Phanz Music School

I believe that in this season, the KING may have me reiterate a few of the things HE has emphasised to me in life.

*1. Those who truly belong to the OWNER of the universe (and everything therein) should not fear resting in perfect peace by any means at any time*. It's a major reason why HE came (Heb 2:14-15), the fear of death keeps people in bo***ge. We can not fully obey/serve our KING if we are afraid of anything. The key to our death is now with JESUS (Rev 1:18), not with the devil or any man.

When Pilate said he could kill JESUS, HE said Pilate can only do to the limit GOD gives Pilate (John 19:10-11). No one can do to us beyond what GOD allows. This matter must be fully settled in our hearts.

And if JESUS opens the door to our flight at any time, what do we want to still be doing in this present world? Lazarus was recorded to be in Abraham's bosom the very moment he slept here (Luke 16:22). To be absent from our body is to be (immediately) present with the LORD (2 Cor 5:8). To live is (for) CHRIST, to die is (maximum) gain - Phil 1:21.

We should not be like Hezekiah, who collected 15 more years and used it to spoil his entire kingship by giving birth to one of the worst kings (Manaseh), showing the Babylonians the temple treasuries, etc that led to captivity later and so on (2 Kings 20, Isaiah 39). There is nothing we are doing here except to serve and obey our loving KING; and if the MASTER opens the door of our translation by any means, we can trust that HE knows what HE is doing (Eph 1:11).

JESUS received James Zebedee to HIMSELF through Herod's ex*****on in his thirties (Acts 12:2), and James' "reward" may not be less than John's (who lived till his nineties). The description of those who overcame in Rev 12:11 says, "we loved not our lives unto death." If we try to save our lives, we will lose it, but if we lose (free it up) for HIS sake, we find true life (Matt 10:39, 16:25). We will realise that we lost nothing actually if we receive grace to trump this fear of death...

_I thought this would be a one-time post of about 5 - 6 short things, but it seems I will have to take 1 or 2 per time, in a series of posts so that each one is not too long._

So we continue later🙇🏿‍♂️
Shalom🙏🏻
Maranatha🙌🏻

In Luke 6:6f, we see clearly what the good law of sabbath/rest had become - an instrument in the hands of religious leaders to persecute their enemies (sounds very familiar in the country I live). A law to save man from exhaustion, greed and destruction had been twisted to serve the lusts of the power-drunk priestly class. If GOD (LOVE) is removed from the creation/operation of human laws anywhere, it becomes a tool of oppression in the hands of leaders whose hearts have left GOD (LOVE).

This is why GOD came HIMSELF as JESUS to show us how to lead and be led by LOVE - HE is the perfect example for everyone in everything. JESUS knew GOD and was sure HE was being led of the SPIRIT to heal this man with a withered hand (Luke 6:6f); if we also have the knowledge of GOD and the leadership of the HOLY SPIRIT, laws cannot stop us! Any human system that attempts to restrict the LOVE of GOD people want to express and the move of the HOLY SPIRIT has become evil and will be destroyed eventually, even if that system claims to be of GOD.

We need to jet out of religion into LOVE and watch our hearts very closely in this life, no matter what religious circle we think we belong to. These religious leaders were watching if JESUS will heal their brother 😳 and were filled with madness when HE did🤦🏽‍♂️; all these were purportedly done in the name of their YHWH, we must be careful🥲 (Prov 4:23). If do not painstakingly remain in LOVE (GOD), our hearts can wax gross into wickedness while still claiming we are CHRIST'S. We receive eternal help in this regard 🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️

One of the toughest things for humans is living in true freedom and liberty - Let us call it LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY. It takes some serious discipline of the soul for us to live right without rules and regulations; this is why every country has a constitution with so many laws🤷🏾‍♂️ (many christian denominations too - unfortunately). JESUS came to bring us into HIS OWN "nation" (THE KINGDOM) of true life where we do not operate based on external laws but on real spiritual discipline that our hearts have inculcated by learning and following the heart of CHRIST/GOD (disciples indeed).

