“Entering into the victory of Christ over sin & darkness”
Sin is a product of one’s spiritual state. In the garden of Eden, God created man sinless, and Adam remained free of sin until he was separated from God, which is what the Bible calls spiritual death. ~ “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2.16,17). We know that God meant both spiritual death (first) followed by physical death. Adam immediately died in spirit, but he did not die physical death for several hundred years.
What Sin Is
Once Adam had become spiritually separated from God (dead), everything he did was sin because he now lived in a perpetual state of sin, living separated from God. This is the root of all of man´s problems: he has been removed from his original state of oneness with God. As long as one is spiritually separated from God, he is in reality dead, and lives in a perpetual state of sin. The word ‘sin’ does not necessarily mean evil. The definition of the ‘sin’ means to “miss the mark” or to “error” (Strongs, 264). In other words, sin is evidence that you are not one with God and have left your fist state of, as Jesus said, ‘abiding in Him.’ In the Old Testament, pork was sinful to eat; however, in the New Testament pork is received and blessed. Why? ― because like eating pork, all sin is simply symbolic of the only one and true sin of living separated from God.
The Estate of Sin
To this end Jesus commanded us to ‘Abide in God.’ ~ “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15.4,6). The fountainhead of all sin has never changed. All sin and evil proceed from man’s spiritual state of corruption, being separated from God. Separation from God is the great sin from which all wrong-doing proceed. This is what Jesus was referring to when He said ~ “You are of [your] father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (John 8.44).
God’s Workmanship
Those who are born of the Spirit of God are the children of God and by nature want to and will do His will, completing all of the Law of Moses and much more, simply by growing in the Spirit and learning how to walk in the light (zoe, Gr.) of the life of Christ. ~ “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (Ephesians 2.10,1John 3.8-9). Now one can clearly understand what Jesus meant when the young ruler asked Him ~ “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him… if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19.16-17).
Putting Off the Sin Nature
In the New Testament, we can and must KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS via the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus responded that it was necessary ‘TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS’ in order to “have eternal life.” Now that we have been ~ “…circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2.11). This expression here, “…putting off the body of the sins of the flesh,” refers to our complete liberation from the sinful nature, inherited from Adam’s sin in the Garden. Now, through the new birth (re-creation), we are conceived and born of the Holy Spirit, having received the nature of God ~ “…the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4.24).
Victory over Sin
The Old Testament Saints could only attain to righteousness through faith in the sacrifices for their sinful nature. ~ “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1John 3.8-9).
A Sinless Life
Thus, Christ boldly declares — “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches [them], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5.17-20). Like Adam before the serpent, we abide in Christ first by the new birth and then by abiding in the Spirit through prioritizing the anointed word of God, giving it first place, by which we are liberated from sin and all of its consequences, including sickness, weakness, suffering and spiritual darkness.
John 15.7
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
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“How to heal your heart and mind and live in perfect peace”
Jesus said, ~ ‘Let Not your Heart be Troubled,’ today we will see how to live free from depression. Depression has become the scourge of modern society, where people are daily forced to confront moral depravity, betrayal, and the disintegration of the family, while being bombarded with a heartless inhumane social dystopia driven by free market capitalism. We live in a cold-hearted ‘dog eat dog’ world, and when push comes to shove it takes its toll in the form a myriad of psychological and emotional disorders, stemming from deep-seated anxiety, and as Christ called it ‘broken heartedness.’ Man was created in the image1 of God, and God is love. Man was not created to live in a world of selfishness, hatred, confusion and deception. The Bible is not silent on this subject. In fact, Jesus included healing the broken hearted and setting the oppressed (depressed) free as two of His five paramount ministry goals. In His first message in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus preached a short message early in His ministry, which many consider His ‘Declaration of Mission.’
Healing Soul & Spirit
Jesus said, ~ “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4.18). The word ‘oppression’ here must be understood as synonymous with the modern term ‘depression.’ In fact, it would still be correct today to say a depressed person is feeling ‘oppressed.’ Modern science cannot touch the real problem through psychology or psychiatric therapies (drugs) because the issue is rooted in the inner condition of the human spirit and soul, not the mind. Curing depression could accurately be called ‘the healing of the soul and spirit of man,’ which can only be accomplished via the proper integration of the timeless truths of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. ~ “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” (Proverbs 12.25).
The Liberty of Truth
If the truth will set you free, a partial truth will leave you enslaved and disillusioned. Jesus said He came to ~ “…to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed [depressed]” (Luke 4.18). There is a very simple protocol, which when correctly understood and practiced, any person can live free from the torment of depression. Secular science was at least partially correct in identifying the root of the problem laying in the mind. Enough psycho-therapy and/or meditation will eventually provide some degree of relief; however, freedom and peace will never become real on a daily basis until an accurate understanding of the human make-up is comprehended and built upon. Jesus described the Human state of being as an on-going interaction between four integral parts: spirit, soul, mind and body. ~ “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12.30).
Transformation
Big-pharma would go broke, depression would end, and all mental illness would become a thing of the past the moment one applies the first and only law God gave to man while he was in paradise, Eden. The only requirement necessary for man to return to paradise is the same today as it was in the beginning. The only thing God commanded not to do was to eat of the ‘Tree of knowledge.’ ~ “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2.17). All pain, anxiety, sickness and suffering are to this day the product of partaking of the mind, the tree of knowledge. Even modern science, meditation and spirituality prove this to be true. The moment one realizes that he is a spirit and begins to shut down the mind, the source of confusion, torment and pain; even if he is not a born again Christian, he will encounter some degree of peace and well-being.
The Serpent’s Den
God told Adam he didn’t need mental knowledge. As long as Adam lived and walked in for superior intellect of his spirit, he had communion with God, abundance and eternal life at his disposal. From the beginning, the serpent’s habitation was in the mind (tree of knowledge), and man was commanded to live and operate in the far-surpassing intelligence of the spirit. We are told to walk and live3 in the spirit, and the only reason a Christian doesn’t automatically do this is because the constant and hysterical hissing of serpent in his mind has hypnotized him and is absolutely and literally driving him crazy. The Apostle Paul puts it this way ~ “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom 8.6). It is not so much the degree to which you’ve been abusing your mind as it is the degree to which your mind has been abusing you. According to Paul, it is literally killing you, death by a thousand lashes, also known as depression.
It takes a bit of practice at first, but the fact is you are not your mind. First, through prayer, silent meditation, and the word of God; begin to distinguish between the mind of the spirit and the mind of the serpent, the liar. Then, commence bringing every thought4 into captivity to Jesus Christ, the word of God,5 and depression will be broken in your life forever.
Isaiah 26.3
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You [God], Because he trusts in You.
Notes
1. Genesis 1.26,1John 4.8
2. Mark 12.30
3. Galatians 5.25
4. 2Corinthians 10.5
5. John 1.14
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Real Christianity is not about trying to do things that are pleasing to God. It is not about ‘does’ and ‘don’ts.’ It’s far beyond that. Actually, trying to be a ‘do-gooder’ is ignoring Jesus, the Cross, and the entire New Testament. Real Christians, instead of doing good; die, are reborn, and then mature into partakers of the ‘divine nature,’ which puts them far beyond a simple do-gooder. These chosen individuals have been regenerated, transformed, and empowered with the divine nature of God by the Holy Spirit, and you will definitely recognize the difference if you ever encounter one. So, what is this transformation and how does it take place? ~ “That you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4.24).
The Nature of God
God has given us promises because He loves His children and desires to bless them the same way you would desire to bless your children. God can’t force us to receive the things He wants to give to us, so He has given them to us in the form of promises, hoping we will receive them. The promises of God are also given to reveal the nature of God to us. By His promises we see that God is a ‘Good God.’ His promises reveal to us the heart of God, that He cares deeply about His children and wants to bless them with health, love, wisdom and the abundance of all good things. But, God has another important motive in giving us His promises — He wants to simplify things for you and at the same time save your soul from hell. You see, in the New Testament, God has chosen to justify (to save and forgive) those who learn to live1 by faith.
Simpler Things
Faith is the sole requirement of God in the New Testament, and He promises to bless those who live by faith with the abundance2 of all things now! This is the most significant change between the New Testament and the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul writes, ~ “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1.17). God has simplified things in the New Testament and made them better, because by faith we are able to do what was impossible for Old Testament people to do, who were limited to merely human ability. In the New Testament, the believer is ‘reborn by the Spirit of God,’ which enables him to have greater faith than Old Testament saints because faith in a product of the Holy Spirit. ~ “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak” (“Corinthians 4.13).
How Faith Grows
Faith gives us access to the promises of God and also to the power of God, so we can overcome sin and temptation and every other strategy of the devil. By faith you can receive the promises of God, and the same faith will transform you into becoming a partaker of the righteous of God, of God’s righteous nature. “Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference” (Romans 3.22). There are over 2,000 promises in the Bible, and all of them are accessible simply by meeting one condition, and that condition is that you receive the promise by faith. Faith is a product of the word of God. As one passes time daily in the word of God, faith begins to grow in the heart. The Apostle Paul wrote ~ “So then faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10.17).
Faith & Corresponding Actions
Faith comes by hearing the word of God and grows strong by putting the word of God into practice in one’s life. Let’s have a look at what the Bible says about faith in the book of James. ~ “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God” (James 2.20-23). The two things that have been mentioned today are evident in the above verses. Faith grows by mixing actions with what one believes out of the word of God, and God imputes ‘righteousness’ to those who practice living by faith in the promises of God.
Why Promises are Essential
In other words, two things are happening simultaneously through the promises of God recorded in the New Testament. While we receive the great and precious promises walking by faith, God is busy infusing into us the ‘divine nature,’ transforming us literally from the foundation of our nature (spirit) into the participants with Him of “the divine4 nature.” It’s time to stop ‘trying’ and start ‘being.’ It’s time to become a partaker of the divine nature through faith in the promises of God. It’s time to stop playing Christian and let God. It’s time to get real, to become a real Christian.
2Peter 1.4
By [Jesus] which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust.
Notes
1. Galatians 3.11
2. 2Corinthians 9.8
3. Mark 9.23
4. 2Peter 1.4
5. 2Peter 1.4
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The secret to the Christian life is following Jesus up the mountain of God and spending time with Him in deep communion in the presence of the Father. This was the key to everything in Jesus’ life as it is also to everything in yours. All needs, desires, divine abilities, wisdom and knowledge are born out of this place of perfect stillness and divine silence. ~ “And when He [Jesus] had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there” (Matthew 14.23). Throughout the Bible God is found on mountains. Moses’1 face was transformed into unapproachable light and he received the 10 Commandments after 40 days on the mountain alone with God. God personally revealed the weight of His glory to Elijah2 the prophet while he was alone with God on Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God. The Temple of God is strategically located on Mount Moriah, and Jesus preached His most important message, the Sermon on the Mount, seated on a rock on a mountain, to name a few examples. ~ “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob.” (Isaiah 2.3).
Two Primary Images
God the Father lives on a mountain, and if you want to get to know Him there is nothing like knocking on the door of His mountain home, like Jesus was in the habit of doing, and spending time with Him. All of this imagery speaks volumes to us about accessing the presence of God and releasing Him to operate freely in and through our life. First, God is the ‘Rock.’ ~ “For who [is] God, except the LORD? And who [is] a rock, except our God?” (2Samuel 22.32). The Bible communicates spiritual realities to us via imagery, symbolism, metaphors, and similes. All of this symbolism is rich with spiritual revelation. Of course, God is a spirit, not a rock, but God is indeed a Rock in the sense of His personality and His presence. Unlike, Jesus (lamb) and Holy Spirit (dove), the Father, the First member of the divine godhead, has confined Himself to only two primary images by which He reveals Himself to us — 1) the Father and 2) The Rock. ~ “[He is] the Rock, His work [is] perfect; For all His ways [are] justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright [is] He” (Deuteronomy 32.4).
Find God and the Answer
What happens when you come into the shadow of a great and awesome mountain? What happens is — silence, awe, stillness and peace… the presence3 of God. Many of God’s children are so distracted and tormented by the enemy through the knowledge4 of evil (the mind), they don’t even realize when they have been in the presence of God, when the Spirit draws them into the sublime silence and stillness of the Father’s presence, God the Rock. ~ “If indeed you have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. Coming to Him [as to] a living stone” (1Peter 2.3,4). The basic tenant of prayer is communication with God, and let’s face it you can’t really get to know someone until you sit down with them. Most of what is written and taught on prayer is built on formulas and guidelines. Couple this with the fact that most people never pray until they are in dire need of something, and we have the root cause of the sterility and spiritual weakness of believers today reducing them to victims instead of five-star generals on the field of spiritual battle. You will find God and the answer to all of your needs and desires when you do what Jesus did, when you 1) send the multitude away, and 2) go up on the mountain, and 3) spend the night alone in the presence of the Father, the Rock.
