Temple Builders – The High Calling
By John R. Lucas | June 10th,
2002 Version – TempleBuilders.com
The Temple Builders
book is not just reading material
...it is an experience
· “Temple Builders – The High Calling,” is a book for those in the body of Christ that desire to truly mature in the ways of Jesus. The Temple Builders reader is one that is convinced that the goal of being fully pleasing to Jesus has not been realized by the church as a whole, or even a segment (remnant) of the church, or any other individual believer, as compared to early church scriptural examples.
The Temple Builders is a book
that has been used in home churches, cell groups, as Sunday school curriculum,
and pulpit teaching, around the world. It is free to copy and distribute,
therefore it has been widely circulated for the past seven years. Folks have testified
that it has produced fruit that has remained, however, many times, they worked
hard for it. Most often, it causes you to see things different from believers
that you have relationships. Therefore, the challenge exists as to how you
respond in these relationships. Knowledge can puff up; knowledge can cause
separation. The message of Temple Builders is to have knowledge that is humble
in nature, and rescuing all those you know – from the pit.
http://TempleBuilders.com
Table of Contents
4 The Restoration of right thinking
4 Called To A More Excellent Way
4 Areas God deals with in the workplace:
4 God sends the scouts into the land
4 True Forgiveness – Binding and Loosing
4 The Root Purpose of Affliction
4 Categorically False Ministry
4 External Church Affiliations
4 Revival Manifestation IssueS
4 THUNDER OF ALIENATION – THUNDER 1
4 THUNDER OF JUDGMENT – THUNDER 2
4 THUNDER OF CONSECRATION – THUNDER 3
4 THUNDER OF THE COMING – THUNDER 4
4 THUNDER OF GOD’S GLORY – THUNDER 5
4 THUNDER OF ENEMY’S DEFEAT – THUNDER 6
4 THUNDER OF RESTORATION – THUNDER 7
Acknowledgments & Ordering:
I hope this book has edifies you. This book is the product of many who labored in the word of God for others. I have learned from these vessels, used of our Lord, and I have partaken of the grace given to them by God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of these men I know only through their writings. It is only because they gave in the labor of their writing that I can now give in this writing.
All of these men have one thing in common. They are ones that are forerunners in truth, and because of their forerunning nature, they suffered much for the sake of the Gospel. They paid a price in unveiling truth in scriptures, truth that was previously hid. They paid an even greater price when they spoke these truths to their present-day leadership, a leadership that was content with previous truth instead of present truth.
I would like to thank the editors that have worked on the book - Mike Hodges, Jan Teel, and my wife Dee Dee. They helped me stay on course with the message of the Lord.
My wife Dee Dee and my three children have been great encouragement in the writing of this book. They always look to the eternal value of the labor and they have always supported this labor with their whole heart. In the dark valleys and the opposition to truth - they have always stood as the consolation of God for me.
For those that have completed the entire book, we ask for your testimony, which may be published in final bookstore version. We are interested in both the experience that you had as you were reading the book, and we are most interested in the fruit that it produced in your daily life after you read the book. We desire to publish these testimonies in the preface.
FOR THOSE THAT LIVE IN THE LAKELAND, FL AREA:
As of This writing, June 10th, 2002, we are in the planning stage of a new gathering. It will be a unique church patterned after many of the principles laid out in this book. WE SOLICIT YOU HELP. We need co-laborers to help plan and implement this radical message in a local fellowship. Email me if you are interested.
John R. Lucas
PO Box 7822, Lakeland, FL 33807-7822
TempleBuilders.com Christian Web
Amos 7:14-15
Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel.'” (NAS)
Amos, a prophet of the Lord, had a very menial occupation, one of working as a herdsman, and a grower. Nevertheless, there came a day when he was taken by the Lord, to prophesy. Likewise, I have an occupation outside of the “professional minister calling,” and yet I have been compelled by the Lord to speak forth some words on His heart. Just as Amos, God has chosen me, to be set like a trumpet to His lips, to proclaim a message to His people in this hour. The sound of this trumpet blast will be discernable to all those that have ears to hear it. One thing that is evident throughout this “trumpet blast” is God’s method of using the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. In other words, it is the pleasure of God to use the MOST UNLIKELY CANDIDATES to accomplish His will, and the message found in these “unlikely candidates” is in direct opposition to those that are wise in their own eyes. This indeed was Amos’ situation, and I find myself in this situation as I write this message.
Temple Builders is simply a teaching about Christians running a race of growing into maturity. Being born again is THE ENTRANCE into this race. Becoming a father to others is the FINISHING of the race. This is at the core of God’s communication to His church. Therefore, these writings are a collection of messages that are given to the church of our Lord as a gift. It is a gift that gives hope to run and finish the race set before us. In our race, obstacles and pitfalls have halted us. Some of these obstacles and pitfalls were erected by the struggles of obedience. Other obstacles hindered us when we accepted man’s teaching, although based on scriptures, it had the result of enslaving us to law and death. Sometimes the offending doctrine has the strategy of incrementally LURING US AWAY FROM THE RACE. In reality, all of these are teachings that take us away from the feet of the Master.
This book is much more than a means of acquiring knowledge; it is a journey. Experiencing God, and His way of life, becomes a long and perilous journey, starting with great ambition, and it soon becomes confronted with a multitude of choices that result in discouragement. To bring encouragement, the Temple Builders message will cause us to travel to many areas of our life that can hinder OUR FURTHER TRAVELING – OUR FURTHER RUNNING. We will travel to the crossroad of choices that caused in us discouragement and despair - to find answers.
Our final destination in this life is a mature and fruitful life that pleases Jesus, our Friend. Within every true believer, this is the desire that was birthed inside. This desire of pleasing Jesus has been hindered by many obstacles that produced immature thinking. This book is a journey that puts our hearts on the altar and examines the “immaturities” that hinder us from pleasing Jesus. Jesus is pleased when we think like Him; this is a sharing of His thoughts and desires. Jesus is pleased when we do like He does; this fulfills the desire of the Father for children who have learned obedience.
As we examine and imitate Christ, there is a dying. Therefore, this journey must also be a journey of death in order to produce His life. However, as we teach to crucify our flesh we must end in mercy and resurrection. Maturity in teaching will bind up the wounds of our brethren, and yet bring new wounds to the part of man that alienates himself from God. God’s way is both fire and ice, both wilderness and promise land. This is why many of us feel it is a roller coaster ride of anticipatory ups and frightening downs. One moment we are on top of the world, and the next moment we find ourselves crashing to new lows. Our total yielding to God brings us higher than we can imagine, but we find those resistant ways in us have brought us lower than one would dare to go.
As we grow, we find that our yielding to God also causes valleys that are quite low. Yet, because we know the fellowship of His sufferings and His abiding resurrection power, we are spiritually as high as the view of any eagle. Truly, it is the way of Christ to be conformed to His death, even to the lows of life, so we may find true life in Him. Therefore, it is right to say that there are two roller coasters we must experience, one that our physical life brings, and one that our spiritual life brings. To experience a relationship with Jesus, it is worth forfeiting life’s highs for life’s lows, in order that we experience the spiritual high of seeing from the heights of where He is, and living that manner of life. As we journey, we must commit to be dead to life’s roller coaster whether it is up or down, and simply go up to where God is, in the highest calling He has for our life.
The high calling that God has reserved for us is not a paved road, it is a treacherous road designed for the committed. It will take all the commitment in you to decide to follow Jesus in EVERY AREA. To think like He thinks when no one around you thinks like Jesus will take great courage. To lay down your life for your brethren that mistreat you will exact a great price from the stores of your bosom. To respond like Jesus in every crisis and every attack requires devotion that is completely genuine in every aspect of your manner of living. You will face the present day Caesars on one side and the present day High Priest on the other side. One you expect to kill you - he will use Herod and Pilate to carry it out. The other can catch you off guard: he will use your “kissing” Judas, ones you previously set free, and the crowds of fellow journeyers.
We are in dire need of messages with His trumpet sound, which carries with each spoken word a great measure of grace to get us through death and into resurrection. My prayer is that Temple Builders can accomplish this for you in some areas of your life. This is a grace that causes us to respond perfectly when put to death by Caesar OR BY false brethren. Even though our brethren may not be thoroughly false, their temporary falseness will be used to put you to death.
Gal 5:7
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? NASU
As we travel onward, we are brought to the very crossroads of our beliefs. We must examine why we believe what we believe. If a convincing Bible teacher has misled us, we must have the courage that Peter displayed when he saw the vision of the sheet. Peter was mightily used of God and yet he held a doctrine that was hindering the plan of God. Peter was taught his entire life of the importance of the law, and the importance of such things such as refraining from eating an unclean animal. It was Peter’s doctrine and yet justified through the present day interpretation of that scripture. To change Peter’s view of the scripture, God shows an unclean animal and speaks to Peter “kill and eat.” God will do the same to us.
Peter struggled with the unveiled doctrine that Gentiles were no longer “unclean,” and that Gentiles that became saved did not have to perform the law requirement of circumcision. Peter did much damage, this was evident when he was standing aloof from the uncircumcised, standing along side of the circumcision party. Simply joining yourself with a sect of heretical belief is a problem to God. Paul called this act of Peter’s – HYPOCRISY. It resulted in bringing other ministers and believers into that same hypocrisy. What seems to some as a simple miscalculation on Peter’s part brought unfortunate consequences – in doctrine. Paul gave three things that the doctrine of circumcision (law) produced. Galatians 5:3, 4
1. You are obligated to keep the whole law.
2. You have been severed from Christ
3. You have fallen from grace
In every one of us is the “Peter” that is stubborn to hear what God is saying concerning His plan. The result is a “law” oriented gospel that severs others from Christ. “Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” This is what Paul asked the Galatians. Peter was part of the problem; Peter was part of the “hindrance.” Instead of admonishing the “law” type of leaders, he stood along side of them. We learn from the things Peter did that were an example of Jesus, but we also must learn from his failures as well. If Peter can learn, we who are just as stubborn – must learn as well.
In one breath, we can preach a walk that is full of grace, and the next moment we can preach a lifestyle of law and works. Our ambition to walk a disciplined Christian lifestyle can easily end up as a Galatian walk of circumcision. The answer is to learn God’s high calling for our life and press forward in the grace that produces a race that we can finish. Law is the counterfeit for the hope of your calling. It sets high standards on our life that cannot be achieved, and it encumbers your race with weights that choke the life out of you.
We must have the courage to see, hear, and do what is on Jesus’ heart no matter what we have believed all of our life. It is a struggle even for the “most used” of God, and yet God calls all of us to come to these crossroads, lest we remain immature in Him.
Our journey continues to deal with sufferings, revival, and all types of false doctrines. We must deal with church issues such as the popularity of those that call themselves heresy hunters. What is their purpose? Is it the way of God to expose other Christians? We must also deal soberly with the issue that seems to offend the heresy hunters – current revivals and their manifestations. Are current revival manifestations vital to the plan of God? How do I protect myself from being misled? In addressing these types of issues, “we open up a can of worms,” as the expression goes. These serious issues cause the church to stumble and remain immature. Many Christian bystanders have observed these issues and are confused about who is right. Other Christian bystanders have heard from God on these matters and simply have not dealt with these issues in a manner that will purge out the leaven.
By not confronting these issues with truth, we have allowed the leaven to spread throughout the body. However, improperly dealing with these issues can cause more damage than the issue itself. THEREFORE, WE MUST POSSESS THE FEAR OF GOD IN GREAT MEASURE WHEN CONFRONTING ISSUES THAT ARE GREAT IN CONTROVERSY. Temple Builders has been given grace to take the risks, to deal with these issues soberly, and yet producing fruit that remains. The risk of stepping out as “God’s Amos” is seen in the suffering that Amos endured – accusation and mischaracterization. We that do so will be accused as being unqualified; with expressions such as “who do you think you are.” Most prophets in scripture learned to be dead to these attacks, and so must we.
In this journey of ours, we also come to a place where we must understand the purpose of affliction. God will reveal the book of Job and the life of Job, as you have never seen it before, so that we may understand affliction as never before seen. Proceeding forward, we examine the book of Nehemiah to show us a man who displayed the response to attacks that pleases God. Further still, our journey deals with the many places we can be imbalanced in doctrine, and in activities, and we set that path straight. These books of the Bible, such as Job and Nehemiah, have applicable meaning to where we are hurting and stumbling.
God reveals how all these pieces of the puzzle will fit with the culmination of His plans for the Church. The “Temple Builder journey” ends with “Seven Thunders”; our last two chapters that unfold a mystery found in the book of Revelation, written over 1900 years ago. These last chapters reveal what the seven thunders are, using much scripture, and in a way that could never have come through a teacher trying to academically figure it out. The Apostle John received it through inspiration from the Spirit and it must be revealed, totally, the same way. It is a truth being unsealed in this last day. It is an unsealing that brings scripture alive as never before.
This book is not meant as an exhaustive teaching. Instead, it has a particular anointing of portraying truth in a manner that will give hope to reach our finishing line. When I was born again and water baptized on October 21, 1979, I saved the church bulletin for that day. In the bulletin it said, “If a hypocrite is between you and God, he is actually closer to God than you are.” I kept that saying as a trademark of my life to prevent the misbehavior of other Christians, separate me from Jesus. I have had valleys where I allowed this separation to occur, in spite of my convictions. Disillusioned with the current church and ministry wineskin, I disassociated myself from Jesus’ body. After restoration, I saw that the problem was never the church, the ministry, or the hypocrite. The problem always resided in my own heart. It is my heart that had to be dealt with. It is your heart that always must be dealt with – IN ANY ISSUE. No matter how many attacks from other believers we have endured, no matter how many poor witnesses have existed, we must never allow that to hinder our relationship with Jesus and the race that He has called us to finish.
This book gives me hope in finishing, in being accepted in His love, and in being fitted into His body. I believe that its’ contents will strengthen your hope as well. Instead of becoming bitter about church immaturity, God gave grace to become better. God’s grace causes us to be an instrument to bring light to His ways instead of remaining disillusioned by ministry immaturity. Our enemy is never our brother; our primary enemy is always what we have allowed to enter into our heart. Truth will set us free from this enemy if we allow our hearts to be circumcised.
Finally, I believe that this book is a FORERUNNER. These truths are fresh insight to scriptures that have been vague or misunderstood. It is not new revelation in the sense that God is speaking something He has not yet spoken. It is more simply an uncovering or unveiling of scriptures that has been hidden to the mainstream church in this generation. This unveiling has been occurring all through the 20th century through many of God’s servants who have been forerunners of truth. God will raise up many more servants that will handle God’s present truth and unveil it to the 21st century believers as well. The challenge exists throughout this message to abandon old wineskins completely and receive God’s new wineskin, full of the fruit of the vine. We must change our thinking, and likewise change our course to match this new thinking. It is not enough to learn these things; we are destined to walk in all these things if we choose Jesus’ way instead of man’s way. The Apostle Paul said “I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE.” We must come to a place where we follow this example that Paul set. This book gives God’s view of the race and the ability to run that race.
The Restoration of right thinking
I remember in the early 1980’s listening to Joy Dawson, a powerful minister of what I call hard truth. One Sunday morning she preached a message called “It is how you finish that counts.” She taught on the life of Solomon. As she taught, we witnessed Solomon, a man used of God in great measure, but there was a problem - he did not finish that way. Joy Dawson taught, in the last day, Jesus looks at how we finished instead of the journey. If we grow cold, get caught in a trap, maybe backslide, or give up – we lose the high calling that is our destiny, and its rewards. Solomon was a temple builder that did not make it to the finishing line. I do not want to be another Solomon; as well, I know you do not.
To finish, it is not enough to pray hard and read scriptures a lot. To finish, it is not enough to attend the right church, to read the right books, or to have the right friends. Your “finishing,” is a journey in God that requires wisdom intermingled with love, and ends with a life of deeds that have imparted truth and fruit to those who God placed in your path. To that end, we preach this message called “Temple Builders.” It is a hard message that few can bear, including me, yet we are all required of God to receive that which we know God is saying to us. The Temple Builders message must get us to a place of truth, and it must get us to a place of fruit – by first bringing us to a place of death. The division we witness in the church, of saints believing millions of different doctrines - must end, for us to finish maturely. Right thinking must become a reality in God’s last day people. Right living must be the outcome of this right thinking.
The days of reading scriptures and making these scriptures say whatever makes us feel good - must end. I use scripture, you use scripture, and every scholar and preacher will use scripture, yet we have no agreement from that same source of information. Maybe, it is because God never meant scripture to be a source of information. Maybe, the purpose of scripture is reserved solely to the Lord, Who reveals. Most Christians have the thought that they are like attorneys, defending their case, from printed words. In reality, we are all at the mercy of God in understanding the meaning of scriptures. Scriptures define our roadmap for the journey; scriptures MUST BE INTERPRETED CORRECTLY. Scriptures, when interpreted correctly from the Spirit - produce life. This life is what propels us to the finishing line. Without a relationship with Jesus, and without a relationship with the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, we are sunk when it comes time to understand the scriptures. Only Jesus can tell us what He meant when He included a story, an exhortation, or a rule. We always fall into the trap of thinking in “law” type terms when we read the New Testament. Why is this? Because, the “law” type of thinking does not require a relationship with the promised Holy Spirit of Truth. We can simply figure out what the scriptures mean apart from God. As well, we can also Christianize our activities. We take a scripture like “forsake not the assembling…” and turn it into law. In reality, most of us do not fulfill this scripture, even as we sit in the pew, but law has a way of providing SELF-JUSTIFICATION so we feel pretty good about ourselves. If we were to peer into the heart of God to see what He meant when He had Paul write this scripture, we would have right thinking concerning this verse.
Before God shows you anything, it is His way to have you read and study; that provides the information that HE will assemble in your thoughts. However, that does not mean you have to interpret as you read; that usually comes later, when God speaks to you His thoughts on the matter. Instead, most Christians are content with the tradition of man’s interpretation of scripture instead of knowing God through scripture. Interpreting scripture apart from knowing God results in the spirit of law, and the spirit of sin and death.
All of us believe goofy doctrines because of those that taught us from law instead of Spirit. As if a racing baton handed down from generation to generation, we have received the sayings of those that read scriptures wrong. History records a period of time that was disconnected from the traditions of the original apostles, prophets, and believers, a time many refer to as the dark ages. We started all over, with few exceptions. What happened? We have been in a period of transition that is much like the time of Jesus. Before John the Baptist, there was a gap of hundreds of years since the last prophet was seen in Israel. It was part of the plan of God to have that gap, and it is part of the plan of God to have this gap. This time, Israel (a picture of the church), will witness another John the Baptist (God’s present-truth message used to prepare God’s people), and another Jesus (a remnant church). I do not expect the whole church to grasp this message of “finishing” until a remnant of believers see and demonstrate it first. Allow me to qualify the definition of the term “remnant church.” It is a people that are considered mature Christians. What is maturity? It will take this whole book to paint a picture, and define this popular Christian word.
Most Christians will progress a little, maybe, but will be nowhere close to God’s finishing line for their life. They have decided the meaning of their pet doctrines and their favorite scriptures, and they refuse change. In other words, they possess the law; they are in a period of law. Please, do not misunderstand; I am not saying they are categorically law oriented. This book is not about whether one is in or out of the kingdom, it about areas of our life that are amiss.
Are “law type” of Christians doomed to law? Many “remnant doctrine” believers – think so. I do not think so at all. I see a display of mercy that reaches to those that are bound by law – to deliver. I see a remnant people, a core group of believers - that possess the promised relationship of John chapter 14 to chapter 16. In that relationship, they have learned to hear a voice that few have learned to hear. It is a voice that teaches scriptures accurately. No more controversies, no more misunderstandings, and no more debate. We yield to One of greater understanding. It is this people that will preach in the wilderness, and it is this people that lay down their life for their brother. Self-preservation, self-motives, and self-promotion, cannot be named among them. BEFORE we become a great witness to the world, I think we will become a great witness to the church. This would follow the pattern of the Gospel in the Early Church, “to the Jew first, then to the Greek.” I think that this “Temple Builders” message is a “John the Baptist” in the wilderness. Only those willing to go into a wilderness will hear it. It is not preached in the mainstream, it is preached in a place unfamiliar to the pious. It is not preached by the credentialed, it is preached by the simple. The authoritarian spirit stays far from this message, a message where the first in this life have made themselves last. Unrefined and yet packaged for those that are truly hungry for the things of God – truths that are deep within His heart. There is no preaching circuit, no fellow-comrades with similar teaching, and no broad ministry acceptance – in this message. Those needing a stamp of approval by the “ordained,” normally stay out of the wilderness message. Those that want casual implementation of truth, or a low profile spreading of a last days’ message, instead, will find a frontal attack and a violent assault on their senses.
Truth does not come through knowing what scriptures say, it is not received from listening to anointed ministers, and it does not even come from books like this. God can use all these vehicles to drive you to truth, but Truth is a Person that is received as the Lord of our life. He rules our thoughts, our deeds, and our beliefs. We do not get to choose anymore – what we hold to be true. He decided it already, and we will spend our whole life getting to know Him in such a way - where we can listen. It takes every affliction, every battle, and every human relationship, to get us in a place of submission to His voice. It does not come from pew sitting and Bible class, not even cell groups, it comes through pain designed to get our attention. It comes though being humbled in circumstances that are designed to get us to STOP, and read scriptures different, to read scriptures by listening. This is what is missing in the time of law.
Prophets in scripture are called Seers. In reality, they are see-ers. They see what others miss. When I teach, I see these things clearly. It is an experience that I liken to the Holy Spirit taking His eyes and placing them within me. This of course is not mystical, it is the experience of every Christian; many Christians just do not recognize it. Some, because of doctrinal beliefs, just will not admit it. Paul called it the eyes of the Spirit in Ephesians and he prayed it for every believer. The utmost I could ever hope to aspire to, in this life, is that you could read this message seeing with only His eyes. I pray that your eyes are open where they need to be, and they are closed where they need to be. I pray that you can look beyond that which causes me to be a stumbling block, and look to Him Who is the Author and Finisher of your faith.
This particular journey, which I have asked you to take with me, is a place of ascension. The voice of God’s Own Spirit is beckoning you to “come up higher.” It has been called “the mountain of the Lord.” In type and shadow, it is Mount Sinai, with the glory of God on top. There are varieties of craggy, rocky places along this climb that we will make, but His Word promises that He “…makes my feet like hinds feet.” It is His way to equip you for the climb. He would not make your feet to be like the feet of an animal that gracefully navigates the rocky precipices if there were not a need for you to do so. There is a higher calling that He is compelling His saints to answer. On Mount Sinai, there is only one real big obstacle that we must face. It is God Himself. If we truly navigate the slopes of Sinai, we are greeted at the top with a confrontation of Who God is, and how we are lowly in His presence. The Israelites saw a glimpse of Who God is, and it scared them. We do the same thing that the Israelites did. Most of us would rather stay in the valley and allow others to go up to the top. For most of us, it is enough just to hear the report from those that went. Ultimately, staying in the valley causes all of us to worship golden calves in our life. That calf is represented in our life by what consumes our thoughts and activities – apart from God.
We will cover a variety of different subjects that will provide the Christian church in the last days the enabling to cope with different areas of the Christian walk. These are areas that the adversary the devil seeks to devour. We must examine the devil’s strategies; and at the same time, we must hear from heaven, specifically hearing the strategies that come from God. The strategies that come from God make no “natural sense,” but if we will hear and obey, we will see the deliverance of our God. However, in all of these teachings, you are ultimately being confronted with God, whose awesomeness will scare you as He shows you what He really looks like. At that point, you choose your direction. Do you allow this awesome view to compel you to the top, to the high calling of God? Alternatively, do you allow the revelation of Who God is - cause withdrawal to that which is familiar?
Who is this book written for? It is written for any Christian who has a heart that is sick of the carnal nature that they have yet to overcome. It is written for those who pray to the Lord – THERE MUST BE MORE. It is written to those who have found in themselves an inability to grow up in Christ. Finally, it is written for those who have searched to find other Christians living the Gospel, and found disappointment instead.
This is a message to minister to these people of God that have come to a dry place, a desert place, where God has allowed a void to exist in our heart that can only be filled by knowing Him more. This is a place in our walk where we have come to the end of our own abilities and ideas, and have opened our heart to hear from heaven. This is a voice, which at many times cannot be heard in the thunders of the many voices spoken in today’s Christian media. It is a voice where we must be attentive and active to hear, without precluding as to what form it may appear in, a voice that does not originate from earthly things. The opinions of the world originate from the god of this world, but God’s voice does not spring from the emptiness of opinions. God’s voice will fill us, and we will be full of His Living Bread, even as we walk THROUGH the desert that we are destined.
All that matters with respect to Christian messages is whether fruit will be produced and remain. If a message is a true representation of Jesus, we can be assured that it will not return void. This is the word that is actively proceeding from His mouth – NOW.
I firmly believe that this book will impart life to you if God is causing you to read it. I ask; if it ministers to you, learn to press on through the chapters of this book to the end. I start out the book with simpler truth, and yet still revelatory. As you read each chapter, one chapter will build upon the next chapter. The meatier items I have reserved towards the end of the book, but it takes a “line upon line” type of teaching to cause understanding of the things that I share towards the end.
Some readers are edified and then they put down the book and do not finish. This whole book is about finishing your course, and the entire book is an edification to help you. When you get a virus, or infection, the doctor will give you an antibiotic to cure you. The one thing the doctor always tells you, “even if you feel healed – TAKE THE WHOLE BOTTLE.” When we receive ministry from a book like this, many times, we stop reading, the result is a continual battle with immaturity. Please read the whole book to benefit to the utmost.
Remember, in this message, the subject is about an immature church that God is causing to grow up. The Gardener, Jesus, is looking upon the whole Earth in search of ripened fruit. To the end, this book, keeps a focus on ministering a word to you that causes you to be pleasing, with the fruit that Jesus is looking for in your life.
The teachings contained in the “Temple Builders” message are about considering your ways FIRST. This is NOT a message about considering the ways of your brethren in Christ UNTIL your heart is dealt with. It is only then that you can consider the ways of others with the compassion of Jesus that can “RESCUE OTHERS FROM THE PIT.” Scripture teaches us to “judge ourselves,” and this message provides the Wisdom of Jesus to fulfill this scripture.
The purpose of this book was not to be casually read. It cannot be comprehended through a superficial reading, but as “deep calleth unto deep,” so God’s Spirit is calling out to a place within the depth of your soul. As we read from beginning to ending, we are building steps up to the top of the mountain. If we do not have our foundation built beneath us, the higher elevations are going to be harder for us to traverse. My ultimate desire is that you will be humbled before your God, having your heart dealt with by Him, and having an ear listening to His voice - even as you read. I believe that God’s design is toward meditation of what is being conveyed here, while looking to Jesus, the “Author and Finisher of your faith” - even as you read. I am totally convinced that if your desire is to know Jesus unreservedly, the Spirit of Truth will show Him to you. Jesus will set you free: He will heal the broken places of your heart and show you His way that you may walk in it - even as you read.
On the day that we became born-again, we entered into covenant with Jesus. This covenant is the New Covenant. This covenant revealed through the New Testament, and the Old Testament, shows us what pleases Him, and what He does when He is pleased. His love for us is always unconditional. He died for us while we were ungodly. No salvation can be earned, whether of the spirit man or the soul. Covenant is, however, an agreement between two parties; both have their part. Our part is faith that leads to obedience. Jesus RESPONDS to such obedience with His part of the covenant. The day you became born-again you exercised faith in the Gospel that led to obedience. That obedience caused you to forsake the world system and to follow Jesus. That same faith that you first exercised is the faith that will lead to obedience in all things that Jesus reveals to you as “covenant.” The covenant we are revealing in this book is – “every Christian should become God’s temple builder.”
Hag 1:4-7,9
"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled (WOOD) houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?"
Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!
"You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."
Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Consider your ways! "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. (NKJ)
Compared to the temple of the early church, today’s temple is in ruins. Compared to where God destines this temple to be, today’s temple is in ruins. Today’s temple, His church, is in need of workers that will forsake their house to build God’s house. You may say, “I think the church is fine - better than ever.” As we “consider our ways,” we will see that this is not the case.