As JESUS introduced this LIFE in Luke 6, the "LAWyers" (liars) who had mastered adherence to the rules in public (whilst being their true indisciplined selves in private - hypocrites/legalists) were indignant. It sometimes seems nowadays that people who start as disciples, yield as they grow older, to the temptation of legalism and hypocrisy due (many times) to the demands and structure of religion and denomination; may this not be true in our lives.🙏🏻

Plucking grain to eat (for example) was no issue from Sunday to Friday in Israel, but the rest (sabbath) GOD instituted to save them from greed (that kills the body and soul) had been expanded by the Pharisees not only into outright laziness on Saturday, but also into unreasonable hypocrisy. Pharisees who could pluck the same grain in secret and/or exert any amount of energy secretly to get food if hungry on their sabbath were quoting their expanded law for disciples because they saw them doing so (it is still happening today).

JESUS told the Pharisees that one time when David (their revered king) really needed to eat, he ate the food available in the temple, knowing that GOD did not give the law to kill man but to help man (David knew the heart of GOD). In the life of the SPIRIT that JESUS gives us, we are to know and follow the *heart of the FATHER* which the law attempted to capture into a few words. The heart of the FATHER is most definitely far greater than the law, and in the KINGDOM life of acquiring DADDY'S heart, the law is too small and therefore not sufficient to restrictingly control the life (Gal 5:23). We receive understanding 🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️

Apart from the 40 days and nights where JESUS was led to the wilderness, it seems JESUS was not recorded to have fasted at any other time. Does this mean HE did not fast after the wilderness?🤔 Could it be that the new covenant fasting referred to here in Luke 5:33f is a lifestyle/heart posture of waiting on GOD continually like JESUS? Let us reason together🙏🏻

Throughout the new covenant writings recorded for us, not once did we see a publicly announced fast or someone telling another to fast (except the Pharisees), and it is not a mere omission/coincidence. Yes, It says in Acts 13:2 that "while they worshipped and fasted..." but did not tell us they proclaimed a fast🤔. I believe this is because they took the words of CHRIST much seriously, that no one needs to know we are fasting (to the best of our abilities - Matthew 6:16) and there is no way a fast will be announced or called for, without others knowing we are fasting. Yet, most of these disciples were fasting (a lifestyle/heart posture of waiting on GOD) like JESUS as manifested here in Acts 13:2.🤔

In the lifestyle of JESUS, as recorded for us, it is noticeable that HIS eating was more of a means of fellowship with HIS disciples or on invitation from pharisees, tax collectors, friends, etc. I am not sure HE deliberately planned to embark on the 40 days fast in the wilderness, HE was led by the SPIRIT into the wilderness to seek GOD, and until HE was done, food had to wait. When some of us fast - our minds are more on the food we are not eating than on the LORD, our BRIDEGROOM; would it not be better to just eat and then wait on the LORD till we have to eat again?🤔). Almost everyone around us already know that we are fasting - by the way we look/talk and by our telling them directly; and these are the two things JESUS said we should not do when we fast (Matthew 6:16-18).

We, many times, do not even have much time for prayer/fellowship with our BRIDEGROOM but seem to just have to fulfil some sort of Christian religious/denominational obligation of fasting. I believe most of such fast is still of the law/Christian legal fasting🤷🏾‍♂. It is definitely not that we should not fast but that we should actually fast often (secretly) until it becomes our lifestyle like JESUS. It should not be as an obligation or because some person(s) want us to, it should always be because we personally truly actually crave the manifest presence and KINGDOM of our BRIDEGROOM (Matthew 9:15).

It is also not that we should not eat when not on invitation or as a means of fellowship; i believe we should eat healthy and moderately anytime we need to (The need for the meal is between us and the HOLYGHOST as we press on to be like JESUS). The disciples had gotten food for JESUS knowing that HE will eat (in John 4:8,31f) but when they came back, it wasn't time to eat anymore - till later; yet HE was called a glutton (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34) because most of HIS fasting was secret/not known to others. I believe once people have to know about it, it can be suspended while our hearts still wait on GOD, but not because we have a problem with gluttony - we should overcome that. We receive more understanding 🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️

Faith without works is dead, so what we truly believe shows very clearly in what we are doing. It gladden my heart that even though these men in Luke 5:18 destroyed JESUS' roof and ceiling, it was their faith HE saw. We did some very "interesting" things in our younger days as believers, and even though we know better now - realising it was a lot of zeal without knowledge, GOD'S eyes were on our faith🔥. This should encourage us to do the things that come to our hearts for the KINGDOM of GOD instead of remaining spiritually idle in the name of not wanting to make any mistakes. The one who does the best he can will always be better than the one who does nothing. Faith without works is dead! It should also make us merciful with other believers.🙏🏻