False Conceptions
Most of God’s children have misconceptions about God and fail to recognize His presence. They are so distracted and harassed by Satan through his access into their mind that they have almost no awareness of their own spirit, much less the presence of God, who is a Spirit and can only be accessed via the reborn human spirit. When they pray, they are quickly disappointed and frustrated because they are expecting a thundering voice from heaven, or the shock and awe of the appearance of a 2000 ft. tall angel. God is ‘The Rock.’ He is always there. It’s ‘us’ who are absent through constant mental diversions (by the enemy). He is present, but we are ‘unconscious’ of Him. He is the Eternal Father, The Rock, full of peace, eternal strength, and the everlasting serenity of infinite wisdom and understanding, all packed into the presence of perfect love. What do you expect the presence of God to be like! He doesn’t want anything from you except your love and your presence with Him. Don’t say anything to Him (unless you absolutely have to)… He already knows your thoughts and will respond to them all.
All that is Necessary
Just being with Him is all that is necessary. As you bathe in His presence every question you have will be answered, every need will be met, and He will do much more than you can ask or even think6 as you spend the night alone with the Father on the mountain of intimate communion with Him. You will be transformed, like Moses was by just sitting in His presence as He speaks to you. ~ “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him [God]” (Exodus 34.29). You are already doing the greatest spiritual activity possible; you have united yourself with God in faith in this perfect stillness of the Spirit, and in your spiritual union with Him through complete surrender, He is released to operate in and through you freely to accomplish more than you can ask or think. It is better to not ask anything in particular because He already knows all of your needs and knows a much better solution to your problems than you do. ~ “For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Romans 8.26, Ephesians 3.20).
Through the Spirit
On the mountain, there are two things you must keep in mind. The world you live in is completely knowledge driven. You must be aware of this and not conform5 to it because man cannot know/communicate with God through the mind, only through the heart. The world around you has no choice but to live by knowledge because they are spiritually dead, but you have no excuse for letting yourself conform to the world instead of walking in the spirit. Adam and everyone else who is not reborn of the Spirit of God has no other option then to live by intellectual reasoning alone because they partook of the Tree of Knowledge which produced spiritual death in them, but you have been born7 of the Spirit of God into communion with Him, through your spirit, not your mind. ~ “God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (john 4.24).
Leave Your Mind Behind
Finally, it is not only that all men are spiritually dead and unable to commune with the Father because they are imprisoned in their mind, the devil gained access into the human race through ‘knowledge’ and persistently uses his access8 into the mind to draw you away from the consciousness of the presence of God by constant distractions, confusion, questions, and endless, pointless reasoning that leads nowhere. You must, like Jesus, send the multitude away (people—stash your cell phone) and climb the mountain of God, which means set your mind to one side, remember you are a spirit-led child of God, and tune into the presence of the Father through your spirit, not your mind, and you too will become, with practice, a mountain man, a man/woman of the Rock.
Matthew 14:23
And when He [Jesus] had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Notes
1. Exodus 20.1-17
2. 1Kings 19.8-13
3. Romans 1.20
4. Genesis 2.17
5. Romans 12.2
6. Ephesians 3.20
7. John 3.5
8. Romans 5.17
9. Hebrews 2.14
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“Taking your place on the throne at the right hand of God”
Everyone has heard of the goodness and abundance of God, but few experience it in the bump and grind of everyday life. They are aware of some of the many promises in the Bible that speak of the overcoming life and most believe God has the power to do it, yet somehow the reality of it seems to evade them as they daily confront a seemingly endless myriad of problems and troublesome circumstances that shroud their lives in a slaty grayish cloud.
Reigning in Life
God never intended for man to live out his days a victim of circumstance. To this end, He sent Jesus to raise mankind out of weakness, empowering him to reign in life. ~ “Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5.17).
Lost Treasure
Most Christians know deep down this is true and possible. They just lack instruction on what the Bible says about how to get it done because the modern Church has fallen grossly distant from the Bible and the words of Christ on this subject. Though this simple, yet block-buster spiritual law is taught throughout scripture, no one taught more clearly on this subject than Jesus Christ Himself.
How it works
Jesus drew back the curtain and shined the spotlight on the key when He said that a good life or an evil life is entirely in man’s control and is a product of what he determines to permit to occupy his heart. ~ “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Mat. 12.35). Whether it is a question of healing, finance, or any other need; whatever you decide to let occupy your spirit, this is what your future will be.
More than a Positive Mental Attitude
Positive thinking, or just imagining things are better, may easy your depression, but it will not break you free from Satan’s grip and stop the curse1 of the law from operating in your life. Only the power that raised Christ from the dead can do that. ~ “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is…the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1.18-20).
In Christ
It is the failure to understand that God has dealt with us through Jesus Christ where most people get lost. Christ is the power key. It is nothing less than faith in Christ alone that kicks down the jail cell door where the devil has held you captive and raises you up seated on a throne in life reigning at the right hand of God. ~ “Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2.5-6).
Beyond the Grave
Most understand how God dealt with the sin of the entire human race through Christ by placing their sin upon Him in the death of the cross. They know Christ acted as their substitute, and it is powerful enough to remove their sins forever; however, they have never been instructed beyond that point. Christ’s mission on your behalf did not end in the grave, where2 he left your sins, having paid the price for them. God continued dealing with you through Christ ~ “When He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion… and He put all things under His feet” (Eph. 1.20-22).
Raised with Christ
When God raised Christ from the dead, He made you a master in life more than capable of dominating every circumstance and all of the power of the enemy. The problem is you have never, or rarely ever, heard this. Jesus said the faith that moves mountains, which symbolize the enormous and weighty problems in your life, works like a seed. ~ “Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mat. 17.20). The seed of faith is planted in the heart by hearing and contemplating the word of God. ~ “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10.17).
Taking Charge of Your Destiny
Today you have what you have permitted the enemy to sow into your heart yesterday. The more you persist contemplating the problem, the bigger the harvest of that problem becomes. The moment you begin to take control of what monopolizes your spirit, the enemy will flee and the gray clouds will disappear. The issue is most people are asleep at the wheel. They just leave the door open and allow the enemy to saturate the fertile soil of their spirit with the seeds of destruction, failure and torment.
While Men Slept
Jesus said ~ “but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way” (Mat. 13.25). Instead of moving to the solution, they think about the problem day and night from every possible angle; only augmenting fear, depression and spiritual weakness. Every king knows that his ability to reign rests solely upon his mastery of the art of war. ~ “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Cor. 10.4-5).
Romans 8.6
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Notes
1. Gal. 3.10
2. Act. 2.27
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As the battle lines of Armageddon are being drawn out on the evening news before our eyes, Christians all over the world are searching for the key to victory in the last days over the Antichrist and the Beast and they are finding that it lies solely in the power of the blood of the Lamb. The Book of Revelation makes it abundantly clear. ~ “And they overcame him [the Dragon-Antichrist] by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12.11). The Antichrist is called “the man of sin” (2Thes. 2.3). This overcoming Church of the last days is said to be “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph. 5.27). No one will be able to stand before the Prince of Darkness until they have been, as the Apostle John writes, “washed in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7.14). But, what does this mean and how is it done?
The Blood of the Lamb
The only forgiveness for sin is through the blood of Jesus. But, how is the blood of the Lamb applied? All sin, if not forgiven by the blood of the lamb, brings the punishment of the curse of God. Scripture affirms ~ “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed [is] everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Galatians 3.10). The blood of the Lamb of God was shed 2000 years ago for the remission of sins, yet many of the children of God continue to suffer the consequences of the curse because they don’t know how to apply the blood of Jesus. It is the blood, and only the blood, that washes away sin. There is no substitute for the precious blood of Christ that cleanses away sin. ~ “For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him. That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit” (Psalm 49.7-9).
The Hidden Treasures of Wisdom
Some have presumed that sin is purged by repentance, others by doing good deeds, still others think sins are removed by a priest or some other cleric. However, the Bible makes it clear that the blood of the Lamb can only be applied by the same individual himself who has committed the sins. Let us consider the words of the Apostle John. ~ “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7.14). The question remains, how one can wash away sin with the blood if it is not known where the blood is and nor how it can be employed. Thank God, the Spirit is given to us to lead us into all of the truth and to reveal all hidden knowledge. The Revelation of God’s hidden truth brings unity, riches, and wisdom. ~ “That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2.2-3).
Applying the Blood to Take Away Curse
Scripture reveals that the shed blood of Jesus is applied in two logical steps, which must be understood and put into practice by all of those who would enjoy the benefits. The first step is to recognize that the New Testament is written “in the blood of Jesus.” Jesus said that the New Testament, or the word of God, is ‘written,’ or constituted of the Blood of the Lamb. ~ “And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many” (Mark 14.24). This means that the Word of God and the Blood are one substance. The Old Testament priesthood portrays this when God institutes the Old Covenant, and Moses is instructed by God to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice lamb (Jesus) on the Book of the Law (Bible) and then on the heads of the people. ~ “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, [20] saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you” (Hebrews 9.19-20).
Jesus Washes His Disciples
It’s time to get serious about the word of God. Jesus establishes how the blood of the Lamb is applied and washes from all sin. He was preaching to the Disciples, and as His message came to a conclusion, He said these words, which demonstrate that the blood of the Lamb is in the Word of God and is applied by hearing the preaching of the Word and acting upon it. ~ “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15.3). John the Divine (Apostle) was present that day, and note he writes that you have to “walk in the light2 [word]” for it to effectually cleanse your life or all curses brought on by sin. Keep yourself free from the curses of sin by the blood of the Lamb, washing yourself daily in the word of God by spending time in the scripture.
1John 1.7
But if we walk in the light [word] as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Notes
Deuteronomy 28.15-68
Psalm 119.105
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What do demons have to do with food? –everything! God uses natural food in the Bible to depict spiritual food, and the type of food countless millions consume each day is opening the door for the enemy just as it did to the children of Israel when they got tired of hearing the pure word of God ~ “Our soul loathes this worthless bread. So the LORD sent fiery serpents [demons] among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died” (Numbers 21.5,6). Why were these demons permitted to attack the people of God? …because they had grown tired of eating the pure doctrine of the bread of life, the supernatural manna that God had appointed and faithfully given them. They turned away form the word to foolish human babble, just like what is happening today. They said, ~ “Our soul loathes this worthless bread [manna].”
Spiritual Food
As is repeatedly portrayed, the food you choose to eat will either bring demons, sickness, and death; or Jesus, healing, and eternal life. Jesus Himself said ~”He who has My commandments [word] and keeps them, it is he…I will love him and manifest [come] Myself to him” (John 14.21). Jesus pointedly taught that the voluminous Old Testament laws of clean and unclean food represent true and false doctrine, or healthy and unhealthy teaching and preaching. Let’s have a look at what He said ~ “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16.6,12). Here again, it is evident that food (leaven) represents “the doctrine of the Pharisees.” Jesus calls Himself, His doctrine, “the bread² of life” because He is the Word³ of God (doctrine).
A Deadly Diet
One can never comprehend the Bible or know who Jesus is until he understands that Jesus Christ is the word of God as is plainly stated⁴ in Scripture. ~ “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [14] And the Word was made flesh [Jesus], and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1.1,14). Jesus himself is symbolized by Bread, or by manna, and his blood, as we will see shortly, symbolizes¹ the New Testament. ~ “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6.48,49,51). Much of the darkness pervading our cities is due to Christians who have grown tired of hearing sound doctrine and have turned aside5 from sound doctrine to fables and psychology and purely human reasoning, having rejected the “love of the truth,” as is prophesied to foreshadow the end of the age.
The Antichrist will Act
~ “With all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2Thessalonians 2.10). As we press further into the last days and draw closer to the end of the age, demon serpents bearing a perilous sting worse than death will once again be unleashed upon the face of the earth, just as they were thousands of years ago in the days of Moses, but this time they will take on the form of grasshoppers from hell. ~ “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months” (Revelation 9.2,3,10).
The Wine of His Blood
Scripture tells us the account of Moses and venomous serpents is a picture of us who inhabit the final sever years human history. ~ “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1Corinthians 10.11).
In like fashion to the days of Moses, the only way to escape their hellish sting will be food. This time it will be wine instead of bread, which completes the biblical symbol of Communion/Passover, bread and wine, which are the elements of communion. Those Christians inhabiting the Earth at the time of the end overcome the Antichrist and all his hordes of demons by the wine [food] of the blood of the Lamb, which means by the eating of the spiritual food of the doctrine of the New Testament. ~ “And they [Christians] overcame him [Antichrist] by the blood of the Lamb [spiritual food]” (Revelation 12.11). New Testament Christians at the end of the age, like Moses and the children of Israel, overcome the fiery sting of the demonic scorpion-like locusts by the quality of food they choose to feast on each Sunday, that is the spiritual food, by drinking deeply of the pure wine of the unadulterated doctrine of the New Testament.
