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Numbers 6:25-26 “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace”

Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him– the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD”

Deuteronomy 28:7 “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven”

Date: January 19, 2022

FAITH SERIES: FAITH AND THE LAW

Text: Matthew 5:17-20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven”

INTRODUCTION:

The body of Christ is in so much confusion because the very foundation on which the Church is built, we are trying to undermine in today’s Christianity; we assume we can separate our faith (grace) from the law, but the fact is the law and faith go hand in hand; because of our faith in God, we follow His decrees (“If you love me, keep my commands” John 14:15)

God’s word, which includes God’s law expressed in the scriptures is permanent and eternal entity as seen in the discussion of Jesus in Matthew 5:17 – 7:28. Because of its everlasting guideposts, people can order their lives by it; it is intended for human benefit (“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly” 1^st Timothy 1:8), and should be used for illumination (“Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet” Romans 7:7).

Jesus Christ insisted that He did not do away with the law, but He elaborated and magnified the law, taking it from the physical and the tradition-bound activities, to the broader spiritual dimension and original intent (“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” Matthew 23:23, “For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that” Mark 7:10-13).

The Law is just and good; every command of God is for our protection, flagging areas of potential danger. God’s Law is not intended for salvation, but for revealing to us our sins so that we may overcome them. When we tamper with God’s law, we do away with all standards, nullifying all accurate measurements (“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” Romans 6:1)

THE LAW COMES FROM GOD:

From the creation of man, we see the law in effect (“but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” Genesis 2:17, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” Genesis 2:15, “Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food” Genesis 1:29) and as man evolves and becomes more complex (“The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” Genesis 6:5), likewise God’s law to manage the wickedness in man’s heart is revealed, for example God allowed eating of animals in genesis 9:3-4 “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it” and again gave specification of what kind of animals man should eat in Leviticus 11:3 “You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud”

The ten commandments came directly from God (Exodus 20:1-17) and also in Deuteronomy we see God admonishing us to follow His decrees (“For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess” Deuteronomy 30:16)

God’s law expresses God’s expectations for the moral and spiritual conduct of Israel and the church. It is the commands God has given to enable His people live life as He created us to live (“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2^nd Timothy 3:16-17).

It is no doubt that man has muddled God’s law with his traditions/laws (man-made laws), but if we can truly distinguish between God’s laws/decrees and man’s mandate, we will not be confused on what is a must and what is optional; man’s mandate is optional as it is for ourselves, but God’s laws are direct from God and are not to be treated as optional but rather as a commandment (“To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her” 1^st Corinthians 7:13)

Man’s laws cannot save neither can they make us better before God (“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” Colossians 2:20-23), but at times we men make for ourselves laws to guide us so we will not stray (“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” 1^st Corinthians 9:27).

For all Pastor, I admonish to make clear laws that are man-made, so people will not confuse man’s laws (optional) for God’s laws (mandatory) as man’s laws can made Christianity burdensome (“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell” Acts 15:28-29)

THE GOSPEL FULFILL AND ESTABLISHED THE LAW:

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” Jesus did not come to change the law but to explain it and to show us how to keep it. If Christ had done away with that law, He would no longer discuss it, but He amplified and explained how it is to be kept.

Romans 3:31 “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law” Our faith does not nullify the law in any way, so because you are a Christian is not a license to violate the law but rather to fulfill it. Our faith in Christ Jesus gives us the ability by the Holy Spirit to meet the demands of the Law

The Gospel Jesus preached summarized the law and made simple what was hard to man; Christianity fulfills the law in every realm.

THE TOTALITY OF THE LAW IS LOVE:

Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
 This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”. Many assume that Jesus came with a new law, but the fact is Jesus did not bring a new law, but rather showed the two laws that fulfills the who law; if you love God with all your heart, you must keep the first tablet; and if you love your neighbor as yourself, you must keep the second tablet.

CHRIST SAVES US SO AS TO BE ABLE TO OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD:

John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” The desire and the ability to fulfill the law comes from the Father and Father alone. Jesus showed this to us as we see Jesus live a life of devotion because the father enabled Him to.

