Studying God's Word

The Time of Preparation - Steve Bray

2009-07-10T23:16:00.001-04:00

*[See Introduction to God’s Saving Grace for an explanation of the terms “zoe” and “psuche”.]

There was a desert wilderness that separated the old life in Egypt from the new life in the Promised Land. God used this testing period to teach His people His ways, to humble them and to lead them to depend on Him. He permitted them to go through difficult situations and then tested them to see if they would respond to His ways. If they learned to trust in His Word, respond to His teachings, and look to Him to do what He had promised, He would take them into a land flowing with milk and honey.

Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live…and go in and possess the land {the life of promise}... And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna {a supernatural food}…that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread {by the physical} alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. {Life is supplied by God as we yield to the voice of His Spirit.}…

You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you {to change how you think and act in order to prepare you for life in the kingdom of God}… For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs… (Deut. 8:1-7)

The number forty in the Bible represents a special time of trial and testing. While the people of Israel remained in the testing period for forty years, Jesus was there only forty days. The number represents a principle more than a certain amount of time. God will take His children beyond this dry and arid land the moment they have turned from the ways of this world by rejecting Satan’s temptations and have fully yielded to His way of the cross.

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust {desires} of the flesh, the lust {desires} of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

[The NIV translation gives some much needed insight to this passage] – Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful {self-willed} man, the lust {desires} of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires {will} pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17 Emphasis added)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:2)

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me…and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. (John 14:21)

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. (Heb. 10:36-39)

While an entrance into the life of promise establishes the Kingdom-life within the heart, it does not bring an end to temptations and trials. It is during this special time of trial in the wilderness that God’s called-out children must reject the way of life that Satan fostered on the world. As our Leader revealed, Jesus was required to refuse the devil’s temptations to respond to the lust {desires} of the flesh, the lust {desires} of the eyes and the pride of life before He could be strengthened from on high and come out of His wilderness testing period in the power of the Spirit. But this does not mean the devil would not come along with further temptations in an attempt to turn Him from His Father’s will.

Now when the devil had ended every temptation {in the wilderness testing period}, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. (Luke 4:13-14)

It is during the wilderness-testing period that God’s children are required to pursue holiness. But we cannot make ourselves holy. Our responsibility is to respond to God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit so we may be brought to the place where God is able to manifest His holy Presence within the temple of our body. (John 14:21) He has promised to reveal His life of holiness through each of us. “Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.” (Ezk. 36:23) We become “partakers of His holiness” after passing through the suffering that takes place in the wilderness testing period. (Heb. 12:10)

This pursuit of holiness is what prepares us to receive “the gift of righteousness” and “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) When Christ manifests Himself to the soul “according to the power of an endless life,” we “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:23) If we do not press on through this time of testing in the pursuit of Christ’s life of holiness, we will end up falling short of the grace of God. (Heb. 12:14-16)

It is not enough to believe only certain parts of the gospel. God expects His children to fully submit to the way of life that exists in His eternal kingdom. Receiving Christ as Lord entails submitting to everything He teaches. It includes entering into the way of life described in His Sermon on the Mount. This is where He explained how people live in His kingdom. It is also the way of life as depicted in First Corinthians chapter thirteen.

If God’s called-out people are never told how they are required to live, they will never make it through the testing period. Many ministers do not reveal the truth to their people. Charles Finney, in noting how ministers often fail to perform their duty in this matter, said in his Lectures to Professing Christians: “They seem to hold up a different standard from that which is inculcated in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, which was Christ’s exposition of the moral law. Christ expressly taught in that sermon that there was no salvation without conformity to the rule of life laid down in that sermon.” If the people are not being taught of the necessity of fully conforming to the way of life found in God’s kingdom, they will never be prepared to enter into it.

Many Christians have never seen this Pearl of Great Price. The tremendous value of His Kingdom-life has remained hidden from their view. Because the leaders of the flock have never opened the real meaning of salvation to their view, they are never truly prepared to pay the full price to receive this heavenly life.

It might help to note how God backed up the Jordan River all the way to “Adam” when the people were miraculously taken into the Land of Promise. (Joshua 3:16) It is an example of how God intends to reverse what occurred at the Fall when Adam first turned from the Tree of Life to enter into a self-originated form of life. Those who choose to die to their self-originated form of life {living by self-will in our own sufficiency}, will come to a place where the heavenly paradise of God can be established within their eternal soul so they may enjoy His Presence forever.

Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to {the ever-present} eternal life. (John 4:14)

Jesus said, “Difficult is the way which leads to life {the eternal “zoe” life}, and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:14) Even though others may preach a different gospel, our Lord has warned of this difficult time of testing that separates the soul from the self-originated form of life. And there is no way around this “difficult” way. (Acts 14:21-22) However, it is our prayer that the following lessons will help earnest souls avoid unnecessary chastening and suffering. By knowing what God is attempting to do and by responding to the truth, we can save ourselves some chastening in the time of testing.

For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives {into His heavenly life of promise}…for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Heb. 12:6, 10-11)

The World’s Value System

The devil has fostered a value system on the world that must be recognized. He will have the advantage until the light from God’s Word has exposed the evil in his ways. Scripture has used such terms as “the spirit of the world” and “the spirit of error” to refer to this corrupt way of life. Yes, even if we have been a part of the Christian church and have sought to be followers of Jesus from earliest childhood, we have still “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2) Most Christians do not even understand what it implies to follow the course of this world. They have remained deceived and are still under the sway of “the spirit of the world.”

Life in the eternal kingdom of God requires a complete change in how we think. The Son provided a little insight into just how offensive man’s ways are to God when He said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt. 16:23) The difference between the ways of this world and the way of life in God’s kingdom is so great that Jesus could say without qualification, “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15) And since it is detestable in God’s sight, we can begin to see how important it is to clearly identify “the things of men” and “the course of this world.”

A careful reading of the Bible will reveal the following facts: The “spirit of the world” teaches everyone to become independent and self-sufficient. It is an evil influence that turns people from a childlike dependence upon God to a self-seeking and self-exalting form of life. The people of this world reject the light of life as revealed through Christ’s self-denying and self-emptying way of life. They prefer to build up their own image and live for their own pleasures.

While fallen man may become religious and serve others as a part of this image building process, his main focus is to develop a personal kingdom where he becomes great. These are the ways that are highly valued by men and are detestable in God’s sight. It helps us to see how far we must go in renewing our mind before we can be lifted by the power of God into His eternal kingdom.

Those who live in the kingdom of God empty themselves of their own glory so they may live as mere vessels of God’s life and works. In His kingdom, He receives all the glory because He becomes the source of everything that takes place. Jesus provided an example of what this means. The Son of God left the place of prominence to become the lowest servant. Instead of living for His own pleasures, He willingly “suffered” for the good of others. And He assures us that He did not do anything “out from” Himself. (John 5:30; 8:28)

Can we begin to see what it will require if we intend to follow Him? And we must be mindful of the fact that we can only find His eternal Kingdom-life by following Him. (Matt. 16:24-25; John 8:12) Instead of living for our own pleasures and desires as worldly-minded people naturally do, it actually entails choosing to suffer for His kingdom while living in this world. We can become “joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” (Rom. 8:17)

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone {separated forever from the eternal life}; but if it dies, it produces much grain… If anyone serves Me {in the kingdom of God} let him follow Me {through the cross}; and where I am {in the Kingdom-life}, there My servant will be also. (John 12:24-26)

The world teaches us to save ourselves and to live for ourselves as a means for finding “life.” When Peter was on this “save thyself” course, which reflects the fallen way of life that Satan fostered on the world, Jesus knew that he was under Satan’s influence. In contrast, the Spirit of Christ teaches us to deny ourselves and to lose our old self-originated form of life so we may find life from above. It is here that we must choose which of these two conflicting courses we are going to follow.

The world leads people to direct their own steps. The objective is to be free from servanthood so we may “pursue life” as we please. Individuals want the right to develop their “psuche” life according to their own will. And while no man should bind another man, this so-called “right” to personal freedom has been promoted to such an extent that even Christians have been unwilling to become servants of the living God.

Paul spoke of being “bound” to the Spirit. It is a reference to losing all rights to his life. He gave up all rights to his own life, and stopped living for his own pleasures, so that God would be able to direct all his steps. This is what enabled him to find the Kingdom-life from heaven and consistently enjoy “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14:17) Have you taken this same God-ordained course, or are you still following the spirit of the world?

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin {to self-will and self-seeking}, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God… And having been set free from sin {self-will} you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh {your unspiritual mind}. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness {everything is unclean that is not wholly devoted to God and His purposes}…now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness {to be used by God as He has planned}. (Rom. 6:13, 18-19)

While worldly-minded people will sometimes restrain their pursuit of pleasure in this world for a season, it is generally with the intent of accumulating their resources to prepare to have more happiness in the days ahead. Being afraid of what is ahead, they anxiously make plans to protect their future “psuche” life. They try to protect themselves from future hardships because they have learned how easy their spiritual life is lost in unpleasant circumstances.

The people of the world naturally live by their own strength and will. To them, only a fool would avoid planning his own future. Because they have never entered into a Spirit-directed way of life, where they trust God to work out all things for their good, they remain caught up in the self-sufficient and self-seeking ways of this world.

Jesus’ teachings are completely foreign to the worldly mind. He said to those who desired to follow Him, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.” (Luke 12:22 KJV) He knew that those who continued to live for themselves would not be able to serve Him in His kingdom. “No one can serve two masters.” (Matt. 6:24) He went so far as to emphatically say, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.” (Matt. 6:19) He said that only those who are of “the nations of the world” do such things. (Luke 12:30) Lacking faith in the one and only God who is able to fully care for His true children, the people of this world think they must live for themselves and store up treasures on earth to protect their future.

The true followers of Jesus live as dependent little children. They trust in God to take care of their needs as they live for His Kingdom and glory. To the children of faith, this is wise because it puts the omnipotent power of God to work in their life.

These two different ways of life present us with a very important question: Who is the wise man and who is the fool? Is the man of the world wise when he rejects Christ’s teachings in order to lay up treasures for himself on earth? Or, is the child of faith wise when He trusts in the God of infinite wisdom and power to care for His future needs while he pours out his life in the service of the Lord’s eternal kingdom? Jesus Himself provides the answer to our question with very clear words.

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man… But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man… (Matt. 7:24, 26)

God says that unless we are completely changed and become like dependent little children who trust in Him to direct our steps, which includes depending on Him to supply our needs according to His will, we will never see the kingdom of God. (Matt. 6:31-32; 18:3) In fact, He instructs us to give up our rights to both our lives and our resources in living for the good of others, so we may receive “the kingdom of God” as a gift. (Luke 12:32-34) He even goes so far as to instruct us to be willing to go through physical suffering for the sake of His eternal kingdom. (Phil. 1:29) Can we begin to see how our mind will need to be completely renewed before we will be prepared to enter into the way of life found in God’s eternal kingdom?

For those who are willing to be honest with God’s Word, it should become quite apparent how there will need to be a radical change in how we think if we are to pass through the desert testing period and enter into Christ’s heavenly life of promise—the constant, abiding and eternal “zoe” life. Those who continue to live for themselves will find that it is impossible to truly respond to God’s Word. No one can serve two masters.

Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live…and go in and possess the land {the life of promise}... And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you…to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not… For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs… (Deut. 8:1-7)

In God’s kingdom the “least” and the “last” shall be the “greatest” and the “first.” Because everything is reversed, you will need to completely reverse your course in order to “come out” from “the spirit of the world.” “Therefore, ‘come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you {into the life of promise}.’ ” (2 Cor. 6:17)

Since our Lord’s ways are diametrically opposed to the ways of this world, you should begin to see why you will need to die to your own reputation and seek to be the lowest of servants if you are to follow Him. Have you taken this course, or are you still seeking to have your own reputation so you may have honor from men? Remember, God is the one who is testing your heart. And it was Jesus who said, “How can you believe {in the Christ who made Himself of no reputation and did not receive honor from men}, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44)

Those who are willing to be the least and last will be lifted into the highest levels of spiritual life in the heavenly realms. What has been the result of your system of beliefs? Has God honored you with His life from heaven?

Of course, the devil will tell you that God did not really mean what He said. You will therefore need to be very careful to avoid being deceived. You must listen to the Spirit of truth. You cannot afford to be like God’s people of old who did not receive the promise because they did not respond in faith to His teachings. “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?” (Heb. 3:18)

As you seek out this life of promise, and search out God’s ways, you will be helped considerably by remembering what Jesus said: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” If the people of this world love to do something, and they commonly seek after it as a means to improve their spiritual life, then it is probably something that needs to be avoided at all cost. Their whole thought process is in conflict with the “zoe” life in God’s eternal kingdom.

“But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the Lord. “For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water {as they seek spiritual life from the temporal realm}.” (Jer. 2:11-13)

Anyone who honestly opens their heart to the truth will begin to see how all independence, self-sufficiency and self-seeking, which naturally lead to a self-exalting form of life, come from an evil spirit. This “spirit of error” has led fallen man to keep his eyes on earthly things. In contrast, the true children of God lose their “psuche” life and live for the Lord and His kingdom alone. This is how we know who are the children of God and the children of the devil. And we need to say again that no one can serve two masters.

