How to Study the Bible to Unleash Revelation Power!

"a proven system to understand the Word of God like never before"

By Jaime R. Gage

Bella Artisans, LLC. Maximus Publishing - San Antonio, TX

Visit Jaime Gage’s website at

www.getrevelationpower.com

Copyright © 2012 Jaime R. Gage

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the Publisher. Printed in the United States of America. For information contact BELLA ARTISANS, LLC Email: jgage@getrevelationpower.com

All scripture has been taken from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.

Book Design by Jaime Gage - iStock photo used with permission

Click here to read the author's

Dedication and Acknowledgements Page

Table Of Contents

- Top 5 Common Errors Christians Make When Studying the Bible

- Top 7 Reasons Why You Must Read This Book if You are a Preacher or Teacher

- Foreword

- Introduction: My Shocking Realization That I Needed More "Meat" After 25 Years

- Chapter One - The "Key" ingredient Required to Spark Growth in Church Attendance

- Chapter Two - Logos: Understanding the "Milk and Cookies" of the "Written Word"

- Chapter Three - Sermons Packed with "Filler": The Perfect Side Dish for Your "Milk and Cookies"

- Chapter Four - Rhēma and Apokalypsis - The Revelation of the Living Word: Real "Meat"

- Chapter Five - The Law of First Mention: One of the Greatest Sources of Revelation

- Chapter Six - The Exegesis: The Fundamentals of Uncovering Revelation Through Expository Study

- Chapter Seven - How to Study Your Bible Without a Study Guide and the Tools You Will Need

- Chapter Eight - Understanding the Double Meaning of Numbers in the Bible

- Expanded Guide: Putting It All Together by Creating a Powerful Bible Study & Amazing Sermon

- Chapter Nine - Creating Your Powerful Bible Study

- Chapter Ten - Creating Your Amazing Sermon and Have Your Congregation Craving More

- Chapter Eleven - Final Thoughts

- Questions or Comments

Top 5 Common Errors Christians Make When Studying the Bible

1. Study only the New Testament and never learn how the Old Testament can relate to their lives

2. Study the Bible as if they were reviewing a novel, just reading from chapter to chapter.

3. Rely solely on the commentary that their Bible gives them about specific verses in its footnotes.

4. Consider the Old Testament as simply a set of stories of heroes in the Bible.

5. Rely on study guides to guide them through their Christian growth and never learn how to navigate a Bible study on their own.

If you struggle in studying your Bible or simply want to get more out of your study time, then this book will empower you to discover so much insight and revelation you will be craving more. It will open a treasure map that will lead you from treasure chest to treasure chest, filled with golden nuggets of truth and inspiration that will relate directly to your life. I guarantee you will be able to do this regardless of your experience with the Word because all the tools are provided for you here in this book. From beginner to seasoned professional, the techniques are fail-proof and will leave you in shock and awe at the awesomeness of God.

Top 7 Reasons Why You Must Read This Book If You Are a Preacher or Teacher

1. You want to provide amazing Holy Spirit inspired content to put into your sermons or Bible studies.

2. You have run out of personal stories to expand on topics in your sermons so now you are looking for sermon outlines online.

3. You noticed a dwindling crowd where long-time members are disappearing little by little, and you want to build up a congregation filled with Bible knowledge, enthusiasm, and anointing that is on fire for the Lord.

4. You want to avoid having your congregation constantly distracted with cell phones, passing notes, or worse - sleeping during your messages.

5. You lead a Sunday school class, a Bible study, or any other activity where you are the teacher, and you want to do it right.

6. You haven’t had someone come up to you in awhile and say, "Wow! That was a wonderful message."

7. You keep seeing the same people come to the altar over and over for prayer, rededication, or "to get saved again." Now you are ready to stop the insanity and do away with the "milk and cookies" sermons to give your congregation "real meat," equip them for battle, and even find them asking for more.

If you apply what you learn in this book, I am extremely confident that you will see a huge turnaround in your church, congregation, or Bible study. Any and every one of these 7 issues will be reversed in a matter of weeks or even days. You will find an increase in attendance, an increase in note taking (notes on your sermon and not between teenagers), and even find your congregation wanting more. If you lead a Bible study, I guarantee if you use the simple steps taught in this book, your group will learn more about Scripture in one night than they will learn in two months of a traditional weekly Bible study.

If you are ready to hear these words regarding your sermon or Bible study: "powerful," "amazing," "wonderful," "beautiful," "It moved me," "I have never heard that subject explained that way," and many more, then you must read and apply the techniques and methods described in this book. I guarantee these things will take place because God’s Word is powerful, amazing, wonderful, beautiful, moving and enlightening. Now all you need to do is sharpen your skills and let God anoint you with His revelation knowledge, so you can unleash His revelation power!

Foreword

We are living in what some call the information age.  For many of us, our lives are dominated by email, text, and social media messages not to mention all of the marketing and messages we receive by way of electronic devices.  Whether you are a person of faith or not, most people are searching for truth whether in business, education, politics, or even the arts.  Simply stated, people want to know the truth.

Jaime Gage's "How to study the Bible to Unleash Revelation Power" provides examples of how to find truth in the Word of God, and how to unlock the mysteries of the Christian faith.  You may not be a very spiritual person, but I think we can all agree life is a mystery and the question of deity is the debate of our time.  If you want to learn how to find answers for yourself, "How to study the Bible to Unleash Revelation Power" is for you.   Jaime provides real life story's of how his own desire for revelation knowledge and how his thirst for more wisdom came to be fulfilled.

Jaime “calls out” those behind pulpits on Sunday while assisting those in their quest for truth by giving them the principles they need not to learn how to fish on their own.  I believe each person should belong to a healthy church where the complete truth is being preached and modeled, but a mature Christian knows how to listen for truth from God to make the right decisions and choices.

"How to study the Bible to Unleash Revelation Power" will make you laugh, relate to life experiences and challenge you to get serious about understanding what you believe and why.  Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to decipher from all of the information and messages that surrounds your life and discover the truth which you can build your life upon.

Rudolph Plata, Husband and Father

Introduction

My Shocking Realization That I Needed More "Meat" After 25 Years

Growing up Baptist in a loving Christian household was the most amazing Biblical foundation I could have imagined. I was saved and baptized at the age of seven and was exposed to the gospel message every week, three times a week because my mother was a music director for our church. Our weekly regimen consisted of two "church days," Sundays and Wednesdays. On Sundays, we had Sunday school and morning church service. Then in the evening, we attended discipleship training and the evening church service. On Wednesdays, while my mother conducted choir practice, I would participate with the "Royal Ambassadors" which was akin to the Boy Scouts but through the Baptist Church. My father frequently would run the children’s Sunday morning church service where he told Bible stories and preached about Jesus. This church schedule was one that I followed throughout my life and changed only slightly as I grew older via age appropriate classes and programs.

It wasn’t until my mid to late 20’s that I began to notice that all the sermons I ever heard in the handful of churches I attended over the years seemed to revolve around the same subject matter: the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.  So, as a young man, I had assurance of salvation and knew I was Heaven-bound; yet I was never exposed to the depths of knowledge that was available to me in the Bible.

Sure I knew my Old Testament Bible stories, characters, heroes, and prophets. I knew the Miracles of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles. But what I didn’t know was how it really applied to me above and beyond my salvation. Why? I discovered that in my particular church the preachers never really considered the "audience" that all great speakers and writers should consider when delivering a sermon. Our church was predominantly "saved;" therefore, the preacher in essence was always "preaching to the choir."

It wasn’t until after a tumultuous time in my life around the age of 27 that I decided to stop following my parents around, supporting their efforts in their music ministries in the Baptist Church. A friend of mine by the name of Frank Castillo told me about a church that was exciting. He said it was "thumping" with music; people were always shouting and jumping with excitement. I kept admonishing him and telling him that God was a God of order and churches shouldn’t behave that way.

One day I had just finished teaching a teenage Sunday school class I had been leading for two years when I decided to head home from church early.  At the time my family and I were members of a Spanish-speaking church, and I didn’t even speak Spanish!  I was frequently left bored and empty from the service.  On the way home, I drove by the same "thumping" church Frank told me about. Feeling empty and desperate to hear a message in English, I decided to see what was happening. I encountered a packed parking lot at this nondenominational church. My parents always “warned” me not to go to a church that was not affiliated with a denomination. Their justified reasoning was that a denominational affiliation held the church accountable for what was taught or preached.  Therefore, without proper accountability, "anyone could always twist the Bible and mislead the congregation down the path of a different gospel." I entered the church the last 5 minutes of the service. I found what felt like the last available chair in the whole sanctuary and crossed my arms to defiantly catch these "crazy people" in their "act of irreverence," searching for the twisted words from the pulpit that my mother warned me about.

The last five minutes of that service changed my Christian life. The Spirit of God was so heavy that I found myself weeping in His presence, something I had rarely if ever done. I didn’t know what was happening because I had never felt the Holy Ghost in this way in any of the churches I had attended or served in. The words that came from the pastor were so powerful, and I later learned the term "anointed."

I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for the next Sunday because I desperately wanted to hear a full message from beginning to end. The next Sunday couldn’t come soon enough, and I was prepared. I had someone cover my Sunday school class and had my Bible under my arm. When I got to the church about 15 minutes early, I found a long line out into the parking lot. I asked what special event was happening on this particular Sunday. One of the members said, "Oh it is like this every Sunday. If you want to find a good seat you have to come really early." By the time I found a seat I was in the very back row in the sanctuary. Once again I had folded my arms in defiance. The music started, and everyone threw up their hands to praise and worship God. It was common for a few members at my church to raise their hands in worship but not in the magnitude that I experienced at this "praise center."

After the praise and worship, the pastor once again came up to the pulpit. I was on the edge of my seat with Bible in hand. He then gave us the Scripture for his sermon, and I opened my Bible to the Old Testament. What? The Old Testament! Not Matthew? Not Luke? Not Acts? No, we turned to the Old Testament. I was immediately disappointed because I thought, "How will this ever relate to me?" We all stood to read the Scripture. As the pastor opened his mouth and began to read, a huge wave of understanding and revelation swept over me before he even started preaching! What I didn’t understand at the time was the pastor had an anointing of revelation with his preaching. So when he preached or even just read the Bible out loud, relevant knowledge directly related to my life jumped right out of the Bible into my understanding. Then he started preaching, teaching and explaining. His method was unlike anything I had experienced before. He began breaking down words and cross-referencing Scripture throughout the Bible. I was astonished, and before I knew it I was jumping up and down with joy in the presence of the Holy Ghost along with the rest of the congregation.

It didn’t take long for me to join the church and get involved. I personally believe that I began my advanced training in the Word of God in the following 7 years at that church. While under the pastor’s covering, I opened my heart to receive the anointing poured over that house. In doing so, I learned many spiritual truths, laws, and methods that I never realized existed.

