woodworking skill to build a natural house, and take a wife and raise natural kids.

YET His future was to RISE FROM THE DEAD and live FOREVER as the Last Adam! The Heavenly Man. (1 Cor 15:45-47)

And His Progeny was the Spiritual Sons of God, you and me! Through His Blood He has built the ULTIMATE HOUSE OF PRAYER, a body of believers in the earth, He is the HEAD of that Body! 

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 

Through His sinless and perfect blood He secured His Future. He "lost" an natural future on earth to GAIN an ETERNAL future of a spiritual house and spiritual children. He , the Son of God, pleased the Heavenly Father. We, through Christ alone, are God's SPIRITUAL ADOPTED CHILDREN, born from above. (John 1:12; John 3:3, Rom 8:15)

We ARE the house that Jesus is building, spiritually! (1 Cor 6:19)

And now, His FUTURE ON EARTH CONTINUES, because of us, His Body of sons. (Eph. 1:22-23, Eph 2:17-22). And He reigns in Heaven forever!

So, knowing who we follow, we can know what to expect as a follower of Christ Jesus.

Discipleship looks like loss on the surface. And that loss will take different forms for different Christians. It is important not to compare your walk with that of your brother or sister in Christ. God has a unique calling for you, within the greater unity of the Body of Christ, under the Head, Jesus.

Jesus says this about the disciples' loss:

Mark 10:28-31 NKJV

28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 

30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 

31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

 So discipleship looks like, from a natural perspective, a disciple who has given up on his or her natural future. They have thrown it away, or so it would appear. Just look at Peter or John or Paul, or Stephen the Martyr. Their earthly lot in life does not soar to wealth or fame. They end up persecuted and most often killed for their testimony of Jesus. But they followed Jesus their example to the end... to the FUTURE. Their FUTURE continues to this day! They live forever in Christ.

Jesus is our FUTURE! He told us so:
John 11:25-27 NKJV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 

26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

And so, the disciples and apostles are wealthy in Christ, in spiritual things. So are we in Christ.

Salvation.

The Holy Spirit.

Resurrection.

Eternal Life.

The Calling of Christ for today.

Healing.

The Word.

The Gifts.

The inheritance of the Saints in light.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

The New Jerusalem in Heaven (which is the Bride of the Lamb Jesus , Rev 21:2,9-12)

All of these are Biblical examples of our spiritual wealth in Christ.

And others will think you are losing or "missing out". You could have had a bigger career. A bigger family. A nicer car (or any car for that matter - I am not a driver : ) )

A white picket fence.

A huge mansion on earth.

The "dream" of certain countries.

You could have had it all, according to people.

But instead you chose to lose it and gain CHRIST. You chose to loose your earthly lifestyle to GAIN CHRIST'S life in you. He is CHRIST in you, the hope of Glory (Col 1:27). Now, TO BE CLEAR, and to bring balance, This does not automatically mean your natural wealth or possessions are inherently evil, or that you must live in poverty to be spiritual. No, not at all. That is asceticism which is unbiblical. Asceticism teaches that one gains approval of God through severe voluntary poverty. That just is not the case. Salvation in Christ is a FREE gift, by GRACE. No one can boast in their works. We are all saved by GRACE through FAITH. (Eph. 2:8) Asceticism is just another works-based salvation doctrine and it is wrong. The Bible shows that both the rich and the poor can be saved by simple faith in Christ. It is harder for the rich, but not impossible with God.

So this just means you love Jesus MORE than anyone or any thing. Nothing comes between you and Christ. You may be led to give up certain things at the leading of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. That is good. It's ok if other disciples/followers of Jesus do not understand you in doing so.

After Jesus prophecies the kind of death Peter will suffer for Christ, Peter then asked about John's walk of discipleship, and Jesus simply replied:

John 21:21-22 NKJV

21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

So no two disciples will have the exact same journey. One may be led to have a natural family for Jesus and also raise up spiritual sons. Another may be called only to raise up spiritual sons in Jesus. All are one in Christ. 

