Walk in the Light as He is in the Light

SILENCE IN GOD’S KINGDOM

2012-01-20T09:49:00.001-05:00

This lesson was developed from the writings of Madam Jeanne Guyon, Experiencing The Depths of Jesus Christ.

Is the soul active when it lives within the Sabbath-rest of God? Yes! But the activity is so exalted, so natural, so peaceful, and so spontaneous that it will seem to you that your soul is making no effort at all!

When the soul is at rest in God, its activity is instinctively spiritual and very exalted. Nonetheless, the soul is engaging in no effort. Since it no longer needs to work out anything through human effort, it experiences a peace that transcends all understanding. We are not promoting the idea that the soul should be lazy or inactive. We are encouraging the highest activity the soul can engage in: total dependence on the omnipotent Spirit of God. God’s supernatural work cannot truly begin until the disciple has first entered God’s Sabbath-rest and ceased from their own self-directed works. “Wait...until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Acts 24:29) We are so complex; our souls are capable of so much diverse activity. We must leave these self-directed ways so that we will be free---free to enter the simplicity and the unity of God. The Spirit never stops communicating the Lord’s life and His work when we are within the Sabbath-rest of God. We are to live in the life of the One who wants to provide us with His spiritual image!

Your Lord once declared that He alone has life. His eternal life, which must fill our inner being, also carries with it His divine nature. This is the unique life which He desires to give you. He wishes to give you divine life. The only way you can make room for His life, where God is to dwell in you and to live in you, is by losing your old Adam life and denying the activity of the self. But, and I repeat, the only way this becomes a practical experience to you is by dying to yourself and to all your own activity so that the activity of God can be substituted in its place. God cannot manifest His life and His perfect will through anyone who is still living according to their own will.

You will recall that Martha was doing something which was very correct in her service to the Lord, and yet the Lord rebuked her! Why? Because what she was doing, she was doing in her own strength according to her own will. Martha lacked the one thing needful---the life and nature of the Lord. Since Martha was living by human effort, she continued to be “worried and upset about many things.” You must realize, dear reader, that the soul of the carnal man is naturally restless and turbulent. Your willful soul accomplishes nothing of eternal value even though it always appears busy.

If the Spirit is fully able to care for all your needs and do all the work of the Lord, why should you burden yourself with unnecessary cares? Why weary yourself with so much activity, never stopping to enter into the Sabbath-rest of God? The only work that will count in eternity is the work that you permit the Lord to do through you under the control and power of His Spirit.

A LIFE OF PRAYER

2012-01-19T11:58:00.001-05:00

The following lesson was developed from the writings of Steve Bray- “The Faith that Prays.”)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Christ has both the power and the authority to make us partakers with Himself in His prayer-life. We know He lives as the Great High Priest and He is always interceding for others. When He comes as the Great High Priest to share His endless life with us, included in the blessings found in Him are His prayer-life. “There arises another Priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.” (Heb. 7:15-16)

The dead letter of the law does not supply the power needed to fulfill God’s requirement to “pray without ceasing.” But when we choose to exchange our old form of life for His life we can begin looking to Him to share with us in a nature that is always praying to the Father. We can then do by nature what He requires.

He {the Spirit} will bring glory to me {the Son} by taking from what is mine {including the life of intercessory prayer} and making it known to you. (John 16:14 NIV)

No one can pray without ceasing in their own strength. We actually need to lose our life, including our self-sufficiency, before we can share with Christ in the power of His endless life. “For whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt. 16:25) Then, and only then, is it possible to truly obey His command: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.” (1 Thess. 5:6)

For we are the circumcision {who have had the strength of the flesh-life cut off}, who worship God in the Spirit {live through the Spirit}, rejoice in Christ Jesus {for what He is doing}, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Phil. 3:3)

The child of God who has lost all confidence in the flesh begins to learn that only what is from God can truly glorify Him. We begin to know more than ever that “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3:27) The whole life begins looking up, with a cry from the innermost heart, for God to prove His power and love, and to reveal His glory. Listen closely to what F. J. Huegel has said on this matter:

The reason why many are finding prayer so unsatisfactory and the life of prayer so unattractive, is because they have attempted to enter into the celestial realms of prayer in the strength of the “old-man”. The “old-man” can no more wield these weapons which “are not carnal but mighty through God” than he can “love his enemies,” or “rejoice always,” or “have the mind which was in Christ Jesus,” or fulfill any other Christian grace. He (the old-man) may imitate these graces, but actually posses them, never. They are “the fruit of the Spirit.” They come from above. They are the out-workings of the Christ-nature imparted to the believer and incorporated in his being on the basis of the Cross.

True prayer can only be inaugurated on the basis of “co-crucifixion.” This is the prime condition. “If ye abide in Me and I in you, ye shall ask whatsoever ye will and it shall be done unto you.” We must be “in Christ.” But we cannot be in Christ in the fullest sense, without first committing to death, in the power of the Savior’s death, the “old-life” [the old self-sufficiency that has its source in the flesh].

It is when we realize our oneness with Christ in death [where we have died to the natural strength of the flesh] and in resurrection [where there is a real sense of living by His Spirit], that prayer becomes the marvelous force that we find it was in the life of the Savior… It is then that our spirits, liberated by the power of the Cross from the fleshly and the soulish entanglements, “mount up on wings as eagles.”… It is then that the injunction: “Pray without ceasing,” ceases to be an unintelligible command… It is then that prayer, energized by the Spirit of the living God, which it cannot be until it is freed from all selfish ingredients, becomes at times a groaning which is unutterable, and which does not fail to move mountains, and achieve the impossible. It is then that prayer becomes a working out of the will of God, and therefore, must prevail, be the difficulties what they may, however staggering the problem, however great the need. It is then that the great disparity between what the Master said that prayer could accomplish, and the miserable caricature that it is in the actual practice of millions, is removed, and prayer blossoms out in all the glory of its true nature.

We need to begin to see how everything in the life of the Son is ours and is given to us when we give ourselves completely to Him. To abide in Him implies looking to Him alone to be the source of the fruit that comes out of us. “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) He merely asks that we continually come to our loving Father as dependent little children looking to share with Him in the power of His endless prayer-life. Our whole life is to be given up to this walk of faith where we expect everything of significance to take place through the working of His power.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. (Gal. 2:20)

Because we are all creatures of time and subject to the law of growth, it takes time for our prayer-life to develop and become effective. But we should also realize that not one single prayer of faith is ever lost. There is sometimes a need for accumulating our prayers before the answer can be granted. This is where patience will need to have its perfect work. We must permit the Spirit to bring us into that place of rest where our faith is in God, rather than in our fleshly works, before we will truly find ourselves “lacking nothing.” (Jam. 1:4)

Throughout history God’s children have thought there were difficulties in the heavenly world to overcome before their prayers could be answered. They pleaded with God for the removal of the unknown obstacles. But this has not always been the real problem. The Spirit has led some of these earnest souls to begin searching their own lives. This self-examination has brought them to a state of brokenness and a real sense of helplessness. It was there, when they had lost all confidence in the flesh and had become nothing in themselves, that God was able to exalt them to a place of great power in the Spirit. With their hope and faith in God alone, they could begin to take hold of Him and His promises. The hindrance, which really had its source in their own independence and self-sufficiency, was suddenly overcome. Once God had fully conquered them, they could be raised spiritually and begin working in the resurrection power of Christ’s Spirit.

Yes, to the world that thrives on the activity of the flesh this way of the Spirit will appear to be a complete mystery. They will think we are foolish when we follow God’s instruction to enter His rest of faith where everyone ceases from their own works. (Heb. 4:10) But this is the way that Jesus walked and it is how we will walk when we are living through Him. May we all learn this secret as it has been so aptly expressed by Armin Gesswein.

Our generation has yet to see prayer as a ministry, and to take God at His Word on this subject. It is while we pray that God works… Our idea is, “Let us pray, and then get on with the work.” But prayer is our real work. We so often think of prayer as a prefix or a suffix to an otherwise busy round. But God’s works are wrought as we pray, and while we pray.

It brings a revolution to any minister or Christian, once he believes God’s Word on this point. His works are done through prayer, for He always works out from His throne by intercession. It is not only His intercession, but ours too: for, by His Spirit, He not only prays for us, but in us. He gives us of His own great praying…

We are not just to imitate His praying, but to enter into it, receive it, and have it enter into us. That is how we enter into His works, become “laborers together with God”, and learn to cease from our own works. We learn in this way to work with Him, instead of for Him. Sons, and no longer slaves.

Then after we have prayed, we walk with the Lord Jesus into the works He has wrought in answer to prayer. Prayer is our real work. Working is drudgery. Even working for the Lord is dreary. But working with Him is a delight. In His Kingdom [where He is the source of everything], it is those whom He ministers within who minister. The conquered conquer, and the followers of Christ lead others.

This, then, is the secret to succeeding in our work. As God prevails over us, and we are perfected in the way of faith, we find that we begin to prevail with God. Because He becomes the source of everything we do, we naturally rejoice in Him. To Him be the power and honor and glory!

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (John 3:21 NIV)

"The Lord's Prayer"

2012-01-02T17:56:00.005-05:00

Matthew 6:9-15 - (9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread. (12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

In the above scripture the Lord showed us the “manner” or the way in which we should pray and an example of the things we need to pray for. Volumes of books could be written on the truth that can be found in this one short prayer. Jesus was showing us the heart of the father and His will in redeeming us in this prayer.

But religion today has turned the Lord’s instructions in prayer into the very thing the Lord said NOT to do in Matthew 6:7. They have turned this prayer into a mere tradition with “vain repetitions” often quoting it in public settings with no true meaning or understanding of what is being said. In doing so they have missed the awesome treasure the Lord was showing us. Without revelation from the Holy Spirit the Scriptures become just words and laws to follow, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”.

Jesus gave us this teaching on prayer in the middle of what is called “The Sermon on the Mount” which is found in Matthew 5 through 7. In these chapters are recorded the amazing teachings of our Lord where He sets a standard that no human on their own could ever fulfill. Those that heard Him were “astonished”, they had never heard of such teachings before and saw that He “spoke with great authority”. I am sure that there were more things spoken on that mountain that is still not completely understood by the majority. Even the disciples, His closest followers could not grasp all until the Spirit of Truth (John 16) came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and began to teach them the things they could not receive before.

Sandwiched between an impossible picture of what true holiness and righteousness is, we find our answer…a prayer, the will of the father. What is impossible with man is possible with God, but it will take the Holy Spirit to open it up to us.

John 16:13-14 (13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The words the Lord spoke on the mountain that day were Spirit and Life (John 6:63) and can only be understood by the Spirit. His words, that we have a record of in scripture today can be Life to us if He speaks them again into our hearts. When He spoke these words to the disciples they couldn’t understand them yet, but He brought them back to their remembrance through the power of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Spirit of Truth. He opened up their understanding and they began to teach others.

Gifted writers by the power of the Holy Spirit, have been writing about the truth the Lord has shown them for the last 2,000 years, Andrew Murray, among others comes to mind. But, it will always come back to the Holy Spirit making the truths alive in us. Try as we might, we cannot “impart” to another, what the Holy Spirit has given us apart from the revealing power of the Holy Spirit i.e. the Spirit of Truth.

1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV - (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

When the Holy Spirit reveals something to our spirit, it may take only seconds to understand it, for in an instant we can know the truth He is showing us…but, because it is Spirit and He cannot be contained in mere words, it can take books to try to convey the truth He revealed to us in a moments time. In the first century, many began to write about these truths by the power of the Holy Spirit to explain the things the Lord was showing them and they wrote letters to one another to help guide each other in these truths. Some of these writing became what we know today as the New Testament. The Lord is still using them today and we are so blessed to have them available to us, but it will take the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth to make them alive to us.

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

In addition to the disciples/apostles preaching of the kingdom of God, Paul also wrote of the kingdom of God throughout his writings because it is the “Gospel” i.e. the Good news of the Kingdom. It is the same “kingdom” Jesus mentioned in what is called “The Lord’s Prayer” saying “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. A couple of examples of Paul’s references to the kingdom are found in Romans 14:17. ”For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” And in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power”. Jesus also said in Luke 17:21 “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Because men and their religions cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit, they are still looking for an earthly kingdom as the Jews did in Jesus’ time. In America and other so called “Christian” nations, they try to vote in kingdom rule with “Godly” leaders and making “Godly” laws. Even going to war and killing the “ungodly” that would dare to rise up against them, trying to bring in “thy will on earth” by human effort, forgetting we are told to “turn the other cheek” and do good to our enemies and bless them that would curse us and do us evil.

The Kingdom of God is within us…it is God’s rule in our lives, causing us to do His will, not by our might, nor by our power, but by His spirit. (re: Zechariah 4:6)

Read the wonderful promises of this kingdom rule in our lives in Ezekiel.

(11:19) “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

(36:26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

There is so much truth that can be revealed by the Holy Spirit through the teachings and the prayer the Lord gave us on that mountain 2,000 years ago. I don’t suppose the world could contain all the books it would take to hold it, but by the Holy Spirit, He can reveal them to us…precept upon precept, line upon line, from glory to glory.

One such truth the Lord has made real to me is the line in verse 13 that says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. James 1:14 says we are tempted when we are “drawn away of his own lust, and enticed”. So it is this “evil” that must be done away with. This evil or “evil one” is the old nature we are born with…that heart of stone that wants to live for its own pleasure and have its own way. It’s the old nature that produces pride, self will, anger and all the other attributes of “self”. While we can try to control the “fruit” of the “evil one”, it takes God to deliver us from the evil nature and replace it with His own.

The prayer Jesus gave us shows us the heart of the father, that He is able and willing to deliver us if we turn to Him, trusting Him to fulfill His desires for us. Jesus gave us this prayer so we know we will be praying according to His will…and He will deliver us. We have learned this is a process, the killing of flesh. As we are brought through many trials and tribulations, and the temptations arise in us, if we turn to the Lord and ask Him to deliver us, He will do it. No sense in asking us to pray for something that He has no intention of doing.

I would encourage any to prayerfully read the words of Jesus in Matthew 5-7 and ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to lead us into the truth and to free us from the ways of the world and its desires, to seek the kingdom of God with all that is within us and learn to rest in the Lord for ALL our needs, both spiritual and physical.

Let His kingdom rule in our hearts today. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF INTERCESSION

2011-12-25T20:04:00.002-05:00

The following lesson was developed from the writings of Steve Bray- “The Faith that Prays.”)

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am {sharing in the life and power of the kingdom}, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me… (John 17:24)

If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me {through the cross}; and where I am {at the throne of power}, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me {in the resurrection power of the Spirit}, him My Father will honor. (John 12:25-26)

But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God. (Isa. 61:6)

A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 2:5)

Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore… (Rev. 7:15-16)

God intends for His children to enter into the firstfruits of the heavenly life that exists in His eternal kingdom while we are in this world. The Holy Spirit is able to take of this heavenly form of life and begin making it known within our inner being. (1 Cor. 2:9-10; John 16:14-15) We can begin to know the glory of our Great King and begin serving Him night and day as priests at His throne of power. When we are sharing with Him in His life our soul is satisfied and He keeps us from hungering and thirsting after the things of this world. He completely sets us free from its self-seeking and self-exalting ways so that we may serve Him with undivided devotion.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

But God…because of His great love…made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:4-6)

Today is the day to choose to enter into this great salvation. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord…?” (Heb. 2: 3)

Jesus was anointed by the Spirit to become the Great High Priest. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me.” (Isa. 61: 1; Luke 4:18) We too can now share with Him in that same anointing. “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things…and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (1 John 2:27) This anointing with the Holy Spirit teaches us to abide in the Son so we may live with Him and share with Him in the power and the glory of His throne.

Christ’s disciples, through this divine anointing, become as one with the Great High Priest and Intercessor. They are made high priests who live to bring blessings to others through the ministry of intercession.

Like every son of Aaron, every member of Christ’s body has a right to enter into the priesthood. But not every Christian exercises their right and enters into their inheritance. They possess a birthright, but not everyone enters into the blessing. Many are still entirely ignorant of it. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:14) In fact, there are many, like Esau, who end up trading this birthright so they may live for the temporal pleasures they can have from this world. (Heb. 12:16) God sees it as spiritual adultery. (Jam. 4:4)

We need to lay hold of an understanding of what our Lord’s salvation was really intended to do if we hope to avoid missing out on this glorious inheritance in the saints. As priests we are to stop living for ourselves so that we are free to serve the Lord night and day at His throne of power. Living wholly to carry out the “greater works” of leading others into the eternal kingdom of God becomes the clearest sign we are abiding in the One who “always lives to make intercession.” (Heb. 7:25)

God used the tribe of Levi as an example to help reveal the work of a priest. “The Lord separated the tribe of Levi…to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him, and to bless His Name.” (Deut. 10:8) The priest’s role of blessing the Name of the Lord included leading others into a close relationship with God.

The priest had the right to dwell with the Lord in His house and to be a means for bringing blessings to the people. He was also responsible for making the people aware of the sacrifices required of them. After the priest had determined that an acceptable sacrifice was made, he would present it to God. Only then could he ask and receive the blessing.

As priests of the Lord today we are in a place to make petitions for the heavenly bread that is able to sustain God’s eternal life within the soul. Once the sacrifice has been examined, and we are sure it is complete and without blemish, we can begin praying for the blessing.

A priest is thus a man who does not live for himself. He walks in communion with God and lives to serve the Lord and His purposes. His work is to call people to repentance and to explain how they must present themselves to God as living sacrifices so they may come into a right relationship with Him. (Rom. 12:1) The priest knows that God will only send the fire from heaven to show His acceptance of the offering when their sacrifice is offered without blemish.

Christians, after being called out by God through the new birth, need to be led to the point where they are willing to present themselves to the Lord without holding anything back. The offering must be total before it is considered “unblemished.” The objective is to bring them to the place where the fire from heaven comes down to consume the remains of the old self-exalting and self-seeking nature. It is in this sense that A.W. Tozer speaks of Christians needing to be men and women who have come out of the fire. Jesus Himself said, “For everyone will be seasoned with fire.” (Mark 9:49)

Isaiah once asked, “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?” (33:14) In verse 15 and 16 he says that it is those who “walk uprightly.” Once the flesh-life has been consumed, the child of God is able to reside in the presence of the Holy Fire without feeling pain. It is only painful when the flesh-life is alive and active. The fire only consumes what is not of God. Once the believer has passed through this consuming fire he “shall dwell on high” and become a partaker with the life of our holy God. While this consuming of the flesh-life is painful, it enables us to become “partakers of His holiness.” (Heb. 12:10)

Malachi, as God’s prophet, told the people how the Lord would come as a refiner’s fire to purify the temple and enable the Levites (those who where consecrated to God) to walk in righteousness. (Mal. 3:1-3) When the Refiner came no one would be able to “stand” in the pride of life. He comes to destroy the old self-exalting nature so that no flesh will ever glory in His presence.

In a reference to this promise, John the Baptist said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance {for the remission of sins—Mark 1:4}, but…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matt 3:11) It was the tongues of fire coming to rest on each individual disciple in the upper room on the day of Pentecost that purified their hearts and turned them into vessels of God’s glory—His life of self-sacrificing love. (Acts 2:1-3; 15:8-9) These priests of God, once their hearts were purified, were then able to use intercessory prayer to bind and loose here on earth. (Matt. 16:19)

This is the high calling of every believer. Every member of Christ’s body has been redeemed for the one purpose of becoming one of God’s sanctified priests in the midst of the perishing millions around them. In conformity to Jesus, who is our Great High Priest, they are to be the ministers and stewards of God’s grace in the world. After leading the people to make the required sacrifice, they are to bind the work by asking the Father to sanctify the hearts of these true worshippers. The fully sanctified priests of God, in this sense, have been given the keys to the kingdom of God.

As God is holy, so the priest was to be especially holy. This implies not only being separated from everything unclean, but completely devoted to serving the Lord. They had to be set apart to live for His purposes alone. They were not permitted to have personal ownership. Everything in their possession truly belonged to God. Only as they lived in this form of relationship with God could they serve Him as a priest within the holy place.

It is important to understand this principle about the priestly tribes having no earthly inheritance of their own. God was to be their inheritance. They were to live by faith. Set apart unto God, they were to live on Him as well as for Him. Their hearts were not to be tied to anything from this world.

This is all symbolic of how the New Testament priest was to live in this age of fulfillment. The true Christian life is a very special calling. Every believer was to become a priest unto God. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” (1 Pet. 2:9) And as God’s holy and heavenly priesthood we were to live as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb. 11:13) We are not to expend our time and energies seeking to possess temporal things. We are to overcome the world and reside within the eternal Kingdom-life of our Lord where we are empowered by the grace of God to expend ourselves in a life of living for the good of others.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Cor 15:10)

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Cor. 6:1-2)

God had chosen all of Aaron’s sons to be priests. Each was a priest by birth. However, they could not begin their work without a special act of consecration. They were required to consecrate themselves entirely to God. Similarly, every Christian is a priest by right of his blood relationship to the Great High Priest. But the believer’s inheritance, which includes sharing with Christ in His divine life and power, can only be received by entering into a full consecration to Him.

Aaron and his sons were consecrated in a special way. (Ex. 29) After being washed and clothed in new garments, they were anointed with the holy oil. After preparing themselves according to God’s specifications, they were sprinkled with the blood and the oil together. In a spiritual sense, the blood in this special anointing represents Christ’s power to do away with the sinful nature and the oil represents the new nature—the fruit of God’s Spirit.

As a penitent, when the future priest first sought forgiveness for his sins, the blood was sprinkled on the altar—not on his person. But now, for priestly consecration, there was to be a closer contact with the blood. The ear, hand and foot (the parts of the body in contact with the world and needed for God’s service) were brought under its power through this special baptism. The whole being was then sanctified or set apart entirely for God’s service. This is the blood that cleanses from “all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:7) It destroys the independent nature—the source of self-will and sin.

When the believer is led to seek full priestly access to God, he feels the need of a fuller and more enduring experience of the power of the blood. Where he had previously been content to have the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat to gain his needed pardon, he now needs a more personal sprinkling and cleansing of his heart. He desires to be fully separated from the old man. This purifying work of the blood is what permits the priest to come into the presence of God within the holy place and live as an effective intercessor before His throne. “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

Are you willing to stop living for yourself and live as a priest unto God, within His presence, so you may begin performing this holy work? You know what kind of surrender it demands: The seed must be buried in the ground where it completely breaks down into nothingness before it can rise up. (John 12:24-26) You cannot live in God’s Presence while you are still seeking to have some of your own honor and glory. There needs to be a real loss of this old form of life before it is possible to be highly exalted to the place where there can be a sharing with Christ in the power of His throne.

Abiding in this heavenly union with the Great High Priest, “You shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” You will have power to pray the effective prayer that accomplishes much for the kingdom of God.

Come, brother and sister, come! Be a priest, only a priest, and all priest! Let go of the world so that God Himself can become your inheritance. Continue to wait on God until you are walking before the Lord in the full consciousness that He has personally anointed you with His life of intercessory prayer.

Why Would I Celebrate Christmas?

2011-12-14T19:36:00.002-05:00

by Gina Duffey

I know I could nitpick this to death and find an excuse to keep Christmas, but after honestly searching out the matter, it’s obvious to me as a member of the body of Christ that I should reject it as having anything to do with Jesus.

Jesus did not leave instruction for us to celebrate his birthday. He told us to remember that his body was given for us when we break bread together. He said nothing about remembering his birthday and there is no precedence for it in the bible.

His birth date is not given to us in scripture. There are many articles that prove Jesus was most likely born in the fall, but you can also find articles that prove he was born in December. I have no idea and really don’t care because if he wanted us to know, we would.

There are only two birthdays recorded in scripture (Pharaoh and Herod) and at both parties someone was murdered. See Genesis 40 and Mark 6. I’ve researched the subject of birthday celebrations somewhat and have concluded that early Christians did not celebrate them as it was considered a heathen thing to do. Again, there is also information that claims differently. According to The Satanic Bible, “The highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one’s own birth.” (I thought it was Halloween) This is why I am not that into birthday parties anymore. Why would I want to celebrate my birthday knowing this, and knowing the early Christians didn’t do it and only the heathens did in the bible?

What about the word “Christmas”? This is short for Christ’s Mass. The name alone proves that Christmas belongs to the Roman Catholics who invented it. Here is the only reason I even need to reject this holiday... I am not catholic! I do not believe in the mass, in fact, I flat out reject it. If anyone reading this does not know what the catholic mass is, it’s the bread and the wine, or communion, administered by the priests in the catholic church. They teach that when the priest prays over the bread and wine it becomes the literal body and blood of Christ. For some reason some catholics deny this when you ask, but I have their book called Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) and I promise you, it’s in there. It’s called Transubstantiation. You can search hundreds of catholic websites that have this information. Anyway, they have a special service every Christmas called Midnight Mass where, in honor of Jesus’ birthday, they kill him once again. I’m sorry, but this is wrong. They say I just don’t understand but I understand more than I wish I did. I could go into all this, but this paper is about why I don’t celebrate Christmas, not why I reject catholic mass. I have many catholic family members and I love them, but I don’t love anything about catholicism.

Another thing I consider is how much the world loves Christmas. If the spirit behind Christmas was the real Jesus, the world would not want it, then or now. I get this idea from scripture, obviously. The pagan traditions that honored the sun gods were given a Christian makeover by the (so called) church authorities. This whitewash has gone on for ages and now it is going backwards. The world is trying to take Jesus out of Christmas and Christians are wigging out. Jesus never was in Christmas; that was a facade. We’re fighting to keep Jesus in something he was never in to start with except in pretence. What a joke, and we’re the punch line. I say let the world have it, let it go back where it belongs.

I’ve found that many Christians are aware of the pagan origins of Christmas. They sincerely try to play down the commercial side of the holiday and play up the birth of the Saviour. They say they do it to honor Jesus, not false gods. At one website I saw the following story from the bible was mentioned to show that this, though sincere, doesn’t work. Read from Exodus...

EXODUS 32:1-5 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.

The question was asked, did God think this feast was for him? Did he appreciate what they did and accept this honor? No. Read further to find out what he thought about his people worshiping him this way. (He was going to destroy them.) This is the main reason I reject Christmas as Christian; it’s pagan worship in disguise. Information about this is too widely available to even bother denying it. What I have found is that alot of Christians don’t deny it, they just don’t think it matters. I can’t in good conscience agree with that. Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Other such like things? Like putting aside God’s plain direction and holding to the Christmas traditions of men? This passage isn’t about the washing of pots; it’s about obedience to God.

God had forbidden his people to learn the ways of the heathens as they moved into their lands. We live among the unsaved, but we are not to practice their ways. This obviously still applies to us in the new covenant given all the NT scriptures that tell us we are in the world but not of the world, to love not the world and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and so on. God's people are still supposed to be separate, distinct and peculiar. We should stick out, not blend in. God had especially forbidden his people to enquire as to how these heathens worshiped their gods and then attempt to worship him that way. Read from Jeremiah...

JEREMIAH 10:1-4 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. (The signs that scared them was the waning of the sun. The days got shorter and the nights longer and they thought their beloved sun god was mad at them.) For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. (Christmas trees can be traced all the way back to tree worship, so don’t bother informing me this isn’t about Christmas trees.)