1Corinthians 11.25
In the same manner [He] also [took] the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink [it], in remembrance of Me.”
Notes
1. Mark 14.24
2. John 6.48
3. John 1.14
4. Rev. 19.13 5. 2Tim. 4.3-4
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Very few people recognized Jesus during His early life. Even those of His household, His own brothers and sisters, who saw Him and were in contact with Him daily, did not encounter the Prince because He was not revealed to them. To them He was just ‘Jesus’ the apprentice carpenter. Just as it would be in any earthly Kingdom, an encounter with the Prince of Life is by appointment only. ~ “His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7.3,5). All who confess the name of Jesus believe they are in daily contact with Him even though in their hearts most of them feel very distant from Him and unsure as to how to accurately discern His voice.
An Encounter
The only true encounter with the Messiah must be pre-authorized by none other than the Father, the First member of the divine Trinity. ~ “And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (John 6.65). Frequently, the triune nature of God is forgotten by those who would follow Jesus. Without going into a lengthy discourse on the three-person nature of the trinity, suffice it to say that how one responds to the Father determines whether he will ever be granted the princely privilege of an encounter with the reigning King1 of Kings. Jesus said that the determining factor is how one responds to the ‘teaching’ (word) of the Father. ~ “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6.45).
The Model
Nothing less than a genuine encounter with the Prince of Life will remedy the weakness and confusion that characterizes the present post-modern church. It all comes down to whether the word of God is received or it is ignored. The person of Christ is only manifest (encountered) to those who recognize and recieve the word of God as they would receive Christ Himself because Christ Jesus is in fact the Word2 of God and to encounter Christ is to experience none other than a manifestation of the Word of God. The model of the real church is recorded in the book of Acts. The early Church understood plainly that the only way to encounter the person of Jesus was through the word of God.
The Church God Built
The book of Acts is an historic record of the first church. Most revealing is how early Christians used the term ‘the word,’ instead of the name of Jesus. Today, most Christians would say ‘They received Jesus,’ instead the first Christians said ~ “Those who gladly received his Word were baptized.(Acts 2.41). When was the last time you heard a church glorifying the Word? They ~ “glorified THE WORD” (Acts 13.48). The true child of God understands the only way one can be saved or lost is determined by what is done with the Word, not by the mere laying-on of hands, confession, or prayer. ~ “Who will tell you Words by which you and all your household will be saved’ (Acts 11.14). The prevailing Word (Christ) governed everything ~ “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD, they sent Peter and John to them, (Acts 8.14). This is not the way things are done today.
Seekers, Finders & Doers
As it was with the first church so it is today. People are in contact daily with the written word of God, but rarely encounter the person of the Messiah because they treat the word of God as if it were merely a book, not the living presence of the Second Member of the godhead. Only those to whom the Word is manifest in the living form of the second person of the Godhead have a real encounter with the Prince of Life. But simple encounters fall lamentably short of the mark. These are only seekers. It is one thing to seek, another thing to find, but doing falls into a complete distinct category. The God and the prophets openly mock these feeble lost souls throughout the Bible. ~ Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness” (Isaiah 58.2). Notice the word ‘as.’ They pretend they are a righteous to the point of fooling even themselves.
Jesus is Lord
Jesus said ~ “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6.46). Jesus is the Word,3 and He cannot be received until His Word is given first place as the only and final governing authority in one’s life. Why are so few saved? Because Jesus said ~ “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple,4 I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, he who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it, and you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved, and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Decide this day who you will serve.5
Romans 2.13
For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.
Notes
1. 1Timothy 6.15
2. John 1.14
3. John 1.14, Revelation 19.13
4. Luke 14.33, Matthew 10.35, John 12.25, Matthew 10.22,38
5. Joshua 24.15
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Who will be the last man standing as the end of the age? It all depends who you ask. Everyone seems to think they will be included in the elite group escaping the horrors Jesus described the book of Revelation. However, God paints a very different picture.
A True Prophetic Picture
Jesus said ~ “Many1 who are first will be last, and the last first,” which means the truth will be extremely different from what the general consensus thinks. He goes on to draw the curtain back and give a prophetic peak into the future of throne-room of God in the great Day of Judgement at the end of the age. ~ “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7.22-23).
The Builders
An honest overview of the New Testament describes two ‘churches’ or religious groups that will emerge at the end of the age, one very large and inclusive; the other very small and extraordinary. Both will be called Christian and will be associated with what is perceived to be the church. Jesus refers to the large inclusive religious organizations we see on the street corners as ‘the builders.’ These are those who have made a human institution (religion) out of falsifying the word of God. ~ “Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone [Jesus] which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone” (Mark 12.10).
The Community Church
Sounds nice, doesn’t it. How about, ‘The Family Church?’ And who wouldn’t want all their family and community saved! The underlying message and objective of these religious organizations it to pump a false doctrine that all can be saved simply parking their car in the church parking lot once or twice a month, but this idea has nothing to with God or the Bible. The fact is… all ‘can’ be saved and all are welcome, but only those who to hear the complete, unadulterated message of Christ and do it will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Chosen Few
Jesus said ~ “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22.14). The ‘builders’ have rejected Christ, the word of God, and can only deceive those who are too lazy to read the Bible and too gullible to do what it says. Jesus’ message to the family is ~ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household’ (Matthew 10.34-35).
Save Your Family
Most of these ‘builders,’ religious entrepreneurs, can be spotted miles away by any sincere seeker of God. God loves your family more than you do and wants every member of your saved, but it will not happen until you and each one of them do as Abraham did by taking up your cross. Abraham is portrayed in the Bible as an icon2 of a true father, because he understood that only through spiritual death (the cross) could his beloved son Isaac enter into spiritual life, so he was unafraid to use the sword of Christ,3 symbolizing life through death.4
The Finalists
All are called, all are welcome, and God wants all to be saved and none to be lost.5 Notwithstanding, ~ “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” (Matthew 7.14,15,13).
Without Hands
In 180-degree contrast to ‘the builders,’ Jesus said the only true Church is the one built “without6 hands,” which means no human work is permitted. There are no human builders who reject God because Christ is the head and CEO. This church does not have the look or feel of a human institution… it looks and feels like it is, a humble and happy family, the family of God. It is called ‘the body7 of Christ,’ and as Christ himself was very difficult to recognize, even by those of His own family, this church is only discerned by those to whom it has been given. ~ “For even His [Christ’s] brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7.5).
The Blood of the Lamb
The finalists form what scripture calls the ‘glorious8 church’ of the last days, which rises out of the ashes of the corrupted, human-made apostate9 church and overcomes all. The New Testament does not mention one ‘lone-ranger’ Christian who is not in communion and actively working according to the Spirit on God’s masterpiece, the Church. Jesus said spiritual life pertains exclusively10 to those who are in communion. The book of Revelation opens with 5 chapters completely dedicated to the Church of the glorious finalists, the final overcomers. All are called, all are welcome, and all are given the simple steps by which they came pertain to this extraordinary group in Revelation 12.11, which is communion (blood) and the confession of faith.
Revelation 12.11
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Notes
1. Matthew 19.30
2. Romans 4.12
3. Genesis 22
4. Hebrews 2.14
5. 1Peter 3.9
6. Mark 14.58
7. 1Corinthians 12.27
8. Ephesians 5.27
9. 2Thessalonians 2.3
10. John 6.53
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The Bible is not an intellectual book. It is a spiritual book imparting spiritual life to the inner man, to man’s reborn spirit. The Bible is comprised of words, spiritual forces uttered by the mouth of the Holy Spirit. Many of the books of the New Testament are sermons, they are messages given directly by the Holy Spirit to anointed men, by whom they were preached in their original form to churches at the time of the New Testament. These words are not like those of any other man; they are infused with the life of God and the fire of the Holy Spirit. They are not directed at the mind; they are direct at the spirit of man. These divine words cannot be understood by the intellect alone; they can only be understood by the human spirit that is enlightened by the Holy Spirit. ~ “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom] which God ordained before the ages for our glory, But God has revealed [them] to us through His Spirit. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man 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” (1Corithians 2.7,10,13-14).
Cognitive Religious Rhetoric
Most Christian media today is intellectual in nature, not spiritual. It is rational, not divine, and it is absolutely devoid of the divine life [zoe, Gr.] and living Spirit of God. 99% of what is preached in the pulpit today and sold on the street as peaching is nothing more than rational, reasonable, cognitive religious rhetoric. There is no spiritual life in it all. A spiritual man or woman could not survive on this mental fluff for more than a couple months, and then would die of spiritual hunger. This is why so many Christians are spiritually dead. ~ “But He [Jesus] answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Mateo 4.4). Jesus constantly preached messages that no one could understand, except those ‘to whom it had been given’ by the Holy Spirit, and He frequently spoke about this aspect of His ministry openly.
The Transforming Word
The carpenter’s son made no apology for it; on the contrary, it was the hallmark of His teaching ministry, and all the rest of the biblical authors and authentic ministers did the same. ~ “And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And [their] sins be forgiven them’” (Marcos 4.11,12). This remains God’s standard today for all those who consider themselves preachers or teachers of the word of God. Genuine biblical preaching is an impartation of the Holy Spirit, not of nothing more than dead knowledge. The Apostle Paul said ~ “[God] also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter [intellect] but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Corinthians 3.6). The anointed word of God does not merely impart lifeless knowledge; it confers the fire of the Holy Spirit that transforms those it is sent to; releasing healing, revelation, and spiritual transformation. ~ “While Peter was still speaking [preaching] these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished.For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God” (Acts 10.44-46).
Only the Word of God
These people were so infused with the power of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of Peter that they were baptized in the Spirit and received the gift of tongues simply by hearing. No interpretation of the Spirit is needed for what is pawned off as preaching today. The expositor proudly interprets everything for you. Anyone can understand what is said because it is all of the flesh, not of the Spirit. It does not minister life; it only ministers spiritual death1 to the hearers. The biblical mandate is to ‘preach the word,’ which means to preach the word2 of God, the Bible, not merely to reference one or two scriptures in the introduction and then spew out mere human reasoning for an hour. I don’t think I’ve ever preached a message that had less than 20 verses of scripture in it. Only the word of God ministers life; man’s word alone always ministers spiritual death. ~ “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and [they] are life” (John 6.63).
Biblical Ministry
The Bible explains what true preaching is in the book of Nehemiah. ~ “And the Levites [priests], helped the people to understand the Law; and the people [stood] in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped [them] to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8.7,8). The Christian life is a spiritual endeavor; born of, sustained by, and increased through spiritual words; not mental rhetoric. It’s time to get back into the transforming, life-giving, the one and only Word of God, back into the ‘the words of this life.’
Acts 5:20
“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
Notes
1. 2Corinthians 3.6
2. John 1.14
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The death of a dream, of a relationship, or of a business can have a devastating and long term affect; however, it need not be so. God’s view of death is very different from ours. Because of our fallen nature, we see death as the end of something, but God sees it as the beginning. Death is the work of the enemy, and if for no other reason than that, the believer can rest assured that God always has a plan to bring life through death and to destroy the works of the devil through what appears to be absolute defeat, as the resurrection of Jesus Christ clearly demonstrates. ~ “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2.14). The cross teaches us that we should not fear death, but rather celebrate it because it is God’s invitation to a completely new a greater victory.
Don’t Resist God
One of the great paradoxes of the spiritual life is failing to understand the spiritual laws of God, by which God leads His people into victory over the enemy and answers their prayers. This was the story of the ancient Israelites, who didn’t take the time to learn ‘Gods ways’ of dealing with His people and getting things done. ~ “Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Hebrews 3:10,11). Like most misunderstandings, there are few things more frustrating for Father and son, than to pray for something and then to mistake the working of God for the working of the enemy. When this happens, the individual ends up resisting God as He works to answer his prayers and give him the things he desires to receive. This is what happened to Peter the disciple. Jesus had just finished announcing to His disciples that he would suffer and die on the cross.
Why Death?
The twelve disciples did not yet understand the plan of God, which was to destroy Satan through death. ~ “But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33). On the cross, God took Satan’s greatest armament away from him and destroyed the prince of darkness with his own weapon. Now, God wants us to follow in the footsteps of the teacher from Galilee by doing the same thing. ~ “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2Corinthians 4.11). God will always bring His people face to face with death in order to give them the victory because the cross and death are the power of God into salvation. ~ “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1Corinthians 1.18).