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… (2 Cor. 5:14-15)

We know that we are of God {because we no longer live for ourselves}, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one {because they live for themselves and their own glory}. (1 John 5:19)

There is only one way to be saved from the spirit of the world and this fallen way of life. We must deny ourselves and follow Christ in His way of the cross. It implies dying to the “psuche” life. Whatever you do, do not try to justify living for your own purposes. Even if you have the whole world agreeing with you, the self-seeking way of life is still detestable in God’s sight. As James has said, “This wisdom {that leads to self-seeking} does not descend from above, but is earthy, sensual, demonic.” (Jam. 3:15) It always leads to the wrath of God. (Rom. 2:8)

They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God {and understands His way of life} hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:5-6 Emphasis added)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God {so we may walk in His ways and find life from Him rather than vainly seeking life from the things of this world}, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (1 Cor. 2:12)

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above… Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3)

This may be difficult to comprehend, but Jesus lived in the heavenly realms with His Father while He walked in this world. It was in this sense that He was “in the world” but not “of the world.” Yes, He is now in a place of much greater glory. But there is a way for man to walk in the heavenly realms with God while living in a mortal body. Jesus said, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.” (John 3:14) The Son was living with the Father in the heavenly realms by sharing with Him in the eternal “zoe” life while He walked in this world. And He expects us to live through Him in the same way. (1 John 4:9)

Every individual must choose today where he or she intends to live. Our place of life needs to be in the heavenly realms today if we plan to live throughout eternity in God’s kingdom.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly place in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4, 6)

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness {to reveal God’s heavenly kingdom-life}, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:4)

Walking with God

Jesus specifically stated that God hides the truth from the wise and prudent. (Matt. 11:25) He does this by speaking of spiritual truths using physical descriptions. The spiritual implications then need to be opened to the heart by the Spirit. He reveals the truth to those who come to Him as dependent little children. (Jam. 1:5)

The wise and prudent dislike having anything spiritualized. They prefer to deal with what they can grasp with their own intellect. This is the reason why Paul was unable to speak of the deeper spiritual truths to carnal people.

We also recognize the danger of trying to spiritualize God’s Word in a way that distorts the truth. With these thoughts in mind, we express the following beliefs without wanting to be dogmatic. But as we recognize Jesus as the Second Adam, we have to assume that He walked with God in the same way that the first Adam first walked with God. Jesus spoke of the Father always being with Him; and yet, no one was able to see the Father walking with Him. In effect, the Father walked with Him by walking in Him.

We therefore believe that the Garden of Eden, which is the Paradise of God, should be looked upon as a spiritual type used by God to help earthly-minded people—those who think in temporal terms—to better understand spiritual principles. Before the Fall, God {who is Spirit} walked with Adam in this world as He walked with Jesus. You might say that the heavenly realms touched the earth. In heaven, everyone shares with God in His life because He is omnipresent. When there was no darkness separating the heavenly realms from the earth, the Divine Life that is throughout the heavens touched the earth. The heavens and the earth were one with each other. There was no darkness separating the two. God, who is Eternal Spiritual Life, walked with Adam because Adam walked on earth in the heavenly realms, sharing with God in His spiritual life.

When Jesus brought “light” {the eternal life} into the fallen world, He penetrated the darkness that had separated the heavens from the earth after the Fall. Once He had completely overcome the “spirit of the world” by denying the self-originated form of life to the point of death on a cross, He was in a position to share His overcoming life with everyone who chooses to walk as He did. When man was no longer living “out from” himself, God could once again walk in man.

We now have an opportunity to overcome the darkness. We can walk with God in the same way the first Adam walked with God before the Fall and in the same way the Second Adam walked with God after the Fall. Our spirit can be lifted into the heavenly realms where it is possible to share with God in His eternal “zoe” life. God is then able to “dwell in” us and “walk in” us as we live in this fallen world. This is the way of life that every believer needs to lay hold of by faith.

For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them. (2 Cor. 6:16)

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

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (1 John 5:11)

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called… (1 Tim. 6:12)

Now that the barrier of darkness which had separated man from the eternal life of God has been torn apart, we can overcome the world and enter into the Presence of God. The veil that separated man from God has been rent. We can now live in the heavenly realms and eat from the Tree of Life by sustaining ourselves on God alone. As the Son consistently shared with the Father in His heavenly life while walking in this world, we too are enabled to share with Him in the spiritual blessings found in His eternal life. (Eph. 1:3) It is in this sense that He can establish the firstfruits of the Paradise of God within our eternal soul.

As the living Father sent Me, and I live {in the eternal “zoe” life} because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me {the Tree of Life} will live {in the same eternal life} because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven… He who eats this bread {by sustaining their spiritual life on Christ alone} will live forever. (John 6:57-58)

To him who overcomes {the world and the flesh-life} I will give to eat from the tree of life {so they may sustain themselves on the Son’s eternal “zoe” life}, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7)

The Son has given every believer access to the Glory that He shares with the Father. (John 17:22) We can now become like Him in heavenly love. (1 John 4:17) And yet the people of the world and many deceived people in the church have “changed the Glory for what does not profit.” (Jer. 2:11) There are earnest but deceived Christians who are still turning away from the Bread of Life for the temporal food of this world. It is the reason why they are not enjoying Christ’s heavenly Presence within their soul. And until they are consistently sharing with Him in His overcoming life, they can expect to find themselves periodically being beaten up spiritually by the devil.

We need to distinguish between life in the desert-testing period and life in the land of promise. God only supplied His people with periodic wells of refreshment while He was taking them through the wilderness. This is where He works to break the self-sufficient spirit. He can only perfect His power through His children when they have no confidence in the flesh and have begun to live wholly by faith in Him. He therefore takes them through long dry spells to drain their cracked cistern of everything that is self-originated. Of course, He sustains them with the promises in His Word and occasionally takes them to special wells of refreshment to build up their hope and to keep them from completely turning back to a self-directed way of life. He wants to keep them encouraged so they will fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on the eternal life that flows without ceasing.

Unfortunately, the “spirit of the world” and “the spirit of error” keep turning them back to the ways of this world for their relief. As they keep relying on their own sufficiency and the temporal pursuits and pleasures of this world for their spiritual support, God is required to use greater measures of suffering. It is not easy to cause someone to lose all hope in this world and die to their self-sufficient spirit. The flesh-life is not easily weakened and prepared for death. God therefore continues to scourge His children to take the strength out of their flesh-life as He prepares them for the cross and a complete death to the old self-originated form of life. (Heb. 12:6, 10)

Blessed is the man who endures temptation {in the time of testing}; for when he has been approved {when the mind has been renewed and he is fully submitted to God’s way of life}, he will receive the crown of life {the Kingdom-life that is held in the heavenly realms and can now be imparted to the soul} which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jam. 1:12 Emphasis added)

He who has My commandments and keeps them {in the time of testing}, it is he who loves Me…and I will love him and manifest Myself to Him. (John 14:21)

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus {to share in His glory}, after you have suffered a while {in dying out to the old flesh-life}, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (1 Pet. 5:10 Emphasis added)

God never presses His children beyond what they can bear. He recognizes the need for a careful balance between suffering and encouragement. He does not want anyone to completely turn back to the world. But the special times of refreshing that He supplies should not be mistaken for the life of promise. Christ has come to supply the soul with an endless supply of His Living Water. “As the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” When He comes in “the power of an endless life” (Heb. 7:16), His people “never thirst.” (John 4:14) Those who still experience an up and down “psuche” life can know there is a better life – the eternal “zoe” life, where it is possible to consistently enjoy the indwelling Presence of the Lord.

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord {to work out his own affairs}. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness…

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green {because the Living Water never fails}, and will not be anxious in the year of drought {because the river of life continues to flow}, nor will cease from yielding fruit… I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways {whether you are living by the flesh or the Spirit}… (Jer. 17:5-10 Emphasis added)

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought {regardless of the conditions around you}… You will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. (Isa. 58:11)

It is in the wilderness testing period that God determines if we are willing to become like Jesus. In this age of fulfillment {the New Testament}, God has spoken to us through His Son because He is the target of our faith. We are to become like Him in this world. And those who do not cease from their own works and learn to yield to His way of life so that His “light” may be manifested through them, will end up being like the foolish virgins. They will come before the Lord, referring to Him as their Lord, but He will insist that He does not know them. Their problem is that they never permitted Him to manifest His life through the vessel of their body. They therefore are not fit to enter into the kingdom of God and to be wedded forever with Christ in His eternal life.

Can you begin to see why we must choose today where we plan to live throughout eternity? There are only two choices. Either we will choose to live through Jesus in His light of life, or we will find ourselves eternally separated from His life and in outer darkness where there will be misery forever. With this thought in mind, we close this chapter with some thoughts from G. D. Watson. In speaking of “A Gentle Spirit,” he reminds us of the absolute necessity of yielding to the Spirit who was in Jesus. For “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (Jam. 3:17)

…Unless we, from the bottom of our hearts, desire a gentle spirit, and then by the grace of God determine that we will have it, it is not likely that we will ever know its inexpressible blessedness.

It is possible for us to desire sanctification [to enter into the life of promise], and even resolve on having it, without involving the proper appreciation of having a soul filled with all the meekness and gentleness of Jesus. It is a law in the spiritual life that we get from God just about what we determine to have. It is amazing how God watches and honors the deep, serious determinations of the will of His creatures. Most men do not know that they determine to go to hell [and this includes many in the church], but such will be proved to be the fact in the Day of Judgment…

Every advance step in grace must be preceded by first apprehending it, and then a prayerful resolve to have it. Real gentleness is not a mere set of parlor manners that we can put off and on; it must be soaked into every fiber of our being, and must be drawn from a divine fountain.

So few are willing to undergo the suffering out of which gentleness comes. We must die before we are turned into gentleness. Crucifixion involves suffering, and it is not a painted death but a real breaking and crushing of self which wrings the heart and conquers the mind. There is a good deal of mere mental and logical sanctification nowadays which is only a religious fiction…such a one goes forth with a gay, flippant, theological prattle about the deep things of God; but the natural heartstrings have not been snapped, and the Adamic flint has not been ground to powder…and the beautiful self-constructed air castles have not been crushed to pieces. And not having the real death-marks of Calvary there cannot be that soft, gentle, floating, victorious, overflowing, triumphant life that flows out like a spring morning from an empty tomb…

To have a real gentle spirit there must not be the least secret feeling of anything bitter, or sour, or severe, or combative, or dictatorial, or a sitting in judgment, or religious braggadocio spirit. If we do not know how to suffer, then we will never know how to be gentle.

Create In Me a Clean Heart - by Steve Bray

2009-07-06T09:33:00.006-04:00

Hyssop

The supernatural flow of Christ's righteousness, peace and joy must come to us from the heavenly realms if it is to overcome our circumstances. The true life of the Lord is designed to flow like an endless river from the heavenly realms. This never-ending river is able to completely satisfy our soul, even while undergoing some of the most severe circumstances this world can throw at us. Everyone born of the Lord's heavenly nature overcomes the world.

There is only one way to enter the life in Zion where everyone becomes one in nature with the Father and the Son. We must come out from the ways of the world and offer our body to Him as a living sacrifice. (Rom. 12:1-2) Only in this way can we become an instrument of His true righteousness and holiness.

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The Error of the Galatians

2009-06-27T10:33:00.001-04:00

*The following article is from the book – The Gospel Message by Steve Bray - and the chapter entitled “The Error of the Galatians.”

Paul came to the Galatians with the indwelling life of Jesus Christ. He could say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) He had received the life of promise. “It pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.” (Gal. 1:15-16) The Gospel he preached actually worked. This is why he was so insistent that the Galatians adhere to his teachings.

The Galatians, however, were being turned from the true gospel message. Some false teachers had come to the church and were leading them into a “law keeping” form of salvation. This error had turned them away from a faith that depends on the Son to reveal His Kingdom-life of perfect love within the heart and thereby save them from their fallen nature.

There have always been people within the Lord’s church who prefer the way of law because it permits them to save their flesh-life. It has become a stumbling block to both Jews and Gentiles alike. While they do not mind studying the Scriptures and committing themselves to many of its ways, they have generally been unwilling to die to their old self-originated form of life in order to find the Lord’s Kingdom-life from heaven.

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me {the Messiah who has come to establish the eternal Kingdom-life of perfect love within the hearts of God’s people}. But you are not willing to come to Me {through the cross} that you may have life {the divine life from heaven}. (John 5:39-40)

Once people in the church have seared over their conscious concerning the deeper things of God, it is possible to find a sense of fulfillment in a law-keeping form of righteousness. Like the Pharisees, these people end up choosing certain “standards” that are within the capacity of their human efforts. We will then find them insisting that holiness consists of conforming to the laws they have accepted.

It takes pride to think we have the ability to produce a right kind of life. This pride will also tend to foster a spirit that tends to judge others based on the righteousness we have developed for ourselves. However, if we truly compare ourselves to Jesus, we will begin to see how there is still an evil spirit within our heart that has kept us separated from our Lord’s meek and loving nature.

People who depend on their own efforts to keep the law actually separate themselves from the life that comes from Christ. “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5:4) This separation from grace will prevent the heart from becoming perfect in love.

The Divine love that suffers long, is gentle and will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax, comes from the grace of God. You will find that law-keepers do not possess this grace. There will be a hardness in them that tends to condemn others for not living by the same standards.

People who have not entered into the Kingdom-life of perfect love that comes down from heaven cannot lead others into the Lord’s saving life. While they may hold up many of the laws found in God’s Word and expose people to the Scriptures, they never lead them into full salvation. Consequently, their converts eventually take on the same critical and condemning spirit.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell, as you are. (Matt. 23:15)

Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice {a haranguing voice} in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust. (Matt. 12:18-21)

Again, perfect love does produce righteousness. It is able to reveal a standard of living that clearly comes from heaven. And those who live through it will reveal a light that shows justice breaking forth into victorious Christian living. In the sense that Jesus had compassion, it will show compassion for the multitudes it sees lost in sin. It is capable of expressing the truth with a real sense of mercy and concern for the hearer.