In 2001, at the age of 30, a friend of mine asked me to join her at a church retreat in Mexico because she didn’t want to travel alone. Her former church was sending their youth to this retreat and she was invited to participate. I agreed to go with her, and it was there that I met my future wife, Isabel. Six months later we were married; and three months after that, she was joining me on her first visit to her new home in the United States. Because she wasn’t used to a large congregation, we decided that we would find a small congregation in which to serve.

Then a favorite uncle of mine passed away. Right before the memorial service began, my mother asked me to offer the benediction to dismiss the service, and I agreed. But during the service, I really felt moved by God to say something during my benediction because I was not really happy with the sermon from the pastor. So I opened up my Bible and started searching for something to say. I came across Psalm chapter 1. It happened to be one of my favorite childhood chapters. Then it was my turn to give the benediction. I opened my Bible and gave a short speech about my uncle using Psalm 1 as my reference.

Thereafter, several participants at the funeral came up to me and said, "Hey Jaime, I didn’t know you were a preacher." I was dumbfounded and replied, "I am not." Then Dr. R.F. Garza, a Pentecostal pastor friend of our family approached me while overhearing what others were saying and said, "Yes. Yes you are. I want you to come preach at my church in two weeks for our Easter service." This Doctor of Theology, a Presbyter (overseer or Bishop) for the largest conglomerate of Spanish-speaking Pentecostal churches in South Texas, asked me to preach to his congregation.

I looked at my family. My mother then gave me accolades about my "amazing" sermon. My father said that I did a great job preaching, and my wife just stood there smiling. I nervously accepted. I realized that by the grace of God, I simply was able to bring the anointing of revelation to that funeral service when speaking about my uncle.

I prepared for the Easter sermon by reverse engineering the Scripture relating to the crucifixion and resurrection. I simply used the same steps that I had observed from the hundreds of sermons I had absorbed over the last seven years from my "Spiritual father." By doing so I was able to deliver a message with more revelation than any class or message I had ever taught before. The people of the church where I preached the Easter message gave me handshakes, hugs, and future invitations to preach the next month.

Soon thereafter, my wife and I joined the same Pentecostal church. I preached there at least once a quarter and was put in charge of the Wednesday night adult Bible study/discipleship class that grew from a handful of attendees to about 100 families. Even though I honed my skills at preaching over several years there, I still humbly consider myself an amateur. Though very biased, my father believes that I am the best preacher he has ever heard, and my mother who we lost to liver failure in January of 2012, couldn’t have been prouder. She always said with a gleam in her eye, "I knew you were a preacher."

Chapter One

The "Key" Ingredient Required to Spark Church Growth

If you have a congregation or you are part of a Bible study that is not growing, then both the problem and the solution is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. The problem is your local assembly (congregation, Bible study group, Sunday school class, etc.) is not being edified which consequently will always stunt its growth. According to Webster, to edify is to build and establish. In the original Greek, it means to build up from the foundation as a house or building; to establish and grow in wisdom and piety. So, if you are getting visitors every week yet your attendance is still the same, then something is wrong. Many factors can affect attendance; however, one of those factors should not be a lack of edification

The simple truth is that too many Christians are ill equipped to fulfill the calling that Jesus gave to each and every one of us, to go forth and preach the Gospel. The only way to do it and do it right is through the power of the Holy Spirit and with solid Bible knowledge. In turn, it is our responsibility to impart that knowledge to other believers whether it is from the pulpit or within our local Bible study. However, as Howard Hendricks said, "You can't impart what you don't possess."  The purpose of this book is to impart to you and launch you into the revelation power of the Bible so that you may learn to edify yourself, as well as edify the body of Christ. This edification is important because this is our calling as believers.

In 1 Corinthians 14:6, Paul is very adamant about edifying the church in spite of any spiritual gifts (such as tongues). The following is a list of ingredients to church growth.

But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? (1 Corinthians 14:6 NASB)

In Paul’s discourse, he instructs the Christian brotherhood to edify the church through revelation, knowledge, prophesying, and teaching (verse 6).

Teaching: Greek word is didachē. Pronunciation: /dē-dä-khā/ - Definition: teaching of doctrine or rather teaching what we believe. In other words, teaching the Gospel message (Strong’s G1322).

Prophesying: Greek word is prophēteia. Pronunciation: /pro-fā-tā-ä/ - Definition: a discourse emanating from divine inspiration declaring the purposes of God, foretelling future events and predictions of events relating to Christ’s kingdom. Revealing things hidden (Strong’s G4394).

Knowledge: gnōsis. Pronunciation: /gnō’-sēs/ - Definition: General knowledge or understanding. Moral wisdom, such as seen as right living (Strong’s G1108).

Revelation: apokalypsis. Pronunciation: /ä-po-kä-lü-psēs/ - Definition: laying bare, uncovering or making naked; a disclosure of truths, which before were unknown. Be revealed; to lighten or to shed light on (Strong’s G602).

It is the revelation that Paul spoke of that we will focus on in this book. In addition, I believe that revelation is the “key” ingredient because with revelation comes knowledge, teaching, and even prophesying. Therefore, I wish to equip you with the ability to reverse engineer your studies in a simple way that will help you gain spiritual insight, and more importantly if you are in the ministry, create relevant messages for your congregation, audience, or students. My method of reverse engineering your studies is not designed to "magically" give you revelation knowledge. Only God the Father can bless you with that anointing or that particular gift of wisdom (Corinthians 12:8). If you are discouraged because you feel like you do not have this ability to get revelation in your studying, teaching or preaching, do not despair because it is one of the promises of God to give you wisdom when you ask for it.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5 (NKJV).

I guarantee that if you follow the simple steps in this book, you, your study group, or your congregation will receive revelation because God’s Word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). In other words, His word will accomplish what He intends for it to accomplish. If you are reading this book to learn how to study the Bible just for your own edification, I encourage you to share your findings and your experiences with others.

If you are a preacher, a teacher, or Bible study group leader, as you deconstruct your studies from the inside out, you will receive revelation and understanding in such massive amounts it will be more than you can possibly share from the pulpit in one Sunday sermon or in one "Thursday Night Bible Study." There will be so much "meat," you may need two or three Sunday sermons to deliver the whole message. Plus, as your listeners receive the message, each person will receive revelation that is unique to them.

So let us begin with a prayer of agreement:

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray in agreement that the reader of this book receives wisdom, knowledge and the ability to absorb, teach and even preach your Word with revelation power. We pray in agreement that every time this reader speaks about the Bible, they do so with the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit so that every word that proceeds from his/her mouth is of the Spirit and not of the flesh. We stand on your Word that your Word will not return void but will accomplish all that you set it to do in the hearts and minds of the listeners. Father, give insight and discernment for those learning, preaching, and teaching using the techniques of this book, so that each message will be a timely message that is unique and prophetic to each individual congregation, student and listener.

We thank you, Father, that you have heard us and that you have granted us the petitions that we have laid before you. Now we move forward in faith to preach and teach every message from this day forth, a true and sharp word that will cut through all chains and bondages. Father, in the name of Jesus we rebuke any spirit that is not of you that would attempt to cause confusion in the mind of this reader. We pray that the knowledge learned and retained from this book extends beyond the written words of this publication to penetrate the heart, mind and soul of this reader.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior. Amen.

Chapter Two

λόγος

Logos: Understanding the "Milk and Cookies" of the "Written Word"

In the Greek, logos (log’-os) means a word, spoken or written which was stated in the context of communication (Strong’s G3056). For example:

- Matthew 5:37 - But let your communication [logos] be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

- Matthew 8:8 - The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word [logos] only, and my servant shall be healed.

- Luke 6:47 - Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings [logos], and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.

Today we use this term to simply refer to the written Word of God. "Thou shall not kill," would be a literal, easy to understand "logos" word or commandment. It is direct, and there is no misunderstanding of what is being said. This direct type of reading of the Word is the manner that most community pastors use to preach and teach with. For example, a direct communication of the Scriptures to their congregation would sound something like this:

- "You can trust in the Lord and He will guide you, for the Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

- "But you can be saved by the grace of God because He sent His son to give you eternal life, for the Bible says in John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

It is the "logos" word that saves the sinner, and it is this word that brings upon repentance. You will commonly find that logos is the bread or as some may call it, the milk and cookies, that every new believer requires as nourishment to start their new walk with the Lord. It is this rock on which every Bible believing and teaching church has set its foundation and rightly so. From the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament to the gospel message of Jesus Christ, without logos we have no Bible because logos is the written Word of God. God created the heavens and the Earth with His spoken Word (logos); and according to John 1:1, in the original Greek, Jesus is logos. "In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God."  John 1:14 says "And the Word (Logos) was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the Father) full of grace and truth."

So, according to this Scripture, whenever we read our Bible and literally preach a passage of Scripture word for word, we are beholding the glory of Jesus and the glory of the Father. What do I mean by "word for word," or literally preaching a passage of Scripture? Here is an example of direct (literal) preaching or teaching: "Jimmy, you are a sinner because the Bible says in Romans 3:23, ‘For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Jimmy, does that make sense?" Or let’s say that you are preaching to a congregation and the theme of the message is trusting in God, and you quote Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." This logos preaching is done with a direct correlation of Scripture based on a person’s position or circumstance, and in most cases, the Scripture is expanded upon by the preacher using history, personal stories, or analogies to further educate the listener.

Chapter Three

Sermons Packed with "Filler": The Perfect Side Dish for Your "Milk and Cookies"

Let’s quickly discuss the preaching of the Gospel using logos. If a preacher delivers his message from the sole position of logos, his sermon without the inclusion of a lot of "filler" will not last very long. What is filler? I define filler as stories, anecdotes, jokes, and opinions as they relate to the Scripture.

One morning during the writing of this book, I was exposed to a classic example of filler in relation to "logos" preaching. I was preparing my children for school and daycare, and our radio was tuned to my favorite Bible teaching station here in San Antonio, TX. One of the most prominent preachers in the United States was talking about the "old-time stories of the Bible." He went into detail about how he spoke with a group of youth about Christian music. He stated that the current young generation remembers "Christian pop songs" but doesn’t know any "old-time hymns." He expanded on this observation to state that many Christians have forgotten or didn’t know the Biblical stories of old. The heroes of the Old Testament, the kings and prophets, the patriarchs and the judges, all held but a glimmer of recognition in this young upcoming generation. So he began to teach/preach about when Samuel was called by God.

He started with "the setting" of the story from 1 Samuel 3:1-14. He proceeded to give his narration with beautiful bravado. He delivered his story with the skill and the talent of a great orator speaking as if he had first hand knowledge of the circumstances. It was beautiful. He built up the story to a crescendo stating that Samuel’s first encounter with God resulted in a terrible message. In the midst of his summary of 1 Samuel 3:1-14, the pastor gave personal accounts of himself, such as how he would feel if God spoke to him the same way, or how Samuel must have felt when he realized that God was speaking to him. Drawing out the finale like a well directed movie, I sat at the edge of my seat until he finally finished with a bang. What was the "bang?" The high priest Eli and his family would be harshly judged by God because Eli allowed his children to steal from the sacrifices made to God.