Life Through Death
Just as the children of Israel, God led them face to face with death, when they were trapped between the onslaught of Pharaoh’s marching army on one side and the Red Sea on the other. As stated in the forgoing scripture, God delivered them into death in order to inflame their faith, so the power of God could be released through them granting them a complete and decisive victory over their enemies. Jesus repeatedly did the same thing with His disciples, using the beating of the waves of the sea and the howling of the storm to stimulate their faith. ~ “And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” (Luke 8.24,25). The next time you find yourself delivered unto death and it seems that all hope for your dreams has been lost and buried, remember God who always delivers us unto death, so that the power of faith can go to work and give life through death to your dreams raising them from the ashes into an entirely new and better state of being.
2Corinthians 4.11,12
For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.
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The enemy’s weapons are few in number, but they are used very effectively. All weapons are built on simple concepts, which have been carefully developed and refined until they reach a point where their target no longer is able to defend adequately against them. The bow and arrow is an improved version of the ancient weapon of rock-throwing, a rifle is an enhanced version of a bow and arrow, etc. The Bible says ~ “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6.12,13). The believer’s understanding of the nature of his daily warfare against fallen angels (demons) in the realms of darkness is critical if he is not to become an easy victim. These spirit beings are committed to depriving the believer of all things valuable to him, like family, health, the knowledge of God etc. However, they do not stop there. Satan’s primary goal is not merely robbery and the death (spiritual & physical) of the Christian.
Satan’s Greatest Device
The chief goal the devil is to ‘destroy’ his enemies, which means to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. ~ “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly” (John 10.10). For this reason is it vital that the Christian is adequately prepared and understands the nature of spiritual warfare. One of the prime weapons in all forms of warfare is what is called ‘intelligence,’ which in modern warfare has become the chief of all weapons. There is no substitute for accurately understand one’s enemy, including his tactics, weapons, objectives and strategies. The Bible says ~ “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2Corinthians 2.11). The word of God directly impelles the child of God to recognize his enemy, while Satan’s greatest device is deception and darkness, or occulting as much as he can. Notice that the realm of Satan is called ‘the Kingdom of Darkness.’ ~ “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast [Satan], and his kingdom became full of darkness” (Revelation 16.10).
The Object of God’s Love
The devil’s entire battalion relies on two major weapons, which are ‘darkness’ and ‘the knowledge of evil.’ Based on these two spiritual laws, Satan has built a very large and sophisticated arsenal, which unfortunately in many ways is winning his war against the human race. The devil’s nature is hate, and his hatred against man is stimulated by the fact that through attacking the human race, which is the object of God’s love, he is able to inflict pain and suffering upon the heart of God. ~ “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12.12).
A Much Lesser Power
The first phase of the enemy’s attack is to remove the Christian as far as possible from the light into spiritual darkness. The two terms ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ in the Bible refer to spiritual knowledge — light is the knowledge of God, His kingdom and His word. Darkness is ignorance and the absence of truth, which is the knowledge of evil. Darkness operates very differently from light. Darkness is not the equal and opposite of light. Light ‘repels’ darkness; however, darkness cannot repel light. Light invades and extinguishes darkness, but darkness cannot either invade nor extinguish light, any more than when a light bulb is turned on can darkness invade the light of the bulb. Hence, it is understood that darkness is ‘the absence of light,’ but light is not the absence of darkness. This is important for many reasons, but for now suffice it to say that it demonstrates how Satan is a much lesser power than God. He is not equal and opposite to God. ~ “He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [resist] it” (John 1.2,4,5).
Demons Cannot Endure Light
The believer should be aware of the spiritual power of the knowledge of the truth, which is ‘light.’ The knowledge of evil (darkness) cannot expel the knowledge of God, but the knowledge of God (light) can indeed expel and eliminate the knowledge of evil. Therefore, the armament of light, which is in possession of the child of God is far superior than Satan’s instruments of darkness. ~ “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13.12). The knowledge of the truth immediately expels with brutal force the agents (demons) of wickedness who inhabit the dark regions. In conclusion, the question must be asked — if the Christian’s weapons are so much superior than those of the enemy, why have they so often so often lost the war against evil? ~ “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3.19).
Overcoming the Sinful Nature
It is a matter of apathy, complacency and alliance of the children of light with kingdom of darkness. Very little actual warfare goes on. It is a sad stain on the human race that in the final analysis, man is his own worst enemy. So, it is not so much Satan as it is the need to overcome the fallen sinful nature of man that sympathizes and collaborates with and enables the kingdom of darkness. Decide today to declare outright war on Satan and the kingdom of darkness, determining resolutely to completely eradicate all darkness (spiritual carnality) from your life, and as darkness flees from a light bulb, so Satan will flee in terror from you, and you will do the works of God, overcoming evil and establishing the Dominion of light.
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].
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The Proper celebration of Passover is what broke the back of Satan, destroyed Egypt, which symbolizes the power of the kingdom of darkness, and liberated the children of God from slavery in Egypt into the land of milk and honey. The New Testament celebration of Passover is what is known as Communion, which Jesus and His disciples ordained at the Lord’s1 Supper only hours before the cross. It remains the only access to the power of the cross as it has throughout all generations of Christian history.
The Night of the Lord
The celebration of Communion/Passover is the highest and most powerful spiritual instrument on earth in the present dispensation. The Bible calls the Passover/Communion — THE NIGHT OF THE LORD, because the same night Jesus instituted it, the day commenced in which He dealt the eternal death blow to Lucifer on the Cross of Calvary, forever freeing mankind from the power and oppression of darkness. ~ “It [is] a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This [is] THAT NIGHT OF THE LORD, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations” (Exodus 12.42).
Three Elements of the Last Supper
How it is that both, Passover and Communion, have remained a mystery to 99% of Christians is almost as mysterious as the elements contained in the feast and their spiritual significance to the believer today. The Bible is full of symbolism. This is how God communicates. It must be accepted that the largest and most important parts of the Bible are communicated through allegories, types2, and symbols. An enormous amount of scripture deals with food and feasts. Passover and Communion are prime examples of this. Food symbolizes doctrine in the Bible. Speaking of food and doctrine, Jesus said ~ “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4.4). That which is called ‘clean’ food in the Old Testament corresponds to sound doctrine, and ‘unclean’ food refers to polluted doctrine. Now, the three principal elements of the sacred Passover meal will be examined and their meanings revealed, which are 1) roasted lamb, 2) unleavened bread, and 3) bitter herbs. ~ “’Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread [and] with bitter [herbs] they shall eat it” (Exodus 12.8).
Roasted in Fire
The sacrifice lamb must be roasted in ‘fire.’ The lamb represents Christ, who is the Word3 of God, and the fire corresponds to the Holy Spirit. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, John said that Jesus ~ “…will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3.16). The fire by which the lamb is roasted speaks to us of the necessary preparation that the meat must go through before it can be eaten. The meat of the lamb indicates the doctrine in the Bible of Jesus Christ. A qualified individual (minister) must administer the meat, the written word of God, to the fire of the Holy Spirit until it is thoroughly cooked and then serve it on the table (preach) to the members of the family of God. This is what is referred to when Jesus says ~ “The Spirit of the LORD [is] upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to [the] poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to [the] captives And recovery of sight to [the] blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4.18).
Boiled & Raw
Jesus as well as the rest of the Apostles in the New Testament were anointed with the Fire of the Holy Spirit before and while they preached the word of God. The Word of God is a two-edged4 sword — it can kill just as fast as it can minister spiritual life. Let’s have a look at what the New Testament says about the importance of having anointed ministers who are empowered by God to ‘roast’ the meat of the word of God in the Fire of the Holy Spirit before it is served (preached). ~ “Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Corinthians 3.6). Notice that it is not enough to have a certificate of ordination from any Bible College or Seminary. All of human preparation and false authorization is what is killing the church today. The only One who is capable of ordaining and sending a truly anointed minister is God Himself. Notice what is written ~ “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as [being] from ourselves, but our sufficiency [is] from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Corinthians 3.5,6). Most Christians today do not follow the biblical steps of God required to partake in holy communion, and the result is that they are eating contaminated ‘boiled’ and ‘raw’ words from the Bible, which only bring judgement and condemnation. The Passover meal instructions given by God to Moses were as follows ~ “‘Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire––its head with its legs and its entrails. Next week, this special three-part series of messages will be continued” (Exodus 12.9).
John 6.53
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [communion], you have no life in you.
Notes
1. 1Corinthians 11.20
2. Hebrews 8.5
3. John 1.14
4. Hebrews 4.12
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People don’t like suffering because deep down inside they know that it’s somehow wrong to suffer, and they are right. In a perfect world, we all know there would be no suffering at all; heaven itself is the proof of it. However, until we get to heaven, suffering is an inevitable part of life; with that said, it does not have to define one’s life, much less consume it by endless suffering.
The Suffering of Communion
There are two types of suffering. It is either the result of our sin or the sin of others. The cross teaches us how to overcome both of them. The keys to understanding and appropriating the Victory of the cross in our own life is given to us in the Passover/Communion dinner, which Jesus and the disciples instituted moments before Jesus went to the cross. Speaking of the Passover and the Communion supper, Jesus said ~ “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:14-15). The learned disciple knows all too well his personal ‘COMMUNION’ in the sufferings of the cross. This is what is meant by the word ‘communion.’ We commune or participate in the cross of Christ. ~ “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10).
The End of Suffering
Even though Jesus lived a perfect sinless life, He still had to suffer for the sins of others; notwithstanding, three days after the cross all suffering ended. Christ was to suffer never again. The Christian enters into the power of the resurrection of Jesus through correctly understanding and applying the spiritual principles contained in Passover/Communion. ~ “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). The third element of Passover, bitter herbs, teaches how to follow in Jesus steps and overcome suffering in our own lives. ~ “Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:8).
The Third Element
Again, we see the three elements of the Passover dinner, which are roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. Bitter herbs, the last element, symbolizes suffering, the suffering of the cross and the Christian Life, which comes to an end as we walk in the power of Christ’s Resurrection. According to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the bitter herbs in the orthodox Passover Seder (dinner) are chili peppers. (As is apparent, Passover is very similar to the national Mexican dish, tacos, which is also eaten with, tortillas, which is unleavened bread.) In similar fashion to Jesus, who overcame death through death, like Jesus again the believer overcomes suffering through suffering itself. The Bible teaches us that there are two types of suffering. There is the suffering derived from one’s own sins and there is the suffering which is caused by the sins of others. ~ “For what credit [is it] if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this [is] commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:20).
The Suffering of Personal Sin
Just as Jesus overcame the two types of suffering through His birth and through His death, just so do those who follow in His steps. Through the suffering of the new birth, the Christian overcomes his own sins of the flesh, and via the suffering of the cross the believer overcomes the suffering caused by the sins of others. As the Master has taught, all of God’s children are born of the Spirit, following Jesus who was conceived1 by the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. ~ “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Suffering of Sins of Others
The New Testament teaches that the child of God is “IN2 CHRIST,” and this is what the believer sees in the cross of Christ. He sees himself ‘in Christ’ on the cross; crucified with Him, buried with Him, and resurrected with Him, victorious never to suffer because of sin again. ~ “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be [in the likeness] of [His] resurrection” (Romans 6:4). The entire meaning of Holy Week is given to the Christian through the Communion supper so he can understand the resurrection and receive the victory of the cross by participating in it. Through the communion meal; the Lamb of God, the unleavened bread, and the suffering of the bitter herbs are made flesh in the physical body when eaten. They are presented to us in the form of food, so it is understood that just as food is made life to us, so the resurrection victory of the Lamb of God is made real in our lives as we partake of the three elements of Passover.
Ephesians 2:6
And raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,
Notes
1. Luke 1.35
2. 2Corinthians 5.17
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God is not the only one who possess the power to give life. So do you. God has granted you the power to give life to anything you want. It is a supernatural ability, yet it largely lays dormant because few understand how to harness this divine capacity and put it to work in their lives. I call it the ‘Life Code’ because it always works and it always gives life to anything that follows this simple-to-understand formula. The Code is: mW1235. You can find it in your Bible in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 12, verse 35. ~ “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12.35). Jesus is saying that not only life itself, but even man’s life, is a product of the mW1235 LifeCode. The code will virtually give life to anything, but I chose this particular application of Jesus because here He teaches how the code actually is the ongoing source of all human life. Yes, that’s right! Everyone’s particular life and everything that happens on this planet via the human domain is a product of the LifeCode.
Jesus’ Major Subject
Even though the code is designed, impowered, and sustained by God; it works on both,1 good and evil things. This technology, Jesus explained, can be used to give life to murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, and false witnesses, for example, as well as many other applications, including all operations of natural and divine law, material and immaterial. ~ “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15.19). The LifeCode is the main teaching of Jesus. Time and time again in the three synoptic gospels, Jesus using the analogy of seeds produced by the heart, expounds and broadens the attributes and fine-tunes the operation of this divine law. The Son of Man uses more scriptures in the Bible on this particular subject than any other topic. Although the mW1236 code can be enhanced and augmented to function at a factor of up to 100 x 1, in its most basic state it operates by imparting life to whatever the individual decides to put and maintain in his heart. ~ “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared” (Matthew 13.24-26).