Give no offense…just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (1 Cor. 10:32-11:1)

You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials…how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying… repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ…

And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God… For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…

So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified… I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak… (Acts 20:18-35)

Paul knew that people who live by law would become “conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Gal. 5:26) He therefore said, “But if you bite and devour one another {with your unloving words}, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Gal. 5:15) Do you criticize others {perhaps only in your thoughts and not openly} for not living as you do? If so, it is evidence you have developed your “own righteousness, which is of the law” and know nothing of “the righteousness which is from God by faith.” (Phil. 3:9) When you live among law-keepers, you can expect others to criticize you for not following one of their standards. Everyone will have something they can use to judge others. Again, the perfect love of God will not be found in a church {or denomination, or any other religious organization} where people think that holiness consists of conforming to certain laws.

Whenever pastors and teachers display a severe and judgmental approach in pressing certain laws on others, it will become obvious how they have become “estranged from Christ” and “fallen from grace.” (Gal 5:4) Their efforts to establish a form of righteousness through their own endeavors will result in a pride that separates them from the grace that supplies the heart with the Son’s divine nature. God can only give His grace to the humble. (1 Pet. 5:5)

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits… A good tree cannot bear bad fruit… Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matt. 7:15-20)

People who have based their righteousness on keeping the law will not understand the Sabbath-rest of God where God’s children “cease” from their own works. (Heb. 4:9-10) They are unwilling to count everything from the self-life as loss and become nothing in themselves so that Christ may become “all in all” and be the source of their spiritual life. They are still looking to have some of the glory.

Again, the way of finding divine life from heaven by following Christ through the cross, remains a real stumbling block to people who insist on living by law. Rather than glorying in what can be received from the Son by taking His way of the cross, they glory in the righteousness that comes from keeping the law. But regardless of how far they progress, people who live by their own human efforts {in the same sense that Abraham tried to help God produce the “life of promise” through his own efforts – but instead produced Ishmael, a life that ultimately had to be cast out} will not have the capacity to “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:24) They cannot become perfect in love and mercy like their heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

We need to realize that even Jesus, while living in a mortal body, did not produce the Kingdom-life by His own efforts. Everything He did came from the Father through faith. He said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” (John 5:19) This literally means that He did not do anything “out from” Himself.

Jesus did not live by a self-originated form of life. While He was required to surrender His will to the will of the Father in order to remain free from sin, and He had to choose to submit to truth, He was dependent on the Father to manifest the “light of life” from heaven through Him. And in this same sense He says to us, “Without Me you can do nothing.”

This does not mean that we will not find people working hard for the Lord. We will find them doing many things in the name of Jesus. But these works do not necessarily reveal the divine life of perfect love. And without this revelation of perfect love through our daily life, our works will remain valueless. (1 Cor. 13:3) They are called “dead works” because they do not reveal the divine life from heaven.

Human benevolent works are unable to further the kingdom of God because they will inevitably be overshadowed by the darkness that comes from a self-centered nature. A life that is still centered around self will display various signs of selfishness, and this corruption will divert others away from the Lord’s Kingdom-life of promise. The disciple will find reasons to excuse himself from pressing forward through the cross and into Christ’s life of perfect love as long as he still senses that his teacher is living for himself. And so, because of his opportunity to see the true meaning of light from his reading of the Scriptures, he becomes “twice as much a son of hell” as he was before being converted.

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ {and they have seen what His life is like}, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. (2 Pet. 2:20-21)

Again, there is a vast difference between the works that man does as a benevolent person and the work that God does through people who have been perfected in love. The work that is accomplished in God’s kingdom is intended to have a supernatural quality to it. There needs to be such a degree of selflessness revealed that others can plainly see how this “light of life” is coming from the Son of God in heaven.

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 {through the Son’s life of love}. (John 3:21 NIV)

But we have this treasure in jars of clay {weak mortal bodies} to show that this all-surpassing power {to live in perfect love} is from God and not from us. (2 Cor. 4:7 NIV)

There was a reason why Paul did not preach with “persuasive words of human wisdom.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5) One cannot develop the Christian life in the same way that teachers of this world help people develop their lives. In the world, everyone must depend on his of her own efforts to raise themselves into a better life. In contrast, the simplest child of dependent faith can enter into a position that permits God to raise them into the highest levels of spiritual life in the kingdom of God. Paul therefore preached “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (v. 5)

Unfortunately, the Galatians had turned from this way of childlike faith in God’s power and had begun to rely on their own strength to produce the “goal” of righteousness. (Gal. 3:3) And just as unfortunately, this has been the same error committed by many earnest Christians in the church today.

I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like {dependent and trusting} little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:3)

We can only enter into the Kingdom-life of God through a childlike faith in the Lord. While we are required to meet His covenant conditions, which includes submitting to His teachings, this submission will never produce the life of heaven. Again, “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life {the Kingdom-life of heavenly righteousness}, truly righteousness would have been by the law.” (Gal. 3:21) Paul was trying to teach the Galatians to look to Christ as their only hope of truly enjoying the righteousness that exists within the kingdom of God.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last… (Rom. 1:16-17 NIV Emphasis added)

But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. (Rom. 3:21 NIV Emphasis added)

But whatever was to my profit {everything that led to a strict religious life} I now consider loss for the sake of Christ…that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (Phil. 3:7-9 NIV Emphasis added)

The granting of this righteousness that comes from Christ is an act of our Sovereign God that comes through a work of His grace, when the conditions are met. Again, meeting the conditions can only prepare the way that will lead to the life of promise. We receive this “gift” of true righteousness by receiving an “abundance of grace.” Only in this way can we ever expect to “reign in life through…Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17)

Paul uses Abraham, “the father of faith,” as an example to distinguish the difference between the “way of faith” and “the way of human effort.” He assures the Galatians that everyone who follows Abraham’s way of faith will receive the long awaited “promise of the Father.” “For if the inheritance {the life of promise} is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” (Gal. 3:18) While the great saints of the Old Testament dispensation died in the faith without actually receiving the Kingdom-life of “promise” in this world (Heb. 11:39-40), they continued to walk in a justified state because they continued to submit to God’s will as best they knew how while waiting on Him for the fulfillment.

Yes, they responded to the known will of God. But their hope of truly becoming righteous was in the coming Messiah. The law had revealed to them their need for a Savior who could deliver them from the law of sin and death and enable them to display the true righteousness and holiness that God had originally planned to reveal through His children. They had learned by their efforts to keep the law how this life could not be produced through human efforts.

“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come…” (Gal. 3:19) Again, there needs to be some way to control the corruption that tends to rise out of the fallen nature. But law-keeping could never produce the divine life of God. (Gal. 3:21) The Kingdom-life of perfect love would need to be received from the Son of God by dependent faith.

Abraham’s personal life provides a spiritual example to demonstrate this principle. God promised to manifest a son through him. Because his wife was past the age when she could bear children, it was impossible for them to produce the child through their own works {efforts}. The life of the “son” would need to be received as a supernatural gift from God through faith.

Even though Abraham became confused and thought it was necessary to help God produce the promised life of the son, which is the same mistake that most Christians are now making, he still continued to believe in God’s promise. In effect, “most” of his hope continued to be in God. Paul could therefore say, “He did not waiver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised he was also able to perform. And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ ” (Rom. 4:20-21)

This spiritual “type” is fulfilled in God’s promise to manifest the life of His Son through our mortal bodies (2 Cor. 4:10-11) in this world. Even though it is impossible for us to do, the promise can be fulfilled by receiving an abundant measure of grace and the “gift of righteousness” through our dependent faith in the Lord. As long as we remain “fully convinced” that God is able to do the work, we too will continue to be “credited” with Christ’s righteousness during the time of testing when we are waiting for Him to fulfill the promise. Like Abraham, there will be a period when we must learn to distinguish between our efforts to help God fulfill the promise and the true way of faith. God will need to put our self-sufficient spirit to death before we will be prepared to receive the promise by faith alone.

We should note that Abraham continued to obey God as best he knew how while he was waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. (Heb. 11:8) We should also note that it was not until he was “as good as dead” that he received the promise. (Heb. 11:12) As long as he had some hope in his human efforts, and still thought he could help God produce the life of the son, he was not yet in a place where he could receive the promise by pure faith. Similarly, God cannot manifest the Son’s Kingdom-life of perfect love within our heart until we are “as good as dead” to the ways of human {or self} sufficiency.

This was Paul’s meaning when he referred to the suffering that the Galatians were experiencing: “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh {by your own efforts}? Have you suffered so many things in vain…?” (Gal. 3:3-4 Emphasis added) The suffering that God sends into our lives during the desert testing period is designed to break our self-sufficient spirit and destroy the old self-originated form of life. And yet, these scourgings can very easily be in vain if we do not understand what God is attempting to do. Let us therefore yield to His work and permit the Holy Spirit to put our self-sufficient spirit to death so we are in a position to receive the promise of His eternal Kingdom-life by pure faith.

As children of promise, Christians must not make the mistake of trying to help God produce the life of the Son. Everyone who enters into this struggle by human effort will have to go through a longer period of suffering than would normally be necessary. And in the end, they will find that they can only produce a life that is represented by Ishmael. In other words, they will never be truly set free from the self-centered {fleshly} nature. Instead of entering into a real enjoyment of the spiritual life of promise, these believers will continue to find themselves going through a wilderness of spiritual suffering and dryness.

We should note that Ishmael was around even after Isaac was born. And as long as this illegitimate son remained in the camp, the true son of promise was in danger. Sarah began to perceive that Ishmael’s presence {the self-originated flesh-life} would not only threaten their peace and happiness, but would also place the life of her God-given son in danger. To Abraham however, it was disturbing to think about completely casting out Ishmael. After all, this part of his life had come from his own efforts! Abraham would naturally have had a sense of pride in what he had accomplished through his own work.

How does this lesson apply to us? Even after we have experienced a miraculous new birth and we know that a “Seed” from the life of the Son has been planted within our heart, there is still a tendency to use our own resolutions and efforts to help produce the mature fruit of Christ’s Spirit. But as we have mentioned, a spirit that is contrary to the spirit of perfect love will remain within the heart of everyone who lives by law in an attempt to make themselves righteous.

Yes, we may even build great edifices in honor of the Lord. In fact, there is a tendency to enjoy these works because we like to be honored for what we have done. But regardless of what we have accomplished, and unless we have totally seared over our conscience, we will continue to sense that something is still wrong within our heart. We will still have a sense of Ishmael {the remains of the flesh-life} causing trouble. Consequently, we will find that we are not always overflowing with Christ’s divine life of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control {over the carnal nature, which will still have its “say” in unguarded or trying moments}. (Gal. 5:22-23)

The presence of Ishmael {the self-originated form of life} will continue to threaten a full revelation of the Son’s divine life. Even though it will be painful, let us cast out this old form of self-produced righteousness and enter into the fullness of the promise through the way of faith.

Ishmael’s inheritance was the desert wilderness. While we may be greatly distressed over the thought of truly dying out to the old self-sufficient form of life, we need to realize that keeping him around will inevitably result in an ever-returning spiritual thirst and a never-ending struggle against the old self-centered nature. This is why God has insisted that we “cast out” the old life that we created through our human efforts. “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise… What does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.” (Gal. 4:28, 30)

This casting out will entail counting everything from our self-life as loss, so we may truly look to Christ as our only hope of being made perfect in love. “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Gal. 5:5) Yes, salvation from the fallen life is by grace, through dependent faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ.

This provides a better understanding of Paul’s message about the cross. There was only one way for him to become qualified to preach the Gospel. He too had to follow His Lord’s instructions to deny himself and take the path of the cross. It enabled him to “find” the Lord’s Kingdom-life and become an effective minister of the Gospel message. “It pleased God…to reveal His Son in me.” (Gal. 1:16) “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

Paul, as one who preached the true Gospel, knew how important it was to reveal the saving life of Jesus Christ before the eyes of his hearers. He could say, “For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.” (Gal. 2:9) This visible display of a self-sacrificing life—the Lord’s “light” from heaven—will always bring deep conviction within the hearts of fallen man as the implications of the Gospel are being revealed through the Word of God. In other words, this display of selflessness will place a conviction on the hearts of those who still possess a self-centered nature.

There is only one means for preaching the word of God in a way that leads to a deep conviction within the heart of self-centered man. We must first receive a power from on high that enables us to display the self-sacrificing life and nature of Jesus Christ. It was in this sense that Paul could say to the Thessalonians: “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” (1 Thess. 1:5 Emphasis added) As the Thessalonians observed a visible display of the Gospel message in the life of Paul, the word of God worked powerfully within their hearts.

Paul had discovered the secret that had long been veiled in the Old Testament Scriptures. The mystery was that Christ Himself would begin to reveal the light from His Kingdom-life through the saints, so that others would see the true salvation of the Lord and sense the need to surrender to the same light of life. When Christ is not able to reveal His glory—His life of perfect love—through the members of His body, the world will never see this great mystery of true salvation.