JEREMIAH 12:29-32 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

When we imitate the world in worship, it is strange fire to God. Search “strange fire” in your bible and see. Think about when Cain killed Abel. Cain gave his offering his way and God did not accept it and Cain’s anger and jealousy caused him to murder his own brother. God wants worship his way, not ways that seem right to us. Our sincerity does not trump this.

Some argue, “But it’s been in the church for so long!” SO WHAT!! A thousand years is like a day unto the Lord and if he hated it then he hates it now. Heathen traditions cannot be Christianized. According to God, we can't take holidays that honor pagan gods and change them to honor him. It’s crystal clear that God does not accept it but that is precisely what happened when the Romans took over Christianity in the 300s and superimposed Jesus over the celebrations dedicated to pagan gods. (They did the same thing for Easter, which I also reject.) If I broke all this down here I’d have three more pages so I added some links below that explain the belief systems that surrounded the false gods and how they got mixed up in the church and became Christmas and Easter. You can search the true origins of Christmas for yourself and get hundreds of hits.

I won’t even bother to talk about Santa, Rudolph and Frosty. Everybody knows that side of Christmas is not Christian. But on a side note I ask, where in the bible do you EVER see an angel depicted as a female? It is also quite evident that the entire holiday reeks of worldliness no matter how much you play up the birth of the Saviour.

So, considering all this, why would I celebrate Christmas?

Can we change the spirit of something?
Can we redeem pagan traditions?
Can we offer to God something previously sacrificed to Satan?
I’m sure that some would argue, but no, we can’t.

If we do it anyway, stubbornly insisting that we are honoring Jesus, does He accept it?

Gina Duffey
12/14/2011

==========================================

I don't necessarily endorse other information found on these sites.

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract3.html
http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract4.html
http://www.loveofthetruth.com/xmas.html
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sbs777/vital/xmas.html

Where did Santa Claus come from anyway?
[interesting to note Old Nick was a British name for the devil]
http://www.av1611.org/othpubls/santa.html

The Great God of Entertainment

2011-11-27T12:08:00.001-05:00

(from The Root of the Righteous, by A.W. Tozer)

Chapter 8

A German philosopher many years ago said something to the effect that the more a man has in his own heart the less he will require from the outside; excessive need for support from without is proof of the bankruptcy of the inner man.

If this is true (and I believe it is) then the present inordinate attachment to every form of entertainment is evidence that the inner life of modern man is in serious decline. The average man has no central core of moral assurance, no spring within his own breast, no inner strength to place him above the need for repeated psychological shots to give him the courage to go on living. He has become a parasite on the world, drawing his life from his environment unable to live a day apart from the stimulation which society affords him.

Sohleiermacher held that the feeling of dependence lies at the root of all religious worship, and that however high the spiritual life might rise it must always begin with a deep sense of a great need which only God could satisfy. If this sense of need and a feeling of dependence are at the root of natural religion it is not hard to see why the great god Entertainment is so ardently worshiped by so many. For there are millions who cannot live without amusement; life without some form of entertainment for them is simply intolerable; they look forward to the blessed relief afforded by professional entertainers and other forms of psychological narcotics as a dope addict looks to his daily shot of heroin. Without them they could not summon courage to face existence.

No one with common human feeling will object to the simple pleasures of life, nor to such harmless forms of entertainment as may help to relax the nerves and refresh the mind exhausted by toil. Such things if used with discretion may be a blessing along the way. That is one thing. The all-out devotion to entertainment as a major activity for which and by which men live is definitely something else again.

The abuse of a harmless thing is the essence of Sin. The growth of the amusement phase of human life to such fantastic proportions is a portent, a threat to the souls of modern men. It has been built into a multimillion dollar racket with greater power over human minds and human character than any other educational influence on earth. And the ominous thing is that its power is almost exclusively evil, rotting the inner life, crowding out the long eternal thoughts which would fill the souls of men if they were but worthy to entertain them. And the whole thing has grown into a veritable religion which holds its devotees with a strange fascination, and a religion, incidentally, against which it is now dangerous to speak.

For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was - a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability. For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of this world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his powers. So today we have the astonishing spectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven.

Religious entertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things of God. Many churches these days have become little more than poor theatres where fifth -rate "producers" peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency. And hardly a man dares raise his voice against it.

The great god Entertainment amuses his devotees mainly by telling them stories. The love of stories, which is a characteristic of childhood, has taken fast hold of the minds of the retarded saints of our day, so much so that not a few persons manage to make a comfortable living by spinning yarns and serving them up in various disguises to church people. What is natural and beautiful in a child may be shocking when it persists into adulthood, and more so when it appears in the sanctuary and seeks to pass for true religion.

Is it not a strange thing and a wonder that, with the shadow of atomic destruction hanging over the world and with the coming of Christ drawing near, the professed followers of the Lord should be giving themselves up to religious amusements? That in an hour when mature saints are so desperately needed vast numbers of believers should revert to spiritual childhood and clamor for religions toys?

"Remember, (I) Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. The crown Is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim."

The Purpose of the Great Tribulation

2011-11-01T10:11:00.011-04:00

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (Romans 5:3)

The Christian Church will be on the earth throughout the great tribulation according to the Scriptures. The spirit of humanism has entered Christian thinking, giving rise to the doctrine that God loves the Gentile believers of the wealthy nations of the twentieth century so much more than He does the saints of all other centuries and countries that He is not willing that these favorites of His should suffer to any extent.

The "any-moment pre-tribulation rapture" error apparently was brought forth as a "revelation" in the middle of the nineteenth century.

How unscriptural! How lacking in the realities of history! How self-centered!

God never does anything without a purpose. His purpose often is set forth in the Scriptures.

If God will send great tribulation upon the world there is a purpose for it. Perhaps we can find in the Scriptures God's purpose in sending great tribulation on the inhabitants of the earth, and also the provisions God has made for His elect during the period of the tribulation.

Let us turn to the Book of Isaiah:

In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:2-6)

The key to understanding the purpose of tribulation, whether great or small, is the expression, "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious."

A parallel statement is as follows:

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. (Isaiah 62:3)

The Scriptures state that the Christian Church, the Wife of the Lamb, God's Israel, the good olive tree, will be perfect.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27)

Paul declared that the ministries of the Church would function until:

. . . we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of [maturity as measured by] the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:13).

Here is a doctrine that needs to be emphasized today. The Christian Church, the Body of Christ, finally will be perfect in every detail. Indeed, there shall be a holy city, a new Jerusalem.

R. Thompson

A Friend of the World is the Enemy of God

2011-10-29T23:03:00.007-04:00

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

With all the activities and traditions of the IC (Institutionalized Church) these days it should become clear to us how much like the world it has become and why it can only produce dead works. It has joined hand in hand with the “things of the world” to a point that there is no difference in the “morally good” but “unsaved” people of the world. Just like the world, they are only able to sometimes clean up the outside of the cup while the inside remains filthy, and then “humbly” say, “We all sin sometimes and no one is perfect”. It is a dead and powerless “Church”; it is apostate and unable to produce the Life of Christ in its members.

Matthew 23:25-26 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (26 ) blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

There is an antichrist spirit spoken of in 1 John the 2nd chapter. It is the spirit of the world, and he opposes all that is Christ’s and His rule in us. This spirit sits in the hearts of those that find their life in the world and its things. Exposing this antichrist spirit that is so prevalent in “Christendom” today is what is needed, so perhaps some that have a love of the truth, (no matter the cost to themselves) will hear the words of the Spirit say “come out from among them and be separate.”

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,

The purpose in exposing the truth about Halloween as this video does or exposing any of the other ungodly acts the worldly Church condones and participates in, isn’t to get some to stop it and to clean up their act (which would only be cleaning up the outside of the cup again). But, it is to expose the heart and the whole way of life that the end time apostate church has produced in those that would follow it. And most important, to cause any that would hear the truth to turn to the real Christ who is able to give them His life that will produce true Holiness in them, bringing sweet fellowship with Him in true righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This is what the true life of Christ in us is all about…it doesn’t need the things of the world to be fulfilled, Christ is all and in all for them. The world’s pleasures become a “let down” to those whose life is in Christ; there is no longer any real desire for worldly pleasures in them and the spirit of world hates them for it.

Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Being complete in Christ is a process that the Lord works in us as we mature in Him, but the apostate church does not allow for this growth in us; rather, they encourage our dependence on them and the world for our substance. We must be willing to separate ourselves out from the world and live for His use alone and be willing for Him to begin this work in us. If we keep looking to the things of the world...even the “good” and “clean” kind of activities these churches have for our happiness and fulfillment, we need to ask ourselves, “Is Christ being formed in me? Is He becoming my all in all? Are the desires or need for these things becoming less and less?” Or do we “need” church life or the “good” things that the world has to offer for us to be spiritually fulfilled?

The answers to these questions can show us if Christ is becoming our life and if we are becoming complete in Him…or not. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” If we are not growing up in Him, we are falling away. The outside of the cup may be very clean, but on the inside there is filth and no life. Jesus said, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”. Revelation 3:16

Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

These are the last days, and there is no time to be playing games, if we don’t “get it right” now it will soon be too late. There is a saying, “it is hard to see the trees in the middle of the forest”; and likewise, it is hard to see clearly the false gospel being preached in the world today while you are still in the world. Please consider the possibility that what I say is true, that most “Christian Churches in America” are apostate. Where does that leave those that are in it? What would they have to lose if they listened to what is being said here and seek God with everything in them? Many have been in the “church” their whole lives and have been “good” Christians, but have been so blinded...little by little over the years, they don’t even realize how much of the world they are in because they still go to church, pray and are good moral people. They are doing all the church has told them to do, but they are so full of the world and don’t even realize it. They do not realize they are in need of anything. It will take the Holy Spirit to open their eyes.

Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

I pray the Lord will quicken their hearts and give them eyes to see and ears to hear before it is too late!

Revelation 3:17-18 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:(18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Revelation 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

I imagine that many who are deeply involved in the IC will read this, but will only get angry or assume that they or their church or denomination isn’t like that, or I am just being legalistic and unloving to say such things. But if the Spirit of the Lord truly dwells in any…I believe the Lord is able to prick their hearts and give them eyes to see the fact that they are not yet living the same kind of life that our Lord Jesus Christ lived. Nor have they lived the kind of life that the apostles lived that followed Christ; it was a life that caused horrible persecutions to come upon them, but why? They didn’t die because of the miracles they did or for their good works…what was it that made the world hate them so and kill them? Jesus called his own religious people “the world”, they are the ones that hated Him and killed Him. We like to think the “world” is only those that are living in obvious sins…those who do not claim to know or follow God. But these were not Christ’s enemies that put Him to death. Followers of Christ were hated and killed because they were not part of the world, and the world hated them for it. Their very existence was like a light shining on those that called themselves godly, and exposed their hypocrisy.

1 John 2:6 NKJV - He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

With all the mega-churches out there today with thousands attending them, why is there no real change in the world if what they have is so real? Where is the holiness that is required to see God produced in their followers? Where is the cross of dying daily to their own wants and desires, to live only for Him who purchased them with His blood? Why are they not living their lives in the same manner that Christ’s followers lived their lives in the first century? I am not talking about outward signs of good moral “acts”, which are only our “reasonable” service, which even the “heathens” can produce. But the Lord requires holiness (separated for God’s use only) in all that would be His. The best that can be produced in the apostate church is the world’s antichrist attitude that says, “We all sin sometimes and no one is perfect”.

1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him

1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

Our daily cross, which is living for God’s will and pleasure and not our own, is not what is taught today; in fact the opposite is implied with an attitude that God is living for our pleasure instead. To demonstrate this truth, just listen to the way we pray. Do we pray as the world would pray, for want “seems” right in our own eyes? Do we receive all that we ask for in prayer as 1 John 5:14 says? “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (15) And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Do we wonder why prayers aren’t answered every time we pray, and we are not moving in more of the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we pray in the Holy Spirit by waiting on Him to give us what to pray for, or are we so filled with our own wants and desires that we cannot “hear” the moving of the Holy Spirit on how to pray? This is how the world lives; by its own wants and desires, this should not be so with us.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

It is time to leave the ways of the world, to grow up and move on into perfection. Our goal is to no longer be moved by our earthly desires and emotions, but allowing Christ to live His life through us. This is received by faith in Him, for what is impossible with man is possible with God. If we are willing, through many trials and tribulations, the Lord will bring us there. There may be many ups and down, but He will complete the work He began in us. This was His plan before the foundation of the world, to perform this work in us, but it cannot be done with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom. Let us forget the past and how we might have failed yesterday, and continue to press on toward the mark of this high calling in Christ Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith.

Halloween: Day of Human Sacrificing

2011-10-28T15:52:00.001-04:00

Every Christian should watch this and rethink what they do on Oct 31

Many may want to believe that this is an isolated thing, but the truth is, this is happening on this weekend all over America in every city and state. Where is the light for these abused Children to run to, when they see “Christians” celebrating the holiday too?

Years ago I heard a testimony of a women on our local Christian T.V. channel tell how, as a child, she wanted to run away from her Satanist family because of the same type of abuse mentioned in this film, but saw no hope and believed everyone did the same thing as she saw Christians celebrating the holiday as well.

It breaks your heart to see what a little “compromising” may be doing to add to the despair of these children. Where is the light for these kids on this day…or are we so concerned that “our” children won’t miss out on the fun of getting candy on that day and don’t want them to stick out like a sore thumb for not celebrating it?

Not conforming to the world and the things they do can be painful for our children…but not near as painful as the true consequences of being a part of this world. We don’t want the world to hate us and especially we don’t want them to hate our children…so we compromise, and then there is no light for those that need it so desperately! We look just like “them”…!

Jhn 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jo 2:16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Ruth's testimony

2011-10-20T15:43:00.006-04:00

This is the thrilling testimony of God's Grace in how He miraculously drew Ruth, a former Muslim, to Himself.

Right click here and then select "save target as" to download the audio of Ruth sharing her testimony in her own words.

So, What's The Big Deal About This Push for Unity? by Gina Duffey

2011-10-06T09:32:00.000-04:00

What Is Wrong With The Ecumenical Movement?

Why exactly is this push for unity and peace all wrong? A verse in John 17 is used as the proof text behind this drive for unity. It is part of a prayer that Jesus prayed before he went to the cross.

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

This scripture does not give us leave to have unity at the expense of truth and sound doctrine. Please read the entire chapter, it's only 26 verses. When read in it's full context, you will see that Jesus was asking the Father to make all of his disciples be one with each other, as He was with the Father. He was NOT praying for all of mankind to be one with each other...neither was he praying for all religions to be in unity.

Verse 9: I pray for them: I pray NOT for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Verse 20: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Jesus was praying for his disciples and everyone who would follow Him through the gospel they would preach. He was not praying that the whole world would be one and He was not praying that all people of all religions would be one. God has always commanded his people to be separate and distinct. The current drive for unity is what the false teachers say will help bring about world peace. They are trying to tear down what God put in place, which is a wall of separation between the true faith and all false religions. This ecumenical agenda is antichrist in spirit because it is working against what Christ is doing.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

A sword splits things apart! Please read the 10th chapter of Matthew. No one or two verses should ever be pulled out and used without taking the whole passage and it's meaning into consideration. One of the truths that Jesus taught was that He was the only door to the Father. He said that He *IS* Eternal Life so no one can have eternal life without being in HIM. A disciple [follower] of Christ can NOT be unified in spirit with a person who is trying to attain Eternal Life any other way. Yet the ecumenical agenda seeks for all of Christianity to be in unity with people of all faiths, for the sake of world peace, and they say it's what God wants and for what Jesus prayed. This movement will not bring true peace but is setting the stage for a leader who will be the head over all faiths.

There is a remnant who will not be a part of this call for [false] unity. The sword of the Lord has separated them unto Himself. They will not hold hands with, or pray and worship with, anyone who is not worshiping the one true God. Not for world peace, not for poverty and hunger, not for AIDS, nor any other cause. As this agenda moves forward, the faithful remnant will stick out like a sore thumb. The time will come when these will be considered the trouble makers and the enemies of world peace. They will be hated for it, they be will be condemned for it. It's already begun. Professing Christians in our own country are already beginning to ostracize those who contend for the true faith.

John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.

Gina Duffey

Feast of Tabernacles - George H. Warnock

2011-10-03T09:30:00.011-04:00

PREFACE

This book was first written in the spring of 1951, and published a few weeks later. It seemed to lay almost dormant for a number of years, for great revivals were sweeping the country, and the spiritual drought of many decades had given way to times of refreshing. God had much more for His people, but as long as the blessings continued to flow very few seemed to be interested in anything more. But then there came a famine in the land, and once again God was able to speak to the hearts of His people. In spite of all the wonderful things that were taking place in the Church, God's people were beginning to realize that something very vital was lacking; and many began to lose interest in the spectacular. The big tents were folded up and the people began to gather together just to "hear" what God was saying. There had developed a new hunger to know God's ways, and a new thirsting after God and righteousness.

This is not to say that God stopped working in the realm of the miraculous, for He has indeed been faithful in pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh even as He promised He would do in the last days. But in spite of the miraculous many of God's people have become aware of the fact that we have not been able to meet the challenge of this hour. And for every victory that we may seem to have entered into there remain evident areas of great distress and great defeat on every hand. The Church has still not become that vital, living manifestation of Christ in the earth that she should be. Our prayer is that God's people everywhere might quickly come to the overwhelming realization that we are still far, far from God's desire for us, and that there might come into our midst a genuine spirit of repentance before the Day of the Lord breaks forth upon us. For truly we are very close to that hour. It is harvest-time, and the Husbandman walks through the fields, examining the fruit to see how good it is, and if it is ready yet for the sickle. For in this hour He is looking for one thing, and for one thing only... and that is, "the precious fruit of the earth." That is why He is faithful to send the "latter rain" where it is needed, and faithful also to send the sunshine and the heat and the drought, to hasten the maturing of "the full corn in the ear." In harvest-time He desires one thing, and one thing only, and that is the FRUIT. In harvest-time everything else is chaff!

And what is "FRUIT"? Let any gardener answer that question. For certainly it is not just gathering what you can in a certain season called Autumn. Certainly it is not just coming to the end of a long, dry summer, and getting ready for winter. From the time He planted the seed the good gardener has been waiting patiently to receive something from His field that will be equally as good as the precious seed that He planted. Now the Lord is a good Gardener, and He is the Lord of the Harvest. And He cannot be satisfied until He comes into His garden and discovers the FRUIT that corresponds to the Seed that He became in the earth when He "fell into the ground and died."

And so beloved, let us remember that harvest-time is threshing-time. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you... and let us not be discouraged when we see all the devastation that is taking place, and will yet take place, in the political, the economic, and the religious world. For all must be crushed in pieces in this day when God is shaking "not the earth only, but also the heaven..." And let us remember that He is doing this for His own glory, and for your sake and mine. We have a kingdom which cannot be shaken; and we must be loosed from all the entanglements of this present world system. God has been very patient with us as He prepared our hearts, planted the good seed, weeded the soil, watered it with the showers of heaven, and then sent the sunshine to dry up the stalk and to mature the fruit. "Be ye also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

-- August, 1980 -- The author -

Click here to read book

Power for Working

2011-09-10T13:51:00.001-04:00

(The following lesson was developed from the writings of Steve Bray- “The Faith that Prays.”)

Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me. (John 11:41-42)

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)

The Son surrendered His right to assert His own power and authority when He came to live as a man in a mortal body. Because He was fully man, He too had to live by faith and receive everything from His Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. He knew that if He was to live according to God’s original plan for man it would be necessary to receive everything from above. “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3:27) He would need to permit the Father to be the source of everything He did. Thus, the Son never did anything on His own.

I do nothing of Myself… And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. (John 8:28-29)

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. (John 14:10-11)

Jesus chose to live as a vessel of the Father’s life and works. Through communion with His Father He was able to learn of the Father’s will and then carry it out through His prayers of faith. He was enabled to pray in harmony with His Father’s will because He waited on the Father to communicate to Him through the Spirit what needed to be done. This is what enabled Him to receive answers to His prayers.

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear {from the Spirit}, I judge {make decisions and respond}; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30)

The Son did not ask His Father to answer His prayers just for show. He too had to depend on the Spirit to guide Him and to show Him what the Father was intending to work out through Him. And then, as He lived as a man without His own power, He carried out the works of His Father through the power of the Holy Spirit based on His prayers of faith.

Jesus knew that He would always be heard by the Father because He was totally committed to doing His Father’s will. Even at the age of twelve, we hear Him saying, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) He did not “do anything” or “say anything” that was not received from the heavenly realms through the Holy Spirit. This is why His judgments were always righteous. As He lived “as one” with His Father, everything He did came from His Father in heaven.

We too are expected to receive our spiritual life and our daily guidance from heaven and then carry out His works through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to live as a vessel of His life and works in the same way He lived as a vessel of His Father’s life and works. Those who will stop living in a self-originated form of life and begin responding to the still small voice of the Spirit will be led into a place where they can begin sharing with the Son in an abundantly full measure of His eternal life and begin doing His “greater works.”

My sheep hear My voice…and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life… (John 10:26)

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall {be led through these greater works to} build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In {as you carry out the work of establishing the true kingdom of God }. (Isa. 58:11-12)

When we learn to walk in the Spirit as Jesus did, which entails receiving everything from Him, He begins to do His “greater works” of restoring the eternal kingdom of God through us. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (John 14:12-14) Now that He has all power and authority in heaven and earth He can begin sharing His dominion and power with His disciples so that His eternal kingdom can be established within the hearts of other men and women in this world.

Not only did the Son come to show the children of God how they are to live, but thanks be to God, our resurrected Lord is now a “life giving spirit.” (1 Cor. 15:45) As the Father was the source of His life in a mortal body, He can now become the source of everything we do. “I will come to you… At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:18, 20) “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 18:20)

The Holy Spirit is the One who takes of the shared life of the Trinity and reveals this heavenly life within our inner being. Jesus said, “He {the Spirit} will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. {The Father and the Son share in the same life and will within the Trinity.} That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” (John 16:14 NIV)

The Spirit is able to reveal the Son’s life and will through our mortal bodies as we choose to walk by His Spirit. And as we share with Him in His spiritual life, we can also share with Him in the power of His throne.

This may help us to understand how the prayers of man, coming through the Son, can have such an effect on the Father. His decrees are not made without reference to the Son. In effect, our words become expressions of the Son’s own petitions. Every request that reaches the Father comes through the Son.

The Lord Jesus is the first-begotten, the Head and Heir of all things. As the Representative of all God’s children, the Son of Man always has a voice in the Father’s decisions. The same holds true for the petitions of the members of His body who have fully surrendered to live as vessels of His life and works. By dying to the old self-originated form of life and choosing to be united together with the Son’s life and will, these children of God can then draw near to the Father through their prayer-union with the Son. “For in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is head over every power and authority.” (Col. 2:9 NIV)

Is there any wonder why our prayers can have such power? Through our union with the Son, we enter into the workings that are now taking place within the Blessed Trinity. Because we receive this “fullness” of divine life in “bodily form” from Christ (John 1:16), we can be restored to the divine image and put His mighty power to work through our prayers. This is the glorious privilege of the Spirit-led children of God in this age of fulfillment.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand {on the throne of power where He now has all dominion} in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 1:18-20 NIV)

The first lesson Jesus provided was simple: Be childlike, pray believingly, and trust the Father to be your provider. Now He points to something much higher. His disciples are to be the source of His work in this world. As the members of His body here on earth, the furthering of His eternal kingdom has been entrusted into the hands of His disciples. Prayer is to be the channel through which the power for that work is received and dispersed. With Christ’s ascension to the throne of power and through the disciple’s union with His spiritual life in the heavenly realms, a new epoch for both their working and their praying then commenced. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death {to the old self-originated form of life}, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Rom. 6:5)

F. B. Meyer exhorts every Christians to enter into this glorious privilege. “If any will dare to venture on the path of separation [from the ways of this world]—cutting themselves aloof from all human aid and from all self-originated effort, content to walk alone with God with no help from any but Him—such will find that all the resources of the divine almightiness will be placed at their disposal.”

This connection comes out clearly in our text from the fourteenth chapter of John. After dying out to their flesh-life and becoming vessels of the Son’s life and works, the disciples, as His body here on earth, were enabled to do an even greater work than He did before being glorified. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

His going away to be glorified—a place where He would possess all power and authority—would provide the disciples with a double blessing. It would enable them to have the divine image restored and exalt them to a place where they could pray in His Name. This relationship would enable them to begin doing the greater works of furthering His eternal Kingdom-life here on earth. And He is still seeking out disciples today who will follow Him into the light of His eternal life and begin spreading this gospel—this good news—about the kingdom of God.

Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)

Has your faith begun to rise up and provide a little understanding of your glorious privilege? You too can be exalted to a special place in the kingdom of God and begin living as a means for your Lord to reveal His power and glory and dominion. We are now in the age of fulfillment when He can accomplish these “greater works” through His disciples. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time {to the place where you may begin sharing with Him in His reigning life and in the power of His throne} … But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while {in dying out to the old flesh-life}, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you {in the eternal Kingdom-life}. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 5:6, 10-11)

And how true it was! Jesus, during three years of personal labor on earth could not lead anyone into His Kingdom-life of holy love. But after He had paid the price for our sins and was living in His glorified state with the Father, He was in a place to begin communicating His spiritual life to people here on earth. This is something that Jesus could not do while still living in a mortal body. At that point He could only say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17) The Kingdom-life was near to them, but was not yet in them. “Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.” (Luke 10:11) Thus, Jesus said it would be better for His disciples after He went away and could become the very source of their life.

Jesus was able to reveal this heavenly “light of life,” but He could not share it with anyone until He was glorified. Let us praise the Lord! Now that He has received the right to fill every vessel, we can become vessels of His life and works. “He who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” (Eph. 4:10)

We have records to show how men like Peter and Paul, after being clothed with heavenly power, began leading others into God’s heavenly kingdom. Multitudes were enabled to share with the Son in His submissive nature and began doing God’s will here on earth with the same kind of yieldedness as it is done in heaven. And this is exactly what we need to be praying for in our day.

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come {into the hearts of men and women in this world}. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:9-10)

For the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 14:17)

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. (Eph. 5:8-9)

Our fleshly human efforts may have some use in restraining sin, in creating social organizations and in preparing the way for a blessing, but the true kingdom of God cannot be advanced without the work of God’s divine power. We might even become as great as John the Baptist in leading others to a repentance that results in the remission of sins and reconciliation with God; but if we are to do the “greater works” of drawing others into our Lord’s heavenly Kingdom-life of holy love we must begin using a greater power than was available to John the Baptist in his day.

The disciple who lives wholly for the kingdom of God, for Christ’s will and honor alone, shall be given the power to appropriate His promises. Anyone who tries to take hold of these promises only when he wants something for himself will be disappointed. God will not honor those who try to make Jesus the servant of their own pleasures. (Jam. 4:3) But those who will choose to die to their old self-exalting and self-seeking way of life so they may begin to pray the effective prayer of faith that accomplishes the greater works of their Master, can depend on Him to hear their prayers. He always grants the requests of those who have His mind and are living for His interests.