Covert Black Ops
Jesus taught how the sons of the wicked would us the LifeCode unjustly by sowing alien seed into their spirits ‘while men slept,’ so the devil’s evil devices could be produced by unwitting people even against their consent. As the end of the age draws closer, the hosts of the dark kingdom have perfected the exploitation of this potentially lethal force in the masses and employ it to their own demise, instead of benefit. Evil world leaders have not been as slow as the church has been to perceive the potential of capitalizing on the LIfeCode. They have discerned that they can use the spiritual resources of the unsuspecting masses at their will by persistently ‘sowing’ their messages directly into the heart via electronic media, social networks, the Internet, and TV. Hosea the prophet said it this way…~ “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Therefore people [who] do not understand will be trampled” (Hosea 4.6,14). The devil and his minions know and understand that if they can keep their agenda before the eyes of a naïve public long enough, those images and opinions will filter down into their heart (spirit), where they will be produced, whether they like it, or agree with it, or not.
The Sleeping Prophet
Like Jesus said, your spirit (heart) will eventually produce whatever is allowed to populate it, whether it be wheat or weeds, good or evil. The huge conglomerates that own the large news media outlets are no longer interested in what is true fact. They know that if they can keep a lie, or anything they want, projected into the heart of the common people long enough by continually repeating the same lie over and over again, that lie will eventually be produced by the heart of the masses and become a factual reality. This is why believers should carefully scrutinize which media news sources they admit entrance into their hearts and minds. The ancient prophet Jonah was tossed into the sea because he was caught sleeping when he should have been fighting against the enemies of God. ~ “But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging” (Jonah 1.5,15)
Where Life Comes From
Don’t be one of those who, like Jesus said, blindly permits the devil to sow seeds of destruction into their hearts and lives because they are spiritually asleep. It’s time to wake up to the reality of the LifeCode and use it the way God intended it be used as a lethal force for the benefit of the Kingdom and the believer. Take some time today and examine what you permit to inhabit your heart. Your heart is the production center of your life. It will produce whatever you, or anyone else is permitted to put into it.
Proverbs 4.23
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it [spring] the issues of life.
Notes
1. Matthew 12.35
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It is time for those who are spiritual among us to sit down, but not just anywhere. I want you to find your throne, take your place on it, and get to work, reigning in life as scripture says. Numerous times the phrase ‘Jesus sat down’ appears in the Bible. The significance of what is meant by these simple three words is monumental for every believer. Let’s have a look at what the book of Hebrews has to say about this expression. ~ “Now [this is] the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8.1).
The Completed Work
So, what does it mean when it says that ‘Jesus sat down’? Let’s have a look at another example in the book of Colossians. ~ “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3.1). When scripture indicates that Christ is ‘sitting,’ it is referring to the fact that everything is done. Christ, who is the Servant of the Lord, has completed all of the work of His earthly mission of redemption and therefore has sat down at the right hand of God. In John 17.4, Jesus said ~ “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17.4).
“It Is Finished!”
As He hung on the cross, Jesus said, “It is Finished!” (John19.30) meaning all of His earthly work had been completed successfully. The work of Christ’s redemption was not finished until He was ~ “…seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8.1). After His work on the cross was completed, the King of Kings went to work in Hades, where He satisfied every legal claim of the Supreme Court of the Universe, every demand possible that could be raised against mankind. Luke writes about this in the book of Acts, saying ~ “He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” (Acts 2.31).
The Most Holy Place
Having completed three days and three nights in the dark regions and having overcome every demon in hell, He then rose from the dead, and on His way to the throne He met Mary Magdalena and said to her ~ “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and [to] My God and your God”’” (John 20.17). After completing His work in the dark recesses of Hades, Messiah ascended to ‘the Most Holy Place,’ not that which was made with hands—no, He ascended into the true Most Holy Place, which is in heaven. ~ “But Christ came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9.11-12).
The Work of the Throne
And after He presented His own sinless holy blood for your sins ~ “This Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10.12). As He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High having received all authority in heaven, on earth and under the earth; He made you to sit with Him on a throne1 at His right hand to reign and govern with Him for the rest of eternity. ~ “Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2.5,6). Christ dealt the death-blow on the cross, securing eternal victory, and has made you a king and priest to reign over the remaining enemy forces until they are completely removed at the end of the millennium.
Colossians 3.1
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Notes
1. Revelation 20.4
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The distinguished title ‘Man of God’ is conferred upon Moses not because of his great feats, but rather his designation and unpaired spiritual power were the product of his frequent dialogue face-to-face with God. ~ “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33.11). The entire Bible attests to the fact that the power of God is only manifest by those who first know his will and act upon it. ~ “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1John 5.14).
The Golden Table
The golden table inside the Temple is one of only three objects in the Holy place. Each one of these sublime objects reveal sacred hidden truths about entering into the presence of God and all of the benefits that accompany such divine privilege. Moses never spoke face-to-face with God until he first followed the biblically ordained act of sitting at the ‘table’ of communion in the first Passover feast1, which anyone can follow. God is no respecter of persons.2 The key to entering into the presence of God is revealed in The Lord’s Table,3 also called communion in the New Testament.
Lost Mysteries
People today have no sense of God because they don’t read the Bible and have consequently lost all knowledge of God’s long established spiritual laws and norms. The New Testament makes it clear in several places that the Temple and Feasts of Moses are symbolic of eternal spiritual statutes, which are especially incumbent upon New Testament believers. ~ “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1Corinthians 10.11). The mystery of the Lord’s table is revealed by the Golden table in the Temple. Today, most people, or should it be said, most ministers, have no concept of any of these extremely significant spiritual revelations: the temple, communion, the cup of the blood and bread of the body of the Lamb, etc. Hence, the entrance into God’s presence has been long lost and forgotten.
The Bread of the Face (of God)
In addition to representing communion, the gold table represents the value (gold) of communion (table) with God. The golden table is one of only three enigmatic objects in -the holy place of the Temple. Visibly, the only access to the Table of the Lord is in the House (Church) of God and in communion, which is symbolized by the bread of the golden table. ~ “You shall also make a table… And you shall overlay it with pure gold… And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always” (Exodus 25:23,24,30). Notice, God says, “… the table [is] before Me always.” Also, we see that the Golden Table is located in the very presence of God in the Holy Place in the Temple of God, where absolutely no evil can enter at any time. Notice, that the bread on the table is the bread of Communion, which is also the bread of Passover. The fascinating thing is that the bread is literally called ‘The Bread of the Presence’ or even more literally the word means ‘The bread of the Face’ (Spanish: ‘propiciación’) This word is probably the most erroneously translated word in the Bible. Almost every version of the Bible translates it differently. The best Bibles call it “the bread of the presence.”
What it Means
Only those who are in legitimate communion in a legitimate church stand face-to-face with God. These folks walk in divine healing and power. The Apostle Paul wrote about what happened to Christians in the New Testament when they failed to understand and celebrate communion correctly. ~ “For he who eats and drinks [communion] in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [dead]” (1Corinthians 11.29-30). The fact that this is written in the New Testament proves that it is not legalism. These are dynamic spiritual laws that have been completely neglected and cast aside by the same crowd that is weak, sick and spiritually dead.
Intimate communion with God
‘The Bread of the Face of God,’ or/and ‘The Bread of the Presence of God’ is defined by Vine’s Dictionary, which is widely considered one of the best, defines the Hebrew word here as this — “bread of the face,” i.e., the presence, referring to the Presence of God” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). So, what does this mean? What is the bread of the Face that is set on the Golden Table that is always before God in the Holy Place in the Temple of God? Let it be said that, as in the case of any table in any house, the table is the principal place of Communion in the house, which is usually accompanied by food (the bread). What it means is — when Communion is properly understood and put into practice, it will bring the believer directly into the very presence of God, even into the Face of God. It will put him face to face with God Almighty. All of those who desire to truly know God intimately should pay special attention to that which is here written.
Revelation 3.20
Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door (of the heart), and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Notes
1. Exodus 12
2. Acts 10.34
3. 1Corinthians 10.21
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According to Wikipedia,1 the world’s largest religion is Christianity. And that’s just what this number represents… ‘religion,’ not the number of true Christians. Jesus said there are actually very few real Christians because the way is difficult and the door (gate) is hard to find. ~ “Because narrow is the gate [door] and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7.14). In sharp contrast to what is widely taught out of the pulpit, when was the last time you heard someone preach about the fact that most people cannot even find how to enter into the family of God?
The Hidden Door
In fact, most people do not even know that that there is a specific ‘door,’ hidden and hard to find, that must be entered into in a specific way, or they will never become part of the family of God. Thank God for those who have actually entered the spiritual door Christ is referring to without a formal understanding of how they did it. But, for the most part who are seeking to enter in, all they know is that something huge is missing in their spiritual life, but they can’t put their finger on just what it is. Fortunately, the Bible reveals how to find the door and how to enter into communion with God and His family.
The Door & the Blood
It was the blood on the door that delivered each family from the angels of destruction that brought the plague of death over Egypt. In the night that God delivered the families of Israel, He first instituted the Passover (communion) feast, which was mandatory for all those who would be delivered from the plagues of God, which is also symbolic of plagues mentioned in the book of Revelation that will take place in the last days.
Why So Many Dead Christians
Unfortunately, most Christians have never been taught what Passover is, less that, in the New Testament just as it was in Old Testament Times, Passover (Communion) is the door to God, heaven (the promise land), healing and deliverance from the plagues of God’s wrath. The book of 1 Corinthians affirms that the lack of accurate instruction and employment of Communion (Passover) in the New Testament Church is the reason so many believers today are sick, weak, and many have even died. ~ “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (1Corinthians 11.29,30). Notice, the Bible clearly states that lack of our accurate enactment of Communion in the church is the particular cause of spiritual and physical weakness, sickness and death among Christians.
The Hidden Door Revealed
Just as Passover delivered from the plagues of God’s wrath upon Egypt in the Old Testament, even so Communion is the key to protection, healing and the presence of God in the New Testament. The book of 1Corinthians tells us that the events of Passover recorded in Exodus reveal how to be saved and find the hidden door Jesus mentioned. ~ “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1Corinthians 10.11).
The Blood-stained Door
And it is precisely ‘The Door’ (John 11.9) that is the key to implementing the power of the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who saves those of God’s children who are devoted enough to follow the spiritual steps, whether consciously or simply by the following the voice of the Holy Spirit. ~ “And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you” (Exodus 12.22,23).
Applying the Blood to the Door
Here the Bible gives us the first three crucial steps to entering into the divine protection of Communion (Passover): 1) the blood of the Lamb, 2) the door, and 3) the house. First, the blood is the Word of God, New Testament when it is properly employed. Jesus said… ~ “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26.28). Only those who apply the New Testament (blood) to the door of the Church enter into life and true communion with the Body of Christ. Most of those who call themselves do not even attend a church, or attend some man-made religious organization, which they know perfectly well does not comply with a honest interpretation of the New Testament church. Most just tag along with someone else and go to the most comfortable (to the flesh) and convenient place in their neighborhood, best light-show, most flamboyant pastor, or best music.
The Body and Blood of the Lamb
Jesus gives a detailed description of how He2 is the only Door through which access to the true Church is possible in John 10. The house is the church of the living God, where those enter in encounter actual communion in the authentic community of believers and partake of communion of the Body (church) and blood (preaching) of the New Testament as directed by the Spirit. And we know that only those who are in spiritual communion with the church are saved and have eternal life. ~ “Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [communion], you have no life in you” (John 6.53). All those outside the Door are dead and lost.
John 10.9
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
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The theological term is ‘omnipresent,’ which means God is present everywhere all the time. He is just as close to those in the crack-house or strip club, as He is to those in the synagogue and seminary. To be a bit more precise, according to scripture, everything is in Him. ~ “[God] who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23). The entire universe is in Him. The doctrine of God’s ubiquitous nature is long-standing and widely accepted and understood.
Where is God?
This being said, why is it so hard for His children to find Him? Even the most sanctimonious Monk will confess that intimacy with the Creator is something that sages have ardently sought after throughout the corridors of History and few there are who found it lightly. If God is present everywhere all the time, why do even his most wholehearted followers struggle so hard to find Him?
Together, yet so far away
Most of the problem lays in the fact that God is always present, but we generally are not. Most people do not live in ‘the present.’ Generally speaking, nearly all of us spend 99% of our time living in the past or dreaming about something in the future. The fact of the matter is that we very rarely inhabit the here and now, the present moment. Have you ever talked to someone and suddenly noticed that the individual you were speaking to really wasn’t there, he wasn’t really present? He was off in some other universe thinking about something else. Yes, he was physically present, but his mind and spirit were in another galaxy. Unfortunately, this is the human dilemma. How sad it is, however true, two people can live in the same house for years, yet rarely if ever really be together at all.
