July 17, 2022
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Dan 9:24
The Prerogative of the Father
The Creator is God, the Father, who loves His children; but He is committed to chastening them when they need it. We are counseled in Hebrews to not despise chastening, that the Father chastens those He loves and for everyone that He receives as a son. Yet, no one welcomes punishment.
The first people on earth, Adam and his wife Eve, were made by God and given the best of everything without toil or trouble. It pleased God to provide all their needs and desires. They enjoyed regular fellowship with God as He shared with them His knowledge, power, authority and dominion over earth. Their choice to disobey His instructions caused them to lose it all and destined them for shorter lives full of trouble, hardship and sickness for themselves and their descendants. The love of God has to be balanced with His attribute of justice. He is also a judge over evil and a restorer of peace.
The fall of mankind did not separate them from the love of the Father, who provided written instructions in the bible to teach His kids how they must conduct their lives in obedience. Not only did He give instructions for obedience, but He gave warnings about the enemy’s intent to lead us into destruction. The bible is full of examples of obedience, disobedience and the consequences. The multitude of generations who denied God, chose to follow the devil and who reaped destruction are clear examples for us of the consequences of wrong choices. Just as Adam and Eve were given free will to make a choice, so are we. God makes Himself known to every person, advising them to choose life.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Rom 1:20).
Is Judgment Necessary?
Asking why there has to be judgment in the earth is like asking why we have laws. If evil was never prosecuted, evil would run rampant in the streets and life for the righteous would be intolerable? God cutoff man from the Garden of Eden “lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever (Gen 3:22).” God came down to see if the evil report of Sodom and Gomorrah was true before dispensing a sentence of destruction because they were totally consumed by evil. Jonah went to Nineveh to tell the city to repent or perish because they too were consumed by evil and fit for destruction. They repented after the preaching of Jonah and were spared.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. Isa 24:5 -6
God’s reign in Heaven was perfect until evil was found in Lucifer, the most beautiful of all the cherubim, who chose to stir up rebellion among the angels and seek the throne of God.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? Isa 14:12-17
Does God’s Love and Blessings Guarantee Obedience?
In Romans Chapter 2:4, we read: “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? “ The goodness of God is not always appreciated.
Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. Isa 26:10
The Jews crucified the best blessing God sent them.
And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Mar 15:12-13
The devil was the chief cherub given great honor and privileges but he chose to be evil.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Eze 28:13-15
The scriptures in Isaiah 14 tell us that Satan weakened the nations, made the earth to tremble, destroyed the cities and made the world as a wilderness; but he is destined for eternity in hell. When we study the bible, we are schooled in the characteristics of the enemy so that we can recognize his approach and be forewarned. God has given his children weapons of defense against the evil one and the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan to defeat him in our earthly life.
Every generation must be taught about God and the consequences of evildoing, however, not all religious leaders successfully convey the gospel message. The gentiles received the gospel message through the Jews, but Paul warned them in Romans 2:4 against falsely believing they were better than the Jews simply because the gentiles understood about Jesus what the Jews would not accept. All the goodness of God to the gentiles up till now has not caused them to treat God’s chosen people right. Yet God is not willing that any should be lost and still sends His servants, the prophets, to declare His warnings to Jew and gentile alike. The calamities we see in the earth are warnings before final judgment falls on a world gone mad. The Israelites and the prophets of the Old Testament were knowledgeable of God’s warnings by prophet and in the elements.:
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. Ez 3:17
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Eze 33:8-9
I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Amo 4:10
Despite every message sent and warning given, some people will not repent because they have become fully aligned with Satan and their hardened hearts must be dealt with. Here is an example of how God has responded to such rebellion:
Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Isa 28:14-15
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. Isa 28:17-19
Daniel’s Vision
God allowed Daniel to understand end time destruction coming because of evil; and the vision has been a forewarning for every generation since. While the vision of world destruction is sure to come to pass in its due time, so is the promise of heaven for those that serve the Lord. God pleads with us today as He pled for Israel to choose life.
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Eze 33:11
Judgment is a declaration that something is wrong and that the judge’s determination for punishment is about to be rendered. The sentence is not always death of the whole; sometimes it is death in part, like with Korah’s rebellion among the Israelites (Nu. 16). Very definitely judgment is a stop sign that we should heed before it becomes death in entirety.
In my last message, I admit to being discouraged by viewing the world’s situation shown in the sober beginning of the message. Thankfully the Spirit of God turned my thinking around. Where I thought to go back and adjust the message, I concluded leave it as it was. The discouragement I felt was a natural response to witness of something dying. The old system is dying so something new can live. People can die with it or change and be what God is calling for. It is obvious that our present leaders do not understand these times or where they are going. That’s because the old system they ruled is over. God has declared it so, but watch out because the devil will try to rework and revive it. He is depending on people to continue their blindness. Man’s attempt to rule is over. It is time to get on God’s system and that is why the old system had to be exposed, so it could die. God’s system brings life and joy and it is time we did things God’s way.
I have been trying to bring my prophetic ministry to a conclusion with the final message God gave me, but it has been delayed time and time again. I have given parts of it in smaller versions; but it needs to be a fuller picture to reveal and expel the devil’s lie. It may take doing it in book form to do justice to the story; and if so, look out for it. My prophetic ministry, to expose the work of the enemy and tell the church that God is demanding change, is concluding. The message of Daniel in the scripture above tells us that God has allotted us time to choose restoring Christ on the throne of our hearts or experience the prophesied end that comes to every society that chooses evil over the Savior.
My apostolic ministry begins with a message of hope for the future for those who would follow the word of God. The bible still serves as our guidebook and the word is still right and the way to heaven. Men perverted the gospel for their own profit and now we have to go back to the truth. Notice I said: “Men perverted the gospel.” That is actually true. Men, greedy of power, have tried to use the gospel to bludgeon women’s heads to make them submit to their overbearing authority; and it has brought bondage and embedded a lie. Jesus came to set all people free, including women. Neither is this an effort at man bashing. The devil does not care who or what he has to use to bring bondage because ultimately he wants us all in bondage to him. Just as white people used the bible to enslave blacks with the gospel book, men have used it to bring bondage to women. American male Republican legislators are trying to finalize that bondage by law; but Jesus Christ is alive to deliver women from embittered men who will not obey God themselves and refuse to let women help them. I feel sorry for those who anger and war against God by warring against those He protects! It is a no win position.
My first physical ministry was Praise Tabernacle in Virginia; where the devil battled me on every side. An unanswered question in my mind about women ministry allowed fear to enter and weaken my faith. I fought the devil on the outside, but the battlefield of the mind is particularly treacherous. God has now provided all the answers even though it has taken many years to shore up that truth in me. I am so thankful for His reinforcing me over the past years in truth and opening up my eyes to so much more.
With the help of God, I will be teaching others in the local area what God has taught me and moving further as He directs and enables. With a clearer understanding of what God is doing in this generation, I have every intention of spreading the gospel message through every door the Lord opens for me. The worldly preaching over the past forty years has brought us to where we are today where we are a church in confusion, discouragement and weakness. The church’s hope is in Christ and He is not weak. There are better things in store for the believer. The pure word will strengthen us and bring pure joy as it is given from Christ Jesus and the Holy Bible. I welcome your correspondence at: P.O. Box 52652, Durham, NC., 27717.
Father God, I thank you for every hardship that brought tears to wash away sin and for every struggle that I could not see my way through that brought revelation understanding in the end. I thank you because you were long suffering with me and did not let me go even when I felt I could not go any further. I thank you for the vision from the other side of the pain and suffering. I thank you because I became a winner though knowing you and I remain a winner today through Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 