Whoever is “faithful over a few things, I will make…ruler over many things.” (Matt. 25:21) With the amount of grace you have already received, give yourself to the work of your Master! If you will be faithful in the little things, you can count on Him to begin leading you into His greater works. As you surrender fully to serve God, you will feel that this great promise of answered prayer is exactly what you need for accomplishing your appointed tasks.

Believers in Jesus! You have been called to do the work of God. The Son is now sitting at the right hand of the Father where He possesses all power and authority. And He wants to share His dominion with you for the purpose of furthering His Kingdom-life in this world. We now ask you, are you going to respond to His conditions so you may enter into this glorious privilege? These are His words: “If you abide in Me…you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Do you truly believe in Jesus? If you do, become a true disciple of His. For the sake of this dying world, fully abandon yourselves to God so you may become an instrument of this glorious work of the Lord.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” (John 8:31)

...and God Wipes Away our Tears

2011-08-12T19:43:00.006-04:00

We are instructed in Acts 14:22b “…that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God”.

Growing up in the Lord can be so very painful at times. But recently the Lord showed me some wonderful promises for us as we go through this process in the book of Revelation. Traditions of men had taught me that the book of Revelation was all about future events, but when the Lord showed me this was not true, it opened up the book to me like never before; not just seeing things to come, but to also see things the Lord was doing in us now as well.

One such passage is found in Revelation 7:13-17 “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (15)Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (16)They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.(17)For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

What a beautiful picture of the Lord’s love for us and what His nature in us will do, we don’t have to wait until some future time to find the fountains of living waters, or for God to wipe away our tears; this is for us now as we go through and come out victorious through our trials and great tribulations!

We are required of the Lord to pick up our cross and follow Him. We must die to our old self which is our old nature so it can be replaced with His glorious nature. This is a painful process, but the Lord CARES for us through all our trials. When we go through these rough times, whether it is physical challenges, financial needs or suffer mistreatment by others, the Lord uses it to expose to us our heart and our old nature.

We may be able to outwardly control our anger or hide hurt feelings; we can cover up our disappointment or the “I didn’t deserve this” attitude, but it takes the Lord to remove the old nature that produces these emotions. When these responses to the trials well up within us, if we would turn to the Lord and place them at His feet, turn away from them, knowing that they came from our old nature and ask Him to take them away from us and replace them with His nature, He will begin to do this wonderful work in us.

No matter how many times we fail, if we continue to submit to Him in faith, we will find, little by little, these old reactions are dying out in us and an indescribable peace and joy will begin to well up in us like rivers of living water just as Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”. (John 7:38) and “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”. (John 4:14)

As we die to self, the “heat” of these battles will not have the same effect on us as they did before, His nature will begin to change all that. We will not “hunger” or “thirst” for the ways of the world to satisfy us as they did before. As the old nature is dying, it will not be as easy for it to produce hurt feelings, anger or any other “fruit” of self. The fruit of the Spirit will become more and more evident in us as the Lord becomes the substance of our life.

This is confirmed in Revelation 7:16-17. (16)”They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.(17)For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

How sweet to know that God wipes away our tears, he knows our trials and our pain and He cares!

Daniel - Unsealed

2011-08-12T11:47:00.000-04:00

by Stella Paterson

In this 21st century can be found innumerable prophecy experts, with each one being correct in his interpretation of bible prophecy. Books have been written, movies made, and every avenue possible used to promote these experts' spin on what God spoke for His people. He did not have His prophets record His words so that in this century, and last, mere mortals could take and twist those words so as to make themselves appear as being prophetic. With the plethora of experts out there, are there even two that agree? How can they all be accurate?

So what makes this article, with the title "Daniel - Unsealed," any different from all the other guesstimates by prophecy experts who would be deemed more worthy than this writer?

It is my belief that as you read here you will become as excited as I at what the Lord has brought to my attention. Over the past few years He has been opening up truths that I did not yet fully comprehend, although it had become obvious that the meaning of those scriptural events and people were of monumental importance in the end time scheme of things. A recent visitor to ekklesia4him.net sent an email, recommending the works of some others to whom the Lord has revealed amazing things in Daniel and Revelation as well as other books of the bible that relate to the end times. [to full article]

The Great Apostasy - David Wilkerson

2011-07-25T08:45:00.001-04:00

When the Lord took David Wilkerson home this past April, I felt in my spirit that the Lord’s final great voice to the “Church” of America was gone and I grieved for them. We are in the time that Revelation 22:11 speaks of …“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still”. Only a few will have ears to ear and eyes to see…

The Antichrist Myth

2011-07-17T18:59:00.000-04:00

by Ellis Skolfield

OUT of the Seven-Year Tribulation position came a host of other imaginative doctrines. Some were contrived whole-cloth, while others were modifications of prior beliefs. Among those ideas was the doctrine of a coming end-time Antichrist who was supposed to do a lot of wicked things at the end of the Christian Era. Unbelievable as it may sound, we are all looking for a mythical end-time ruler who has no biblical support.

Mythical? Impossible. We all know that Antichrist is coming, don’t we? Not really. Most of what we hear about him is one theologian’s theory built upon another’s supposition, and those suppositions go all the way back to the 1st Century. Who and where is he? Isn’t this how we will know the second coming of Jesus is near, when some fiendish creature in human form takes control of the world?

Despite what some people are saying, the appearance of an Antichrist is not a biblical sign of the return of Jesus. To prove it, let’s first look at all we have heard about THE Antichrist. Among other things, Antichrist is supposed to . . .

1. Appear at the end of the age.
2. Rule the world for . . .
     3½ years as a good leader.
     3½ years as a monstrously evil leader.
3. Have the temple rebuilt.
4. Reinstate temple sacrifices for the first 3½ years.
5.  Turn against the Jews for the second 3½ years.
6.  Stop temple sacrifices in the middle of the 7 years.
7. Cause all to worship him.
8.  Start the battle of Armageddon.
9.  Persecute the Great Tribulation saints and anyone else he can get his hands on.
10. Misc. other legends (depending on school of thought) including that as 666, he is Satan incarnate.

Continue reading

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SILENCE IN GOD’S KINGDOM

2011-07-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

This lesson was developed from the writings of Madam Jeanne Guyon, Experiencing The Depths of Jesus Christ.

Is the soul active when it lives within the Sabbath-rest of God? Yes! But the activity is so exalted, so natural, so peaceful, and so spontaneous that it will seem to you that your soul is making no effort at all!

When the soul is at rest in God, its activity is instinctively spiritual and very exalted. Nonetheless, the soul is engaging in no effort. Since it no longer needs to work out anything through human effort, it experiences a peace that transcends all understanding. We are not promoting the idea that the soul should be lazy or inactive. We are encouraging the highest activity the soul can engage in: total dependence on the omnipotent Spirit of God. God’s supernatural work cannot truly begin until the disciple has first entered God’s Sabbath-rest and ceased from their own self-directed works. “Wait...until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Acts 24:29) We are so complex; our souls are capable of so much diverse activity. We must leave these self-directed ways so that we will be free---free to enter the simplicity and the unity of God. The Spirit never stops communicating the Lord’s life and His work when we are within the Sabbath-rest of God. We are to live in the life of the One who wants to provide us with His spiritual image!

Your Lord once declared that He alone has life. His eternal life, which must fill our inner being, also carries with it His divine nature. This is the unique life which He desires to give you. He wishes to give you divine life. The only way you can make room for His life, where God is to dwell in you and to live in you, is by losing your old Adam life and denying the activity of the self. But, and I repeat, the only way this becomes a practical experience to you is by dying to yourself and to all your own activity so that the activity of God can be substituted in its place. God cannot manifest His life and His perfect will through anyone who is still living according to their own will.

You will recall that Martha was doing something which was very correct in her service to the Lord, and yet the Lord rebuked her! Why? Because what she was doing, she was doing in her own strength according to her own will. Martha lacked the one thing needful---the life and nature of the Lord. Since Martha was living by human effort, she continued to be “worried and upset about many things.” You must realize, dear reader, that the soul of the carnal man is naturally restless and turbulent. Your willful soul accomplishes nothing of eternal value even though it always appears busy.

If the Spirit is fully able to care for all your needs and do all the work of the Lord, why should you burden yourself with unnecessary cares? Why weary yourself with so much activity, never stopping to enter into the Sabbath-rest of God? The only work that will count in eternity is the work that you permit the Lord to do through you under the control and power of His Spirit.

The Way of Christ

2011-06-07T18:28:00.001-04:00

by Steve Bray

Since a Christ-like walk is a description of “life” in the authentic Christian faith, we must then define how Jesus walked. To begin, Scripture describes how the Son of God emptied Himself of His own power and glory as God to become a man. As a man, the Son was called the Second Adam because He came to live as the first Adam had been created to live. He lived in total dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Son did not use the power He possessed as God when He became a man. In the likeness of the first Adam, as Adam was able to live before he lost the indwelling presence of the Spirit, Jesus was expected to rely on the Holy Spirit to show forth the life and work of the Father through Him.

The reason why so many Christians do not know anything about the indwelling nature of God is because they have not been willing to enter through the one small gate into the presence of His heavenly life. They have not followed the path of the firstborn Son. An essential prerequisite to being filled with the life of God is to first permit the Spirit to empty us of our own power and glory. Jesus emptied Himself of a power and glory that He had a right to possess. In our fallen state, we have tried to be like God by using all of our efforts to fill our life with our own glory. If we hope to become like the Son and walk as Jesus did, we must give up our own glory in order to become an instrument of God’s power and glory.

No one will ever be in a condition to manifest God’s glory while they remain filled with self-exaltation. In effect, the self-seeking nature that seeks its own glory is the essence of the evil in fallen man. This is what keeps their soul from being exalted by the power of the Holy Spirit into the presence of God. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him...” (Phil. 2:5-9)

If you want to be highly exalted into the heavenly realms by God’s power and begin participating with Christ in His divine nature, you too must permit your self-life to be taken to the cross. This is the basic premise of the true Christian faith. (Luke 14:27,33) “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Rom. 6:5 KJV)

The spiritual law of pride and humility works as consistently as God's natural law of gravity. God does not show favoritism. (Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:10) If we try to exalt ourselves, God will be working to bring us down spiritually. If we will humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand by living under the control of His Spirit, He will use His divine power to lift us up in due time. (1 Pet. 5:5-6)

When Jesus emptied Himself of His own glory to become “nothing” in Himself in order to walk as the Second Adam – to live as a man in the way that God had planned for man to live – He no longer had a will of His own {His will was united with the Father’s will}. He only had one purpose during His life as a man: He was here to freely submit Himself to do the will of the Father.

This was the glory of man and his source of blessedness before the Fall. We were to receive the blessings of divine life by living in the will of God. Jesus said to them, “My food {or source of spiritual sustenance} is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34 NKJV)

Based on Christ's example, the only way anyone will ever walk as Jesus did is by giving up their own will. Every true disciple of Jesus Christ will permit the Spirit to lead them through the cross and a death to self-will so they may be lifted up into God's heavenly life and will. And so we pray –

“Your kingdom come {into our heart}, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10)

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this {proud and willful} world... Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom. 12:1-2)

Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Phil. 2:7) The likeness of a “human,” as God had planned, is to be nothing in self. God did not intend for us to live for our own will and glory. The blessedness of the eternal life can only be known when God becomes our “all in all.” (1 Cor. 15:28) Beginning today, and lasting throughout all eternity, God wants to be our one source of spiritual life. In effect, it is only when we are in a condition of nothingness that we can expect to be spiritually exalted by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit into the fullness of Christ's life. (John 10:10)

“I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 3)

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him...in the heavenly realms...” (Eph. 1:18-20)

“Praise be to the God...who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with {the reality of} every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3)

Beware of the Angry Watchman

2011-05-21T11:30:00.002-04:00

This is a sermon from October 28, 2007 by Carter Conlon at Times Square Church. It is very timely and needed in this hour.

We are living in a day of great deception, but the Lord is going to be shaking all that can be shaken in these last hours and those that will have an ear to hear and if they will not allow pride to stop them, God is able to bring them out.

Even on this very day (May 21, 2011) there are some that have been seduced by a false prophet and when they see their prophecies have not come to pass, the Lord may use it bring them back to their first love. Let us not be found ridiculing them for their failure, but show them the love of the Lord and help restore them and not condemn.

The Infinite Fatherliness of God

2011-05-09T15:25:00.000-04:00

(The following lesson is taken from the writings of Steve Bray- “The Faith that Prays”)

"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil {because your heart is naturally self-centered and self-seeking}, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven {with His nature of self-sacrificing love} give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matt. 7:9-11)

Although this parable is simple and easy to understand, it contains a deep spiritual lesson that is often overlooked. The influence of the child’s prayer is directly connected to his relationship with his parent. The child must be living as an obedient member of the family if he wants to exert real influence. The fulfillment of the promise, “Ask, and it shall be given you,’ is dependent upon living in a submissive relationship with our Father.

True love for God is always expressed through obedience. (John 14:21) Jesus said, “The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29) He set this example to show His disciples how the children of God are expected to live. The child who forsakes his Father’s house, finding no pleasure in obeying his Father, and then expects God to answer his prayers, will be greatly disappointed. God must hide His face from those who are resisting His light of truth.

"Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isa. 59:2)

The childlike privilege of having every prayer answered is directly linked to the necessity of living as a child under the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is what actually qualifies us as a true child of God. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14, emphasis added) Those who will repent and turn away from their old self-directed way of life so they may be led by the Spirit of God, will come into an intimate relationship with their heavenly Father. As they choose to walk by the Spirit, they will begin to hear from Him and learn of the divine will for their life. This enables them to walk with God, to pray in harmony with His Spirit and receive answers to their requests. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:25)

Those who will choose to walk in the Spirit as Jesus did can expect to learn of the Father’s will. And each submissive child will discover that Father-like giving is the Divine response to Son-like living. As we walk in the Spirit we can depend on Him to work out all things for our good.

As the child recognizes his own weaknesses, he will learn to depend more and more on his Father. In this dependent faith, where we are fully surrendered to God’s will, an abiding relationship develops. And as we continue to live in harmony with the purposes of our Father, the Son is able to manifest Himself through us. We then find that our weakness does not matter because we are not expected to do anything on our own. Our choice to permit the Son to manifest His life through us makes it possible to bear His divine fruit. He comes to us “according to the power of an endless life.” (Heb. 7:16)

"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing… If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:5, 7-8)

The Father requires His children to submit to His will and to live by dependent faith in Him. He must have the child’s whole heart. The child who tries to live independent of the Father until he wants something, will be disappointed. But whoever permits God to always be the Father in everything, living by dependent faith in His love, will discover that such a life in God’s infinite Fatherliness will result in continual answers to prayer. “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matt. 6:6)

The Overcomer Is the True Christian

2011-05-01T10:55:00.003-04:00

by Robert Thompson

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (Revelation 4:7)

The "face as a man" signifies the beauty of Christ's personality, the beauty of holiness to the Lord. Some are courageous and are willing to serve sacrificially but lose their beauty as a person. They become embittered, or get caught up in building their own kingdom instead of the Kingdom of God.

The fruit of the Spirit is the image of Christ. The true saint always is growing in love, in joy, in peace, in patience, in gentleness, in goodness, in faithfulness, in meekness, in self-control. It is easy for the religiously zealous individual to become distorted in personality. Such go about bringing confusion and death among the believers. They regard themselves as strong Christians but they do not show the face of God's man. They may be spiritual "lions," or "oxen," or "eagles," but they do not have the face of a man, the "face" that is able to dwell in love and union with God.

The face of a man speaks also of the capability of union with God and with one another that is not true of any other creature of God as far as we know. It is possible for the smallest child on earth to be the dwelling place of God through Christ. But no angel, even of the highest rank, has the capacity to be the dwelling place of God.

The "flying eagle" refers to praying and living in the Spirit of God. When we wait on the Lord we "mount up with wings as eagles" (Isaiah 40:31).

The Lord is removing the seals from the Scriptures in the day in which we are living. The truth of the Word is pouring forth on every side. Yet, many of the believers do not understand the importance of prayer and waiting on the Lord.

Our culture is so frantically busy that the believers do not have the time (or take the time) to pray. They come to church after a busy day to enjoy the "service" or because they feel that it is their duty to do so. But they may not be spending enough time seeking the Lord so that they are experiencing His continued Presence.

What bridegroom would be content with a capable, devoted bride who had little time for him? The Lord is not pleased with us no matter how hard we labor if we spend little time waiting on Him. When the congregation does not take the time to wait on the Lord, there will be little of the awe, the Presence of God in the midst. This will be true even though the doctrine and works of the church are according to the Scriptures.

No saint ever will become part of the first resurrection from among the dead until he learns to walk in the Spirit of God, and it is impossible to walk in the Spirit apart from prayer.

By prayer we do not mean positive thinking, we mean some time each day spent alone with God in seeking His face. Our lives are filled with many activities that appear to be essential, but none is as important as prayer.

This is part 8 of and on going series by Robert Thompson.

The Certain Answer to Prayer

2011-04-23T19:34:00.002-04:00

(The following lesson is taken from the writings of Steve Bray- “The Faith that Prays”)

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matt. 7:7-8)

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss. (Jam. 4:3)

Observe how Jesus uses words that mean almost the same thing. Notice also how He repeats the promise each time so distinctly: “It will be given to you,” “you will find,” and “it will be opened to you.” We can see through this emphatic repetition how He wants to impress this one great truth deeply on our minds: We can know that we will receive answers to our prayers when we ask correctly and persistently in dependent faith.

The fact that Jesus considered it necessary to repeat the truth in so many forms is a lesson of deep importance. He knows our hearts. He is fully aware of our natural doubt and distrust. Even when we obediently respond to His command to pray, He knows how easily we give up without a real expectation of receiving definite answers.

Christ had good reason for speaking so unconditionally. Be careful not to weaken His Word with your human wisdom. Believe what He says even when He speaks to you about heavenly truths that are hard to understand. The little child does not need to understand the reasoning behind the words of his parents, he only needs to believe. Your responsibility is to trust in your heavenly Father and believe He will keep His word.

If we do not receive an immediate response, we are not to give up in resignation without further thought. There may be something preventing Him from responding. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss.” (Jam. 4:3)

There is a need to seek out His guidance so we may pray in His will. We must learn to pray in harmony with the Son’s Spirit before we can know the answer will always come. It is far easier to give up without an answer than to permit our heart to be searched and purified by the Spirit. We must permit Him to remove the selfish desires from our heart. Some of these things are often hidden. And so we need to permit the Spirit to shine His light into our heart as we search for these hindrances. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Yes, there will be personal needs to bring before our Father in prayer. And we are expected to ask Him to supply our needs. But we must make sure that everything we are doing is for God’s glory. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31) Only as we are truly living for His honor and glory can we expect to be in a place where He will supply our needs through our prayers. “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things {the necessities of life} shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:31)

The Father is looking for children who will live in a proper relationship with Him so He may respond to their petitions. He wants a large family of children who will live through His Son and be a means for Him to be glorified by what they do in His name. In effect, the Father intends to display His life and works through Christ’s body in this world today in the same way He displayed His life and works through the Son’s mortal body. We therefore find Jesus saying, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13) “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) We come to realize that everything originates in the Father and comes to us through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus wants to bring His disciples—the members of His body—to the place where we can say with Him, “I do nothing of Myself… The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:28-29) Jesus continued to explain how the Father was living through Him and doing the works. “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:9-10)

The Father was glorified through the Son because the Father in heaven was the true source of everything the Son was doing. Similarly, if we will learn to walk by the Spirit and permit Him to direct our steps through life, we will learn what the Father has planned to do through our lives. We can then begin to pray in harmony with the Son and expect the Father to manifest His glory through us in the same way His glory was revealed through Jesus. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

There may be times when a prayer cannot be answered because it is not in harmony with God’s will. For example, Paul asked three times to have the thorn removed from him. (2 Cor. 12:7-9) Although the request was denied, he did receive an answer. God did not leave His servant in uncertainty as to His will. The gods of the heathen world are dumb and cannot speak. In contrast, our loving Father lets His children know when His will differs from their requests.

The yielded child withdraws his petition as the Son did in Gethsemane. Both Paul the servant and Christ the Son were informed by the Spirit that their requests were not in accordance with the Father’s will. However, if the burden of our prayer is known to be in harmony with the will of God, we need to be prepared to keep asking, seeking and knocking until the answer is received.

God will reveal His will by His Word and by His Spirit and by His providence when we have honestly looked to Him for help. “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.” (Jam. 1:5) And we can expect Him to respond to our requests when we continually come to Him in faith with a yielded spirit. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting… (Jam. 1:6)

We will need to learn to patiently wait on God. Our faith must have time to develop. God also needs time to prepare our hearts to receive the blessing. If we will continually adjust our steps according to His will, responding to the movements of His Spirit in faith, our persevering prayer will be answered.

Although certain prayers may be extended over days or weeks or even months, we should never put the prayer away until the answer comes, one way or the other. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who {persistently} knocks it will be opened.”

How deeply our hearts must be estranged from God that we should find it so difficult to accept such promises as being true! Let us not be content until the petitions we offer are carried to heaven on Jesus’ own words: “Ask, and it shall be given you.”

Learn this lesson well! Take Jesus at His word. Here is where faith must begin its work. Do not let your human reasonings weaken the force of God’s Word. Believe it just as Jesus spoke the truth. Faith in God grows as we fully yield to increasing light. And as faith grows, it will become much easier to understand the deeper meaning of these lessons. Let us now simply believe what He has stated.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of surrendering to God’s Word. If our faith proves to be true at this point, He will lead us into a prayer-life that will truly reflect His power and glory. “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 John 3:22)

Path to a Sinless Life - The Secret

2011-04-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

by Stella Paterson

The intensity of destruction in the earth, as seen in the recent horrors the Japanese have experienced, is rivaled only by the intensity of error being promoted by numerous folks who name the name of Christ. Some may ask how anything could be worse than complete towns being destroyed by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami; not to mention the nuclear threat that exists, with the potential to sicken and kill millions.

The simple answer would show us that the destruction of the body is of much less importance than the deception of man's soul in the eternal scheme. For those who die in Christ Jesus, having true faith in Him, they go on for ever with Him. But for those without Him, death is something to be feared.

With the increase of earthquakes in divers places, as Jesus said, and the resulting catastrophic destruction, there is a temptation to focus on those things. Jesus our Lord and Savior said, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28) At the same time, the antichrist spirit has infiltrated the "church"--the institutional as well as those who have walked away from organized religion, or spectator christianity. When we look in horror at the destructive antichrist teachings, and the resulting spiritual destruction, we must not yield to the temptation to focus on that--as grievous as it is.

You ask, "What has this to do with a path to a sinless life?" The answer is "Everything." Let me explain, by first asking once again . . . [to full article]

Alone With God

2011-04-02T21:45:00.000-04:00

by Steve Bray

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Matt. 6:6)

Jesus provided His first public teaching to His gathered disciples in what is now called His Sermon on the Mount. There He explained to His followers about the Kingdom of God—its laws and its way of life.

In God’s kingdom we find that He is not only the divine Ruler, but He is also our Father. Jesus is trying to help us see the necessity of living as dependent little children—children who instinctively know that their parents are the source of everything they need. If we will depend on our heavenly Father in this same way, where we recognize the necessity of receiving everything from Him, we will gain access to the infinite resources of the kingdom of heaven. Let us keep in mind, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3:27) Through our communion with our heavenly Father, we will learn how He wants to be the source of everything we are and do. We will begin to see Him as the source of everything we need.

The Lord began by teaching His disciples to find a secret place for prayer. Every disciple needs to have some solitary spot where he can be alone with God. That spot can be anywhere. It can even change from day to day. But this secret place must be a quiet place. The pupil needs a place where he can quiet himself and listen for the still small voice of the Spirit. It is then that he will begin to come into a closer relationship with the Father.

In His first words about prayer, we find Jesus using the name “Father” three times: “Pray to the Father”; “Your Father will reward you”; “Your Father knows the things you have need of.” The first thing we do in secret-prayer is to meet with our loving Father. Each thought or petition needs to come from a simple, childlike trust in Him.

“Pray to your Father who is in the secret place.” We must meet with God. We need to come into open fellowship with Him. But God must hide Himself to the carnal man. Those who want to pray so that others will hear them and think highly of what they are doing are living too much in the flesh to truly meet with God. Jesus said that this is what the self-exalting Pharisees did. God will not permit this flesh-life to come into His presence. As long as our worship continues to rise out of a self-centered or self-exalting nature, we will be prevented from entering into God’s presence. But to the man who is willing to become nothing in himself so that God may be his “All in All,” and then waits for Him in secret, the Father will reveal Himself.

“And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Here Jesus assures us that true prayer will inevitably be fruitful. The blessings we gain from our secret prayers will become evident in our lives. When we have truly begun to live through the Spirit, others will plainly see how God is an intimate part of our life. They will begin to see how God honors those who truly walk in the light. “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:21) Although the prayer is in secret, He will “reward you openly.”

Jesus also said, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” At first sight it might appear as if it is not necessary to pray. Yes, God knows what we need far better than we do. But He still wants us to come before Him in dependent faith to express our need. But that does not mean we have complete freedom to have whatever we want. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14) We are to surrender ourselves to a Spirit-directed way of life so we may share with God in His desires and seek the fulfillment of His will in our lives.

Once we are living by the Spirit and can hear our Lord’s voice, we can then begin to ask according to His will. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice…” (John 10:27) As our Shepherd, He knows what we really need. And as we begin to see how He is leading us, we will know what we need to seek through our prayers. We will then have the wonderful confidence to say, “My Father knows this is something that is needed.” If there is any delay in the answer, we will learn to hold on in quiet perseverance. He always answers the prayers of His children when they are being led by the Spirit. “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

To be alone in secret with the Father should become one of the highest joys for a Christian. This promise of the Father to openly reward your secret prayers should be both your motivation to pray and an inspiration to place all your hope in Him. He wants you to look to Him to be the source of everything you need. “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19) Continue to come to His throne of grace. That is your true source of hope. There is not one mountain too large for Him to move out of the way when you live by faith in Him.

Your Father knows the plans He has for you. He wants you to enter into these plans and begin looking to Him in faith to be the source of the power that actually carries out the work. Then you will learn to come to Him in prayer. This is what enables Him to reveal to the world how He works through His children of light.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jer. 29:11-12 NIV)
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)

POWER OF THE ADVERSARY

2011-03-26T23:12:00.004-04:00

I am deeply afflicted that so many, at the present day, and even some good persons, allow themselves to be openly seduced by the Evil One. Has not our Lord warned us against "false prophets, and the lying wonders of the last days?" All true prophets have spoken in the name of the Lord—"Thus saith the Lord." Nothing gives the enemy greater advantage than the love of extraordinary manifestations. I believe these external movements are a device of the evil one, to draw away souls from the Word of God, and from the interior tranquil way of faith.

The tendency of all communications from God, is to make the soul die to self. An eminent saint remarks, that she had often experienced illuminations from the angel of darkness, more pleasing, more enticing, than those that came from God. Those delusory manifestations, however, leave the soul in a disturbed state, while those that come from God humble, tranquilize and establish the soul in Him. The most dangerous seductions are those, which assume the garb of religion and have the semblance of truth.