Obliterate Your Stress
The first step to intimacy with God, or I guess you could also call it prayer, is to learn to distinguish and to practice being in the present moment. This is a subtle, yet very powerful spiritual law that will revolutionize your spiritual life if you practice it, while at the same time obliterate your stress and compound your faith. God is The Great ‘I Am.’ When Moses asked God his name, God said his name is “I Am.” ~ “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you'” (Exodus 3.14).
Walk in the Spirit
God is always present. He is always in the here and now. Our struggles to find God and communicate with Him are literally all in our head. Because of the Devil’s uninhibited access to the human mind through the Tree of Knowledge (the Garden of Eden, Gen. 2), he is able to hold hostage, those who are unaware, by bombarding their minds with endless and often tormenting out-of-control thoughts. The enemy is able to literally blind us from the presence of God because we choose to be spiritually absent from God, we choose to be more conscious of our mind then of our spirit. ~ “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2Corinthians 4.4). The moment you choose to actively focus your consciousness on your spirit, your reborn human spirit, than on your mind, you will begin the most fascinating Journey, which will conduct you into a life lived in the presence of God continually. This is what the Bible means when it tells us to walk in the spirit.
Faith is always ‘Now’
You’ve probably already noticed faith, like God, is always in present here and now. The moment one moves into the past or future, faith disappears out of the heart. Faith is a spiritual force, and all of the spiritual realm operates entirely in the now. Notice, the first word in the biblical definition of faith is ‘now.’ ~ “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11.1). Faith is always now. It is always here and now. If it’s not here and now, it’s not faith. The moment you begin to worry or scheme or plan; you are no longer in the present moment, you are no longer in faith, and you are no longer in the presence of God.
Living in the Presence of God
It is the reborn human spirit that has access to the wisdom of God and the powers of Heaven; the human mind is blinded and frequently held hostage by the devil. You will remember that Satan entered into the garden of Eden, or into the human race, through the tree1 of knowledge. And so it is today. You can live in mental knowledge, the knowledge of darkness, or you can live in spiritual knowledge, the light2 of life. It all comes down to the simple practice of learning to live in the present moment, where God is always active and accessible. The Bible tells us God’s name is Jehovah Shammah,3 which means God is present. God is always present, and as long as you are in the present, if you are a born-again Christian, you are already in the presence of God almighty, and the resources of Heaven are at your fingertips.
Colossians 1.17, Jeremiah 23.24
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.
Notes
1. Genesis 2.17
2. John 8.12
3. Ezekiel 48.36
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Christians have been lied to, or maybe it’d be more accurate to say, ‘Christians have lied to themselves’ for much too long about the most cardinal doctrine in the New Testament. It’s time to get real about why God’s prophesied judgement falls upon those of the end-time church who would ‘believe the lie.’ There is no hidden agenda here or covert conspiracy. It is nothing more than taking what is plainly written time and again in the New Testament at face value and having the faith to believe it.
The Destruction of Sin
Victory in Jesus is frequently sung about and talked about, but very few understand exactly what victory in Jesus is. — It is much more than merely healing one’s body or filling his checking account. The Apostle John writes ~ “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1John 3.8). Christians in all generations have known of, preached, and practiced walking in the victory of Christ. Sin is the work of the devil. All of the devil’s works are committed through sin. From the beginning in the Garden of Eden until now, all of the devils evil works have consisted in tempting and/or deceiving man into sin, by which man is brought under his authority and control. Three vital details must be understood from the aforementioned scripture verse.
Those Who DO NOT SIN
First, the writer says, “he who sins is of the devil,” so it is clear that the destruction of sin spoken of is not referring simply to the forgiveness of sins. John is saying that the problem is the devil and sin, and the solution requires the ‘destruction’ of Satan, not merely the forgiveness of sins. There is no need of forgiveness for those who have not sinned. Second, it is plainly stated that the work of the devil is the cause of all sin. And thirdly and most importantly, Jesus came to ‘destroy’ the works of the devil, which is sin. The Bible goes on to declare that those who are truly born again, those who are born of God ‘DO NOT SIN.’ ~ “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD” (1John 3.9).
The Forgotten Message
Once again, it must be underlined that the scripture “cannot be1 broken” and it clearly states, not only that those who are born of God are forgiven, it says “Whoever has been born of God does not sin.” God in His abundant grace and mercy is generous to forgive the sins of those who come to Him. Notwithstanding, the true Gospel message of the New Testament, the message that has been forgotten and dismissed by the religious status quo is the glorious victory of Jesus over Satan and the complete emancipation of man from sin and the sin nature. ~ “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1.16-17). This is the true gospel message. It is full of power to deliver all those who are in bondage to sin, but it must be preached by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order to free the sinner. Because faith comes2 by ‘hearing’ the Word of God. ~ “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10.14).
Born of the Spirit
The fact is those who are, indeed, born of the Holy Spirit, as the Apostle said, these people do not commit sin because they are born of the Holy Spirit of God; they have been regenerated and recreated by God and now have the divine3 sinless nature of God, which was imparted to them at the new birth. The Bible says, ~ “Whoever has been born4 of God does not sin.” Those who are born of God are no longer children of the flesh because they have been born of the ‘Spirit’ and have crucified the flesh, which is the carnal sinful nature of Satan. ~ “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3.6).
The Breakpoint
The caveat here is distinguishing between a man and a babe (no name-calling or condescension intended). The Apostles point out that immature Christians will struggle with sin5 for a while; notwithstanding, ‘the new “man”’ (not new-born babe) must be ‘put on’6 by believing and acting upon what has been written in faith. And this is the breakpoint; Christians will never appropriate Christ’s victory over sin in their lives until they embrace aforementioned thesis. Once applying the truth about Christ’s victory over sin through the resurrection in your life, you will be free from ‘the lie,’ the power of darkness will be broken over your life, and you will walk in the same victory as the apostles and believers in the early church.
Hebrews 2.14
He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Notes
1. John 10.35
2. Romans 10.7
3. John 3.6
4. 1John 3.9
5. 1Corinthians 3.1-3
6. Ephesians 4.24
7. 2Thessalonians 2.10-11
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Too often we fail to recognize the fact that the early believes, the people recorded in the New Testament, were far better Christians than most people who name the name of Jesus are today. After two thousand years of practice, one would presume that by now Christianity would have attained to what the Apostle Paul called the “…riches of the full assurance of understanding.” Let’s look at what is written ~ “That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and [attaining] to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2.2,3). What type of devious weapon of darkness could have been powerful enough to hinder so many Christians from achieving spiritual maturity? To be fair, it should be noted that every now and then throughout history there have been men and women who have obtained to a stature of piety that was attested to by great manifestations of God through preaching, others raising the dead or procuring great spiritual revelation, wherein supernatural conviction of the Holy Spirit fell indiscriminately upon thousands of people in the Great Revivals, and in an instant masses in the streets were converted from darkness to light.
Spiritual Growth of the Pioneers
But even these have been few and short lived. Most of the early Christians of the New Testament didn’t even have a Bible, the New Testament not having been completed until the middle of the third century. This is exactly what propelled these pioneers of Christ to grow up in the Spirit — they had no other way than to learn to walk in the Spirit. There were no religious bookstores with shelves and shelves of contradictory human philosophy to confuse and complicate things. The only way early Christians could survive was to walk in the Spirit, to learn to hear the voice of God and to treasure and put into practice every fragment of scripture they could find. If believers today would learn to walk in the Spirit, they’d enjoy the same results. Let’s look at how two verses of scripture along with the Holy Spirit is enough to, when put into practice, project a true disciple of Christ into the very presence of God and keep him there. The Apostle John writes, ~ “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1.6,7).
Walking in the Light
In verse 6, the Spirit clarifies the difference between those who are genuine children of God and those who are not. This important first step is something that has been completely omitted today. When unbelievers are treated the same as Christians in the church, it is easy for the weak and the young to adopt all kinds of deceitful and destructive worldly habits that with time destroy their faith. In the following verse, we read ~ “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1.7). When the Apostle says “walk in the light,” he is saying to walk in the Spirit, the revelation knowledge that is imparted by the Holy Spirit — this is what the Bible means when it says to walk in the Spirit. As it is written ~ “Do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8.1). And how is this accomplished? How does one walk in the Spirit? — It is done through revelation knowledge, which the Holy Spirits supplies. The Holy Spirit reveals the knowledge; the individual ‘walks,’ or conducts himself, according the information he received from the Spirit. The Bible says ~ “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed [them] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1Corinthians 2.9,10). Notice that John said ~ “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1.7).
Knowing God
Revelation knowledge of the Holy Spirit ‘IS spiritual life.’ It only comes from communion with God. He said if one has light [revelation], this person has ‘communion with God,’ which is what the Bible calls ‘Eternal life.’ — When one has communion God, this individual has indeed eternal life, for God himself is eternal life. ~ “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5.24). What is light, but knowledge; and what is revelation knowledge, but knowledge that ‘reveals God,’ which produces communion or relationship with God. No one can have relationship with God until He is revealed, and when God is revealed by the Spirit that person is in intimate relationship with God and because of that relationship he ‘possesses’ eternal life. ~ “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17.3).
Jeremiah 9:23-4
Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty [man] glory in his might, Nor let the rich [man] glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I [am] the LORD…for in these I delight,” says the LORD.
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Ordinarily, the presence of God is something that is desired above all things. However, as it was with Moses at the burning bush, most people are not aware of God’s presence in their lives even when they enter into it. Moses didn’t realize he had entered into the presence of God until God called out to him. ~ “Then He [God] said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand [is] holy ground” (Exodus 3.5).
The Source of God’s Power
Moses had entered into God’s presence during the trans-course of everyday life and didn’t even know it. So it is today with multiple millions of God’s children. This same simple yet all-powerful presence of God was the genius behind the life and ministry of the man who split open the Red Sea and rained bread down from heaven upon the children of Israel for 40 years in the desert. When Moses told God that he was incapable of completing the task God had given him, God told Moses that His ‘presence’ would go with him and would enable him to work wonders before the eyes of Pharaoh and the children of Israel. ~ “And He [God] said, “My Presence will go with you” (Exodus 33.14).
No Substitute
According to Jesus, who like Moses had a habit of spending long periods of time in God’s presence,1 the presence of the Father was the source of His miracle-working capacity. ~ “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (John 5.19). There is no substitute for the presence of God in the life of the believer. Moses first entered into God’s presence unwittingly, and the from that point forward the creative ability of God’s presence followed him, enabling him to complete whatever assignment God laid before him. As is true with all anointed men and women in the Bible, both Moses and Jesus were frequently found alone in the presence of God. ~ “So He Himself [Jesus] often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5.16).
Changing Point
Up till the moment Moses accidentally stumbled into the presence of God, His life was a disaster. But give the man some credit; once he had entered into that place of sublime intimacy with God, Moses realized that this was the golden key that opened the door releasing the ability of God into and through his life and that it was so easy to do that it could be undertaken without even being aware of it.
Take off Your Shoes
The divine instruction from God for Moses to remove his shoes should shed some light on this subject for most of us. Why did God tell Moses to remove his shoes? God told Moses to take off his shoes because Moses wasn’t going to be going anywhere for a while. The divine instruction of the removal of one’s shoes meant the same thing then that it would mean today. The only time you take your shoes off is when you’ve decided to stay for a while, that you’re not going anywhere soon. Prayer requires time. So, if you want to enter into God’s presence, you’re going to have follow the spiritual formula. God, unlike us, is never in a hurry. The place most people take off their shoes is in their own home, and you will never be more at home than you are when you have entered into the divine presence of love personified, your Heavenly Father. ~ “Then He said…Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand [is] holy ground” (Exodus 3.5).
God’s Presence is Holy
The word translated ‘holy’ here means “separated” according to Strongs2 Dictionary of Bible Words. It is not a question of finding God’s geographical presence; it is a question of becoming aware of the fact that God is ever-present at all times. God is not hiding. He is everywhere all the time. The problem is we have chosen to block God out of our consciousness and remain absent from His presence through the blindness3 of our minds. Once someone is born of the Spirit of God, he becomes a child of God and is capable of entering into God’s presence at any time. All that is necessary from that point on is to bring the mind into subjection to the re-born (re-generated) spirit, which is already in contact with God. Two things are required to do this: 1) time, and 2) a separate (holy) place, a place without distractions, as Jesus would often spend the night on the mount alone with God.
Alone With God
What are your objectives? Is there something important that you want to get done in your life? Learn the secret of Moses and of Christ. You will accomplish more in three hours alone in God’s presence than you will in three years trying to get things done in your own ability. Release the power of God’s presence into your life.