It was an amazing story about one of the greatest men of the Old Testament giving the listener a more accurate view and understanding of what happened during the life of Samuel and Eli. But what did the entire history and narration amount to beyond just a great story?

Filler #1: Jokes

Just about everyone loves humor in a sermon. A humorous speaker will always grab your attention. Plus, humor is a fantastic technique to keep a congregation tuned in to the speaker and, more importantly, help the congregation relate to him/her as a pastor. This technique is often used at the beginning of a message to warm up to the listeners or to simply "break the ice."

Filler #2: Personal Stories, Anecdotes, and Analogies

Experienced pastors and evangelists will include personal stories, anecdotes and analogies to help the congregation relate to the preacher and the sermon rather than just the preacher himself. These pastors are very successful in delivering their messages. Congregants tend to have a better understanding of the message and leave with a clear direction for how to apply it to their lives. In addition, these pastors are very successful in maintaining a steady membership in their church because stories, anecdotes, and analogies help the listener relate deeply to the Scripture.

Filler #3 Historical Context

Of the three fillers, historical context takes the most work. For a pastor to preach and give the context of Scripture with historical facts takes hours and hours of preparation, study, and research. You may also find that seminary graduates are very proficient in this because of the training and materials available to them. I have the utmost respect for these preachers, and their ability to deliver their findings can be a huge source of revelation for the listener.

A Place For "Filler" But Please Just Stop the Insanity

Without appropriate filler, all speeches (including sermons) might be plain and boring. Having the right amount is crucial to being a great "speaker" which will enhance your effectiveness as a preacher. However, if you want to have a sermon that shakes the foundation with power and anointing, just using filler will not accomplish that goal.

Because there is power in the written Word, a sermon based solely on logos and filler will help the unbeliever, the new Christian, and the "toddlers" in Christ understand your message. More importantly, your sermons will save souls. But that is it. It will be "milk and cookies" which will ultimately stunt the growth of the young growing Christian. Yes, souls must be saved, but we as preachers are supposed to equip the saints to, "Go and preach the gospel." How are we to do that if we do not give the saints meat?

In my humble opinion, you can identify a church that only preaches in logos and filler when few visitors return more than three times and the same members are the only ones who keep returning to the altar over and over. This is a travesty to the gospel!

Young Christian families got bored and went home because there was no challenge for personal growth, or they left that church desperate for a pastor that would feed them. Let me tell you very plainly, regardless if you believe that "once saved always saved" or not, if you are not feeding your flock real meat they will backslide over and over. You can call it what you want, but it is your fault as a pastor if this is happening. You are creating a vicious cycle of people who get saved, live holy, backslide, come back to the altar, then repeat... get saved again or rededicate their life, live holy, backslide again, come back to the altar, then repeat... It sounds like instructions on my shampoo bottle. Lather, rinse, and repeat. Lather, rinse, and repeat... Oh my, please stop the insanity!

Real meat produces real growth which will strengthen each and every believer in the gospel. Each one will have the knowledge, training, and anointing (power of the Holy Spirit) to live a life pleasing to the Lord. In addition, a strong Spirit-filled Christian rarely will backslide; but if they do, they will be convicted to repent immediately and ask for forgiveness without having to wait to go to church to hear a message that will make them feel guilty. In turn, those same repentant Christians, when they get to church, should hear a message confirming their repentance, loving forgiveness of the Father, and edification of their spirit to continue the good fight.

How do you feed "meat" to your congregation? With revelation!

Chapter Four

ῥῆμα

ἀποκάλυψις

Rhēma and Apokalypsis - The Revelation of the Living Word: Real "Meat"

The Greek word rhēma means, "the spoken word joined together in a sentence for a declaration of one’s mind made in words" (Strong’s G4487). Apokalypsis (noun) or apokalyptō (verb) is the word "revelation" in Greek; and it means, "to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up, to reveal" (Strong’s G602). Today, we use the term rhēma to generally mean both rhēma and apokalypsis which is the unveiled/revealed, spoken Word of God. I simply like to say that rhēma is the "proceeding Word of God" that gives us meat to live. Jesus used these exact words:

But He answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhēma) that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

What is revelation?

"A deeper meaning..." At one time my father was a schoolteacher for 3rd grade, and his task at the end of the school year was to give an award to each and every child in his classroom. It just so happened there were some children he had difficulty creating an award for, but since it was a requirement he needed to have one prepared. One child was the class disaster. We’ll call him Thumper. Thumper was ADHD to the extreme, always gave all the teachers a hard time, rarely listened, and hardly stayed in his chair. He was a wanderer who rarely stayed on task and was always the first one sent to the office for disciplinary action.

So my father presented Thumper with an "Enthusiasm Award." It stated that Thumper had the most enthusiasm and energy in the class. He was the first to jump up and lead the group. And, he was eager to speak up with an opinion on class material. Teachers giggled, snickered and nodded their heads as the award was being announced and presented. Parents joined in the laughter, all knowing what the award was "really saying." You could say that the parents and teachers understood the "revelation" of what was being said beyond what was actually written.

Aside from personal experiences, let us focus on the Biblical application of revelation. Biblical revelation is incredible evidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God even as it spans and connects both the Old and New Testaments. This concept of Biblical revelation is referred to in Latin as sensus plenior which means "a fuller sense of" (Brown 1993). In other words, because the Bible was written by man but inspired by God, there is a more complete or deeper meaning God wanted us to have in Scripture. This viewpoint of the Bible became popular with the teachings of Raymond E. Brown in the 1920’s:

"Sensus plenior is the additional, deeper meaning, intended by God but not clearly intended by the human author, which is seen to exist in the words of a Biblical text (or group of texts, or even a whole book) when they are studied in the light of further revelation or development and understanding of revelation (Brown, 1953)."

This idea is supported by Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) 16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 17 That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

In summary, since men wrote the Bible they had an understanding of the history, the stories, and the eyewitness accounts from their various sources. However, God in His infinite wisdom and power had a divine plan to place into the written text a deeper message that is in perfect harmony with each of the authors of the books of the Bible.

Understanding the Basics of Revelation

Revelation is seeking out what is said beyond the words. In general, we understand that language is comprised of both verbal and non-verbal communication. However, since we are reading a Bible that does not include much non-verbal communication such as hand gestures, facial expressions, or any other body language, our Lord provided the Holy Spirit to give us a sensus plenior of the Word.

The key to this sensus plenior is strengthened by a Biblical text that was written in both Hebrew and Greek. Unlike the Arabic numerals we use in today’s English, the ancient languages of both Hebrew and Greek used letters, words and phrases for numbers. These languages did not have separate symbols for numbers like we have in English.

The best example (and a terrible one at that) or analogy for this type of language that I could give would be if we eliminated the word "one" from the English language and replaced it with the word "unique." Then we replaced the word or number "one hundred" with the word "dollar." Therefore, each word would then have a specific double meaning. So follow me in this example, ‘’unique”=1 and "dollar"=100. So mathematically, "dollar" plus "unique" would equal 101. With this in mind, let’s take the classic Disney movie Unique Dollar Dalmatians. What? You never heard of Unique Dollar Dalmatians? I am sorry, I meant 101 Dalmatians. So, 101 Dalmatians could actually be defined as several unique dogs that cost just a dollar. Okay, I agree that this may be a pathetic attempt to try and explain a number-based alphabet, but I hope you get the picture. If not, it will soon make sense because we will go into this aspect later in the book as we hope to catch a glimpse into the awesomeness of God; each of us in our own personal way.

Uncovering Revelation in All Things Written

Finally, revelation can be revealed to us by the nature of an object or action that is stated in the Bible. For example, when someone is anointed in the Bible, they are given power and authority to act in the position that God has called them to be in, such as priest, king or prophet.  The act of anointing was done with the pouring of oil over the individual’s head as a symbol of the authority of God being declared over that person. The prophet Samuel did this to David while David was out tending his sheep. When Samuel poured the horn of oil on David’s head, Samuel declared David, King of Israel chosen by God. Therefore, whenever oil is mentioned in the Bible, it also refers to the power or authority of God through the Holy Spirit.

In the final chapters of this book, I provide a Biblical example of a non-tithing Christian that has been stricken with the curse of Malachi 3:8-9, using leprosy as the symbolic curse. By examining the progressiveness of leprosy to illustrate the stages of spiritual decay, I used its revelation to expose the symptoms to the congregation at my previous church home in a sermon preached in 2008.

When Revelation is delivered in this manner, it is very powerful, and there are usually "ah ha" moments or "wow factors" that quicken the soul. I recall when delivering the aforementioned message in 2008, it was simultaneously translated into Spanish since the congregation was bilingual at that time. The translator, who happened to be my pastor’s wife, kept stopping in the midst of the translation to soak in the revelation. It was comical because I had to slow down and repeat myself a few times as she kept having "ah ha" moments. Thereafter, my pastor approached me and said, "I gotta have your notes for this message." These are the types of results I pray that you find as you apply some of the techniques in this book. So let us begin to look into revelation and how it applies to the Christian, and hopefully we will have some "ah ha" moments together.

Confirmation

Before we start discovering the "how to’s" about revelation, I must cover the topic of confirmation. Confirmation is probably the most important aspect of revelation in a Christian’s life and in his or her message. First, let me explain what I mean by "confirmation." Confirmation is when God supernaturally opens our minds so that He may establish a revelation given to us that has previously been discovered. God does this through Scripture, other Christians, preachers, and in everyday occurrences. I cannot tell you how He will do this for you, but I can share with you how it has happened to me day in and day out.

God will always confirm revelation two times, three times or more. The idea of confirmation is not new. In both Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1, it is written that "By the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established." The first time this is mentioned is in Deuteronomy Chapter 17 and was part of convicting wrong doers under The Law. Before a wicked evil-doer was convicted, the law stated that at least two or three witnesses had to testify before it could be considered true (Blue Letter Bible, 1996). Reliable witnesses were so important to God’s law that if someone falsely claimed to be a witness, they were to receive the judgment that was reserved for the accused (Deuteronomy 19:18-19). God even included His requirement for reliable testimony in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor"(Exodus 20:16).  Therefore, we know that reliable witnesses are important to God especially when it comes to His Word.

The important thing to remember when it comes to confirmation is to be aware of it when it happens. It may even come unexpectedly, but when it does you will have an "ah ha" moment.

The following forms of confirmation are how it usually happens to me:

1. Other Scriptural references - After I discover a new revelation in Scripture, I then take that revelation and research the Bible to see if other Scripture supports it.