Elias appeared alone among four hundred prophets of Baal. These prophets were much agitated, attracting great attention, "crying aloud," etc.

When Elias was told by the angel, that he would see the Lord in Mount Horeb, he hid himself in a cave. He saw a great trembling of the earth. God was not there. There came a great whirlwind. God was not there. Then there came a little zephyr. God was in the still small voice.

The only true and safe revelation, is the internal revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the soul. "My sheep hear my voice." This involves no disturbance of our freedom, of the natural operations of the mind; but produces a beautiful harmonious action of all the powers of the soul. I beseech you, my friend, in the name of the Lord, to separate yourself from all these delusions of the adversary.

Jeanne Guyon

The New Way of the Spirit

2011-02-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

(The following lesson is taken from the writings of Steve Bray- “Church Leadership.”)

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor 3:5-6)

Spiritual leaders will need to distinguish between the old way of trying to conform people to certain written laws and the new way of living by the Spirit. The way of “the letter” is powerless and ineffective in the long run.

In spite of what many may think, we do not become Christians by accepting a list of orthodox beliefs and then conforming to a set of standards. Christ expects much more from His disciples. He died for the purpose of sharing His life with everyone who will follow Him in His way of the cross. (Matt. 16:24-25; Rom. 6:5; John 10:10) It entails dying to our own will and sufficiency and living through His Spirit by faith. It is the only way for His body to come “to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13)

The laws of God can only reveal in a limited sense certain standards of behavior. But even the best of laws cannot change the inner nature. A close study of God’s Word will reveal how He now requires a standard of behavior—true righteousness—that exceeds anything that can be worked out through our human efforts under law. We are required to manifest a life of love that “passes knowledge.” (Eph. 3:19; Matt. 5:48) The sufficiency for this must come from God. Without Christ revealing Himself as the Living Word within our inner being, we will find ourselves powerless to do what God requires. Even the most earnest disciples of Christ will find themselves periodically falling short of the following requirements when they are attempting to live in their own strength.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven… Therefore you shall be perfect {in holy love}, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:44-45, 48)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything gives thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4-7)

The written laws are intended to reveal what God expects from His children. God uses His commands to expose the corruption within the heart. But the law does not have the power to do away with the fallen nature that periodically rises up into wrong actions. Our only hope is in receiving the “abundance of grace” and “the gift of righteousness” that makes it possible to “reign in life through…Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) We are dependent upon the Spirit to reveal the shared life of the Trinity within our inner being.

He {the Spirit} will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine {the eternal Kingdom-life} and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. {The Father and Son share in this same life.} That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known {as an indwelling life} to you. (John 16:14-15 NIV

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John 14:20)

To “know Christ” is to know the eternal life He shares with His Father. When He makes His everlasting life known within our inner being, He comes as an endless source of Living Water. This “higher life” takes us beyond the periodic “wells” of refreshment He uses to sustain us through the wilderness testing period. There is now a “pure river of water of life” flowing ceaselessly from under His throne. When our old self-originated form of life has died and His throne of power is established within the heart, this ever-flowing fountain of life begins to rise out of our inner being.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev. 22:1)

As the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)

But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into {a display of} everlasting life. (John 4:14)

The apostle Paul, in order to “know” Christ, had to count “as loss” his religious heritage, his religious education, his human zeal for serving God, and even the righteousness he had established by obeying the Old Testament laws. He chose to die to the natural plane of life, which includes everything that has its source in self-sufficiency. “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (John 3:27) In exchange for this loss of everything from the natural plane, he was able to “gain Christ” and the “righteousness which is from God by faith.” This heavenly form of righteousness is much more glorious than the human form of righteousness that is developed by conforming to laws through the works of the flesh.

For we are the circumcision, who…have no confidence in the flesh… If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so… But what things were gain to me {on the natural plane of life}, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. (Phil. 3:3-10)

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh {in a mortal body} I live by faith in the Son of God… For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. (Gal. 2:20-21)

Paul is not merely speaking about the Old Testament ceremonial law. He is speaking about God’s written commandments. It includes everything spelled out with letters. Everyone who tries to live by “the letter” will find themselves falling short of the requirements for living in His kingdom. We are simply insufficient when it comes to making ourselves like God in holy love. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

We are not speaking of an antinomianism that simply ignores the requirements found in God’s laws. Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5:17) He came to enable us to fulfill what He requires of us. And He expects us to yield to all His commands. But rather than trying to simply conform to written standards, we are to look to Christ in faith to put within our heart a new form of life that enables us to do by nature what the law requires. The eternal Kingdom-life He established in bodily form has the capacity to live as God requires both in this world and in the age to come. His indwelling life does what the law could not do.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law {any written law} given which could have given life {the divine life of God}, truly righteousness would have been by the law… But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law… Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ {to the Source of this divine life}… (Gal. 3:21, 23)

For what the {written} law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son…that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3-4)

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. {This includes both the Jews of old and many earnest souls in the church today.} For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness {try to make themselves right, as they try to obey God’s laws in their own strength}, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to everyone who believes. (Rom. 10:2-4)

I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh… Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are…contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissension…and the like… {Written laws are unable to completely overcome these works of the flesh.} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Gal. 5:16, 19-23)

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect {in holy love} by the flesh {through your own efforts}? Have you suffered so many things {to break your self-sufficient spirit} in vain—if indeed it was in vain? (Gal. 3:3)

Everyone lives by one of two ways. We can either live by the flesh in our own strength, or by the Spirit in the power of God. Sadly, we are afraid that much of the church today is still living on the natural plane of life. They are trying to make themselves right by seeking to conform to a personally prioritized list of laws. It is the reason why we still see the works of the flesh, such as “contentions, jealousies…selfish ambitions, dissension…and the like.”

Everyone who will choose to die to their own will and sufficiency can expect Christ to come to them in the power of an “endless life.” His life alone can perfect the heart in holy love and make it possible to live in the righteousness that comes from God by faith.

There arises another Priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life… For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law {the written instructions} made nothing perfect… (Heb. 7:15-16, 19)

Today is the day for Christians to become “perfect in one” with both God and each other. The members of the body are to enter into the life that is shared by the Father and the Son within the Trinity—“that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one…” (John 17:22-23) This is not a figure of speech. As a body of believers we are required to seek out the reality of this promise through faith.

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Cor. 1:10)

The elders are expected to display this heavenly life to the members of the body. They must work together in harmony, each utilizing their unique God-given gifts, in the work of building up the church into all the fullness of Christ. They have a responsibility for leading each of the members into Christ’s life of divine love. It is the only sure hope of standing before Him with boldness on the Day of Judgment. (1 John 4:17) Let us therefore pray for the Lord to raise up leaders who will know what is needed to make the church a functioning body of Christ.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life…hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. (Jude 20-25)

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him…? (Heb. 2:1-3)

Missed Signs of the End Times

2011-02-05T18:44:00.003-05:00

by Truth In Scripture

This video shows the true spiritual meanings of what is happening in these last days we are in. While he does not go into the physical side of it, I believe there will also be a physical/natural parallel to what is happening in the spiritual. The Lord has always used the natural to explain the spiritual. But deception will only see this natural side of it, but to those that have eyes to see and ears to hear, will know they are physical manifestations of what is going on in the spiritual.

While seeing the natural signs may be important for a witness and a wake up call to those that have not yet been given spiritual eyes to see, it is the spiritual understanding that is needed for our salvation.

Matthew 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

The above scripture could also be said for the times we are in today. Yes, there will be signs and manifestations taking place in these last days, but understanding them alone will not save any one. It is to turn to the Lord, (who is our ark) and understand what He is saying to us in these last days. Jesus compared these last days to the days of Noah, how are we to build an ark and enter into it if we have no understanding of what the spiritual ark really is?

The High Calling of God

2011-02-01T16:09:00.032-05:00

Let us look at some questions about the goal of our faith. What are the desires of our heart? What is it that we hunger and thirst for? Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or has there become some other goal we have been seeking? What are our dreams? Has the goal become an important position in the Kingdom of God, one with power? Have we become distracted from our true goal and calling of God?

Jesus said we are to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. In the Kingdom of God there is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Any true teaching or word from the Lord is meant to increase this desire for His Kingdom Life and His righteousness to be manifested in us and to point us to Christ. The Holy Spirit will never lead us to seek high positions, rank or a place of honor. And it will never make us feel equal to Christ. I know it is strange, but there are teaching out there that implies this. That is what Lucifer wanted. He said "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isa 14:14)

The Kingdom of God is not about seeking the next "revelation" or "experience"; it is about being changed and conformed into the life of Christ. While we seek Him, He will reveal more and more of Himself to us, but He never said we would be omnipotent, to know all and be all. To be conformed into His likeness is to be changed in character, life and love, as He displayed it to us in His life, but not in position or equal to.

The heart attitude of one that seeks the Kingdom of God in this manner (no matter how far advanced they might come) will never see themselves as equal, they will remain subjected to Christ. Jesus never sought His father’s position. Jesus came for a purpose and when that purpose is complete the scriptures tell us that He will turn ALL back to His father. (1 Corinthians 15:28) "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

There is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost because of Love. Jesus explained to His disciples that His food was to do the will of His father, it satisfied His hunger. His father's will was to lay down His life for the good of others; this is love in the highest form. He loved the Father more than His own life. There can be no pride, self-will or self seeking motives in us if we are going to love as Jesus loved. This is our goal...to walk as Jesus walked, to love as Jesus loved.

Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

There has been much emphasis placed on positioning and of becoming "Sons of God", "experiences" and new “revelations”. Again, what are we seeking? What is our heart's desire? Should it not be to do the will of our Father no matter the cost? Should this not be the "food" that satisfies our hunger? There is no "higher" place than to be on our face at the feet of our Father, to be in His presence seeking His will no matter where it takes us.

The world seeks positions and honor. But Jesus said, "…it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (servant); and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant (slave): Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:26-28

There are teachings that talk about "the deep work of the cross" and "dying to the Adamic nature", but no real substance on what this means. The focus seems to be more on experiences, and “levels” rather than the love of God and doing His will. The true sons of God are those that have grown to a place where they have laid down their own lives for the Lord. They have given up self will and self love, and their only motivation and “food” is to do the will of their father. These are the ones that are raised into Christ's life of pure love that He displayed on this Earth. They will be constantly laying down their own “rights” for the good of others. This is an incredible love that can only come from the Lord as we submit to Him in ALL things. The more we grow, the more we will become dependant on our Father, just as a child is dependant on their mother, until we become as dependant on the Lord as a new born baby is. This is true humility.

Let our eyes not be on "positions" or the great things the Lord could do through us, but rather let our eyes be upon Him, so our joy will be to do His will and suffer for Him if need be for the good of others. Let Him become our substance; let doing His will be our food. This is the life He wants to give us, let us be willing. Let us seek the Kingdom of God where there is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost!

A friend wrote the following:

God is love. It is a self-sacrificing love. He cannot help Himself. He must give of Himself. He even gave His only Son for us. That is what self-sacrificing love looks like. And what His intentions are in redemption, is to make us like Him in that same nature of self-sacrificing love. That is how the world was to be won over to God's kingdom.

The power that comes from heaven should not be thought of in terms of a force that enables us to do miraculous things for God or have "unique" experiences. Rather, we must look for it as a power that will enable us to enter into that sacrificial life of love. And it is a love that "doesn't count the cost" but rather is a poured out life in the same extravagant way that Mary anointed Jesus with the costly perfume. Not that it {true Christ-like love} desires or even tries to act extravagantly, but when one becomes a vessel empty of the fallen "self"-centeredness in a true circumcision of the heart by the power of the Spirit (Romans 2:29, Colossians 2:11), it is a life that God's Spirit can pour the life and nature of Jesus through in abundance! Coming to any other conclusions as to what our redemption is all about are misguided conclusions I believe and keep the Body of Christ on a low spiritual level or completely in error and deception.

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir " Daystar "

2011-01-29T19:44:00.000-05:00

The Banquet at Bethany

2011-01-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

A lesson developed from the writings of G.D. Watson and the book – Pure Gold

Martha, Lazarus and Mary represent three stages of Christian experience. Their lives help reveal the progressive steps that lead to a full revelation of Christ’s resurrection life. We will find that Martha served, Lazarus sat quietly and Mary poured out the anointing. (John 12:1-10)

Those born of the Spirit will begin their spiritual journey in the Martha life of diligent outward service. In this beginning stage, we strive in earnestness to serve our Lord. But it is not without some self-centeredness. In these early stages of our Christian service, we naturally compare ourselves with what others are doing. We also expect some form of reward for our service. While it may not be expressed, there will need to be some kind of recognition, or praise, or honor, to keep us motivated.

The Lazarus stage takes us through an inward sickness, a death, a burial and into resurrection life. This death and resurrection occurs after we have lost all hope in our own strength. It is then that we are prepared to sit quietly at the table with Jesus and learn how to live through Him.

Those who have truly learned to live through the life of Jesus will eventually enter into the Mary state where His love overflows into a display of sacrificial devotion. These are the saints who gladly and joyously break the most costly alabaster boxes for Christ’s sake and the good of His eternal kingdom.

The fullest enjoyment of this heavenly banquet feast with Jesus is found by passing forward into the Mary stage of spiritual life. Earnest souls will be helped by examining these truths and using them to search their heart.

1.) Martha served. Her outward service typifies a born again child of God. Service lies at the foundation of a real Christian experience. Unless these outward acts of service are entered upon, with the distinct determination of persevering along all lines of known duty, it is not possible to progress into a deeper life in Christ.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all…so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness… (1 Thess. 3:12-13)

The Holy Spirit will be revealing needs all around us. He will also be testing our obedience by how we respond to these needs. It is in this sense that Jesus has only promised to manifest His Kingdom-life of holy love to those who obey the leadings of His Spirit. (John 14:21) We shall never reach the higher spiritual life typified by Martha’s brother and sister until we have chosen to serve the Lord with our current understanding.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal. 6:9-10)

Martha remained “worried and troubled about many things.” (Luke 10:41) Those who are attempting to do the Lord’s work in their own strength will have many things to be worried and troubled about. They will naturally become disturbed when others are doing things that are contrary to their own will. This inner turmoil, which often leads to upset feelings, will cause them at times to react in ways that are not Christlike.

It is this inward unrest and upset feelings that will eventually lead earnest souls to begin a more thorough search of the Scriptures to discover why they are not living in the fullness of life that has been promised in the Scriptures. They begin to see how there is a Sabbath-rest where God intended for each of His children to share with Him in His own righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is what prepares them to move forward into the next stage of Christian life.

2.) Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus. Lazarus presents us with a form of experience that is representative of death and resurrection. It is brought about when the believer has become very sick of his spiritual state. He begins to acknowledge his inability to consistently reveal Christ’s nature of love in the many difficult tests he faces. This is what prepares him to die. He sees how there needs to be a death, burial and resurrection before there can be a true participation with Christ in His heavenly life. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Rom. 6:5)

The death that Lazarus passed through made him a quiet and reserved man. Dying to the self-life always takes away the need for outward display and showiness. He also reveals how resurrection life results in a real freedom from worry, suspicion or hastiness. Those who live in the heavenly realms are no longer controlled by their circumstances.

Not one word from Lazarus is recorded. The old Adam is self-centered and self-exalting, and so it loves to hear itself talk. “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory.” (John 7:18) But this self-exalting spirit dies when the old Adam-life dies a full death. It silences the tongue. While it is willing to be pleasant and fellowship with others, there is no longer a desire to talk about self.

Those who have entered this Lazarus stage where there is a real participation with Christ in His risen life, readily admit how little they know. They can begin to recognize how there is much to be learned as they see the infinite “light of life” stretching out before them. While there is a real enjoyment of a new heavenly life, they are not yet fully prepared to communicate to others what they have come to experientially know.

This is when the believer learns to live in harmony with God. He learns to listen to the Spirit and respond to every sway of God’s providences. He knows that all true life comes from above while walking in the Spirit. (Gal. 5:25)

God’s dealing with Lazarus, in allowing him to die, to be buried, to be raised to life, to be untrammeled from the grave clothes, and then to sit at the table with Jesus, is all representative of everyone who has entered into this second stage of the Christian life.

After becoming sick to death of himself, he passed through the valley of the shadow of death where the world and the ways of human wisdom faded away from his vision. It was then that he could begin seeing things from God’s eternal perspective. This death and resurrection is what makes it possible to begin sharing with Christ in the spiritual blessings that are found in His heavenly life. “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

God gives His Spirit to His children to prepare them to be taken through this death and resurrection. We all need to be prepared to add to our Martha service a death to the old self-sufficient, self-exalting and self-directed form of life. And we should not expect to be raised up until this old life has begun to rot in the grave. He never raises us up hastily. All hope in the old Adam-life needs to be completely lost. He permits this death process to run its full course in spite of all the pleas to have Him come quickly to provide help.

Lament and mourn and weep! Let your {carnal} laughter be turned to mourning and your {worldly} joy to gloom. Humble yourselves {sink down into the grave} in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (Jam. 4:9-10)

Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. (John 16:22)

When the Lord finally came to raise Lazarus, Martha thought the decay of the body would render it too offensive to have the door removed from the sepulcher. That lovely brother who was once so full of worldly life had become painfully offensive in the grave. Similarly, in a very significant manner, when we yield ourselves to be utterly crucified to the self-seeking and self-exalting ways of this world, this mark of death will become a fowl odor to the people who still depend on the world for their spiritual support. In fact, this way of dying to self to find life from above becomes so distasteful to worldly-minded people that even our loved ones will often keep their distance to protect themselves from the offensive aroma.

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one {to those who do not know the ways of the Spirit} we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other {to the Spirit-led children of God} the aroma of life leading to life. (2 Cor 2:15-16)

Lazarus spent four ecstatic days in the third heaven. Anyone who comes through this kind of death and resurrection experience will find very little attraction to the things of this world. This is what brought him into that deep, unruffled stillness of soul with his reserved speech. Those who have had a taste of life in the heavenly realms find little interest in the typical conversations that take place in this world.

The act of quietly sitting with Christ at the table reveals great calmness and restfulness of spirit. Lazarus had gotten through the old wrestlings with self and human nature. Death and the grave had thoroughly conquered him. The old forms of self-righteousness, self-exaltation, self-seeking, self-expression, resentments and agitations were left in the grave. He was being turned into a deep, quiet, loving channel for the outflow of our Lord’s heavenly life.

In one sense our Lord’s banquet feast is now ready. The heavenly food is now ready to eat. Those who will follow Christ through this death and into resurrection life will know experientially what it means to sit at supper with Him. There is a heavenly spiritual food now being served that truly satisfies the soul.

This is the bread which came down from heaven… He who eats this bread will live forever. (John 6:58)

Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!… Come, for all things are now ready. (Luke 14:15-17)

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev. 3:20)

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isa. 55:2 NIV)

We are told that many of the Jews believed on Jesus because Lazarus was raised from the dead. Similarly, many today will begin to believe in the Christ who has come to establish His eternal Kingdom-life within the hearts of God’s children when they begin to see this resurrection life revealed before their eyes. The Christian who has been thoroughly crucified with Jesus and raised into this heavenly life will leave a deep and lasting impression on everyone who takes time to examine this miracle.

3.) Mary poured out her life. “Mary took a pound of very costly ointment and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.” This outward display of self-sacrificing love presents a still higher form of the eternal life of God. It represents a service of love that begins to overflow with extravagant giving. It is the result of the “rivers” of Living Water from Christ’s life of holy love fully satisfying the soul and then pouring out of the heart. “As the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) It never considers the cost when it breaks the most expensive alabaster boxes.

Mary was the fitting character for this type of service. Her heart was utterly abandoned to Jesus. She was not concerned about what others thought of her or said of her. She seemed to be blind to all other things in comparison to her fixed vision on Him.

Mary did not reserve anything for herself. In fact, Mark tells us that Mary broke the alabaster box containing the sweet perfume to prevent it from ever being used for any other purpose. She had gotten beyond the Old Testament law of tithing. She did not need law to teach her to give. In contrast, Mary represents the life of a believer that has passed through death and into the fullness of Christ’s Kingdom-life of perfect love. It is an outpoured life that takes every resource and dedicates it to the service of God’s eternal kingdom so that nothing will be wasted on the personal kingdoms of this world. It is a life that is fully expended in the service of God—a service that never has reservations.

Those who plan to enter into this highest stage of spiritual life in this current age of the kingdom will need to be prepared to break every box that still holds personal treasures. Only then can we enter into the stage of holy love that was displayed by Mary.

Sometimes it is a box that holds an almost hidden reserve in the will. It can be found in a half timid, half fearful holding back in some line of suffering, or from some lonely and strange-looking path. Even in sanctified people you will sometimes find this scarcely perceived reservation that holds them back from entering into the Mary stage of Christian experience. Something in this world still has a grip on their heart. It is preventing them from making a complete abandonment of everything to God and the work of His kingdom. This is a box that must be broken before the fragrance of Christ’s heavenly life can be displayed through a mortal body in this world.

There are many who are still holding onto their social box. It is the box that gives us concern about what other people think of us. Every saint who ascends the spicy mountains of burning love and enters into holy unity with God will find at every epoch in their experience the necessity of snapping another social cord. God must become our All in All. Over and over again there will be this breaking of some beautiful white alabaster encasement of human esteem. It will be necessary to accept the critical judgment of dear friends and loved ones if we are to ever be in a position to love them through God’s life of heavenly love.

Mary lived to see that her alabaster box was a fitting type of the spotless body of Jesus, which was utterly broken. The spikenard of His life was poured out to the last drop for her redemption. It is an axiom that the very life of the infinite Christ is poured through us in the same proportion that we are broken and are willing to suffer for His purposes. We are “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:10)

We find that the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. In like manner, when Christ broke His alabaster-like body, the whole earth and all of heaven was filled with the perfume of His lamb-like spirit of self-sacrificing love. Similarly, as we break the boxes that contain the reserve for self, there is liberated from us the very odor of Christ’s heavenly nature.

Those who have gone to the greatest extent to count everything from this world as loss, become the most fragrant of Christian characters. But see, in wiping His feet with her hair the perfume came back upon her own head. What a world of truth is revealed here. Those who give all receive the most. What we pour out will eventually settle back as a sweet odor upon our own heads. The eternal soul receives its hundredfold return from the life of God in both this age and in the age to come. The way that God compensates His children with His spiritual life from heaven is minute in its detail, and as far-reaching as the white, shining years of eternity.

The last feature we note about Mary’s life is how it utterly shocked the conservative and calculating spirit of Christ’s pre-Pentecostal disciples. They began to find fault with Mary’s excess. Everyone who presses into this Mary stage of Christian experience and comes to know this heavenly love will find himself or herself being criticized by the colder members of the Church. Most Christians simply cannot understand the seeming waste that occurs when there is such an extravagant breaking of such precious and valuable things. And yet, this form of outpoured life on all lines for Jesus, just as He did for us, ends up being the very wisdom of God. It is the true radiance of Heaven. And as Jesus has indicated, it will be recognized and retold as the sign of full salvation wherever the real Gospel message is preached. (Matt. 26:13) This is the last and sweetest stage of the Christ-life in this age on the earth.

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:14-15)

DAVID & GOLIATH – AN END-TIME VIEW

2011-01-26T09:15:00.005-05:00

-by Hadyn Olsen.

Recently, after reading the account of this historic meeting between David and Goliath, I was struck by the significance of it’s message concerning the end time period that we are entering into. David was considered one of the "sons of Zadok".

Far more than a children’s story, this account speaks of the collision of two kingdoms. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.

There are a number of times in the Scriptures that we witness such a dramatic encounter between these two kingdoms. We may think of the time of Moses and the exodus from Egypt, the plagues and the Red Sea. We may think of Joshua and Jericho – or Elijah on Mt. Carmel. Then of course there is the Lord Jesus Himself and the many occasions of His demonstrating the kingdom.

In all these events we see something of the nature of these two opposite kingdoms, and of the superiority of God’s kingdom over Satan’s. We may also learn something concerning our own lives and of the conflict we face from day to day. Each of these historic events may teach us of the things God wants us to know and the victory He wants us to share.

We are coming to a time when we shall witness another great collison between God’s kingdom and Satan’s. No doubt it shall be as great, if not greater than all the others that have preceded it. And it shall be a time when once again, God displays His all-surpassing greatness and dominion over Satan.

To this end our spirit’s cry, ‘Come Lord Jesus’.

As we read in 1 Sam. 17 of the battle between David and Goliath we can first of all see that there are three principal characters which may represent three different peoples.

Firstly there is Goliath and the Philistines. They represent the world, or more specifically unredeemed, rebellious man. There is something about them which may be encompassed by the term, ‘The spirit of this age’.

There they stand, full of defiance and mockery. Wilful and arrogant, they represent man, in the fullness of self power and self glory.

This is the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil come to maturity. The Pride of Life that looks down upon God from it’s own lofty height. The fullness of man which seeks to be ‘as God’ and even to destroy all that is of God in his quest to have dominion of the earth.

We may notice in the description of Goliath that there is reference to the number six. The number of man. He was six cubits in height, he had six pieces of armour, and his spearhead weighed six hundred shekels.

We could say that he represents everything that the term ‘anti-christ’ may speak of, as he stands there mocking all that is of God and calling God’s people into battle.

As we look out upon the world today we can see Goliath readying himself again. We can hear the challenges ringing out saying, ‘Where is your God’ and the accusations pouring forth to belittle the church and call her to war. This has always been the very essence of that antichrist spirit.

The second character in this story is King Saul and his army. This group represent the people of God, BUT they are the people of God under the dominion of the flesh.

They are a defeated company. They stand there facing Goliath, fearful, intimidated and without anointing or strength from God.

We may ask, ‘Why is this?.. How can it be?’

How can the people of God find themselves in this kind of a situation and such a condition? The answer is, that although they are the people of God they are still ruled and controlled by the spirit of this world. They are under the dominion of King Saul – the flesh.

Let us take a look at them.

They stand there in all their worldly armour. They are fitted out with everything that the world counts for something. They have their WEAPONS OF FLESH, their horses and chariots, – and of course they have their king who stands so tall above the rest. They look just like all the other nations in so many ways.

I cannot help wondering how many of our denominations and church organisations are just like the armies of Saul. They are full of the ways of the world and their strength comes from money, organization, and the power of the flesh. We see in them the same spirit of this world that promotes itself with all manner of human ability, gimmicks, and sales techniques

There is also another characteristic that is common to the Saul church. That is, disobedience to the word of the Lord.

King Saul cared more for the outward appearances of success and power than for obedience to God’s word. He would obey God as long as it suited him and as long as it didn’t threaten his own ambitions and desires to be successful in the eyes of the people.

It is the same today. Success power and outward appearances are the most important considerations. God’s will and His purposes are often compromised for the sake of human interest and human traditions.

For that reason they will stand alone on that day that Goliath confronts them. They will discover that Goliath is far stronger in terms of this world than they are themselves, and they will realise that they are no match for him.

How frightening it will be on that day… although today they are so full of their own strength and hypnotised by their own praises and positive confessions.