{It is} the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory {the hope of revealing God’s Kingdom-life of perfect love}. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all {spiritual, not earthly} wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Col. 1:26-28 Emphasis added)

It is not the words we speak that will have the greatest impact on the world. This is why a “law-keeping” form of salvation has very little impact. The world can see the conflict between what we teach and how we often act in a spirit that is not perfect in love, a spirit that still evidences the remains of a self-seeking and self-indulgent nature, which is easily detected by others. The people we are teaching must see the Kingdom-life of perfect {self-sacrificing}love being expressed through our lives before they can understand the true Gospel message and be drawn into the same light of life. What we say will matter, but what we “are” is what enables the Spirit to truly convict those who have seen the light.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk {just words to give intellectual assent to} but of power {the “power of an endless life”}

(1 Cor. 4:20 NIV)

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

Some people think it would be possible for them to be a better Christian if their religious upbringing would have been a little better. Others tend to think that a better God-centered religious education would help them improve their spiritual life. There are others who think that more zeal for God would enable them to accomplish more for the kingdom of God. While there is nothing wrong with these things, we need to note that they are exactly what Paul had to count “as loss” in order to fully depend on Christ and live in the resurrection power of God’s Spirit. By turning from a dependence on all these things, he was able to find the Kingdom-life from heaven. Let us not turn away from the true hope of glory, which is Christ’s indwelling presence, by acting as if some other means would improve our spiritual life.

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so; {based on such thing as a good moral upbringing, a good religious education and a tremendous zeal for God; and}…concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gain to me, 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. 3:4–10 Emphasis added)

Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. (Ezk. 36:23 NIV)

The message of Galatians, in harmony with the rest of the Scriptures, is all about receiving a whole new form of life from Jesus Christ by following Him through the cross. Like the Galatians, we make a serious mistake when we begin to place our emphasis on living by certain standards that we equate with true righteousness. It naturally leads to a concentration on the standards we have chosen to amplify rather than on the life of perfect love we need to receive by uniting with Christ at the cross.

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world {and all of its self-originated ways} has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal. 6:14)

Everyone who will take the way of the cross is assured of finding Christ’s Kingdom-life of perfect love. (Matt. 16:24-25) It is only through His “exceedingly great and precious promises” that we can become “partakers of the divine nature” and escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust” – {desires for things temporal}. (2 Pet. 1:4) Thus, it is by faith. Yes, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life {so we may be a display of His Kingdom-life from heaven} and godliness.” (2 Pet. 1:3) Let us therefore praise the Lord for what He has already accomplished for us and look to Him for the fulfillment in our own lives.

At the same time, we must not forget about the need to yield to all truth as we prepare the way for the Lord and His life of promise. James describes this as the faith that works. (Jam. 2:14-26) God will be testing our willingness to become like Jesus. He expects us to fully submit to being led by His Spirit. It will be necessary to yield to the ways of the Lord during this time of testing. There is no other way to be led into the fullness of the blessing.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, {self-sacrificing} love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. (2 Pet. 1:5-9)

This preparation that demonstrates the true fruit of repentance is a necessary part of the six days of man. God is looking for a yielded heart that is willing to prepare the temple according to His specifications. But in the end, we are still dependent upon Him to manifest His glory within the temple of our body. There is no other way to reveal His life of perfect love in this world. We should therefore never rest short of the promised “Sabbath-rest” where it is possible to “cease” from our own works and begin living through the promised Kingdom-life of our Lord.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life {the first-fruits of the life of heaven} which the Lord has promised to those who love Him {to those who submit to His ways}. (Jam. 1:12)

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 1:10-11 Emphasis added)

Responding to the Right Impressions

2009-06-24T15:06:00.003-04:00

*The following article is from the book – Walking With God by Steve Bray - and the chapter entitled “The Fellowship of Communicating with God.”

Learning to respond to the right impressions is an important part of being a Christian. We have therefore included extensive quotes from the best sources we have found on this subject. The following lessons are from Martin Knapp’s book Impressions. (We have provided additional material in the Appendix from Impressions and from Thomas Upham’s book Inward Divine Guidance.)

Emphatic mention of this test of impressions is made by Upham in his valuable treatise on Divine Guidance. He says… “If a leading is of God the ‘way will always open for it.’ The Lord assures us of this when He says: ‘When He putteth forth His own sheep He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.’ Notice here the expressions, ‘goeth before’ and ‘follow.’ He goes before to open a way, and we are to follow in the way thus opened. It is never a sign of divine leading when a Christian insists on opening his own way, and riding roughshod over all opposing things. If the Lord goes before us He will open all doors for us, and we shall not need ourselves to hammer them down. The Word declares, ‘Behold, I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it.’ ”

This open door of providential opportunity awaits every person who follows impressions from above. “I will go before thee,” declares Jehovah to all who follow Him, “and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.” All true impressions from above find “crooked places” divinely straightened, gates of brass divinely broken and bars of iron divinely sundered.

The providential openings which thus ever welcome those divinely led are marvelous. God never impresses a Noah to build an ark, or a Solomon a temple, but that means, material and men await their appropriating faith. He never impresses a Philip to go preach to an individual, but that he prepares the person for Philip’s preaching…

We cannot forbear to quote further from the luminous teachings of George D. Watson on this frequently puzzling point. He says: “The Holy Ghost never guides us contrary to the Word. The Word never guides us contrary to Providence, and Providence does not guide us contrary to the Word or Spirit. So that these three elements of divine guidance are always harmonious… When you want to be divinely led, simply consult God’s providence and consult God’s Word and consult the convictions of God’s Spirit upon your heart, and the Lord, if you are humble and teachable, will see that you are properly led.”…

God has given us reasoning powers for a purpose, and he respects them, appeals to them, and all of His leadings are in unison with them. He will bring up all the facts in the case in such a way as to convince us that His leadings are all in harmony with sanctified common sense…

God never asks us to act on uncertainties. To do so is a spiritual crime. “He that doubteth is damned if he eat,” and this principle proscribes the doing of anything concerning the rightfulness of which there is doubt… [“For whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:23)]

God does not drive, but leads His children… Watson says, “You can detect the devil by one or two things. The devil always talks loud. Jesus always talks low and tender… When a [worldly] spirit makes an impression on the mind, that impression can be made in a loud, rushing, pell-mell sort of way… I mean to say that the impression has a loudness in the mind… The devil wants you to be in a hurry and rush and go pell-mell and not wait for anything; whereas Jesus is always quiet and He is calm and always takes His time… The more you wait on God, if the conviction comes from the Holy Ghost, the more you wait and the more you pray, the stronger it becomes. If it comes from the devil, the more you wait and the more you pray, the weaker it grows. You can tell by that. If you have a call to some mission work or anything, and you say, ‘I wish I did know whether it were God or Satan,’ you just take time…”

While it is true, when duty is clearly known, that “the king’s business requireth haste,” yet when it is not clearly known it is just as true that “he that believeth shall not make haste.”…

The impressions from above, when followed, are attended by a sweet peace and the consciousness that they are right; those from below, by perplexity and the feeling that something is wrong. The first brings rest. The second robs of it… The Holy Spirit is an unerring guide, and he who detects and turns from every wrong impression and fully follows Him will be led into “all truth.”…

May we each so “try the spirits,” and “watch and pray,” that, like God’s people of old, we may see our “pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night,” and thus while being led in a “plain path” be enabled to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

God does not reveal the full details of His will all at once. He keeps His children in constant dependence upon Him. You will therefore need to have your patience perfected and learn to live each moment by the Spirit. “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete {living in full dependence upon God}, lacking nothing.” (Jam. 1:4) The more lamb-like you become in your meek and lowly submission to His will, the easier it is to hear His voice and follow Him. You will then begin to discover that you never lack anything.

Wesley Duewel says in his book there is never an emergency with God. Even though we may think there is a crisis, our Sovereign God knows the end from the beginning. In Let God Guide You, he says, “The nature of guidance often requires extended time. You must allow God time to prepare you, others, and the situation for which you are praying.”

Even though there may appear to be a crisis developing at times, God will never permit His Spirit-led children to enter into any greater difficulty than is necessary for their good. As we have learned from the apostle Paul’s life, God will sometimes use very difficult situations to bring us to the end of ourselves. (2 Cor. 1:8-9) He will also use special thorns to separate us from the self-sufficient and self-exalting ways of the devil. He will do what is necessary to produce within our heart a childlike faith so He may keep us in the place where we “lack nothing.”

Salt - by Guy Morris

2009-06-14T09:27:00.000-04:00

This word is to you that have experienced a birth into the family of our Lord. Your life has been changed because of Jesus Christ, but the leaders of today have lost the vision of how the children of our Fathers kingdom grow up.

The purpose the Lord has is to stir up your thinking; to think... asking yourself where you are and what message are you hearing? What direction are you going? Are you on the milk of the Word? Is the milk healthy? Have you ever tasted meat that comes from the Lord? We need to ask ourselves if we know what salt is. Have we ever really tasted the flavor of the saltiness of the Word of God? Are we really carrying the cross that Jesus has asked us to carry following Him all the way or is it only a cross attached to a pretty chain around our neck?

The scripture the Lord has chosen for this letter comes from 2nd Kings 2:19-20, 21 and the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

A cruse is a container or vessel that is used for different things. Some are used to hold water, salt, seed or other things for the household. In this case it is a vessel that holds salt.

The city the Lord is referring to are a people who call themselves the bride of Christ or the Jerusalem of God, the brethren or perhaps they prefer to just plainly be a Christian church. At any rate I spent the first 42 years in these churches of different names and doctrines before the Lord called me out.

It is a divided city which is so full of different names and teachings that we almost lose count of how many there are.

Each one of these which are called by different names will very willingly tell you that they are right and the others are wrong. Saying, 'You will find out when you get to heaven and see that we were right.' This is the city we are talking about. A city that is full of divisions. As you look at this city as a whole you will also find it is a city of confusion. In the book of Revelation the Lord has given this city another name and that name is spiritually BABYLON.

To go on with this scripture we see the situation of this city is pleasant. Most of the buildings we call churches have padded seats to sit on. Nice carpet and the colors are pleasant to the eyes, but it depends who you talk to as to what answer you get. Perhaps the reason for this is because the scripture goes on and says the water is naught and the ground barren.

The Hebrew Word naught has many words to describe its meaning. Here are some; bad, evil, harm, hurt, worse, calamity, wretchedness, and more of such words to describe its meaning. So we see that the watering of the Word is not good and it makes the ground barren.

The Hebrew word barren means to miscarry; that is to suffer abortion, by analogy to bereave of children, and rob of children.

Perhaps the reason He is using this scripture is because the Holy Spirit used this to help teach me and so He is passing it along to you. He used this scripture to help teach me of what the churches have become. It wasn't that I was not saved as they put it or birthed into life by the Spirit of God. It was that I was not growing or developing into a healthy son of God.

The watering of the Word has been so twisted into different meanings and I was being robbed of growing up in our Lord Jesus. It was causing me harm and if it were not for the Lord calling me out I don't know what would have happened to me because I saw in a vision that my pastor was trying to cast me and another person into a bottomless pit. This scared me.

All I knew was going to church was the right thing to do. So now what am I to do? He preached Jesus, being born again, and receiving of the Holy Spirit. Yet God is saying he is robbing me.

We can understand how a child is born in the natural,(by the flesh), but we don't understand the fullness of how a Spiritual child of God is born and given a change of growing up to be just like Jesus. What is born of the flesh is flesh, but what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

Many churches may have really had a part of a person receiving Jesus, receiving the Holy Spirit but then tell the people to pitch their tent in the wilderness of this world, far short of the Jordan River and the promised area of God. They call each tent by name and make up the rules that govern their group. If you don't follow the rules they may press you to leave, but if you want to leave on your own they may speak to you like they spoke to me.

You are leaving the will of God; your going to Hell or they may put the quilt trip thing on you trying to get you to come back saying you are going in the wrong direction. Some say, we need you to help us and others are really looking up to you. Patting us on the back does wonders to the ego of the flesh.

Satan is not afraid of a baby casting him out of heavenly places. What he is really concerned about is that baby growing up. He has done a good job so far keeping that child from growing up. I believe the Lord is about to change all that; that is if we are willing to listen to HIM.

The truth of the matter is I was going back to my Father's house looking to the Holy Spirit to guide me. Where I was all those years was living the life of a prodigal son only I didn't know it. Giving my time and money to leaders that were not helping me but harming me and other children of God from growing up in Christ Jesus. Now my Father was calling me out of these tent builders to come Home, to be in His presence.

We read in the scriptures that at one time it was OK to go to church or to gather together with others of like minds. Now it is different, because every one of us have been born into this world at the time of the great falling away. Our churches have become a part of the great harlot Babylon! Maybe there is a church somewhere which hasn't fallen away; I don't know. All I know is I have not heard of any.

When I was being called out two angles came to my house and stood behind me as I sat on the couch. I did not see them but I knew they were there. One of them spoke to me encouraging me to obey the Lord. I obeyed Him and left it. It made me think about the two witnesses that were sent to Lot to get him out of Sodom. At the same time you feel a little like Abraham when he was called out to the wilderness not knowing where he was going looking for the city of God; the one He was building.

The first thing the Holy Spirit began to do was to take away some bad teachings. I felt just like I was in a wilderness with the Lord's people scattered every where unknown to me. He also was teaching me new things that the church never taught. One of those things is the knowing that now I was a part of the true church of God, the one He is making, and not man. Sometimes I missed hearing the singing and fellowship with a few of them, but then manna came down and I was glad I obeyed Him.