Mt 14:23
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
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By definition a Christian is a ’follower of Christ.’ The first words Jesus spoke to Peter and Andrew as He walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee are the same words, He now speaks to you, the same words He has spoken to every other true disciple since He turned the water to wine. ~ “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me… They immediately left [their] nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4.18-20). God can’t lead you to the promise land if you insist to remain living in the same old neighborhood. One cannot enter into victory while at the same time persisting to live in the same things that cause defeat. God has a plan of victory and abundance for your life, but you cannot receive God’s plan while at the same time you refuse to do the things necessary to bring that abundance into your life.
Leaving all Behind
Just as Jesus called the disciples, God invites every man to leave the past behind, just so God has a new life of victory, blessing and prosperity prepared and waiting for each one of His children to possess. The brothers Peter and Andrew had a good life. Leaving all behind would not be easy, but they wanted more out life that simply being comfortable. They had a hunger burning deep within their hearts to know God, to serve Him and to enter into His divine plan for their lives. They knew that only by serving God would they be able to live free from the consequences of sin, save their families and attain to eternal. No man wants to enter into eternal death. The Bible says that God has put the desire for eternal life into the heart of every man. ~ “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3.11).
Much More than Money Alone
The disciples knew that the riches of God include much more than money alone. They knew that Satan was seeking to steal, kill and destroy everything they loved and valued. More than this, the sublime life of intimacy with God drew them on. ~ “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking” (Luke 5.5,6).
God’s Perfect Plan
These two men were professional fishermen, yet they had struggled all night and had caught no fish. Ever since the Garden of Eden, when Adam committed the first sin, the earth has been cursed with poverty. Let’s have a look at what God said when man sinned in the book of Genesis. ~ “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed [is] the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat [of] it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you [are], And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3.17-19). God has promised to bless and prosper all who follow him. Decide today to follow the voice of the Good Shepherd into God’s perfect plan for your life and leave the old behind.
Mark 1.17 “Then Jesus said to them, “’Follow Me.’”
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There is nothing like beginning the New Year right, and that means putting first things first. Before anything else, it must be said that God has a peculiar habit that is unique to Him because of His nature. If you’ve ever wondered what God likes to do in His spare time, scripture seems to point out what it is. Unlike us, He loves new things. God is a ‘creator’… or more accurately, God is The Creator. The word ‘create’ implicitly means NEW. Nothing can be created without making it new at the same time.
God is Limitless
Thanks to His limitless attributes and His boundless wisdom, God prefers to simply make something completely new from the beginning than to fix an old mess. Some of us should learn from this. Sometimes the best thing is simply start anew. Think about it. The Bible is full of new things that God is constantly creating. Instead of fixing the Old Testament, God just went ahead a introduced a completely distinct New Testament. Adam contaminated the human race with sin, so God gave us the ‘new birth.’ The Bible is full of things that God makes new. Consider a few of them: the new man, the new heavens and a new earth, a new universe, a new day, a new year, a new beginning, the new creation, new wineskins, a new thing, a renewed mind, the New Jerusalem, the new nature, a new spirit, new tongues, new wine, a new commandment, a new moon…etc. We might as well get used to it because the fact is, God is so indulged in making new things that He has promised to ‘make all things new!’ ~ “Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful” (Revelation 21.5).
Man’s Fallen Nature
As is usually the case, because of the fallen nature that we received from Adam when he sinned in the garden and our experience living under the influence of sin, we are not so fond of new things in general. Because newness implicates change, and change includes work and the need for faith we tend to avoid change rather than welcome it. The sin nature, being lazy and fearful, too often prefers to simply cope with the old broken futile things of yesterday, instead of taking God’s hand and letting Him lead us into the new things He has prepared for us. God is so special about new things that He actually teases us, sparking our imagination with curiosity. In the book of Isaiah, as God speaks openly about the new things He wants to do for us, saying ~ Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness [And] rivers in the desert. God has a new way for you in 2023, a new plan, and a new solution to your problems. Something you have never even thought of or considered. He can’t wait to tell you about it. It is so much better than what you have now and infinitely better than anything you could imagine or even dream. ~ “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3.20).
Time for a Real Change
If you’re like God and you’re getting a little bored and tired of the same old problems in your life, it’s time for ‘the new.’ And it is so easy to achieve. You don’t even have to ask Him for it. He has already created a completely new solution for the things that the enemy has been using to tie you down a stop you from running with the new vision that God has for your life in 2023. ~ “Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make [it] plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2.2). All that He needs is a little cooperation on your part to bring on the new and say good bye to the old. He can’t do it arbitrarily without your consent, and there are a few steps that are necessary in which we must cooperated. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet talks about the future He has planned for you, saying ~ “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29.11).
Revelation 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
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What would you do if your engaged wife-to-be came home one Christmas to tell you that she is pregnant with someone else’s baby? The only way to get a real understanding of the meaning of Christmas is to understand the man who received this message, the step-father of the Son of God born in a manger, the man Joseph, the fiancé of the Virgin Mary. ~ “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1.18-20).
The Story of a Family
God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is the Father of Jesus; Joseph is the father of Christmas and for good reason. The Christmas story is a perfect picture of the one and only true family, the family of God, the genuine family which the human family is supposed to depict. For over 1600 years, the greatest theologians have agreed that it is infinitely more noble and holy for a man to father an adopted child than the seed of his own flesh. The Christmas story is ripe with profound imagery, revealing to the enlightened eye the working of the Holy Spirit on that first Christmas night so long ago. ~ “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2.16). The real message of Christmas is powerful. All Christians have to do is tell it the way it is. The world would be a different place if Christians viewed the offspring of the divine seed the way Joseph did.
A True Husband
Most men completely ignore or go so far as to try to kill the spiritual offspring their wives bring home by the Holy Spirit, when they come home and announce that God has given them a child ꟷborn of the Spirit. ~ “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit’” (John 3.5,6). Joseph is a real man, a true father, not an abortionist. Instead of giving first place to his own carnal seed, the product of the dead flesh, Joseph recognizes and esteems the divine seed born of the Holy Spirit and quietly takes his place as a ‘virgin father,’ or a foster-father of baby Jesus, supporting his wife as she rejoices and nurses her new spiritual offspring to spiritual maturity, nursing the precious child of God day-by-day on the pure, unadulterated milk of the Word. ~ “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1Peter 2.2).
Spiritual Maturity by the Word
Every child born of the flesh has a physical mother, so every child born of the Spirit of God, like the Virgin Mary, has a spiritual mother, who is a member of the Church, and a spiritual step-father who supports, helps, and cares for his house (the church). The Bride of Christ, promised to wed the Messiah at the wedding feast1 of the Lamb is the Church, comprised of individual members, who give birth by the Spirit to every born again child of God. ~ “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the…church of the firstborn, which is the mother of us all” (Hebrews 12.22,23; Galatians 4.26). Christmas is a story of a family; Joseph, Mary and Jesus. It is the story of a man giving God and the only true family first place in his life, putting God’s spiritual progeny before his own carnal vanity and dreams. It is the story of a pious man, called Joseph, the father2 of Jesus. No man should father carnal children until he has successfully fathered spiritual children, until he has auspiciously added people to the number of the saints and raised them up to spiritual maturity through the word. ~ “For everyone who partakes [only] of milk [is] unskilled in the word…but solid food belongs to those who are of full age”(Hebrews 5.13,14).
The Baby in a Manger
If you want to encounter Christmas in your home, it’s not about decorating a tree or eating turkey; it’s about sewing the seed of the word of God into the heart (spirit) of those who God leads you to until Christ (the seed of the word) is formed in them. Notice how Mary conceives the Word of God, Jesus Christ. ~ “And the angel answered and said to her, “[The] Holy Spirit will come upon you, and…that Holy One who is to be born {–of you} will be called the Son of God. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. And the Word became 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” (Luke 1.35,38; John 1.14). It’s time to go back to that first starry night, back to the cold and windy high plains of Bethlehem, back to the ‘Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger,’ back to Jesus the Word of God,3 merry Christmas!
Galatians 4.19
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.
Notes
1. Revelation 19.9
2. Luke 2.48
3. Revelation 19.13
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It is for good reason that the New Testament begins with the epic story of a family at Christmas time. The beginning of any written volume generally commences by establishing the main idea of the entire work, this is called the ‘thesis statement.’ The dearest and most precious thing to all peoples across the four corners of the globe is family, and each year Christmas is universally accepted as the pinnacle family event of the year. This is no accident. It is all the undertaking of God’s unseen hand working providentially according to His eternal spiritual design. Why is family and Christmas so important to everyone? Because family represents heaven where we find our eternal home in God’s family and the birth of Christ shows us how to get there. ~ “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14.6). Jesus is the only true way to eternal life, and as is clearly depicted in the Christmas story it all begins with the new birth. The first and principal idea of Christmas is the miraculous birth of Christ, which portrays what the New Testament calls the New Birth. ~ “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [natural] and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3.5).
Jesus a Young Man
Just as the miracle birth of Christ by Virgen Mother and the power of the Holy Spirit, even so each one of God’s children begin their spiritual journey to the final great Christmas celebration in heaven through the new birth, which is a product of the virgin mother (church) and the Holy Spirit. ~ “But you have come to…the heavenly Jerusalem…to the general assembly and church of the firstborn [who are] registered in heaven…which is the mother of us all” (Hebrews 12.22,23; Galatians 4.26). The Christmas story teaches us that Jesus was not only the son of the virgin, He was also the son of a stepfather called Joseph, who received the baby Jesus and guided Him throughout the childhood years and His youth. Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, mysteriously disappears from scripture at the time Jesus becomes a young man, which is necessary and also according divine plan. Joseph who symbolizes the human father must disappear into the shadows so the Son of God can give place to his Heavenly Father who is His only true Father. Jesus speaks of His two fathers, His spiritual father and his earthly stepfather, in the book of Luke. ~ “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father [Joseph] and I have sought You anxiously. And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s [God, the Father] business?” (Luke 2.48,49).
Running and Walking
Notice, as has already been said, Jesus, demonstrating clearly to all the only true way to eternal life in God’s celestial family, did not try to conform the heavenly family to His earthly family, as most people do. No, Jesus understood clearly that if anyone is going to make heaven their home and take their place in the eternal heavenly family in the age to come, they must carefully observe the spiritual family, which is the church, and conform their earthly family to the spiritual family of God, not the reverse. Christmas teaches of the spiritual family which is the only true model for the earthly family to follow and conform to if it is to be saved. Most who mistakenly put the earthly above the spiritual unwittingly destine it to condemnation. Christmas teaches us of how we must all receive the kingdom as dear children and grow up one day at a time, like Jesus did. ~ “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Mark). Too often Christians try to run before they learn how to walk. The Christmas story through Jesus describes to us a normal life that is led by the Holy Spirit. Some have erroneously said that the childhood of Jesus was full of miracles and prodigies; however, we know this is not true because the Bible says that His first miracle was the turning of the water into wine in Cana of Galilee. ~ “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2.11).
Subject to Him
It is no accident that at Christmas children are celebrated and put first. This is how it is in the Kingdom of God, in the family of God. The young new born again1 believers are cherished and celebrated. It is clearly shown that they need time to grow up spiritually and that, like any child, they will stumble and fall every now and then, at which time they will be lovingly picked up and cradled in the arms of the mother church, not scolded and punished. ~ “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2.15). Christmas tells us that just as the shepherds and the kings came to Jesus and worshiped him and saw that He was acclaimed by thousands of angels, even so the pastor of every church and president of every country is subject to Him and will give an account of how well they served Him. Don’t miss the opportunity this Christmas to speak a few words about the true meaning of Christmas to your family or just read a few verses from the holy scripture (scripture reading…Luke 2.1-20). And then throughout the new year remind your family as the Spirit directs you of these timeless principles, conducing your family into the only true way to the eternal family in heaven that will forever celebrate the miracle birth of God’s glorious Lamb in a manger on that first Christmas night so long ago.
Malachi 4.5-6
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
Notes
1. John 3.3
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What kind of father would give away his only son, especially when he was fully aware of the fact that those to whom his son was given were going to kill him and send him to hell? The answer is simple. The only father who would do something like that would be a father who know for certain that his son would not only destroy death itself, but would also kick down the gates of hell, rescue all other family members who were unjustly held there, and restore all of the family back together in the presence of the Father.
The True Family
As we all know, love and family can get complicated; notwithstanding, most of us would agree, in spite of the cost, family is worth fighting for, even to the point of death itself. This is the true story of Christmas. Christmas, more than any other place in the Bible, is where the true family on earth is pictured in perfect harmony and peace. Family always was and still remains the be God’s ultimate plan for all of mankind.
A Family Portrait
The Christmas scene in the Bible is a beautiful and unmistakable portrait of the true family of God. The cast is a mother, a father, and their newborn son. ~ “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2.16). It has been correctly stated the underlying purpose of the Architect in all of creation is for God to have a family.