Thank God there is a third group in this story. It is the group that is characterised by David.

Yes, David was one of the people of God. But he wasn’t a part of Saul’s army. In the same way today there is a third group. They are scattered around. They have no special organization or place to call their own. Yet they have two distinguishing characteristics that set them apart;

They have a heart after the Living God and… they are not of King Saul.

This David company, like David of old, is small, insignificant, unimpressive and unimportant. Yet God’s hand is upon them.

David was out in the wilderness tending his sheep when the call came to enter into the battle lines. He was doing that which God has placed in his care – even though it was insignificant and outwardly of little importance.

In the same way today there are those that ask, ‘What are you doing for God? What has come of your leaving the system?’ They measure everything by outward considerations and spend their lives racing around, organizing great things for God, yet in the end accomplishing little. The flesh profits nothing.

David knew nothing of Saul’s ways. He hadn’t been in any of Saul’s training schools. He didn’t know how to even polish his armour let alone wear it into battle. All David knew, he had learned out there amongst the ordinary circumstances of daily life. He had learned the simple things of truth, love and faithfulness. He had learned how to Walk with God each day.

But this is God’s way. He always takes the lowly things, the foolish things, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.

Likewise God is preparing a people today. They are nothing now. Some have left denominations, some are still amongst them wondering why it is that they no longer feel a part of it all any more. They can no longer get excited by the latest seminar or out-reach. Instead they sigh and groan at the lack of God’s presence in the church, and they are grieved by the way human power has filled the gap.

When David arrived on the scene, he had no organization backing him. There were no credentials or any such thing. There was only the anointing. God knew where He wanted David to be. God brought things together as He always does…. in the fullness of time.

David could stand before Goliath because God was with him. Nothing more and nothing less. His spirit was stirred against this monster David was not afraid. He knew that there was one far greater who was standing with him.

When David spoke to Goliath to challenge him, it was not so much David speaking as God Himself speaking.

When David took the stone and placed it in his sling, again it was God choosing and preparing.

When David sent his stone flying toward it’s mark.. it was God guiding it to just the right place.

Such is the way with all true ministry. It is God in man doing the work and bringing forth the fruit.

There are many today who are trying to achieve great things for God. They are using all of this world’s resources to try and do it. Yet God is not doing it. They imagine that human effort is the key to divine fruitfulness. They have missed God’s way completely.

God desires a people who are dead to man’s ways and man’s methods as far as kingdom work is concerned. He is preparing a people who will wait for Him, and move as He moves them, and who will work according to His power that works in them mightily.

It may take Him a long time to get a man or woman to that place… yet God has time.

That day is coming when that great conflict will arrive. Which company will we be a part of? Will it be Goliath’s? or King Saul’s?… or will it be David’s?

It may be hard to say right now, but the day will declare it. Nothing is surer… That day will declare it… For then we shall find ourselves in the place that our hearts have chosen.

Let us call upon the Lord today, while it is still today… asking Him to change our hearts and take us into that David company. May we seek to learn to walk with God and be faithful unto all that He may call us to do. May we learn the ways of humility and be satisfied with simply living before Him each day. May we also be careful to remain free from the ways of King Saul.

Praise God for His all-surpassing greatness and glory.

Unity With His Followers

2011-01-25T15:24:00.004-05:00

By Zadok

In Isaiah 66:2, God reveals to us that He is drawn to Holiness and Humility. "For my hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the Lord. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."

Unity is a by-product of Humility.

Jesus Christ humbled Himself when He took upon Himself human flesh. He reached toward us, out of pure love for His Father, to reconcile us, His enemies, to His Father & Himself.

Reconciliation means "to bring into a changed relationship" A changed relationship between you and your enemy. Laying aside strife and enmity.

Holy Jesus Christ was never offended by what He suffered---therefore we have no right to be offended by others.

Scripture states God has 2 purposes for creating us:
1- It pleased Him to dwell among us that He may pour Himself into us
2-To conform us to the image of Jesus Christ, Restoring His Image to creation.

Daily We must give up ruling ourselves and bow down to our Sovereign God's right to rule us. Allowing God's Spirit to conform our hearts and souls to the image of Jesus Christ. This is called "Filled with the Spirit", "Walking in the Spirit", or "Spirit-controlled". This is when we are Holy and Pleasing to God. You may only submit 5 minutes at a time in the beginning, but be encouraged, the time will lengthen until there is more of His control and less of yours. God desires to make you Holy as He is Holy.

Reconciliation is the highest form of Divine Love. Humbling ourselves to forgive others and humbling ourselves to ask forgiveness.

Jesus had to die to reconcile us to His Father.
We have to die to self to reconcile with others.

If you agree with your mind that God desires you to reconcile with someone, but your heart and will do not want to, be encouraged. This is to be expected from our sin nature, the flesh.

Godly sorrow and repentance are a gift from God. Only He can change our hearts and wills. If you know what is right and cannot do it, Pray and ask God to grant you Godly sorrow and repentance and ask Him to change your mind, will, and emotions.

God has given us the following scriptures for seeking reconciliation:

John 13:34 & 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. that you also love one another. BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.

Col 3:12 & 13 "So as those who have been chosen of God, Holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Mark 11:26 "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.

Matthew 6:12,14,15 "And forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven those who have trespassed against us. For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Romans 5:10 "For if while we were enemies we were RECONCILED to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

2Cr 5:18 And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

The Mark of the Beast

2011-01-22T22:45:00.002-05:00

by Pastor BH Clendennen

Revelation 13:16-18, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six."

Revelation 15:2. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."

To begin with, I want to set the record straight here that Satan's victories are entirely dependent upon deceit. He cannot stand exposure. Having been defeated at Calvary, he only exists by the will of God, therefore, his kingdom is built on a lie. It is important for you to know, especially you as ministers of the Gospel that this deception works in two directions.

First of all, he will accuse God's word of being a lie. He will use religious leaders, and tell you there is no hell, no mark, no Heaven, et cetera. Only a few will swallow this. So he hits them with his second lie. He will admit that there is a hell, that there is a mark, but he himself will interpret what that hell and mark is. You have got to know who is preaching the Gospel. The devil will use a man, God will use a man, but when it is a devil, you had better know it. There is no place he uses this last tactic more than concerning the mark of the Beast. He has sold the religious world on the thought that the mark is future, that somewhere there will be a decision forced on the individual as to whether he will take this mark or not. Hence, millions of Christians live out their lives in a lukewarm condition telling themselves, that if they miss the rapture they will refuse the mark.

When I speak of the mark of the Beast, I speak of more than a brand that's going to be put on the forehead or right hand. I come from cattle country, Texas. Men brand their own cattle, those that are theirs. They may look a lot like the man's cattle across the fence, but there is a brand, a circle R or something else, that says that is my cow. That is what the brand says. Satan will only brand those who are already his. That is a very important thing. He will not brand the true child of God, which walks with God. He will only brand those whom he has made his in time. Revelation 15:2, speaks of a multitude, who have gotten the victory over his mark and the number of his name. This is a very, important verse, for it points up two very important truths. Number 1: multitudes are already up there, John saw them, who have already overcome. So we know we can make it. John saw this multitude in Revelation 15:2, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."

John sees the people that have already made it. They have already overcome. They have overcome the number of his name. Second, this verse tells us what the mark actually is. Naming in the Bible denotes character. These people, in overcoming the number of the name of the Beast, have overcome the character of that Beast. There are only two forces. Good and evil, God and the devil. Both of them seek man, for their own. God's ultimate purpose for man is to conform him to the image of Christ. By the new birth God makes man a part of His family. God's desire is to fill the new man with His Spirit. The Spirit is God's nature and God's life. As man learns to walk in the Spirit, that is, in God's nature, God's nature becomes his nature. This is conformity to Christ. This is the whole will of God for man after having brought him in to this union with Christ and this relationship with the Father.

On the other hand, the devil seeks that same unregenerate man, to conform him to himself. Man is the object of both worlds. He will be used either of God to express God in this universe, or he will either be used of Satan to express Satan in time. Adam chose the devil. God created him to be the express image of Himself. He was to grow in the knowledge and image of God and ultimately fill the earth with the knowledge of God. Had Adam stayed true to his calling, there would be no place on planet earth that God would not have been known. He chose Satan, and there is no place on this earth where Satan is not known. Anywhere you go, he is worshiped as God. That is true. No place is Jesus known except where this new creation has gone. Man is the object of both worlds. God will conform him to the image of Christ, fill the universe with the knowledge of Himself, or Satan will conform him to the image of himself. To do this, Satan must put his nature in man.

The nature of Satan is the mark of the Beast. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."(Revelation 13:18) This is man's nature in the extreme. Man without God is a beast. What then is the nature of a beast? Selfishness is the law of the jungle. That is the nature of the beast. An animal will eat its own for survival. This is the mark that Satan would put on every man and woman born of a woman. The law of the jungle is the law of survival of the fittest. I had a sow pig that I raised as a Future Farmers project. She gave birth to a litter of pigs in the night, and when I got there the next morning, she had eaten all of them but one. Her own life meant more to her than her offspring. This is the law of the jungle. It is the mark of that beast world. This is the very mark of the Beast.

All the vices of fallen men and angels have their root in the proud atheism of self. Men are dead to God because they are alive to self. Without a death to self there can be no escape from Satan's power. The Spirit of God is humility. The spirit of Satan is self-exaltation. Herein, lies the struggle for eternal life - Pride and humility are the two kingdoms in strife for the proud possession of man. The enemies of man rising out of the fall are many, but the supreme enemy called Antichrist is self-exaltation.

Paul writing in the book of Thessalonians says, of this Antichrist, he sits in the temple of God. "Know you not that your body is a temple of God." Antichrist sits in the temple of God, exalting himself above all that is called God. What is it that sits in the temple that exalts itself above God? S-E-L-F. There has been much speculation as to Antichrist and his mark, which is his nature. To know what Antichrist is not, one only need read the short description Christ gave of Himself, "I am meek and lowly."If this be Christ, then self-exaltation being in the highest and fullest opposition, must be that spirit of Antichrist that opposes the Spirit of Christ.
Jesus said, "Come unto me for I am meek and lowly."(Matthew 11:29) If this were Christ, this humility, then self-exaltation, being in the highest and fullest opposition, must be the spirit of Antichrist that opposes the Spirit of Christ. Though that man who is to be the embodiment of this Spirit is not yet revealed, that is Antichrist, no man need look further than his own heart to find that same Antichrist John said, was already in the world. Hence, self has become the god of millions who go to church every Sunday, they sit on the pew. Filled with pride, self-esteem, pay lip service to the Almighty. Pride is the only disorder of the fallen world, which has no place among other beings. It can only subsist when ignorance, sensuality, lust and impurity reign! If a man will boast of anything of his own, he must boast of his misery and his sin.

Selfishness, then, is the nature of hell, and as such is the nature and mark of the Beast. It's sad but true; multitudes sit on church pews every Sunday who are already marked by the Beast. Nothing is important to them but themselves. I pastored a church for thirty-five years. People came, sat in the church, and were blessed of God. They would come after the service, and say to me, the message is what our heart hungers for. The worship is beautiful, but we want to know, what do you have for the singles. What do you have for the young married? What do you have here for children? They would forfeit what they said they believed was God, for some program that would minister to the carnal needs of those around them. Much of religious teaching fosters that spirit.

We feed our kids to worse fires than Molech. You remember they sacrificed their children, by throwing them into the fires of a volcano. We feed our kids to the fires of lust and sensuality. Then wonder why God is not blessing. Both worlds are reaching for you. God wants to conform you to the image of His Son, and through us display the glory of that Christ in the ages to come. Satan is after you to conform you to his own selfish, lawless image. To fill the earth with the knowledge of himself. We are the objects of this struggle; our future depends upon our own choice. The Bible says in the book of Psalms, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."(Psalms 139:14).

You can look at the human organism, at the miles and miles of blood vessels, billions of cells, the brain, the eye; you can say what a wonderful thing this body is. But the body is, not what God has in mind here. Fearfully was the first birth. Wonderfully the second. That works itself out in the spiritual world. Fearfully made, number 1, because everything born of a woman has within it the potential of being conformed to the image of Satan himself. It is hard for you and I to look at a Hitler, a Stalin, a Genghis Khan, and the evil that these men produced, and imagine them as an innocent child at play. Stalin is credited with killing eighty to one hundred million people. Hard to believe he was once a baby rocked in his mother's arms. Even studied to be a priest of religion. Fearfully made. That man, born with all the virtues and innocence of a baby, but carried with it the fearful possibility of being conformed to the image of Satan himself. When you look at that little baby, that same Stalin, that same Hitler, through the new birth, could possess the possibility of being conformed to the image of Him who is all love, all wisdom, all power, all kindness, all patience. Think about that, the possibility of awaking in his likeness.

John said, "...it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."(I John 3:2) Paul said, "As we behold him, Christ in the Spirit, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory." David said, in the Psalms, "...I shall be satisfied, when I awake in thy likeness."(Psalms 17:15) We must make our choice always to be wonderfully conformed to the image of Christ. At the same time we must set forth without any mixture, the frightening possibility of being conformed to the image of the devil. We must set that before the people. Preach this; proclaim this in the name of God. We have been called of God to make a difference in this last generation. This is truly the mark of the Beast. Satan will only brand those who he has stamped his nature of selfishness on in time.

The church is full of people who sing about the coming of the Lord, but are going nowhere. Their whole nature is selfishness. If you don't do what they want you to do, they'll quit, or in the extreme split the church. That same nature on the street that believes, that what you have is his, if he can take it away from you, sits on the pew every Sunday. That, nature says, these people have already been marked, and because they are marked, Satan will brand them in their right hand or forehead one day. On the other side, there are those whose lives are given to God. The mark of a life under the control of the Holy Spirit is, it never lives for itself, always for others. You must proclaim this truth to all God gives you.

Growing With Ever Increasing Glory

2011-01-22T09:41:00.001-05:00

Growing With Ever Increasing Glory

(The following lesson is taken from the writings of Steve Bray- “The Gospel of the Kingdom.”)

True growth in the glory or spiritual image of Christ will not begin until we have been lifted into the Sabbath-rest of God, where everyone rests from the work that comes from self-will. Before the baptism with the Holy Spirit takes place, there will remain a natural antagonism within our nature against God’s requirements of holiness. And if we are fighting against holiness, we will never grow with ever-increasing glory into the likeness of our glorified Lord. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the {indwelling presence of the} Lord.” (Heb. 12:14)

The desert wilderness was intended be a time of putting off the old way of life. We are to come out from the ways of the world and touch no unclean thing. We are to put off the old self and its deceitful desires {all heart idols must be given up}. We also must allow our mind to be renewed as we turn from the self-directed way of life to the Spirit-controlled way of life. In this process, God will be bringing us to the end of our self-sufficiency, because only in perfect weakness are we able to perfect the power of God in our lives, “for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) Only then are we able to begin putting on the “new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:24)

What we are saying is that all growth in glory, which is growth in the divine nature, takes place in the Sabbath-rest of God, where everyone rests from man’s way of human effort. When the Author and Perfecter of our faith has accomplished His work of entire sanctification, we are enabled to live wholly by faith in God. This is the land of superabundant fruitfulness. The Lord’s supernaturally imparted love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control will begin to flow naturally from our new nature.

The “light of life,” which has its source in the life of God, is infinite when related to our finite world. So once we are born of the Spirit with our willful nature cut off, we can know there is no limit to how much we can grow in the glory of the Lord.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is {in power}, there is freedom {from the sinful nature}. And we, who...all reflect the Lord’s glory {meaning His spiritual image}, are being transformed into his likeness, with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:17-18)

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect {in the life of the glorified Lord}, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Phil. 3:12)

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple {as a continuous river of divine life}... As the man went eastward...he measured off a thousand cubits {which relates to God’s perfect order} and then led me through water that was ankle deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the {living} water had risen and was deep enough to swim in – a river {of life} that no one could cross {back over into the world – Praise the dear Lord Jesus! This is the level of divine life that provides the only true eternal security.}…Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows... Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water {of divine life} from the sanctuary flows to them… (Ezk. 47:1, 3-5, 9, 12)

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring WHOSE WATERS NEVER FAIL...then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will CAUSE YOU TO RIDE ON THE HEIGHTS OF THE LAND AND TO FEAST ON THE INHERITANCE {which is the firstfruits of the eternal life}... (Isa. 58:11, 14)

…Whoever drinks the water I give him will NEVER THIRST. Indeed, the water I give him will become IN HIM A SPRING OF WATER WELLING UP to {the firstfruits of Christ’s} eternal life. (John 4:14)

…If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me {which implies following Him through the cross}, as the Scripture said, “FROM HIS INNERMOST BEING WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.” (John 7:37-38 NASB)

Jesus did not come to merely offer us right doctrines to agree with in our mind. He came to give His life to us. We are to believe in Him with the kind of faith that seeks out a union with His divine life and nature. He is the gate into both the “Feast of Firstfruits” and the “Feast of Ingathering.” We are to receive the firstfruits of His eternal life in this world, and the whole harvest of His life when we receive our glorified bodies.

But we cannot gain access to the rivers of living water which are waiting to flow through our inner being by the power of the Holy Spirit if we do not die to self and enter into the firstfruits of the eternal life through Christ’s life. As the Scripture said, when we are drinking of His Living Water, we will never thirst again. He is able to satisfy our soul because His river of divine life comes directly from the throne of God in the heavenly realms. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in {the life of} Christ.” (Eph. 1:3) We are now able to feast on the firstfruits of the life we will experience throughout all eternity.

Are you still relying on a right belief in mere words and doctrines? If you are, it is time to turn from your religion to a faith that actively seeks out Christ’s life and nature. We are not questioning your belief in Jesus. But have you ever believed in the one Lord who is able to produce rivers of Living Water from within your eternal soul and keep you from ever thirsting again? “According to your faith will it be done to you.” (Matt. 9:29)

Have you become a fountain of divine life or are you still attempting to carry your Christianity around by human effort while believing the words in a Book? There are lots of people who think they know the word of God, and there are a few who have become great scholars of the Bible, but most of them have never turned to the Lord in childlike humility and truly depended on Him to turn them into a vessel of His ever-flowing river of divine life. Remember, the goal of our faith is to become a lamp that manifests the light of His life and nature in this world.

You diligently study the Scriptures because YOU THINK {in error} THAT BY THEM YOU POSSESS ETERNAL LIFE. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me {through the cross and a death to your self-life} to have {my divine} life. (John 5:39-40)

…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me {through a death to self on the cross} will NEVER walk in {carnal} darkness, but will have the light of {divine} life. (John 8:12)

The apostle John described the never-ending river of life that is to flow from the throne of God through our soul as a work of the Holy Spirit. (John 7:37-39) In other words, this river of Life is made up of the fruit of His Spirit. There should never be a moment when we are not filled to overflowing with Christ’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is a result of Christ’s life being manifest within our eternal soul. It is no longer a burden to walk as Jesus did when His living water is continuously flowing out of our new nature. And for this reason, where the supernatural fruit of the Spirit flows like a river, there is no need for law. We should, however, remember how our entrance into the Lord’s kingdom-life through the new birth only begins as an ankle deep river. But, as we grow with ever-increasing glory, the river will eventually become so deep that it will sweep us away into the eternal life of the Lord.

I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs...so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it {into a whole new being}. (Isa. 41:18, 20)

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that {new} Way {Spirit-led and Spirit-controlled}... They will enter Zion {into the presence of the Lord} with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isa. 35:8, 10)

But now that you have been set free from sin {the self-willed nature} and have become slaves to God {through the New Birth}, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is {the presence of Christ’s} eternal life. (Rom. 6:22)

God did not lie or distort the truth when He said, “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land {of Sabbath-rest}... I will SAVE YOU FROM ALL YOUR UNCLEANNESS.” (Eze. 36:27-29) God does not give false promises. This is the long awaited “Promise of the Father.” He poured out this Living Water for the first time on the day of Pentecost. SUDDENLY, in a moment of time, all the disciples who had received this baptism were changed in nature. While they had already given up everything to follow their Lord, they still needed to be clothed with power in order to be united with the submissiveness of Christ’s nature. They truly entered into the Feast of Firstfruits. It was not spiritual regeneration, but rather an entrance into the firstfruits of Christ’s eternal life.

We should not be shocked when we hear this gospel message. The preordained plan of God was to have many sons who would walk in the spiritual image of the firstborn Son, being conformed to His likeness. (Rom. 8:29) As promised, the glorified Lord came to manifest the firstfruits of His eternal life from within each of His disciples. In this way they were enabled to “walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5-6)

As we said before, Jesus did not come merely to teach doctrines for us to believe in our heads. He came to provide each of His consecrated disciples with a new life from heaven. He came to enable the sons of God to have His same mind and thought processes. He wanted us to understand God’s perspective in all matters of life. Furthermore, this new life in the Promised Land is intended to satisfy our soul as with the “richest of foods.” (Ps. 63:5) When all our spiritual needs are met by the indwelling life of the Lord, the arrows from this world will no longer be able to reach into our soul. We can say with Paul, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation... I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:12-13)

Remember the time when Paul and Silas were locked in a cell in the middle of the night after a very “hectic” day? They had been whipped until their backs were nothing but open wounds and blood. Not only were they tortured, but it happened to them as innocent men. You might say their “rights” were extremely violated. But in spite of all this trouble, we find them singing praises to their Lord and worshiping the glory of their God. In contrast, many Christians today have a difficult time finding joy in their scheduled worship services whenever the worship team does not put together a really good hour of entertainment. And if someone has merely said something bad about them, they find it impossible to sing praises to their Lord with true joy from the heart.

The difference between Paul and most Christians today is related to the covenant they are living under. Everyone who is still living by human effort is still living under Old Testament principles. It is easy know this because they have not gone any farther in the faith than to begin waiting until physical death to enter into the glorious life of their Lord.

When Christians do not enter into the ever-flowing river of Christ’s divine life, they must live by their carnal emotions on a moment by moment basis. This carnal way of life will be greatly influenced by their current circumstances. Consequently, their Christianity is only as good as the current conditions surrounding their life. Paul and Silas were living under the new covenant way of life. They had a supernatural river of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control continuously flowing from within their new nature. They did not have to struggle to produce this Christlike life. It naturally flowed out of them regardless of their temporal circumstances. The explanation is simple: Everyone born of God overcomes the world and shares with Christ in His life and nature in the heavenly realms.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with {resurrection} power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ {with His divine nature} may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you...may have power, together with all the saints...to know this {supernatural agape} love that surpasses knowledge {which means it cannot be taught by human wisdom} – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his {resurrection} power that is at work within us, to him be {the} glory... (Eph. 3:16-21)

The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him {by a supernatural work of God’s grace}. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him MUST WALK AS JESUS DID. (1 John 2:4-6)

In this way, {selfless agape} love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, BECAUSE IN THIS WORLD WE ARE LIKE HIM. (1 John 4:17)

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of {supernatural, self-sacrificing agape} love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 5:1-2)

The Virtuous Woman (and who she really is)

2011-01-12T07:54:00.001-05:00

by Kathleen It's About HIM

Disclaimer: I was in these Scriptures a few years ago and recently, the Lord directed me to go back to them, to study them and then bring them to Him and ask Him to make them a reality in my life. What an invitation! So that is what I'm doing. But I wanted to share this because He's no respecter of persons. He showed me these truths, and the fact He wants to make them real in my life is both humbling and awesome. He is a matchless God, worthy of our lives. To Him alone be all the praise and honor and glory.

Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

What is a virtuous woman? To the American culture, the word 'virtuous' means above reproach, excellent moral character. A virtue is a trait or quality deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of good morals. It's the opposite of vice. In the Hebrew it means much more. It is someone who is strong, valiant, with great capability, power and resources far beyond what others have. Someone with the efficiency, strength, wealth and the force of an elite army. It speaks of substance, valor, a very capable, powerful warrior. A woman of ability, power and resources. Who can find such a woman? There is only one place. To find such a woman, you would need to find her married to such a man.

In Mar_5:30, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd pressing on Him. Many were touching Him, but one little woman with an issue of bleeding pressed her way through the crowd with faith in her heart, and she managed to touch Him. She knew He was her only Hope. And when she touched Him, virtue went out of Him. The word is dunamis in the Greek. It means a force or miraculous power. It's the life and power of the Holy Spirit in Him. He gives this Life, this part of Himself to her. He baptizes her into this.

We are not talking about an ordinary housewife here. This is why her worth is far more valuable than rubies. A real ruby is the red sapphire, next in value to a diamond. In Pro_3:15, the Scripture says she (wisdom) is more precious than rubies, everything you could desire is not comparable to her. Who can find such a woman? Who could be such a woman? The Bride of Jesus Christ.

Today, you always hear these Scriptures read in churches across America on Mother's Day but I have never heard it preached beyond a surface understanding of a dutiful wife and mother with excellent moral character. That's the Americanized version of this message-not the spiritually accurate version. Such a woman shall be praised with the focus on honoring her, as a human being. The Pastor knows many mothers are not like the mothers of by gone days. Many have to work instead of keeping the home and the children. Many rely on TV to babysit their kids or the computers. He spends the rest of the sermon chastising them for their shortcomings, using his own yardstick to measure them by. They are frustrated because they try to parent with only their own human strength and wisdom which continually fails them. He has a good point but this goes far deeper than that.

These Scriptures are a type-an illustration from the heart of God of the Bride of Jesus Christ. It's a portrait of His Church. In a world sick with sin, filled with selfishness, and violence, and full of darkness, she shines as a bright light, as a city set on a hill. She stands out because she does not need medication or worldly entertainment to find peace or rest. She stands out because she thinks of others more than herself. She stands out because she has a servant's heart. Her agenda is not her own, neither is her word. It is HIS. The Light that shines from her comes from Him. It is HIS light. He is her Source. She abides in Him. To Him, she is far more valuable than any gemstones.

Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Pro 31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

She is sold out to God, she is dead to this world, and He knows she will not forsake Him and walk away for vain and passing treasures. He is her Treasure, and He trusts Her with His Name, and His Word, and with it, delegated authority and power over her enemies. (Luk_10:19-20) The Lord is not looking for another, He is satisfied with His Bride. She yields to Him and lets Him make her what she needs to be. On the other hand, her friends, her family, her employer, they can safely trust in her, as a Christian, as part of the Bride of Christ, that her word is her bond, her fingers are not sticky, her eyes are not covetous and greedy. If this part of the Bride, this Christian, is married, then the spouse has no worry of betrayal. She is different, so unique that others wonder.

Pro 31:13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Pro 31:14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

She pursues, looks for, searches for this wool and flax. When you dig into these two things, you will see she is truly searching for purity and sanctification-the righteousness that is the Lord's alone, imputed to us by faith alone. Wool was of the highest value among the Jews. It was one of the most widely used materials for clothing. Wool was forbidden to be woven or mixed in with linen garments. The priests could not wear woolen garments while ministering to the Lord for it would make them sweat and He would not allow sweat in His presence-the self effort of human nature. Yet this woman seeks it. She follows Him who has it and pursues it, for she requires it. This tells us we are not talking about wool, the material for clothing, for clothing was also made from hemp, flax and cotton. Another thing I found interesting is wool was used mostly for the outside garments for its ability to either keep heat out or in. There are so many applications here, for yes, the wife would search for material to make clothing for her family but this goes deeper.