God may have gotten your attention with this passage concerning how we earn wages to put them into a “BAG WITH HOLES.” Do you feel that you have sown much and reaped little? Do you minister and feel impotent in that ministry? Does your life seem to consist of activities that get you almost nowhere – both in the natural and the spiritual? God’s desire is to reverse this curse, His desire is to reveal to you “your ways,” and exchange them for “His Way.” God will use this “lack of reaping” to get your attention. Do not ignore it! Do not "fail to seek" the answer to why you have a “bag with holes.”
God’s house “sits in ruin” and the church has left the work of building this temple to the professional minister, while we have paneled our own house. We have made the “natural house” our abode. We have used finances (natural resources) for our own self-indulgence. We have used our calling and gifts (spiritual resources) for the sake of pride. God is reversing the curse by calling you today to help build this temple. He shall equip you even as He RESTORES your own temple that the enemy has vandalized and left in ruins through hurt and misunderstanding.
Eph 4:11-13
And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (NKJ)
The ministry is a gift to the church that has the purpose of first – to equip us for ministry work (temple building). Second, the ministry will edify and restore in our life what the enemy has torn down.
When will this process stop?
When God looks down from heaven and says, “They have become unified in faith.” When God says, “They have come into the CORRECT knowledge of the Son of God.” When God says, “they have become a perfect, mature man just like my Son, Jesus.” Only then, will the process stop. These three things are the result of a COMPLETED TEMPLE! This we can be sure of; the building process will not stop until God can say these three things. Therefore, the responsibility of ministry is to get ALL of us to this three-fold purpose that God sets forth in this scripture, in Ephesians. This is the three-fold goal, or result, that God calls our finishing line.
What does this “three-fold finishing line” really look like? Moreover, what does “being spiritual” really look like? Let us look line upon line, chapter upon chapter, to define what these terms describing Christian maturity mean when scripture talks about them. Let us remember that God is looking for a temple of unity, a temple of CORRECT knowledge, and a temple of the same height as His Son, Jesus. God measures this height according to the words that He speaks to you in scripture. Many in today’s ministry possess different definitions of “maturity” and “being spiritual.” Incorrect thinking along these lines will cause you to place hope in a finishing line that is far from the race that you are truly destined. When you are confronted with a truth that Jesus is speaking about concerning “His defining,” it becomes a crossroads to you. If the voice of the Spirit is speaking, and the message of His voice is a different definition than you presently hold, you are brought to a decision. Will you ignore the voice? Will you reason out the voice through logical thinking? Will you hold to the thoughts of those around you? Will you forfeit your traditions? As you see, the things of God are not as cut and dry as we once thought. It all boils down to a passionate relationship with Jesus to the point where nothing matters except to know His thoughts on any matter, and then to walk in those thoughts.
Considering our ways is the first answer on our journey towards truth. At the starting line of God’s journey, we are given the opportunity, through the message of God, to examine our hearts and arrive at the conclusion that we have erred by living in a self-serving house. We had not abandoned our ways like we thought we had. At this point, our journey begins; at this point, we can become equipped to build the house of God. Even when we have served the Lord for years, we still find areas of our life where we have just come to the starting point. Ignoring the “bag with holes” and not “considering our ways” will leave many areas of our life with the inability to build the house of God. Instead, we leave in “ruins” - the lives of others. Instead, we may even be used of the enemy to cause further ruining in the lives of others, literally becoming a temple destroyer instead of a temple builder, whether we realize it or not.
Ezek 43:10
Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.
All of us are called to make disciples; we are called to instruct others in God’s ways. We are called to SHOW THEM THE HOUSE. What “iniquity” was the “house of Israel” ashamed of in the above scripture? The iniquity of building their house instead of God’s house. The iniquity of the house of Israel was revealed to them as the “Son of Man” showed them the house that God is building. Likewise, when you show others the house that God is building it will reveal their iniquity. As you show the “temple” to the “temple,” it is up to them to “measure the pattern.” Indeed, it is up to them to examine the pattern. As you teach the temple that God is building, it will be up to them to see the rule, the "detailed plan,” and the pattern by which they should have walked. Let them become "measured" by this standard, and walk accordingly. We cannot cause them to see if they have their eyes closed; we cannot make them walk if they refuse to move. We must show them “HOW” they can walk and we must show them the “house,” the “blueprint” that God is building. Every one of us is CALLED to be temple builders and every one of us is CALLED to have God’s temple BUILT IN US. God always uses His “blueprint” or “pattern” to build His temple.
The blueprint of this temple is very detailed but God gives grace sufficient to follow each detail. The blueprint is simply stated “TRUTH!” Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Knowing Jesus as our Way causes us to abandon our own ways. When we abandon our own way, it will join us together with others who have done the same, putting us on the same path. Knowing Jesus as our Truth will give us the correct knowledge of the Son; this is God’s divine pattern to build the temple. Knowing Jesus as our Life will cause the fruit in our life to mature, causing us to grow to the proper height, and that is how we must ultimately show others the pattern - by our life’s example. This is quite important. If we have not seen Jesus’ way demonstrated in our life, the reason for inferior building lies with us. WE HAVE YET TO ABANDON OUR WAYS AND ACCEPT HIM AS TRUTH! We cannot blame it on the pastor or other ministers we have received. We are the ones that are accountable. Jesus will lead the sheep that have a true hunger for Truth to His servants, His called shepherds, that feed green pastures of life. If you do not gain the hunger for “strong meat,” the table Jesus sets before you will contain multiple containers of milk. We may think our milk is meat, but if our appetite lacks the true hunger for strong meat, we deceive ourselves. The proof of this distorted pattern is seen in gatherings that are full of people content with milk, holding doctrines that have changed very little from year to year, content with yesterday’s manna.
A diet of milk will limit our effectiveness in temple building. Milk diets produce truth that is obscure and veiled with reproductive capabilities that impart to others only the most foundational truths. If we have not been building in the lives of others the Truth that sets men free, we have not truly seen Him in great measure as Truth. When we are attacked by others and we respond by being defensive, we truly have lacked the Life that overcomes evil with good. We will never walk in God’s Life with much degree unless we go through Truth. We will never demonstrate God’s character without knowing the Blueprint that God is revealing.
Though this pattern, this blueprint, is precisely detailed, the Father has always made Truth SIMPLE. Man is the one who took scripture and made it complicated by “thinking more highly of himself then he ought.” Jesus, the ultimate pattern, should always be presented as simple, yet detailed. God made Truth simple so as to exclude no one. Man will complicate Truth so as to exclude you from fulfilling the purposes of God. We will examine some of the teachings in the present day Church that exclude instead of include. No doubt, we have been put in certain bondage because of these excluding doctrines. God will certainly set you free the moment you see that the nature of these excluding teachings that bring you into bondage are not the nature that is Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit will then reveal the Truth that always includes those who follow Jesus. These scholarly men have a gift, but many have used this gift apart from the Holy Spirit as their teacher. God has likewise given me a great gift of researching things out, and though it is a God given gift, I have counted it as worthless in order that I might know Jesus instead (Philippians 3:9). It is at this point that the gift becomes a useable tool to God. In my life, it took the chastisements of the Holy Spirit in circumstances to occur first, so that when this precious gift is used it would be a tool in the Master’s hand instead of my hand.
Called To A More Excellent Way
1 Corinthians 13:1
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
The Apostle Paul spoke of a “more excellent way.” In our walk in the Spirit, there is a “more excellent way.” Do not be content to stay at the place in Christ that you are at NOW. The “more excellent way” that Paul speaks of is a more mature way.
When I was saved in 1979, I preached to others in the zeal of God, even as one that had experienced life from death. God honored my endeavors even though I was newly born in the Spirit. I, therefore, saw these labors producing results. In spite of this, God speaks loudly – deliverance from Egypt (the world) brings zeal and excitement, BUT a desert life (of affliction) lies before you. What am I saying? Many times when we come out of the kingdom of darkness (the world, Egypt), we are like Moses and the Israelites. They experienced great rejoicing in song on the other side of the Red Sea. Many of us experienced great rejoicing because of our deliverance; however, Moses and the Israelites came to a desert place afterwards. Likewise, for us there is trial and tribulation that comes afterwards. We can choose another way but it will not be God’s “more excellent way.” We cannot remain in our infant stages and expect God “to always bless” our endeavors. God will wean you, even as a mother weans her baby off her continuous supply of milk. God, in the same manner will cause you to SEEK OUT His more excellent food, THE MEAT.
The ministry God equips me for has a focus primarily on the “more excellent way.” For instance, if you were one that has no daily time in the scriptures, one could minister concerning the need for you to spend a small portion of your day in God’s word. Certainly, this would be of the Lord and would be edifying to those that spend no time in God’s Word. However, our purpose here is to examine the “more excellent way” of God. Instead, we would focus on the heart of the psalmist who meditated day and night on God’s word. Therefore, the calling of this book is to bring you to God’s desired END wherever you may be in your walk. Some focus on your next step, and certainly this would be of the Lord. Some focus on an elementary aspect of walking, this is also of the Lord. However, the anointing here is to provide a view of “the endings” God has called us. The focus here will be to provide the Wisdom of the Lord to SEE the traps that the enemy has laid ahead in affliction and in false teachings. All of us will inevitably encounter these things in our ascension, or our run to the finish line, but our hope is that you will attain the high calling of God and arrive at your destination. Let us look to the answers given to us in God’s Word that will bring us great hope of finishing our quest.
Understanding “the more excellent way” principle is important in our journey. Have you ever gotten impatient concerning your spiritual growth? This impatience can produce frustration and will continue until you understand this important principle. The reason some of us get discouraged in our maturity is we see ahead. In other words, discouragement comes when we know how things should be in our life, and in others; and because of our lack of maturity; we have not seen the fulfillment of that desired end. Discouragement also comes when we know of the callings set before us, and yet the fulfillment is forever away by our estimation. Clarice Fluitt, a minister and friend, has a saying: “immature is not impure.” We see our immaturity and then we beat ourselves up over it. As you read books like this one, you will see a more mature way that God wants you to walk. The danger here is that you see it but you do not walk in it yet, and therefore you get frustrated. When my son was eight years old, he wanted to be an adult. He yearned to be an adult and to experience the things of adulthood. What he did not realize, but as adults we do realize, is that “adulthood is not what it is cracked up to be.”
We want to grow up and experience adulthood and yet we are a mere eight years old in areas of our life. We think, “If we were just an adult then all will be well.” Adulthood is a time of great freedom to do what we want. It is a time where we have the privilege to do things we could not do before. Nevertheless, it is also a time where we become accountable on a much larger scale; and it is also a time of responsibility. You are destined to be a mature adult Christian but it is your choice. It is the way that leads to life but not all choose to ascend to this higher calling. From a child’s perspective, adulthood has many advantages, but a mature adult sees the responsibilities along side the advantages. A child should never undertake the accountability of adulthood because they have not sufficiently experienced the dealings of life.
As “child Christians,” we want the “adult Christian” experience, yet we have not sufficiently experienced the dealings of the Holy Spirit. My advice to my son was to enjoy the maturity level that he is walking in and yet be continuing a habitual walk towards adulthood. It is needful to view what adulthood looks like, but not just the advantages and rewards. It is needful to view the sufferings and trials through the dealings of the Holy Spirit that must be PASSED in order to get there. It is needful to know that when you get there the accountability is much greater. Scriptures says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” When you become a Christian that principle is amplified. As you grow in the Lord, God will deal with your tongue, and He will cause you to release control of it, for His good purposes. He becomes the governor of your tongue much more as you grow. Now, as you arrive at adulthood you see God and the hosts of heaven performing what God’s adult offspring have said, as the scripture says, “The power of the tongue results in good or evil.” Because of the higher accountability level the consequences of unruliness and disobedience in the “mature ones’ tongue” is greater. This is the principle that we see in the world system, and yet it is more important in the nature of spiritual life. The best example in scripture is seen in the two witnesses of Revelation. They must utter forth judgments against their enemies as often as they will. Therefore, God must really trust them in the area of their tongue. This level of trust and accountability comes through discipline and journeys into God’s wilderness. Growth comes as we respond to this fire as one revealing Christ, the mature One, instead of the “pitching a fit” conduct seen in babies.
In the world, there are physical 30-year-olds that act like babies. In the spirit there are 30-year-old Christians acting as if they just became born again. This is not the pattern God has designed. It is a deviated design of nature. As responsible parents, we teach our children to prepare them for adulthood. The key word here is “prepare.” We teach our kids the principles of life, knowledge, and training for that ultimate day when they become independent. The main purpose of doctrine in the church is to train us in God’s ways in preparation for adulthood. Parents that do not raise their kids properly turn out irresponsible adults, and though the children age physically they never become mature inside. For instance, if they were not trained in work ethics while growing up, they most likely will have no work ethics when they become employed. Most employers can testify to the decline of work ethics in different societies that has been attributed to “how kids are being raised.” These natural observations are important in spiritual observations.
God’s desire for you is that you be brought into adulthood, learning all that is needed to come into full maturity and reflect Jesus in every area of your life. As you learn and see, then you must just “walk towards” this mountain place, this finishing line. As God reveals to us the power of the tongue it can be real shocking to see ourselves speaking so much carnality. When we fail concerning the tongue, remember, “Immature is not impure.” However, when the Holy Spirit convicts we must repent and change our course immediately. Do not get frustrated and try to grow up too fast. Accept the dealings and lessons of the Holy Spirit that are set before you today. Submit and yield to those dealings and you will simply grow up. The desire to grow does not cause the growth. It simply sets you on a course toward the direction of growth. It is the accepting of rain and light that usher growth – both are needed. It is a growth that causes God’s three-fold breaking. The shell of the seed must break, the ground must break, and a bud must break forth to issue fruit, which is the life that others eat. You are destined to fruit bearing, but you must be content with the breaking of the soil, if that is where you are in your journey.
Our maturity is categorically at a certain stage of growth but God deals with only one area at a time. He shows us a place, or maybe two places, that He is dealing with you for growth NOW. God will always deal with us “in the now,” and “right now” God has His finger on an area of our life, to break, and then to grow. God is showing us what “bearing fruit” looks like and what is required to get there. As the Spirit gives you vision for these truths, your part is to hide these things in your heart and apply NOW only that which concerns where you are in your part of this journey.
The Spirit of God taught me years ago the importance of speaking words that only impart life. God taught me that the words I would speak would, one day, be comparable to the words Jesus spoke. Whereas Jesus spoke only on His Father’s authority, likewise, I would speak one day only on Jesus’ authority. The frustration of knowing that this is God’s desired end for me is hard when years have gone by and I am still far from that finishing line. I have learned that though this is a place in my walk that He desires, I must be content with where I am today in this race, and let God figure out the specifics of how I will get to that finishing line.
We know in America that we have arrived at adulthood when we reach the age of 18 years old. In the spiritual walk, we see dimly in the reference of time. We always want God to do a quick work. We expect that we will arrive shortly, but in actuality, a quick work comes only through much revelation of God’s way intermingled with extreme affliction, to teach us the discipline of the Holy Spirit. If we respond to affliction, immediately responding with Jesus’ nature, we are catapulted quicker to the finishing line. If we respond by pitching a fit, kicking, screaming, and moaning as our immediate response, we grow slower. If we refuse the dealing of the Holy Spirit concerning the affliction, we do not grow at all. If you continually reject the dealings of the Holy Spirit, you simply die spiritually, going back to the starting line. We must press forward as an Olympic runner, seeing the goal. If God were to grant our request for a quick work, it would be unbearable. We would suffer a multitude of growing pains – ALL AT ONCE! Sometimes we get a taste of this in our lives when afflicting events hit our life like a string of dominos. Many times, it is a growth spurt, an opportunity to advance in the kingdom of God, if we respond to it correctly and learn its lessons.
In conclusion, God has a more excellent way, a higher calling, to make you FULL GROWN. We must discover this truth first and separate it from the foundational truth of God. After seeing what this full-grown adulthood looks like, we must follow the course of that which is set before us. As we run the course, we must run with aim towards that finishing line. As we climb, we must climb with our eye targeted on the top of the mountain where God is. We must train hard to finish; we must traverse the rocky, steep terrain; we must endure a flesh crying out for us to stop this insanity. We must not faint when we come across obstacle after obstacle, attack after attack, from friend and foe. We must receive from God the ability, the grace to run the course before us today and trust Him to get us further along in the course tomorrow. It is not about how healthy our body is; it is not about how great our training is it is simply about having a relationship with our Trainer and trusting in His instruction and His strength FOR EACH DAY to get us down the road. Yesterday’s course is a testimony of that instruction, that training, and “that trusting” in His ability. Let your previous running be a testimony of how real our God is and how much He loves His children; so much that He has mercy on them and gives grace to accomplish all of His desires in the Earth. When grace, instruction, and endurance is received, it results in a maturity that is closer to the top, closer to the finishing line, WHERE WE SEE GOD more clearly than we did the day before.
1 Cor 12:28
And God HAS MADE some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers
James 3:10-13
10. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12. My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. 13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (NIV)
There are different ministry gifts given to us for our edification. God has made these gifts and these gifts are good. It is obvious that we who possess these gifts have allowed mixture in our life. God knew this would happen and there is great reason why we have witnessed this mixture all through church history. IT IS AN OBSTACLE TO PROVE WHO ARE TRULY HIS. The obstacle is men that have exercised a perfect gift yet their lives do not bear witness to the Truth in the same measure. Some may preach mature truth that is more comparable to their lives. Other ministers may preach mature truth, and yet remain no older in the Lord than the day they were born-again. Sometimes I have witnessed the more gifted ones are spiritually the more immature ones. We must all deal with this obstacle, and it is a constant obstacle that will make or break us. On one side, we will try to remedy the obstacle through avoidance, with the result of being further from our destination of the high calling. On the other side, we will go through the obstacle through acceptance, or accepting the bitter water along with the sweet water. Though the immature will view you as forbearing and tolerant, God simply says in the book of James “these things ought not so to be.” Accepting the “obstacle,” receiving perfect gifts with the imperfections of man, will cause your life to become a mixture. Either way, avoidance or acceptance, you will not have your temple finished, nor can you do much building in the temple of others no matter how much you learn of truth.
Our first test starts when we encounter these ministry gifts, we must not refuse them, for God made them and sends them, even though they may not fit our ideas or preferences. Even though the server’s life contains mixture, we must not categorically reject them. There are ministry teachings and gatherings that we outgrow; I am not talking about these. I personally believe most Christians that progress in the more mature things of God in this day start outgrowing any gathering that clings to tradition apart from God. It is the will of God to become the light that changes that gathering, or you must move on quickly, lest you become bitter through frustration. Just make sure you are passing these tests that we are speaking about before you leave. Also, do not take these lessons and make them law by subjecting yourself to teachings that are more unscriptural than scriptural. I have been in gatherings where the high percentage of teaching is not scriptural. In these settings, you must not stay long lest your heart become damaged. Unfortunately, I cannot help you with their responses, but as you read, I can help you with your responses. It is your heart that God is after in this message. I believe that the Lord will also place you in churches that you have outgrown - long ago. This is a real test of attitudes but can result in a gift of mercy that is exceptional.
Ministers are just mere men and mere servants - nothing more. Many are waiting for God’s perfect ministers to arise but God has a different plan. There will be more perfect ministers but God’s emphasis in this day is a more perfect listener. It is these more mature listeners that will become more mature ministers. Therefore, our emphasis in this chapter is to avoid avoidance. Sometimes we are right and the minister is wrong. However, just because you are right does not give you the right to “avoid.” Other times the minister is not the problem, we are. We have formed prejudices through tradition and alliances that cause ungodly responses to the ministers that God has chosen. If you keep your heart pure in these matters, God will always send someone more pure than yourself to minister the scriptures to you. So let us examine our hearts at this moment, instead of focusing on all the mixture being preached.
When you go to gatherings, picture yourself at a table with Jesus at the "head seat" and the minister as the server, the waiter. As God’s servants, those of us who minister to the saints are GIFTS that are used to set up a table for you. In actuality, it is God Who sets before you this table. He chooses the food set before you that is good for you. The menu is Jesus’ choice, it is not the minister’s choice, and it is not your choice. The place settings are Jesus’ arrangement, not yours. That is part of what it means to make Jesus Lord over your life. It encompasses every part of your life, including your spiritual food! If you say to the Lord, “I do not like this particular meat and bread” or “I do not like how the table is set,” what you have actually done is come to God in covenant relationship, ON YOUR OWN TERMS. This will cause your “bags to have holes” – you will sow much and reap little.
There are many bad manners at God's table and we must deal with them. We must deal with any improper attitudes at Jesus' table. The table is God's place of covenant. We have our communion service and we become reverent, and yet God wants the same attitude at His table during the message. One thing that we can be sure of, God is not mocked, what we sow we shall reap. If you do not pay attention, if you do not mind your manners, and if you do not eat what is set in front of you, that pertain to the Lord, others will not eat of your words either. Do not be deceived in this matter of eating. The Pharisee of Luke 7 invited Jesus to his table, but he would not trust Jesus to be Lord of that table. The Pharisee both rejected Jesus and rejected the woman that respected Jesus. The Pharisee treated the woman with contempt and thereby treated Jesus with contempt. We do the same when we prejudge God’s servants who desire to do nothing but anoint the feet of Jesus in humility. The feet of Jesus are a picture of the people of God, who we must weep over, in humility, washing them with our tears. We must be kissing and anointing God’s people with the oil of His message. Unless we keep our heart pure and non-judgmental, we will be, as the Pharisee that Jesus said, “giveth no kiss.” How many times do we act as the Pharisee at our gathering, “giving no kiss?” We can easily become as the Pharisee who criticized the woman because of her history. Even easier, we can question the discernment of the Prophet because He received and forgave the woman. It is easy to invite Jesus; it is another matter to treat Him with respect by receiving those that He has received.
The wise man will let God pick his diet. It is not always easy to swallow. Some pride usually has to die but it produces life eternal. For example, a minister might preach like John the Baptist. He instills doctrine to the body concerning the need that the church needs to "wake up" and not be a sleeping church. He may have little tolerance for the “fence walking” Christian. Even though he is not “the perfect minister” we desire, God uses him to set a table before us. Let us say that there is something on the table, something that God has used this "John the Baptist" type of minister to set before us. We need to eat of it for our growth. Maybe it is an issue that deals with attitudes of laziness. If you simply refuse to eat because he is “rough around the edges” or you think he lacks compassion, you are coming to God on your own terms. It is God’s desire that you hear and eat what the Spirit is saying to you concerning the matter at hand. The “John the Baptist” may not clothe his message the way you think it should be clothed but he is ordained to serve you God’s food – at HIS table, not yours. That is the point. It is not your table; it is His. Remember that we gave up our rights when we started following Him. This is just one example of a “type of ministry” that Christians will ignore because they pick their diet and they choose what dish they will accept. This is a prejudice that God will put to death. This is a pre-judging because of the unlikely-ness of the physical vessel that God has chosen, or because the vessel does not belong to our sphere of acceptable servants. What we witness constantly in our gatherings is God’s chosen are not accepted by us because they may lack the credentials that we require.
God will often set His table in a way that defies your human wisdom, if your response is a refusal to eat, your walk will lack God’s wisdom and God’s life. God will use some unlikely vessels for His greatest truth in these last days. This is a test of responses for His people. For instance, if you are prejudiced against women ministers, God will select a woman prophet to set your table. The word concerning YOUR ANSWER is found in her message. Because of the twisting of scriptures, men and women have excluded these servants from serving at God’s table. Ephesians’ five ministry gifts are genderless throughout the New Testament, yet misapplication of unrelated gender-specific scriptures has caused a prejudice at the table of God. No matter how far you get with God, you will not finish your course if you EXCLUDE women ministers. I am not talking about women in authority positions; I am talking strictly about women that minister the Word of God. I have heard it said that, “women can only minister to other women and children.” Reading certain scriptures wrong has caused a multitude of God’s people to exclude women in ministry. The end result is destruction. Like a good attorney, you can have 30 scriptures in your arsenal to prove your case and still be wrong – because you are reading the scriptures wrong. Jesus is the Judge, and if you connect with Jesus, you would find out what He meant when He had apostles write the letters to Timothy, Titus, etc. In our chapter dealing with church government and gifts, we will believe God to set the record straight of the difference between ministry gifts and church government.
Sometimes, the server God chooses for you will be a vessel of youth. Sometimes, the youth of the individual causes a prejudice “to reject wisdom” because we think wisdom can only come through much experience and age. Wisdom is a Person, Jesus Christ, and knowing Him is learning Wisdom. The young person preaches the Person that he knows.
Sometimes, the table set before you may only include one “God ordained dish” set in the MIDST of many dishes that are not set by God. When this happens, the other dishes will many times OFFEND us and we never seek out the “dish in the midst.” We can close our spirit and refuse to look for the hidden treasure. If we respond to these other dishes by getting offended, we will miss that which changes our life forever. We must forbear with that which may be placed on the table - that is “not God,” to eat of that which “is God.” I am not telling you to endure unsound doctrine; you simply must look past it at times to see if there is life in the midst of the "lifeless words" that may be spoken. If you are easily offended by the few "lifeless words,” you will miss what God has prepared for you.
Concerning COMPLETELY FALSE TEACHERS, there are times when God will excuse us from the table early. Once I witnessed a "so called prophet" that taught that every Christian had an "identifiable aura.” You might have a bigger aura than I have, he taught, and yours may have a different color than mine (of course he claimed he was not "new age"). You can categorically reject this type of prophet and remove yourself from the table. For me, this is reminiscent of being served liver as a child. The liver caused my side dishes to be unappealing as well. God does not force you to sit at tables where the foundational doctrines of Christ are destroyed. Jesus did not set up these types of tables, but make sure that you are discerning this by the Holy Spirit. Sadly, most of the Christians at this particular meeting received the message because signs and wonders followed. If this table is frequently set before you in your local gathering, you should pray about leaving or pray that the minister will leave. It is not scriptural to associate with false teachers.
If a server is abusing you through doctrine, and so-called authority, you must know that this is not a table that you are called to endure. None of God’s sheep is called to abuse. You must leave in cases where abuse is the meal being served. No man can make this decision for you and you will probably suffer when you make the decision to leave. Many times the abusive servers will show their true colors when you disagree or when you leave. True wisdom is always peaceable, gentle, kind, and possesses “deeds done in humility.”
Again, to be scriptural, we must AVOID abusive servers because they are spots and blemishes in our gatherings that will cause us to be spots and blemishes as well. Submitting to abuse will cause us to forfeit God’s high calling for our life. Abusive servers are easy to spot. They are dictatorial in their speaking, issuing commands, bringing forth condemnations. They want to be your interpreter of scripture; and normally they want you covered by their umbrella of protection and blessing (which does not exist). Their conceit tells them that they hear God better than you do, and their counsel must be obeyed or you are considered disobedient. None of these things looks or “taste like Jesus.” They are a counterfeit. They are serving a synthetic food source that is a substitute for the Real Food - Jesus. To continue to eat at this type of table will poison your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Let me give you an example of when NOT to leave the table. A minister may receive a God-given message but it has to pass through their pride that has not been dealt with. We see the pride and therefore reason that we can categorically reject the rest. If you are placed before a table like this, it is natural to reject all. God wants us to grow up and look past the pride, meeting it with mercy, finding the “dish within.” The minister with pride might have a specific word for you concerning your present affliction. Since the mouth of the minister is available, God will use it. If you become offended by the pride, you will miss your answer. The key word here is - God has “placed you” at this type of table, it is not your placement. If you have placed yourself at the table, the pride of others can cause self-righteousness in your attitudes.
In the natural realm we have many hang-ups about what we eat; and in the spirit, we have even more hang-ups about what we eat. We might have to save a certain dish for last, such as our dessert. God’s will for dessert is to eat LATER, lest you spoil your appetite for more essential dishes. In other instances, some servers try to coerce everyone to eat everything they serve. Still more, a certain dish might be from heaven but God does not permit you to eat at this dinner meal. The thing we must learn is to humble ourselves to the point that Jesus is LORD OF THE TABLE! We must always be discriminating of this spiritual diet, but if we receive the Wisdom that comes from above our diet will be as easy as rising up early in the morning to collect the manna that has fallen on the ground for today’s growth. I have seen brethren who are hungry for God but when they are fed the truth, they become picky eaters. The minister’s mannerism offends them or they get offended at the minister’s personality, phrases, terminology, or his emphasis on a certain matter. Unless we grow up concerning our attitude at God’s table - we will remain carnal; we will remain immature. If you are waiting for God’s perfect ministers to rise up to feed you, it will be too late for you to “finish the race” that God has called you to run.