Along with the scripture that I shared with you He showed me something else about the churches. I happened to go to Denver and the Holy Spirit wanted me to go to the stock show that was going on in town. He wanted to show me something. I didn't know where to go but I happened to be just in the right place sitting about half way up in the seats. They were selling bulls for reproduction of the farmers herds. Man o man did they fuss over those bulls, washing, combing, brushing and even putting curls in the hair at places. It looked like they were putting some kind of oil on them to make the hair shiny. These bulls were bought by the highest bidder.

The entire time what the Lord wanted me to see is... this is what man is doing to future preachers in the schools of men. They are hirelings groomed for producing people. They will go to the highest bidder teaching the doctrine of that school. They only looked good on the outside.

Elisha spoke what the Lord wanted-- Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

Bring me a vessel full of salt. If you have been called out and you're walking in this wilderness as a living sacrifice unto the Lord; don't desire to go back. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Mark 9:49

Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you because He will make you into the salt of the earth and when the Lord goes forth with healing in His wings; you will be one with Him. Some of the Lord's people will be stubborn and will not come out of her until the day you are sent to them.

You that are being called out and you haven't obeyed Him yet; you need to do it. You need to trust the Holy Spirit to care for you. Jesus said, will there be any faith left when He comes? We don't want to come up short of having faith in God's Word and His promises.

True worship is to obey Him!

The Holy Spirit told me that when they were putting the guilt trip on me.

He is fully capable of getting you where you need to be according to God's will for you. The time will come that everyone whose name is in the Book of Life will be called on to come out of her before she is destroyed.

When I was being called out some things the Lord was showing me were hard to believe and I sort of felt like Abraham and the story told about him when he was called out. Maybe you feel the same way and you donâ€™t know exactly where to go or what to do. I want you to know this is normal for a person like you.

You are special to our Father. One of the hardest things to over come is your own family and the love you have for them, which is a part of this world. The reason is, if you love your family more then Jesus; you are not worthy to have Him. In other words you will never be as one with Him. Talk about being salty? We all have to make up our mind that it is the Lord we will love and obey, denying our own life in order to be one with Him.

The Lord needs vessels of Salt for the healing of the true Church of God. To be vessels of Salt you need the mind of Christ and that means growing up to be Sons of God. Taste the Words that come out of the mouth of our Lord Jesus. If you don't think they are really salty then you are not hearing Him, nor tasting the flavor of salt.

I encourage everyone of my true family which is born of God. Have faith in every Word God has spoken through His Son Jesus or a fresh Word that He is speaking to you now. Yes, to have true faith in His Word will cause you to lose your Life but you will find a life that is truly wonderful and not of this world. We all need to be the salt of the earth; always ready to walk further with our Lord Jesus Christ. Always ready to have an answer seasoned with salt.

Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

There are many obstacles about this door seeking to turn you aside or call you back and the way is to suffer the loss of your life. It will be worth it to become the salt of the earth because that is what JESUS IS.

IN HIS LOVE
Guy

The Sovereignty of God in Our Lives

2009-05-24T21:51:00.008-04:00

In Genesis we read God made man in his image: “…in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

We also read the story of how man fell and sinned against God by disobeying his one commandment to them, to not eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then God said “…Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil...” Genesis 3:22. This may seem like a paradox….first God said he created man in his image, then after they fell, he said they became “as one of us” to know good and evil. But the words “as one of us” here, speaks of them becoming their own God or another God with their own understanding.

The carnal mind and self will that Adam and Eve fell to that day when they went their own way, has lead man to do what was right in their own eyes…deciding for themselves what was good and evil. God said “…in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17). Their union with God was broken and their spirit life died that day. They had been covered with the Glory of God, (which is the image of God) but it could no longer rest upon them, they had gone their own way. Without union with God, they were now naked and sought the covering that only union with God could give them. Man has tried everything imaginable since that time to substitute that covering. Every pleasurable thing the world can offer has been tried to fill that spot, but it all leaves them empty in the end and looking for the next “covering”

But Paul knew what he was looking for and it could only be found in the spiritual ream with spiritual life in union with God: “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” (2 Corinthians 5:2-4)

In Genesis….God said they were going to create men in their image, and that is what he has been doing these last six thousand years. God is creating Sons of God, a people who are just as he is. Like a mirror, the image has no separate life of its own; it only reflects the life in front of it. It doesn’t seek its own will; it only does what it sees life in front of it doing. This is what the Sons of God will be like.

Everything that has transpired since God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground has been to this end. Giving Adam and Eve the opportunity to fall, giving man the law, yet allowing man to do what seemed right in their own eyes. In one form or another every law and every commandment has been a picture of what union with the father should be. It is the evidence of whether we are in union with him or not. The law was our school master. But without the spiritual life from God, we could not be in union with him. We could have forgiveness of sins through the sacrifices of the lambs and fulfilling the rituals of the festivals, but they could not give us back the life that was lost in the garden and the Glory that rested on them. Without this life there is no union with the father. It took Jesus death for forgiveness of sins, and his resurrection life in us to make it possible to be once again in union with the Father.

God is not looking for just modified behavior that is able to keep the law, but desires to impart a new life in us, born of an incorruptible seed by the Holy Spirit that will grow up into a perfect man made in his image.

We have to understand that not everyone born into this world or even those who call themselves Christians will summit themselves to God to be formed into the image of him and become true Sons of God. 2 Timothy 2:20 speaks of vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour. 2 Timothy 3:12 says “…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” If any desire to follow the Lord and live their life through him will suffer loss. The words “in Christ Jesus” in this scripture is Christ living in us, giving us the power to live Godly. In order for that new life to be formed in us, we must die to ourselves. Any good works done in our own strength apart from the power of God working in us is only self righteousness, and God HATES self righteousness. It is still the same thing that Adam and Eve did in the garden, apart from God, they had a knowledge of good and evil.

Why do I speak so much about unity or union with God? This is the part he has shown us of himself and he is requiring that of us. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” As we study the words of Jesus, he says things like….I and my father are one….I can do nothing apart from my father......he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.

John writes: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 1John 5:7

I believe it is save to say that none of the three, the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit, does anything apart from each other, they are always in union. That is why they are called “One”. He is calling us into this same unity with him, “one” perfect man, the body of Christ, whose head is Christ Jesus.

Jesus prayed “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.” John 17:21

Since no flesh can glory in God, our flesh must die.

We can know these things; we can quote the scriptures and talk about it. We can have a sincere heart that desires to live this way, but until it is worked into us by God though trials and tribulations, it can not be formed in us. Scriptures tell us that even Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)

If we have a true desire to be a vessel of honor for our Lord, to be conformed into his image, if we belong to him, we have to believe he is working in us. No matter what happens or comes our way, it is for our good and his purpose in us. We must believe he is sovereign in every part of our lives. As Roman 8:28 says: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”

People like to rebuke the Devil when persecution comes, but we need to get that out of our minds, there is no solid scripture for it. Quite the contrary, persecution is an instrument by which we are conformed into the image of Christ. As our flesh is being crucified with trials and tribulations, our will, pride and our own sense of what we feel is “right” and “wrong” is being nailed to the cross. This is how we are blessed when Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” All of this is necessary to burn away our old “life” so the new life in Christ can grow up into a new spiritual man and his glory can be revealed in us. Everything that Adam and Eve “learned” at the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is carnal and fleshly…it is the enemy of God and we must leave it behind. Our ways are not God’s way.

Peter wrote: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” (1 Peter 4:12-14)

Let us read the words of Paul who knew much about suffering:

“…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 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. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

How may we have the power of Christ rest upon us? By taking “pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions.” If we do not have faith or trust in a sovereign God, that all things that come against us are not only known of God, but are ordained of him for our good…and that his grace will be sufficient, we have no real faith in him at all!

We are here for His purpose, and his purpose is to conform us to his will. The only part we can play in this is to say to the Lord, “not my will but thy will be done” and obey him. When we have done all…..stand. If a battle is to be fought, let the Lord fight it. Only speak or do as the Lord leads. Don’t try and figure things out with our own understanding, be led daily of the Lord. He is able to keep us when we hold on to him.

As we do this, more and more of our old self dies away and the power of Christ rest upon us!

We Must Eat Right… to Be Right - Cathy Morris

2009-05-15T07:11:00.004-04:00

How do we come to find healthy spiritual food? Jesus tells us in John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

We can see the connection between our physical condition and what we consume through out mouths and into our stomachs. ‘We are what we eat’ so the saying goes… healthy, strong, alert, energetic, in shape; or sickly, weak, dull, lethargic and either obese or emaciated. Junk in – junk out, pretty much holds true.

In exactly the same way, we can see (or more to the point, others can see) the state of our spiritual health reflected in all that we say and do; in how we treat others. Our LIFE speaks volumes, revealing our true heart condition to all we encounter whether we are aware of it or not. The way of the world is to achieve the recognition of peers, accept their praise, climb the ladder of success, and accumulate material possessions and power over others.

Jesus said in John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Jesus came to Israel with a message that was foreign to their ears. They prided themselves on being the ‘chosen people,’ the ‘beloved of God.’ They held the scriptural prophecies of the Messiah that ‘was to come.’ Yet they were locked into their traditions and limited by their carnal understanding. The ways of the world are the ways of the thief. While that which God requires of all who would come to Him, is that we deny the world and all of its allurements, that we crucify our flesh and allow His Spirit to direct our steps. The vast majority of the nation of Israel to which our Lord came rejected Him outright, starting with the religious leaders. His ‘message of the Kingdom’ was not what they wanted to hear; “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” His message of self-denial held no allurement for the established leaders of that time, any more than it holds any appeal to those who have been lifted up over the people in our generation.

Our Lord tells us where we will find true spiritual sustenance… Matthew 6:25. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” John 6:51. “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” John 6:53. Let us not deceive our own selves, but know that our life reveals what we are feeding on. This is the deciding factor…. to the degree that His LIFE is manifest in us… being led by the Spirit of God. Many call themselves ‘born-again,’ ‘heirs of salvation,’ ‘righteous remnant,’ even while they are doing those things that seem right in their own eyes. Consider… “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness” Proverbs 30:12. “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:21.

Jesus said “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man” Matthew 15:18. “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man” Mark 7:15. What comes out of us… but our words and our actions? The only standard of measurement of our spiritual condition is Jesus Christ himself… “because as he is, so are we in this world.” The entire text reads…. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” 1 John 4:17. Our flesh loves to focus emphasis on the outward things, passing judgment on others for wherever we disagree with them, while totally failing to comprehend that even in our perceived ‘righteous indignation’ at errors others may hold, we ourselves are equally guilty of missing the mark. We cannot set ourselves up as judges, and walk in love at the same time. We find ourselves frustrated when we turn aside from the substance and embrace the forms. Christ is the ‘Tree of LIFE,’ in the midst of the Paradise of God. The substance is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We will never be satisfied, or changed, or find eternal life as long as we continue to feed from the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’

Down through history the ‘Christian world’ have continued to embrace the ‘love of God’ for man, while rejecting the ‘way of the cross,’ the ‘denial of flesh,’ and the LIFE Jesus came to give us. To follow Christ… is to walk as He walked. To walk as Christ walked, is to walk in the Spirit…. “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” John 5:19.

We are far too quick to try and bring about spiritual realities and manifestations, in the power of our own flesh. The Son did nothing from his own fleshly abilities. He did only what he saw the Father do. He was directly connected to the Father by the Spirit. This is the restored life-line that Jesus brought to us. This is exactly how we are called to live in this world. The only thing that prevents us from following Christ, in the same humility and obedience he walked in, is our fleshly pride and lusts for the things of this world. We have all heard the saying that someone is ‘so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.’ Hmmm… I wonder where that idea originated??? It holds something of the hisssssss of the father of all lies, in that it mocks the very notion that being heavenly minded could be of any benefit to the world. It casts scorn upon the concept of living for any purpose other than pleasing the world. It may be a catchy phrase that’s been around for a long time, but it is evidence of a carnal mind. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” Romans 8:6. We have a choice to make friends. Will we be carnally minded, full of man’s wisdom, or will we choose to be spiritually minded, having the mind of Christ? The majority of believers the world over are convinced that they are being spiritually minded, even while feeding on the hollow husks of all the great theologies devised by man over the many centuries. Religious rituals and lip-service are what the Pharisees and Sadducees had to offer, and our Lord called them ‘whited sepluchers full of dead men’s bones.’ Why would we even begin to imagine that His requirements or judgments of this generation would be any different?

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” John 18:36.

“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” 1 John 2:16.

The writer of Proverbs twice stated: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” Proverbs 16:25. We have a choice….“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” Romans 8:14. How will we live our life? Who will we follow? The Apostle John showed us what we must do if we would prepare the way and restore the breach, “He must increase, but I must decrease” John 3:30.

Jesus came that we ‘might have LIFE, and that we might have it more abundantly!’ He told us how to obtain this life…
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” Matthew 11:29. He left no doubt as to whose voice we should listen to… “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life;” and why… “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6.

We must eat to live. Let us examine our hearts before God, and take a good look at both the table we are sitting at, as well as the fruit our lives are producing.

The 23rd Psalm …

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The table we are eating at makes all the difference. There was a reason why the manna in the wilderness didn’t keep overnight, but had to be gathered fresh every day. In the same way, we cannot feed on the stale remnants of past moves of God. If we would be the ‘new creature’ in Christ that He is calling us to be, then we must keep our eye focused on HIM alone, and be sensitive to the slightest move of the Holy Spirit in our inner man. Paul described for us in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” May we partake of the life-quickening spirit, feasting at the table prepared for us from before the foundations of the world! Knowing that we do bear the image of the table we are eating from.