Wool represents purity, it's white. God told Isaiah to tell His rebellious, sinful people to come, meet with Him, let us reason together, for though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. In Rev. 1, when John was in the Spirit and heard the Lord talk with him, he turned around and just the glory and power of the vision of the Lord who talked with him was so pronounced, so awesome, he fell like a dead man on his face. He said the hairs of His head were "white, like wool" and it signifies purity. We can only have this kind of purity from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. It must be given to us we cannot produce this through any effort of our own.

She seeks wool and flax. Flax was cultivated in Egypt and Palestine. Of the two, wool was more common in Judea, flax was more common in Galilee. It is torn from its native soil where its seed was planted and grew. The stalks of the plant are laid out in strips, to dry out in the scorching sun. In Biblical times, they were laid out on the roofs of houses to dry in the hot, desert climate. In later times, they were put in ovens to dry out. After drying, they are then peeled, to separate the stalk from the fibers inside which are used to make fine linen cloth and also wicks for lighting lamps. Then, it is torn by a comb designed to straighten, and remove knots and impurities in the fibers, then it's tied to stones, and immersed in water until it starts to rot so the loosened fibers can be separated from each other by combing. It is washed several times and suffers long exposure to the weather to be ready to produce white linen garments on a spinning wheel. The fibers were to be made into thread and were gathered into a loose rope which was wound around a distaff which is a round tool or reel that kept the thread in line and untangled so it could be spun into cloth.

We, as Christians, are taken out of the miry clay of sin, rooted up from our dark, sin-gripped prison in this world, and put in the kingdom of God's dear Son. We are put on His potter's wheel. We are bathed in His Light, and we have a purifying, sanctifying process to go through, as well. We often are faced with fiery trials to test our faith and give God the opportunity to manifest Himself and His ability in our lives. This builds our faith. It's in the trials that we learn more of God than any other way. Our flesh life, our self-life has to be stripped away, and destroyed, like circumcision of the heart. It's a very painful process. Flesh, which is self has to go. We have to learn we can't find or trust anything in ourselves to be good enough to bring to Him. Then when we are tired, and empty of ourselves, He immerses us in living waters, fills us with Himself, He anchors us to Himself-He is the Rock, the Cornerstone the builders rejected. Or, to put it another way:

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

And this Bride, she works willingly with her hands. This word willingly means she takes great pleasure and delight in doing His will. Jesus said I delight to do Thy will, Oh Lord. This work she does is something she desires to do, it's valuable work, and she takes pleasure in doing it. Her hands are His hands. She is busy, accomplishing what He gives her to do, she is occupying until He comes. She is doing His will, laboring in His vineyard. She raises her hands to her Lord, she uses her hands in and for His service. She uses them to reach out to and minister and help others. What she is doing is having an effect on those around her. She does it happily, serving her Lord. She doesn't grumble or complain over her lot in life. He promised in Php_2:13 that it would be HIM who was actively and mightily working in us both the desire and delight to be actively and mightily doing His good pleasure. We can't be mighty in our own selves, so it is His ability in us that is mighty. The word 'worketh' in that verse is also the same Greek word used for the word 'do' in that verse. In the Greek, it is energeo G1754. It means to be active, efficient, effectual, mighty in work and deed. He's working in us what we can't do ourselves. We can have nothing, as Jesus said unless it's given to us from above.

Pro 31:14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. Pro 31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

The merchants' ships would transport goods, food, and materials people needed across the oceans and seas to other lands. The Bride of Christ is like that, she is a vessel who travels, she doesn't hide. She carries with her, inside her, the Bread of Life that come down from Heaven, the living waters of the Holy Spirit, to share with whosoever will come, the hungry and thirsty. Such as she has, she gives. She is not one given to laziness and slumber. She gets up early, and seeks the face of God for a word for her household, for her family, her neighborhood, those the Lord brings across her path. She feeds on HIM for He alone delights her soul. Because of this, she is able to give to others around her what she has received from Him when she is given opportunity to minister to them in whatever capacity presents itself.

Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

She knows she has been given the responsibility, she's been set as a light in her home, her town, her school, her workplace. She understands she is not the Source, but has constant access to the Source. She depends totally on Him for all the provision needed for the task, so there is no room or excuse for failing to shine. He never fails. She brings her food from afar because it's the Bread of Life, and she got it on her knees and in His Word. It's for those around her who are hungry, for those who are sick of the world and the elusive peace so many seek and never find in a dark and dying world.

Pro 31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

She considers the field. She has counted the cost and deemed everything else as dung that she may win Him. She has a plan of action, His plan, for there is buried treasure in this field. Exceeding precious promises made by her Lord, that she might be partakers of His Divine Nature. She has this precious Word of God, a gift from on high, paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ. Holy men of old sacrificed their lives to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she will do no less. She doesn't take it lightly or for granted. She cherishes it.

She's digging in this Word, she's finding the promises of God, taking them to Him and praying for possession of what has been revealed to her, and He is becoming her strength. He alone can make these promises reality in her life. She's considered the promises carefully. She has sold out completely to the Word of God. As a result, the work of her hands is blessed. She becomes fruitful. The fruit of her hands is the result of the Spirit of God working in her life, sowing the Word, birthing in her the gentleness, peace, joy, patience, long suffering, all the fruits of the Spirit, listed in Gal_5:22. It touches the lives of those around her. His life, his living water flowing through her spreads out with healing and transforming power to bring hope into the lives of the hurting souls around her. She's been to the Source. She's sold out to Him. She's given everything to buy the field, and all the Treasure hidden in it. But this Treasure is not to be kept for self. It's to be found and shared with others.

Pro 31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

In Bible times, they wore close fitting tunics over their bodies, that were normally about knee-length. They covered these with long, flowing robes. When people relaxed or were at ease, they left the robes loose. But when it was time to move, fight, or travel, they tied up the robes with rope or a sash of sorts, so they might more easily move. In the Hebrew, the word "gird" means to put on a belt, or armor, the loins in the Old Testament refers to that area of the human where the reproductive organs are but in the New Testament the word loins refers to our minds. She's put on HIS strength, stands in His strength because she knows she has none of her own. Remember, HE is her Source. The promises of God in His Word are what she wraps around herself and moves and lives on. She stands on His Word to her. And the her I'm talking about here, be reminded, is every born again believer, (for there is no male or female in the kingdom of God) (Gal_3:28) She strengthens her arms, meaning she fortifies herself by drawing from Him His strength. She is established on the Rock, and His life in her is her strength. It is also the light of those around her. In John 1:4, the Word says in Him was life (meaning true, eternal life) and that life was the light of men. That life was the power and presence of the Holy Ghost. That life is to be the same in us as it was and is in Him. As He was in the world, so are we to be. We can't be that except by the power and abiding presence of the Holy Ghost in us.

Pro 31:18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

She has tasted and seen the Lord is good so she feeds on Him continually. Because He is her constant source, her light doesn't go out when things get dark. That word for night in verse 18 means a adversity, in times when things look dark, her light still shines because it's His light and she has the oil in her vessel and her lamp. His Word is her lamp and directs her steps in this dark world. She is as one of the wise virgins described in Matthew 25. She has a constant supply available, as we all do, but she makes sure she gets that supply. She does not neglect seeing her vessel and lamp are filled with oil. She does not have the cavalier attitude of casualness, knowing the oil is available but being too busy to fill her lamp.

Pro 31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

She is trusting, in verse 19 the rod and staff of the Lord to be her comfort, the word distaff literally means a crutch. When spinning thread into cloth, the distaff was the round tool that supported and kept in line the thread so it went evenly on the spinning wheel. That is what the Word of God is, it holds her up daily. Remember in Heb_1:3, He says he upholds all things by the word of His power.

Pro 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

This word stretch in this verse has an unusual meaning in the Hebrew. It means something that is broken in pieces and spread out. This speaks of one who is broken, humble, as was Christ on the cross. His bones were not broken, but his body was. This doesn't mean literally broken in two. Consider the proud and wild horse. It has to be broken and tamed before it can be of use to man. Human beings are the same way-proud, arrogant, stubborn-and must be broken in spirit before they can be of use to the Lord. She reaches out in verse 20, to the poor, meaning in this verse, according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the depressed in mind or circumstances, the afflicted, the humble, needy and poor. Those around her who are hurting, who are bruised by the world, circumstances, and hard times. The Christians around her who are harassed by the enemy, or circumstance, and are weak. She reaches out with the compassion of God, to minister strength and encouragement to them. She speaks His life into their situation, because she has sat at His feet, and heard His Word. Remember, such as she has, she gives.

Pro 31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. Pro 31:22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Pro 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

She's not afraid of the cold for her household, because all of her household are covered, by the precious, crimson blood of the Lamb. Remember, Jesus said in the last days because iniquity would abound, the love of many would grow cold. But this woman has covered all of her household with scarlet-with the blood of His sacrifice, spiritually speaking, through prayer and laying claim to the promises in His Word. She makes herself a coverlet of tapestry, her clothing is purple silk. Silk means white linen, and purple is a symbol of royalty.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Righteousness in verse 8 means acts or deeds. A decision has been made by the Judge concerning this woman and she has been justified or declared right. She prepared herself with the provision He made available to her.

To sit in the gates of a city symbolized one had authority and power to render judgment in legal matters, sentence criminals, make business decisions, set prices for goods bought and sold there, issue decrees, taxes, legislation and other important decisions, etc. In the Bible to say one sits in the gates means they had power and authority. Her husband, master, owner is known and honored, He is revealed to be One who is wise and has great knowledge. Others are instructed by Him. He is One others look and come to for instruction and understanding. He sits among the elders-the senators, the ancient men. When He takes the judgment seat in the gates of the city, everyone understands and accepts His authority.

Pro 31:24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Pro 31:25 Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Pro 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Strength and honor are her clothing. If you look up these words in the Hebrew you will see this doesn't apply to natural clothing. They mean force, majesty, security, praise, boldness, power, might, magnificence, beauty, excellency, glory. In other words, she is clothed with power from on high. She will have much to rejoice over in the future, when she reaps what she's sown. When she opens her mouth, in verse 26, her words are kind, her tongue is under control, the law of kindness rules there. Translated as it's used here, that means in the Strong's Hebrew, piety, beauty, favor, goodness, kind, loving, merciful, having pity, and mercy. She speaks what is right, gentle, and good. Her words are profitable to those who hear them. They are not idle or cruel. Her wisdom is not worldly or sensual.

Pro 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Pro 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

She looketh well to the ways of her house: She observes, waits, keeping watch over and looking out for her family, those under her care. She is careful to watch their progress on this journey so they don't go in the wrong path. She's like a watchman, prepared for the enemy when he tries to come in and do harm. She doesn't listen to or feed on idle words, or lies. She is not slothful. She feeds on the Word of God, she prays and communes with Him at His table, and fills up on His wisdom, and is directed by Him. Only with this kind of communion can this virtuous woman be and achieve all that these Scriptures say she does. It must be HIM working in and through her. Human flesh could not do this led by a carnal mind. Her children rise up, well aware of her wisdom, and being affected with the power in her, are stablished, strengthened, and grateful. They call her blessed-here that word means straight, level, honest, guide. This means her journey, her walk with the Lord is straight, honest and right.

Pro 31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Pro 31:30 Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Pro 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Strong's Hebrew for 'favor' means graciousness, kindness, pleasant and precious, well-favored, beauty. A person can put on a sham, and lie and pretend to like someone, but a woman that feareth, or reveres the Lord, is morally reverent toward the Lord, shall be praised. They might not understand, they might mock her devotion, but in their troubles, they will look to her for her wisdom. In their folly, they will see her wisdom. They will look to her for guidance because they've seen her ways are right, because her ways are the way of the Lord. That is called being a light to the World, letting Jesus shine through her life. He is where the virtue, the force, the power comes from. As the world around her that is lost and in darkness and misery to a harsh taskmaster, and quickly perishing, sees the peace and light and strength that are so evident in her life-she doesn't have to preach Scriptures to them. Her life is the light to those around. Her life is the evidence of the testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She knows she doesn't have to back up His Word, or prove anything to the world. It is His Word to prove, hers to believe and live by. He will back up His Word however He chooses.

At the end of her journey, the result of her faith, her trust in His promises, will be the souls saved who have been touched by the life of Christ in her, flowing out of her to a lost and needy world. What better reason to live can you think of? I love how Bro. Leonard Ravenhill put it, when he asked the question "Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?" If you are living for yourself, for pleasure, and gain, that is not why He died. He came to seek and save the lost. To bind up the wounded, to heal the broken hearted, to loose the slave and set the captives at liberty, to open the blinded eyes. He desires to minister His grace and power and life through His Bride to continue ministering to the poor and needy. He knows His Bride will not take the credit or glory from Him. He knows she will faithfully point others to Him. He shares His heart with her, and He knows He can trust her. Is this the kind of intimacy you have with Jesus Christ? Do you want it? I do! Will you let the lies of the enemy stop you? Will you let the weakness of your flesh or your fears stop you? When He promised that He would perfect what concerns you, (Psa_138:8) and do the work in you (Php_1:6, Php_2:13) and that because He promised (2Pe_1:3-5) we could partake of His divine nature, just because He promised we could! He didn't say we deserved this honor. He didn't say we couldn't. He made us meet or acceptable to partake of Him! HE MADE US ACCEPTABLE!

Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Whose report will you believe, the devil's, your carnal mind's, or the Word of God? I can honestly say I am not there yet, but praise the Lord when I was in these Scriptures in 2006 I didn't see all this. So I'm growing in grace and knowledge of HIM. He's taking me where I can't go and He's making me what the devil said I could never be!!! Hallelujah! Don't let these Scriptures discourage or dishearten you! Don't listen to the voices that say you can't be what this says you are to be! Of course you can't be like this on your own! HE works the work and HE is the power in you to do it. When the circumstances are over your head, out of your control and beyond your ability to understand, they are under His feet. Remember that. He sits as King of the floods. He knows all. He is everywhere. He sees everything. He is ALL Mighty. And HE in His great power and majesty LOVES YOU....what an honor. I tell myself and you, is HE not worth getting up early for? Is He not worth digging into this Book He had written so we can know HIM better? OH, YES!! Does my flesh want to? No. Does my carnal mind? No. Does my heart and soul? YESSSSSS sigh, sigh...I got to have Him. My family has got to have Him. We all have got to have Him. He is so precious. What a privileged people we are to have such an invitation from HIM. We have access. Time is running short. The call is out to everyone. Let us come while He may be found.

My Sheep Know My Voice

2011-01-02T13:50:00.006-05:00

Jesus said in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”

How can we be deceived? It seems the voice we have heard at times sounded like the voice of the Lord, in fact was very sure it was the Lord. But later found this voice had led us in the wrong direction. What went wrong? Does God lie?

The scriptures say. “God is not a man that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19). Yet we see in 1 Kings the 22nd chapter what seems to be a contradiction, we see the Lord sending a lying spirit to deceive Ahab. (1Ki:22:23) "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee."

Paul explains in 2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11, “...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”

These scriptures are showing us that God does not lie, but he will give us over to a lie if we do not want to believe or obey the truth. In this way, it is our own hearts that is lying to us.

In 1 Kings chapter 22 mentioned above, God only gave them the answer they were looking for. God saw their heart and knew they didn’t want direction from him; they wanted God to bless what they wanted, not what God wanted.

Ezekiel:14:3-4 Says, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols”

In the 22nd chapter of Numbers there is the story of Balaam who wanted to hear a word from the Lord to curse the children of Israel. The Lord told Balaam that the Israelites were blessed and cursed. But Balaam was not satisfied with that answer. Balaam had been offered a bribe to go with the Princes of Moab and curse the children of Israel. So he went back to ask of the Lord again, this time God gave him the answer he wanted. God told Balaam to go with the Princes of Moab. But when Balaam left to go with the men from Moab“…God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him” (Numbers 22:22) and would have slain him if his donkey hadn’t gotten out of the way of the angel.

Ezekiel 14: 4 says “...I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols”

An idol is anything that is placed above God and His will, including preconceived ideas with self-will being the most dangerous and evil idol. Should we ask the Lord for direction if we are not willing to believe it or follow it? It is the most dangerous thing if we have self-willed motives "before our face and inquire of the Lord". We may get the answer our flesh wants rather than the truth that could have been used in the process of conforming us into His image. “...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

We should examine our own hearts by asking ourselves if we would be as willing to go in the opposite direction of what we thought and wanted if that was the Lord's will. If we would not, then we have an idol. We should ask the Lord to deal with our idol first.

We need to be careful not to put our religious beliefs, "good works" or assumptions of what is right before the true direction from the Lord; these are also idols and can be a “stumblingblock” for us. This is why there are so many different beliefs in the “Christian faith” and they all say that they have “heard from the Lord”.

Not to be confused, there are different reasons why we don't all hear the same things from the Lord at the same time; it is not always the "idols" of our heart that can causes this. We all have our place in the Kingdom of God and He leads us in His timing giving us what we need in relationship to where we are in Him and what our individual needs and callings are.

Years ago the Lord began to teach me how to trust Him in all areas of with my life. He began by leading me to total dependence on Him for my health. The word was so loud and clear to me I would have thought all Christians would see it and live it this way. I also though it meant the Lord would always heal me if I got sick and keep me in good health. But as I grew in the Lord He taught me that He didn't always lead His children this way, some He would, but others He would never require it of them. As I learned to trust in Him more and more in different areas of my life, He also showed me how to trust Him even if He didn’t always heal me; I just needed to trust Him in whatever state I was in. He showed how we have been bought with a price and we are His to do with as He pleases. He has a purpose for us that is much larger than our health or happiness that comes from the things of this world. His purpose is to transform us more and more into His image and He chooses the course it takes to get us there. Let Him brings us to a place where we will say in EVERYTHING, “not my will Lord, but your will be done”, just as Jesus prayed, “not my will, but thine be done”.

God assures us, if we really want to know the truth, no matter where it takes us, he will give us the truth. There are so many preconceived ideas and self-willed ways that must be laid down at His feet, allowing Him to rebuild the truth in us so we can have confidence that "if we ask we will receive"!

M't:7:7,8: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Lu:11:9,10: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Above all we must truly desire the Lord to lead us in every aspect of our lives in spite of our own “wisdom”. We have to be willing to wait on Him even if He doesn’t answer right away and resist the temptation to return to our own understanding for answers and get ahead of the Lord; we need to trust that He will lead us. The ability to hear the Lord comes from Him, we do not have this ability in ourselves (thank God it doesn’t rest on us, only our willingness and desire for Him) as this is only done through Him in the Spirit. This too is a process through trials and tribulations as He teaches us to depend on Him and not our own understanding as we learn to wait on Him. He will lead us more and more to recognize His voice and “not follow another".

The Way to A Happy New Year by Zac Poonen

2011-01-01T18:20:00.009-05:00

In John's gospel, Jesus used the symbol of water to describe three levels of spiritual development possible through the Holy Spirit:

• Level 1: In John 3:5, He spoke of being "born of water and the Spirit". This is "the cup of salvation" (Psa.116:13), with which we begin our Christian lives. With this cup of water, we are cleansed and brought into God's kingdom as His children.

• Level 2: In John 4:14, Jesus went further and spoke of that cup becoming "a well (spring) of water". This is a deeper experience of the Holy Spirit, where all our inner longings are met by Him, so that we live in perpetual victory and joy, lacking nothing. A man who has a well in his own compound is not dependent on the city corporation's water supply. No outsider can turn off his water supply, for he has the source of water within his own compound. This is how it is with the Christian who has found the secret of perpetual abundance in Christ. No-one outside of him can cut off his supply of joy or peace or victory (Jn.16:22).

• Level 3: In John 7:38, Jesus went still further and said that the well would now become a river, and many rivers, flowing out of the believer. This is a picture of overflowing abundance. Such a believer is able to quench the thirst of many needy people around him. Whereas a well satisfies only our own longings, rivers of living water make us a blessing to many people, wherever we go.

The blessing with which God blessed Abraham was, "I will bless you....and in you ALL THE FAMILIES of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.12:2-3). This is the blessing that can now be ours through the Holy Spirit (Gal.3:14). When God blesses us to the point of rivers flowing out of us, many families in many parts of the country and even in the whole world can be blessed through us.

The good news of the gospel is that we can be saved from such a miserable existence. We can now have rivers of living water flowing out through us constantly, and be a blessing to every family that we meet. We can be merciful to others just as God has been merciful to us. We can release others just as God has released us. We can bless others just as God has blessed us. We can give freely to others just as God has freely given to us. We can be large-hearted to others just as God has been to us.

A.W. Tozer in his article Five Decisions For Spiritual Power says:
"If you are really serious about your spiritual development - the gaining of new joy, new power and new life - then you should make certain decisions in your heart concerning your life, and proceed to keep them.

"One decision is: Never pass on anything about anybody else that will hurt him.

"`Love covers a multitude of sins' (1 Pet.4:8). The talebearer has no place in God's favour. If you know something that would hinder or hurt the reputation of one of God's children, bury it forever. Let God take care of it. `With what judgment you judge, you will be judged' (Matt.7:2)."

If you want God to be good to you, you must be good to His children. The rules of our Father's table demand that you don't tell stories about others who are sitting around that same table with you, no matter what their denomination, their nationality or their background." (From the book THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS).

It will be a good thing if all of us make that decision today - never to pass on anything about another that will hurt him or his reputation - and keep that decision, not just for the rest of this year but for the rest of our lives. Those who have lived by that decision in past years have found that when they discarded the worthless from their daily conversation, and spoke only what was edifying and profitable, God in turn, fulfilled His promise, and made them His spokesmen - His mouth (Jer.15:19).

This year - and every year - can be a happy year for all of us if we release everyone who owes us anything, or who has hurt or harmed us in any way. Bury those grudges permanently and be merciful to all men and thus make a new beginning with the Lord today.

Wish you a Happy New Year

The Despised of this World

2010-12-27T13:03:00.003-05:00

   “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

   “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

   “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

   “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” ( Matthew 11:25).

   “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” (Luke 10:21).

   “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.” (James 1:9-10)

   “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5).

God’s ways are not our ways. What seem to be most valued assets in this world are not valued in God’s kingdom. Paul said “not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty and not many noble are called.” But those that are wise, mighty or noble must become nothing in themselves.

   “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

Paul was highly educated and could have spoken with “excellency of speech and wisdom” but he said he “counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,” (Philippians 3:8).

   “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

Do we judge each other the same way the world judges, using the same measuring stick they use to determine worth? Do we “grade” each other out, making some more worthy than others depending on what is important to us? Do we want to be seen walking down the street with someone in rags? Do we care if they have the right hair cut? Are we embarrassed? What makes us like that? Is it pride?

James addresses some of this:

   “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

   "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

   "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” (James 2:1-9).

Zephaniah prophesied in chapter 3 verse 12, “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” Wow, what a testimony, the poor and the weak shall TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. Would we not rather be poor and weak and have a testimony from the LORD saying we trust in His Name? No better place to be!

Would we rather be loved by this world’s kingdom or loved of God in His Kingdom?

Coming out from the world and its ways has many aspects of which we have not always been aware of. Our thoughts and attitudes towards one another and of ourselves should be of the Lord and not by human reasonings, understandings or feelings. When we can see as the Lord sees, we will also love as He loves.

Reading the opening scriptures again, we can get a real picture of how much God loves those that seemingly have no earthly value; do we really want to be among the “abased” ones? Paul did!

The world admires greatness and those with talents and abilities, but Paul warned“…not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.” (1 Corinthians 4:6b) He was speaking of himself as well, not wanting to be praised as if he had anything of himself. He said “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

   “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10).

Pride is an awful thing, if you could see it for what it really is, it would be a horrible thing to look at, a slimy cesspool of filth, but this is what the world runs on, it is the world’s fuel. Pride fuels our selfish wills to fight against the Lord’s will. Pride does not want to be seen as the “abased ones”, pride causes embarrassments and hurt feelings to well up when it has been crossed.

   “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3).

Pride can show up in many different places. If we are what the world would call inadequate in some area, we could become embarrassed or ashamed if these inabilities or short comings are seen by others. But let us remember, we are not of this world, ours is the Kingdom of God where these things do not matter, we are to be nothing in ourselves so He can be our all in all. The shame we may experience is nothing compared to the “glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18b). All those in the Kingdom of God will see each other in the same way and not judge according to this world’s standards.

   “Let your conversation (manner of life) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5).

So let us learn to be content in our state, this is where the Lord would have us be. All these things are for a reason and the Lord has us in His hands. Those who are not wise, rich or talented must learn to depend on the Lord for everything they have or do, as Paul said “when I am weak, He is strong”.

We have no ability to change this prideful Adamic nature in ourselves any more than a Leopard can change his spots; we can only try to control our response to it. But the Lord wants to remove it from us and replace it with His own nature if we will submit to Him and His will. He does it by bringing it to the surface with trials and tribulations in these areas so we can “see” how our pride has held us. Rather than condemning ourselves for our pride, let us see that it is the Lord working these things out in us and we are helpless to change it. As it shows up, submit to the Lord’s leading, thanking Him for His dealing with us, give it to Him and ask Him to remove it from us and give us His nature in its place. This is His plan, this is what He wants to do in us. This is the salvation that must come from Him and is not of ourselves. The Lord will cause us to reflect His nature rather than our own, from glory to glory. This is part of what Paul was speaking about when He wrote “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This salvation is a process, (from glory to glory), more of His glory in place or our own “glory”. The meaning of glory can be summed up with “nature”, “image” or “substance”. The more we submit to Him in these trials and tribulations that come to us periodically exposing our fleshly nature; He will remove it and give us more of “Himself” in exchange, changing us more and more into His image.

   “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).

   “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10).

A Missing Element

2010-12-21T15:50:00.001-05:00

And for this cause [receiving not the love of the truth] God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (II Thessalonians 2:11)

A key ingredient is absent from the preaching and teaching of numerous Evangelical churches. The missing factor is the understanding of the role of tribulation, of chastisement, of Divine judgment, of suffering in the Divine plan of salvation.

The source of the error probably is the humanistic, man-centered, anti-Christian philosophies that dominate Western thinking. Democratic government is one manifestation of these philosophies. Another is the understanding of Divine grace to be an unconditional forgiveness of sins such that the believer is established in God's favor regardless of his conduct.

A third symptom of humanistic thinking is the recent doctrine of the pre-tribulation "rapture." The problem with the rapture error is not that of a misunderstanding of the time of Christ's appearing. A correct knowledge of the details of the future is not as important in the Kingdom as we may think. The problem is, rather, that the believers are not aware of the role Divine judgment plays in their salvation. They are seeking to be removed from suffering and so God has sent delusion upon them.

We have noted that in the churches in America the leadership often is terribly afraid of any preaching that does not flatter the congregation. This accent on "positive" thinking is widely accepted in the secular realm but it should never have entered the Body of Christ. The inroads positive thinking and preaching have made in the churches of America reveals an ignorance of God and His ways with men.