JESUS was busy doing the will of GOD. The Pharisees were finding fault in everything HE did; they literally followed HIM about to look for what was wrong with what HE was doing (Luke 5:17, 21, 30, 33). What side are we on in our lives? JESUS/the Pharisees? The doers/condemning analysts? Many of us who are doing very little or nothing about what we claim to believe are so quick to condemn/vilify those who are being spent for what they believe is the will of GOD. Many of those we may slander/gossip about do not know better than what they are doing; maybe they would have been better instructed if we had shown a more excellent way by consistently doing our "correct" things.

We are told to concentrate on, and sort out all the issues in our lives before looking at the little issue our brother/sister has (Matthew 7:3-5) because the issues known to us in our own lives will always be far more than what we know of any other person. JESUS' response to such know-it-alls (in sarcasm) is that they should allow HIM minister to those who need HIS ministry since they are perfect and do not need HIM (Luke 5:31). If we spend our lives working the works of HIM who sent us with an urgency as to hasten HIS return (2 Peter 3:12), we may not have time to analyse the "wrongness" of others. We receive GOD'S help in this regard🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️.

From Luke 5:4f, we see why the MASTER could demand this level of sacrifice from Simon, and by extension, James and John; HIS eternal plan for us are beyond our imagination. When the blessing for this came, it was so much that Peter said he was too sinful for such. It was a blessing that only the divine could bring about. He could not connect it to the "sacrifice" he just made for JESUS to preach/teach because the harvest was miles apart from the seed - even if the seed was multiplied exponentially (Luke 5:8f).

This is why Paul said by the SPIRIT that the "sufferings" we experience here, for being children of GOD are not worthy to be compared to the glory that would be revealed in us🔥(Rom 8:18). This is a huge encouragement to all who insist on living the KINGDOM life against all odds. I do not know how the spiritual understanding dawned on Peter, James and John - that if they could receive this net-braking harvest within a short time of lending a boat to the LORD, their whole lives should be a KINGDOM sacrifice - or is it me overthinkiig this?🤔 There seems to be some spiritual mathematics in this drastic decision to leave all to follow JESUS! May we see what they saw - and more - in JESUS' name🙏🏻

Finally, this is just a reminder for anyone who is sick in any way and having doubts/misgivings on if the LORD wants to heal you like this man in Luke 5:12f. We can see in verse 13 and from JESUS' life on earth that HE is ever willing to heal - HE loves to heal, so receive your healing and health in JESUS' name (Amen)🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️

In Luke 5:1, after Simon and the Zebedees had toiled all night and were very tired/sleepy, JESUS with a crowd pressing on HIM for a WORD, hijacks Simon's boat (which had been docked)😊. He asks Simon to undock it and move the boat into the water a little so that more people can see HIM🤔; and then HE sits down in the boat to teach while Simon is there, most probably steadying the boat through this entire period - with sleepy eyes🤦🏽‍♂️. Just try to imagine the scenario.

This already clear story in scripture is emphatically narrated here so that we can put ourselves in the real shoes of Simon at this his first time meeting JESUS personally. What would have been our disposition/demeanour/behaviour in this situation? 🤔 Or if we were the Zebedees, would we have waited that whole time for our fishing partner (who seems to have been hypnotised) with our red and heavy eyes? Little wonder why they became not only the first disciples but also the most active.🙌🏻

James tells us that patience must have its perfect work in us if we would be perfect and complete - lacking nothing. Patience is what GOD uses to train us for serious eternal assignments; we must learn to wait for JESUS no matter what is happening to us🙏🏻. It may be tough, but the reward - both physical and spiritual - is unprecedented; see what became of these disciples eternally! Imagine that Peter had told JESUS politely that they were sorry, they would not be able to wait as they obviously needed to go and rest🥲. Can we wait alone when friends and partners move on and try to pull us along or even abuse us for waiting?