Romans 7:24-25 “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” Jesus Christ, came to save us from our sins. To free us from the enslavement of sin and the unhappiness and wretchedness it brings—not to make us free to commit sin. Christ came to save us from, not in, our sins!

DECLARING HEALING OVER THE LAND

Confession: Job 5:19-27 “From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you. In famine he will deliver you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals. For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing. You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season. “We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself”

Thank You Lord for the land:

1. Ecclesiastes 9:4 “Anyone who is among the living has hope –even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” Mighty God, we thank you for the land of Canada, and the world as a whole, we thank You for safety, protection, and divine provision
2. 1^st Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” Romans 13:1 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” Heavenly Father, we thank You for this land and all in authority; we thank You for You are the One who has appointed them and You will cause them to do Your perfect will
3. Isaiah 45:19 “I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right” Mighty God, we thank You, for what You have spoken over Canada and Nations of the World and we know it is not in vain, but rather it will come to pass in Jesus name

Confessing the sins of the land:

1. 2^nd Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” Merciful God, we confess the sin of this land and we ask that You forgive us now and hear us in Jesus name
2. Revelation 6:9-10 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Merciful Father, we ask that You forgive every error the land has committed that has brought death, sickness and judgment, we pray that the Blood of Jesus will speak better things over the Land (Hebrews 12:24 “to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel”) because of Your Saints in Jesus name
3. Leviticus 26:40 “But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors–their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies–then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land” Mighty God, we confess the sins of homosexuality, abortions, immorality and the likes and we ask that You remember Your covenant with the founding fathers of this land in Jesus name
4. Jeremiah 31:4 “I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful” Mighty God even as You have decreed rebuilding for this land, rebuild now, so we will dance to You in Jesus name
5. Zechariah 3:1 “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him” Father, we confess every error or sin in that the enemy might want to use as a legal ground to bring judgement over us in Jesus name

Dealing with the horsemen and their horses

1. Revelation 5:1-5 “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals”. Jesus the son of God, the Lamb of God we invite You to come to the world You created for Your pleasure and will break every seal holding the world in bondage in Jesus name
2. Jeremiah 51:21 “with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver” Man of war, scatter every horse and their rider parading the world with pestilence, diseases, lack and death in Jesus name
3. Revelation 6:2 “I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest”, Isaiah 8:9 “Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!”. Mighty God, overthrown every power of coronavirus, HIV, homosexuality, vagabond spirit, homelessness bent on conquest; Father let their bows, horses and strongman riding the horses become powerless in Jesus name
4. Revelation 6:4 “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth …”. Mighty God, every power assigned to take away peace in marriage, families and Canada be destroyed in Jesus name
5. Revelation 6:4 “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword”, Numbers 23:23 “There is no divination against Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!”. Heavenly Father, we declare that the large sword of the enemy against Canada’s economy and morality become worthless; every large sword of coronavirus afflicting and destroying lives be made of no effect in Jesus
6. Revelation 6:5-6 “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”. Mighty God, we rebuke the power of famine and ration in Canada; causing us to work and not have enough, or that is causing joblessness in Jesus name
7. Revelation 6:6 “Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”. Oh God of Heaven, we decree as oracles of God that our wine and oil will not be touched/destroyed in this land in Jesus name
8. Revelation 6:8 “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth”, Psalm 91:7 “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you”. Father, we declare upon Your promised that every spirit of death in the land will not come close to us and all that concerns us in Jesus name
9. Revelation 6:9-11 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been”. Heavenly Father, compensate us for every goodness that the enemy has destroyed through recession, regression, death or in any manner and we declare that we receive a sevenfold restoration in Jesus name
10. Revelation 6:12-14 “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place”. Mighty God, shake the heaven and earth on our behalf, so all the powers that stand against God in Canada may know that You are fighting for us in Jesus name
11. Revelation 7:3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God” Galatians 6:17 “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” Mighty God, seal Your children with the mark on Heaven, so no harm will come upon us in Jesus name
12. Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” Heavenly Father, we declare the peace and prosperity of God upon the world so that we may live in peace to serve You in Jesus name