2. Other Preachers - It will just so happen that another preacher (via church, T.V., or radio) will mention the exact same verse in the course of his message. Personally, I believe this is confirmation because there are over 31,100 verses in the Bible, and I believe it is not a coincidence for another man or woman of God to mention the same verse while it is still fresh on my mind. By the way, I don't believe in coincidences.

3. Other believers - I will find that another believer may mention the same verse, subject, or revelation. This will happen without any suggestion from me regarding any subject or thought related to that revelation.

4. Other Christian Books - At times I will receive confirmation in a book I am reading. This will come in the form of reading the same exact subject or Scripture without having to seek it out.

I absolutely love confirmation because it builds my faith, and it can never be taken away from me. As a matter-of-fact, each time I receive confirmation, I almost jump out of my skin and exclaim, "That’s confirmation!" When you receive confirmation from your studies, I am sure you will feel the same way I do. Naysayer’s and nonbelievers alike cannot remove the feeling you will get when the Holy Spirit opens your heart and mind to establish your findings.

It may come in various forms, but you will know confirmation when it happens. Believe me, if you learn to be sensitive to the Spirit, every time it happens your mouth will drop in astonishment at the awesomeness of God. Just remember, one occurrence does not establish confirmation, but two to three occurrences does according to God’s standards. Plus in my experience, confirmation will always happen when the revelation is still fresh in your mind and spirit.

Chapter Five

The Law of First Mention: One of the Greatest Sources of Revelation

To truly have a grasp on revelation, you must understand the Law of First Mention (Hartill 1960). This simply means that if you search for an important word in the Bible, Scripture will give a “key” to understanding the nature or concept of that particular word or phrase the first time it is mentioned in Scripture. This Law of First Mention is unique in that it provides powerful evidence that the Bible is divinely inspired and also testifies to the continuity of the Scriptures from Old Testament to New Testament.

Let's take for example the word “God.” With the Law of First Mention, we are to seek out the first time the word is mentioned in Scripture to understand its unique characteristics. The first time the word "God" is mentioned is in Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Taking this technique into consideration, we can see the nature of God is that of our creator or as the world commonly calls Him, the Creator. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg because the Hebrew word for God used in Genesis 1:1 is ‘Elohiym /el-ō-hēm’/ which is a plural form of the masculine noun for God (Strong’s H430). We know that He is one God in three distinct persons (the Trinity); God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit which is confirmed the first time God is mentioned in Scripture. Also take note that the inerrant Word of God is very precise.

Since God is not the author of confusion, He eliminates the possibility of someone mistaking the plurality of 'Elohiym for being anything other than the Holy Trinity. There is evidence in Scripture that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was present in the first three verses of Genesis; God the Father - the Creator (verse 1 - In the beginning God created...), God the Holy Spirit (verse 2 - And the Spirit of God moved...), and God the Son (verse 3 - And God said...). What? You didn’t catch where Jesus was mentioned? It was stated right there, “And God said...” Still missing it?

Let’s examine the mention of Jesus in detail. We know that the Word of God states in John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:14 continues “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the Father) full of Grace and truth.” Do you see the revelation in this?

When God speaks He uses His words. Since Jesus IS the Word, every time Jesus moves, walks, talks, or does any action of any kind, it is the Father speaking or “saying.” Look at Genesis 3:8:

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden."

Do you see that revelation? How else would the voice of the Lord be walking if it wasn’t Jesus? Jesus is the physical manifestation of the voice of God. So, if you replaced the phrase “the voice” with the word Jesus, it would read, “And they heard Jesus (the Word) of the Lord God walking in the garden...” Let’s look back at Genesis 1:3, “And God said (He used words; He used his voice; It was Jesus) Let there be light.” We have one God in three persons, and through this revelation the Scripture gives us evidence the Holy Trinity was present in the beginning.

This revelation gives even greater depth to the following thought: In John 5:19, 30, and 36, Jesus states that He does nothing, including His actions and His works, outside of the will of the Father. Through the revelation we just received, we recognize the reality of His statements because Jesus is the physical manifestation of the will of God. When God speaks, it is God’s will that comes out of God’s mouth. Thus Jesus can do nothing outside of the will of God otherwise He would be going against His own nature as the “Word of God,” the “Will of God,” and the “Truth of God.”

This “meat,” this revelation is throughout the Bible, and you can and should use the Law of First Mention to begin seeking the hidden meanings of Scripture. So to understand revelation, let’s see how the Law of First Mention applies to the revealed Word of God.

Can Everyone Receive Revelation?

The first mention of revelation in the Bible is in Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV):

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

This verse establishes that revelation is only available to the people of God so that we may follow all the words of the law (...but the things revealed belong to us...). Therefore, under the new covenant, we as Christians are the only ones who can receive revelation. And we receive revelation to better understand and follow the word of God. In other words, revelation is “MEAT” for the believer.

Jesus himself stated in Matthew 11:27 NKJV:

"All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

This is a confirmation and revelation in itself, that only those who know Jesus can also know the Father; and knowing the Father can only be accomplished by revelation which is given by Jesus to those that He wills to have it (...the Son wills to reveal Him.).

Since we know that Jesus came to fulfill the law, He is the one who fulfills Deuteronomy 29:29. Therefore, the chosen to whom Jesus selects to reveal the Father are us (His people), and to our children forever (...belong to us and to our children forever...), that we may follow Jesus in the manner that God wants us to follow Him (...that we may follow all the words of the law.). Furthermore, if it is Jesus who is revealing the Father and Jesus is the Word, then Jesus Himself is Revelation.

Consequently, here is a thought to ponder: Could the reason non-believers have such a difficult time understanding the Bible be, because they do not have access to this revelation gift given to believers? Think about it. To the unbeliever the Bible is gibberish, or a book that contradicts itself. We know, especially with revelation, that the Bible does not contradict itself but uniformly brings together any slight differences in Scripture to support the will, nature, and perfection of God.

The Rock of Revelation

During His ministry Jesus had several recorded conversations with his disciples. In one conversation, Jesus asks them a very strong question about who people say that He is. Some disciples said that others say that He is Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Then He asks them directly about who they believed He was:

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-19 NKJV)

Most protestant pastors would state that the “rock” Jesus is referring to is that Jesus will build His church on the fact that He is the Son of the living God, the Christ. Most Catholics would probably claim that Jesus is referring to Peter as the rock, and that Jesus will build the church upon him, creating a lineage of Popes over the next several thousand years. Catholics took this passage so literally that they built a church over the presumed site of Peter’s tomb/bones, St. Peter’s Basilica.

What I love most about revelation is that when you recognize it, you see the power behind God’s Word in a way that will make your jaw drop. So let us examine this Scripture once again starting from verse 17.

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18 NKJV)

So what was Jesus referring to? Well if you read verse 17, He is clearly stating that His Father in heaven has revealed that Jesus is His son, and upon this revelation of Jesus being the son, He will build His church. Jesus was referring to the “revelation of His sonship” as being the rock. The revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Son of God is that upon which He will build His church. Not just the fact that He is the Son, but the “revelation” of it was the main ingredient that Jesus stressed; otherwise He would have skipped what He said in verse 17. Therefore, if the revelation was not the rock, then the conversation would have gone something like this:

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Do you see the difference? Verse 17 is so key to this Scripture passage that it changes the whole meaning of verse 18. So if this rock is revelation, then there will be confirmation in Scripture with evidence supporting it.

So let’s take this further and look at how deep revelation can take us. First, the Greek word for “rock” in this verse is petra (Strong’s G4073). Other than a large foundational stone, petra also refers to firmness and strength of soul. More importantly it refers to a “living stone,” or a stone that is spiritually alive (Strong's G4073). In the Old Testament, the Lord is referred to as the rock. Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliver; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 78:35 says, “And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.”

Now let’s look at the Law of First Mention regarding the word rock. The first time in the Bible that the word "rock" is used is in Exodus. Moses was commanded to strike this rock in Horeb to produce a miracle to supernaturally bring forth water so that the nation of Israel could drink.

"Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel" (Exodus 17:6).

If we take what we know about the word rock to also mean “revelation” and “living stone” then God is telling Moses that He is standing upon revelation of the living stone and to strike it with his staff and water will flow. So according to the Law of First Mention, revelation from the living stone gives us water to quench our thirst, to sustain us; and it gives life. This is confirmed when Jesus said that He would give us living water that we would never thirst again. But is this the same “rock” in Hebrew and in Greek? Read with me and maybe your “jaw will drop” as mine just did.

I want you the reader to understand that I am discovering this text and revelation with you as I write this. This book has not been manipulated to create an outcome that supports my preconceived ideas. For this to be a true and accurate account that is supported by the Holy Spirit and not of my flesh, I am writing this book and discovering the mysteries of the Lord along with you, the reader. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 (NKJV) provides the great confirmation that clearly indicates the rock to signify both revelation and Christ Jesus.

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and ate the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV).

Wow! A confirmation does not get any clearer than this. Paul just gave us the account of the nation of Israel traveling through the wilderness, being led by the cloud, through the parting of the Red Sea, and drinking the water from the Rock; that Rock being Jesus Christ.

Do you see how much information and revelation can be discovered, simply by seeking the meaning of key words in Scripture? Others may call this expository preaching, or doing an exegesis of Scripture. I simply call this “reverse engineering” your studies.

Chapter Six

The Exegesis: The Fundamentals of Uncovering Revelation Through Expository Study

I often heard preachers anointed with revelation use the word "exegesis" /ek-si-jee-sis/ when plucking out a key word in Scripture to break it down. Collins English Dictionary defines exegesis as an explanation or critical interpretation of a text (exegesis, n.d.). A proper execution of a revelation-filled exegesis can start with a study or interpretation of a text, word or phrase by using Hebrew/Greek etymology. That coupled with historical references, the dictionary, contextual references, and finally cross-referenced Scripture, produces a wealth of revelation.

Revelation using a contextual reference is achieved by perceiving the characteristics and other definitions of an object, person, or condition to draw further conclusions about Scripture. An example of a contextual reference would be when the Bible mentions "the head" in Scripture. Many times, "the head" refers to headship or authority, not just a physical head. For example, with expository preaching you could do an exegesis on the word "head" in the following verse:

And he said unto his father, "My head, my head." And he said to a lad, "Carry him to his mother" (2 Kings 4:19).

In this passage a youth complained to his father about his head, then later in the same day died. Taking into consideration that other Scriptures regard the head as headship, this could be the beginning of a solid sermon on fatherhood. You could say that the deeper meaning of this passage was that he was in bad shape due to poor "headship."

I know, you are probably scrunching your face and tilting your head to the side thinking that I am now totally off my rocker. Before you dismiss this and close this book, let’s just look into the context a little further. First, why didn’t the boy's father help him and take care of him himself?

17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her. 18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back." 23 So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well" (2 Kings 4:17-23 NKJV).