 You are making that sacrifice, not to GET saved, but because you ARE saved by Grace! You do it out of personal obedience to, and love for, Christ the KING who RULES in mercy and righteousness. These kinds of life choices can ONLY BE known or understood by having a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP to God through the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. You cannot know how to follow Christ without first KNOWING Christ in your spirit!

You must commune with Him daily. Regularly. Read the Word of God, and pray in Jesus' Name.

Listen to the voice of the Shepherd.

  Life does not consist in the abundance of natural wealth or things. It consists in CHRIST ALONE. Jesus is the LIFE. (John 14:6- Jesus is the Way, the Truth, The Life, the only Way to God the Father)

In Mark 8:34, as quoted at the beginning of this entry, Jesus promises His followers a SECURE FUTURE.

In order to have a secure future in CHRIST, you must practice daily denial of self. You must lose the future you could have had in the world. Sounds weird, right? But look at what Paul taught about his own future and the resurrection!!

Philp. 3:7-11
"7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may GAIN Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Now here, we see that Paul, from a natural perspective, from a bystander's view, had thrown away his future. He chose NOT to stay with the Pharisees, and lost the prestige he had with them. He had no wife. He was beaten. Put in prison. Persecuted.

He had no natural progeny, no natural children.

BUT he did raise up spiritual children... he discipled believers like Timothy and Titus.

THAT was part of his future since Timothy and Titus both went on to carry forward the Apostle Paul's work and raise up even more spiritual children through the Gospel.
Again for clarity and balance, Biblical marriage between disciples (a man and a woman) is allowed and welcomed by Jesus. But it is not required for discipleship. Jesus supports and encourages the natural family unit. It is a blessing and a special ministry in and of itself. But again, as the Lord shows by his earthly walk, starting a natural family is not necessarily a requirement for discipleship or ministry (as in Paul and Barnabas - 1 Corinthians ch. 9). Why? Because Jesus fulfills it all (Mat 5:17, Gen. 1:28, Gen. 9:1 , Mat 28:18-20). So some Christians will be led to marry and have natural families. Others will be led to stay single. And still others will be led by the Holy Spirit uniquely in special circumstances. (for an example see: https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/called-to-childlessness-the-surprising-ways-of-god/?platform=hootsuite )

At the core of what Jesus says and what Paul echos is this:

FOR THE CHRISTIAN WHO IS SERIOUS ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP, (married or single, with natural family or natural without) CHRIST IS OUR FUTURE. Christ in you the hope of glory! (Col. 1:27) And let's not forget that even those who do not raise a natural family are indeed INCLUDED into the FAMILY OF GOD through Jesus!

Eph. 3:14-15 NKJV 

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

First the natural then the spiritual! (1 Cor 15:46) Do you exist naturally? Good! Then you can move on to the Spiritual things of God in Christ! Use those things in the natural as God leads you, but never let them distract you. Never allow another disciple to project their own calling onto you. Only let the Lord lead you and guide you by His Spirit and His Word.

This corruptible must put on incorruption (Christ). 

1 Corinthians 15:50-54

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

SECURE your future by denying yourself and following Christ, who IS THE FUTURE. 

He says He is the Ending, the Future. He is the Beginning and He is the End!

Rev 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

In Christ, your Biblical, Holy Spirit-led discipleship and ministry walk (married or unmarried, with natural family or no natural family) secures your PERMANENT AND GLORIOUS FUTURE! Christ is THE FUTURE. No one can take that away from you. If you choose Christ over the world, you are not throwing away your future, you are ENTERING INTO IT. Christ is our Eternal  Joyous, and Glorious Future as Christians! Let us be faithful to serve Him to the end, to the FUTURE. Let's strive for that "well done, good and faithful servant!" (Mat. 25:21, 23; Luke 19:17)

God bless!

Pastor Curtis

Thu Oct 22 2020 3:40pm EST

Spiritual Fatherhood

 Over the past 20 years, at Church On The GO, in Newmarket, ON, I have had the privilege and experience of training up tens of children and teens in the church. God's grace allows me to keep at it to this day. Praise the Lord!