We should never use the term "nobody is perfect" to justify our fleshly activities and false doctrine. However, it is necessary to show mercy in our hearing towards the imperfect server. We who are ministers are, at best, always clumsy with our service. We will have a revelation of the Lord (the meal), but will drop some of the food, making our meat loaf look like dog food. We then ask the Lord, "are you sure that you want to use me?" He always replies, "Yes, I have chosen the foolish things." Some ministers are prideful in their service and are simply blinded to how clumsy their service really is. Some eaters at the table are just as blind to how clumsy the service is. Crowd response does not determine quality of service nor does it determine how good the meal is. Christian popularity polls and approval ratings are usually opposite of Jesus’ opinion. Popularity in the Earth is never an indication of our popularity in heaven. As Christians applaud, the angels may be grieving. Christian books that are best sellers may be simply “man’s vanity” and uselessness.
Our receiving of truth must be dead to ministry popularity lest we receive the wrong food. The servers of the spiritual food must learn “to not cater” to the crowds by wanting amen responses, crowd excitement, and crowd participation. Truly, you can receive all these things and defeat the true purposes of God. The most mature servers are the ones that are most “dead” to crowd responses. I find the most effective ministers are the ones busy hearing what Jesus is saying, at the moment, and allowing the Holy Spirit “to simultaneously match” that saying with the appropriate emotion. The tragedy is what I just said is way beyond the ministry taught at almost any seminary.
The person sitting at the table must show mercy. The person sitting at the table must eat the Nature of what was served, though the packaging is imperfect. The leper in the Book of Kings was told to dip seven times in the Jordan River and he would be healed. I envision the leper sitting at the table looking at the meatloaf he is being served and feeling that it has the appeal of dog food. In the Old Testament, the leper’s response to the dish was, "Are there not much cleaner rivers to dip in?" The leper almost rejected the word from the prophet because of the package, and we do the same with our “meatloaf” because of the packaging. The leper “wised up,” looked past the package, obeyed the word of the prophet, and he was healed.
No doubt, we say things in an insufficient manner, but the nature is the Son of God. When you bite into it, when you taste it, it tastes like Jesus! If you misunderstand, you cannot taste. If you taste, you will see that the Lord is good. The Apostle Paul was misunderstood in this manner. He taught grace but they heard "licentiousness" - a license to disobey God’s laws. Through wisdom, Paul would later qualify in more detail what he taught. He would qualify what he said, but only after, they had misunderstood. If the people had listened with their spiritual ears and looked with their spiritual eyes, it would have been unnecessary. If they had just tasted the Nature of what he spoke, they would have tasted of Jesus. Instead, he was falsely accused. The misunderstanding that Paul suffered produced God’s testimony. Instead of squelching the teachings of Paul, we now have Books of the Bible such as Galatians and Romans. As a sitter at the table, we must learn avoid misunderstandings. As a server at the table, we must learn to be misunderstood.
Lastly, when we hear messages of the Lord they will often come to us as pieces of a puzzle. We first form the outer edges of the puzzle. Those pieces with flat edges represent the foundational and basic truths of our walk in God.
Sometimes we prematurely see a piece of the puzzle, and because we compare it to the image on the box, we know about where it goes. Therefore, we place it in the general vicinity, sort of out in limbo. Many times, we will see a truth of the Lord, and though we are able to receive it because we know it fits into God’s plan, we lack the understanding of how it relates to the other pieces because the other pieces have not been placed yet.
We pick up another piece that looks obscure to the image on the box. We know that it fits, but maybe it does not fit, we just are not sure about it. This uncertainty is NEVER REGARDED AS UNSPIRITUAL. Some servers may place pressure on us to place the piece prematurely. If we place the piece in the puzzle before it fits, that is presumptuous. We must set it off to the side until we see clearly, where it fits. Many times our insides know that a truth is of the Lord but our mind is not fruitful, we must not reject the piece. Instead, we must remember the teaching and allow God to cause us to see the fitting at a later time. We must not receive pressure to accept a truth because of the charisma of the teacher or because a logical argument is made. Whether it is a truth that “is God” or “not God” is not the point. The Holy Spirit does not make you place a piece of truth in your heart unless He illuminates how it fits into His master plan. After hearing dozens of opinions based on scripture for a certain puzzle piece, we are not to place it into our lives until WE SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF THE SPIRIT. We are not required to receive and believe any truth until our Teacher, the Holy Spirit, shows us where to place it. For example, if there are ten opinions of the scriptures relating to the “two witnesses” and none of these interpretations make sense to you – do not receive it. Throughout your entire life, you may NEVER SEE IT. That is not to be regarded as unspiritual. Receiving another man’s opinion or scripture interpretation BEFORE the Holy Spirit teaches you in relationship – is what is unspiritual and unscriptural. I hope that that elevates a burden that men may have tried to place on you, to receive their teachings.
Remember the most important part is the foundation, the outer edges. If we falter here, our whole picture will be a total mess. We always fit to the frame, to the foundation that is none other than Jesus. Concerning doctrines, we have a list of foundational teachings in Hebrews; they are elementary doctrines that form the frame. Teachings of milk are foundational, they are the “puzzle’s frame” but they lack the picture inside. God’s “more excellent way,” His higher calling, will erect God’s building, filling in the picture that the puzzle is forming.
As Christians, we come to God with different levels of commitments. Often we will submit to what He has chosen for our life. Frequently, however, we decide to choose for ourselves what is good and what is evil, what is acceptable to eat and what is forbidden, or what puzzle piece to include and what to reject. At times, we draw closer to Him in a more intimate relationship, as Adam did in God’s garden. Other times we run away from God, hiding from His presence. God offers us truth in this life and we accept the confusion of the ungodly. God will bring us to a crossroads in our journey. It is in this valley of decision, this desert place, that we must commit to follow the “more excellent way” that is shown. If we will commit to God’s way, the nature that acts more like Adam instead of Jesus will no longer reign in our life.
In all of these matters concerning the “food,” or the “puzzle pieces” that we receive from God’s servants, there are important principles to hold fast.
2 Cor 5:16
Therefore, from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh. (NAS)
As we continue in the teachings of Jesus, being delivered by God's servants, we can be assured that we will see about every type of server imaginable. There will be false teachers and prophets. There will be the 50/50 mixture folk, those who flow out the bitter and sweet water simultaneously. There will be others that teach without pride, with fear of God, yet lacking in the ability to "skillfully handle" God's revelation. There will be others that can skillfully handle the true ways of God but have not learned to walk in it. Anytime we do not walk in the truth, our words will lack substance. Finally, God will grow us up in the last days by sending ministers that teach "skillfully" and yet walk in the ways and counsels of God. They will speak and impart God’s food from what they have habitually walked in, instead of just possessing a hope of what they desire to walk in. The bottom line is this; we cannot get bent out of shape when we are exposed to the servers. Simply do your part. Eat what God sets before you, a table prepared in the presence of your enemy. Do not ever come to Him in covenant again on YOUR terms. There is one at Jesus’ table who got up and left early – Judas! Jesus knows His own, and He knows also, who will get up early from the table. Fear God in this matter and it shall be well with you all the days of your life. Deal with what has been set before you and you shall eat of Him. God gives us the discernment to receive the perfect gift of God apart from the imperfect soul of man.
If God has called you to a particular table, He has not given you a stone to eat. Instead, He has given His Own Son to eat, the Perfect Lamb. Eat the Lamb; and yet we must proceed further to eat the whole Lamb of God. This is the test in which the spiritually mature must digest. This is a change in diet and a change in diet is opposed by the immature and attacked by dead religion or law oriented believers. In these last days, the scripture will be preached in a way that portrays Jesus as we have never seen or heard. God will call us to the table; and yet because of immaturity, legalism, and dead religion, many will excuse themselves from that same table.
It is good that we find spiritual salvation in spite of teachings that are ignorant and deceptive. However, if we do not move on, if we are not careful, we may find God excusing Himself from our tables after awhile. What does that mean? Because we have removed ourselves from our part of the covenant by not learning these lessons, God will not fulfill His part of the covenant because we become “covenant breakers.” It is a serious thing with God when He woos us by His Love and we reject Him. You can certainly accept the Lord Jesus as Savior and reject Him as your Husband – YOU MUST EAT THE WHOLE LAMB. Jesus is our covenant God. He is not some friend that we can tell, “I will do your will and receive everything that you have for me.” Yet when He says, “PARTAKE OF MY SUFFERINGS” through His “table server” our response is, “I cannot receive from that minister because he does not fit in my favorite minister list.” God will use some unlikely candidates to reveal Himself to you, instead of using our popular and accepted prophets.
The outcome of excusing ourselves from the table is DENOMINATIONS and other sects. It is a division that came to our gatherings long ago, and it gave our gatherings different versions of Jesus and His covenant. We all came to the table with our opinions about scripture; we all came to Him with covenant that was set on our own terms. Though God allowed that for a season, God is sending a day when the one not eating properly will be the one not seen at the Master’s table. That is a hard saying; would God exclude His Own? No, He would not, but we are not “His Own” if we will not make Him Lord of our table. We are not talking about spending eternity with Jesus; we are talking about the will of God being accomplished on the Earth, through His people.
The marriage supper of the Lamb is God’s final feast yet it is a feast for today as well. That final feast is a culmination, a fulfillment of those who have been invited to eat the whole Lamb, and they DID EAT that Lamb. There is coming a day in the near future when God’s eaters will be gathered together to the feast of a Husband and His bride. It is a feast for those that are eating Him NOW! It is a feast for those who keep covenant NOW! It is a people that Jesus calls “FRIEND,” those who Jesus takes pleasure. There may be those who are born again (who did not enter into that covenant of obedience) attending that feast. They will only be sharing in the rewards of those who were obedient. Many want the rewards of heaven. I want you to know that the “food of the table (Jesus)” at that feast is THE REWARD.
I have emphasized these things to persuade some away from a life of receiving the things of God as they deem fit. We want signs and wonders to be demonstrated as we have envisioned. We want a great harvest as we have imagined. Yet we evaluate spirituality in others with an improper measure. The standard of measure that we have used to compare the things of God has been defective! The proof of what I am saying is demonstrated in the lack of maturity we exhibit in doctrine and practice. A defective standard will produce defective doctrines that are used as a foundation to build a defective house. This has produced a manifestation of immature people that grow up to a certain degree in their walk but have never demonstrated the maturity of the early apostles and elders. The lives of these early apostles and elders are the standard by which we should be measuring. The reason why we have never come to this place of maturity is that, though we started off in covenant with Him, God always calls us to a table where the covenant is a little harder to swallow, and then we sadly refuse the meat. The Jesus of the scriptures is like fire and ice, hot water and cold water. If we know Him as Ice, He will reveal Himself soon to us as Fire. If we know Jesus as Fire, it is the will of God that we also know Him as Ice.
Here is a truth of God’s mercy; God’s primary way to deal with you is through scripture. Many times the scripture will be delivered through one of His servants. This method of God contains the utmost in His mercy no matter what the content of the message. If you reject the message, you reject the sender. If you reject the sender, you are rejecting Jesus, Who is God’s covenant to us. He will then execute another method of mercy – affliction. God sends affliction to deal with areas of our walk where we are unlike Jesus, and where we have rejected His Word of mercy. In this instance, affliction is not judgment; it is a method that God uses to deal with you. There is a suffering that comes about for the sake of righteousness that we endure for His Name’s sake; this is NOT what we are talking about. I am not including ALL tragedy that has occurred in your past. We are talking about a certain affliction from a God Who loves you so much, One Who is so merciful that when we refuse to eat something on His table, His mercy continues. This type of affliction is God’s mercy in action. God does not give up on us when we refuse to eat the whole Lamb; instead, God sends affliction to deal with us, breaking our stubbornness so that we may see that - what God set on the table is good to eat. If you will eat it in faith, it will bring life. The life we so desperately need is in that “piece of the Lamb” we have yet to eat. If we want to impart life to others, it comes through those inward parts of the Lamb that we have cast aside.
In the previous paragraph, I wrote that God would send affliction to you as a believer. He ordains it and He will be the One taking you out of joint. Not only is God permitting Satan to afflict you, I mean, God is the One Who INITIATES IT, not the enemy! In sharing this, I am speaking a truth found in God’s covenant through scripture. This is a dish I just set on the table for you to eat. Perhaps this is a part of the Lamb that you have eaten before and it is not a new revelation, or perhaps you were taught that ALL afflictions come from the enemy, and Satan initiates all of it. There is a whole camp of believers that have refused to eat the “Lamb of this Truth” and have eaten instead another doctrine. Others may say that it is an arguable point and we will only know for certain when we all get to heaven. Jesus is only pleased when we share in His opinion, in His mind, NOW. Opinions that we hold apart from Jesus’ opinion are a result of improper eating.
We fail to eat properly whenever Jesus has an opinion, or thought, and we think contrary. We fail to eat properly whenever Jesus our Husband has a mind to do something and we think it is an “arguable point” or an unimportant matter. If Jesus thinks that it is important, if Jesus operates a certain way, we must receive and respond accordingly. In the Kingdom of God, there are no arguable points; arguable points are found only in the kingdom of man. When Jesus has a thought, He has the Holy Spirit entrust it to those that share His thoughts. Those that have received these thoughts and have eaten have received the life of God in their belly and now impart the life of God to others.
At God’s table, we do not sit as one possessing human rights. We belong to Him. That means you do not have the right to choose your diet or your server/prophet. If you do select your own prophets God will use affliction to teach you. Does this mean that we can escape affliction by proper eating? You must partake of the sufferings of Jesus; they wait for you no matter what lessons you have learned. However, most afflictions that we encounter can be avoided by responding properly to the dealings of the Holy Spirit.
The problem is, tomorrow we will do what we want to do, go where we want to go, and spend our money where we want to spend it. In other words, for most Christians, you can expect affliction. With every sitting that you have at His table, do your utmost to eat and obey. I hold the opinion that, in the last days, the people of God will keep covenant with Him, having put away the leaven of false breads. They will choose the unleavened bread of God, Jesus our Christ. They will be a people that Jesus takes pleasure in; they will be a people that share in His sufferings as often as He wills. The majority of affliction that they will suffer will be the suffering of Christ in martyrdom.
Moses, who was a type of Christ – the Firstborn, was sought by the enemy to have his life taken. Both when he was born and when he led the people out of Egypt. The end-result was that the enemy’s first-born son was taken by God’s judgment. Jesus’ life was sought as well by Herod. The life of Herod’s son was taken by God’s judgment in the same manner. The last day’s people will have their life sought after by the enemy, the dragon, but it is the enemy’s first-born that shall be judged. In fact, the first-born of the enemy WAS judged already at the cross. In other words, sin produces death and neither has effect on your life through obedience. They were judged and placed in a grave, and your life has been passed over with no judgment. We are ones that possess the power of God to lay down our life, not to have it taken, not to have it judged. This is the pattern of the affliction that pleases Jesus. Again, it is not the wisdom of the Lord to apply all tragedy to these principles. Simply put, let us use past tragedy as a springboard to rescue others from the pit instead of always trying to understand it. Our current affliction is the one we must focus on – to learn from, to hear God from.
God’s table is full of obstacles. For those that are fully abandoned to His thoughts and methods, they shall overcome. For those that have a thirst and hunger beyond what they see on their current table, God has bread that they do not know of. For those that will not allow the poor service to spoil their appetite, God will develop them into His utmost service. As we follow Jesus, we will observe that in all of these obstacles it is Jesus that is observing us. He is observing our response to the obstacle. All of these obstacles are a test of how we will respond. Surely, we can preach about kindness, and simultaneously be unkind to those that attack us. Even the heathen are kind to those that treat them kindly.
In our listening, we must not listen condemningly. Sometimes, we want the teacher to explain less and proclaim more. Sometimes, we want the prophet to explain more and proclaim less. We want to pick the method of serving as well as the server. As we mature, we must be yielding to both God’s servants and the method that they serve. If it does not fit our preference, we must learn “to not exclude” God’s servers, or their service to us. If we do, we will lack great nourishment from heaven that brings the God-kind of life. These lessons must be remembered and meditated upon as a doorpost on our heart. We must come to a place we can have bold confidence that Jesus is pleased with our sitting at the table.
In these truths, we have yielded to a heart of balance. We must humble ourselves to receive, in spite of the obstacles, and yet we cannot go too far and receive false doctrines, and abusive servers. Our life of eating can be a real pendulum swing, but God is the God of balance. In seeking Him, He delivers us from false and abusive servers. In seeking Him, He gives us in exchange for these poor servers - a pure Manna from heaven that nourishes our life. We mature through discernment. We mature because we have learned what food is good to eat. Adam chose apart from God what food was good to eat. We choose WITH GOD what food is good to eat. We reject the tree that caused Adam to fall. As we grow, it is our mission to lead others to reject that tree as well - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Till that last generation when the Headstone (Jesus) rests on His temple (the church), the anointing of the ministry is to teach the body of Christ to see Jesus as He really is. This is quite a difficult task because many of us, including those in ministry, have versions of Jesus that are contrary to His Character and His Word. The Father has all of His plans in His Son and in His Son's bride, but many of us have obtained contrary plans. Somewhere along this journey of ours, we received a false version of Who Jesus is (at least in part).
Our response to receiving something false is always denial. “Not me,” you say. “I know many Christians who have received a false version of Christ, but I haven’t,” we continue. We are always slow to admit when we have become victims to error. This is similar to those who become victims of a con artist and refuse to report the crime because it will make them look gullible and foolish. We do the same; we have been conned at times. The EVIDENCE is undeniable. If we had received only that, which was the true Christ the fruit of it would be displayed in our reflection of His character and nature.
The scriptures are full of illustrations and pictures that clarify truth, many times being redundant of the exact same truth. For example, to teach the principles of edifying others in Christ, God taught us through the picture of seedtime and harvest, through building a temple, and through feeding the human body. One of these examples is enough to convey the truth but God desires to CLARIFY the truth to cause us to see it more clearly. Let us look at a natural picture of what I am saying concerning this message pertaining to “A False Version.” There are many depictions (paintings, sculptures, etc.) of what man thinks that Jesus looked like. Some of them are such famous paintings that they have left an image of the painter’s “Jesus” in our minds. The truth is that we do not know what Jesus looked like physically. However, we do know that He was from a nation that lived on the Mediterranean Sea. He was not American, European, Oriental, or African. He may have been darker skinned because of the climate in the region, and scholars say that He spoke Aramaic. The point I am making is this all of our beliefs in Christ comprise a “version of Jesus.” For example, if you do not believe in a literal hell then “your Jesus” does not look like the “Jesus that sits on the throne” concerning the doctrine of consequences. Therefore, the acceptance of the unscriptural view of a non-literal hell produces a view of Jesus that is as inaccurate as the famous paintings of Jesus that we see in art galleries for that doctrine in your life.
When you accept a doctrine or teaching, it paints a picture and forms a version of Jesus that you hold as true. For example, I heard a modern day prophet teach in a gathering about this scripture: Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. His teaching said that the word for “light” was not “light” as it pertains to weight but instead it was rays of light, as from the sun. As He continued, it was a morsel that was swallowed by many because of his convincing appeal. The problem is that this Greek word always means light concerning weight. It is used again in 2 Corinthians 4:17 regarding “light affliction.” This is indicative of how a minister can become deluded in receiving “another Jesus” in a particular scripture verse. Those that follow this man’s teaching concerning this verse will have a false portrait of Jesus that looks similar to this man’s version. In truth, the real Jesus will exchange your heavy burden for His “light in weight” burden. The “false painting” Jesus, takes your heavy burden and gives you mystical rays of light instead. Jesus is Light but that is not what He gives you in exchange for your heavy burdens. There are technical mistakes that one makes in such instances, but in this case, it was a painting that portrays a false Jesus. Those that received what the prophet spoke were transformed into the IMAGE of what he taught. Maybe minutely changed, but no misrepresentation of Jesus must be preached from the pulpit as it was on this night. A five-minute study in God’s Word would have revealed the falseness of what this man taught. One does not have to look hard to find examples of this type of misrepresentation, but it should not be preached in gatherings that we attend.
Spiritually speaking, we have a clear image of Jesus in some of the foundational areas of doctrine. However, we may have a vague view of what Jesus looks like in other foundational areas of doctrine. This is especially seen when we are young in the Lord and have but a vague image of Jesus. The Word of God and the dealings of the Holy Spirit have not sufficiently entered in to have the canvas of Jesus painted on our heart. We often fill this vagueness with a false image of Who Jesus is. Normally, we do this because we trusted the version that a minister taught us.
We now see that a false Christ in the spirit can be illustrated as we see in the natural, such as inaccurate paintings of Jesus. We have a version in the natural that is not correct; we also have a version in the spirit that is not correct. Heresy and deceptions are designed to take a Jesus that you see vaguely and give Him an appearance. It is an appearance that does not resemble the Jesus Who sits on the throne. This could be the same point that Jesus taught His disciples when He said that in the last days there would be many false Christ’s.
Matt 24:24
"For false Christ's and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
In 1979, the first year I was saved, I read every end-time prophecy book that was available at the Christian bookstore. After all that reading, do you think I had an accurate version of Jesus concerning end-time prophecy? No, I filled the vague and dimly lit version of Jesus that I possessed at the time with a Jesus Who did not even slightly resemble the true Jesus (That is, in that particular area). What should I have done? I should have waited on the Father to reveal His Son concerning end-time prophecy. Though I may not have a complete version, it will at least be accurate to “Him Who sits on the throne.” Quality not Quantity! If you are tempted to have it all figured out, you will run ahead of what the Holy Spirit intends on revealing to you in DUE SEASON. Receiving man’s speculation and man’s opinion as truth will always produce a false picture of Christ. Trying to figure out Christ and His ways, apart from the Holy Spirit unveiling Him to you will always produce a false version.
In the previous chapter, we have talked about sitting at God’s table and eating properly. Now we speak of receiving an image of Jesus that resembles Him Who sits on the throne concerning doctrinal teachings. In other words, we must eat with table manners learning not to be -”picky eaters,” but simultaneously we must be discerning eaters. Scriptures teach that this is one of the traits of maturity. If we are easily confused, tossed with every wind of doctrine, and seduced into eating everything on the table, we will look more like a statue of many gods instead of Jesus, the Image of God. How do we do this? We use God’s wisdom from above to compare what is on the table with what is witnessed in scriptures.
The biggest challenge for the church’s diet will be in two areas of doctrine, the doctrine concerning the last days and the doctrine concerning church gatherings and it’s leadership. If Jesus does not hold to the doctrines we are receiving, they will be torn down and the thoughts of Jesus concerning these matters will be imparted in their place. To help us in our discernment, God sends us help, God sends us prophets. However, resistance concerning these false doctrines will be met with much fire, a burning opposition towards every prophet that is called to blaze this trail. Many are comfortable with the version of Jesus that they have settled down with over the years, so it is also the prophets that bear the burden of imparting this version of Jesus that has been obscured to the church. As Amos says, “God will not do anything unless He reveals it first to His prophets.” Let me say once and for all, there is only One Prophet! Jesus was the Prophet that was prophesied:
Deut 18:15
The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
There is a gift of a prophet described in Ephesians and 1 Corinthians that can equip certain men. This gift reflects the true Jesus only when the words spoken resemble Deut.18:15. If we draw attention to ourselves, as is common in many gatherings that I witness, we will not see the Prophet in our midst. It will not be like the Lord God, and the true people of God will not hearken unto him. Today’s prophets will describe the stories pertaining to “THE PROPHET” instead of stories that cause attention on their ministry capabilities, their visions, and their anointed acts of being used of God. In the past, I received prideful men as great vessels that were beyond what I had to offer the Lord. As I grew up in Christ and my version of Jesus became clearer, I finally saw how the version of Jesus that “attention drawing prophets” displayed, was distorted compared to the True Jesus found in scripture. We must always realize that the masses can be wrong in accepting falseness. We must obtain the courage to go in a different direction from the masses, towards the picture of Jesus that the true prophets of old testified.
How far off is the “version” that you hold true?
If the Lord reveals Himself to you in a way contrary to the “version of Jesus,” you hold - can you put "your version" to death?
To further clarify this point, all of us received false doctrine concerning Jesus and His plans for the last days. In immaturity, most of us believed that this doctrine was a true version of Who Jesus is. We then received it and painted a picture of Who Jesus is in our hearts. We believed in this Jesus and followed this Jesus. Some of the doctrine we have received in the past was inaccurate. As we continue to grow in the Lord, we are faced with how Jesus “really looks”; this is part of being spiritually mature. At the time we are faced with how “He really looks,” we face the dilemma of confessing we had accepted a false Christ concerning this view. This is where the pride of man rises up! If we reject the view that is now presented to us by the Holy Spirit, the result is a dead religion instead of relationship.
If a deception has run deep, we will be tempted to continue on the route with the least amount of confusion. For example, suppose I accepted the doctrine that says that the age of apostles, prophets, and gifts of the Spirit has passed away. Suppose I kept this doctrine for years and taught on it, even built other doctrines upon it. Now, to reject this doctrine will appear to disrupt everything I have ever believed. This is why we must always be clothed with humility to remain in a place where we have a pure heart that sees God. We must refuse the lie, the false doctrine, and the false version, no matter how painful it may be, and accept the true version that “sets us free.” Men that misunderstood the scriptures taught this particular doctrine. They read 1 Corinthians 13 where it said; “… these things pass away when the perfect has come.” They believed that the “perfect thing” that “has come” was fulfilled by the writing of the scriptures. Therefore, when the scriptures were given, the rest of these gifts were not needed. The problem is scripture is only a signpost that points to Jesus, Who is the Word of God. The signpost is a means to the end. The men who taught “the passing away of gifts” exalted the signpost instead of Jesus, Who is the Perfect One. Their lack of knowing Jesus as the Word of God has built a foundation of scripture with head knowledge apart from Holy Spirit revelation. Their journey ends at the signpost, but our journey requires having scriptures revealed to us, then we “go on” to EXPERIENCE where the scriptures have directed us. The scripture is a true shadow of the Substance, a true representation of the Reality, but scripture has no life in itself. However, if you find the One Who scriptures point to - you will have Life abundantly. If they had heard God, they would have noticed that the gifts have not passed away, and they could be seen in action in the two witnesses found in scriptures. If the gifts have passed away as they teach, then the two witnesses are false prophets. You can see the anti-Christ nature of their teachings. They have called that which is “Light” – “darkness.” Many reflect that false portrait of Jesus.
So why have so many in our gatherings fallen for obvious error? It is because they are comfortable with their portrait of how Jesus looks. The resistance to change takes hunger to know the True Jesus. The exaltation of scriptures above the Person, The Word of God, is not only found in this doctrine, but the same principle is found in almost every denomination and movement on the Earth. The scriptures are so important, but their purpose is to point to Jesus. You have to know scriptures to get to the destination, but many who study the signpost, misunderstand the directions, or do not travel to experience the destination. Accurately reading and understanding the signpost requires you to experience a life in Christ.
I encourage academic study of scriptures combined with EXPERIENCING JESUS
2 Cor 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJ)
Only by seeing Him as He is, can we be transformed into His image.
If we have obtained a FALSE PICTURE of Who He is - we shall be transformed into that which does not represent the true temple of God.
Elaborating more on our picture of scriptures, let me give you another signpost image. You are in the middle of a barren desert except for a small watering hole nearby. You are set in the midst of many signposts, street signs, if you will, but One stands out from the rest with a Brilliance. Many will simply follow the wrong signposts, wander in the desert, and die. Others won’t even look at a signpost, they just make their own judgment for salvation in the desert. Still others decide the One signpost is the right One. They look at it, study it, and make their own interpretation of what direction it says to go, and yet wander in the desert. Some are smart, and return to the signpost before they wander too far off, and try to discern again, however the rest trust in their interpretation, and pride prevents turning around….they die. Finally, there is a people that choose the One signpost knowing that it is the Way. They read it; they study it, and WAIT until they understand before proceeding. They decide that the way to understand the signpost is to ask then depend on assistance. The Author of the sign speaks to them from within, and reveals the obscure meaning of the direction. “Oh, how simple, how did I not see”, they say. Sad but true, some were content in staying after seeing, but many traveled in the Way that was spoke, that was read, that was studied. Some had faith every step of the way, some wavered, but all that followed the direction the signpost pointed, were saved.