In this passage, the father of the lad instructs another youth to take his sick son to his mother where the boy eventually dies. What type of father does that? After he died, the mother called to her husband, so he was obviously back in the area because she didn’t have to send for him. Otherwise the text would have read, "Then she called for her husband." When you call to someone, they are within hearing distance of your voice. I point this out because I have a problem with this deadbeat dad. Why wasn’t he at his son’s side as he passed away?

When my mother passed away, I was right there at her bedside along with my wife and my father. We were not at home watching the game or playing tiddlywinks. However in 2 Kings 4:19, not only was this father not at his son’s bedside, but when the mother of the lad asked her husband permission to seek out Elisha who had originally promised her the son, this father asks (2 Kings 4:23),  "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." -- as if to say, "Why are you going to church today? It is neither Mother's Day nor Easter Sunday."

Either the father didn’t care about his son’s death, didn’t believe in God or His prophet, didn’t have faith, or all of the above. So the "sensus plenior" or revelation of this passage would be that the cause of the son’s death was from his "headship" or rather it was the poor leadership of his father that allowed him to die. Using this "headship" reference could be great context for a sermon on Father’s day. Possible themes:

- Poor spiritual leadership from a father could lead to spiritual death.

- An uncaring father leads to destruction.

- Dads, stay away from the reapers because your children are watching everything you do and it could kill them.

These themes could easily be supported by this passage, and there is so much more "meat" that you could pull from this to use in a sermon or study.

Chapter Seven

How to Study Your Bible Without a Study Guide and the Tools You Will Need

In order to properly perform the steps I am about to outline for you, you will need a few key tools. You will need a Bible, preferably King James or New King James translation, a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, a dictionary, and finally a Hebrew and Greek Lexicon. The Strong’s Concordance I have pictured here belongs to me and has a Hebrew-Greek Lexicon in the Appendix. In my opinion it is not as thorough as you will need in order to get the full in-depth meaning of Greek and Hebrew words and phrases. However, if you purchased each of these lexicons and the concordance separately, it would not be cheap. Modern day technology has made it possible to have access to all three of these tools and more in one location. I use blueletterbible.org. It is the most comprehensive site that I have used. I absolutely love it. It contains the Hebrew and Greek Lexicons, commentaries, audio files related to verses, and is available in almost every translation that you can find. Plus, in my opinion, it is more thorough than the printed Strong’s Concordance.

The Blue Letter Bible website is a fantastic one-stop resource for almost all of your studying needs.

Step One: Pray

This step is critical yet is very simple: pray. Pray that the Lord will give you revelation to the Scripture you are about to read.

Step Two: Identifying Your Subject Matter

The second step to studying your Bible to gain the revelation knowledge is to understand the theme you are studying. If the Lord has laid upon your heart a particular subject, you can start there. If you have been invited to preach at a church, you might ask them what (if any) has been the theme of the pastor’s sermons. Many churches throughout the year have a theme for the month such as tithing, healing, repentance, marriages, raising children, and many other themes. If you have been following a particular study guide, then just select the main verse in your studies as a starting point.

So let us take the main Scripture from a popular daily study guide that I used as a teenager over twenty years ago, Our Daily Bread from www.odb.org. In order to be somewhat spontaneous, we will pull the Scripture for today’s date, the same date that I am writing this chapter which is October 6, 2012. The Scripture in the study guide is from Psalm 46:10 and reads, "Be still and know that I am God." This is a popular verse. So let us begin with Psalm 46:10.

Once you have the Scripture the first thing you want to do is put the Scripture into blueletterbible.org. You can key in your Scripture into one of two locations on the home page. Be sure that you select the KJV (King James Version) or the NASB (New American Standard Version). Either of these choices are the only ones that will allow you to identify and utilize the Greek and Hebrew Lexicons on the Blue Letter Bible website.

Once you click search, you will be directed to the chapter and verse you keyed in. You will notice that key words and phrases in the Scripture have a corresponding number associated with it in blue super-scripted text. That number identifies the word translated into the Greek. Does that mean that the Greek word also signifies the number associated with it? No. When Strong developed his lexicon, he simply numbered each word for easy reference in alphabetical order starting with the number 1 which happens to be the word 'ab (äv) or "father" (Strong 1996).

Step Three - Reverse Engineering Your Studies to Unleash Revelation

Let me diverge for a moment to make an audacious statement. All Scripture is correctly written but some Scripture is not truthfully quoted. Please do not stone me until I have explained. Let's take one of the most popular verses often misquoted by Christians around the world, "The Lord Giveth and the Lord taketh away." The actual Scripture is found in Job.

And said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).

So why do I claim this verse is often misquoted? Let's examine the setting of Job's circumstances. Job made this statement after he had just lost everything. He was distraught, but his faith and trust in the Lord led him to this statement of both grief and trust wrapped into one painful exclamation. However, if you read the verse in context, it was not the Lord who took everything away, but Satan. Yet Job stated that the Lord took away all that he had. So yes, the verse is correctly written however Job misspoke in his statement. Many Preachers will take a verse and preach from it without considering the context. It is always important to consider the context when studying or preparing a message.

Now that we have our original Scripture selected from Our Daily Bread dated October 6, 2012, the next thing to do is read it in context to make sure we understand the meaning of the verse as a whole.

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (Psalm 46:1-11).

When we read the context of the verse, it gives us a picture of what is happening in the chapter. In summary, the chapter declares that God is our refuge and strength during trouble. It declares how we should not fear regardless of the calamities around us both natural (earth be moved) and political (the kingdoms were moved).  But in the whole chapter there are two actions that we are asked to take. The first action is in verse 8, "Come, behold the works of the Lord[...]," and the second action is in verse 10, "Be still[...]."

I find it interesting that the fist command is to behold what the LORD has done. The writer of this Psalm is using the word chazah, which means to see with intelligence in an ecstatic state (Strong’s H2372). In other words, the writer is telling us to take notice of God’s judgment in the earth on those that are not His people and to be ecstatic that He is our God saving us from His wrath. The second command to action is to "Be still." So let us examine this phrase.

Referencing back to blueletterbible.com, you have the choice of clicking directly on the corresponding number above the word, or clicking on the "C" in the blue box indicated in the above figure (How to use, 2012). This will give you a list of specific words and phrases with their corresponding numbers.

Each particular "Strong’s" number starts with a "G" for Greek and "H" for Hebrew. You can click on the H7503 to see the Hebrew phrase for "Be still" which is raphah, or H3045 to see the Hebrew phrase for "and know" which is yada', and so forth.

So let’s examine the phrase raphah. It is a verb that literally means to sink down and relax; to withdraw and be quiet; to let go, refrain, and let alone; to be so relaxed that you are slack (Strong’s H7503).

This word gives powerful indication as to what God wants from you when he says, "Be still." But what is more astounding is the level of faith required to completely "let go" control of your problem, be at peace and let God handle it. Furthermore, it is not a position of just having faith, but it is an act of faith that is required by the Lord.

Thereafter, when you take faithful action, He is then exalted. Wow! So when we trust God with so much faith that we let go and relax in the midst of trouble, He is exalted among the non-believers and in the Earth. In other words, our faith and worry-free attitude in the middle of obvious and very public trouble is such a great testimony to the unbeliever that the unbeliever will see God being exalted, simply by watching us "letting go." Now let’s look at the law of First Mention to see if it supports our revelation.

Simply scroll down on the Blue Letter Bible website to find the first verse where the word raphah is written which is found in Exodus 4:26.

So he let him go (raphah): then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

When I read this the first word out of my mouth was, "What?!" I didn’t understand, so I clicked on Exodus 4:26 to read the chapter in context. Now I love how this is working out because I am able to expand on some great tools that are available to all of us on this website. One of the tools I rarely use, but is a great resource to the history and setting of the text, is the audio commentaries associated with verses and passages in the Bible. I used the audio commentary tool with this particular Scripture. I clicked on the box with the letter "L." This action creates a drop down menu to listen to audio commentaries related to the text we are viewing. I clicked the menu and selected J Vernon McGee Exodus 4:25-31 and clicked "go" (Dr. McGee Commentaries, 2012). I suggest you do that now to listen and hear the history as I did.

The audio commentary gave me insight to the setting of what was happening. Zipporah had failed to circumcise her son. Because of her failure to circumcise him, her son was not under the covenant and protection of God and thus, was about to be killed by the Lord. Zipporah realizes this, grabs a sharp stone and immediately cuts off the foreskin to bring her son under the covenant. At the moment her child was circumcised, the Lord let him go (raphah).

In other words, just like in Psalm 46:10, because Zipporah's son was placed at the last moment under the covenant of God, the Lord then protected her son from danger by placing him into a state of raphah: A quiet relaxed state of peace in the midst of the judgment of God. That my fellow believer is what I call confirmation! We can conclude that the revelation of the word "raphah" is to deeply relax and have peace of mind despite the circumstances; for the judgment of God will pass over you. Sounds a lot like the definition of grace doesn’t it? Let’s look at an example of when Jesus uses the same words in Mark:

And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and it was a great calm (Mark 4:39).

Confirmation number two. Here in the midst of "public" trouble, in the midst of a troubled sea with roaring waters, the peace and mercy of God creates a calm around them. The end result? Jesus was exalted.

Another interesting item of revelation and continuity of the Scriptures that I would like to point out is that Jesus both questions the disciples' faith and questions their fear when this takes place. This is practically a mirror image of the declaration the Psalmist made at the beginning of Chapter 46 verse 2, "Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled,..."

This type of expository study and research can and will result in great messages and sermons. This particular Scripture, Psalm 46:10, is a great foundational Scripture to teach about relaxing in the midst of trouble, especially for those going through the type of trouble that is public. Plus, you will discover that this method of study, when shared with others, will open your heart and mind to better understand the character of our loving Heavenly Father more clearly.

Chapter Eight

Understanding the Double Meaning of Numbers in the Bible

It is important to understand that numbers in Scripture also give specific meaning. The following is a general key of a sampling of Biblical numbers and what they represent in Scripture (Jones, 2008).

1. Unity

2. Double Witness, Division

3. Divine Fullness, Perfection

4. Earth, Material Creation

5. Grace

6. Number of Man

7. Completion, Spiritual Perfection

8. New Beginning, New Birth or Coming Full Circle

9. Visitation

10. Order, Law, Earthly Government

11. Imperfection, Disorder, Incomplete

12. Divine Government, Governmental Perfection, Authority

13. Trial, Probation

I have studied, read and been a student of the relationship that numbers have with the Word of God. However, I have rarely come across such a significant resource for numbers and their Biblical meaning as from Dr. Stephen E. Jones and his eBook, The Biblical Meaning of Numbers from One to Forty. I highly recommend his eBook for future reference at www.gods-kingdom-ministries.net.