I was first introduced into youth ministry in 2001, by Pastor Rev. Margaret I Coates (1936-2012). Since then, Pastor Rev. Stephen Coates (her son) has been raising me in ministry as my ministry father. Recently one of my spiritual kids called me their spiritual father. What a tremendous honour. There is nothing like that.

I consider them spiritual children in that I have imparted my love of Jesus, my love of His Word and my love of His Spirit to them. I shared the Gospel with each of them. I shared the heart of the Heavenly Father with them, through Jesus Christ the Son of God.

All by the Power of His Holy Spirit!

1 John 2:13b "...I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father."

Graphic created by Jenny Harrison

Their generation will carry the Gospel forward to new people. They will carry with them a deep understanding of God the Father's Heart. Many of my spiritual kids have grown up into fine young adults. They have continued to walk in and for Christ. Still others have distanced themselves from me, their old pastor and spiritual mentor. But I pray for them all. Some may forget me, but I have not forgotten them. And God knows where they all are.

Scattered across Canada, there are young adults with God's Spirit in them, because God allowed me to teach them the Gospel of Jesus, and to disciple them. That is what I live for. I live for Jesus. And for His spiritual family.

"And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." (1 John 2:28)

#20yearsinthemaking #pastor #spiritualchildren #spiritualfatherhood

Graphic by Curtis Alexander

God Respects the Generations in Christ: Respecting the Younger.

Here is some food for thought for us to consider. God respects the GENERATIONS, gives them value and worth... He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His priceless sinless blood for us all. We need to show basic human decency and respect to everyone: to the saved and to the unsaved. The Blood atonement of Jesus is for all who will believe in Jesus and call on Him. 

THAT is why Peter tells us:

1 Peter 2:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

That word "Honour" is also known as respect. Respect is a basic human need. 

Graphic created by Jenny Harrison.

God made us to be respected and loved. Jesus' blood proves it. So we must be respectful to each other. 

In Christ, we have VALUE, and WORTH. God gives us RESPECT regardless of outward traits. And He respects the young and the old. Today lets focus on the young. When mankind's tradition tends to overlook the younger men and women, God does not always do the same. Many times in Scripture we see God showing honour and respect to the youngest. 

Does God sometimes break with man's age traditions? 
Does God look past our natural traits (appearance, gender, age etc) and look at the heart instead? ❤
Can the Younger be the Leader? 

According to God and His word, the answer is YES to all these questions. Have a look at the following Scriptures below! 😊💭

1 Sam. 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God foretells that the younger son will rule over the older (Jacob over Esau)
Gen. 25:23 And the Lord said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”

The younger son Jacob gets the First Born Blessing of Isaac.
Genesis 27:30 Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

The younger son Joseph gets the First Born's Birthright from Jacob (Israel)
1 Chronicles 5:1[ The Family of Reuben ] Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright;

The younger son Ephraim gets the greater blessing of Israel, much to the displeasure of Joseph, the father.
Genesis 48:14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

God tells Samuel to anoint NOT the oldest or the middle sons, but the youngest son of Jesse:
1 Sam 16:11-13
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Never think you are too old or too young to be used of the Lord. God often breaks with man's traditions and chooses what pleases Himself, and suits His own kingdom purposes.

Remember, if God calls you to a ministry, a marriage, or a vocation, you are not too young to lead. God sometimes chooses the younger to lead the older, in ministry, in marriage, in business, and in life. And to this day, it still often breaks with man's traditions. 

Paul encourages and RESPECTS Timothy in the ministry:
1 Timothy 4:12 NKJV

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

God encourages and RESPECTS young Jeremiah in the ministry:

Jeremiah 1:7But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

I also want to explore how God honours and respects the older generations, as society often tends to overlook them as well. I hope to discuss this soon!

God bless

Pastor Curtis

Mon Aug 31 2020 11:07pm EST