Maybe silly, maybe simplistic, but the point I make is clear. The importance of scriptures is never diminished in my life, nor my doctrine. They are important, they are mandatory, to be studied, analyzed, and received in teachings. However, you do not stop there, yet you also do not run ahead. You learn to hear what He is saying, what He is teaching, that you may follow. They always point to a Person – Jesus, Rivers of Life. I certainly fall in love with reading the scriptures as well. At the point, I saw the way that they pointed; I had on the inside of me, a joy, an excitement, a great hope, which produced faith to walk forward in the right direction. Yet upon obeying the sign, and arriving at Christ, did I really fall in love. Moreover, in my life, was obtained, life, love, and all the fruit found in Him. I can tell who saw the signpost, and obeyed it, and arrived. I just look for fruit. If it is there, I know that they had to have journeyed, for that is the only place to obtain true fruit.
The signpost is scripture, but the when you get to the destination of the signpost you have found the Word of God. I pray you see the difference. Some prefer dreams, visions, and personal prophecy, apart from the signpost. They become wanders in the desert. Some have revelation of the signpost, maybe have journey to the destination a few times, and afterwards they try to be the discerner of the signpost to the people of God. They command and point, and yet they do not journey alongside of the people. Many illustrations can be used to see how we respond to the signpost. Let us end our days, not arguing over the meaning of the signpost, but actually listening to the voice within teaching us the direction of the Signpost of God. In the professional world, we use the term “let us be on the same page”. We need to be on the same page to finish our projects on time, on budget, and delivered to specifications. How much more can this be said of the great project of God. If we think we do not need to be on the same page, to journey successfully, we will find fruitlessness instead.
In the lasts days, the church will view the image of Jesus in truth and glory. The church will be purged of all false views even as she is transformed into the “SAME IMAGE” that is BEHELD. The four writers of the gospels also obtained this view, yet their view differs. Why is this? Concerning your “accurate view” of Jesus – it is totally unique. There is not one person that has ever had the exact relationship and view of Jesus that you do. It is the same Lord yet your view is different because the personality that God designed you with is also different. There is none with a CONCLUSIVE VIEW, except for God. A billion years from now you will have not exhausted all there is to know and view in Jesus. However, there is a complete view that you are destined in this life to see and you will either choose or reject that view. The good news is that it is totally unique to anyone else’s view in the body of Christ because you are totally unique.
I have a certain, accurate picture of Jesus, and you have a certain, accurate picture of Jesus; and the entire body of Christ is adding to this picture. Assembled together on that last trumpet blast we shall all comprise an ENTIRE PICTURE of Jesus, we who are alive in Christ, and also those who are dead in Christ. As we are gathered together in Christ we also gather together each member’s unveiling of Who Jesus is, until what is seen is a complete and true reflection of Jesus in the earth. Therefore, the unique views, when gathered together, will give us a corporate view.
None of us, individually, has a revelation of all that is written in scripture. Let us say that God has granted for one a revelation of a certain scripture and granted you revelation of a certain scripture. Likewise, the Holy Spirit unveils God’s Word throughout the body. The end shall be a body that has a total revelation of Him Who is Truth. Through obedience, we will be transformed into that same image. Today’s church has focused on one man’s anointing, one man’s gifting, one man’s revelation; but God has a focus on a corporate man’s anointing and revelation. The corporate man we speak of is simply a church attached to the head (Jesus) and sees Him as He is, and therefore becomes like Him. To what degree does your life have to resemble Jesus to be included in this picture? I do not know. However, let us never go backwards, and let us never cause Jesus to become a distant view in our lives. Always progress in your walk with Jesus, and when you see Him on that day you will not be ashamed.
In 1984, I taught a message on the tabernacle of Moses to a large group of women, and I was teaching on going through a process to get to the Holy of Holies. I emphasized the importance of knowing Jesus Who was represented by the different pieces of furniture, colors, and materials, found in the tabernacle construction. The content of the message was new and very revealing for this group of saints; therefore, I felt I did a real good job as a young minister. After the meeting, a woman approached me; having been quite disturbed by the message, she sought to find out why we had to have a process to God, instead of instantly inheriting the Fullness of God. In reality, the message she heard was quite condemning. What I learned was truth is not as cut and dry as we want it to be when we present it. We throw it out there, many times in a one-side manner without any thought to the multi-faceted purpose of God. My error was, I did not communicate truth in a way that really helps folks understand the ways of God. Sure, it was unique, it was edifying in a way, and most of the women that were present really loved the message, but my message was still immature. To this day, the Temple Builders message can become a works oriented doctrine, IF we forget the more important message of Who we are in Christ. Jesus is all these things found in the tabernacle, and on the day we receive Him, we become all these things with Him. Yet, we still have to walk in Him, after we first believed. Therefore, I have to emphasize the walk, but please never forget the message that it is through grace we have inheritance, and we are inheritors, based on being a son and daughter of the King. That does not change if we do not finish maturely! However, for those that desire to fulfill a destiny that pleases God to the utmost, we have to focus on acting like the King. Please keep this principle in mind and I think that you will find no condemnation in the Temple Builders message.
These types of issues are also the reason that I personally like folks to read the Temple Builders message from start to end. That way certain foundations and principles can be laid that will allow us to read having seen other sides of truth. I think, if you approach a message with the right heart it will always comes together in a perfect way that causes great freedom on the inside.
God gives us His pattern for our journey toward the higher call, the “more excellent way,” in the design of the Tabernacle of Moses. This was the tabernacle that was built in the wilderness after God delivered His people from Egypt. It was a place for His presence to dwell among men. As we enter into the tabernacle - it is as the priest of God. The day you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and decided to follow Him, you entered into the tabernacle of God – IN CHRIST. White walls, symbolic of the “Righteousness of God in Christ,” surrounded the tabernacle. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus according to the New Testament. This is true whether you act like it or not and whether you feel like it or not. That is how God the Father sees you, and your view does not change this fact. Even though our shortcomings do not circumvent this truth, following the “more excellent way” of God will cause you to walk in this fact. Why is it a reality and yet so hard to walk in? Because our inner man (our spirit man) became righteous by faith in Jesus when we first believed, even though our mind was still the same as the day before; the mind still knew little of God’s way, His mind, or how to yield to that which is within. Christ makes His tabernacle in our heart, yet there are many areas of that tabernacle we have not allowed Him to access.
The Tabernacle is a three-part structure, just like man. It is composed of the Outer Court, the Inner Court (Also called the Holy Place), and the Holy of Holies (Also called the Most Holy Place). The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies are both covered under the same tent, which is called the Tent of Testimony or Tent of the Congregation. This symbolizes those who abide in the Inner Courts of God, those who will become a true testimony with true unity, abiding in brotherly love. Inside this TENT is where God wants every part of your walk! In God’s high calling, there cannot remain one area that stays in the Outer Court. That is not to say we abandon the place of sacrifice. I am saying that the place of sacrifice resides in you as you go forward. If we hang around at the sacrificial altar without going forward, we will live our lives being sin conscious. As Paul said in Hebrews:
Heb 10:14-19
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Every area of your life must become a testimony. Every area of your life must reflect the unity we have while walking with God in His garden; in a relationship that we have chosen even though we were tempted to choose the things that separate us from intimacy with Him. It is time to “enter into the holiest” knowing that our sins and iniquities are no longer remembered. Every area of our life that dwells in the Outer Court is a part of our life that continually needs atonement. It is a sin conscious area that suffers from a lack of faith in the Blood of Jesus – the Offering. Resting in the ONE OFFERING will give us the boldness to carry that Blood into the innermost chambers of God. Every area of our life needs dealing with in this manner.
No matter where we are today in our spiritual WALK, no matter what court we find ourselves dwelling within, we should progress to God’s “more excellent way.” We should not be content to abide outside of the tabernacle, where the world congregates. We also should not be content to remain in the Outer Court of the tabernacle. The Outer Court should be viewed only as a “passing through” area. When we enter the Holy Place, we see the great veil that divides us from the Holy of Holies. The Holy Place is somewhat glorious; the Holy Place will bring you to a place of unity and testimony, yet we know that behind the veil is where we see God – FACE TO FACE. The veil was torn when Jesus died, but we act like it is still there. We know that we are not separated from God in the spirit and yet our mind seems so “earthly.” Our walk still seems so unlike the walk of Jesus, Who walked in Love, Power, and Wisdom. The Holy Place brings us into great victory, the Truth set us free, but we must proceed through this veil to the Holy of Holies. A revelation of WHO Jesus is will bring you behind the veil. Seeing the plan of the Father concerning His Son and His Church will cause you “to continually abide” beyond the veil. A life that abides in the Holy of Holies is a life that walks in FULLY RIPENED FRUIT - HABITUALLY. Walking in total obedience to the will of God and His Word will mature you to become edible fruit. This is a fruit that shall be permanent. We will examine the difference between these courts, especially the difference between the Outer Court and the Holy of Holies. There is a much greater contrast between these two areas of service to God because one symbolizes a baby who ALWAYS NEEDS and the other represents a father that ALWAYS GIVES. One that lives at the altar in the Outer Court will always need atonement for that area of life that seems “to constantly repeat” sin and foolishness. One that learns to live in the Holy of Holies will become a written scripture that can be read by all men, giving them hope found in Christ. Their response to adversity is a witness of the power that lives in the Blood.
Paul continues this teaching about the “more excellent way” in the chapter that is commonly called “THE LOVE CHAPTER” (1 Corinthians Chapter 13). The priests who entered into the tabernacle wore a priestly skirt. At the bottom fringes of the skirt - were bells and pomegranates. The bells represent the gifts of the Spirit and the pomegranates represent the fruit of the Spirit. Both the gifts and the fruit represent the manifestations of the Spirit, but the fruit of Love is the greater. God wants us to be a testimony in Love that reveals His power. The natural man will sometimes “pick and choose” the manifestation; however, the spiritual man receives from His Father all good things. It is the spiritual man that will abide in the life of Jesus that causes us to fully mature.
God is Love. We must walk in such a way that we reflect to the world God, Who dwells within us, and specifically reflect His Love Nature. A temptation may come to pursue the “more excellent way” of love and to refuse His gifts. However, it is the gifts that edify us to walk in love. Love without gifts will leave us with a void of His power within. Why do we need power? Power is a characteristic of the nature of God. Jesus is called “Power” in 1 Corinthians, and the next time the world sees Him it will be in Power! Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that the kingdom of God consists of Power, not mere words. The gifts of the Spirit exercise His power and cause us to be heard by the world, even as the world heard it in the New Testament when the POWERFUL WORKS of Jesus and the apostles got the attention of the world and turned it upside down. Jesus said that the greater works would be seen in the church.
2 Cor 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
“Excellency” literally means BEYOND MEASURE! Jesus, Who is Love and Power, is in us and we are in Him. Jesus is the treasure of 2 Corinthians 4:7 and we must choose Him in regard to manifesting His love and His Power. We must choose to exhibit Jesus to the world, in gifts that can cause a miracle in another’s life and in sacrificial love, which shows compassion BEYOND MEASURE.
If we possess gifts without love, it is like having bells without the pomegranate fruit on the bottom of the priestly skirt. It will clang and it will grieve God when we try to enter behind the veil, and the world will hear a sound of reproach. Both gifts and love are written about in 1 Corinthians, one after the other, and both His gifts and love are REQUIRED for the “more excellent way,” the higher calling. Gifts are NOT the “more excellent way” but God ordained that they would help GET you there. We sometimes see gifts demonstrated and think the vessel that God used is spiritual because they are operating in those gifts. The gifts make NO MAN SPIRITUAL! When we operate in the gifts of God, we are simply fortunate. Fortunate that we found FAVOR with God - UNMERITED! These gifts are freely given to help us and others GET to a place of spiritual maturity, to a place that expresses the Love Nature of God.
Exod 28:34-35
A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
With the bells on our skirts, as God’s priests, in this day, we enter His holiness not casting away fruit or gifts. We do not neglect that gift within and we choose to stay abiding in the vine, which causeth growth. Today’s priests shall go forth from God’s Holiest Place with Life. Many in today’s church have refused gifts, usually for two reasons. First, men taught us to do so. These men were used by the enemy to EXCLUDE us from receiving the very thing that fulfills the “unity of the body” and its edification. Secondly, many witnessed or were the victim of an abuse of a gift, and because of the hurt decided to reject it categorically. When we are hurt, we protect that hurt by disallowing FUTURE HURTS. However, we must choose God’s way, and proceed past false doctrines and hurts. These two hindrances are seen repeatedly in our journey towards maturity. They cause a pendulum swing from one extreme to the other. For instance, when one sees foolishness associated with touted gifts of the Spirit, it causes a swing in the opposite direction. Instead of embracing God’s gifts of the Spirit outlined in I Corinthians, or the gift of apostles and prophets taught in Ephesians, we run as fast as we can in the other direction. Though this is a normal response, it is not the response that leads to maturity. These ministry gifts are for you in spite of immature Christians that exercised them with foolishness and mixture.
Some of us CHOOSE to live in the Outer Court (not much past our starting point).
Others choose to walk and abide in the Holy Place and are “HEARD.”
But God has an inheritance in store for those who will allow the Light of His Presence to fill the “eyes of their heart” – IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
A walk that consists of this “more excellent way” must be chosen. It is a choice that commits to the plan of God no matter what the cost. It is a hope that stays in Christ Jesus even though other Christians and ministers are content with a “less excellent way.”
The only light in the Holy of Holies is God Himself. Jesus says, “I am the Light of the world.”
Ephesians 1:18
{I pray that} the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (NAS)
My heart cry for you is that your eyes will be flooded with Light and that you will be changed by the Truth, seeing and experiencing the Person of Jesus. What is your heart cry? What hope are you clinging to this day? Is it to see Jesus and His desired calling for you? I pray that we may see Jesus and no longer dwell in an Outer Court that is filled solely with natural light. Let us behold Him Who calls Himself the Light of the world, Him Who is called Wisdom.
Paul says the Wisdom of God is a mystery.
It is a secret to be revealed.
To who?
1 Cor 2:10
For to us God revealed {them} through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
1 Cor 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Do you want to see His mysteries?
Then you must spiritually discern them! You must SEE the SON!
These mysteries, or secrets, are hidden in Christ. Every mystery that is revealed is simply an unveiling of Jesus to you in a personal relationship. All the plans of the Father are in the Son. This particular message is an unveiling of just part of the Father's plan, a revealing of just part of the “brightness of Jesus’ image.”
God is revealing His plan concerning our place of maturity. There WILL be a last generation of believers who will abide in this maturity represented by the Holy of Holies. We have probably begun the last forty-year generation that shall end in a people who abide in God's Power and God's Love, in completion. This is the HOPE that you are called to in Ephesians 1:18. Our hope must always stay centered in Him Who redeemed us.
God uses the tabernacle of Moses to give us an analogy of His plans and to reveal to us the PERSON of Jesus Christ. God gives us a more descriptive analogy of His plans represented by the Temple of Solomon. Whereas the tabernacle pointed more to the Son of God, the revelation of the Temple of Solomon points more to the body of the Son of God, The Church.
Every one who is a member of the body of Christ is, in the Lord's eyes, His temple. Jesus is the Headstone of this temple, and He is also the foundation upon which it is built. He is both the beginning and the ending of this building project that shall erect the great House of God. Every stone laid upon Jesus, Who is the Foundation, must be rightly fitted to conform to His image. God is building a temple, and He will not REST until the temple is finished and full of Glory. Jesus is the Headstone of a COMPLETELY BUILT TEMPLE. Jesus is the Head of a MATURE body. Jesus is the branch of a vine FULL of fruit. God started this work and He fully intends to have it finished. Even as Zerubbabel was the governor of the rebuilt Temple of God, Jesus is our Governor today in this building project. When God is in complete control of us, He becomes our Governor. Jesus must become, in us, the Governor that we surrender our will to; this is a dedicating of our lives to Him Who must control this great project.
Zech 4:7-9
Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zerubbabel was an Old Testament temple builder. As our life abides in Christ, we also are God’s Zerubbabel for this hour. We are God’s temple builders when we allow “Jesus the Governor” to have His way in HOW and WHERE to lay the stones and mortar. God’s temple builders allow the Spirit to give them ability to build, and then they unselfishly use those abilities to build a temple not made with human hands. New Testament temple builders have examined the True blueprint of the Master Architect and they have learned to take orders from Him alone. Because of this, they do not operate on their own authority; they minister on the authority of the Name of Jesus. Even as Jesus said:
John 12:49-50
"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (NKJ)
This scripture is one of the most important truths given to us who believe. It sets the stage for all that we must learn, and it is the place we must get to, by His grace. This is simply a place where we are only speaking with our lips what we have heard from God. We are speaking only on His initiative to speak, on His authority. We only DO because He has decided already that we do anything. We DO because we SEE Him DOING! Many Christians can only hear other Christians. They only see “doing,” from other Christians. Therefore, what they speak and do is primarily what they received from others instead of direct from the Father. Most sermons that ministers preach come from other ministers that taught them. They did not look into the heavens to see God doing. They failed to hear God’s voice so that they may relay it to God’s people. The end result is that there is no true authority in what they speak and do. God is always speaking and doing and God is ALWAYS inviting you to see what He is doing and hear what He is saying. No one is excluded. We exclude ourselves when we do not believe the great reconciliation that God provided.
John 5:19-20
Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless {it is} something He sees the Father doing; for whatever {the Father} does, these things the Son also does in like manner. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel. (NAS)
Adam acted on his own authority; those who follow Jesus are those who act on Jesus’ authority. It takes all the dealings of life to learn to submit to this Way of God. This is what the project of God consists of: His ability moving through you to build others. We can study man and know all about the inner workings of a man -- how he thinks, his personality, his life’s history -- yet we are unable to speak one word that can edify Him unto eternal life, even by quoting scripture to him. None of us is intelligent enough to help another, nor are we able to rescue someone from the pit. However, if the Spirit gives you just one word, He is the One Who will change that man unto life eternal. In your past, when you truly ministered life to another it was only because you learned it from the Spirit. When, by the Spirit’s prompting you shared it with another, it resulted in building. God’s desire is that all our words become life.
Also notice that Jesus said that the greater works were about to be performed. Was it because Jesus wanted greater works? Was it because Jesus knew how to release the greater works? Not at all, Jesus tells us that He simply waits on the Father to show Him. If the Father is doing the works, then Jesus does them, and if the Father does greater works, then Jesus does even greater works. Before Jesus’ ministry time there were no works performed by Jesus towards the people. Why? BECAUSE THE FATHER WAS NOT DOING THEM! Meditate on that. No matter how much revelation you have, no matter what your past is or how holy your walk is, you can only do what the Father is doing. If God is not doing miracles, you cannot do one miracle in His Name. The same is true with any work of God. You can manufacture a work, and it may look like God to others, but no secret shall be concealed. On the positive side, if God is doing a great work and you SEE HIM DOING IT, it can be done through you at that point. Faith at that point is not a “shot in the dark”; instead, it is performing works from SEEING GOD DOING. I am not saying that all that are used in gifts have “seen God doing,” but I am saying that the greater works will be seen when we “see God doing” them. This is the “more excellent way” of maturity. This is an intimate place of covenant where God wants us. “Seeing” is a point we come to in our quest for the high calling of God. Are we close enough to God to see what He is doing? Jesus had a lifestyle of relationship with His Father. Let us not deceive ourselves in this matter; is your lifestyle considered a relationship with Jesus? Many things will crowd out relationship, but only relationship will get you to a place of seeing. We may want someone to lay hands upon us so that we can receive a gift imparted to us. Perhaps we want a special word prophesied over us concerning the greater works God will perform through us. This has its place, but it will never happen, no matter how many “impartations” or “prophesied words” you receive, until you SEE HIM DOING. To see you must be close, to see, you must be intimate.
A temple is a HABITATION OF GOD among men. Today, much of the church is focused on current or future revivals, but God's plan is focused on us becoming His habitation. Revival is defined as that which causes the building up of that habitation. Revival is not the end or completion of the building process. When revival occurs, it is not finished by any means and many times, it relates only to the foundational activity in this building project. Where man focuses on revival, God focuses on laying down your life. Where man focuses on stirring up the inner man via signs and wonders, God focuses on habitually overflowing with the gifts and fruit from a life that has matured. God focuses on you becoming a habitation from the revival that brought His visitation. If revival has become your only hope this age, you have drawn a spiritual finishing line at that point. Once you receive a visitation with great signs and wonders, for you, it is over. This can be the largest single obstacle in running a race to God’s desired finishing line. The prayer of Ephesians is that our eyes of our heart would see the hope of His calling. We must see God’s purpose in visitations, we must also see further down the road to God’s greater goal of us becoming His complete habitation.
different temples OVERVIEW:
The Temple in Heaven - This is that Temple in heaven, in reality, it is that which is eternal. It is the original and the pattern for all other temples on the earth. Earthly temples are but a shadow of this one.
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness - This is the tabernacle that Moses built while the Israelites wandered in the wilderness and it continued some years in the Promised Land. The tabernacle pointed to the more permanent stone habitation.
The Tabernacle of David - This was a pitched tent in Mount Zion for the ark of the Lord until Solomon erected the actual building.
The Temple of Solomon - Our main focus is on this temple that is properly called the "House of the Lord" in scripture. This temple thrived at a time when Israel was in its prime.
The Temple of Zerubbabel - This temple is the rebuilt temple after the seventy-year Babylonian captivity. Restoration is the key element. This temple closes out the Old Testament period.
The Temple of Herod - The temple after it was defiled and plundered and then cleansed and restored, except there was no ark as Solomon’s Temple had. This was the temple that was erected in Jesus’ day.
The Temple of God in Christ - In John 2:19-21 Jesus refers to Himself as the True Temple of God. The fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Him.
The Temple of the Holy Spirit - The church, defined as those who are born again by the Holy Spirit and have taken up their cross to follow Jesus, are individually and corporately referred to as the temple of God. These are those who abide in Him - Who is the True Temple, and they are joined to Him. This body of ours is the outward expression of that Glory within. We are spiritually - "a temple” and we also have a physical temple, which is our human body.
2 Cor 5:1-4
1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
2 For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation, which is from heaven:
3 if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4 For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.
On the inside of every one of us there is a groaning - to unclothe ourselves of this earthly temple of our physical body and put on our glorified, our redemptive body. We have a hope, an inward desire to have this tabernacle exchanged for the heavenly one, and to discard this weakly, deteriorating body and obtain one attached to the Perfect Head, Jesus. You cannot get more intimate than that; we shall be joined together with Jesus in body. There is a health that God has reserved for us here, but there is also a decay that reminds us that this is the temporary house. We should never groan for this physical body to be perfect here! We groan for the one reserved for us when we have finished our course.
We should keep in mind the principle that in “last days” things will get lighter and darker at the same time. As the temple of God is being completed, Satan's own building project is going on to completion as well. As the wheat grows up to maturity and is ready for harvest, so are the tares grown up to maturity and ready for their harvest.
One harvest for righteousness and one harvest for wickedness.
One observation to make about wheat and tares is that they “grow together” and they look similar until they fully mature.
The tares are uprooted; then the wheat is harvested and gathered together and bundled as ONE.
No doubt, this is a picture of those who are cast into the lake of fire (tares) and those who are joined to the Lord Jesus (wheat). However, these pictures do not have exclusive meaning for this certain event. We will observe many pictures in the scripture that have application for truth you can walk in today, as well as a more final and complete truth reserved for a future event. Concerning wheat and tares, we will observe in our OWN HEARTS, places, which have been dealt with by the Holy Spirit, and have become wheat. There remain, however, other areas that have not been dealt with; these are tares that reside inside of you - that are destined to be burned in fire. God is the separator, even as He separates the wheat and the tares in your own heart; He is also faithful and longsuffering to do the same in the lives around you.
As you mature in Christ, these areas we call tares will become obvious to you for the purpose of uprooting! When you look back to the first days of your salvation in Christ Jesus, I’m sure it is not hard to recall different areas of your life that were not pleasing to God. These were tares that God’s grace gave you the ability and understanding to see and uproot. However, as you grew in Christ, some of these tares grew up along with the wheat and even matured. I recall how I grew in Christ and God matured wheat in my heart, great strides in the spirit were made. Yet, along with the wheat, I had a tare in the form of a “critical spirit” that matured as well. My critical spirit continually found fault with others in the body. In spite of this contradiction, God continually matured other areas of my life concerning Jesus; He still allowed the wheat to grow up. This is what confounds most of us in our walk with God. We observe our life maturing, so we think all is well, while all the time there is the “tare in our heart” that remains there, undealt with. This tare can mature as well as the “wheat in our heart” matures. God will bring us to a place in our maturity where we recognize the tare and appropriate the Grace of God necessary to uproot it. The day came when I finally saw my critical spirit as a tare that was not pleasing to Jesus. I laid my heart on God’s holy altar to be divided, burned, and uprooted. This process is a purging of leaven, it is a washing of sanctifying water, and it is a burning of the wood, hay, and stubble.
James 3:9-18
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (NIV)
Wheat and tares represent today’s church and ministry that are a MIXTURE. In the last days God is, by His Spirit, UN-MIXING! If your tares are growing, you must possess God’s wisdom and humility, and then demonstrate deeds of wheat. This scripture in James addresses the confusion of the problem in our heart, and the problems in the heart of other Christians that disappoint us. As James says, “This should not be,” but this is a Christian reality that has become a stumbling block to most Christians. It is a contradiction that God will not allow to exist in the last day church. It will be dealt with by the methods that God has ordained. Our first step is to receive this heavenly Wisdom that can only come through walking in humility. Religious pride, selfish pride, or ministry pride will always exchange God’s wisdom for human wisdom that is independent from the authority of God.
In verse 17, we are given the RESULT, the FRUIT of God’s wisdom. There is a clear contrast between His wisdom and our earthly wisdom. It is first pure; this enables us to SEE GOD. If we see God, the result is a seven-fold characteristic that demonstrates real wisdom. The first is peace. Why does God’s wisdom come with peace? Peace is the opposite of bitter division. Selfish ambition that you manifest will divide and alienate others from God’s righteousness. False doctrine and opinions apart from Jesus will send a rift of separation between two parties. Allowing tares to grow alongside the wheat IN YOUR HEART will cause division within you. This results in unrest in your own life. Peace that comes from His wisdom will join together those who are separated from God’s righteousness, it will cause right thinking about every issue, and it will uproot tares in your heart. The tares are uprooted through this spiritual wisdom and will be replaced by sowings of peace resulting in “wheat of righteousness.”
Wisdom is not what you know; it is the applied knowledge of God in your life. Wisdom possesses fruit that becomes a last day harvest. Wisdom is what causes the un-mixing. As long as we let the tares of incorrect thinking, the tares of impurities, and the tares of “works of the flesh,” to exist, there will be no unity in the church. We can work very hard at having great gatherings, ignoring the doctrine and behavior of others, and yet the tares will always cause divisions. As we become un-mixed, as a body of people, we become truly mixed in unity. The time has come for us to possess the Wisdom from above that will remove “inconsideration” from our midst. It will remove strife, selfish ambition, injustice, and every evil work. Every opinion that we have apart from Jesus on any scripture or any issue is mixture. We have the letters written by Paul and other laborers in Christ, to teach in such a way that we can receive Wisdom, to receive the removing of tares, to become unmixed. I predict in this last day, we will see these letters and books contained in the Bible in such a way that we will walk a life that has had the “salt” and “bitter” removed. I predict that those in the church will desire Jesus, and that which pleases Him, in such a way, that they allow ungodly areas to be chastised completely. I have hope of a finishing line for my life; at the same time, I have a hope for the church of our Lord. This hope allows us to see with His eyes, a people that can be truly called the Wheat of God.
Heb 12:1-2
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NASU
In Hebrews 12, we must make some observations. This is a letter written to Christian Jews that were running a great race but now were in danger of backsliding. Their backsliding was abandoning the walk of faith in exchange for the works of the law. Paul addresses this problem in Galatians and other letters as well because the pressure to yield to works apart from grace was great. So great that even Peter, Barnabas, and other saints had yielded to it for a season; Paul called their yielding hypocrisy. This letter named Hebrews was written specifically to Christian Jews, however, is applicable to all of us. In our race, we will have an opportunity “to not endure,” an opportunity to forsake the walk of faith, an opportunity to exchange the race, forfeit our grace, and live by rituals. These rituals can be evident in our meetings, in our prayers, and daily tasks that we perform to find acceptance by God.