In my opinion, it is apparent that numbers are very important to God. Consequently, the devil has attempted to distract the divine revelation associated with numbers in the Bible by twisting and tainting them through the growth of numerologists, the occult, tarot card readers, and astrologists. Satan uses these individuals to act as a distraction by using numbers for the wicked purposes of fortunetelling, spiritualism, etc. As you well know, Satan’s wish was to ascend his throne above God’s, and now he attempts to establish his worldly kingdom of evil, hate and the destruction of God’s most beloved creation, each and every one of us.

One of Satan’s methods of deception is to distract people from the truth. An obvious example of these distractions is with Christian celebrations now littered with pagan imagery such as Easter and Christmas. A subtle example of his deception would be the growth of false teachings and false religions that closely mimic that of the Biblical believer.

So how important are numbers to God? We can look at mankind, His greatest creation, to determine how it may correlate to Biblical numbers. The Bible says that He created us in His own image, so let’s examine my own observation of being created in His own image as it relates to our construction.

First, there is the obvious. There is only one God in three persons, the Holy Trinity. We also were created with the same structure: body, soul (our consciousness), and spirit. Second, there is also a physical reflection of God in our creation. If you look at your face in the mirror, the size of your eye is approximately 1/5 the size of the width of your face at eye-level. In other words, you could have 5 eyes side by side from hairline to hairline. Five is the number of Grace. There are 8 cranial bones surrounding your brain, which is your mind (soul), eight is the number of a new beginning or new birth. We are created with 12 ribs, the number of divine government. Therefore, when God looks at our face, He sees His reflection: grace (5). When He looks at our heart, He sees His righteousness: divine government (12). When He looks at our mind (our soul), He sees the new birth (8) into Jesus Christ.

The aforementioned physical expression of being created in His own image is my own observation, opinion and revelation. In this instance, I did not seek specific Scripture to support my findings other than the relationship that numbers have with their meaning.

Expanded Guide:

Putting It All Together

Creating a Powerful

Bible Study

&

Creating an Amazing Sermon

Chapter Nine

Creating a Powerful Bible Study

Should You Be a Messenger or Facilitator?

You may find that organizing a Bible study is very easy now that you have the tools to uncover revelation. If you have a busy life, your struggle may be in preparation time. However, the delivery of your Bible study is the part that will be simple and should be a ton of fun.

I have used the following method for several years with youth Sunday school classes, small intimate cell groups, and an adult Bible study in the church sanctuary with 80-100 in attendance. This technique can work for a study regardless of the size of the group; however, I have found it is most successful with smaller groups of 25 or less.

The key for a successful Bible study is to get the group involved, making them participants not just bystanders. If your guests just sit and listen to your monologue, then you are preaching. Preaching and Bible studies are different types of ministry. Preaching imparts a message from God to a group or congregation through the voice of a preacher. A Bible study incorporates a teacher to lead a learning process that allows a group to interact, discuss, comment and learn more about the Word of God without requiring a "messenger." So when you preach, then preach. When you lead a Bible study, lead through participant involvement. Remember, we want to equip the saints by teaching them how to fish to be come self-sufficient. So, even if you are a Pastor or Evangelist, at that time you are leading a Bible study, your role is not that of a messenger but of a facilitator. This section will help you organize and facilitate your next Bible Study.

Bible Study Mechanics and Outlines

First, you will need to select your topic that you will be discussing in your Bible study. A good idea to get a group excited about a Bible study or cell group is at your first meeting ask everyone to share a topic that they would like to learn more about. As people share, you will find others getting excited and adding comments. Be sure to take good notes. The topic that people mention the most can be a good starting point.

Some great topics might include:

- The Promises of God

- Finances

- Covenant Relationships

- Different types of Prayer

- God the Creator

- God, Abba Father

- God Our Provider

- Difference Between Praise and Worship

- The Miracles of Jesus

Also, a good idea for a study is to examine the enemy. Very rarely have I seen anyone take on that subject; but, when they do, there has always been a great response from the participants. Many Christians shy away from studying the devil because they feel as if they are giving him glory by studying him or even mentioning his name. I believe the contrary, but that is just my opinion. Jesus talked more about hell and the devil than anyone else in the Bible. Every great general and warrior in history from Sun-Zu to Eisenhower studied the enemy to understand how best to gain victory. How much fun would it be to launch a Bible study group, and on the first day teach that the devil is already defeated? Amen!

Once you have your topic selected, prepare an outline with the mindset of a group discussion format. I will create an outline here which will take me less than 5 minutes, and I will do this from scratch by plucking a subject out of my head. How about I create a Bible study outline on the Baptism of Jesus?

When the Bible study takes place, it might evolve into a completely different direction depending on where the Holy Spirit would lead us, but you always need a good starting point. When I construct the Bible study outlines, I usually will ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation going. If no one answers, I will call on participants to give their opinion. When they give an answer, I will then use a technique called bounce and reflection.

For example, I may ask Bill a question. After Bill answers, I will then ask Steve, "How do you feel about Bill’s answer?" Then I will bounce to Mary and ask, "Who do you agree with more? Bill or Steve? Mary, what perspective in this Scripture do you feel they both missed?" This method forces everyone to be on their toes ready to answer. In a few short studies, group members will be bringing notepads, iPads, Bibles, commentaries, etc so they can be ready for the call. It is a blast, and you will have fun with it.

On a side note, if someone gives an answer that is wrong, do not shoot him or her down or belittle them. Instead, say something like, "That is a good answer," "That sounds logical," or "What an interesting perspective." Then follow-up with, "Let’s see what the Bible says about that..." Then look it up, and let the Bible give the answer rather than giving your opinion or thoughts. If the Bible gives the answer, then the process of confirmation will begin through the remainder of the study and possibly during the week in their own personal lives. This is how the seed planted in good ground is watered.

The following outline would probably be good for a two-day study depending on how long your nightly Bible studies usually last.

Your outline could look something like this:

I. Bible Study on the Baptism of Jesus

II. Read the Scripture: Matthew 3:1-3:17

A. Why do you think Jesus got baptized?

B. How do you think the crowd reacted before He was baptized?

C. The Bible doesn’t mention their reaction afterward; how do you think they reacted? Why?

III. What two supernatural actions took place when Jesus was baptized?

A. The Spirit of God came upon Him.

B. Voice of God spoke.

IV. The Holy Spirit Comes Down Like a Dove.

A. What other forms could the Holy Spirit have taken other than a Dove?

B. Why do you think God chose a Dove and not another form?

C. What are the Greek and Hebrew definitions of Dove

1. Greek is peristera which means a dove.

2. Hebrew word is yownah which means a dove or a gentle term of endearment. It also is the name Jonah or Yonah in Hebrew.

V. The Law of First Mention for the word Dove - Read Genesis 8:8.

A. What happened to the dove in this Scripture?

B. If the dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and the “window” of the ark opened up, then what is the struggle of the Holy Spirit? (No rest for the sole of her foot)

C. Where did the sole of the foot of the dove finally find rest? (Olive Branch)

D. What does the olive branch signify?

E. Where did the sole of the dove find rest when it was sent out again? (Jesus)

F. Why did the Spirit of God finally find rest on Jesus?

G. If that same dove was released in this room, would that dove be able to find rest on us? Why or why not?

Preparation for your Bible Study is key. I recommend you have a laptop or tablet computer connected to the Internet and ready to dig in if there are questions or ideas during the study. You will find your participants get excited when you are constantly looking up Greek, Hebrew, and First Mention Scripture. You can also give the address of blueletterbible.com to your participants and have two to three people designated to do the "look ups." You could have one look up Greek words while another looks up Hebrew words to keep the pace of the study on track. You could even have another looking for supporting Scripture to anyone's hypothesis during the study. If you do not have this technology readily available, then you will want a good old fashion Strong's Concordance with Greek/Hebrew Lexicon.

If you have a small group, then you surely will want to prepare a "student" version of the outline and print copies for your participants. This will keep them involved, plus teach them to bring a Bible, pencil, paper, and more.

You will notice that the following “student” outline is the same one from above but with areas to fill-in answers during the course of the Bible Study; it might look something like this:

I. Bible Study on The Baptism of Jesus.

II. Read the Scripture: Matthew 3:1-3:17.

A. Why do you think _______________?

B. How do you think the crowd _________ before He was baptized?

C. The Bible doesn’t mention their ___________________? Why?

III. What two supernatural actions took place when Jesus was baptized?

A. ___________________________.

B. ___________________________.

IV. The _______________________.

A. What other forms could the ________ other than _________?

B. Why do you think God chose _____ and not ______?

C. What are the Greek and Hebrew definitions of ______?

1. Greek is _______which means _______.

2. Hebrew word is __________which means ___________. It also is the name ______ or _______ in Hebrew.

V. The Law of First Mention for _____ - read _____.

A. What happened to the ________ in this Scripture?

B. If the _______, what is the struggle ____?

C. Where did ___________________?

D. What does ________________ signify?

E. Where did _______________________?

F. Why did the ______________________?

G. _______________________________?

Why or why not?

You could keep building upon this outline and watch it grow. It can be expanded in several different directions. Examples of the different directions would be the olive branch, the Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness (just a thought -- could Jesus have followed the dove up into the mountains?), the window of Heaven and the Window of the ark, and so forth. The beauty of this type of study is that you do not have to rely on someone else’s insights; instead, you can use the Scripture and revelation right in front of you and your group to build the type of Bible studies that will have your group craving more.

*You can download a printable version of this Bible study to use and tailor to your own needs at:

www.getrevelationpower.com/how_to_study_references.

Chapter Ten

Creating an Amazing Sermon and Have Your Congregation Craving More

Preaching a sermon is such a heavy responsibility. Before you start preparing your sermon, you must be sure that you go to the Father and spend some quality time with Him. Confess any unconfessed sin, repent, and ask Him to speak through you. Thereafter you should start preparing your sermon. Then before you take the pulpit, again go to the Father and thank Him for speaking through you so that it is not your flesh but His spirit that loosens your tongue to deliver your prepared message.

In the course of delivering a "rhēma-filled" message, you will find the anointing of the Holy Spirit will come over you; and you will feel this "power" and authority like never before. Do not be afraid of it; for it is an amazing feeling. On the other hand, do not let that feeling of power go to your head. If you get to the point where you start wanting to wield the power outside of your calling, just remind yourself that all the honor and glory is for the Father.

After a Spirit-filled service, you may feel drained and exhausted even though your congregation may leave the service full of energy and life. The exhaustion is normal because of the spiritual warfare that takes place during an anointed message. You need to be aware that there will be an enormous number of spiritual battles that will take place in people’s lives in the few minutes you are preaching. Since you are a conduit for the anointing power of God, His authority will flow from Heaven into you and then right out into the lives of the people to whom you are preaching. Because we are flesh and blood and subject to the laws of nature, preaching in this way may drain you physically depending on the need that is in your congregation.