Let us always give the benefit of the doubt, enduring and suffering long by the help and instruction of the HOLY SPIRIT. JESUS has the best in store for all who can wait. It's those who endure to the end that will be saved; we will never regret it - as long as it's under HIS leading and guidance that we wait/are waiting. Those who wait for the LORD never waste, things are beautiful in GOD'S time - we receive more grace.🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️

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JESUS was recorded to be full of the HOLY SPIRIT in Luke 4:1 before HE was led by the SPIRIT into the wilderness, and then HE returned in the POWER of the SPIRIT in Luke 4:14. It seems to me that between the FULLNESS of the SPIRIT and the POWER of the SPIRIT are some serious prayers, fastings, and overcoming temptations🤔.

With all that fire, JESUS went to Galilee - teaching regularly at their synagogues and was praised by everyone 🙌🏻. HE did the same thing at HIS hometown, read a part of what was written of HIM in the volume of books - that was to be fulfilled in HIS current visit to Nazareth. HE came to fulfil that Isaiah 61:1-2a right there (like in other places) with all the POWER of the SPIRIT.💪🏻

The people of Nazareth responded in two ways that are quite popular with us today.
1. They spoke well of HIM🫡 - like "that was quite impressive😊"
2. They doubted HE could do it in their own lives (even though they had heard and confirmed that HE did it elsewhere - Capernaum)🥲 Luke 4:22-23. _And without faith, it is impossible..._
Their posture was more like
"Who told you HE can do the same things here? Let us see🤔"
Instead of a posture of
"We receive all YOU brought us and more🙌🏼".

I sincerely wonder if Nazareth realised they were the ones in need of the dividends of the POWER of the SPIRIT and are the ones suffering loss if they do not get those dividends. To honour GOD is to believe HIM - at least based on HIS track record🤷🏾‍♂️. Dishonour will always shortchange us even when it is men we dishonour; I mean, we can say/do whatever we ought to or are led to (towards men) - without that element of dishonour!😌 Humility never goes wrong.

When JESUS told them the truth about the results of their big mouth and dishonour from time immemorial, they were furious and wanted to drive HIM out of HIS hometown and even kill HIM🤦🏽‍♂️(Luke 4:24-29). Is the HOLY SPIRIT telling us anything today about our lives? We can examine ourselves in the light of these truths and make amends as DADDY helps us🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️.

Let's talk about JESUS' third and final temptation (of the 3 that scripture documents for us in Luke 4:9f). This one is a very spiritual temptation 😊. One of the carryovers in our souls from our old life is the desire for speedy public attestation and endorsement of our spiritual gifts, our prayer prowess, and/or our depth of understanding of GOD'S word.

So we have become born again and are growing spiritually, possibly with some accolades in smaller circles, but we seem to want more people - more important people than our little circle in Christendom - to know we are now something special/major in GOD😃. This penchant to impress sometimes dictates our demeanour in Christian gatherings.🤔

The major part of this temptation for JESUS was not about the jumping down, It was about the location! The temple in Jerusalem was the headquarters of "Christian" religious people and activities in the world then. If JESUS had jumped and landed unhurt, all the important religious leaders of HIS day would have seen or heard about it. They would have accepted HIM as the SON OF GOD and listened to HIM (at least that's what the devil wanted JESUS to believe). And that sounds like a noble reason to do it🤔 (to save the stubborn religious leaders from their unbelief).

This is something GOD had already spoken from heaven about JESUS at Jordan to the hearing of people there - "This is MY beloved SON in WHOM I am well pleased"; but the devil wanted to convince JESUS that it is needed in a bigger way at a more important place, with serious evidence 😀. A temptation to show!

One wicked thing the devil does with this kind of temptation is that he adds scriptural backing that is skillfully twisted😭. If we do not depend on the HOLY SPIRIT to lead us and guide us into all truth, we can not beat the devil in Bible knowledge and deduction! He can give us a bunch of scriptural reasons why we should do what he will have us do. This kind of temptation is what produces dead works - which are good works that heaven did not authorise.

To tempt the LORD, our GOD is to do things HE has not sent us - while expecting HIM to back us up, claiming HIS promises and/or reminding HIM of HIS word in that area. Faith is quite different from this, as faith comes by hearing HIM in the first place, not trying to impress anyone or show who we have become. I believe GOD will help us understand areas where this applies to us and deliver us completely from any iota of trying to impress men (Gal 1:10)🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️.