Amen & Amen

The Bride, the Lamb's Wife

2009-05-02T09:43:00.004-04:00

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:18,19)

The saints will find their way home to God's bosom. But the "tares," those whom Babylon has brought into the ranks of the "believers," never will understand this. They will be tossed about by the doctrines of preachers whose God is their belly until finally they are revealed at the Judgment Seat of Christ for the corruption they truly are.

The Kingdom of God is not composed of many extraordinary saints but of one God, one Christ, and those who are part of Christ. It is the oneness of the Kingdom that is so utterly important. It is the oneness of the Kingdom that the world must see. In view of the oneness of the Kingdom we can understand that disobedience to God in any form cannot be tolerated.

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)

Because of her oneness with the Lamb the holy city is termed "the bride, the Lamb's wife." It is the oneness, the marriage, that is emphasized. The Church never is referred to as the queen. It is Babylon who is the queen, the one who regards herself as the equal of the Lord. But the Bride is the body of the Lord, not His equal. She is not His partner, she is Him!

The danger today is that the believers are being taught to seize the promises of God and attempt to make them work for their own good. This is the False Prophet, as we have said. The true Bride rejects this false worship immediately. She knows that the Lord has not called her to be someone who uses Him for her own purposes, not even if those purposes have to do with "Gospel work," but a helper suited to Him. She is to become an integral part of Himself.

Those who are not called of the Lord never will understand this distinction. But the elect understand it immediately and flee from those who are attempting to use Christ's love for their own purposes.

When one beholds the holy city, the new Jerusalem, he beholds God, just as when one beholds Christ he beholds God. This is not because God and Christ are the same person but because They are One and the holy city is one in Them. We are being brought into this perfect Unity. The process of being brought into the Divine Oneness is very painful because our self-centeredness is destroyed; not our identity or uniqueness but our ability to act as an independent will. Adam dies and in his place there arises a new person—a life-giving spirit (I Corinthians 15:45) who is an eternal, incorruptible part of Christ.

To be continued.

R. Thompson

What Part of ‘NO FLESH’ Don’t We Understand? - Cathy Morris

2009-05-02T09:38:00.003-04:00

“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 1:27-31.

The One Thing Needful…

If it be asked, What this one thing is? It is the SPIRIT OF GOD brought again to HIS FIRST POWER OF LIFE IN US. Nothing else is wanted by us, nothing else intended for us, by the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel. Nothing else is, or can be effectual, to the making sinful man become again a godly creature.

Everything else, be it what it will, however glorious and divine in outward appearance, everything that angels, men, churches, or reformations, can do for us, is dead and helpless, but so far as it is the immediate work of the Spirit of God breathing and living in it.

These words were penned in 1761 by William Law in his Address to the Clergy. They were true then, and they are true today. The apostle Paul states in Colossians 1:26-29:
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”

There is nothing that can stand in the gap for the Spirit of God; no substitute, nothing of the flesh can meet the requirements of a Holy God. “For all have sinned and fallen short….” includes all of us. All of our good works; all of our perceived righteousness, is as filthy rags.

Continue reading here

Beheaded for the witness of Jesus

2009-05-01T08:39:00.007-04:00

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (I Corinthians 15:45)

The life-giving spirit is the Lord from Heaven. We are nothing apart from Jesus. We are being created of Him and in Him. This is the true Kingdom of God, the Servant of the Lord, the Israel of God, the new Jerusalem. It is the Light that will govern the nations of saved peoples of the earth. It is the Throne of God and of the Lamb. It is the Branch. It is the eternal Temple, the Tabernacle of God.

It is this eternal Tabernacle of God that will at first enforce obedience on the nations of the saved, and after that will create inner obedience in people until everyone dwelling on the new earth has a portion of Christ in himself and will obey God from an obedient heart. The Kingdom of God is as a tiny seed that grows until it is the greatest of the trees. It will be as an immense mountain, a government that will fill the whole earth. This is the nature and significance of the Judaic-Christian salvation.

The servant of the Lord is beheaded.
. . . and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; . . . (Revelation 20:4)

The believers who attain the first resurrection will have been "beheaded." This may be referring just to those who were decapitated for their testimony, or to all the Christian martyrs. Another interpretation, which is figurative, is that they permitted the Spirit to do away with their fleshly minds so they could follow the Lord by faith and trust.

To do the will of God we must experience a transformation of the mind. The religionist uses his mind in order to practice his religion. The saint is led by the Spirit of God, his mind serving to insure that he is being directed according to the righteousness commanded by the Scriptures.

To be a member of the Body of Christ, part of the Servant of the Lord, we must be "blind" and "deaf" in the world so we may be able to see the Lord and hear His voice. It is impossible to serve the Lord properly, obeying Him faithfully in every detail, until our human mind has been replaced by the mind of the Spirit of God.

The sons of God are led by the Spirit, not by human reasoning. If we would bear a true witness of the Lord Jesus and be an expression of the Word of God we must be "beheaded."

Those who are of the world walk by the light of the world. But those who are of the Lord walk by His light. The saints who rule with God will have no need of the light of the sun for God will illumine them.

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:11)

The worship of the Beast. The worship of the Beast (Antichrist) and the image of the Beast are the great issues of the last days. According to the Book of Revelation, one of the primary tasks of the saints of the end-time is to overcome the Beast and his image.

As we have stated previously, the Beast is Antichrist, that is, the desire of man to be his own God. The False Prophet is the attempt of people to gain the power of Christ apart from union with Christ. There is no doubt that these abominations will be a mixture of the world and Christianity. They will represent the maturing of what already is prevalent in the wealthy nations of the earth, the attempt to set up a system that speaks the words of morality, of faith, of hope, of love (even in the name of Jesus) but which is motivated by human reasoning and objectives.

It is our point of view that the "faith" and "prosperity" movements are of the False Prophet. The "Reconstruction" movement appears to be an attempt of Christian people to use the power of Jesus to gain control of civil government. Then too we see Christian leaders attempt to persuade the world leaders to "accept Christ" according to the "four steps of salvation." They do not seek to convince the politicians to walk in obedience before God, to take up their cross and follow the Lord, but to be "born again" in the sense of a shallow mental and verbal acknowledgment of the Christian redemption. Such teaching will not cause the political leaders to tremble, as did Felix. Paul did not talk to Felix about grace or being born again but concerning righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come.

In addition the Christian leaders stress the value of a democratic form of government (which does not of itself result in godly behavior, as evidenced in the United States, France, England, and West Germany) and free-enterprise capitalism as an economic system. We are not certain that it is the Holy Spirit who is sponsoring these attempts to bring the Divine salvation into the political arena.

Antichrist and the False Prophet will attempt to use the things of Christ to solve the problems of the world. It seems these two members of the satanic trinity are with us already.

There may be a day when people are forced to have some sort of mark in their hand or on their forehead in order to participate in the world economic system. Our concern is that today the actions of the believers and their thinking reveal they already are part of the world system. With their hands they serve the God of the world and their minds think like the world.

The believers are worshiping the demons of covetousness, lust, violence, drunkenness, and occult practices as they watch their televisions. They are seeing on the television what Antichrist desires they see. The believers sit in a mental torpor, allowing Satan to stamp their minds with covetousness, lust, murder, reveling, and sorcery. The Christians do not have the strength to resist the entrance of Satan into their homes. This is because they have been taught that Christ desires to forgive them, rather than the truth of the Gospel which is that Christ wants to change them. Salvation is moral transformation. Apart from moral transformation there is no salvation.

To be continued...
R. Thompson

The Government of Christ

2009-04-22T19:58:00.002-04:00

The Necessity of Childlike Trust and Dependence

2009-04-11T23:08:00.004-04:00

The biblical doctrine that speaks of sharing with the Son in His life and nature of love will sound impractical, and even impossible, when it is received by the natural mind. From the very beginning it is necessary to come to God in a childlike faith. As unreasonable as it may sound, the Father expects His children to ask Him to open the eyes of their understanding so they may recognize “the riches of the glory” that is now available in this age of fulfillment. (Eph. 1:17-19; Jam. 1:5-8) In God’s kingdom, you will find that He reveals His deeper truths to the little “babes” who come to Him for help in a childlike and trusting faith.

But the natural man {the man who depends on his own wisdom and strength} does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)
I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. (Matt. 11:25) Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted {in your thinking too} and become as {dependent and trusting} little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:3)

The corruption and disorder that rises out of the heart of fallen man is a result of being bound to a nature that is naturally independent, self-sufficient, self-seeking and self-exalting. Satan is the one who fostered this form of life on the world. Because it is in direct conflict with the Son’s way of life, those who live by this carnal wisdom will not be able to see the light of truth. “This wisdom {that leads to a self-centered form of life} does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic {of the devil}. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” (Jam. 3:15-16)

The Lord therefore says that we must be prepared to become like trusting and dependent little children before we can enter into His kingdom where everyone shares with Him in His life of holy love. In God’s eternal kingdom, everything originates in Him. His children are led by His Spirit in everything they do. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14) Like a child being led by a parent, the children of God depend on Him to direct all their steps. This is the wisdom that completely delivers the followers of Christ from the independent, self-sufficient, self-seeking and self-exalting form of life that Satan fostered on the world. And “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus set the example by never doing anything out from Himself. He said, “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear {from the Spirit}, I judge {make decisions and act}; 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) As He walked in this Spirit-directed way of life, trusting in the wisdom of His Father to work out all things for the eternal good, He revealed His Father’s glory—holy love—in everything He did. The Father never left Him alone. In effect, the Father was living through Jesus and sharing with Him in the eternal life of holy love.

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)
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?...the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me… (John 14:10-11)
He who has seen Me has seen the Father… (John 14:9)

If Jesus would have done anything out from Himself in His own power as God, He could not have also lived fully as Man. He specifically came as the Second Adam or Last Adam to reestablish the way of life that God originally intended for the first man Adam to walk in. Jesus could not have asked us to follow Him and walk as He did if He had lived by His own independent power. We do not have that kind of power in us. And yet, He instructed us to walk as He did and to manifest the same life of holy love that He revealed. He expects us to do it by choosing to live through Him in the same way He lived through the Father. We are to become vessels of His life and works. It entails learning of Him and fully yielding to the life that was in Him. Only in this way can He manifest His life through the mortal body of each believer.

In order to have a true sense of the evil found in such things as self-seeking, pride, envy, contentions, selfish anger, bitterness and an unforgiving spirit, you only need to see how these carnal traits kill Christ’s spirit of love. They are in their whole nature nothing else but the murderers and crucifiers of the true Christ of God. Not as the high priests did many hundreds of years ago, nailing His outward humanity to an outward cross, but they crucify afresh the Son of God in the soul. Every individual who gives way to these selfish traits and does not seek to be delivered from this evil by permitting Christ to live through them with His life of holy love, crucifies Christ all over again.

Christ becomes our atonement and reconciliation with God as we yield to the salvation He has come to give to everyone who receives Him. If we resist this work that permits Him to manifest His life of holy love through the vessel, we effectively reject Him and everything He did to make this salvation possible.

The Lord has many different names. But they all point to one fact: He is the “light of life.” (John 8:12) “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4) Every creature that is to be holy in love, whether in heaven or on earth, must receive this life from Him. And wherever the Son is not the source of life, there is fallen nature left to itself with its own tormenting self-life.

The soul experiences a void when it is not filled with Christ’s Spirit of Love. It is the reason why fallen man is always looking for something more from the temporal realm. His restless soul causes him to spend his days on earth endlessly looking for something to fill the void. The various works of the flesh rise out of this inward need. “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery…contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath {selfish anger}, selfish ambitions {self-seeking}, dissensions…and the like.” (Gal. 5:19-21) These evil tendencies, which have their source in the old self-seeking nature, are purged away wherever the fullness of the Son’s Spirit resides within the heart. “As the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) Not only does this consistent flow of Living Water from the heavenly realms purge out everything that is contrary to God’s nature of love, it wells up into a display of His eternal life of holy love.

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 eternal life. (John 4:14 NIV)
Let it therefore be known that your willingness to indulge in “contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath {selfish anger}, selfish ambitions {all self-seeking}, dissensions…and the like” (Gal. 5:20) is a rejection of the life of Christ, regardless of what you profess to believe. “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (v. 21) In the same sense that the Jews rejected Jesus when they said, “We will not have this Man to reign over us,” you reject Him when you refuse to permit Him to live through you with His Spirit of Love and save you from your self-centered, self-seeking and self-exalting nature.

The sum of all that has been said is this: All evil, whatever it is, all misery of every kind, has its source in man choosing to live independently of God—to be left alone to direct his own steps through life. It separates him from the eternal life of God. On the other hand, all that truly leads to lasting goodness and happiness, glory and joy, can come from nothing else but the invisible, uncreated Light and Spirit of God possessing the vessel and turning it into a display of His heavenly life of holy love.

It is in this sense that fallen man is totally dependent upon Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to be his Redeemer. God only is unselfish love; and the nature of divine love that was revealed through Jesus can be nowhere else but in God and where He is permitted to dwell and work. Those who will turn away from their independent and self-directed form of life in order to live through the life of the Son and be led by His Spirit, will naturally bear His heavenly fruit.

I {the Son} have made you {the Father} known to them {by revealing divine love in bodily form}, and will continue to make you known {by sharing the life with them} in order that the love you have for me {divine love} may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (John 17:26 NIV)
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

William Law/Andrew Murray

TAKING THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN

2009-04-11T18:32:00.001-04:00

Fear of WHAT... the Roaring Lions?