Paul reminds these Hebrew Christians of the many witnesses that ran before them. In Hebrews chapter 11, which we call the “hall of faith,” Paul encourages us by showing us all that ran before us. They are ones that have handed us the baton in this relay race of faith. They received the promise, they continually gazed at the promise, and they endured. They did not shrink back into a life of dead activities, they continued a race with a focus on the promise, and yet they never physically saw with their own eyes the realization of that promise. Our encouragement is this; they are surrounding us right now, cheering us on, and witnessing our run of obstacles, knowing that we can surely overcome through faith in the promise. If they made it, how much more can we make it? The promise spoke of a city and a mountain that are heavenly instead of earthly. Today we find fulfillment of some of these promises but other promises lay ahead of us in this earthly journey. There are other promises that will not be fulfilled until after the final day of the Lord. We, as the inheritors, must receive the wisdom in this life to sort out these promises, learning our inheritance so that we may be strengthened by the hope it brings. The promise we must continually gaze upon is Jesus; the promise of “a walk of life” whereby we are free from the entanglement of sin because of the “once and for all” sacrifice that Jesus provided.
The receiving and walking in this promised sacrifice WITHOUT RETURNING FOR MORE SACRIFICES is what Hebrews is about. Not returning to dead activities in an effort to please God; not returning to Jesus for more Blood to atone for habitual and known sin. As John states in 1 John, if we will walk in the light as He is in the light, we will have fellowship with Jesus, and He is cleansing us continually from sin without a continual consciousness of that sin. Law makes us continually conscious of sin. Hebrews is an edification to run forward, because, if the first covenant saints were faithful, how much more can we be faithful, who are second covenant saints. Yet Hebrews gives an admonishment for those that return from dead works, who return from the second covenant to the abolished first covenant:
Heb 10:28-29
28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (NIV)
All of us must fear God in this. We are all guilty if we do works apart from faith. If we pray, if we sing, if we form opinions about scripture, without looking to Jesus Who is the author and finisher of our race – we become those who tread on His blood. If we act as citizens of Earth instead of residents of heaven, we disqualify ourselves from this great race. The promise before us, the goal of this race, is to finish. The promise is to believe in Jesus and His blood atonement to the place where we will habitually walk in the light and walk in love towards all. If we go to our meetings and practice our faith, yet leave those meetings entangled in the affairs of life, treating others as less important than ourselves, we deceive ourselves. In reality, we have already stopped running. We can acknowledge all that Jesus did, know that it is true; yet our works speak that we cannot obtain the promise of finishing our race through faithful endurance and joy. Paul encourages us in Hebrews, “to not return” to our old ways, and to works of the law. Paul encourages us to gather together as saints for the purpose of encouraging one another. Paul further encourages us in our gatherings to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Our gatherings are not to be forsaken; they are needed for our perfecting. Just because we go to a church does not mean we fulfill this scripture. If we attend a church and do not stimulate others to love, to good deeds, to encourage one another, we are simply a first covenant church. We attend church to soothe our conscious; we attend as law instead of life-giving faith and grace. The context of Hebrews is rescuing a backsliding church from activities that are performed for approval of God, yet not done through faith in Jesus the Sacrifice. We do it because it is written on stone instead of written on the tables of our hearts.
Eph 4:13
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
God gives us many pictures that illustrate to His people the hope He has for them. I meet so many Christians that run this race without aim. They do not know what the finishing line is, let alone where the finishing line is. Therefore, let the Spirit of God reveal to us this hope of “what” and “where” we are DESTINED to be. God speaks to us about a life that presses towards perfection, but not perfection that man devises. The word "perfect" in the King James New Testament and our English word "perfect" do not convey the same thought in an accurate manner. Consequently, our natural minds will not accept certain verses in the Bible pertaining to God's desire for a perfect people. It is pertinent to examine the Greek text to understand scripture, at times.
5046 teleios (tel'-i-os) adj.; also 5048 teleioo (tel-i-o'-o) verb;
KJV-- of full age, man, perfect.
1) brought to its end, finished (This is the literal meaning)
2) wanting nothing necessary to completeness
3) perfect
4) what is perfect
a) consummate human integrity and virtue
b) used of men, full grown, adult, of full age, mature
The revelation of God's plan for the completeness of the temple of God is important for the entire church to understand. Understanding this picture enables us to comprehend God’s desire for us. Seeing this building project enables us to view the finishing line. A physical temple may be built in physical Jerusalem one day, but God's plan and purpose is for the true temple to be built in us as evidenced in our daily walk and activities. God will never dwell in a physical temple again. In addition, as Hebrews says, the first covenant temple was only a copy of the true one in heaven. The first covenant temple was a tangible prophecy of the Temple that was to come. The first covenant temple prophesied of Jesus the Temple and His assembly of saints.
God's temple will be built in us.
His temple will be a completed temple
It will not be a temple that is half built
It will not be a defiled temple!
This will become our Christian experience, just as it was the experience of the believers in the early church. There will be a completeness found at the end of the last generation of believers that the first generations of believers were never able to walk in. Just like the “first covenant believers” were forerunners that did not realize the promise concerning Jesus, the Lamb of God, the early church believers did realize the promise. The early church had a hope from promise as well that was not realized; it was a promise to see Jesus return as King for a church that has made herself ready. Whereas they walked in maturity that exceeds our present maturity, I see the last generation of believers walking in a maturity that fulfills the promise of “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” It is a generation of believers that will fulfill the promise of making herself ready, a promise to see Jesus return in the same manner that He went; it is a promise that will be realized.
In this present day, I am not a witness of unity of the faith except in small measure. In this present day, I am not a witness of knowledge in the church that I perceive as the Son of God. I cannot say that I bear witness to those that are of mature faith as measure to Jesus’ Own height. Finally, I have not witnessed a bride that has made herself ready for the great feast of the Lord. In fact, most Christians are confused about the promises of God. HOWEVER, I HAVE A PROMISE THAT GOD SPOKE, AND I LOOK TO IT WITH FAITH, believing that I will inherit it even as those that preceded me believed it. I also know that a “cloud of witnesses” surrounds me and they believe all these things with me.
There is a reason why we have not witnessed the promise today. Most Christians maintain hope of spiritually progressing, but they do not accept in faith an attainable level of maturity as the early church and apostles walked. We are naturally content with a life in the Outer Court of God’s House, maybe even a life in the Holy Place, and we make distant a life that walks in the most holy place of God. God's plan and purpose for His church is to attain a walk in the Holy of Holies – it will happen whether we choose to walk in it or not. God has spoken about a church without spot and blemish. What happens if we do not accept the plan? It will still happen! God is seeking after the hearts that will say yes to Him. We are simply talking about a people that are like Christ, attaining the maturity level found in the early church apostles. We must make our language plain to others because there are many that use our vocabulary, such as “perfection,” and mean something different than we do. Just as scripture is taken out of context, we can also be taken out of context. Being “perfect” is scriptural!
Isa 55:11
So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding {in the matter} for which I sent it. (NAS)
Matt 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect (teleios), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (teleios).
If indeed God desires us to be perfect or complete, surely He will be the one performing it.
You may say – “what about all those in the church that do not believe what Jesus said in Matthew 5:48 – ‘to be perfect’?”
You must believe God instead of what man says!
Rom 3:3-4
For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
There is a saying in the church – “Gods says it, I believe it, that settles it.” However, more accurate to this scripture would be – “God says it, that settles it, it does not matter whether you believe or not.” There is a great story in 1 Kings that teaches this very thing, and the consequences that a man of God experienced for not heeding God’s instructions.
I Kings 13:1,3-5
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam (King of Israel) stood by the altar to burn incense. And he (the man of God) gave a sign the same day, saying, this is the sign that the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he (Jeroboam) put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
We see here a prophet that has no problem hearing from heaven and then speaking the word of the Lord. Even when the enemy (Jeroboam - King of Israel) comes against him, no problem – the enemy’s hand withers. The word spoken comes to pass, and God is glorified even as the false gods are destroyed. We do not even know his name but there is a reason for that, as we shall soon see: we shall see a message from heaven that must not be ignored.
I Kings 13:15-19
15 Then he said unto him (A false prophet to the man of God), Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 And he said (the man of God), I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
18 He (the false prophet) said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
Even though we might be used of God mightily and be God’s prophet for the hour, this does not release us from the responsibility that we have to obey His instructions, His Word that we have heard from heaven. After you have heard from heaven do not be persuaded as the man of God was. One might be older, considered wiser, more famous, more recognized, but we must obey only the instructions that were taught to us by God’s Spirit. How did the man of God finish His course? He was met by a lion and was slain. His name is not recorded because of his disobedience. It is very important to obey God’s instructions. God may have spoken to you concerning giving up something in the secular world. God may be calling you to some type of specific ministry or God might have given you instructions that are totally UNIQUE, as God did with this man of God. These unique instructions are just as much from heaven as the instructions that the man of God had received. The king of Israel (Jeroboam) could not persuade the man of God but a false prophet could. We must obey specific instructions that make no natural sense as they pertain to our daily walk. We also must obey God’s instructions that are seen in scripture that pertain to God’s plan of our growth and maturity.
Jonah also received instructions from the Lord and refused God’s way. Jonah ran from God. How many of us run from God when He speaks? Jonah fled to a ship and caused a storm for everyone on board. When we do not heed God’s instructions, we may become responsible for the storms in the lives of those around us.
I know this older pastor that became a friend that I love dearly. He was a minister that introduced a new style of praise and worship into his church. This new “style” was a new wine that God was giving to His people. This new wine caused many to become worshippers for the first time. Because of this, there was an upset in the church. Change will always cause problems with the religious, to those that adhere to first covenant works. God is pouring out “new wine” and God does not allow old wineskins to house it. This pastor saw the new wine and did away with the old order (old wineskin) to set a new order (new wineskin). What God had done in hymns, God was exchanging for a new wine of worship music, but the new wineskins could not be a ritualistic order of things. God exchanged the wineskin as well; the new wineskin became an order where the people of God would FLOW with the Spirit of worship.
Many of the people rejected the new wine, the wineskin, and the pastor; a 3-fold rejection which all of us are destined to experience, eventually. The pastor started a new church with a remnant of believers that wanted the new wine and the new wineskin. Men like this hear God’s initial instructions similar to the “man of God.” They stand up against the Jeroboams of the day and watch the hand of God wither the hand of evil kings. Then, we see the problem, that which entangles us, a false prophet that comes along, and SPOILS the instructions from God with a substitute. This particular pastor had eyes to see what God was doing and yet could not continue in that way “without deviating.” God speaks a 3-fold truth to all of us. “Do not eat bread on your journey, do not drink, and do not return the way that you came” – do not deviate from the journey. We must NOT eat of the bread of the words of other “prophets” when it contradicts the instructions of God. This pastor ate of the words of these prophets; he lacked discernment that God reserved for meat-eaters and it cost him to forfeit a much greater promise. False ministers become an obstacle to thwart the promises of God for your life to become fulfilled.
We must believe God’s instructions that we see and we must not be persuaded away from these instructions by ANYONE. It is standing against the tide, and you will be beaten because of it, but you must endure. In the same way, this pastor was called of God to journey against the false kings and yet the false prophets persuaded his life away. Leaders like these become a composite of what OTHERS have taught them. Leaders like this continue in doctrines that are contrary to God’s thoughts because the majority of Christians believe that way. They believe in doctrines from other men because of their scholarly ability to persuade others. They believed the doctrine of other men because of the reputation of the man. Today’s leaders adhered to other doctrines because of the fame of false ministers and the appealing nature of those ministers, receiving doctrine because of signs and wonders, thinking they confirm that the word is also true.
Maybe I cannot reach today’s trusted leaders who have allowed themselves to get swindled out of God’s promises, but my hope is that I may have grace to reach you. Be willing to reject the doctrine that says, “The church is as mature as it will ever be.” The Spirit in your spirit knows; you have the mind of Christ in these matters. God will make known all that has been hidden and God is now revealing what He has prepared for you. Be willing to trust God for your own perfection, your own maturity that is “destined to be measured” to the degree that the early apostles grew. Be willing to refuse the doctrines that thwart this growth. We cannot end up like this dear pastor that “could not” and “would not” receive the truth of God of having a people unto himself that would demonstrate with certainty what God believes and thinks. Though he would leave an old order concerning praise and worship, he was unable to leave the old order of traditional doctrines. Some of these leaders make matters worse by lacking the discernment to perceive whether the new wine of doctrine has its source in Jesus. Inevitably, many of them become a mixture of FALSE WINE and NEW WINE.
We sometimes have the thinking “so what.” “So what if he does not think right concerning these matters, he has blessed people and he adheres to the basic doctrines of salvation.” God does not say “so what” – ever; but we fall into the trap of “so what.” God wants you to think like He does on EVERY ISSUE. My heart breaks when men of God think the thoughts that are contrary to His thoughts. I wish I could make them see but it is not up to me; it is strictly up to their own relationship with Jesus. The more intimate they are with Jesus, the more they will abandon contrary thoughts. I preach Jesus and His thoughts, they are received, and they bear witness to those that are His. Those that “are His” do not have a stopping point with God, they simply continue eternally towards His breast. Their head can always be seen resting on their Master’s breast. I continue to pray for our leaders that God will do whatever it takes to convince them of these tragic deviations. Our deviation does not just affect us, not just our congregations – it affects nations. It is a domino effect that imparts old wine and false new wines to the world.
You must have a revelation of Jesus and hear His voice in you and then you are to walk in obedience. However, something must take place in our heart before we can walk in this maturity. Paul prayed in Ephesians these 5 things that lead to maturity:
1. You would receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the deep & intimate knowledge of Him.
2. That this would come by having the eyes of your heart being flooded with light.
3. Therefore, you would see and understand the hope to which He has called you.
4. In addition, you would see the richness of His glorious inheritance that is inside of you.
5. This light would show you the immeasurable greatness of His power, which is in you!
To walk - YOU MUST FIRST SEE!
Jesus tells you to be perfect. That is mature and full-grown, not half-grown and not childish. This is a calling that gives us hope in Christ Jesus. I firmly believe that the reason I am able to teach anything that I can attribute to the Holy Spirit is because in the early 1980’s I prayed this prayer in Ephesians 1:17-19, everyday in faith, believing that I received. I know God hears this prayer because I know I am praying God’s will, and therefore I can have faith. Sometimes we pray uncertain of God’s will for a particular circumstance, but there is one thing we can pray in faith – to receive spiritual sight!
Some choose to experience God's promises for this life, as they see. Others will not experience God's promises for this life because they do not see. There are promises that we experience when we see Him face to face, but we must receive the words of scriptures that pertain to promises we can walk in today because of Jesus finished work on the cross.
In your heart you know that the desire of Jesus is that you are:
Saved here - Delivered here - Walking in perfect love here
Walking in the Power and Wisdom of Jesus - HERE
God’s promise is not - to be PARTIALLY delivered, or PARTIALLY walking in Love; God’s promise is for you to be FULLY delivered and FULLY walking in Love. God’s “WILL” is done on earth as it is in heaven, and His will is total deliverance in this life for you and for me. I can testify to the ever-increasing daily deliverance that I experience because of God’s faithfulness. I can further testify of God’s ability being worked in me to walk in His Love, Power, and Wisdom. It is not something “we in the faith" are hoping to some day experience; it is a reality that I as well as "others in the body" experience today! Surely, we are not complete but we are closer this year than we have ever been previously.
We must receive the baton that has been handed down from the “cloud of witnesses.” These witnesses are before covenant saints such as Abel, Enoch, and Noah; first covenant saints such as Moses, David, and Daniel; and second covenant saints such as Paul, Peter, and John. The baton is now in your hand, accompanied by the promise of ENTERING IN. It is a place of rest, a place of Sabbath, where we have ceased from our works to become a model of His handy-work. The obstacles are there, but the encouragement to “press forward,” “you can make it,” is much more a reality than the obstacle. The promise is “you are the priest of God,” you are the “bride that has made herself ready,” you are the one that treats the brethren as more important than himself. We are ones walking in light as He is in the light; we are the ones that can abandon our desires for His desire to lay down our life for others. We are the ones that can treat the sheep of God with utmost gentleness and kindness instead of abuse. Finally, we are ones with the heart of the Good Samaritan, because the commandments of God are written on our hearts instead of on tables of stone. We show God as real, taking no account of wrongs suffered by others and considering it joy to be called chosen of the Lord.
I encourage you to lose desire for self-defense, to cancel out the sins of others even as Jesus forgave you. No matter how much you know of the things of God, realize that sin and law can entangle all God’s people. We must embrace the promise and encourage others to endure. We must remove ourselves from petty disagreements and silly controversies, looking to Jesus Who gives grace to finish this race of growing up in love. Be kind to your brethren; call them when it is inconvenient. Invite them to your supper table to eat and break the bread of fellowship. Most Christians gather together on Sundays and yet their dining room is off-limits to their brethren. If you miss Sunday morning gatherings they quote scripture taken out of context, and they are the ones that obey not the scriptures. God wants gatherings for the purpose of rescuing us from - the return to dead works and sin, becoming one in mind and an encouragement to all those - we embrace. Do we have the reality of this gospel? Or, do we have a form of godliness only? The promise says this; “Christian embrace intermingled with laying down of life love is the fruit of perfection.” This kind of love is the finishing line of our promise. The promise is unity of the faith, one in mind, in the kiss of affectionate love. All of us taking the position to make ourselves last that we might obtain a better resurrection.
We must continue comparing scripture with scripture; line upon line, precept upon precept, until we see the accurate picture of Who Jesus is and what His plan is for the church.
Part of the pattern of God is that we worship Jesus in Spirit and in Truth. The act of worship is done in the spirit that comes from learning of Jesus – in Truth, and in the scriptures. As an example, there are some that do not believe in the doctrine of “One God in three Persons” also know as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. When they lift up their hands to worship Jesus they are at least in part - worshipping a false Jesus because they are not worshipping Him in truth. Now they not just SEE a false Jesus as in chapter 5, but they also WORSHIP a false Jesus. Even the simplest and most foundational doctrines will be challenged in these last days and many will abandon them for seducing doctrines. As in the case of the "trinity,” they use man's natural reasoning power to make LOGIC out of truth. Our natural minds cannot comprehend spiritual things. Try to reason that God has never had a beginning. Our minds are boggled, totally dumbfounded. Try to imagine how God can have counted the hairs on every head that ever existed, and every time you lost a hair or grew a hair - it did not pass His notice. The scripture teaches that the Father is God, and that Jesus is God, and yet they were separate Persons capable of having a relationship with each Other. Jesus did not pray to Himself, He prayed to His Father. Our mind cannot fathom that God can be three Persons. Therefore, many try to "FIGURE IT OUT" and therefore choose to combine the Three into One Person. They have abandoned a True knowledge of God. Are they born-again? I would assume so, but I cannot answer. I will say, that when they come to worship service and lift up holy hands to heaven, that they are at least in part worshipping a false God. I am making a point - knowing that as you read this, you do not believe this false doctrine. But please hear; we all are guilty to a degree - of this same principle! So now, let us examine ourselves by looking to Jesus in light of the scripture. Examine the Jesus that you worship - in light of scripture.
The church has entered into the act of worship and psalmistry in these last days that have been at many times - GLORIOUS. The act of worship is important and God wants us to soar to new heights in the spirit concerning worship. However, worship will be much more glorious and much higher when you see Him that you are worshipping, as He is - in Truth!
This is a truth that cannot be ignored; you can worship the Lord everyday with the most anointed music available and still grow little or none. How can this be? Because, only the seed of the Word of God is sown in your heart - therefore only the Word of God can grow in your heart; fruit is produced from the Word. <Matt 13:23> <James 1:18 > It is a mind renewed by the Word of God that is transformed to discern the perfect will of God. <Romans 12:2> It is the Word of God that cleans you and makes you one who is holy before God. <Eph. 5:26>
The book of Psalms is the book of worship, yet one of the longest psalms written was Psalm 119, which is a psalm about God’s Word. Psalm 119 shows the worshipper in relationship with the Word. It is a panting, a strong consuming desire, and a passion for God’s Word. The worshipper of Psalm 119 did not separate God from His Word, when he desired to worship God in His presence; he desired to worship God by knowing what God spoke. Why? Because I love God so much, I want to please God so much, that I will learn what He has spoken from His heart and I will hide it in my heart. It is in the hiding, the planting in my heart that causes us to declare, “That I might not sin against thee” even as the psalmist declared. If we desire God’s presence, if we desire to worship God in song and yet we have little desire for what He has said, then something is amiss. If we find ourselves in this place, I am trusting in the faithfulness of our God to cause us to hunger and thirst for Him in His Word.
In some churches it would be a strange concept that you can worship God in song, lifting holy hands and yet still have lost your first Love – Jesus Christ, but yet that is what God says. Worship is very important, but we are living in a day where the church has no problem entering into the act of worship and has yet lost a craving for God’s Word – that they know is the manna from heaven that feeds the inner man. A mature man is a worshipper, but a worshipper is not necessarily a mature man – in fact, he can be as immature, he can be as carnal, as the day, he was born again. God speaks very loudly in Psalm 51 – “obedience is better than sacrifice.” It is better to obey God’s Word than to offer the sacrifice of praise and worship, God wants both but the “more excellent way” is to obey His word that you have hid in your heart – even as you have meditated on it day and night.
The more I fall in love with Jesus, the more I experience intimacy with Jesus - is commensurate to the degree that I yearn for His Words! Knowing Jesus is - knowing Him Who is the Word of God. If you do not desire to know His words in scripture and do not submit yourself to those words then your worship is mere FLATTERY. As Isaiah declares - Isa 29:13 “Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from me.” The consequences of this action resulted in these people coming to NOTHING, being CONSUMED, and CUT OFF. Their wise men shall perish and their prudent men shall be hid.
Now, let us look at how the Apostle Paul viewed knowing Jesus and the flame burning in him.
Philippians 3:8,10 AMP
I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege, the overwhelming preciousness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish in order that I may gain (win) Christ. V10 – For my determined purpose is that I may know Him! <concise>
We must consider those things in our life that are separating us from God’s Word – “as loss” or “as dung” as King James Version puts it. If we examine our life truthfully, what will show up is - we do not have the time for reading what God says because there are many things in our life that we have not considered as dung. What is more saddening is we have not valued His words as possessing a priceless privilege. You will never really know Jesus without knowing His words. Everything between you and Jesus’ words are mere rubbish!
God sets the order of the act of worship by prioritizing His word.
Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Many of us have become weak in God’s Word; we must fall in love with the Word, we must have a romance for the “Word of God” that reveals to us the face of Jesus. In my own life there are people that “sing my praises” for abilities that I perform and yet they care nothing for my words of conversation. There are others that do not outwardly esteem me and yet they listen intently to my conversation and then order their behavior accordingly. The first group thinks that they have courted my favor and instead I “do not know them” and I have no pleasure with being with them. The second group not only knows me but they have become intimate with me – we are like-minded. Jesus speaks likewise in John 15; “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” No one desires to become intimate with someone that drastically differs in thinking. If you think like Jesus, if you obey Jesus, if you see Him as He is - then you will be like Him, you will be intimate with Him. If you desire not His words in scripture, if you are blinded to the meaning of His words in scripture, if you obey not His words in scripture, you will not be like Him and no matter what “manifest presence of God” comes down, your intimacy is limited. God will let you experience His presence to court you to come into His chambers of intimacy, but we deceive ourselves if we think we have arrived, yet desire not His sayings, and do them.
For us to mature any further we must humble ourselves before God and return to our first Love. How can I get to this place of longing for God in His Word? If we have found ourselves with a void of craving God’s Word then read Psalm 119 aloud to God and have faith that you are touching the heart of God. Substitute the word “precepts,” “commandments,” etc. for “Your Word” - and God will bring this message to bear. THIS COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Make special note of Psalm 119:71,92
If we worship Jesus and habitually refuse His words - then a danger lays ahead. We become as one who greets Jesus with a kiss and an embrace. We become as Judas into the garden of God saying TEACHER RABBI and we do not choose to do His sayings – we betray Him. Jesus says His friends are those that hear and DO His sayings. The Greek definition for worship is “to kiss.” We should kiss our Lord Jesus, we should show great affection for Him, but we must choose to “kiss Him most” by finding out what pleases Him and doing it.
I have seen, over and over, the people of God falling on their face worshipping, dancing and rejoicing, intensely giving Glory to God. This is a beautiful thing, but some of them might as well be ROCKS. Why? They leave the worship service and follow false doctrines, they serve themselves, and they refuse to hide the Words of Jesus in their hearts and obey them.
Worship songs in our gatherings are serious business and I perceive that we have taken it lightly. Specifically we have lacked the fear of God in selecting servants that will lead us in the songs of the Lord. For example, in my journey, I have seen a practicing homosexual that refused to renounce his abomination as “even being sin” – and he led worship in our love feasts. The people never discerned it, and the leadership deemed him as anointed and spiritual. The song leader was not even born again. I have seen worship leaders in every imaginable carnality and immaturity in the past twenty years. I have seen worship leaders involved in adultery, pornography, and bitterness, some with only one goal – to entertain and be seen of men. Each one of them had won the praises of the people for great worship leading and the anointing. They were deemed spiritual by the unknowing masses. They had no problem expressing outwardly with the people of God. They had a talent and a good selection of anointed songs, but with every song, they were contaminating the undiscerning. If we think we can go to our gatherings without discernment, we are dead wrong.
If you have song leaders in your gatherings, fear God, and assure that they walk lives considered blameless. Hold them to a standard of purity that you would expect of any brother that you entrust your heart to. If you do not have a talented individual that meets the standard of a blameless walk, you should resolve to sing without a leader. God will meet you without a leader much quicker than with a soiled or disobedient leader. If you are catering to the audience, then you will suffer contamination of your souls. It is easy to worship to songs and it is hard to obey His sayings. The bottom line is this, never evaluate your spiritual progress based on - your act of worship.
I speak these words candidly; hoping that they will rescue your gatherings from displeasing our Lord Who is the object of our worship. God sent to us fresh worship music from His throne but simultaneously counterfeit music was released from the soul of man’s own imagination. It is taxing to have to sort through all the clutter to get to the real songs that please Jesus. I do not know if I do a great job at it, you probably do not know if you are really sorting it out correctly either. Therefore, my point is we have to try to discern - instead of being passive. Some praise and worship is entertainment. It may have its place in the car as we travel, but it certainly has no place in our gatherings. Our gatherings have to be focused on Jesus and this will not happen with entertainment-based praise and worship. I will not define “entertainment-based”; I will trust that the Lord will work out that discernment in your own heart.
Simply put, I yearn for pure worship with Saints whose lives are found pleasing to God with songs and methods that also please God.
Phil 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained {it} or have already become perfect (teleios), but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of {it} yet; but one thing {I do} forgetting what {lies} behind and reaching forward to what {lies} ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (NAS)
Here we have a great example of scriptural perfection. When Paul wrote this, he had not obtained perfection, but notice that his hope was towards perfection. Our hope should be no different than Paul’s hope. Notice, Paul pressed on to maturity, even though Paul had obtained a maturity that surpassed most others. Paul is talking about maturity as a completed stage, the last stone being set on the temple. It is a completeness of one reflecting the image of Christ in every area of our life. The prize that Paul speaks about is a prize that comes from FULFILLING THE COMPLETE CALL OF GOD ON YOUR LIFE. Perfection is a “finishing of your course.”
Phil 3:15-17
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect (teleios), have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; Vs. 16 - however, let us keep living by that same {standard} to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Now Paul includes us in being perfect in verse 15. You are NEVER EXCLUDED in God’s plan of being mature and perfect. God always gives you grace to make it to the finishing line. The apostles of the early church did not “have it made” because they had walked with Jesus or saw a vision of Jesus. The early apostles were not given a better will or a supreme mind that gave them an advantage over you in “attaining God’s standard.” All of us have been given the same amount of grace to finish no matter how our courses may differ. Your course may not require that you become as spiritual as Paul did, but it could. There is one thing it does include - your maturity. God has a hope in His heart for you to finish your course. Your course will always include what God wrote about you in scripture and also what He has told you personally. We will examine what God says about YOU in scripture.