Like all speeches and stories, a sermon must have a beginning, middle, and an end. The best way to construct a sermon is to create an outline. I recommend a traditional outline to organize your content.

I. Introduction

II. Scripture Reading

III. Topic or Problem

IV. Exegesis or Expository Study

V. Solution with Revelation

VI. Closing (Altar call as the Holy Spirit leads).

There are many topics, studies and themes for a sermon, but for some reason pastors get nervous when they have to preach on tithes and offerings. So I have included a sermon to demonstrate that there is revelation throughout the Bible including revelation as it relates to tithes and offerings.

This sermon on tithing was delivered in 2008 during “stewardship month” at our church so it was a subject chosen by my pastor. My first disclaimer is that this message was specifically for the particular congregation that I preached to and does not mean that it is the perfect sermon for every church body.

In addition, I am not a “prosperity gospel” preacher, nor was I ever a paid member on staff at the church. The Lord led me to preach this sermon at that time, and I will always be obedient to Him especially when it comes to delivering His Word. If you choose to preach this message, ask the Lord to help you tailor it to the particular group you will be ministering to so that the message is of His Spirit and not of your flesh. Also please note that in this sermon I repeat words and phrases often to let them “sink in.”

My second disclaimer is that this message should not be a focus of this book. Put aside your personal feelings or doctrine regarding tithing. Some Christians feel that tithing is not for the church today, and others feel that preaching on tithing and the blessings of tithing are akin to a “prosperity gospel.” The following sample sermon is not intended to push my opinion or ideas regarding this subject, but is simply intended to help you see how revelation can be presented in a sermon using the techniques and methods you have learned in this guide. As I mentioned earlier, I believe in the “proceeding” Word of God which to me means that the Lord will have a different message to each individual congregation as He sees fit. Who am I to question His message especially this one that He put in my heart in 2008? Therefore, I ask you to please do not take offense or form an opinion on the methods that you have learned in this book simply because the following sample sermon is on tithing.

My third disclaimer is that my own personal method for preaching includes pre-writing the sermon as the Spirit leads me. In other words, I write as if I am speaking, so forgive me now if you notice improper grammar and even some slang.

Let’s walk through the construction of this particular message titled “Go From 10 To 12 To Reverse The Curse.” For the foundational text of my message, I used the most popular Scripture regarding tithing found in Malachi chapter 3.

The message starts with an introduction. If you do not have an introduction, you can use something to break the ice, especially if you are a guest preacher or teacher. A good way to do this is to open with a joke about tithing. Remember Filler #1 Jokes? It is a great way to get the audience to relate to you.

After your introduction, you have your Scripture reading to begin the message. Following is the complete message I used on February 2, 2008. It was the final sermon on stewardship, our theme for January and the New Year. The italicized text are the actual words I used during the sermon:

I. Introduction

We are in the beginning of February, so for 2008 let me tell you where we were, where we are and where I believe we are going as a church and as a people... at least for everyone that will receive from this message.

I believe God has a word for you this morning, and you can choose to grab a hold of it and apply it to you and your family; or you can choose to keep doing the same thing you are doing now.

It is said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." So if you are exactly where you would like to be in your relationship with God, your family, your job, your household, your finances, then don’t change a thing… But if you would like an improvement in any of these areas, then you will find out how you can do that today with one simple adjustment in your life that will have a dramatic effect in everything you do.

So for 2008 – where we were… This whole month we have focused on how to handle our finances – stewardship. So we have given this first month, our first fruit to God. We began with the first Sunday with Pastor Garza’s sermon on flour and oil. We heard about how Elijah went to the widow that was ready to give up and die, but God used Elijah to take something as simple as some flour and oil to change her life. The flour represented food or provision, and the oil represented finances. So every family that is a member of this house brought a portion of flour and oil to stand before God and believe for a year of provision and plenty.

The following two Sundays, Brother Sam and Aurelio brought messages about obedience to God; and last Sunday was a testimony from brother Sal on the consequences of serving your flesh rather than your spirit. (This part of the message helped others who may not have attended the last few Sundays catch up on our theme).

That is where we were, now where we are… Today’s message is titled "Going from 10 to 12 to reverse the curse."

Where we are going... This year WILL be a year of success for this house. We WILL finish our building, which is currently under construction. We WILL return a livable salary to our pastor. We WILL bring more children to this church, win their souls for Jesus, and then win their parents’ souls for Jesus.

And whether you are a member, or a visitor, you have the opportunity to have one of the best years of your life. How? Pay special attention to every word that is spoken here today and then apply it. Let’s read our Scripture:

II. Scripture Reading - Notice how during this message, I did not take one verse (verse 10) and preach on it, but rather took the Scripture in context from verse seven.

Malachi 3:7-12 (NKJV)

7 "Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. But you said, 'In what way shall we return?'

8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;

12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts."

III. Topic or Problem: Tithing -- Here I explain the topic by defining what a tithe is. It is always good to go back to fundamentals when starting a sermon because you do not know who in the audience may need to get a fresh look of the material being presented. Once I define the word tithe, I then immediately start going deeper to understand how important 10 is to this Scripture. I found information about the number 10 readily available online.

So, what is this tithe that God commanded us to give? A tithe is a tenth. From the root word ten. So a tenth is 10 parts from a 100 or 10%. Tenth. More accurately a tithe is the first tenth, or first fruit of the whole. Now this number ten is interesting as it is a foundation for my message "Going from 10 to 12," and I also believe the number ten is very important to God.

Ten is known as the decimal system. We have 10 fingers and toes. We have 10 commandments. There were 10 plagues. There are ten generations between Adam and Noah and then another ten generations between Noah and Abraham. To reduce something by one-tenth is to decimate. In ancient Rome, if a soldier or commander displayed an act of cowardice or mutiny then the punishment was to kill one of every 10 soldiers under his command (decimate n.d.).

A scale of 1 to 10 is often used to rank things. Something that scores perfectly is "a perfect ten." A person who is very attractive is considered "a ten."  But, more importantly, 10 is the Biblical representation of Earthly Government, Law and Restoration.

IV. Expository Study - Most of this information is readily available with a little footwork. I have included some citations for any work that is published and not considered "common knowledge."

Here is a quick example. We have ten fingers (display fingers to the congregation). Our hands and arms represent provision, work, and enforcement. You have heard the saying, "He is the strong arm of the law," or you have heard, "Everything you put your hands to shall prosper." When someone needs healing, we lay our hands on them to restore them to health. When people prepare to fight to determine the winner of a disagreement... (raise your fists). My wife’s family (make a spanking motion) always does this when someone is acting up. It is with our hands that we govern.

Now regarding your tithe, God says to give the first tenth of your labor, and it is the first tenth that is important to God. Let me elaborate:

In Exodus 20:1 (NKJV) it reads:

1And God spoke all these words, saying:

2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."

3"You shall have no other gods before Me."

You know what that is? That is the first commandment -- the first out of how many? The first of ten, the tithe (first tenth) goes to God.

Okay, let’s look back at our Scripture:

Malachi 3:8-9 (NKJV)

8"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

9You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation."

What is this curse all about? In Biblical times an outward sign of the curse of sin was leprosy. Every time a spot appeared on a body part, everyone panicked. Even if you simply burned yourself, you had to present yourself to the priest to show the spot. Thereafter you had to be isolated to see if this spot grew. If it went away or got smaller, you had to present yourself back to the priest so he could declare you clean. The same was with psoriasis, eczema, and any rash. You had to present yourself to the priest because if you had leprosy, the priest declared you to be cursed. You were then permanently exiled from people and had to yell "unclean, unclean" where ever you went.

And, at that time everyone knew that you were cursed or had sin in your life because of the result of your condition. So let me ask you a question today. Do you have spiritual leprosy? If you do, what stage of leprosy are you in because leprosy can be progressive? In other words it can grow, get worse and affect the different systems of your body. So let’s examine this leprosy for symptoms and its nature.

Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, affecting four major areas causing permanent damage.

First, your skin loses color and causes changes in its appearance. If your appearance changes, people may notice a difference in you -- you change. Your countenance changes; it falls. Self-esteem and confidence are affected. When these things change, your moods change, and depression creeps into your life. This results in the type of attitude where people don’t want to talk to you anymore because you are consistently in a bad mood and are now labeled a complainer. You start to hide in the shadows and avoid others. This shadow, this darkness starts to creep up on you more and more, and yet you feel more comfortable in it. Your smile disappears. Oh you may put on a fake smile, but you cannot fool everyone forever, and you cannot fool God.

Your skin is your first line of defense to disease and infections. If you have leprosy, your defenses falter. Your natural armor weakens. Without proper armor, the devil - the devourer has free reign to attack, steal, kill, and destroy. Sin easily creeps into your life.

Do you have leprosy? Are you cursed with a curse?

Second, leprosy progresses and will then damage the nerves. The nerves will actually stop functioning creating a loss of feeling. If you burn yourself, you wouldn’t feel it. It is said that in third world countries, some with leprosy have had their fingers eaten by rats while they are asleep because they couldn’t feel the eating of their flesh.

Have you had a loss of feeling? Do you no longer care for others? You only care for yourself? You become selfish. You do things to please your flesh without regard for the consequences, or without regard to how it affects the people around you like your family. You just don’t care! Let me tell you, when you don’t care, it is a sign of anger and bitterness. And be warned, bitterness can and will kill you and your joy. Oh you might want to change, but you feel like you can’t do anything about it because this leprosy has taken control of your life!

Do you have leprosy? Are you cursed with a curse?

The third stage -- leprosy then affects the limbs. The limbs stop functioning. They stop functioning to the point of deformation because you will start to experience loss of bone. The loss of bone affects your ability to move, your production, provision, but more importantly your bones support your body.

No support, no structure, and no order. One of the worst situations that you can be in your life is when you are all alone with no support. When you do not have support it is because everyone has turned their back on you. Most of the time, it is because they are tired of your condition, tired of the condition that you have put yourself in. Don’t ever let it get out of hand to a point where someone tells you, "That’s it; I am not even going to pray for you anymore. I am tired, you are on your own; you are throwing your life away."

Don’t think that could happen to you? All lepers were exiled and isolated remember? They had to yell "unclean, unclean" as they walked in public to ensure that no one would come near them. Are your support systems rotting away? Careful, your mom and dad could even give up on you.

Do you have leprosy? Are you cursed with a curse?

The fourth stage of leprosy is when it affects the eyes -- Blindness. Your vision is lost. When there is no vision, there is no hope; when there is no hope, there is no desire to live.

If your vision has faltered, if you are starting to lose hope for a better tomorrow, then you need to do something fast because without vision and without hope, you have no expectations for any type of victory in your life.