2009-04-11T17:41:00.000-04:00

What Is 'Dying to the Flesh' Anyway?

2009-04-01T09:20:00.000-04:00

The Spirit Filled Life

2009-03-01T12:42:00.013-05:00

*The following article is from the book – Living in the Heavenly Realms – under the chapter title, “The Christian’s Work – Believing and Yielding.”

The Lord has prepared the way for God’s human children to be filled with His Spirit. He did not withhold anything when it comes to this filling. “You may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:19) He commands us to remain filled with His Spirit. Those who refuse to submit to the conditions are living in sin. And the wages of sin is death.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is…be filled {keep on being filled} with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:17-18)

We will find that the degree to which we are filled with the Spirit is dependent upon the degree to which He controls the things we do. He fully occupies the territory where He has full control. The natural man does not have the Spirit of God, and cannot receive the things of the Spirit, because he wants to remain in control of his own life. The carnal Christian is also limited in what he can receive from the Spirit. In every part of his life where self-will still exists, there is a separation from the Spirit of God. The Spirit cannot fill and occupy that part of the heart. Only when faith is complete, and there has been a real death to the old self-directed way of life {consecration is complete}, is it possible to be completely filled with the Spirit of God.

Human beings were created to walk in the fullness of God’s Spirit. Anyone who falls short of this Spirit-filled life where the Spirit is in full control, is falling short of the glory of God. They have not yet entered into the full salvation of the Lord.

The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea represents the point where the called-out children of God receive His Spirit. Because they choose to come out of Egypt to become Spirit-led sons of God, they are given this precious Gift. He then begins to lead them across the wilderness testing period where He uses His providences to expose the remains of the self-life. The intent is to lead these children of faith to the point where their independent and self-sufficient spirit completely dies. He must prepare them to enter the Sabbath-rest where everyone ceases from their own works. (Heb. 4:9-10) Only then, when there is nothing coming out from the flesh, can they truly become a vessel that God is able to use to display His life and works. “For we are the circumcision, who…have no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil. 3:3)

God permitted His people to bring some of their possessions out of Egypt. He let them depend on these things for a while. He never puts more of a burden on someone than He has prepared them to bear. But the Lord could not take the people into the life of promise until these things were all gone. They had to be brought to a place where they lived wholly by faith in Him. Similarly, God will wait until we have lost all hope in every other temporal support before He lifts us into the heavenly life where He is All in All.

Crossing the Jordon River is represented as passing through a real death to self. There is no other way to enter into the life of promise where God “is All” and “does All.” We are told that the Jordan was backed up to “Adam” when the Israelites crossed the river. (Josh. 3:16) It implies that this supernatural work of God within the heart will take us back to where Adam fell from this heavenly life. He lost the eternal life when he stepped into self-will. We enter into the eternal life by dying to the old self-originated form of life that he passed on to his lineage.

After crossing over the Jordan River the Israelites set up a monument using twelve stones taken from the dry riverbed. The number twelve, one of the perfect numbers, was used by God throughout the Old Testament to represent perfect governmental order. He is revealing in this example how He establishes His perfect government within the heart when this crossing of the Jordan takes place.

The heart is purified when it is filled with God’s Spirit of holy love. It is then that His undivided kingdom is established. Christ sets up His throne in the heart and begins to reign without rival. And it is from under this throne that His ever-flowing “rivers” of Living Water begin to well up into a display of His eternal life. (John 4:14; 7:37-38) We can then begin living for Him here on earth with the same submissiveness in which it is done in heaven.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10)

…The kingdom of God does not come with observation {in the outward world}; nor will they {ever} say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is {to be established} within you. (Luke 17:20-21)

It is done! {The eternal Kingdom-life is fully established within the eternal soul.} I am {then} the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. {The One who becomes the source of everything.} I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes {the world and the flesh} shall inherit all things, and I will be his God {becoming his All in All} and he shall be My son. (Rev. 21:6-7)

Let Us Go Up To The Mountain Of The Lord

2009-02-28T17:44:00.010-05:00

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. (Micah 4:1)

There is a place that has been prepared for us by the Lord himself. It is a place that will not be recognized by those that are caught up in the things of this world or depend on the world for their well-being. This place we seek is a place whose builder and maker is God. It is the mountain of the Lord that Micah 4 speaks of. It is the Kingdom of our God! “...The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Jesus said he went to prepare a place for us there, let us now enter in, rejecting this world let us seek our Lord’s. We cannot live in both kingdoms….we will love the one and hate the other.

Jesus said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” And he prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” (John 17:16-18, 20) Jesus said we are not of this world any more than he is of this world.

This is not our kingdom any more than it is his. Just as the father sent him into the world so he has sent us. We must crucify the flesh. The body of the flesh that loves the world and the things of the world; it can not receive the things of the Spirit. “…..There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:44) Until we have put to death that body of flesh as Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me:.."(Galatians 2:20) we will not be able to fully comprehend what the Lord said. “…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.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Peter said we were, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23)

Reading in Mathew the 6th chapter….

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
(Matthew 6:19-24, 31-34)

These are the words of our Lord. It is his instructions on how we are to live our lives if we are to follow him. It should be obvious to us that the Lord did not want us to be wrapped up in the things of the world. John 17:16 he says, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Whether we are willing to live this way or not tells us a lot about our commitment to the Lord and the attitudes of our hearts. Are we willing to follow hard after our Lord at the cost of everything?

We don’t hear the song “I surrender all” sang much any more. Just like the rich young ruler, there is far too much to surrender. Many would much rather hear that God has blessed them with everything they have and therefore he would never ask them to give anything up or trust that when we might lose some of the comforts of this world, it is still God that is in control and directing our lives. Paul warned about our time in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.” These are the teachers who are “…..destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” (1 Timothy 6:5)

The true message of the Gospel is preached very little today. People don’t want to hear about dying to self and picking up our cross to follow the Lord. They don’t want to hear that those who truly follow the Lord will care very little for the things of this world. Preachers who are after large crowds can not afford to preach the truth. And by now most don’t even remember what the true Gospel of the Kingdom is. These words of Jesus’ are foreign to most who would call themselves Christians.

But the truth is, if we are to be true followers of Christ, our lives are no longer our own, we have been bought with a price and we are his to do with according to HIS purposes, not ours. (1Cr 6:20, Rom 8:28, Eph 1:5, Eph 1:11)

If the truth be known….most do not trust God to provide for them as he said in Mathew chapter 6. And in the same way they do not trust Him with their spiritual life either.

If we cannot grasp these things now, how will we be able to suffer for the Lord? “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12). “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10) How will we be able to trust our lives to him, even if it means death?

Let us look at the parallel between taking care of our physical needs and our spiritual needs.

Jesus said not to worry about money, what we would eat or what we have to wear. He said that was His responsibility. He is able to give to us what is needed according to his purposes, whether it is a job to help support our needs or a raven dropping food to us as He did for Elijah (1Kings 17:4). Our eye….our focus, is to be on the Lord and not on the needs of this world.

In the same way, our “self” righteousness is of no value either. It is not about what we do in our own strength. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that conforms us in to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:29) “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” This is why it can be said in 1 John 4:17 “…. we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” It is impossible for us to do this in our own strength, but the “Just shall live by faith” and “all things are possible with God”

The Kingdom of God is not what “we” can do for the Lord….it is all about HIM. If he so chooses to take these vessels of clay and use them for his glory, they belong to him to do the works as he pleases…..it is only at his choosing and it will be him that performs the works in us….so no flesh can glory! In the mean time…..we are only to follow hard after him…spending time with him…learning about him…..knowing him…..hearing his voice…..and loving him with everything in us! This is striving to enter into the Sabbath rest of the Lord. Ceasing from our own works and allowing Him to take the reins of our life, bringing us into the very imagine of Christ.

Hebrews the 4th chapter tells us about this rest.
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:9-11) This is the only “labor” that is required of us!

When Christ was on the cross, paying the price for our sins, He said, “It is finished”….no other sin offering would ever be needed….no other ritual….no other tradition of men and no other works of our flesh would be needed because.….IT IS FINISHED!

The only thing required is our eye is to be single and fixed on him……to fellowship with him….to be in his will…In no other place is there freedom. Complete trust in him as we give him our all. Whether we live…we live unto him….whether we die….we die in him.

Our eye is to be single…..as He brings us to the place where we have but one true desire…and that is to follow hard after thee, O Lord…in Him we have fullness of life…He will complete the work He began in us…..as we seek Him with our whole heart. Our true desire is to be conformed into his very image. Only he can perform this work in us…so no man can boast. It is not our good works, trying to “put off” sins in our own strength. These works done in our flesh is only wood hay and stubble and will be burned up in the fire of God…..for there is NONE good but the father! But if we walk in the spirit as he is in the spirit….seated in Heavenly places with him…..we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Amen! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

The Christian’s Work – Believing and Yielding

2009-02-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

The following article is from the book – Living in the Heavenly Realms – under the above chapter title.

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)

There are two basic elements needed in the relationship between Christ and the believer if God’s eternal purposes are to be fulfilled: the first is communion and the second is cooperation. There can never be true love in any relationship without both communion and cooperation.

Throughout eternity the Son has shared with His Father in the eternal life within the Trinity—that is communion. And when God initiated His wondrous plan of redemption the Son offered Himself as both the Lamb to be slain and as the Intercessor for man—that is cooperation. Similarly, if we are to live as Jesus did, we must enter into this same shared life where there is both an ongoing communion with God in His heavenly life and an offering of ourselves to be used for His purposes.

We must remember that we were specifically created as vessels that God could use to display His life and works in this world. Our one great role is to choose to cooperate with Him so that we may do the “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

The spiritual man apprehends this truth and appreciates the significance of it. If he is to be fully trained and become like his Master, he sees the need for permitting the Son to live through him. It involves giving the Spirit of God complete possession of his being so that Christ may have full control and unhindered use.

Only when the temple of the body is entirely set apart for God’s purposes—fully consecrated—is it possible to be filled with His Glory. This is what brings the child of God into an experiential knowledge of life in the Trinity, where there is never-ending communion and cooperation with the Lord of Glory.

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you {with everyone sharing in the same life and will}. (John 14:20)

Those who believe in Jesus will yield to every movement of His Spirit. This is the real meaning of faith. It involves dying to the old self-directed way of life. We must be prepared to be as easily moved as a leaf in an open field by the slightest changes in the wind. We surrender ourselves completely to the life that was in Jesus and look to Him in faith to do through us what He has purposed.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes {next}. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

My sheep hear My voice…and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life… (John 10:27-28)

Our work is to yield to Truth and the leading of His Spirit while believing in Him. As the Father did everything through the Son, He is the One who must produce all the good results through our lives. This kind of dependent and trusting faith always receives the reality of what has been promised in the Scriptures.

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:28-29)

Given time, the Lord will manifest His life and works through the members of His body. He waits until we have come to the end of ourselves. His purpose is to bring us to the place where we cease from our own works and begin living by His Spirit alone. It is then that He is able to manifest His life and works in a way that reveals how He is the source of what is being done. He then receives all the glory.

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)

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

2009-02-07T09:28:00.009-05:00

© B. Keith Chadwell, February, 2009

This is the first of a series of studies on 2nd Thessalonians 2:
As the studies are posted on The Kingdom Is At Hand they will be indexed, archived and may be accessed from the teachings page.

The truth is the truth, no matter what we believe. However, as the Spirit of God opens the eyes of our understanding in these days, we may discover we have been stumbling over obstacles to the truth in the scriptures that were not targeted for true Christians. The “strong delusion” described in 2nd Thessalonians 2:11, is clearly such a mystery obstacle

It is clear that this mysterious obstacle, in 2nd Thessalonians 2:11, is an obstacle sent by God to those who would not receive the love of the truth. Its purpose was to create a great delusion in those who reject the truth. This delusion or obstacle was sent by God so as to cause rebellious unbelievers to believe a lie and therefore they would be unable to see the truth. However, sadly, many true Christians have stumbled over this type of obstacle down through Church history as well and… without excuse. Because we can’t say we did not have ample warning, as we will soon see.

As true Christians, His truth is ours by promise and rightful inheritance:

Joh 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And (then) ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

However, like many of the promises of God to his children, there are
conditions to appropriation which the Church, in some cases,
has obviously missed.

The children of Israel had the same basic problem with appropriating
Gods promises because they did not heed Gods warnings either
and… with similar consequences. They fell away from the truth,
and accepted false doctrine, in spite of Gods warnings. As a result,
they were denied full and complete access to the promises of God.
Their history is one of returning, renewal, revival and then falling away,

again and again, even unto the day of Christ’s revealing to them.

This also sound like the history of the Church. This is history

repeating itself. Go figure!

Ecc 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is
done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Luk 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
Or from Matthew’s gospel;
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Because there are some strange interpretations out there regarding Luke 21:8 , Matthew 24:5 and the parallel scripture in Mark, clarification is in order before we go on:

I believe the above scriptures should be interpreted something like this;

”Take heed, for many (teachers) shall come saying, “I am Christ” (that Jesus truly is; “the Christ”) and just because some that will come (may be believers) and say;” I am the Christ”, they still will deceive many (with false teaching), And this will begin to happen soon, therefore don’t follow after them (or their teachings).”

Soon after Jesus spoke these words, came the greatest dividing of time the world has ever acknowledged; B.C. + A.D.. This event triggered the advent of Christian teachers (of all kinds) who started taking their versions of the gospel to the nations. As an aside; Secular folks have recently twisted the B.C. (Before Christ) into B.C.E. (Before the Current Era) but that doesn’t change the truth of its origins.