In the church, we frequently observe ministry gifts, which are esteemed in high regard by the church. God esteems not the gift, which is freely given – God esteems “as many as are perfect” - this is true spirituality. You may not be given a certain gift and you are downcast because of that. Do not fret, the potter made you with the potential to become a true representation of His Son in this Earth. This is so much more important to God than a gift of singing, preaching or prophesying. For instance, it is amazing to me that so many in our gatherings will promote a person that can accurately tell you how you have been living, your problems, and possibly the name of your doctor; yet, those same people have no regard for the “John the Baptists,” who do not demonstrate signs and wonders. It was John the Baptist that prepared the way of the Lord. It could very well be a people that infrequently demonstrate the gifts, as John the Baptist – that first become the true representation of Jesus in the Earth. In reality, the early apostles could have infrequently demonstrated signs and wonders, when compared to the span of their entire life. ALL GIFTS ARE IMPORTANT! What I am saying is gifts are what will get God’s people to maturity – they are not the finishing line like present gatherings may believe. In fact, there are many churches that will only book you to speak - based on how accurate and detailed you prophesy. This is not right or spiritual. Meekness is having the ability within you, and learning to forfeit that ability, until God has something to say. The bottom line is, you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit that can cause a purity in your life that will cleanse everyone you touch. It is this gift - that teaches, that causes you to live a life that represents the true Jesus, and that causes you to be the living interpretation of scriptures.
Verse 16 - however, let us keep living by that same {standard} to which we have attained.
Verse 16 implies that any growth that has been fruitful in our lives can be lost if we do not continue in that which we have attained. Backsliding comes from being weary in well doing. We must continue to walk even when we feel faint. We must join in with Paul and follow his example – an example that creates the standard of our life in Christ. Live that which you have attained from God and CONTINUE to the finishing line.
Verse 17 - Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
(I pray that you will get this most important scripture.) Paul says, follow his example, and walk according to the pattern. What is the pattern? The pattern is the TRUE IMAGE of Jesus. Paul had a version of Jesus that looked like Jesus. Not a false Jesus and not an opinion of what Jesus might have looked like. He has seen and been changed by the True Jesus. In other words, Paul interpreted the scriptures correctly and Paul lived the scriptures correctly. He did not have traditional doctrine handed to him on a platter, Paul panted hard after the Lord, to see the pattern, and to become the pattern. OBSERVE Paul's walk and talk. Measure it to your own life and walk accordingly. A walk that “abides in the Holy of Holies” is DEFINED as we look at Paul's walk before Jesus. A life that we see as “perfect and complete” is reflected in Paul’s manner of living. A life of one that has “come to the finishing line” is represented by the race that Paul had run. We may have many preconceived ideas of what “being spiritual,” “being perfect,” is, but God will define it before our very eyes by examining the Heart of God in the Apostle Paul and others who ran this race - in scripture.
We must also clarify for the record what God’s perfection is not. It is not the absence of mistakes. In other words, you can reach the FULL STATURE OF JESUS AND YET TAKE A COLLEGE EXAM AND GIVE THE WRONG ANSWERS! Some have thinking, that maturity equals making all the right decisions, doing daily tasks without fail, and always performing better than “non-perfect” people. These things must be stated because one can take this word and think in an “extreme” that does not exists in scripture. You can make grammatical mistakes in a perfect prophetic utterance. God uses the foolish things of the world. In addition, we make mistakes all the time in the workplace. These things can continue just as they are and you can still be scripturally “perfect.” In this part of our life, we can continue to say, “Nobody is perfect.” In fact, this imperfection is God’s way of accomplishing HIS PERFECTION. Mistakes in the workplace can be real humbling to our pride. God uses it.
On the other side, you cannot use what I just said as an excuse to fail tests that you have the inherent ability to pass. Also, you cannot be lazy and turn around and say that “nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes,” to forfeit your responsibility towards excellence. You cannot ignore the principles of God’s love and go around hurting others – all in the name of “nobody is perfect.” In these cases we observe that the term “nobody is perfect” carries with it a lack of repentance. The purpose of this chapter is to keep us from getting goofy about the doctrine of perfection. Some folks have already been goofy with this doctrine and thought that they could escape physical death. Death is swallowed up in victory, but physical death is certainly a victory as well, when your course is finished. I believe, early in your walk with God, God can call you home, as a witness, through martyrdom, or maybe through other means. This is a case where you finish early, yet complete. How is that? Because the Lord chooses for each of us – what level we are destined to attain. Our first chapter was called “It’s How You Finish That Counts.” Sometimes, the race is short but the finishing line was perfect. God is sovereign, if He chooses to take someone like Enoch, instead of allowing further growth to occur, it is His choice. Therefore, in learning and practicing truth found in doctrines like this, we cannot apply a formula to it. In fact, rarely does formula type thinking belong in understanding the ways of God. Those that take scripture and act like scientists, lawyers, and psychologists, know little of the ways of God - though they may know much of scripture, church practices, and doctrine.
A pattern is a blueprint to measure, fit, and build from. The blueprint is to be followed strictly and all the materials need to be available. Jesus has given us the plans and the ability. Jesus has anointed us and given us all the materials - in Himself. We need nothing more. He gave us apostles like Paul that demonstrate the end product, what we call a prototype or a model. Looking at Paul’s life, unrolls the blueprint, and looking at the details that built God’s temple in a man that served Jesus without reserve.
1 Cor 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
The lives and events of both the Old and New Testament characters were given as examples. Now if these examples meant a lot to the previous generations of Christians then just think what it means to us who are closer to "the ends of the world" then ever before. We will learn from the things these examples did wrong, and were judged, and we learn from the things they did right, and were rewarded. These examples in scripture were written to ADMONISH US. God is saying that the lives of those in scriptures are to WARN US, they are given to correct our lives – that is why they happened. For example, the events of the life of Moses happened to warn you to change “your course” to follow “God’s course.” Just like the man of God we examined earlier, Moses also did not heed God’s specific instructions, when God told Moses to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses struck the rock. The consequence of Moses not heeding the instructions of God would cost him – Moses did not get to lead the people into the promise land.
God’s hope was for Moses to “enter in” - that was the finishing line for Moses. Moses saw the promise land before he died but never finished his course to enter into that land. We must learn from such examples if we are to avoid the same “pattern of unbelief.” Remember, it is how you finish that counts. Moses suffered for years, worked hard, and seemed to do everything right… till one day … when he disobeyed. This example is one to edify us to – NOT DISOBEY. You can lead a billion people to the Lord, but it is how you finish that counts.
We must also examine the way Moses trusted God in other events so that we may imitate the “pattern of belief,” which we will examine later in the book. In these chapters, we will observe mostly the example of Paul. As pertaining to maturity or perfection, Paul was the "most mature" and the “most perfect” example given to us, in scripture. Maturity is best defined as we examine the heart of Paul and see how Jesus manifested Himself to the world through Paul. If I am to discern the spiritual growth of a Christian brother, or myself I will measure to the maturity of Jesus as demonstrated through the words and life of Paul. Paul's life is an example of how to get from point "A" to point "B" in this walk of faith that we must travel everyday, from glory to glory.
2 Tim 4:6-8
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Paul finished the race set before him. He became all that God had in store for him. He walked blameless before God and fought the good fight of faith. He obtained that which we saw him pressing on towards in Philippians 3:14. He again includes us in that which he has obtained. You should remember this verse well; it is the declaration of all that we have been talking about. There is a day when you are called to say these very words as well. This crown of righteousness is for all of us who have loved the appearing of Jesus.
What does it mean to love His appearing?
It is one who desires to see the fulfillment of all the plans and purposes in Christ, which will culminate at the appearing of Jesus in the Day of the Lord.
That is what it means to love His appearing!
God used men in past ages to restore to the church the truth that had been lost in the dark ages. Men of God have been used in signs and wonders and many of them possessed the character of God. God has used them to edify us, but we really do not know if they FINISHED the race. God has given us primarily, Jesus; and Paul, manifesting the person of Jesus, as the foundational pattern example of how we must believe and walk. Both the book of Acts and the epistles had more of an emphasis on the walk of Paul then any other apostle.
Why is the life of Jesus alone, not sufficient to examine? Because our natural mind can't handle the thought of us “being perfect” even, as the “Father in heaven is perfect.” Jesus was not a fallen creation like we are (because of Adam). God found a man (PAUL), that was fallen like we are (because of Adam), and had to overcome the sin nature in himself, and would partake in his share of the sufferings of Jesus, and live a life that was perfect, even as the “Father in heaven is perfect.” This is why Paul could say, "Follow my example" with confidence. We live in a world where we sometimes lack good examples to follow. God the Father gave us His Son and also gave us a man that allowed the Son of God to be demonstrated through him as our example, and not only Paul but many others as well.
Can you say to your brethren in Christ "Follow my example?”
Every seed has an image on the inside of it. If that seed is cared for then it will break out of its shell and start pressing on towards being a fruitful, mature stalk. As the seed we can say, “We have not attained it”; but we are to press on towards heaven, just like the seed. Likewise, on the inside of you is the very image of Jesus. When you die to yourself, break through the shell of your earthly desires, and replace them with yearnings for heaven, you will find yourself forgetting what lies behind; you will be reaching forward for the season of bearing fruit.
This picture of a seed’s image is called DNA. Within the DNA, there is a blueprint, a computer program if you will, or as Scientists call it – genetics, not realized, and unfulfilled. Through proper care of the seed, it will become what it is designed to be. If it is a fruit tree, the image will say, “Sprout forth out of the shell, break through the ground and reach towards the heavens.” The image or genes inside the seed will transfer that genetic code throughout the entire tree, filling it with life. The final culmination is fruit that produces more life to all that partake, and let us not forget that the tree will produce more seed for future fruit bearing trees.
In man, we have our DNA image as well. Unraveling the DNA was important to scientist because they believe it to be “the secret of life.” We will unravel the DNA in a different way, with a spiritual meaning. The DNA we possess - came from those that gave birth to us, and it is referred to as the “origin of life” by the world. DNA determines your physical design, what the scriptures call “the natural man.” Simply put, your unique DNA is responsible for your physical and soulish design, some of which came from your parents. With proper care, that design will be realized, it will become a reality. When you read the book of Romans, keep this in mind.
Rom 5:17-19
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
NASU
This cycle of life has one thing that makes it work successfully – BINDING. In fact, the biological process is comprised of unity and separation, of binding and loosing, and cell life and cell death. All of these cycles MUST OCCUR within your body to produce life. Picture your DNA as two rails to a ladder. These two rails are connected by all those rungs in the center of the ladder. In the DNA strand, one rail of the ladder spirals downward while the other rail of the ladder spirals upward. There are two different types of rungs that join the rails together. Scientist have discovered there are four different elements in the rungs; element one and two for the first rung and element three and four for the other rung. This is a very important spiritual lesson that we must see. The one rung has a strong bond to the rail while the other rung as a weaker bond to the rails. Why is this? To produce more life these rungs must break that they might replicate. Though the rungs are totally equal in width, to connect the rails, they are unequal in strength.
What we see in this science lesson is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are a rail of a DNA strand that is in a spiral downward direction. The Father is the other rail of the ladder, always in a spiral direction upwards. JESUS IS THE RUNGS OF THE LADDER! Man attempts to connect to the Rail on the other side, which is God, by good works, and by their own way, instead of God’s ONLY WAY. Jesus has a perfect relationship with the Father, yet I believe that there was a day at the cross where the Son temporarily separated from the Father, so that many could be connected. Jesus died that we may live, He separated that we may be joined, and today He is connected to the Father without separation. But what about our part? Scientist say, when you look at each rung all you have to see is one element for each rung. If you see one element, you always know the other element because they are always paired together the same way. Jesus says, that when you see Me you have seen the Father. Likewise, when you see Jesus you will see the Person of the Holy Spirit. I believe there are two different rungs because there are two unique relationships present. Jesus has a unique relationship with the Father and with the Spirit.
The DNA rungs are the vehicles used to TRANSFER GENETIC ENCODING. The only way to receive life, the only way to connect to the other rail of the ladder, is through Jesus – our Rung. Through prayer and surrender of our will, to Him as Lord and Friend, we become born again; we get connected to the rungs, and connected through the rung to the other side, to the other Rail – our Father in Heaven. At that moment we are born from above, we receive genetic code that destines us to become a mature Christian. What is a mature Christian? When our life’s deeds can say, “If you see me you have seen Jesus.”
Why are there weak rungs? In a DNA strand, the weak rungs are used to SPLIT THE LADDER DOWN THE MIDDLE. There are still connected rungs, but to replicate there has to be division. We have a relation with Jesus AND the Holy Spirit rung of the ladder, that through breaking, causes a separation that ends in replication. It is a garden of Gethsemane, it is a cross, and certainly, it is a wrestling of our will against God’s will. In the conflict brought on by circumstances, we are given choices. You are never completely separated from God, but in part, you sure are. If you tell me you have never been there, I must think you lack honesty or you have not served God with fervor. But what is of interest is this; the chemical number that connects the rungs together is the number five, the number of grace. It is through God’s mercy and ability bestowed on us to complete His will - that joins us back together on these issues. In addition, when we have joined back together in the places where breaking is going on – it causes life and replication. God can now use you more than the day before this division took place.
Science will try to alter DNA and things pertaining to this physical world, but man cannot alter spiritual DNA unless you allow it. Through Adam’s disobedience, we have inherited defective DNA that is destined to death, but through Jesus our Lord we inherit spiritual DNA that is destined to everlasting life that no man can kill. That inheritance contains all the genes you need to grow up completely and to act like Jesus in any given situation or crisis. The real DNA is the spiritual one; the physical DNA is but a vapor. You are not destined to mental illness, to alcoholism, to homosexuality because you were redeemed from the curse of the law, you were redeemed from defective DNA. Please connect to Jesus daily and receive your inheritance.
The way of perfection is a way of splitting the DNA ladder, it is a way of stripping you naked – to prepare you for your cross. Cell death must take place for new cells to be born, the DNA ladder must be split down the middle for replication to occur, and the seed must fall into the ground and DIE. These are pictures of our walk in Christ. Personally, I have felt all of these traumas occurring in my life, more often than I observe in the walk of other Christians. My response starts out more Godly, than I weaken, then at times I break into self-pity and faithlessness. I believe that those who are called to implement the most dramatic change in God’s people, are the very ones that must first be dramatically leveled to dust. Ambition has no place in God’s kingdom, especially in the very ones that God chooses to use mightily.
The way of perfection is a way of destruction. In business, if we are at a point where failure is all around, the next strategy is usually re-inventing ourselves in business. In our life, to continue our journey, we are stripped and split, for a reason. Just as in business, many times we will have to re-invent ourselves. In other words, we must regroup, rethink our position, and make the needed adjustments for future success, or future journeying. In our analysis, the areas that God will many times deal with are, being dead to the world, dead to success in this world, dead to careers, dead to time occupiers, and dead to our strong emotions and opinions. As I said before, those who are called to great positions in the kingdom, see these things often in their lives. As a friend, Clarice Fluitt, says, “Do not waste your sorrows.”
The way of perfection is a way of great affliction. Many times, we learn some lessons of the Lord, we may learn to keep the faith in a trial, we may learn to praise God in a trial, but God wants even more. Our response can be, “it just is not fair.” That response can thwart God’s purpose in bringing these things to our life. Sometimes, what God wants is a certain quality of life – AFTER DELIVERANCE. We may do all the right things to be delivered, but often times, after deliverance, we revert back to some of our old ways. Then God turns up the fire seven times. Why? He is now sending a fire that has a penetrating function. The previous fire did well at removing surface debris, now God goes deeper. Do you want a deeper relation with Jesus? Expect this fire! The message and impact of the affliction has to be deep enough to penetrate our souls, so we may to continue, with that same attitude that caused us to pass the test, but this time - after the test. It is easy to forget. It is easy to revert back to some prideful attitudes and ambitions, after the test, when we have all things abounding. Paul learned how to be abased and to abound. Sometimes we are only spiritual when we are abased, but in the state of abounding, we become haughty, confident in our abilities, our knowledge, and comfortable again in our ways. The fire must not strip you just on the surface, it must go deeper, so that you may be free of SELF when you abound.
After restoration, you may be changed, but God may be calling you to worldly abundance, to steward the things of this world, without being trapped in the love for the world. We can claim this type of abundance, all in the name of faith using many scriptures, but do we really know what we are asking for? If you want to finish, and yet you pray and claim abundance to steward riches, you are also claiming great fire to be afflicted upon your life. If this is your call, do not avoid it, but expect the fire.
In my life, I deem this book as the most that I have to offer in this life. I have the joy of writing, I have the joy of hearing the testimonies from those that have read, and I enjoy being used of the Lord for this work. However, because of the responsibility of writing this book, which took many years to write, I have experienced great fire that could have been avoided by not writing, by not accepting the responsibility. This fire has come to me in different ways; sometime unemployment, sometimes in broken relationships with those I love, and many times with a great weight upon me to write without hypocrisy. To give the book substance, I must write and live what I write. Though I may be gifted to write, though I may be gifted to see, I am not gifted to live this life any easier than you are. In great affliction, if I lie down, if I choose not to change my ways, when revealed, the book will lack substance to penetrate your heart. The book becomes a book of tips instead of a book that possesses the grace of God to change Jesus’ church unto maturity. The lessons I must learn - will differ little from the message you must learn. In your life, there is a call. That call will lack substance, no matter what results you see with the naked eye. Your witnessing and missionary work will be a help, but it could have been the very hand of God, extended in awesomeness, to those you have contacted. Your pulpit preaching may help folks, but it could have been the very hand of God – rescuing many from the pit. Your teaching may help the body of Christ, but it could have caused a growth that sets God’s people on stable ground, no longer tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
In our abounding state, we must learn to cling to the cross of shame, instead of forfeiting it for the soothing solution of the world. In abounding circumstances, I have fallen into the trap of surrounding myself with the advantages of “abounding.” Therefore, to finish, I must be stripped again. Without the stripping, I may not finish my destined course; and the work God called me to - will lack substance. Your life is the same. You may have the baggage of self-endulgement, self-pleasement, surrounding yourself with the abilities and advantages of the world, instead of being the steward of what belongs to Him. For example, I have known very rich ministers who died with their riches, never distributing them to saints, their true family. One rich minister that I knew - paid his workers less wages than the world paid those same workers, though he had great resources to pay them much more. He taught faith in God, he taught that faith is used to acquire wealth, yet disqualified his ministry by not stewarding properly the wealth that was gained. Churches have learned to distribute wealth for things, more than for Saints, which are with them in relationship, and to God, are the true possessions of the kingdom.
Moses was stripped of Pharaoh’s house; Moses was destined for desert life. This is God’s way to qualify us. We are cast into abandonment to bring us to a place where we can rescue others, with God’s methods instead of our own methods. Moses was used to provide wealth to God’s people, with God’s method, not His own method. It is easy to claim – it is hard to steward that which is acquired.
Have the attitude; if we are humiliated further, praise God, we are being qualified. Do not forget your past deliverances; allow God’s work to penetrate deep within. Learn to be abased, but even more learn to abound. Let not self-endulgement be named among you. Examine your ways when tested, it is your heart God is after in the test. Christians have progressed in their responses, but God wants more. God wants to use you to change nations. He will not do that unless He first removes “self” from your conduct. We have taught many times about the necessity of having the Holy Spirit in your life, as Teacher. We will continue to harp on this promise throughout. Why? It is the single most important truth that enables you to finish. Most are confident that they possess this truth, yet their life, most often, disproves this confidence. Another reason we go through these “penetrating fires” - is to change our doctrine instead of our attitude. If you are dogmatic in a lie, it must be removed, some way, some how. God must go deep to change these strong opinions. The end objective is – HUMILITY, in either case.
We must die for real! Therefore, we must focus on this dying for the next few chapters. The objective? To give answers to your present affliction. We must learn the responses that God is looking for. We must learn what area is the topic of controversy with God, today. We must have resolve within our hearts concerning God’s process of fire, for this moment.
Do you not feel afflicted? Then, you are learning to be abound. Possibly for you, an even harder lesson. A period of abounding may require more trips to a place of altar, because we are not being confronted with our “self.”
Please, prayerfully follow, as we continue the hard part of our journey. A place of great pain, sometimes, torturously twisting us. A place of tears, a place of rejection, and even a place of tragedy for loved ones. A place where it is easy to give up, to lie down. But if we do, our ministry will lack substance. The issue here is not – whether we are being used of God, the issue is in what condition is your heart when God uses you?
The Holy Spirit has been revealing to many these truths concerning “being finished,” but after seeing God’s end plan we still have to get to the finishing line. This is where we can stumble, faint, and become distracted, or deceived. There is a wilderness ahead for every one of us and you can count on at least one area of your life being disciplined and dealt with by God even right now. As we become situated in the knowledge of God’s ways, concerning these truths – it takes wisdom to stay in those ways. It also takes a strong decision of our will to stay focused on these truths, keeping the blueprint before us. We have to push ourselves beyond the comfort zones we enjoy, beyond the relationships that we feel safe in, and beyond the daily rituals of our life.
2 Cor 12:2
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
What the devil fashions for the destruction of the church, in Paul, God turned 180 degrees for His good pleasure. Paul persecuted the church and then there came the day when he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, and on that day, he was transformed. Paul saw Jesus again on the day described in 2 Corinthians 12:2 - when he was raptured to paradise and heard unspeakable words and was again transformed, but this time he was transformed into a maturity that few have ever seen since.
2 Cor 12:7-8
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing, I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
For those of us who are desirous of heavenly experiences like Paul experienced, this is a sobering lesson. After experiences such as Paul had, there comes a strong temptation of self-exaltation. Even in the re-telling of the event, we see Paul using the third person language to keep a distance from bringing attention to himself. Because of the love of our Father, we can expect a dealing of God, a thorn that shall pierce your flesh. However, make note, it was not the vision that matured Paul, it was the lesson afterwards.
2 Cor 12:9-10
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NAS)
Why was this revelation of the Lord important for Paul's maturity? He learned what we all must learn. When we see a revelation of Who Jesus is - we may be caught up as Paul was, but more importantly, the Holy Spirit will unveil Jesus to us in some measure… sometimes great - of Who Jesus is. We will receive revelation of what He looks like in reality. After seeing Jesus, we may receive a thorn in the flesh from a messenger of Satan that is sent to buffet us. We must suffer affliction; we must be “pierced by the thorn” to become mature. This is the part of the gospel that tends to be ignored by “Outer Court Christians” also known as the “carnal Christian” in 1 Corinthians chapters 1-3. Specifically every “carnal Christian” that does not desire the “more excellent way” of God.
Why are we to be afflicted like Paul, with these thorns in the flesh?
So to ONLY trust in “His” grace and ability and not our own.
So that our every boast will “ONLY” be in the Lord.
So as to be content in “our” weakness and remain strong in the Lord and the power of “His” might.
So that all of our efforts must cease and “His” effort is the only one we will exhibit.
First, we must have an encounter with God like Paul did. After we encounter God, we can expect the fire of God that keeps us from exalting ourselves. If we refuse His fire then we will probably speak out those unspeakable words that are heard in the heavenlies. We will become spiritually proud and arrogant. We will start trusting in our ability to prophesy, to witness, and to teach. We will use our knowledge of the scriptures instead of submitting to the Wisdom that is utterly dependent on the Holy Spirit to speak.
In reality, what we are experiencing is an exchange. In this exchange, we become the receivers of what Jesus gives in this exchange, and what we FORFEIT in this exchange will go to the CROSS. We receive revelation of Jesus that results in an exchange of our knowledge for His knowledge. We receive the life of Jesus that results in an exchange of our nature for His. Afterwards comes the test – will this Love Nature that we have received - remain standing? Jesus, Who is the Word, has fallen on your ground, and there is nothing wrong with the Seed. Our covenant with God places a demand for an exchange, a demand for us to forfeit. Now it is your choice. Jesus gave FIRST in this covenant; we then receive it – NOW WE MUST GIVE UP OUR SELF-ASSURANCE. This exchange must now stand the test – will this Love fail? It cannot fail in regards to His part of the covenant, but our choices will cause Love to fail on our part of the covenant. Where we are today is a result of the series of decisions that we have made concerning what He has given us. God is always dealing with our self-assurance; are we willing to forfeit it or do we cling to it even though the thorn pierces us?
An abundance of revelations is a great unveiling of Jesus. Why would this result in a temptation in self-exaltation instead of transformation? You would think that Paul would have been changed and instantly become “like Christ” because of the EXPERIENCE. However, it is natural for the pride of man to rise up and think himself SPECIAL instead of FORTUNATE. The result is boasting in that which draws attention to YOU instead of Him Who was revealed. No doubt, we have witnessed this in today’s ministry but if we do not take heed, we shall likewise fall. God allows the thorn from Satan to cause that which you have received from Him to remain in you - eternally. If there were no thorn, there would be pride, and if there is pride, then God is gone from that which you have received. All that will remain is your nature instead of His Nature. If you accept His grace then you will be accepting His Nature that accompanies His grace.
ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Thorns in the flesh do not get you mature, but obtaining grace for them will produce maturity.
Sorting out affliction is the hardest thing for us to discern in our own Christian walk. We are always wondering as to why we have been afflicted. To understand affliction we must understand the purpose of affliction. We must also understand that the reason affliction comes to us is varied. For example, we are told of two different types of affliction in 1 Peter. One affliction comes because of “doing well” and the other comes because of “doing sin.” Peter tells us to rejoice because of the first type of affliction and endure the second type of affliction with patience. Jesus speaks of another type of affliction.
John 9:2-3
And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
It is revealed here that there is affliction that we receive so that the works of God can be performed. We also see that it is unrelated to sin or generation curses as was commonly taught. The reason for all bodily afflictions cannot be given this reason, but in this particular case, it was.
Matt 9:33
And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
We see here and also in a few other places in scriptures, that bodily affliction was a demonic manifestation and Jesus always cast it out in these instances. It is not a wise thing to try to figure out all the different reasons another is afflicted in body or in circumstances, however it is very much the wisdom of God to discern why you are currently afflicted in body or circumstances. The gift of “discerning of spirits” and “gifts of healing” equips us to minister to others – we do not have to have it figured out for these, we just need to obey God when He tells us to move. YOUR AFFLICTION is where God is teaching us this day, and revealing to you the purpose of it. Affliction in the context that we shall teach in this book relates to anything that afflicts you in body, your mind, emotions, and your will – YOUR SOUL. These afflictions come in the form of adverse circumstances in the physical world.
In sorting out the affliction in our life, it is wiser to refer to each affliction appropriately. The “thorn in the flesh” type of affliction does not apply to all afflictions. The “Job kind of affliction” is quite different from the “thorn” type. There is the “Martyr” type of affliction that is the purest form of affliction where we have been faithful in our part of God’s covenant. We discussed earlier about the “bag with holes” type of affliction that comes because we have built our house instead of God’s house. Then there is affliction that says we must be patient until it ends because in “due season we shall reap if we faint not.” Only an intimate relationship with Jesus and having open ears can help us to discern which type we are facing. Sometimes we are facing an overlapping truth from all these types of afflictions. By God’s grace we shall discuss in length a wisdom that may help you to discern through God’s Word; therefore we must draw near to Jesus as we read.
In discussing affliction, one may be tempted to use a certain “affliction teaching” to apply to your personal circumstance. If the Holy Spirit is speaking in this way – it will produce life in you. If your affliction is due to another reason, the consequence of using a certain “affliction teaching” can bring bondage. There was one woman whose children had been sexually molested by their father. In reading our chapter called “The Job-Kind-Of-Affliction,” she felt we were teaching that this “Job affliction” was applicable to her situation. In situations where we see innocent victims like this, it cannot be said that this is the appropriate type of “affliction teaching.” In this book, we do not address the “innocent victim type of affliction” except to reveal Jesus – the Healer of the Brokenhearted. The focus of this book pertains to the high calling of the Christian believer and therefore we focus on the purpose of affliction that brings us to this “finishing of our course”; this is the area we are gifted in. There are other gifts in the body that minister to victims in a way that God uses in an awesome way; we should pray that God sends these gifts to us if we are in a place where we possess deep hurts that remain undealt with.
In many examples of affliction, we may say, “That does not apply to my life,” because the circumstances are different. For instance, the “Job-kind-of-affliction,” presents a man in a unique situation that few can categorically relate to. However, the principles and ways of God can make the scriptural example - applicable, nonetheless. No matter how much we study, no matter how many conferences you go to, and no matter how many ministers prophesy over you, you will never know how to appropriate God’s ways to your life without an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. Literally, He needs to be your best buddy, or you will continue struggling – without answers. There is a day that you may be stripped of any natural dignity that you possess; in that day, you will need to have appropriated the promises of John chapters 14-17.