Food did not get JESUS😊, so the devil moved higher. The kingdoms of the world are actually the kingdoms of the MAN JESUS CHRIST from the foundations of the world, they were given to Adam (us) to steward pending the new Jerusalem (Gen 1:28). The devil stole them by cunning craftiness and then corrupted them; but the original OWNER will take over and renew everything without a tussle - as soon as HE comes (at the appointed time) Matt 19:28. HE received all authority for this take-back by HIS resurrection, and it is by this authority that HIS Ekklesia has started the recovery (Matt 28:18-20). The devil knew the kingdoms were HIS, but in deception, he presented it to the OWNER before the set time - for an eternal price🤦🏽‍♂️. Luke 4:5f

The temptation of grasping (before the time) what is ours, comes to all believers at a hidden premium price; but receiving what GOD has for us will never involve a compromise with the devil - no matter how seemingly insignificant the sin is. Impatience at receiving what DADDY has promised and attempting to help GOD fulfil HIS word robs us of the KINGDOM dimension of that inheritance🥲. We should dare to be patient, though many times uneasy. We can be like JESUS at our own level, even in this generation.🙌🏻

Many have lost heavily through compromise, saying misinterpretedly that "wisdom is profitable to direct" (forgetting that JESUS is our wisdom - 1 Cor 1:30 - so HE is the ONE to direct us not human wisdom). Some others may arrogantly say, "Christianity is not foolishness" ( but we can be fools for CHRIST sake in this regard - 1 Cor 4:10). Grabbing the promise and inheriting the promise through faith and patience are two different things with different implications🤷🏾‍♂️. How we get what we get is more important than what we get in the KINGDOM.🙏🏻

Any fight we engage in, to get what we believe is ours (other than the good fight of faith), depicts a level of lack of trust in GOD. DADDY does not need our help in the fulfilment of HIS word in our lives. HE wants our faith and our faith-inspired works. When next spiritual compromise comes along with the opportunity to take what is ours, let's tell the devil that we worship GOD only and we will not bow to him but yet at the set time still receive fully the manifestation of all GOD has earmarked for us.🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️

Our lives and words must point to the coming MESSIAH (Luke 3:16f), just like a joyful bethrothed bride plans everything around her bridegroom and his coming. John the baptist told us that the JESUS he knew was coming, will baptize/immerse/soak us with the HOLY SPIRIT and with fire; and I think we should take this time to check if we have been completely dipped in these two at whatever capacity/level we are. It's important we examine ourselves from time to time (2 Cor 13:5-7) and all the more nowadays when it just seems like everyone is carving out their own version of the Jesus (2 Tim 4:3-4) when there is actually only ONE LORD. Eph 4:5

I have seen quite a few, for example some have a Jesus that allows them listen to, sing, play to, produce and dance to songs outside THE KINGDOM🤔(Eph 5:19); that doesn't look like the JESUS that baptises with the HOLY GHOST and fire (or is it me that does not understand what John said here?) Some have a Jesus that is very fine with betting, swearing, using curse words, expressing anger at will (Matt 5:22, 34-37); and we could go on and on. Which Jesus have we received sirs/mas? Is it not better to clarify things now and repent where we need to - than to get a rude shock of "I never knew you" on the day it matters most?🙏🏻Matt 7:21-23

There is definitely room for growth and all of us are still growing but what we speak about here is for we who not only knowingly practice these things but also justify them, not those who are actively growing out of these things. Is the fire of JESUS (still) burning in us, are we really baptised with fire or we have unknowingly received a counterfeit Jesus? Has the urgency of spreading the Gospel dissappeared into the cares of this life, or in the name of not disturbing anybody - we have dimmed our flashlight into a candle? Where is the SPIRIT who is HOLY that JESUS sent into our hearts?🙏🏻

This same John who spoke these words was said to be a burning and a shinning light (John 5:35) and the least in THE KINGDOM is to be greater than John (Matt 11:11). Some say its a season and they have grown out of that zealous burning phase🤦🏽‍♂️, may we not grow into lukewarmness🙏🏻. Oh that we may truly repent as the KINGDOM of GOD is at hand🙏🏻🙌🏻🙇🏿‍♂️.