Consequently, you get what you expect. My mother instilled in me great expectations. She told me all my life that I was a winner, that I was a leader, even when I didn’t believe her. But, she expected me to be a winner, to do things with integrity, and she expected me to be a leader. That expectation was translated into me, and now it is what I expect of myself. Later in my adult life as I grew in my Biblical understanding, I discovered that what she told me all my life, was confirmed by God in His Word; Deuteronomy 28. So I know that I am a leader. I am a winner…

But, if leprosy gets to your vision, then you will have no expectations of winning. If you expect to lose, then you will lose.  Remember that when there is no vision, there is no hope; when there is no hope, there is no desire to live, which then means that you will always lose and may end up dying a loser.

Do you have leprosy? Are you cursed with a curse?

So what can we do about this leprosy? How can we fix it? How do we get healed? Turn with me to Luke 17:11-17 and let’s see how we get healed.

Luke 17:11-13 (NKJV) – 11Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

STEP ONE: Cry out to Jesus for mercy! He has never passed by someone that has cried out for mercy. Get his attention… and cry out, "Jesus, have mercy on me!”"

Luke 17:14 (NKJV) - 14So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

STEP TWO: Present yourself to our high priest Jesus Christ in your current leprous condition. You expose your sin, your disobedience by confession and as you do so, He is faithful to cleanse you.

Luke 17:15-19 NKJV- 15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well."

STEP THREE: Give him thanks. How do you do that? Oh yes you can fall on your face and give him thanks. But not all of the lepers did that and they were healed. Jesus, who is all knowing God, chose to heal them and even though He knew not all would return to give him thanks. So why did He choose to heal them anyway? Don’t miss this revelation! God wanted you to see something here. He wanted you to catch on to His system. And that is why you are here this morning.

How many lepers were there? Ten. How many came back? One. A tenth of the group of lepers. You see, Jesus always gets His tithe! The ten percent that belongs to Jesus is all He required!

When you give God your tithe, the first ten percent, what you are doing is telling God I want you to govern my life. It is not all about the money. God doesn’t need your money; God wants your faith. He wants your obedience. He even wants you to take your faith on a test run just to see if it works.

Look at Malachi 3:10 (NKJV)

10"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it."

V.(a) Revelation - This section is the beginning of the revelation that was revealed through studying the original Hebrew words and definitions.

Now what type of blessing is God talking about? Windows is plural. It is more than one window. The word used here in Hebrew is 'arubbah, which means floodgates (Strong’s 699). This is the same word God used when He described the flood. In Genesis it says the fountains of the deep were broken up and the windows ('arubbah) or floodgates of heaven were opened, and it rained 40 days and 40 nights. There was so much water the earth couldn’t contain it. This is the same type of blessing God is talking about. He even made it clear by adding, "That there will not be enough room to contain it."

Oh I hear some of you asking, but what does tithing have to do with me getting right with God? Everything! Look at Malachi 3:7 (NKJV) – 7"Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?'"

So the people of God ask here in verse seven, "How do we return to you?" Then God answers with a question. Have you ever done that with your disobedient kids? Dad, why didn’t I get my allowance? Didn’t I tell you to clean your room? Mama, why did I burn myself? Didn’t I tell you not to touch it because it was hot? I know that is a weak example, but you get the idea.

So God answers with a question in Malachi 3:8 (NKJV) - "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings."

You see, God’s solution to "return to Him" is with tithes and offerings. Listen and understand. God is not talking to the unbeliever. He is speaking to His people, us. He is giving instruction to those of us who already are His people, His children, and His church. Obviously He is not talking to the unbeliever because He uses the words "return to Him," not "come to Him." The only way to return is if you were His in the first place. Otherwise this would be a call to everyone, including the non-believer if He said, "Everyone, come to me."

Let’s continue with verse nine in Malachi 3:9-11 (NKJV):

9"You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

See He is talking to the Nation of Israel.

10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it."

Then watch what God will do for you. He will fix you just like He did the 10 lepers.

11"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts.

There are two types of fruit here that the devil can attack. The fruit of your ground is your work, your money, your finances. It is the fruit of your labor. You go to work and till the land at your job, your business; you plant the seeds and the fruit is your harvest. I do want to point out a bit of revelation that sister Andrea pointed out on Wednesday.

The Hebrew word for ground here is 'adamah (Strong’s H127)… which happens to be where the name Adam comes from since Adam was created from the dust of the earth (Strong’s H119). It also means husbandry which is the cultivation of the earth for edible crops (i.e. fruit), such as agriculture and farming (husband, n.d.). Husbandry is also where we get the word husband. What is the fruit of your husband? Physically, men do not have fruit; we have seed. Our fruit is carried, grown, and incubated in the womb of our wife. And that fruit is our children. So the fruits of your husband are your children.

Follow me with this in verse 11. God said He will rebuke the devourer for your sakes so that He will not destroy... your children. When you tithe, God Himself will step in and not only protect your children but will ensure that they are good fruit. I could preach a separate sermon on this one… Are your kids rebellious? Are they angry and bitter? Are they becoming bad fruit? Better start tithing.

The second type of fruit is the fruit of the vine. In John 15 verse 5 Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 (NKJV)

The fruit of the vine is your fruit of the spirit: In Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) it says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

How would you like God to keep the devourer from destroying your joy… your love, your peace, your self-control?

You see when you tithe your first fruits, you give God control to govern (ten) the remainder of your fruit, restore (ten) your life from leprosy, and keep the devourer away from your finances, your children and your joy.

God knew the great emphasis that would be placed on economics in this world, so He challenges us in the area closest to most people, their money. Test me on this He says, and I will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that which you cannot contain.

V.(b) - More Revelation -- When I was studying the number ten, I saw how it represented earthly government, but 12 represented divine government. At that point God opened my eyes for this particular Sunday message.

So you know what you must do for God to govern some very important aspects in your life. But I have a challenge for you. At the beginning of this message, I told you I had a word for you that would guarantee you success this year. Well here it is.

It is in the offering. This whole message we talked about the tithe, but God said that He is robbed in both tithes and offerings. The offering is a sacrifice. And a sacrifice hurts. So how much should you give in offering? Well here is my challenge to you.

Look at the number 12. Ten represents government, but 12 represents divine government.

TWELVE. There are...

- 12 tribes of Israel

- 12 disciples

- 12 apostles

- It takes 12 months for the earth to revolve around the sun.

- Each day is divided by light and darkness, each governed by a span of 12 hours.

- 12 cranial nerves govern our whole system.

- In Judaism, it is at the age of 12 that a girl is considered to have come of age and is called a bat mitzvah (Waskow, 2007).

[Author’s note: The bar mitzvah is for boys and is at the age of 13]

- In Revelation the 144,000 are from the 12 tribes of Israel numbering 12,000 each. (Rev. 14:3)

- The basic units of time (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours) can all be perfectly divided by twelve.

- The minute hand of a clock face turns twelve times as fast as the hour hand.

- There are normally twelve pairs of ribs in the human body to protect our most vital organs, and it was from one of these ribs that Eve was created.

- Here in America, twelve people serve on a jury for felony trials in all but four states.

If you would like to see God do a divine work in your life, then start giving 12%. 10% is your obedience, your tithe. The remaining 2% is your offering for a total of 12%. Make that sacrifice and watch your whole world transform.

Watch your prayer life become more intimate.

Watch your ability to resist temptation become stronger.

Watch your faith increase.

Watch your joy overflow.

Watch your business flourish.

Watch your job become easier.

Watch your stress reduce.

Watch your finances increase.

Watch your relationships become like sweet honey.

Watch your enemy flee in 7 different directions when you enter a room.

Watch answered prayer manifest more quickly.

Watch your health improve.

Watch your discernment sharpen.

Watch as you speak with more and more authority.

There is no limit to your potential and your success! Because instead of opening the door to God to just govern your financial situations with a tenth, you will open the door for God to govern your spiritual life via His divine government.  There is a reason God assigns special meaning to numbers in the Bible. Even Hebrew is based on a numerical system. Each letter in Hebrew is assigned a number, and words are given numerical significance.

This is the revelation that God has given me for this message, for this local church. You can take it, apply it, and see dramatic success in your life. Or, you can just keep doing what you are doing and hope for a different result in your life. It is up to you. Do with it as you will.

Please understand me. If you are not a member of this church, of this house, then do not tithe here. You need to tithe in your own storehouse, where you are a member, because that is where you get fed. Don’t go tithe at your mommy’s church and not at your daddy’s church. Tithe at your church. If you are not a member of a church and would like to tithe, and you have been fed here, then and only then should you tithe here.

I also want you to understand, this message is not because we want nor need your money. This message is for you, your spiritual growth, and the stewardship of your life. This message is to fix your life and your finances. So please tithe at your church.

On another note, you can give your offerings to any church or organization. If you feel led and you feel that this is good ground, then feel free to give your offering here.

VI. Closing: Altar Call

If you have leprosy in your life then come to the altar...

Instruct those at the altar to do three things to clean the leprosy:

1. Cry out in prayer for mercy,

2. Come to Jesus and confess to him your sins, and finally

3. Give thanks for your spiritual healing.

Draw yourself to God, and He will draw Himself to you.

VII. Benediction

*You can download a printable version of this sermon to use and tailor to your own congregation's needs at:

www.getrevelationpower.com/how_to_study_references.

Chapter Eleven

Final Thoughts

It is my hope that you received from this book practical steps to uncover a deeper meaning of the "breathed" Word of God. The tools are simple, but it does take a lot of work and research. In 2008, it took me approximately 10-14 hours of continuous (locked away in a room) study while preparing the sample sermon I provided in this book, "Going from 10 to 12." As I uncovered and discovered the golden nuggets of the revealed Word of God for the targeted congregation, I wrote. As I wrote, the words began to flow. I looked back at some of this message, and I was amazed at how the Lord took me through the process of discovery. Today, I told my wife some of the revelation that was in this sermon, and it was as if we were discovering it all over again for the first time.

I encourage you to pray continuously for God to open up you heart and mind for His revelation. I in turn pray in agreement with you that He will grant you the wisdom and anointing to accomplish the task set before you, to preach and teach with revelation power.

If you have this book to simply learn how to study Scripture to uncover revelation, then you will find yourself having fun, jumping for joy, and rushing to tell others what you have learned. It truly is amazing.

As a former Pastor of mine used to declare at the end of every service, "Success to you, and success to the Kingdom of God. Advance!"

God Bless you.

Questions or Comments?

I would love to hear from you. Email me at jgage@getrevelationpower.com.

Would you Like Additional Material?

Are you interested in having a sermon or Bible study prepared for you? I do take requests, ideas and suggestions. Reach me at jgage@getrevelationpower.com.

Priority Notification for Future Books and Materials!

You can join my mailing list to get priority notification of new books, sermons, and Bible studies at www.getrevelationpower.com.

Bibliography

All references for this book are available here at www.getrevelationpower.com/how_to_study_references.

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Jaime