Jesus taught that we must die to live. The overall purpose of affliction is that you are to die to yourself and live unto God. Or, as Romans chapter 6 teaches, Reckon or ACCOUNT yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God. Count it as FACT – NOW! We are dead to our own purposes. We are to offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice and our bodily parts as instruments of righteousness. Though this is a spiritual reality and is COMPLETE, yet we fail to walk in it, and this is the struggle that Paul teaches in Romans 6-8. God will deal with you – one area of your life at a time, to reveal to you His Son, and to reveal to you that “natural man” that still manifests himself in your life.
This revelation comes through scripture, prayer and affliction.
1 Pet 1:23
for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, {that is,} through the living and abiding word of God.
This seed will have to break forth from its shell, and this is done in most natural seeds through temperature, pressure, and humidity. Affliction in the life of the believer is designed to “break the shell,” to “remove the bushel,” to “break up the ground,” to “press as grapes,” to “chisel the stone,” to “purge the silver and gold,” “to split the ladder,” “to strip you naked.” The scriptures give us a multitude of pictures to help us to understand these daily dealings of God, and the natural world around us will present even more pictures of the ways of God. Scripture deals with the topic of affliction more than any other topic - through doctrine and example.
John 12:24-26
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. (NAS)
It is a life of affliction that gives us the opportunity to die. Peter told us that we were to rejoice in the affliction of Christian suffering. This is avoidable affliction for the “natural man.” It occurs because we choose Jesus Christ; it comes on us because we followed Him with no compromise. If you are being afflicted because you did that which was right in the eyes of God, then your response should always be rejoicing. However, no matter what caused the affliction to come to you, when submitted to God, it causes a death to the natural man, and a bearing fruit of that which is of the Spirit.
1 Pet 2:21-24
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting {Himself} to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. (NAS)
The sufferings of Christ are a pattern for you to live by. This is a blueprint that diagrams all that is required to complete this building project. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s a contemporary Christian singer named Keith Green sung frequently about the life that should constitute the normal Christian. He sung and preached that it is nothing short of a “no compromise life style,” a laying down of every self-effort. Today this message is seldom preached in popular Contemporary Christian music. It is a foundational message that leads to maturity and yet I perceive that the start of “the great falling away” may have already occurred in this music segment. However where darkness increases - light increases as well. There is praise and worship music being released that is direct from the throne of God. Even in our musical gifts, we see God’s plan for us that we must die that He may live. It started when you were born again and it continues from there.
What does the shell of the seed represent?
Greek word - 5590 psuche- Thayer's definition
The soul
a) the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul, etc.)
Translated - HEART, LIFE, SOUL, MIND in King James Version
It is your will - your mind - your emotions.
Matt 10:39
He that findeth his life (psuche) shall lose (literal Greek–DESTROY) it: and he that destroys his life (psuche) for my sake shall find it.
Affliction will show yourself to yourself, through His word, and through relationship, for the purpose of losing your psuche, losing your soul. Technically speaking, does that mean that your soul is removed out of the way? No, that would make you SOULLESS. What it does mean is, your will and God's will are in agreement, yet holding unique opinions. It means, your mind will think His thoughts, yet unique to your personality. It means, that your emotions display the passion of Jesus Christ, yet unique to your heartfelt manner. It is in actuality, a transformation, a metamorphosis. However, for this to happen - it must become broken. It must be destroyed to the point where it no longer resembles - you apart from Christ.
The uniqueness of this principle is important. If God replaced your soul with His, then you would become a clone. God wants you to be like Him, but not a clone of Himself. All of us are totally unique, and yet our soul can be totally transformed. Your uniqueness will remain throughout eternity. If our every thought were in agreement with Jesus’ every thought, our minds would still maintain uniqueness. God does not want robots to serve Him, and He is not interested in saved computers. Surely, God could program His will into us, and the output would be only what He inputted. Instead, God designed us as vessels of love towards Him, and towards others. He designed us with uniqueness in all of those relationships. Our relationship with Him will always be unique, and the relationships with the body will remain throughout eternity as well.
How can we become broken?
Again - We are left with perfect examples to follow!
Paul says:
1 Cor 11:1
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Paul claims to be an example – a spiritual father.
1 Cor 4:15-16
For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
Paul consistently preached what the church should do, but in addition, he SHOWED THEM. Every parent knows that their children will be imitators of the example that was shown them. Words are important, but our example is what teaches them what our instruction really meant. The world wants to be shown, our children want to be shown, and even the immature church of our Lord wants to be shown, what maturity looks like. Many in the church have become discouraged because it seems to them that there are no true examples of Christian maturity. Unfortunately those that claimed maturity boasted in themselves, they boasted in Christian activity, they boasted in ministries - instead of boasting in ONLY Jesus. There are at least a literal “ten thousand teachers” on the circuit, teaching the body of Christ, and few examples; yet God speaks loudly that you are without excuse – the Apostle Paul lived a life that was an example to YOU, as well as many others in scripture. God in these last days is raising up examples that will not be out of the “ten thousand mold” but will be cut out of the “father mold.” This is a more excellent way.
Again, Paul obtained Christian maturity like none other in the Bible. God entrusted most of the New Testament to be penned by Paul, and his life and ministry was used of God for the purpose of showing you a man that walked in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and chapter 13. Paul followed in “HIS STEPS,” and you notice that it led to suffering – IT LED TO BEING BROKEN, DESTROYED, DEAD! This is where Paul’s boast was – in the things he suffered in Christ, knowing it will produce God’s “more excellent weight of glory,” lasting throughout eternity. If your gospel excludes you from the sufferings, the afflictions, the fire of Christ, then you will lack maturity and its rewards.
Everyone looks the same outside of affliction, but add some affliction (FIRE) - and the ONE they have been serving shall be manifested.
The fire of God is the most important element in your Christian walk. It is the element that breaks the shell – it removes the bushel to allow God’s Light to shine to the world. The church is called to go through the fire. <Num 31:23> ...”and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But, it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water.” <Ps 66:12>...”we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” Fire AND water shall make us clean and bring us to a place of abundance. Avoiding fire will keep you unclean and in want. It is very important that we do not allow this part of the book to become one of those dishes on the table that we push away. God gives grace in both the eating of His words and in the doing of them. Following Jesus is not a life insurance policy to get to heaven, it is a cup given to us by the Father to glorify His Son. Before suffering, we come to our Gethsemane. To finish our course we must accept the cup.
The Sufferings of Christ means to suffer with Jesus
Rom 8:17
and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (NKJ)
Paul said to the early church to imitate him. Therefore let us observe his example concerning the cup of Christ’s sufferings.
1 Cor 4:12-13
And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. (NKJ)
Many of us think that if we survive a testing or suffering, then we have endured. There is a difference. Enduring is much more than mere surviving. Enduring submits to Jesus as Lord as it passes through the valley of the shadow of death. That’s why we can fear no evil – He is with us when we submit. We live a life of scum as far as the world views us, but in His eyes, we are kings. As kings, we are not survivors – WE ARE ENDURERS!
Paul’s RESPONSES indicated that he submitted to God and received His grace to get through. Our responses will always tell us whether we are surviving or if we have received grace to endure. There may be a wrestling of wills such as Jesus experienced at Gethsemane, but we must submit to God’s will, and then comes grace that brings the ability to be struck and yet respond without self-defense. If you have no Gethsemane experience then you will still be struck, but your response will be to defend yourself. Paul did not defend when struck with spiteful words - he blessed them instead. This is part of God’s blueprint for the life of a Christian. God will use His blueprint whenever He builds anything. Paul saw this blueprint in the life of Jesus, and was built by it; Paul would only build in the lives of others this same blueprint.
2 Cor 1:7-9
And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, (NKJ)
God took Saul of Tarsus - a deceived religious leader at the time, responsible for the most vicious attacks on the church, and took him to the other extreme – a partaker of sufferings. What are we partaking of? How many in ministry would dare teach their congregation this Sunday to partake of sufferings instead of the communion? Paul suffered as a minister of the Gospel, and 2000 years does not change this principle. Verse 9 gives us a purpose for this affliction, “that we should not trust in ourselves.” We learn in affliction to trust in God and not ourselves IF we are submitted to His dealings. Let us start passing these tests and not merely surviving. The “sentence of death” when receive will always execute the natural man.
2 Cor 11:23-30
Are they ministers of Christ?-- I speak as a fool-- I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. (NKJ)
Observing mature examples of ministers like God's servant Paul will sober you up about how immature much of "today's church" really is. In this particular passage in 2 Corinthians, we see that Paul is teaching a contrast here. We also must contrast “today’s church” with Paul’s teaching. Paul is contrasting his ministry in verses 23-30 with these “so called” other ministers that the Corinthians had received. In the first letter of Corinthians – Paul admonished them concerning the improper receiving of ministries. In this second letter, we see Paul admonishing them again on the same subject. The immature church, will always receive the wrong “ministry examples,” and therefore God sends true apostles and prophets to admonish them. Paul admonished them by contrasting what he boasts in, and what they boast in. If the ministers you have received in the past have boasted of exploits, they have done in the Name of Jesus – then compare. If the ministers you have received in the past have boasted in signs and wonders – then compare. If the ministers you have received in the past have boasted of their visions and revelations – then compare. Paul demonstrates the boast that pleases God and thereby proving himself to be the true apostle to the Corinthians. What are we doing here? We are examining the blueprint, comparing it to the building that was built, observing the differences, and tearing down the defective walls – so that we may rebuild.
Where is our boast?
Do we boast in the sufferings of Christ?
Or do we boast in material things, signs and wonders, and gifts - given to us freely?
Do we boast in the Lord and His FAITHFULNESS in affliction?
Or do we boast in what we have accomplished in His Name?
Our version of the Gospel might be off.
Have you ever been to a group gathering where people boasted as Paul did? What we have in this scripture, is an example of the boasting that pleases God! In Paul’s rebuke to the Corinthian Church, we see in addition, that the Corinthians had been associating themselves with teachers that boasted incorrectly, and did not offer an example of suffering. The Corinthians thought that they were much further along, spiritually, than they really were (sounds like most of us). They had boasted in the wrong things. This is Paul’s admonishment to those that boast wrongfully.
1 Cor 4:7-8
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings-- and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! (NIV)
Boasting outside of Christ is a boasting that says, “The gift came from us.” Paul brings sarcasm to this rebuke. The purpose of the rebuke was to warn about bad examples. Paul explains that the Kingdom of God is not in talk, but in power. In other words, there is SUBSTANCE to the example that Paul has shown them. It is easy to present a doctrine, it is easy to boast of a gift, it is easy to puff up after God uses you in these gifts – but there is substance in suffering in Christ. We want the power; we go to a revival for the power – THE POWER IS A PERSON THAT YOU HAVE SUFFERED WITH!
The Jews expected a messiah that would rescue them from the present tyrannical government of the day, but when he showed up as a suffering Messiah, they did not recognize Him. He fulfilled a multitude of scriptures concerning Him; the people read and read those scriptures, and never recognized Him. Many of us may not recognize the True Jesus even after much studying, because our hearts are hard and our prayers are cold. Does our version of Jesus the Messiah allow us to live a life sufficient in Him, where those who are first in this life are last, and the last of this life are first? When He comes to us today in relationship, do we expect a Messiah that will take us away from our oppression, like the Jews, who were oppressed by the Romans; or do we expect a Messiah who consoles us in the sufferings we must endure?
Those who recognize Him and pattern their lives after Him are those who daily lay down their life. They are those whose boast is ONLY in the Lord; they have died to their desires and plans for their life and their family's lives. Because they know Him who is sacrificial love, they become like Him. They prefer one another in love. They do not impose their will on the lives of those around them. They minister Jesus and His love to every one they meet. I once knew a pastor that did not know how to relinquish his will, in the lives of those around him. When his sons were adults, he continued to impose his rules, and his desires, on their life. One son, in his twenties, was dating a girl that this father and pastor did not approve of. Instead of gentle pleadings, the father and minister issued commands and forbiddance. This is but one example of many, where this father imposed his will on others. In church, he carried that spirit with him. The church became cultic because of this, and the pastor gravitated to a doctrine know as shepherding and covering. It is a doctrine that is still strong in many charismatic churches in the US, especially the covering doctrine. The doctrine caused a flourishing of “will imposing.” The “pastor” example was praised by every popular minister, that the pastor invited to speak. Great discerning ministers put their stamp of approval upon the life and ministry of this pastor; speaking inflated words to the pastor’s flock. But, behind the scenes was darkness and tragedy. Over and over, I witnessed pastor after pastor; end their life in tragedy, because of the imposition of their wills on those around them. In this pastor, the sons were hurt, the pastor was removed from the pulpit, and though he believed that faith would deliver him from cancer; it took him anyways. Why? The cancer of false doctrine and will imposition – took him years earlier, and had its final say in taking his physical life. Of course, not all cancer is sin related, as we taught earlier, but in this case, I think it was. I watched many die because of this pastor’s will, and I had to learn forgiveness after seeing much destruction. Since those days, in the early 1980’s, I have watched the exact same spirit, in many in ministry; destroying multitudes – still, with no end in sight. Almost, every new move of God, I now witness, is now contaminated with this iniquity. But, this iniquity, God will deal with. It is a spot on the garment of the bride. It is a spot that must come off, by God’s affliction, and by truth found in scriptures, by the Spirit.
1 Pet 4:1-2
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. (NAS)
Affliction when endured will cause us to stop sinning. If we just survive a test, a valley, and an affliction - then we have not passed the test. If that were the case, then we would have come into maturity long ago, and you would not have a problem with disobedience and sin. The world survives and yet most will never come to Christ. Again, you must endure not survive! When you endure, you are dealt with by God to see yourself as He sees you; when you see yourself, you must allow yourself to be disciplined by a Father that loves you much more then you want to receive love.
As a son or daughter of God, we are disciplined so that we can be led of the Spirit. It is after we endure a certain affliction that we can respond like Jesus - with His nature. If we simply passed through a certain affliction, we will not posses Jesus’ response the next time we encounter that affliction. We must examine our response to someone that afflicts us. Again, our response will indicate whether we have passed the test of that previous affliction. For example, if we always respond to someone that gossips about us in a manner outside of Christ, then we have yet to understand the dealings of our Father.
Do I have to go through Paul's severe fire?
You may have a similar fire to Paul's if you are here at the end of the last generation or if you are called to another geographical area that takes you out of your current comfort zone. However, most of us face a certain fire of God everyday in the home, in school, in church or in the workplace. In these things, we have been given the opportunity to be afflicted for the purpose of developing FRUIT.
Soon as we get into our vehicles to proceed to school or work, the trial begins. First the fruit of patience and longsuffering comes into play as we drive alongside others. It is amazing how we as Christians think we are so far along in our spiritual development and then we drive our automobiles as carnal Christians. We manifest impatience, stress, anger, rudeness, fear, and civil disobedience. All of these are works of the flesh.
Did you bear fruit or flesh last week?
The home, school, church, and the workplace are designed to test, break, and put to the fire. The first place we might fail will be our tongue. Gossip, and speaking evil of those that were created in His Image; Peter says we will suffer for this, but we must bear it patiently for it is the fire that consumes those parts of us that do not resemble Him. If we suffer and do not bear these sufferings patiently then the fire will harden the surface of our heart instead of burning up the impurities. If we refuse to repent of the sin that got us these sufferings then the fire will cause hardness of heart. All of us struggle with being a faithful servant in the natural – the earthly things of life, and yet if we do not overcome these natural areas that are common to our lives than we will never fully develop in Christ and eventually we will harden our hearts before God.
Areas God deals with in the workplace:
1) Tardiness &
Unneeded Absentee
(This destroys your witness)
2) Lack of production
(This robs your employer)
3) Not following
policies and rules
(This is pure rebellion)
4) Domination and
Control
(Big temptation of those in authority)
5) Contention (Contending against those in authority or fellow workers is a work of the flesh.)
6) PRIDE (ALL OF US HAVE THIS TO CONTEND WITH)
All of these cause a fruitless life. Much will fall under pride. You will find that others will attack that pride. Do not be reactionary. Let that pride die! You have to come to the end of yourself, to the end of every thought and action that is independent of His Will. The way of God to accomplish this will be, to hand the pride over - to be attacked by the enemy. The attack will usually occur through relationships, and strangers, maybe customers, supervisors, friends, your spouse, your pastor, or fellow drivers on the road. Though they may be controlled by devils when they attack, IT IS FIRE to purge those parts of you that are not conformed to His image.
Many times a Christian will cast out the devil or try to pray away the very thing that is sent to buffet them. The Holy Spirit must reveal to you the difference, and at that moment, you are to exercise authority over devils, or you are to pray, or to endure by His grace and allow that grace to change you into His image. Examine YOUR heart first! Let us look at the “thorn” type of affliction again.
If you were in Paul's fire, if you had his thorn, would you have prayed it away?
Well guess what, Paul prayed that God would remove his "thorn in the flesh,” which represents to us the circumstances that afflict us. What was God's answer to Paul? It was NO. Why would God, Who loves us, allow us to be afflicted? Because of our PRIDE! As we discussed earlier, that is the reason Paul was given this thorn in the flesh, it was for the purpose to subdue spiritual pride, whether currently in him, or that, which was to come because of the abundance of revelation. Again, God reveals a specific purpose of this affliction, but as you will observe, the purpose of most afflictions will mostly fall under the category of humbling us from our pride.
1 Cor 8:1
Knowledge Puffeth up
Even revelation knowledge of the scriptures can become proud if we do not stay submitted to His purposes. Knowing the truths that are taught in this book can puff you up.
Paul's thorn in the flesh was sent by a messenger of Satan to harass him. We also receive a thorn in the flesh from Satan in our lives. You can try praying it away, but as the Lord told Paul, there is an important plan and purpose for it. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane prayed to obtain the Father's will concerning His future affliction, and then He accepted that cup. We must accept that “thorny cup.” The end purpose is going to be resurrection life if we do.
Paul reveals some light on the ultimate purpose of affliction and the fire of God in our lives.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 AMP
And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness of these revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. Three times I called upon the Lord and besought Him about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said unto me, My grace is enough for you: for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in your weakness. Therefore I will all the more gladly glory in my weakness and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ may rest and may pitch a tent over and dwell upon me! So for the sake of Christ I am well pleased to take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities, and distresses; for when I am weak in human strength, then I am truly strong in divine strength. (Amplified Version)
God's grace is enough for us; when you are insulted, accept His grace. When you are treated unfairly, accept His grace and let His strength be made perfect in your weakness. Let your pride die, put it on the altar, and let the High Priest Jesus, cut it out, so that all that remains will be Him, that which is perfect, that which bears fruit. To break our will, God must deal us a heavy blow until we humble ourselves before God and say, "Lord I dare not think, I dare not ask, I dare not decide on my own, for in everything I need you.” When we are stricken, we must learn that our will is not to act independently. Only then, can God use us and produce fruit. Maturing is being broken. Defending ourselves when pride is touched is immaturity. You say, “But I lay hands on the sick and they recover,” “I cast out devils in the Name of Jesus and they leave,” “I worship the Lord in His presence.” These are responses when spiritual pride rises up. The proof of spirituality is in your ability to die when your pride is touched. This is a powerful truth from heaven for us and we should always remember it when discerning spirituality.
Deut 30:15-20
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.
16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,
18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (NIV)
It’s your will! Barry E. Taylor, a minister friend, says, “Your life is a series of the decisions that you have made.” With every decision, you chose life or death, blessing or cursing, obedience or rebellion – “the Lord” or “flesh.” The Christian maturity you have obtained is the outcome of these decisions. You have either crossed the Jordan entering into the “land” or you still remain in the wilderness. In this overlapping of truth, parts of your life may have entered into the land of promise, and other parts are in a dry desert. Your “will” is defined as “appetite that is acted upon” or “desires that are obeyed.” If, as the Psalmist of Psalm 119, you also say, “I have hid your word in my heart that I may not sin against You,” the result is that you are eating from the tree of Life in the Paradise of God. Choosing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden is “appetite apart from relationship with God.”
Ps 139:11-12
If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night," Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike {to Thee.} (NAS)
As a Christian, when you encounter opposition or affliction, it is a test of responses; your response is the indicator of what you have chosen. When all is well, circumstances are as the day, to us. When all is turmoil, circumstances can be the darkest of nights. Neither touch God - but we respond to both. Most find God when circumstances are dark even though the same God is just as present when all is light. Jesus is Light in both, but for us there is the difference of CONTRAST. In good times, we allow the day of our circumstances to drown out the light of His presence. God in knowing our nature has allowed us to experience night and darkness for a reason; to see the contrast of Him Who is Light compared to the darkness of the night. There is no mixture when man experiences the dark of nights, for all that is seen is Jesus our Lord; that is if we will respond “to Him” and respond “like Him” in every circumstance.
God sends the scouts into the land
Num 13:17-20
17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
18 (1) And see the land, what it is; and (2) the people that dwelleth therein, (3) whether they be strong or weak, (4) few or many;
19 (5) And what the land is that they dwell in, (6) whether it be good or bad; and (7) what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
20 And what the land is, (8) whether it be fat or lean, (9) whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and (10) bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
God commanded Moses to search the land that He
God was promising. When reading this
passage for the umpteenth time, one day, it occurred to me, “why did God want
to send spies into the land? God already knew what was there,
and He had already established it can be taken NOW.” “Now” was the season to
take the land. After asking the question, I heard a resounding voice of the
Holy Spirit our teacher saying, “It is a test of responses.” The application
of this passage in our daily life is endless. God gives us many promises in
His Son, and then sends servants that will bear witness to the promise. God
also sends false witnesses that have been told the promise, they will bring us
a report as well – but one that places the promise - out of reach. The
majority of reports make the promises of God – UN-ATTAINABLE. Whether you wish
to apply this principle to issues such as the Y2K fear of 1999, or to the
“doctrines of truth,” that many Christians do not believe, such as the doctrine
concerning a “church without spot, blemish, or wrinkle”; this is a principle
that is applicable with most issues that we face. Instead of dealing with
these issues as a whole, we will single out, in this chapter, “God’s promise,”
that “He will have a people that possess” the SAME UNITY
that He and the Father possess. We will look at reports we have heard, also,
how we view the giants that stand in the way. We will also examine what God’s
two witnesses, say, about the promise, and especially, how they describe the
“giants that block the promise” - from being fulfilled.
Moses sent 12 witnesses or spies into the land. Each witness was the head of their respective tribe. This is God’s way of saying, “each witness represents the people whom they are an ambassador.” Nine is the number of fullness and they are given nine commands to report for their journey. They are also given a “command of the action they are to take” to conclude their report. This command was to “bring back the fruit”; it is the substance or evidence of the report. This last command was the tenth requirement of God to the twelve witnesses. Ten is the number of the law. The law’s command is to bring back the fruit. Bringing back the fruit is the activity that pleases God. Fruit will always fulfill the law’s demands.
The witnesses spent forty days in the land. Forty is also the number of testing – signifying a probationary period.
40 days - worldwide flood with those in Ark as a remnant
40 days - of Goliath taunting Israel (defeated by 1 stone from the pack of 5 stones)
40 days - Jesus’ wilderness - then came, the test of responses
40 years - wilderness journey for the people of God who rebelled.
These are just a few examples of how God relates this number to testing and trial. The number that God chooses to use in every situation is a teaching of His purpose. Joshua and Caleb come back from the land and gave their response; their report based on what they have witnessed. This is their FIRST RESPONSE.
Num 13:27
Thus they told him, and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (NAS)
It is not the
positive-ness that is important here; it is the fact that they agreed with what
God had said! These two witnesses then show the proof – FRUIT.
One will say, “You can’t ignore the bad circumstance.”
Num 13:28-30
28 "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified {and} very large; and moreover, we saw the giants there.
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (NAS)
The spokesperson was Caleb and though his physical eyes he saw the giants, the obstacles – BUT HE SAW THEM AS DEFEATED. “Caleb” and the “land” are a type and shadow that must be observed to understand what has taken place here. God gives Caleb a promise; "But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land which he entered, and his seed shall take possession of it.” (NAS) Caleb is a type of the “Seed - Jesus” that shall come, and “in Him” there will be a people that possess the land. They are a people that see the obstacles and the giants - AS DEFEATED. They are a people that go into the land to witness, with eyes of faith, looking for the fulfillment of the promise. The ten spies or witnesses had a different view of the land than the two witnesses. In the same land, they saw:
Num 13:31-33
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us."
32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of {great} size.
33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (NAS)
“In our own sight,” is the emphasis here. Jesus spoke in parables because “seeing they cannot see.” The land of promise was but a parable to the ten spies. Those that do not have eyes to see and ears to hear, perceive not what “any” scriptures say; scripture is simply one big parable to them. However, all of us do the same thing in different verses and areas of circumstances. We see ourselves as a grasshopper in overcoming a particular sin. We see ourselves as weak in possessing God’s more excellent way of an “abiding in Christ lifestyle.” We see the enemy in the lives of our fellow Christians as being too strong for them to be set free or delivered. We say, “I guess my fellow Christian will remain deceived” or “my brother in Christ is simply to stubborn to change.” When we view our brethren in Christ, all we can see is the giants in their life; we even see them as the enemy – instead of the promise. We say, “Surely the promise of unity will be a land without these divisionary giants.”
God is revealing in this day, that we have responded to our brethren in Christ, who have had giants, and fortified walls - as the ten false witnesses instead of the two witnesses, which have eyes beholding the promise. We have seen ourselves as small and powerless compared to the giants of disunity. We have not seen divisions in our congregations as DEFEATED GIANTS. We have seen their false doctrines as unconquerable leaven. We continue to see their “self preserving” lifestyles as fortified cities that cannot be penetrated. Surely, we must see these truths in our own lives as well, but let us focus on Jesus’ promise of unity in this chapter. It is in this promise of unity that we must forget about our self, and prefer our brethren as more important than our self.
Here is another type and shadow; spiritually, the promise
land is not a geographical area. If we think the “land”
in Israel is what God is most interested in, we should start reading the Bible
all over again – it is a redemption story for PEOPLE! The promise land is
the place where God desires His people to reside. You are
sent as a witness, a spy – to observe the land and give a report. You are
commanded to “not forsake the assembling of yourselves together” for the
purpose of entering the land of God. YOU
ARE THE LAND
OF GOD - TheGod’s
people are the land. When you fellowship with the “land,” what
is your response? It is a test of responses! Our report is the evidence of
what we witnessed and what we see. Do you see the giants in others as
“overcome?” Do you see God possessing the people? Do you see your
congregation as a place where milk and honey shall flow? DID YOU GET THE
FRUIT! Did you get the fruit when you left your Sunday service?
Isa 11:1-3
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; NIV
Isa 53:7-8
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
God sent 12 men into the land, and prophetically, they acted out the plan of God. Caleb and Joshua represent a people that look with the eyes of God. They do not see with the physical eyes, nor hear with their physical ears, for they have spiritual eyes to see, and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. They see what God sees! These two witnesses search for what God is searching for. God goes into the land (people of God) and He is searching for FRUIT. God is looking for God; God is looking for Himself – in the land. God finds the fruit and it is acceptable. God finds the fruit attached to a branch. God finds the promise He made and must now seal it. The fruit that God finds in the land - is His Son. The branch God finds is His Son – His Son is the promise. What does God do when He finds the Son in the land (His people)? “HE WAS CUT OFF!” … as Isaiah declares.
Num 13:23
Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two {men,} with some of the pomegranates and the figs. (NAS)
God finds His Son in the land, in the land of Israel, that He descended from. Jesus was, born of promise, born to be the Branch of Isaiah 11:1; 60:21, Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15, and Zechariah 3:8; 6:12; “The Righteous Branch.” Jesus is also the Branch of the Lampstand in the Tabernacle; this branch contained three stages of the lifecycle of the Almond fruit Exodus 25:33; 37:19. These verses bear witness of the Branch of God.
The Branch will grow out of the temple of God, but first the Father must cut down His Son - from the land of the living. Redemption in the scriptures will always come from life in the blood. It is Abel’s sacrifice of blood that was acceptable – it prophetically spilled unto the ground, which stands as the witness of God, towards redemption, forever.
As Caleb cut down the Branch and hung Him on a pole between two men – Caleb prophetically acted out the cross of redemption. Caleb took the sacrifice of the land, went back to the people, and said, “Here is the proof of the promise” – AND THEY REJECTED HIM (Caleb).
