Hello dear brethren. I am new in the hive community and have been restricted a lot from sending messages because I didn't know there is such a thing you call "Resource Credit". Looking around I was attracted to this community because it gels with my belief. Please come with me as I take us on an interesting handy tour by God's grace. My picture below says "hi" with a smile.
“For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.”– Acts1:20
If I may ask in Warri lingo,"Bros Peter eh,u see Judas for dat scripture u tok just na? How u take know say na Judas d Bible dey tok? Abi na u be Bible remix?
Meaning, “Hey Sir Peter,did you see Judas in the scripture you just quoted? How do you know it is Judas the Bible was referring to? Or are you now into 'remixing' the Bible?”
It reminds me of a recent discussion on Facebook. I met people trying to explain to a brother how the blood in the tenth plague in Egypt is a type of Christ's blood,meaning Christ's blood can also be used as a covering apart from cleansing. He vehemently refused, saying that Christ was not written there, that he needs to see a verse where Christ was written detailing His blood for covering(esp a New testament text). He's a Pastor, so I only spoke a little and in honor, invited him to my dm more than twice so that we share as brothers, but he refused and warned everyone that he doesn't want to hear more. The sad part is that he didn't want a proper discussion.
Indeed there is the UNTOLD STORY OF THE UPPER ROOM. The popular one we hear is how the Holy Ghost swooped upon them like a rush of mighty wind and they began to stutter in tongues of the Spirit and it attracted a crowd.
Today we shall hear a lesser known story that happened in thesame upper room.
Now the Apostle Peter rose and began:
“Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.”– Acts1:16
This speech led him to Acts1:20 the first text. You can see there is CLEARLY NO JUDAS written therein. He's even speaking as if King David knew Judas by the Holy Ghost. Looks funny init?
Another funny thing is that he was addressing a group of 119 disciples,so how did they not spot this omission? They all just agreed with him like that?Don't forget a Br Thomas was there, who would normally like to see things for himself. Thomas didn't see this glaring omission too? You mean "everybody go just dey crase dsame time?"[will everyone just be wrong at thesame time] hehe.
Oh my, shall we delve in, it's sweeter than Fried rice and Irish potatoes with fried plantain and salad to match. By the Spirit I know that the Peter who addressed them had been soaked and dripping with something. He had eaten and eaten of the Word that light burst forth and he had something eternal to tell the folks in the upper room. See, these guys had started doing business by the Spirit even before the outpouring. What Peter was doing is quite thesame thing all in the upper room were doing, I can freely tell you. They were not just sitting down waiting for the Holy Ghost, they were busy in the Holy Ghost– in study, prayer,thanksgiving. Don't forget after Jesus' resurrection he breathed upon them,saying "Receive ye the Holy Ghost:"-John20:22. That is akin to being saved– you have a measure of the Holy Spirit in you already. What are you doing with Him? What are you allowing Him do in you? YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TODAY WILL DETERMINE IF HE WOULD GIVE YOU MORE.
Peter and the others in the upper room, buried themselves in the Spirit, till Peter uncovered a reality which was previously a mystery. You know the Bible says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter." It takes responsible sons(kings) to stay,to remain to search out or uncover matters. Great matters of eternal relevance are not given to casual believers.
Peter found out a secret, that there was a provision in the Word for Judas to be replaced. He found it in Ps 69:25-28 and Ps 109:8-15. Let me quote a little:
“Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
For they persecute he who has been smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.”- Ps 69:25-26
“Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”- Ps 109:8-9.
You can once again notice that there was absolutely NO MENTION of the name Judas in there, and both chapters are far apart and written in two different occasions. Yet these physical analogy of things is not the way of the Word. The Word was written by inspiration and it must be received by inspiration. Now Peter said in Acts 1:16 above that the Holy Spirit spoke by David; Peter means the eyes of my understanding has been quickened by the Holy Spirit to understand that this and this scripture refers to Judas, I see it clearly by the Spirit.
The writer David, may not even have known it to mean Judas but by the Holy Ghost Peter saw more.
Secondly how does he say David spoke? Was he alive in David's time? In any case, it was written not spoken, so what's up Peter? I recall one of my Pastor Jeron Osahon will say, "behind every written word of God is the thundering voice of God." The Word is alive, infact it not just carries along God's voice, but His very presence. A man who encounters the Word this way,will have a word for his generation.
So it doesn't have to be written in black and white before it is called, IT IS WRITTEN. Hellooo! O yes, it doesn't. Do you also notice that Peter was not querried by the other disciples? No, it is not because, he was the leader it is because they too had receptive hearts their spiritual senses have been trained to discern good and evil, to know truth. Judging with mere human intelligence or just forensic evidence had no place in them, they knew how to compare spiritual things with spiritual things. Wow they were already practising Spirit navigation, practising Spirit-life even before the Spirit came in full.
By the way what the Apostles were using as scripture to preach after Christ left was the Old Testament books. Please see for yourselves, Peter in Cornelius house,Stephen when to be stoned, Philip with the Ethopian Eunuch,Paul name them. Yet the Church today is still way behind them in impact and reach, infact people like my are crying for the rebirth of true Apostolic Christianity in our days. Jesus was preached clearly from the Old Testament even though His name was not categorically mentioned there once. It's much later in their ministries,some very old, that they started penning down books called the New Testament. So the New Testament is not really in books, it is in knowing the fullness of Christ Jesus– life by the Spirit untainted by flesh. You will see Christ in Zephaniah or Judges the way you see Christ in Colossians. Can I say this unity of scriptures is what will also help us have unity of faith loving one another as if you have known the person for 20yrs, yet you only knew him last week(and you have never even met face to face). You may even give the person something sacrificially eventhough you both have never met physically .
Now back to our discourse, just as Ap Peter saw Jesus in the Word, your name too is in the Word. Yes you, whether your name is Joseph, Chijioke, Eseoghene, Tosan, Kirk, Nagatomo, your name is clearly inscripted in the Bible, you will have to borrow a leaf from men of His presence like Peter dig in and uncover your name. Hallelujah!
Look, when you find that out(and it might be half a verse of scripture with others confirming), the earth will step aside and allow your God given dominion mandate to flourish. Look the issue of Judas replacement was not a carnal, earthy matter just to complete numbers or for physical order. Oh no sir! There are 12 thrones God has designed for His 12 Apostles to rule over the 12 tribes of Israel in the world to come. So there was an eternal design at stake here, yet it took revelatory knowledge, it took a lover of His presence in Peter to find that out.
You too, great many a thing God has been kept in store for you, but you need knowledge (Spiritual insight into God's heart), you need to see a Judas where there is no Judas ma. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM..”–2Pet1:3.[ emphasis mine].
Shake yourself from the dust, hey arise thou child of God and seek His presence, enjoy the meal of His very presence, it is sweeter than the best meal money or earthly influence can afford.
God bless you.
cheerfully...