Family Problems
However, having a family is not always as simple as it may appear to be, just ask God! His first son unwittingly delivered the entire family into the hands of sin, death and hell through the deceit of the serpent in the garden of Eden. ~ “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die…Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis2.17, 3.1).
A True Father
A true father would never surrender his children to anyone, much less to the devil and eternal death. Such is the Christmas story. God have His only begotten Son so that through Him all of the Family of God could be rescued out of the clutches of the prince of darkness, from sin, sickness, death and suffering. Abraham’s sacrifice of his only Son Isaac foreshadows the manger in Bethlehem on the first Christmas morning. ~ “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son], concluding that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (Hebrews 11.17,19).
The Only Begotten Son
Christmas is the celebration of the greatest of all gifts. God has given His only begotten Son that ‘through’ Him, we all might receive eternal life. ~ “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1John 4.9). Jesus is God’s only begotten Son in that He is the only son of God who died and then ripped off the gates of hell through the resurrection on the third day, opening the way for all to escape the pains of sin and death ‘through Him.’
The Earth’s Two Families
Jesus is called ‘the last Adam,’1 in that He came to undo all of the destruction the first Adam brought upon mankind in the garden of Eden. There are two families in the earth. All pain and suffering in the human family are a product of the offspring of Adam, whose first son (Cain) killed2 his brother, Abel. All men born of a woman are the fleshly descendants of the first man Adam, in whom all die. All men born3 of the Spirit, as Jesus was through the virgin Mary, are the descendants of Jesus Christ, the last Adam, in whom all live.
A Son is Given
The laws of the Kingdom of God often appear to operate in reverse order to the logic of the carnal mind. The wisdom of God teaches that life4 is only entered into via death, that giving is more blessed5 than receiving, and that joy comes through6 suffering. The main idea of Christmas is the birth of the baby Jesus, who is ‘the7 way.’ At Christmas we celebrate how God has freely given to us all things8 through His Son, who we all, like Him, must be born, not of a carnal woman, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, and then enter into the fulness of that new life by following in the footsteps of Jesus, growing up into the fulness of the Son of God through maturing day-by-day in the Spirit.
Luke 1:35
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born of you will be called the Son of God.
Notes
1. 1Corinthians 15.45
2. 1John 3.12
3. John 3.3
4. Hebrews 2.14
5. Acts 20.35
6. Hebrews 12.2
7. John 14.6
8. Romans 8.28
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Technology is like fire. Of course, it is good and necessary as long as you have it under control. As with all forms of power, the risks must be weighed against the benefits. Harnessed correctly, fire can cook your food and heat your home; mismanaged it will burn your house down in the dread head of summer. Yesterday, mega-billionaire, Elon Musk, announced his Neuralink brain1 chip will begin human clinical trials in six months. Once implanted into the brain, the human mind will be able to interface instantly with all of the highest technology, enabling some with certain diseases to walk again, the blind to see, and deaf to hear.
The Devil Plays with Best Laid Plans
Sounds good, right? Oh, did we mention the chip’s ability to turn its victims into mindless robots by controlling, not only what they think, but also what they say, see, and hear. If you thought the surveillance ability of cellphones by secret government agencies; monitoring movement through GPS, accessing microphone, files, and camera was bad, Elon Musk has a few big surprises for you. Think about it. I’m sure Xi Jinping and the other tyrannical regimes of the world are frothing at the mouth thinking about how this new technology would enable them to effortless, not only monitor every thought, but more importantly limit every movement of the zombies foolish enough to fall for this massive invasion of privacy and autonomy.
Man’s Four-part Nature
On the spiritual level, the idea itself is nothing less than Satanic. The New Testament word2 for ‘witchcraft’ is “pharmakeia”3 (Gr.), from which we get the word ‘pharmacy’ or drug. Sorcery has always been associated with psychotic drugs since ancient times because once the mind is effectively subdued or paralyzed, the human soul becomes directly subject to the spirit realm. Jesus taught4 man is a four-part being: mind, spirit, soul, and body. Satan is limited to accessing the human race through the mind, the proverbial tree5 of knowledge.
Spiritual Warfare
The greatest weapon the believer has is to ‘renew’ the mind, bringing it back into submission to the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, not handing the control of the mind over to Satan and his minions. ~ “For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10.4-5).
Mind Control on Steroids
It could be accurately said that demon possession is nothing less than literally losing one’s (control of the) mind. ~ “Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon–possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid” (Mark 5.15). God wants His children in their ‘right mind,’ in the mind that is controlled by man’s reborn spirit under the guidance of the Spirit of God, not under the control of the devil via an implanted brain chip.
The Mark of the Beast
Would this not be tantamount to the mark of beast delineated6 in the John’s book of Revelation? ~ “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives [his] mark on his forehead or on his hand” (Revelation 14.9). As with every computer, each brain chip is identified by a number, the number9 of the beast. The mark on the forehead is the scar tissue left by the implantation of the chip. If, as Elon Musk says, the Neuralink chip is capable of controlling body movement, would it not also be capable of programming all to bow down and worship at the altar of the Beast, the Anti-Christ system?
The idea that utopia can be attained through the development of human knowledge is not only vain, it is stupid. ~ “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1.22). The only ‘utopia’ that can be attained is that of the chosen few who are counted worthy of inhabiting the Kingdom of Heaven for eternity, which is a product of spiritual knowledge. ~ “The worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11.3). Since the Garden of Eden, the only thing carnal knowledge has produced is suffering, bondage, and death. ~ “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2.17).
Why would anyone want a neurochip implant when the manifold wisdom of God and the mind of Christ7 have been made available to them through the ministry of the Holy Spirit? The choice will soon be yours, whether to choose Microsoft over the multifaceted wisdom of God, whether to become a free spirit or embondaged robot. The choice will soon be yours whether to be a trans-human or a trans-spirit; a transformed, re-created, regenerated spirit partaking for eternity of the divine nature8 of God.
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As each day draws one step closer to the end of the age and the cataclysmic events God has spoken of in the book of Revelation, the chosen remnant prepares themselves for the long-awaited end of the age. Like never before the believer must be aware of the plan God has hidden in the scriptures to deliver His people from the outpouring of the plagues of judgement upon the evil foretold by the prophets. God always saves his people from the judgments of His Wrath upon the workers of iniquity. Speaking of the events of the end of age, Jesus said ~ “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21.35,36).
Written for the Last Generation
From cover to cover, the Bible is filled with examples of how God uses his miracle power to deliver his people from the judgments he pours out upon the wicked. Even just a quick look at the very first book of the Bible demonstrates how God saved Noah from the flood, Abraham from famine, Lot from catastrophic disaster, Isaac from recession, and Joseph from complete economic collapse. Each one of these events holds important concepts for us today; however, the New Testament makes it clear that the place to begin is at the 10 plagues of Egypt, where God made a ‘difference’ between His people and the unbelievers and saved his people out of total calamity. The New Testament states emphatically that the events that took place with Moses and the children of Israel are specifically written for us in the New Testament and particularly for the last generation — “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Consider ~ “Now these things became our examples… all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come “(1Corinthians 10.6,11).
God’s People Delivered from Judgement
All of the events written in the books of Moses have specific lessons to be learned by the church of the last days, but the most important unquestionably is the institution of the sacred Passover Feast of ancient Israel, where God miraculously delivered his people from the final judgement (plague) upon Egypt. As usual, the symbols here must be correctly interpreted — Egypt refers to the corrupt world system, Pharaoh is Satan, the ten plagues are those of the book of Revelation at the end of the age, the forty-year journey in the desert is the Christian life during the final years of tribulation, and the promise land represents heaven. In the Ten Plagues, it is revealed how God makes a ‘difference’ between His people and the Egyptians the same way He will at the end of the age. ~ “Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt… But against none of the children of Israel… that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” (Exodus 11.6-7).
The Remnant
God always makes a ‘difference’ between his people and the unbeliever. ~ “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44.23). However, it must also be noted that those who God considers holy are almost always a very small remnant of his people, who truly seek and serve God with all of their heart. Out of Egypt the Bible says that God delivered 600,0001 men; however, only two of them enter the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb. Lot and his two daughters were the only ones saved out of Sodom and Gomorrah, and only eight were saved out of the great flood at the time of Noah. ~ “In the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (1Peter 3.20). The Passover in the Old Testament and what we know as Communion in the New Testament reveal how God saves His people out of calamity. Only those who enter into communion and live in communion are the true church who is saved.
Who Will Be Saved?
The Passover, which is communion in the New Testament, reveals who will be saved. It is not a question of participating in the symbolic ritual, which anyone could do, but participating in the spiritual reality that is symbolized by the carnal ceremony. Passover reveals the true Church, which will be saved. The blood of the Lamb, which is the New Testament,2 is applied by each member of the true Church to the Door,3 which is Christ.4 Anyone can enter the true Church and be saved by following this divine order, that is by applying the New Testament to the door and then entering into the Church/communion by acting on the New Testament. This is how one is protected by the Blood of the Lamb from the plagues of the Antichrist.5
Revelation 12.11
“And they [the church] overcame him [Antichrist] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Notes
1. Exodus 12.37
2. 1Corinthians 11.25
3. Exodus 12.22,23
4. John 10.9, 14.6
5. Revelation 12.11
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What did Jesus mean when He called the strength of Satan ‘the power of darkness’? To be accurate, God was not saying that Satan had no power. God was calling our attention to the magnitude of the power of a lie. Can a lie really hurt you? Beyond a shadow of doubt, a lie is able to destroy your life and leave your soul to burn in hell for ever. As we approach the darkest hours of human history, these words of Jesus could not be truer or of greater consequence.
The Absent-minded King of the Universe
Since the dawn of creation, man has always been a victim of his own governance. The problem has never been that man lacked authority and power; the problem has always been that he has had too much authority and power. In the beginning, God gave Adam complete authority over Satan and the entire planet. ~ “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over… all the earth” (Genesis 1.26). And what did man do with all of that authority? — He gave1 it to the devil. And, it’s the same dismal story that continues repeating itself until today. People say, ~ ‘Why did God give the devil access to the earth to begin with?’ When the truth is that God never gave the devil access, man did. God gave Adam the keys to the universe and in return asked only one tiny thing of him — that he would not eat of the forbidden fruit.
God Reinstitutes Man’s Authority
And what did man do with the almost unbridled authority God gave him? ~ “She [Eve] took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3.6). Not only did Adam & Eve disobey the one thing God had asked of them; no, the disobedience was not enough, they had to go further and invite2 Satan to be lord over God’s creation. But God sent Jesus to win back the authority over the world3 through death on the cross of Calvary. Then, God once again gave mankind all authority over Satan and the world. ~ “[Jesus said] Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10.19).
A Victim of His Own Authority
Jesus not only renewed man’s authority over Satan, He also restored man’s authority over the planet. Read the book of Hebrews… ~ “What is man that You are mindful of him… You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, AND SET HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR [God] HANDS. YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing [that is] not put under him” (Hebrews 2.6-8). Man is a victim of his own power and authority. The problem isn’t that Satan is too powerful, nor is the problem that man is in any way inferior to his situation and assignment on the earth. — The only problem man has is ignorance. 2500 years ago, the Prophet Hosea wrote about man’s greatest obstacle, he said, ~ “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4.6).
How Authority is Executed
It is a bitter thing to recognize that man is so oblivious to his own condition that the devil is literally able to use man’s own power and authority to defeat him. The greatest area of man’s ignorance is the role and authority God has placed in the human tongue. God’s children have been blinded4 to the fact that God has placed ~ “Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18.21). They still don’t understand that angels5 and demons are commissioned to act by every6 word man speaks. The Apostle James, the man with the most authority in the church after Christ’s resurrection, said this about the tongue, ~ “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion [is] useless” (James 1.26).
The Power of Life and Death
The wisest man in the world said this about the tongue, ~ “Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18.21). Most Christians have no idea that the power and authority God has given to them is, in fact, discharged through the words they speak. What did Jesus say? — He said, ~ “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11.23).
The Light of Heaven
You may not think that you have authority over the power of darkness. It may not appear that way to you, and you may often not feel like it is true, yet it is. God told Abraham to call himself a father according to God’s word long before Isaac was born. It may not happen overnight, but, like Jesus said, you will eventually ‘have what you say.’ Begin to exercise the authority God has given to you by speaking according to the King of kings, and you will soon see the dominion of the kingdom of darkness broken over your life and the light of heaven shining through upon you and all you do.
Hebrews 2.6-8
What is man that You are mindful of him… You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing [that is] not put under him.
Notes
1. Romans 5.12
2. Romans 5.17
3. Matthew 28.18
4. 2Corintians 4.4
5. Psalms 103.20
6. Matthew 12.36
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