We are aware that as the demonic pressure increases on us we must, in order to survive, think about what is lovely and pure. If we do not, if we focus on the evil in our environment, we surely will go down in spiritual defeat. We must learn to sing and dance in the heights of Zion no matter how the forces of evil clamor for attention.

The "positive preaching" that is destroying the character of the believers is not an attempt to enable us to focus on the beauty and wonder of the Kingdom. Rather, it is a refusal to accept chastisement at the hand of the Lord. In many instances the ministry is seeking its own glory and is misleading the flock of God.

The Christian Church has suffered in the fire for two thousand years. The current teaching that God does not wish His beloved to suffer is understandable only in the wealthy democracies. The Christians in the rest of the world are suffering, as they always have. The twentieth century has been distinguished by persecution and martyrdom. To say God will not allow His saints to suffer is unscriptural and also unrealistic in terms of what has happened throughout history and is taking place today

If we will examine the Scriptures we will discover that suffering is an important aspect of the Divine redemption.

As we enter our brief study of suffering, its role in the Christian redemption, we must think again about the goal of salvation.

R. Thompsom

The Church in Laodicea

2010-12-13T11:49:00.000-05:00

By Jeanne Guyon

Rev. 3:14,15,16: "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: '1 know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

However unruly a group of believers may be, they are part of His Church. Jesus Christ here gives Himself marvelous qualities. I am, He says, the Amen, the true being. There is nothing besides Me. I am essence. All other beings exist in Me and by Me. I am; and what is not Myself is nothing. Why this Amen? Because there is nothing to be added, for when Jesus Christ says: "I am that I am," this is all that can be positively said of Him.

He repeats He is the faithful and true witness and as He said it to him who did right, He says it to him who fails. For He is the faithful witness of righteousness. He is also the witness of evil, uncovering evil and recording it. That is why, being as exact as He is, it will be a terrible thing for us to fall in the hands of the living God. In order for this not to be so for us, we must put in His hands our whole life, acting only by His leadings and following His Spirit. Then all our works will be done with assurance; and He will be the faithful and true witness of them. He will not reject any of the works He has done Himself! Besides the literal sense that all creatures have been created by the Word and that all life springs from His, I say that all works, in order to come from God and be considered by Him as His works, must have this principle: that Jesus Christ must be the agent of them, that they are done under His Spirit, and done while in spirit. He must be the moving power of them.

The rebuke of Jesus Christ through John to this gathering is frightful. It is certain that there are no persons more opposed to receiving the true Spirit of God, the inner Spirit, than lukewarm Christians. The reason for this is that the carelessness with which they do all that pertains to God is so great that the little warmth that is left appears to them to be a great fire. They do not understand they do evil, and the love they have for themselves makes them believe so strongly they are doing well, that they cannot doubt it!

All that is said to them to get them out of that state offends them! Such words make them see in others a blindness which is their own! A blindness it is which they do not wish to recognize or admit.

This evil is then is almost without remedy! Further, it is nourished and established by self-sufficiency and self-love. They prefer themselves to sinners (whom they look upon with disdain and scorn). They prefer themselves, and their views, to the greatest saints of all time. They are opposed to receiving an effecting portion of the Spirit of God more than the greatest sinner is. That is why Jesus Christ says concerning the one spoken of here: "I would that you were cold." If he were cold he would be easily converted! He would be convinced of his coldness, and he would receive with humility the advice given him.

If not cold, then hot. But because "he is neither cold nor hot, I will vomit him out of my mouth." Oh, this is the most frightful word in the world! Once you are vomited, there is no more hope, for a thing you throw away can be picked up again, but a vomited thing is never again gathered. How these words should make any who are thus to tremble. Doing right only through routine is dangerous! Odd, is it not, that the lukewarm believe they are filled with warmth, while these filled with warmth, in some seasons, believe themselves to be lukewarm.

Rev. 3:17: "Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,..."

What is most strange about lukewarm people is, they believe they are richer in graces than anyone else, and filled with spiritual goods. It seems to them that they need no one, and they believe that everyone else needs them. They invariably oblige everybody to accept their advice and their view. They believe themselves to be in a place in which they can advise all. They do not wish to be advised by anyone! While another gathering of believers in Asia Minor was apparently poor yet immensely rich, this group thinks itself rich while very "poor" in God and in His graces. Loving themselves, they are very wretched. They cannot be really glad; they lack everything since they lack what is essential-- perfect love, abandonment to God, perfect giving up of each life, resignation, submission to God's Will, unselfishness, etc. They are "miserable" because though they appear outwardly glad, they are driven inwardly by the love of glory, the desire to be counted as somebody though they are nothing.

Let one of these be touched by contempt or the least affliction... and he will be overwhelmed completely. They are "poor and naked." Why? Because they are stripped of all-- for being not clothed with Jesus Christ or animated by His Spirit, is to be poor and naked indeed. They are also blind, yet believing that they are all right.

Rev. 3:18: "I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see."

Oh Love, only You can impart the perfect love which is that "gold tried in the fire." Only You can place in our soul pure virtues. Only You can clothe us with this Spirit of faith which is a very pure gold. Only You can produce in us these works so perfect in love that fire cannot spoil them. To You then we must come "to buy this gold." But what do You want us to give You for its price? "Buy of Me, " He says, "without money and without price." He requires nothing as a payment because He knows too well that we have nothing. He just wants us to give ourselves to Him, to abandon ourselves to Him without reserve. It is He Who also gives us white raiment, the robe of innocence and truthfulness with which He clothes His servants. This robe of innocence must cover that nakedness of human nature. Do not think this is impossible, for the grace of redemption must exceed the grace of creation, and that repaired innocence must be more abundant than the original innocence. Moreover, Jesus Christ, inviting us to go to Him, speaks of love and innocence in terms of wine and milk. As for love, He imparts it to us, by His Holy Spirit-- an advantage which Adam never had.

He adds that He will put eyesalve on our eyes, so that we can see clearly. This eyesalve is simply the Spirit of faith which frees us from the blindness in which we are kept by our reasoning and our self love. We shall know then that we are poor, whereas we thought we were rich; that we are naked whereas we thought we were covered more than all.

Rev.3:19: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent."

The greatest proof of love that God can give us is that He warns us about our faults. An "inner" believer has, within, a director reproving unceasingly, a master correcting and chastening continuously; it seems that God has nothing else to do but reprove and correct this soul. This is the greatest proof of His love.

Rev. 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me."

Jesus Christ always stands at the door of our heart; He waits for us to open to Him. Oh Christians, whoever you may be, not opening your door to your Savior, are you not very ungrateful not to open your whole heart to God, He who opened His on the cross to receive you? At the very door of your heart He is knocking. There is not one of us, who paying attention to God within, would fail hearing His knock at the heart's door. But if you do not hear, it is because you do not pay attention. Get used to stilling your soul, they you will hear Him knocking at the door of your heart. As soon as you open, yielding yourself to Him unreservedly, He will enter. But how can we hear His voice if we do not listen?

Oh Love, You speak to the heart which has no ear to hear You because he is attentive to the voices of creation, about him. He is not attentive to You; he does not discern Your voice. If he would react against himself just a little to listen to Your voice, he would unmistakably hear it, and no sooner would he have heard, than You would come within. He would then sense Your divine presence in an unspeakable way -a way that would surprise him so because he was not expecting such a unique grace. But Jesus Christ would not stop there. He admits you to His banquet. With you who listen He shares His feast and love. Jesus Christ is your food, and gives Himself to you. Your Lord would have you taste the most delicious of all nourishment...Jesus Christ-- within! Oh Christians, you who are born for such great wealth which you can have if you only wish, shall you deprive yourself of it? We wrongly have in mind that this is a grace reserved for very few people and that it is almost impossible to obtain; however, everlasting truth assures us that there is nothing easier to have. Is there anything easier than opening a door to a person who unceasingly stands by it, knocking continuously? And what is easier than hearing Him Who always speaks so as to be obeyed? There is nothing easier. However, He does ask for an opening. He asks to be heard so as to come in to us, to be unceasingly present. He asks us to accept admission to His feast, and He asks "to sup with us"-- that is, to share our troubles; and for us "to sup with Him"-- that is, to share in His divine delights. You only have to stretch out your hand! Ah, blindness today is so great, be not part of it.

Rev. 3:21,22: "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

The throne of Jesus Christ is nothing less than the bosom of the Father. The throne is given Him eternally. His humanity has been favored by His divinity through His death, and through the victory He won over hell and self. The throne is His. "He who overcomes" through Jesus Christ, will be received in God with Him and will share this throne. "He who has an ear" to listen "let him hear" these things and understand the kindnesses and mercies of God for His dear creation.

The Purpose of the Law

2010-12-12T11:54:00.000-05:00

God must prepare every disciple before they will be ready to earnestly seek out the life and nature of Jesus Christ. This union of lives will never take place while we are still attempting to be good Christians by our own self-sufficient spirit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:3) The “poor in spirit” have recognized their helplessness and have turned to the Lord in dependence upon His divine power to enable them to participate with Him in His nature. (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

As the apostle Paul depicted in his own life, everyone will naturally turn to the way of law and human effort until they are fully convinced of their own helplessness. It will require some time under law before we are willing to give up the years of conditioning we have received from the “spirit of the world.” (1 Cor. 2:12) Every new believer still has a naturally independent and self-sufficient spirit – a spirit they will not easily give up. The law has been designed to break this evil spirit.

The law is like a harsh schoolmaster who places a great burden on our shoulders and drives us onward until we discover the new and better way of life “in Christ.” God’s word first teaches us to obey all of His teachings. But we eventually discover our inability to manifest the kingdom-life as taught by our Lord. Therefore, given an opportunity, the law will expose our corrupt heart and our insufficiency.

…The law was our schoolmaster {to first describe God’s righteous way of life and then make us aware of how we cannot become Christlike through human effort, in order} TO BRING US UNTO CHRIST, {so we will earnestly seek out His divine life}, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal. 3:24 KJV) {As noted before, we receive our justification by earnestly seeking out Christ’s life and nature through faith.}

I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death...But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. (Rom. 7:10, 13)

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known...This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe… (Rom. 3:19-22)

Grace through faith does not release us from the righteous requirements of the law, but rather, God uses His powerful “Spirit of grace” to impart His divine life as a new nature from within our eternal soul. Once we learn the requirements of God’s law, which includes the teachings in our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, this harsh schoolmaster drives the true seeker of God into absolute dependence upon the power of Christ’s Spirit.

When false teachers turn the grace of God into a license to live in sin, they are effectively counteracting the work God is attempting to do through the law. If we ignore the teachings of God when they are in conflict with our fallen nature, then our self-sufficient way of life will never be broken. Consequently, those who use the grace of God for a license to live for self in their sin, will never enter into the kind of dependence that enables the children of God to participate with Christ in His divine nature.

Every Christian must learn to recognize how absolutely necessary it is to surrender themselves to a life wholly under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. Only those who are willing to die to human effort and live by faith in God’s power will be able to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

{Jesus said}, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets {which are the teachings of spiritual life in the Old Testament}; I have not come to abolish them BUT TO FULFILL THEM...“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law {who were very moral men}, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…” (Matt. 5:17, 20-22)

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature {the flesh - KJV}, God did by sending his own Son...in order that the RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENTS of the law might be FULLY MET IN US, who do not live according to the sinful nature {the flesh – KJV} but according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3-4)

…And his commands are not burdensome {when we are participating with Christ in His divine nature}, for everyone born of God overcomes {the willful ways of} the world… (1 John 5:3-4)

Paul has described the bondage that he once experienced while trying to live by human effort under law in Romans seven. “I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.” (Rom. 7:10) Paul was describing what everyone will experience when they are still trying to live by human effort under law.

He wants us to understand the need of turning from a dependence upon the flesh to a dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Paul could not be set free from a bondage to the flesh by the “Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2) until after he had learned this lesson. But in Romans chapter seven he did not yet have freedom from the flesh. Romans chapter seven describes a man still in bondage to the flesh. It is not a depiction of what it means to be set “free indeed” (John 8:36) with the abundant spiritual life of Jesus Christ. (John 10:10) Christ’s life has much more power than the fallen life we have received from Adam. Jesus had promised to give Paul life, and life to the full.

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, HOW MUCH MORE will those who receive God’s ABUNDANT PROVISION of grace and of THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS REIGN IN LIFE THROUGH THE ONE MAN, JESUS CHRIST! (Rom. 5:17)

Before Paul could be set free, the law had to make him fully aware of the depth of his own insufficiency. He had to be broken away from the way of human effort {striving in one’s own sufficiency and zeal}. There was no power in the fallen life to enable him to obey the spirit of the law, no matter how intent he was on obeying the letter of the law. This is why Paul has taken such pains to explain how the law was designed to bring about a death to the self-life. Given its opportunity, the law will make us aware of the depth of the evil in our heart. Eventually, we will recognize our inability to fix it. Then we have two options, since everyone will follow one of two masters. We can then turn the grace of God into a license for our sin, or we can die to the way of human effort and turn to a true faith principle.

…For it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers {supernatural} righteousness on you. But you have planted wickedness {with your self-will}, you have reaped evil {in your carnal nature}, you have eaten the fruit of {Satan’s} deception. Because you have depended on your own strength... (Hos. 10:12-13)

We must be brought to a real death to self and to the world’s way of self-sufficiency. The Spirit is then able to show us how to truly live by faith in God. Only through dependent faith in God’s power are we able to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:14)

It is amazing to see how many people are able to believe in a future salvation that looks forward to being united with Christ’s life in the heavenly realms, yet they cannot believe in God’s power to save them from their sinful nature while they remain in this world. They must either have doubts about His enabling power, or they assume He doesn’t want to manifest the light of Christ’s life into the current darkness of this world. But in either case, they will find themselves running up against many Scriptures that are in direct conflict with their way of life. It is also amazing to find so much faith in God’s ability to solve the temporal circumstances of this world, and yet so little faith in God’s ability to heal the soul. In effect, it is the devil that keeps the eyes of the sinful nature on this world. He knows how important it is to keep our hearts out of the heavenly realms and separated from God’s presence while we remain in a mortal body.

Everyone who believes in a sinning religion is right in one sense: The sinful nature will go on sinning as long as we are living by human effort. The willfulness of the flesh-life has its source in self-sufficiency, and that comes from pride. So as long as we are living by the strength of human effort – the flesh – we cannot help but go on sinning {live by self-will to some greater or lesser degree}. The people who are still living by human effort in a sinning religion, which includes those who are zealous for the law {as the law has no power to change the sinful nature}, have overlooked a very important spiritual principle: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” (John 6:63) If we want to enter into New Testament Christianity, it will be necessary to permit the Spirit to take our flesh-life {with its human efforts} to the cross.

If we are going to live in the CHRISTIAN FAITH, there is a question that each one of us must ask ourselves. Does God have the power and the desire to free me from my sinful nature? Or said in another way – Does God want to restrict His power and leave me in the darkness of my sinful nature? Of course, we cannot afford to answer this question with our own opinions. We must look to God’s Word for an answer.

NATURE, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men {the Old Testament For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit {the carnal nature} for death. But now, BY DYING TO WHAT ONCE BOUND US {which includes the self-sufficiency of the flesh-life}, we have been released from the law SO THAT WE SERVE IN THE NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT... (Rom. 7:5-6)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not live according to the {willfulness and self-sufficiency of the} sinful nature {the flesh – KJV} but according to the Spirit, because through Christ Jesus the law of the SPIRIT OF LIFE SET ME FREE from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son...in order that the RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENTS of the law might be FULLY MET IN US, who do not live according to the {self-sufficient} sinful nature {of human effort} but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires {and so they pursue the willful, self-sufficient and self-seeking ways of this world}; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit {by dying to their own will – the essence of all sin} have their minds set on what the Spirit desires {which is God’s will}. The mind of sinful man is death {which produces an emptiness in the soul}, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is {divine} life and peace…{Those who live by the power of the flesh – the sinful nature – will still be worried and upset about many things.} Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature {the flesh – KJV}, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature {which is willful, self-seeking, and self-sufficient}, you will die {have a returning emptiness within the soul}; but if by the Spirit you put to death the {self-originated} misdeeds of the body, you will live {in the divine life of the Son and will “never thirst”}, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom. 8:1-6, 12-14)

So I say, live by {the power of} the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature {the lust of the flesh – KJV}...The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity...discord, jealousy, fits of rage, SELFISH AMBITION {all ambition that originates or has its source in the flesh and not in the Spirit}, dissensions, factions and ENVY {a feeling of discontent because I don’t have what someone else has}...I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no {need for} law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus HAVE CRUCIFIED THE SINFUL NATURE its passions and desires... Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please the {willful and self-seeking} sinful nature {the flesh}, from that nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the Spirit {by dying to self-will}, from the Spirit will reap {Christ’s} eternal life. (Gal. 5:16, 19-24; 6:7-8)

For where ENVY and SELF-SEEKING exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (Jas. 3:16 NKJV)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the {willful and self-seeking} ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air {in his self-sufficient and independent way of pride}, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts...But because of his great love for us, God...RAISED US UP WITH CHRIST AND SEATED US WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS {making it possible to be set free from the bondage and corruption of the flesh-driven life that Satan holds sway over}... (Eph. 2:1-4, 6)

To him who overcomes {the willful and self-seeking ways of this world}, I will give the right to SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE {in the heavenly realms}, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. {We are to enter into this unity of life with the Father and the Son while we remain in this world. – John 17:22-23} He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev. 3:21-22)

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in BODILY FORM, and you have been given {access to} FULLNESS IN CHRIST, who is the head over every power and authority. {Because He now sits on the throne, He has the power and the authority to manifest His life and nature through our human body.} In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off {or cutting off} OF THE SINFUL “type”} but with the circumcision done by {the power and authority of} Christ {by faith}... (Col. 2:9-11)

…Circumcision is circumcision of the heart {referring to the supernatural cutting off of the sinful nature – the flesh}, by {the power of} the Spirit, not by the written code {and human effort}. Such a man’s praise is not from men {because he has died to the ways of the world and does not seek the approval of men}, but from God. (Rom. 2:29)

For it is we who are the circumcision {when the sinful nature has been cut off}, we who worship by {or live by} the Spirit of God, who glory in {the indwelling life of} Christ Jesus, and WHO PUT NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH. (Phil. 3:3)

If we have truly died to self and “no longer live,” we will stop living by human effort – the flesh. This puts an end to the sinful nature. All sin flows out of this willful and self-seeking nature. When we have died to our self-will – the sinful nature – then we can say with Paul, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” And Christ is not a sinner. When Christ manifests His life and nature from within our inner being, we will have His undivided desire to do the will of the Father in heaven. When we have His nature, we also have “the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16) Our only hope for true deliverance, therefore, is to enter into the Sabbath-rest of God where everyone rests from their own work of human effort and participates with Christ in His divine life and nature. (2 Pet. 1:4) Of course, we must seek out a supernatural baptism by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit in order for this to occur. Our sinful nature must be cut off if we hope to have an undivided heart that only desires to do the will of the Father in heaven.

The Lord sets us free from the willful and self-seeking nature so we can joyously live fully under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. “So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Death on a cross was a long, slow and painful process. God provided this spiritual type to prepare us for the kind of soul-suffering we can expect to experience within our soul as we go through the process of dying to self. He wants us to be prepared in advance for the kind of soul-suffering we will experience as we are being broken from Satan’s way of self-sufficiency.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you {as you go through the wilderness time of testing}, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed {in you as a new life and nature}, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. (1 Pet. 4: 12-13 NKJV)

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives {into the Kingdom-life}. (Heb. 12:6 NKJV)

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat FALLS TO THE GROUND AND DIES, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me {through a death to the flesh-life}; and where I am {in the heavenly realms}, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves {follows} me {by lifting them up into a participation with Christ in the “divine nature” of self-sacrificing love, a place of abundant spiritual life}. (John 12:24-26)

The self-sufficiency that produces the self-directed way of life does not die easily. As the scripture above pictures, the seed first falls to the ground and lays there for a period of time. It gradually becomes covered over by the elements and is buried in darkness. After it lies there for a while, it suddenly rises up into new life by a supernatural work of God. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. When we find ourselves in the weakest possible condition through this slow death of the flesh-life, we can know that we are in a condition for God to perfect His power from within our inner being. (2 Cor. 12:9) When there is nothing left that is trying to assert its own rights, opinions, and will – with nothing but the carcass of the old life left – then the fire can come down from heaven to consume the remains. And thanks be to God, when this purification process is completed, the glory of the Lord can then fill the temple of our body.

{As a spiritual “type”} When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices {of the self-life}, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple {our body is the temple in this New Testament age of fulfillment – 2 Cor. 6:16}. (2 Chron. 7:1)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. SUDDENLY a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be TONGUES OF FIRE {coming down from heaven} that separated and CAME TO REST ON EACH ONE OF THEM. (Acts 2:1-3)

ON THAT DAY YOU WILL REALIZE THAT...I AM IN YOU. (John 14:20)

…SO IT IS WITH EVERYONE BORN OF THE SPIRIT. (John 3:8)

[From – The Gospel of the Kingdom of God – Steve Bray]

Following Christ unto Salvation

2010-11-27T13:22:00.019-05:00

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. (Rom. 1:16)

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

The enemy has had many devices that have been used to discourage and distract us from this ‘high calling’ in Him “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. His purpose is to keep us from hearing the voice of the Lord speaking to us in our spirits. If we cannot hear him, how are we to follow Him? He will even use the scriptures to take the place of following Christ who IS the Spirit of Truth. Knowledge of the scriptures alone is unable to lead us; we need to be able to hear CHRIST who IS the Word, only He is able to lead us into a “perfect man”.

The Pharisees could not accept who Jesus was even though they had memorized and knew the scriptures because they could not hear the voice of the Father in their spirits speaking to them of His Son. Read what Jesus said to them:

(John 5:37-40) And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

The scriptures are meant to point us to CHRIST to be led of HIM. Scriptures are a witness of Christ just as WE should be a witness of Christ, but WE are NOT the Christ and neither are the scriptures. Apart from Christ neither we, nor the scriptures can pierce the hearts of men nor can we or the scriptures discern the thoughts and intents of the heart, ONLY CHRIST the Living Word can do this. We and the scriptures are a dead word without Christ.

Christ can use the scriptures or one of His servants to speak, but He is not limited to either of these tools. He has to be HEARD in the hearts of men no matter what means He chooses to use. He wants a relationship with His people that will hear his voice, recognize it and follow Him; this is how he will lead His own into the Sons of God that He desires for His people. This has been His plan since before the foundation of the world.

You can understand why Satan would not want us to hear the voice of the Lord. If he can keep people using our own understanding of scriptures, following men and their doctrines he has defeated them and they are no threat to his kingdom of darkness. But any that would be more spiritual and have a desire to hear from the Lord and to be led by him, Satan has to defeat them in other ways. There are so many different devices at his disposal, the desire for the things of this world, the approval of men are just a couple, but all of these can be traced back to our flesh and the lack of the cross in our lives.

If we are to hear a clear word from the Lord we must die out to our own wants and desires. Just as Jesus prayed in the garden let us pray, “Not my will, but thy will be done”, and pick up our cross and follow Him. We are warned in scripture that if we keep any hidden desire in our hearts apart from Christ’s will, we risk His answering us according to these “idols of our hearts” and He will allow us to believe a lie while the whole time thinking we have heard from the Lord. (See Ezekiel 14:4 2 and Thessalonians 2:10-11)

We should always be praying as David did. - Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). If we earnestly pray this kind of prayer to our Lord, let us TRUST that He has heard us. Let us BELIEVE if we “asked for bread, He would not give us a stone” (Mat7:9-11) and “He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him” (Hbr 11:6)

After all this, the biggest hindrance we face is TRUSTING that we will be able to hear from the Lord. Satan comes at every opportunity to discourage us, reminding us how wretched we are, how undeserving we are, making us feel that we are not able to hear from God. This has caused many to fall back to relying only on other people to teach them, reading scriptures and so forth. But thanks be to God that he judges the intents of our hearts and He is long suffering, bearing with us. He gently guides us in these things until we are able to come to the faith in Him that He desires for us.

We have to remember that this is HIS plan and not ours. Can we believe that since this is His plan that He is also able to perform it? He said His sheep will hear his voice and they will not follow another. Thank God it does not depend on us; we do not have this ability in ourselves. But, He will cause us to hear His voice if we will deny ourselves and seek Him with our whole heart, for indeed He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. And if we miss this mark from time to time, this is part of our learning process. Get back up and go to Him again with our whole heart trusting in Him and He will soon be there leading us again.

Let us encourage one another in this. We have an enemy that is constantly putting us down discouraging us, (remember he is called the accuser of the brethren) let us not agree with the enemy and end up fighting against the Lord. It will steal our faith to believe the Lord is able to perform this perfect work in us he spoke of in Ephesians 4:13. In doubting we can only see our own inabilities in reaching such high places in the Lord, never realizing it is not our responsibility to “achieve it” as it can only come by hearing and following the Lord in faith. In reality, we are judging God in His ability to work out His plan in those that will submit to His will. But, "With men, these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible”. If we trust Him, it is HIS responsibility to “get us there”. Remember, it is HIS plan!

Yes, it is a process, as we learn to depend on the Him, He will teach us through many trials and tribulations. He uses these to burn out our old nature and replace it with His life and His nature. He is loving and he comforts us through these trying times and gently leads us along. Let us trust Him that He is able to do it, giving Him everything, for He is trustworthy! And then STAND AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD.

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Lose it all

2010-11-26T10:24:00.000-05:00

Salvation from Sin

2010-11-24T17:44:00.004-05:00

by Steve Bray

The Gospel is a message that explains how Jesus Christ has come to save people from sin. And yet, many of those in the church think that Christ can only save them from the penalty of sin, while they themselves must keep on sinning {living by their own will} daily. In order to believe this way, we must either think that God does not have the power to save us from our fallen state, or that He intends for us to go on living in it.

Here is where we need to pay close attention to the Scriptures. Jesus came to save us “from” our sins, rather than “in” our sins. “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21) Furthermore, this salvation is to include more than a few of our worst sins. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him…” (Heb. 7:25)

The term “uttermost” means both completely and without limit. We can therefore say that Jesus has come to save us from the very nature that produces sin. As an omnipotent God, He has the power that can enable us to become partakers with Him in His own divine nature.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life {the Kingdom-life of perfect love} and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises {promises that need to be understood and appropriated by faith}, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world {the kingdom of darkness} caused by evil {self-seeking} desires. (2 Pet. 1:3-4 NIV)

In a figurative sense, most Christians believe they are to receive a new life from the Son of God. However, they do not believe that He is able to provide them with the “life” that He received from the Father—the same divine life that overcame sin. This is the point where there needs to be a real renewing of the mind. Christians need to be built up both in their knowledge of the Son and in their faith, so they may look to the Lord in hope to reveal Himself within their hearts in such a way that it becomes possible to “reign in life {zoe} through…Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) The divine life that comes from Jesus Christ is able to reign over the old sin nature.

The apostle John has explained how believers can be fully saved from sin in these concise words: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9) Similarly, Paul has stated, “The life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Cor. 4:10) From these Scriptures and others that will follow, we will see how it is possible to be “saved” from our fallen nature by becoming partakers with Christ in His Kingdom-life of perfect love. The life of Christ does not sin. And once He has fully established His Kingdom-life of perfect love within our heart, we will begin sharing with Him in His complete victory over sin. This is what is meant by the term full salvation.