Breaking the strong hold of death:

1. Father, I stand upon Your promise in Job 5:25-26 “You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season” I will live long, I will see my children even to the fourth generation and will not go to the grave in young age in Jesus name
2. Exodus 12:13 “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt” Father, mark my door post and windows with the Blood of Jesus Christ, that the spirit of death will pass over me and all that concerns me in Jesus name
3. Isaiah 28:18 “Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand” Father, break every covenant with death and hell over China and the world at large in Jesus name
4. 1^st Corinthians 15:54-55 “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Father, nullify the power of death over me, so these promises of life will come true in my life; I will not die by coronavirus, nor be cut short by death in Jesus name
5. Colossians 2:14-15 “having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” Jesus, You broke the power of death and hell when You died on the Cross and rose up again, and by that resurrection power, break the hold of death over me in Jesus name
6. Isaiah 54:17 “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD” Father, every weapon (coronavirus and pestilence) of the enemy forged against the land to cause death be destroyed today in Jesus name
7. Job 5:12 “He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success” Isaiah 8:10 “Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us” Mighty God, every word or demonic prophesy that has been spoken that this coronavirus will wipe the human race be overturned and thwarted in Jesus name
8. Exodus 4:19 “Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead” Matthew 2:20 “and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead” Heavenly Father, as You fought for Moses and Jesus, that You kept them from death and You destroyed those who sought their lives, I declare that all who seek my life receive judgment, so I may live in peace in Jesus name
9. 2^nd Chronicles 18:31 “When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him” Father, every affliction and battle that the enemy has put against me because of any affiliation with anyone (man or woman) be nullified today in Jesus name
10. Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” Father, input in me the same power that rose Jesus Christ from dead that my mortal bodies may receive life and strength in Jesus name

Breaking down the walls:

1. Joshua 6:26 “At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates” Mighty God, every curse speaking against this land saying the foundations will be built on the first born and the gates on the last son we destroy them in Jesus name
2. 2^nd Kings 2:20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive” Mighty God, we stand as the salt in the new vessel in Canada and we speak life to the source of this city that it is healed from every bitterness in Jesus name
3. 2^nd Kings 7:6 “or the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” Mighty God, terrify every power that has put a siege over Canada (Alberta)-nothing going out, nothing coming in, so Canada may be restored in Jesus name
4. Exodus 5:2 “Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lordand I will not let Israel go” Every power in the order of Pharaoh is enslaving people saying they will not serve God receive the plague now so that the children if God may be set free in Jesus name
5. 1^st Kings 18:44 “the seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea…” Mighty, God we prophesy the cloud on God like the man’s mand to overshadow Canada to bring abundant rain in Jesus name
6. Isaiah 62:4, 6-7 “Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride…I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” Mighty God, overturn every curse that has been placed upon this land in Jesus name
7. Zechariah 1:20-21 “Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people” Mighty God, empower me with the anointing of the carpenters of Heaven, so the horns that scatter Canada and the world may be terrified and destroyed in Jesus name
8. Daniel 4:17 “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people” Mighty God, I stand today as the Messenger of God and I decree that that all we have prayed is made manifest now in Jesus name

Declaring healing over the land:

1. 1^st Peter 4:11 “If anyone speaks, let him speakas the oracles of God” Mighty God, anoint me with the anointing of Your oracle, so that I I sepak the heaven and the earth will give heed in Jesus name
2. Job 22:28 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways” Mighty God, a child of the Kingdom that coronavirus become a thing of the past and death loose its hold over the land in in Jesus name
3. Isaiah 62:4 “No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married” Mighty God, we prophesy over Alberta that the recession come to an end now in Jesus name, and Alberta will again be called the delight of God and land flowing with milk and honey in Jesus name
4. Isaiah 43:18-19 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness Andrivers in the desert” Mighty God, even as You have declared February as a month of “New thing”, we decree that war, natural disaster and pestilence end today and newness begin with February in Jesus name