Judging from the general acceptance of rampant error, the
multitudes of doctrinal divisions and the resulting immaturity of the
Church, I can only conclude; the Church has not been that careful
about “taking heed”. The fruit of “taking heed” and being
carful is generally not that visible in today’s Church.

Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We truly need to “take heed”. Biblical teachings that have been
developed by anyone using the carnal mind, will generate
divided opinions, controversy and disunity, regarding all
of the biblical mysteries deliberately hidden by God in the scriptures.

The truth will be challenged, also, by the carnal mind and will also
create division. Flesh vs Spirit. It is all out warfare in the spirit.
However, ultimately, the truth will reign, because our carnal mind/
flesh and blood, will not be allowed to usurp Gods government or
kingdom or share in the glory that is to be revealed in us. Nor can it
sit forever on the throne that is reserved for God within His temple,
which we are.

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, (the truth) and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Any questions should, first, be submitted to the Lord, (bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;) for it is He who
purposed to hide the truth of all biblical mysteries in order to serve
His good purposes. And, it is Him also, who reveals them to whom
He chooses, all in His good time.

Should our hearts not burn within us when we hear the truth?
The witness of the Spirit is beyond compare, and more valuable than
gold and silver.

Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Psa 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
Pro 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

I do not propose to have all the answers to the questions that will be raised in any of my teachings. Rather, I am suggesting that we, as Christians, with God’s help and direction, should purpose to expose, tear down and re-build anything that we may have been taught that has been leavened by the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees and proffered by the flesh. And, we must not be as arrogant and presumptuous so as to believe there could be nothing in us of that nature.

Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Jesus also gave this “specific” warning to his followers;
Mat 16:6 “Take heed and beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees”.

Leaven or as Jesus’ followers learned by revelation as Jesus spoke
this parable to them, is understood spiritually to mean doctrine.

The doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees was warned against by
Jesus, and therefore, on good authority, we can safely say it is “false
doctrine”. It is false doctrine that will permeate the truth.

Think about trying to separate the tiny bit of leaven that is in a big
batch of bread dough after it is ready to bake. Now we get some idea
of the danger to the truth that leavened doctrine would create if
allowed to come in. How then do we separate the leavened doctrine
from the truth once it is in us. It can only be revealed and
destoyed by and through the work of the Holy Spirit.

We certainly understand that belief of false doctrine is in fact an
obstacle which must be removed from within us in order to be able
to see, believe and apply the truth.

Therefore we start with the mystery or parable of leaven or false
doctrine and conclude that the leaven Jesus warned his followers
about would be an obstacle. An obstacle for Jesus’ followers to
learning and applying the truth, if… they were not carful and “take
heed” of His warnings.

Mat 16:v6 “Take heed and beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees”.

Luk 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

Luk 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived:………

The Pharisees of 30 A.D. were legalists, believing that the disposition
of the heart was less vital than the outward act. Lawyers and
exposition of the law grew to be extremely important, resulting in
inherited precepts and interpretations with binding force, beyond the
law of Moses.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, had yielded more to Greek
influence and had adopted the principles of the Aristotelian
philosophy and refused to accept any doctrine which they could not
prove by pure reason.

It seems most Pharisees and Sadducees back then thought; physical
or “literal”. The carnal mind/flesh & blood, is not capable of
understanding the spiritual mysteries deliberately hidden by God
in natural types, metaphors and parables in the bible.

Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Obstacles or mysteries of God are targeted for those “who are without” or those who refuse to believe (unbelievers). However, Christians, by not heeding the warnings by Jesus, Paul and old testament lessons about this type of error, stumble over the same obstacles. Even from the beginning, some folks back in church history, obviously, stumbled over this type of obstacle, fell for the lies and we have all been reaping the consequences to one degree or another.

By now, this “leaven” has permeated much of our traditional church eschatology and has become a part of a large, complex, multi headed, doctrinal beast.

We should be well aware by now; Anyone, who tries to understand the great mysteries of God with the carnal mind/the flesh, rather than by the revelation of the Spirit will fail.

The light of Christ in these days is arising on his people like;
“the morning sun that spreads upon the mountains”.
The morning light of the day of Christ is breaking on us, revealing that it is “Christ in us” that was purposed by God to be “the hope of glory” or the method to glorify the Father again, as Jesus did. While this light is arising on us, at the same time the world is still covered with gross darkness.

Joh 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isa 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Joe 2:1-2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

Hab 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

Joe 1:13-15 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

I pray, today, as I prepare to post this teaching:

Lord, create in me a clean heart, for I can not, by the efforts of my own flesh and from an evil heart, obey your laws. I commit this to you and trust, by faith that you will, in fact, bring to pass the full manifestation of your righteousness through me in your good time and for your glory.

Lord, reveal all of the mysterious obstacles and self centered darkness which prevents or hinders your work in me. And, which I (my flesh) through the deceitfulness and stubborn self rule of my desperately wicked heart, have not acknowledged and have not submitted to be crucified with you.

Lord, reveal and consume with the spirit of your mouth, those things of dark motivations which sit in the place where you should sit and rule within me.

Lord, destroy, with the brightness of your coming, the darkness in my heart and then may your light arise to full noonday within me, with no shadow of turning.

I ask this Father, in Jesus name, in order then; that my new light and life may shine before men, that they will see my good works and then glorify you, even as Jesus did. For it is your Kingdom and your power, and therefore your glory, forever and ever.

Oh Lord, amen and amen and amen.

Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (which is within you)

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Habakkuk 3:3-4 God came from the South, and the Holy One from mount Paran. The heavens were covered with the brightness of His glory; and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light in the city which His hands had established shall He store His power. (Peshitta text)

Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 17:17 sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Let Him who hath an ear hear

The Inadequacy of Law

2009-02-06T09:51:00.000-05:00

Breaking Our Little Boxes

2009-02-05T22:52:00.000-05:00

Living by a Trusting Faith

2009-02-05T08:51:00.003-05:00

The following article was taken from Living in the Heavenly Realms under the chapter title “Waiting on the Lord in Childlike Faith” – Steve Bray

The childlike characteristics that every believer will need to possess are trust and dependent faith. Little children recognize their absolute need for help from someone else. They do not try to direct their own steps and achieve their own goals. Because they are not in control of their life, and they possess a natural trust and dependent faith, they willingly permit someone else to show them what they should do and to care for their needs. And because they have true faith, they are able to walk in this way without any worry or fear of the future.

In effect, it is this form of childlike faith that Jesus is instructing His disciples to enter into when He says, “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.” Have you truly been converted and become like a dependent and trusting little child?

Today is the day to search your heart and discover if you have true faith in God? This faith will grow if you will continue to let go of your old self-sufficient form of life wherever it is exposed. He never puts on anyone more than He has enabled them to bear.

We are now getting down to the real meaning of “absolute surrender.” Is there any wonder why so few are receiving the eternal Kingdom-life from God and living in the heavenly realms?

…Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:3)

Those who choose to live as God’s children surrender the control center of their heart and permit their All-knowing Father to direct all their steps. Yes, it is a wisdom that sounds absurd to the self-directed people of this world. But it is the real meaning of “walking by faith rather than by sight.” As these little children express this trusting faith in God by consistently yielding to every movement of His Spirit, He not only cares for their needs, He also lifts them spiritually into the Kingdom-life of heaven.

My sheep {the little flock} hear My voice…and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life… (John 10:27-28)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose…to be conformed to the image of His Son… (Rom. 8:28-29)

Do you still find yourself becoming anxious, worried and upset? It can mean only one thing: You are still attempting to control your own life. Rather than dying to the self-directed ways of this world and entrusting yourself to God—the One who is able to work out all things for your eternal good, you are still attempting to be your own god. You will naturally have many things to be worried about as you consider everything that can go wrong in a self-originated form of life. It is also the reason why you still find yourself becoming upset when your will is crossed and your plans are disrupted. You have placed your trust in them and it is distressing when something interferes with your hope.

The only way to find the deep rest of soul that has been promised to every believer is by letting God be God. Nothing can prevent Him from working out His perfect will in the little children who entrust their lives to Him and learn to walk by His Spirit.

F. B. Meyer has pointed out how the Spirit-led child of faith “sees no more second causes; because its range of view is filled by the Great First Cause. It finds the will of God, either permitting or enacting, in every event, however trivial, that crosses its path. Everything becomes the vehicle through which God comes near and speaks…” And so there is never anything to be worried or upset about. It knows, as it lives by faith, that everything comes from the one true God who is perfect in wisdom, love and power.

We all need to examine ourselves to determine if we are truly walking by faith. We have to assume we are still directing our own steps if we keep finding ourselves becoming worried and upset about things. This self-originated form of life becomes the source of all inward conflict. And the only way to get beyond this carnality is to enter the eternal Sabbath-rest of God where everyone “ceases” from their own works. (Heb. 4:9-10) This is how we come to the place where we are empowered to truly obey God in everything, including being “anxious for nothing.”

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience… {And remember} all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Heb. 4:11, 13)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving {with a trusting faith in God}, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God {the peace that comes from His heavenly life}, which surpasses all understanding {and overcomes all anxiousness}, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

We can see how it is a sin to go on being anxious about anything. Not only does it reflect disobedience to God’s command, it reflects a lack of faith in Him. There is a better way to live. Those who are truly converted and become like trusting little children, will find themselves being lifted by the power of God into His heavenly kingdom where everyone remains filled to overflowing with “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” It is truly a place of everlasting peace.

Choose This Day, Whom You Will Serve

2009-02-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

AND THE LORD SHUT HIM IN

2009-02-03T17:59:00.000-05:00

The Glory

2009-01-29T23:32:00.027-05:00

One of my favorite passages of scripture is John 17 where Jesus is praying just before he went to the cross. It reveals so much about him and the Father. In verse 22 Jesus says he has given us the glory that the father had given him, and because of that, we can be one as they are one. His glory was the very image of the Father, i.e.…Jesus had said, “if you have seen me, you have seen the father”. John 1:14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Jesus was a perfect picture (glory) of the father for us to see. It was the Father’s life in the son that was seen, it was the power to overcome.

“ As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:2-3)

Jesus said that life eternal was to KNOW God and Jesus Christ whom he sent. Jesus Christ was eternal life manifested for the world to see. These things cannot be understood in the fleshly realm, with our human reasoning, wisdom or understanding…they are only spiritually discerned. There has only been one man that was worthy to show us the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, any other “version” is a false "god". If you say you have eternal life, then you will know God because of his son . This eternal life it is the way God chose to reveal him self to us, it is the glory of the Father and the glory of the Son. “Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 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 3:16,18)

This is our hope, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" (Colossians 1:27)

Jesus said in John 17:22 that he gave us his glory (image), Romans 8:29 says we are to be conformed into his image, 1st John 2: 6 says we can walk as he walked. It is the mystery that Paul spoke of “Christ in us, the hope of Glory”. The same way Jesus had the Glory of the Father in him, we can have the Glory of the Son.

And with that 2nd Corinthians 3:18 makes so much more sense to us, “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.”

As we grow in him, our very nature is being changed from Glory to Glory to reflect the image of Christ by the working of the Holy Spirit in us. 2 Peter 1:4 says we can be partakers of this divine nature. This is completely a work of the Holy Spirit in us. We can not change our nature, no matter how much we try; we will only make a mess of it. The only thing we can do is submit to him, pick up our cross and follow him. Considering ourselves to have been bought with a price, we are no longer our own, we have no “rights” apart from following the Lord. We now live for God and not man. (1 Peter 4:2) “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” The disciples had given up all to follow the Lord and he gave them power to become Sons of God.

The just shall live by faith! We have been crucified with Christ; we longer live our own life, the life we now live is Christ and we live it by the faith of the Son of God. (Gal 2:20) Without faith it is impossible to please God. We have faith that God will perfect us and bring us into the very image of Christ just as he said he would do. That is the only hope we have to please God, anything we try to do in our own strength is of the flesh and NO flesh will glory.

Have you ever tried to live as Jesus said to live? For instances, the beatitudes or for that matter the whole "sermon on the mount” is a pretty high water mark to try and live out day by day. We try to accomplish this to the best of our abilities and many times God will let us go along for quite some time until we have come to the end of ourselves and to the end of our strength. Then... when we are weak, he can be strong! Let us not receive the grace of God in vain. All the things Jesus said for us to do will be evident in us as his divine nature starts working in us, not through our own strength but through his. Let us not frustrate the grace of God by not allowing this work to be done in us. The beatitudes are the results of this new nature that Christ is forming in us.

When we begin to manifest the nature of Christ in us we will KNOW it was not done by our own efforts and “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) That is why the Lord will let us struggle along in our own efforts failing time and again until we become hopeless in our own strength. As long as we have some confidence in ourselves, we cannot surrender to the Lord, this is the “self righteousness” that God hates. And again, let us not frustrate the grace of God by then falling back on the false gospel that says, “Grace is there hide our sins, there is no way we can be perfect in this life, we have to wait until we get to heaven for that”. But 2 Timothy 3:17 says, “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

This is a process; we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Just as God led the Israelites into the promise land, they did not have to face all their enemies at one time, but little by little, battle by battle more of the enemy was defeated and more land was taken. God will not put more on us than we can handle. But as he brings up more that needs to be removed, we are to submit, obey and most of all BELIEVE that he is able to remove it from us. The just shall live by this faith!

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)