Jesus remained without sin because He did nothing “out from” Himself. He completely yielded Himself to be led by the Spirit. Although He had a will of His own while living as a man, He surrendered his own will in order to live by the will of the Father. He thereby revealed how man was created to live “as one” with God, by sharing with the Father in His divine life and will.

If we are living in our own strength according to our own will, which is the essence of Satan’s pride and independence, everything we do is sin. But because of what Jesus has accomplished, we may overcome this old flesh-life. It can be destroyed so that we may be delivered from the self-originated form of life—the root of sin—and begin living under the control and power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus did.

Scripture is clear on this matter. The “body of sin” can be “done away with.” (Rom. 6:6) Paul is not referring to the physical body with its God-given desires. Rather, he is referring to a body of sin that refuses to remain in complete subjection to the Holy Spirit. This fallen nature, which naturally wants to have its own way and live for itself, must be done away with before it is possible to live fully under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. The Son’s life of perfect love will establish God’s complete reign within the heart.

Jesus is called the Second or Last Adam because He has become the firstborn of a new lineage of people who all share in the same divine image. Every child of God is to follow Jesus and learn to live as He did. There needs to be a complete yielding of the human will. Only in following this path of the Son is it possible to come under the full control of God’s Spirit. And only in this way is it possible to share with God in His Kingdom-life from heaven.

God possesses the needed power to raise our spiritual life into a state where we can begin sharing with Christ in all the spiritual blessings that are found in His Kingdom-life within the heavenly realms. (Eph. 1:3) By dying out to the old fleshly way of life where people naturally live by their own will, it is possible to become a partaker with Christ in His eternal life of perfect love. This divine life originates in the Father and passes through the Son before it enters into our eternal soul by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This life is so unique and heavenly in nature that Jesus said we would know when we are living through Him. Jesus said, “Because I live {in the eternal Kingdom-life of perfect love}, you will live also {in the same life}. At that day you will know that I am in My Father {receiving the eternal life from Him}, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:19-20) We are enabled to know that we have entered into this Kingdom-life from heaven when the Son has begun to experientially reveal the Father’s nature of perfect love within our heart.

I {the Son} have made you {the Father} known to them {by revealing the divine nature of self-sacrificing love in a mortal body}, and will continue to make you known {by filling them with the same Spirit of divine love} in order that the love you have for me {perfect love} may be in them and that I myself {in the Kingdom-life} may be in them. (John 17:26 NIV)

Entering into a justified state places the believer in a position where it is possible to be led by the Spirit into the Son’s “life of promise.” We therefore should not think that this justified state is the intended salvation of the Lord. Justification does not completely set us free from the sin nature. While it will provide a real hunger and thirst after true righteousness and holiness, and this initial salvation will enable believers to repress sin, a defect within the heart {the evil root of self-centeredness} will still be noticed. The heart must be “filled” with Christ’s life of perfect love before it is possible to be set “free indeed” from sin. Again, this is the full salvation of the Lord.
Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. {It reveals how the evil root of self-centeredness has continued to captivate the heart.} And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free {from the self-centeredness that produces sin}, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. (1 John 2:1)

At this point we need to define the kind of sin that is overcome when we are set “free indeed.” John says, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.” (1 John 3:4-5) Jesus came to take away the “lawlessness” that is in the heart of fallen man. Because the Fall resulted in a self-centered nature that insists on living by its own will, Jesus must do away with this carnal nature if He is to save us from all sin.

At the same time, we need to realize that our knowledge will never be perfect in this world. It is therefore possible to be separated from God’s perfect will without realizing it. God does not hold us accountable for this kind of sin because it is not “lawlessness.” We do not enter into “sin” in God’s sight until we have knowingly violated His revealed will.

Jesus has come to enable us to share with Him in His nature of perfect love. In doing so, He is able to provide us with a heart that always yields to the divine will as it is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Perfect love sets us free from the self-seeking nature and empowers us to continually lay down our lives for the divine will as Jesus did.

It is in this sense that we can remain “blameless” before God. There can be no blame when something is done that we do not know to be wrong. A child cannot be blamed for doing something wrong if they have never been told it is wrong. Thus, it is possible to live blamelessly before God when our hearts have been perfected in love and we begin to live only for the will of God as it has been revealed to us.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body {every part of you} be preserved blameless… He who calls you {into this life of promise} is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thess. 5:23-24 Emphasis added)

Just as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4)

While the person who keeps falling into sin is given an opportunity to live in the house of God in a reconciled state, he must press on in his faith until he has been set free indeed from the self-centered nature that naturally leads to self-will. No one can live in a blameless state until they have died to their own will and have fully yielded themselves to live by the divine will as Jesus did. “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son {those who have been set free from sin} abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free {through the power of His indwelling life}, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36)

We must note that self-will leads to self-seeking, and everyone who is living in a “self-seeking” form of life, in the end, will be under the “wrath” of God. He will give “to those who are self-seeking…indignation and wrath.” (Rom. 2:8). Therefore, people who continue to follow this course will not be permitted to remain in the house forever. “The {self-sacrificing} love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end {living wholly for the will of God} shall be saved.” (Matt. 24:13-14)

Paul knew that a soul filled with perfect love would have power to overcome all the temptations of the devil. And yet he knew that Christians, when they are first justified, have not been strengthened with the Son’s life and nature of self-sacrificing love, which is the source of power over sin. He therefore needed to pray for his converts to be filled with this life of God so they could fully participate with Him in His divine nature.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ {with His nature of perfect love} may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you…may have power {from the Spirit of God}…to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:16-19 NIV Emphasis added)

God is love, and he who abides in {divine} love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is {in His nature of self-sacrificing love}, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:16-17)

If we have not become like the Lord in His self-sacrificing nature of love and continue to be so until the end, we will not have boldness on the great Day of Judgment. God has created us to be a display of His life of love. Those who refuse to yield to becoming a vessel of the Son’s life and nature of love, which will also supply them with an inner compulsion to live by the divine will, should expect to find wrath in the end.

These Scriptures do not imply that we are to contain the infinite God. But the temple of our body is to be filled to overflowing with His life of divine love. For example, a greenhouse cannot contain the sun. But every part of a greenhouse may be filled with light from the sun. It is in this sense that we may now be “filled” with God’s life and nature of love. We can receive the life in the same sense that Jesus received the life from the Father through the power of the Spirit. And as we can learn from the Scriptures, the Son’s life does not live for itself in sin.

When Paul wrote about being “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God,” he knew that he would be stretching the faith of many of his readers. When we look at our wretched and sinful heart, we wonder how this wonderful promise could ever become true in our own life. But it was for this very reason that he went on to say, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory…” (Eph. 3:20-21) He can do much more than you think or even imagine.

Yes, the power of the Spirit that has begun to work in you, can bring your hearts into a state of consecration that permits the Lord to fill the temple of your body with His glory. “The riches of the glory of this mystery…is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) He is the one who will display this perfect love that surpasses knowledge through the lives of individual Christians. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay {weak mortal bodies} to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor. 4:7 NIV Emphasis added)

The Son completely emptied Himself of His own glory in order to live as a man in a weak mortal body. And yet, all the fullness of the Father’s life of love could still be revealed through Him by a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. In the same sense, we are to receive our life from the Son. Our inner nature can become “as one” with the nature of love that Jesus revealed through His mortal body. (John 17:22-23, 26) “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given {access to} fullness in Christ...” (Col. 2:9-10 NIV)

We will be nothing but an empty vessel in ourselves. It is only as we permit God to fill the temple with His glory—His life and image of love—that we are made complete or whole. It is the innate sense of incompleteness or emptiness within the soul that produces the evil root of self-seeking. We are by nature covetous {always seeking more for ourselves and not being content very long with what we have, where we are or what we are doing}. Once this body of sin is done away with through an inner manifestation of God’s Kingdom-life of divine love {His life of love satisfies the soul as with the richest of foods}, we are set free from the self-seeking nature. It is Christ’s indwelling life of love that completely sets us free from the independent and self-serving ways of the world, so we can begin living wholly for the will of God and be a vessel of His glory.

Because this eternal life provides a form of love that “surpasses” anything that can be taught through means of human knowledge, or that can be achieved through human effort (1 Cor. 2: 9, Eph. 3:19), we can know that the life needs to be received supernaturally through a work of the Holy Spirit – by faith. This is why we say that salvation from sin must be received as a gift from God. This life is granted to those who have proven their faith by fully yielding to God’s teachings.

The Kingdom-life of promise that Jesus Christ intends to reveal within our heart must be received by following the same spiritual principles that God revealed when He gave the Jews of old a “land of promise.” It is possible to possess a “right” to the inheritance and have access to the “life of promise” before the fullness of the blessing is actually appropriated through a responsive faith. This is why we pray for you as Christians “that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Eph. 1:18-19) Your justified state, which is the initial salvation of the Lord, is not enough to hold you from the self-seeking way of life to the end. You will need to persistently press forward in your walk of faith, using the grace that God has already granted, until you have entered into the full salvation that Jesus Christ has made available to all true “believers” in this world.

Pastors and teachers are therefore needed within Christ’s church to build reconciled Christians up “in their faith” so they will be prepared to press forward into the life of promise. “And He Himself gave some to be…pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man {perfected in love}, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-13 Emphasis added)

Yes, the Lord expects each of His followers to “come to” this state of perfect love. “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40)

Therefore, new Christians will need to learn what the life of Jesus Christ is like so they will have an idea of what they must receive through their yielded and dependent faith. Even though the natural mind cannot fully relate to His nature of perfect love, it will be necessary to have some perspective of the goal. Pastors and teachers are expected to help the members of Christ’s body “to grow” in their “knowledge of the Son of God.” And then, as an expression of their faith, these believers must be shown the necessity of surrendering their whole being to become a vessel of the same Christ-life.

The Lord requires His disciples to yield to every point of the divine nature that was revealed through His mortal body. Therefore, the disciple is to be taught what Jesus is like. We must agree to become like Him and then “let” {yield or submit to} the life that was in Jesus to become fully established within our own heart.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant… And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him… (Phil. 2:5-9 Emphasis added)

If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:21, 24 Emphasis added)

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love {taking the form of a bondservant as you pour out your life for others, for the good of God’s kingdom}, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. (Eph. 5:1-2 Emphasis added)

Those who refuse to submit to becoming like the Son in His nature of love, will remain sinners. “Sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins {by providing us with His own submissive and loving nature}. And in him is no sin. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” (1 John 3:4-6 NIV)

In effect, people who do not hunger and thirst after the Kingdom-life of the Lord have not yet experienced the new birth. Everyone who is born again has a “seed” from the life of the Son planted within their heart. If they do not experience a longing to be like Him in His divine nature, which will be manifested in a real surrender to His ways, they have obviously not yet begun to taste of the glorious love that comes from the life of God.

No one who is born of God will continue to {willfully} sin, because God’s seed {a seed from the Son’s divine life of love} remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not {continue to} do what is right {as God expands their understanding of what He requires} is not a child of God… (1 John 3:9-10 NIV)

God will not make us like Himself until we have shown that we are willing to yield to the “light of truth” that He has revealed through the life of Jesus. We are required to consciously choose to become like Him at every point. For example, we will need to submit to becoming like Him in the meekness and humility that led Him to become a self-sacrificing servant who lived for the good of others. (Matt. 11:28-29) Of course, we can only receive His “life to the full” by looking to Him in faith to reveal His Kingdom-life of perfect love within our heart.

As we yield to the Son’s way of life, while being led by the Holy Spirit through the time of testing, He will prepare us for a definite entrance into His Kingdom-life of promise. Those who are willing to “deny” themselves and take the Son’s way of the cross will eventually come to the end of themselves. They will reach the point where they are willing to die to all forms of independence and self-sufficiency. Thus, in due time, they will be prepared to be lifted {exalted} by the power of God into His heavenly Kingdom-life.

The point of entering into Christ’s Kingdom-life, where the Lord reigns in the heart with His self-sacrificing life of love without rival, will be a sudden crisis experience in the same sense that God was able to miraculously take His called-out people of old across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. While the way into this blessed land is difficult, the Kingdom-life that is received is well worth the price that must be paid.

For if by the one man’s offense death {the loss of divine life from heaven} reigned through the one {Adam}, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness {in a second crisis experience} will reign in life {in the Kingdom-life from heaven} through the One, Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:17 Emphasis added)

The law and the prophets were until John {the Baptist}. Since that time {since the Old Testament dispensation} the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone {who believes} is pressing into it. (Luke 16:16)

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life {Christ’s Kingdom-life}, and there are few who find it. (Matt. 7:14)

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God {by yielding to His teachings}, that He may exalt you {lift you into His Kingdom-life} in due time… But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory {to be vessels of His life of perfect love} by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while {in dying out to the flesh-life}, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you {in the Kingdom-life}. (1 Pet. 5:6, 10)

Because of what we see in the church today, there is a real need to keep emphasizing that the Gospel message involves more than being reconciled to God. Jesus came to restore the divine image of perfect love that was lost by Adam at the Fall. The true Gospel message teaches people how they must lose their old flesh-life and learn to live through the life of the Son, by faith, so they may become like Him in His Kingdom-life of love in this world. If we do not deny ourselves and press into this eternal life of love, so we may completely overcome the sin nature {the independent, self-sufficient and self-seeking nature}, then we have effectively neglected the great salvation that Jesus Christ has provided through His death and resurrection.

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord (Heb. 2:1-3)

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. (1 John 2:1)

The Gospel Message

2010-11-22T21:40:00.002-05:00

Steve Bray's book "The Gospel Message" has been added to the Recommended Books page. The full Gospel Message is not known to the vast majority of Christians today as the enemy has been successful in diluting it's true power and has replaced it with a weak counterfeit. This book will be a blessing to anyone that has a hunger for God and His Kingdom life in it's fullness.

Click here to read "The Gospel Message"

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The Deceitfulness of the Heart

2010-11-22T10:27:00.001-05:00

The following lesson is taken from “The Kingdom of God” – Steve Bray

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.... (Jer. 17:9)

…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks...But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matt. 12:34, 36-37)

People who truly desire to produce righteousness in their lives are generally able to remove their glaring sins. It is possible to have many successes through our human efforts. We can become very moral and upstanding citizens, contributing significantly to helping our fellow man through our own discipline and hard work. And so from the perspective of this world, we are able to find many morally righteous people in our society. If they were professing to be Christians, we would praise the Lord for what they are doing with their lives.

But in truth, they have climbed their ladders of success without ever looking to Jesus Christ. If God only expected an outwardly moral life from His creation, we would have the opportunity to hold onto our independence while producing a reasonable level of righteousness through obedience to laws. But in truth, Jesus Christ came to purify the inside of the cup. He came to cure the envy and bitterness and anger and unforgiveness and lust that expose the bad heart found in the fallen nature. Our Savior has come to replace this sinful nature with His divine nature.

The Pharisees used the word of God to change their outer facade. They were able to confidently parade their righteousness in the streets, just as we find many church members doing today. They did an outstanding job of making themselves look like outwardly moral men. But then Jesus came along and began describing the kind of life we are to live in God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom-life, as Jesus described it in His Sermon on the Mount, would require a whole new nature. The standard was so high that it would require total dependence on Christ’s Spirit to manifest the life through the temple of our body.

The Son of God came to take the religion of human effort away from man, and the Pharisees {then and now} were not happy with this new principle. The Pharisees were very upset with Jesus when He told them that God was not impressed with their outward character. Even though they had taken great pains to study the Scriptures and conform their outward character to God’s laws, Jesus said their inner nature was not acceptable in the eyes of God. He was examining the corruption in their heart. And unless they gave up their evil way of self-sufficiency to receive the divine life from Jesus Christ, they would never be able to enter into God’s kingdom life.

Jesus is still saying to the Pharisees who live by human effort, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by {a belief in} them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to {die to self and} come to me {through the cross} to have life. (John 5:39)

The Pharisees were totally deceived about their condition before God. As far as they were concerned, they were God’s most honored servants. But they were sadly mistaken. And everyone who continues to live by this independent and self-produced kind of righteousness, will one day find themselves in the same kind of serious trouble. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:20)

We have this same kind of heart deception in the church today. Even though the Son of God has clearly described the innate evil within our fallen nature in His Sermon on the Mount, there is a natural tendency to overlook the importance of His message. Therefore, if we hope to avoid falling into the fatal error committed by the Pharisees, we must examine the difference between the righteousness that man is able to produce through his own works, and the righteousness that God wants to manifest through the temple of our body using the divine life of the Son.

The first thing we will notice about self-produced righteousness is how it naturally builds up pride and self-sufficiency. Furthermore, when people strive to be righteous through their own efforts, they will have a tendency to look down on others who remain in their sin. Our Lord has provided a clear warning about trying to live by our own strength in a self-produced kind of righteousness. To some who were CONFIDENT OF THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS and LOOKED DOWN on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:10-14)

The Pharisee, because of his pride and self-sufficiency, became exactly the opposite of what God expects from His creation. Even though this Pharisee was obviously trying to obey God’s laws, he was still walking in Satan’s way of pride. The devil also masquerades as an angel of light by producing a form of righteousness. He convinces his ministers to teach a religion of human effort. He wants his followers to manifest a self-produced righteousness so they will remain independent of God. “You have eaten the fruit of {Satan’s} deception. Because you have depended on your own strength.” (Hos. 10:13)

The difference between the kingdom of God, which is a life that must be established in the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, and all the other religions of the world, is the difference between human effort and God’s power. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk {or our human effort to obey words} but of power.” (1 Cor. 4:20)

If we do not become utterly dependent on Jesus Christ and the power of His Spirit to manifest His life and nature through the temple of our body, we are going to remain in a religion of the world. We can recognize these worldly religions because a carnal life will continue to flow out of the fallen nature. Paul told the Corinthians to examine themselves to see if they were truly in “the faith.” They were to look for the fruit of Christ’s nature because Paul understood how a truly responsive faith would bring the life and nature of Jesus Christ into the born again children of God by the divine power of the Holy Spirit.
(2 Cor. 13:4-8)

There is a very significant difference between the nature of fallen man and the selfless nature of love found in the life of Jesus Christ. But not everyone is willing to die to the old nature so they may enter into Christ’s submissive nature. As the world has produced more and more things to capture the heart of fallen mankind, Paul understood how even the church would become filled with people who manifested a carnal nature while living in a religion of human effort. As Jesus once said, we will recognize them by their fruit.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud....conceited, lovers of pleasure {in this world} rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness {that comes from self-produced righteousness} but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

Nearly everyone today is denying that God has the power to remove our sinful nature and replace it with the divine nature of Jesus Christ. They are like the Pharisees who wanted to have a religion and be eternally saved, but who did not want to give up control over their own life. They insist on living in their own strength and directing their own affairs, and the last thing they want to hear is that the salvation of the Lord is found in dying to self and entering into the fullness of Christ’s life and nature.

If we could fill our church with men like the Pharisees today, we would consider our congregation a very spiritual organization. They had devoted their whole life to serving God. They even gave a tenth of everything they earned for the purpose of doing God’s work. But unless our righteousness exceeds this level of human effort, we will never enter into the supernatural kingdom of God.

Jesus made a statement that we cannot afford to overlook when He said these religious men, who were devoted to serving God, did not go home justified. Jesus pointed to the problem when He said they were looking down on other people. They had become proud in their self-produced righteousness. This will naturally occur whenever our religious life comes from our own strength. Once we have accomplished a work of righteousness through our own wisdom and human effort, there is a natural tendency to begin judging others by the works we have been doing.

Our fallen nature, which wants to be like God, desires to conform others to the “right” spiritual image we have created for ourselves. Consequently, the world becomes filled with people who are trying to conform others to their own concepts of what is right and wrong. This is what naturally occurs when people eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” – the human opinion tree. This is the reverse of the true Christian faith. In Christianity, we are to give up our own glory and self-produced “spiritual” image. Instead of promoting the way of life we have established it in our own little kingdom, we are to die to self and enter the kingdom of God where everyone manifests God’s spiritual image.

I have given them {access to} the glory {or spiritual image} that you gave me, that they may be one {in life and nature} as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity {be made perfect in one – NKJV} to let the world know that you sent me {to save them from their willful and self-seeking nature that wants to glory in itself}... (John 17:22-23)

Since we cannot produce a Christlike nature in our own strength, no one is ever in a position to take credit for what has been accomplished in their life. When we enter into this supernatural life through a gift of God based on our utter dependence on Him, we will never even consider trying to get other people to conform to this new nature. We know that everyone must receive it through miraculous work of God. In fact, we know that all righteousness that is produced by the pride of human effort is nothing but filthy rags in the sight of God.

There was only one way given for us to enter into the fullness of Christ’s life: The self-life would have to die. We must be able to say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) By giving up our own life in order to enter into Christ’s life, the Son is able to bring all glory to the Father. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much {divine} fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) And this is how it will be throughout all eternity for the few who are willing to enter into God’s undivided kingdom.

The Pharisees of the world live by law. They enter into a natural progression of using laws to conform other people to the way of life they have chosen for themselves. Of course, everyone has a little different opinion about how everyone else should be living, and so people are always entering into a war of words with each other. If more Christians were participating with Christ in His divine nature, there would be less people being drawn into this foolish method of promoting righteousness through the worldly way of government by written law. “Are you so foolish?...are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?... All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.’” (Gal. 3:3, 10-11)

This is not to say that we do not have a need for laws in this world. “We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful...” (1 Tim. 1:9) God has established the governments of this fallen world for all of the people who refuse to give up their willful nature in order to live under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. We can only be set free from the law by dying to our self-originated life and entering into a participation with Christ in His life and nature. Only those who have yielded their life to live wholly under the control and power of the Holy Spirit are set free from the law.

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Rom. 7:6)

…For if a law had been given that could impart {divine} life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised {divine life}, being GIVEN through FAITH in Jesus Christ, might be GIVEN {as a life of true righteousness and holiness} to those who BELIEVE. (Gal. 3:21-22)

…The fruit of the Spirit {which comes from the divine life of God} is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no {need for} law. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Most Christians today remain under the law because they want to maintain some control over their life. Like the Pharisees, their heart remains blinded in its own self-centeredness. Truly, “the heart is deceitful beyond all things.” (Jer. 17:9) As long as we maintain control over our own life, which also carries over into a desire to control those around us, we will remain bound to the old willful nature and the law. And do not be deceived, there are still many Pharisees today who have committed themselves to serving the Lord while they are still holding onto their willful nature. And from this fallen nature comes the desire to conform others to one’s own spiritual image and judge them when they do not conform, just as the Pharisees did.

God will not justify someone or set them free from their sinful nature while they have chosen to live this way. Do not underestimate the eternal ramifications of this lesson. If you are living by law through your own human efforts, you will continue to experience a natural tendency toward judging people who have not produced a life of righteousness similar to the one you have produced, by the one you have produced. But Jesus says, if you still have sin in your own life while judging someone else by your own list of selected sins, God will judge you in the same way and with the same penalty you are using to judge them.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matt. 7:1)

In other words, if you are making sweeping judgments against someone else, even if they are a prostitute or homosexual while you are still harboring sins such as resentment, bitterness, envy, pride, lust, unforgiveness or a spirit that condemns others {or any sin of the heart}, God will judge you with the same measure you have been using to judge them. In God’s sight, the sins of the inner nature, such as our anger and resentment towards others, are as evil as any of the outward sins, including murder.

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment...{And} anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matt. 5:21-22)

…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks...But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matt. 12:34, 36-37)

To escape judgment, we will need a new nature. And in order to receive a new nature, we are going to be required to have enough faith in Jesus Christ to present our body to Him as a living sacrifice. We must give up all forms of self-will and self-sufficiency. He requires us to die to our self-life so we can become a vessel of His life and will.

He is before all things...And He is the head of the body, the church...so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Col. 1:17-18)

And he made known to us the mystery of his will...to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Eph. 1:9-10)

The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment {because he lives in Christ’s life and will}: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ {those who have become spiritual Christians}. (1 Cor. 2:15-16)

There is a difference between making sweeping judgments of others and discerning sin in the lives of our brothers. Sin is rebellion against revealed light. If someone has truly given up their life to the Lord, thus becoming our brother in Christ, and then has turned in rebellion against revealed light, we are to try to win him {or her} over with the gentle instruction found in a Christlike nature.

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (Jam. 5:19-20)

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Tim. 2:24-26)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on {selfless agape} love, which binds them all together in PERFECT UNITY...Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom... (Col. 3:12-14, 16)

We have been sent into the world to show people how to be set free from their sinful nature. Our purpose is not to condemn them for the evil that remains in their heart. After all, they cannot free themselves from their corrupt nature. Instead, we must encourage them to seek out the purified heart that has been promised by the Father through the life of Jesus Christ. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given {access to} fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” (Col. 2:9-10)

When we have been united with the mind and nature of Jesus Christ, we do not condemn the sinful people of the world. The “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16) sees nothing but the multitudes of helpless people who remain lost in darkness. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36) They had not yet found their Shepherd.

People who are still living by human effort remain in the darkness of Satan’s deception. (Hos. 10:13) A Christianity that cannot do anything other than teach law to the lost people of the world will keep these people in bondage to their sinful nature. And their sinful nature is the source of their problem. We are here to draw them out from the darkness of their carnal nature by the light of Christ’s life. We must show them how to enter into Christ’s life and nature through a dependent faith in His power. They will not be able to completely escape the corruption in this world caused by evil desires until they are participating with Christ in His divine nature. (2 Pet. 1:3-4)

The Son of God came as a servant to everyone. He made Himself nothing and then demonstrated how the sons of God are to become instruments of the Father’s life and work. This was His plan for redeeming fallen man. He taught the truths about life in God’s eternal kingdom, and then invited people to seek divine life from Him in the same way that He had received it from the Father. Remember, He has come to give us His life, His abundantly full spiritual life. (John 10:10)

Jesus did not attempt to control other people. If they were unwilling to follow Him, He knew it was because His Father had not yet enabled them. (John 6:65) Of course, He also understood how their lack of enabling grace was always related to their pride and self-sufficiency. (Matt. 18:3-4; Jas. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5-6) The Father will not enable anyone to truly follow the Lord into His divine life until they are willing to become nothing in self and live as humble, meek and dependent little children. The sons of God recognize how they must permit the Son of God to do everything through them. As Jesus so clearly stated, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

The only way we can truly help the people who are living under the bondage of a sinful nature is by manifesting the light of Christ’s life through the temple of our body. We cannot argue someone into the kingdom of God through the wisdom of this world. Paul attempted to explain this principle when he described how there must be a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5) The world must be able to see Christ’s supernatural love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control continuously flowing out of our life if we are to convince them of the need to die to self. Until we are enabled to demonstrate the all-surpassing power of God through our new nature, others will see little value in giving up their independent nature. People must see the Lamb of God living His life through the temple of our body before they will ever agree to pay the price for the invaluable treasure of the “pearl of great price” {our Lord’s kingdom-life}. (Matt. 13:45-46)

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the {divine} light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through {the all-surpassing power of} God. (John 3:21)