Num 14:9-11
Caleb says, "Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel. And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? (NAS)
The people then went to stone the messenger – Caleb. There are so many powerful pictures taking place that are applicable to our daily lives in this passage. Let us focus on this; the messenger that agrees with God is subject to get stoned. Stephen fulfilled this as He preached the crucified Jesus, and they stoned him, even as He saw the glory of God revealed. There is a stoning that comes from total unbelievers, and there is a stoning that comes from partial unbelievers – both hurt.
The focus is our response; when you enter the land, when you enter your fellowship – do you look for the fruit or do you for faults? If they are followers of Jesus – there is a branch with fruit in there. When you talk with others about your Christian Brother or Sister, do you show them the “fruit” or do you show the “giants, which are too strong?” The testimony of Christ is the branch that you cut down to show to others – the Crucified One.
We must see in others, the Christ that was born in their hearts, and we must agree with God when He said, “He that began a good work in you will complete it.” It is a land that we are ridding of giants with the grace of God upon our lives. WE CHOOSE TO SEE THEM AS DEFEATED. We choose to see ourselves dwelling together, because we abide in the Branch that was cut off. We choose to allow our own lives to follow His example, and we become cut off as well - from this land of the living, that we may be a testimony of fruit. Our response to every situation is the response of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must attend the local fellowship that God has set us in – instead of Sunday morning conscious soothing centers. In our attending, we are entering into the land of Promise, the people of God. If we see the giants, and respond in the spirit of the ten witnesses, we shall suffer their consequences. If we see other church members that possess giants, and share their “giant-ness” to other church members – WE ARE WRONG EVERY TIME! We must repent. If we have left a church that possessed giants, then enter the land (God’s people), and tell them (report) about the “giant-ness”; speaking derogatory remarks – WE ARE WRONG EVERY TIME! If we think we are spiritual, and we speak derogatory about the land, we are only as spiritual as the “ten” instead of the “two.” We are not acting like Caleb or the Seed; we have failed the test of responses and we must repent lest we die in the wilderness. The immaturity of others is not open game for us to target, or to expose - to others, that know these people. Instead, we must obtain NEW EYES and SEE WHAT GOD SEES IN THEM. At times, we justify our derogatory comments about others that possess giants, with a flavor of spirituality – yet our comments become a giant in our own life. Jesus called this type of “giant,” a board in our eye. We can call it maturity, prophetic, or discerning, but in reality, we are blind men trying to lead others.
I have witnessed Christians that deemed themselves spiritual, commenting on the personal lives of other Christians that do not measure up, commenting on the personal lives of others that possess giants. Their eyes are just like the ten spies, and their eyes spread like wildfire in the congregation of the Lord. They see the problem, the giants in others, but they lack God’s life in them to do anything about it. Therefore, they have no faith to see the problems, and false doctrines, in other believers - as conquered. They do not look for the Branch in others; they do not see milk and honey flowing, as evident by their testimony. It is only the problem that they see and confess. When they leave a church, they bring as many people to this corrupt view, as they can, and many times with the intention of warning. No matter what church disputes occur, we are NEVER permitted to preach giants. Our testimony can disrupt those that are set into a local fellowship. Our “giant” focus can cause others to leave a church that God set them in. We scatter instead of gather. Surely, giants are seen, but they are seen as conquered, and then by God’s grace they are dealt with.
We must focus on our eyes first. If our vision of the people in the land is one with unconquerable giants, then our mouth will simply follow our eyes. When you see your pastor making what you think is a “giant” decision, simply see it as a defeated giant that cannot hold back the milk and honey from flowing throughout God’s people. If we witness carnality, false doctrines, or deception in the congregation, that God has set us in – we must exchange our “natural eyes” for the spiritual eyes of Jesus. Carnality, false doctrines, and deception in the congregation – EXIST TO TEST YOUR RESPONSE. What you spoke about, concerning what you witnessed - will indicate if you passed.
God is bringing the church into the unity of the faith. Right now, the “giant” exists in the land, God’s people. Most Christians cannot see the land ridded of these giants. They see disunity now, and they envision disunity for our future, until Christ returns. Because they witness the stubbornness to change in other men and women, that is all they see. They do not possess the eyes of Caleb – the Seed. However, some of them may possess eyes for a small remnant, but usually a very small remnant. This view is still not Jesus’ view. LACK OF UNITY, IN THE FAITH, IS A DEFEATED GIANT. We must see this, or our unbelief of this promise will cause a life of wildernesses.
Surely, there will be controversies where we may be the center of attention, surely, it may cause disunity, but it must be the other party that God is testing, concerning responses, instead of us. We must be dead to these issues we see so frequently in the church. If we see these giants as conquered, in our heart, they are dead issues, though they appear to live. If this is true then when attacked, we are not defensive. When we are talked about and judged, we love not our life, having learned to be a doormat for all humanity. When others trample on us, we instantly respond with blessing, envisioning them as ones that have temporarily been misled by giants, yet these giants are without power and dead. Having the hope that they have in them the Branch, and after finding the Branch, we return to the people (who we left back in the wilderness) who are awaiting our response – and show them Proof of the Promise of our God. If all we see is a broken down church that cannot possibly live without giants in the midst – we are not the children of faith God desires. If we see the present church with the inability to function like the early apostles in pure doctrine, unity, and love – we are not the prophesied two witnesses from this story.
True Forgiveness – Binding and Loosing
For the truly mature, there is a more excellent way of love that knows how to truly forgive those that have wronged us, and to release them from their past.
Matt 18:18, 21-22
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. <NIV>
John 20:21-23
21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." <NIV>
For forgiveness to be properly understood with the eyes of God, it carries with it an added definition of remission with the result that it is UTTERLY REMOVED FROM HISTORY. When God breathed on you His very breath, He gave you life and authority to bring reconciliation to the Earth, even as He has brought reconciliation through the cross. Our words are the agent of God to accomplish the plan of God on the Earth. We can loose, or we can bind. In our fellowships, we incur relationships that bring hurt and pain. They are a test FOR YOU! The first test is a test of sight; do we have the sight of Jesus that sees the giants defeated in lives? Do we focus on them, or do we focus on the real issue – our hearts. The walk of a Christian is a walk for dead men, a walk where we are dead to what men can do to us. When we get defensive, when we stay distant, it is because we are not dead enough. We stay away from other believers because of the fear of the damage that they can do to our fragile heart. We focus on their guilty action, so we do not have to deal with that which is alive, in us, that we thought was dead.
In the church, we have that precious brother or sister that we allowed to enter our hearts, and then through gossip and false accusation - they hurt us. Afterwards, they may have left the church, or we may have been the ones to leave. Then, because we are taught to do so, we utter the words by faith “I forgive them.” This is a great first step, but it does not seem to end in the finished work of true forgiveness. Then comes the test of God, their name comes up, and our words now BIND THEM IN THE EARTH AND THEREFORE BINDING THEM IN THE HEAVENS. We say things like “Do you know what they did?,” or “They left the church without the blessing of God, or the blessing of the church.”
Here is God’s view; true forgiveness says that they NEVER hurt you! They never gossiped about you! They never left the church wrong! We remit their sins, and their past is now erased in our hearts and minds. Our affections are as if, every giant is defeated in them, and they shall FINISH WITH US! This message is so important my brother and sister; it is a message that is core to God’s plan of redemption. From this day forward, we must say that no brother or sister left our church wrong! We no longer hold them to the past. We truly believe that their past is never an indicator of their future. This does not include what they did, but also what they held true in the area of doctrine. We must surely deal with issues that cause division, but afterwards, it is up to us whether that division continues to live after they have left our fellowship. If we speak of the division after we dealt with the issue, the best we could – we empower that division to this day. Our words empower sin in them; our words empower the wrongs we suffered as we remind the Earth of what they did to us or to the church.
As we deal with issues in the church, we must flow in perfect forgiveness lest we become disqualified as contenders for the faith. If a brother got misguided into damaging heresy, we forgive, and now from the point – history records no heresy for that brother. How bout if he does it tomorrow? That is not something for you to contemplate; they belong to Christ even as we belong to Christ. It is the busybody that concerns himself with the property of another. If they belong to Christ, that means they have Jesus – the Branch on the inside of them. We see the Branch full of fruit. As we deal with immature Christians, they need the more mature ones to loose them from their past deeds. They need those walking in the fruit to be endlessly forbearing towards them, always remitting their past, and yet dealing with present issues as God gives opportunity and grace. My brother, my sister, none has ever wronged you, as far as debts against you. They owe you nothing unless you are holding them to it. As long as you feel wronged, you are holding them to that debt. We so desire for God to be patient with us as we press towards the high calling of God, and yet unknowingly we become quite impatient with others running that same race.
Matt 18:23-35
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." <NIV>
This message calls for action! If you are binding someone to their past, then you have not truly forgiven them, no matter how many times you have spoken “I forgive them.” If you see them today as “deceived,” you have not followed the more excellent way of love. One may say, “Truth is truth.” In reality, Truth is a Person, His Name is Jesus, and Truth can only be found when you obtain His eyes. HIS EYES SEE A PERSON AS FORGIVEN BEFORE THAT PERSON EVEN ASKS FOR FORGIVENESS. His eyes see the giants as defeated; His eyes DO NOT SEE THE “PAST WRONGINGS” THAT WERE DONE TO HIM. My friend it is time to make a phone call, it is time to make a journey, to loose a brother or sister through an embrace – as though they never wronged you. This is a message for dead men, but it is a message that allows life to flow forth from the Spirit within – UNRESTRICTED BY UNFORGIVENESS. I urge you to make that phone call, to make that journey – to free your brother from his debt.
These relationship tests will continue until the day of the Lord. It is our choice whether they will hurt in the future. If we will obey this word, we will die and therefore hurts in relationship can no longer be felt. Some will try to harden their hearts to cause this hurt to be avoided, but the way of God is to be free from hurt through brokenness. When you are misunderstood, be dead through brokenness. Be a vessel of God that can be broken to smithereens and yet not hurt. Respond to attacks and misunderstanding by embracing and understanding. Allow your “Judas’” to kiss you, and accept your cross before you. Endure the pain, but do not respond in defense of it. When we say you will not hurt, we refer to the inner man of the heart. This man stands when all others will fall. If we lean on Jesus, in us, as we are also in Him, it is He that accepts every blow for us. The heart of God is salvation, because of our acceptance of the blows received by Jesus 2000 years ago. That same salvation is walked out by a people that learn to exist in Christ, to the measure that it is Jesus Who STILL ACCEPTS THE BLOWS, as long as we act in Him, as long as we behave with fruit from the Spirit, not works of the flesh.
Lord, I no longer bind anyone who wronged me. They are loosed, they are friends in Christ, and they shall finish with me at the high calling of Jesus our Lord. Lord, I choose to forgive and I choose to enforce that forgiveness, by this day forward, declaring that my brother did not wrong me. He did not strike me down, he did not misunderstand me, and he did not leave this relationship wrong, because my forgiveness towards him is as though he NEVER DID IT. There is only one enemy – the devil and those in him; those in Christ are NEVER my enemy. I choose to be the cure to my brother’s ills through embrace, instead of a self-preservation that wants protection.
The Picture of the 12 spies is part of God’s blueprint, revealing God’s way. We want to grow up; we want to be spiritual, right? Without this teaching on forgiveness, you will only get halfway down the road, at the most. Temple Builders is a message on - getting down the road. This message can only get you as far as you are willing to yield, to truth. If we are to live a life of gathering together, we must learn to look at our brethren – different.
Prophetically, Joshua and Caleb, as well as other prophets, are seen in Revelation as the two witnesses. Joshua and Caleb were heads of their tribe, ambassadors that speak the good report, bearing fruit, and they were cut down for it. Resurrection day for the two witnesses loomed ahead, and though killed they stood up and entered into their inheritance forever more. As this was seen in Joshua and Caleb, it shall be seen again. Joshua and Caleb entered into the Promised Land, but all others died.
There are two witnesses in Revelation that are likened to
the two witnesses – Joshua and Caleb. Though this Revelation scripture may
happen by two individuals, and though this event may take place just as
portrayed, it means something spiritual to us. They represent the good
report; andthey
represent the pattern of God that isrequires
us to “cut
down the fruit from the land of the living.” Why must martyrdom take place?
It is the testimony, proof - from the land. Those that reject the testimony
will NEVER ENTER IN. But, it is each man’s will.
Heb 4:4-11
For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh {day} "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; and again in this {passage} "They shall not enter My rest." Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through {following} the same example (PATTERN) of disobedience. (NAS)
Paul took a truth about the Sabbath day and gave it a
meaning that many Hebrew Christians never thought of. Even today, many
Christians celebrate their Sabbaths and have no revelation of what the Sabbath
points to. Paul teaches that the Sabbath is the “spiritual rest” that comes
from God where we cease from our works or rituals. Paul now relates this truth
to the LAND. They FAILED to enter into the land because of disobedience. One
will say to Paul, “but Joshua did enter into the land with the people.” Paul
responded that if this land, this rest, had truly been enteredentered,
thenthen
God would not have spoken of a day afterwards.
How do we enter into this rest? The entrance of the land starts at the new birth; it is obedience to the Lord Jesus that causes us to fully enter into rest, that only He can give. A rest that does not work to be obedient, but it is a rest that comes from finding the “severed Branch that lives” - and grafting to it daily. Our life is the abiding relationship where our pleasure is to please Him; our work is to know His thoughts; our labor is to enter into the state where we do the things that please our King. Why do we start doing these things? Because our pleasure is linked to His pleasure. As a foolish jester in the court of the king, we find out what puts the smile on the face of our Master, and our “aim of life” is towards that objective. The events in the desert in those “40 days” that resulted in “40 years” of wandering – is for our example. It is a blueprint, of the result of disobedience, the result of not looking for the Branch, and the result of being a false witness.
If you celebrate the physical Sabbath and all that you gain is physical rest – it is temporal. The true Sabbath is a Person we serve. Paul’s message stresses that this truth is “TODAY.” It is not a tomorrow truth; it is a today truth. An overcomer is not one with strength to fight the enemies of the land; the overcomer is one with eyes to see Him Who has already conquered the giants of the land. The land of rest is the land where we have learned to rest, in His ability to fight, instead of our abilities. Faith does not strenuously muster up courage, tenaciousness, and great maturity, as much as one would think. First, faith is seeing the giant as conquered, because we heard what the Master said. Faith is the response of this seeing and hearing. Faith is finding the Branch, which is the PROOF, the substance that we hope for, and finding this Branch inside of us, and inside of others. We are so convinced that we shall enter “THE REST,” because we see Him Who is the substance of that hope. Courage, tenaciousness, and maturity, are born out of our seeing and hearing of Him Who is called THE BRANCH.
The gospel of John chapter 14-17 is Jesus’ last message, His last sermon, to His disciples. It is one of the most important messages of Jesus recorded in the gospels. It is the most important because, it was the most clear. In this message, Jesus no longer spoke in parable; He spoke in clarity. This message took place at the last supper, and it is a message that was not revealed until Judas left the room.
John 14:3; 14:18-20
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, {there} you may be also. 18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. " After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you {will} behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (NAS)
Jesus prophesies a promise to His disciples. These four chapters of John are full of promises, therefore, let us make some observances, and then enter in. Jesus clearly prophesies that He will come again – to His disciples. If indeed Jesus spoke these things in His first coming, then Jesus is prophesying about His second coming, the day when He will come again. In keeping with the context of all that Jesus is teaching His disciples, Jesus reveals the Father’s immediate plan. Jesus is leaving, the disciples cannot follow, but he will not leave them in that state, like orphans. The time of fulfillment of the “coming again” is quite important; else, we will fail to receive God’s promise. Follow closely. The fulfillment happened after “a little while.” The fulfillment happened in a day when the disciples “would know that Jesus is in the Father, the disciples are in Jesus, and Jesus is in the disciples.” Truly all these things were fulfilled when Jesus appeared to His disciples on the evening, of the first day, of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John chapters 14-17 are about this day, that Jesus came again, and breathed the Holy Spirit of promise to His people. It is the day of firstfruits, which will be produced from the Branch. This is the second coming of Jesus that Jesus prophesied. What we are awaiting is actually the third coming of Jesus. Why is this important in our subject? We have been deceived out of our birthright, our inheritance, and the promise! Jesus said, “Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you,” Jesus said, “The promised Spirit shall take what is Mine and show it, report it – TO YOU. This is the “place” that Jesus prepared for us, and He came and gave it to those that received it. This is a place that some in today’s ministry say, “Belong in the future.” Putting off, “Jesus’ preparing,” for the future, will cause you “to never enter in.” Jesus came again, and gave us gifts, an inheritance, and a land full of promise. Our entrance must be NOW – NOT forty years from now, and NOT at the third coming. Read John 14-17 afresh, receiving all that Jesus promises, with NEW EYES, and receive it in the NOW.
Being a two witness people begins with seeing these scriptures clearly, with being breathed on, with living in that place that Jesus already prepared, with accepting Jesus Who is receiving you to Himself. Are you beholding Jesus in the now? Are you a son, when it comes to walking in the Spirit? Does the voice of the Lord seem close? Does the Holy Spirit sit down with you to explain scripture? If the answer is no, meditate on the scriptures until you see clearly their meaning. I firmly believe that if you see this promise, this unbelievable, this untapped, relationship with the Holy Spirit Breath of Jesus, you will never see the same again. Most importantly, you will see the path set before you. Not mystical, clear as a bell, as if He placed His very eyes inside of you.
When is Jesus going to return?
When He has a church without spot, wrinkle and blemish!
The word in the Greek for "spot" which is found in Ephesians 5:27, is used in only one other scripture. In 2 Peter this word is used to describe deceivers that attend our lovefeasts; it refers to them as spot and blemishes. Jesus is returning to a church without deceivers in our lovefeasts. Jesus will gather together a church free of false doctrine and heresy at the last trumpet sound. Hard to imagine if you look to the natural, but that is what Jesus is preparing. How is He going to do it? Through FIRE! It is not for us to figure out all the details. His criteria and His weeding out process are beyond our natural reasoning. This is another example where we need His eyes, seeing the giants as defeated.
“Without Wrinkles” refer to a church that has been PRESSED with the HEAT of the fire of God.
The Greek word for tribulation is
<2346> thlibo-
- to press (as grapes), to press hard upon
- a compressed way, narrow straitened, contracted
- metaphorically, to trouble, to afflict, to distress
Let’s look at its usage.
Matt 7:14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow (thlibo) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Jesus lets us know, once and for all, what kind of way to expect when we follow Him. His way, is a way that will press us like grapes. Yet, we can have rest and joy when we go through the pressing. As we fall on our face and receive the grace He gives - we endure tribulation.
2 Cor 4:8
We are troubled (thlibo) on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Do not get distressed, or in despair, don’t lose hope, but trust in Him Who is Hope. In our most serious trials, the most severe pressings, we do not always understand, yet it never leads to despair, unless we allow it. We may be struck down by Satan’s best shot – but we are not destroyed. We cannot lie down, we cannot quit, and we must receive His strength in our weakness. This is when Jesus is most exalted in your life; this is when the fullest measure of resurrection power is manifested and exerted.
2 Cor 4:9-11
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (NAS)
Jesus is real; Jesus is most real when… in these impossible situations; we see Him come to our rescue. My friend, it is this part of our relationship with Jesus that brings the “rest,” the rest that only He can give. This is the only way to a fruitful life. There is no other way. A thief and robber will present a different way. Some may teach that it is through revival. Revival can LEAD to a fruitful life but it does substitute God’s pruning. Revival is what you get before the “thorn” type of affliction. These afflictions will produce bitterness for those that do not submit to God’s purposes, but the same affliction produces joy in us. This makes no natural sense; it is alien to the way of the world. This is God’s way to get His life in your mortal body so the world can see what God looks like.
Heb 11:37
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted (thlibo), tormented;
Hebrews 11 is a hall of faith, and yet faith when tested is tried as silver. Affliction will purify as silver by pressing you and by afflicting you. True faith has good works because it has become pure faith. We many times try to believe God, and we fail repeatedly, but if we will draw close to Him in worship and accept all His dealings in discipline, we shall then learn true faith. There are entire churches that claim they are able to have faith, but in reality, they experience disappointment and a lack of fruit. Long ago, I too tried to be a “man of faith.” It was only in reverent, intimate worship, and submission to His dealings, did I learn faith. Truth contains no formulas; it is a faith relationship with our God that will be tested as Hebrews 11 declares.
If we have the faith that pleases God, it will have works that “demonstrate that faith,” and these works are usually not great feats, but in scripture we see that most of the time it was a laying down of life. Moses’ faith was first demonstrated by rejecting the pleasures of Pharaoh’s house and sharing the affliction of his brethren, and went on to become a multitude of afflictions throughout his life. Moses spent the first forty years of his life growing up in the natural. He spent the second forty years of his life in the desert dying to self. Moses spent the third forty years of his life suffering for his faith, suffering for his children, - esteeming the reproach of Christ as the greater riches. Surely, some had less physical sufferings and received greater blessings in this life, but others received the reproaches of Christ. God chooses, not us, concerning the sufferings you are to bear in His Name.
2 Cor 1:6
And whether we be afflicted (thlibo), it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
It is when you are afflicted; it is when you are “pressed as grapes,” that you can be used of God to console others. It is not just for your sake, but it is for the sake of others. Therefore, we must learn to go through the “pressing down” in a manner that is pleasing to Jesus. Our refusal of the sufferings that we are destined to be partakers of, will affect the lives of everyone we meet. They will remain in their pain because we refused the pain of the cross that we were supposed to bear.
There is a Greek word for "suffer with" and it is only found in two scriptures.
Rom 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
We are to suffer with Jesus
1 Cor 12:26
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
We are to suffer with the body
This is the TRUE life of a Christian. It is a life that is emptied of our own desires, our own ambitions, and our own goals. It is a life that is lived for God and overflowing to the body. Many claim to be spirit filled, but God's definition of spirit filled is one whose life is so full of the Holy Spirit, and His gifts, and fruit, to the point that they spill out all over the place. We suffer corporately, therefore, we can rejoice corporately as well. If you refuse these sufferings we speak of, then you will not be a member of the body that this scripture speaks of. You are destined to suffer if you are attached to the body, because you must suffer with the afflicted members.
It is especially hard to see ones we served God with - decide to stop serving Jesus. They become amputated from the body of Christ, or as Jesus said, they are branches that are broken off the vine. It hurts, but we must continue in the doctrine of Christ for the sake of others, that shall be added daily.
We must bear patiently the tribulation for acting outside of Jesus. We must endure even more tribulation if we have chosen Jesus Christ. The first one everyone faces, but the second one can be avoided by not choosing Jesus. You must discern which one you are facing. However, if we suffer righteously than we can console others as they suffer for doing right. This is the unity of love. This is the true “tent of the congregation” that is symbolized in the Tabernacle.
Even as God has a purpose of affliction, Satan also has his purpose of why he afflicts you. Remember this; Satan afflicts you because you are God's vehicle to manifest Love in this earth. Each time something has happened to you, to break your heart, or destroy you, it is because Satan hates God, and he hates that which is capable of manifesting God. He will do his utmost to afflict you and he will use anyone at his disposal to do it. If he can break your heart then you are rendered incapable of loving with the love of Jesus. But Jesus has come to mend the broken heart and heal it totally - as if it has never sinned, and if it had never been damaged.
Heb 2:10
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
The word perfect here is a different one then the one we mentioned earlier. The word perfect here is the word used when Jesus called to the disciples, to follow them; they were "mending" their nets. Mending is the word perfect, meaning to take something torn and make it whole or perfect again. He suffered by having His heart TORN, and then made WHOLE again, so He could take your heart that was torn and make it whole again. Truly, He is the healer of the broken hearted, and He can heal any wound in you. Satan conspired to destroy you, but Jesus will take what Satan meant for destruction and turn it to heal others. This is how He will bring many sons and daughters unto glory. Even if we are the reason for our affliction, God in His mercy delivers us! Thank you Jesus! We deserved hell yet He gave us heaven.
God will uncover those parts of you that that are unlike Jesus, those parts of you that are broken hearted, those parts in your heart that MUST be dealt with. Look to yourself when you hear God's word, and see your own impurities, and hurt, and come to God and reason together with Him, to heal and purify.
In the Old Testament, we can also see some examples of suffering that happened either to encourage us or to admonish us. Let us examine first, one that encourages; Daniel and the Three Hebrews - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Throughout the scripture, we see many impurities that resulted in judgment or suffering. We can also observe suffering on “men of God” for preparation. God must prepare them to become MORE righteous than they presently are. It does not matter to God if they are already more righteous than others around them. He measures righteousness according to His own righteousness, and completion is based on His hope. We can also observe those who are afflicted because they are mature, because they have completed the course set before them, by God.
Paul finished his course and he offered up his own physical life as a sacrifice. Jesus said, no man TAKES MY life – I offer it up. Paul followed Jesus and walked in His steps even to the end of the course set before him. Paul was perfect. Not our English word for perfect, but God’s definition meaning to “finish the course,” to be “completely built up,” to be “full-grown” as a plant or body, to be “pure throughout.” Perfect as meaning: the DNA Strand has produced the image that it inherently contained. The Apostle John also ran a completed course, and the difference was - he was not required to lay down his physical life. He was instead given to suffer in banishment on an island. What the devil meant as a suffering for John, became a revelation - A revelation of Jesus, and the culmination of the plan of the Father, at the end-time.
Maturity will cause additional suffering that could have been avoided by staying a baby. When we were babies, we did not have to work, we did not have to make many decisions, and we had lives that were more carefree. As we grew up in the natural, we accepted responsibilities, we went to work, and many of us raised families. Our maturity brought to us additional sufferings that could have been avoided by not raising families, by not accepting responsibility and by not working. The church is full of those that refuse to spiritually grow up, and our spiritual father (Paul) strongly admonishes us in the first Corinthian letter to – GROW UP! But there will always be a COST that is involved with growing up, and that cost is the AFFLICTION that comes with maturity.
Daniel was mature and it cost him. He served God, and he prayed when it was considered civil disobedience. The consequence was the death sentence – a den of lions. Daniel is afflicted because of doing right, and we should observe also his heart. He did not do right because of the Jewish law; he did right because of his heart.
Dan 6:22
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
The Hebrew word “innocency” means PURITY – Literally to be washed translucently pure. This Hebrew word is found only here in the scriptures. God’s method of deliverance was the angel, but God was able to deliver Daniel because of purity. God is giving us an example that we need to note. Our heart must be found in the state of purity that Daniel’s heart was found. Then when we become afflicted, in the future, we shall remain UNTOUCHED. Noah is another example of being untouched as he preached righteousness, and was found righteous.
Gen 7:1
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
When affliction came to the whole earth, Noah was found in the ark that shelters from the flood. Jesus Christ is our ark and that shelter. Noah remained untouched because of a heart that received mercy and grace to do righteousness. Three Hebrew men in the book of Daniel were used to teach this same principle. Jesus taught principles so we could learn God’s way in a very natural sense. God’s ways are past finding out, unless the Holy Spirit comes and teaches you through scripture. The Holy Spirit shows you the Son - His character and His ways. If you see the Son than you will see the Father, for Jesus reveals to us the Father.
Just as Daniel was kept harmless, so were these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their names mean, “Royal,” “King’s guest” and “Servant of the High.” In our natural thinking, we would start our Christian walk as servants, and later, be promoted to being - “royal”; but in God’s kingdom, you start out as “Royal” to show that it is conferred upon you, strictly based upon birth, and not works. Secondly, by being led of the Spirit we will become sons that learn to attend encounters with our God as a guest.
Zephaniah 1:7
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
The phrase “bid his guests” is a Hebrew term meaning – literally, to sanctify the called ones. In reference to the Babylonian king’s court, there was a required purification BEFORE COMING.
Thirdly, we become the “servants” of purity before the Lord Most High. The Bible definition for “elect” will include all three of these attributes. In the three men, it resulted in not bowing down to false gods, and the consequence of their election was the death penalty. They did right because their heart was right. They did the right thing because of the manner of living they had already demonstrated.
Dan 3:28
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Just as in Daniel’s case, we see in the Hebrew language a point that God wants to make to us. The angel was God’s method of deliverance because they had a heart that “trusted.” The Hebrew word for “trusted” is only found here in the scriptures. The literal meaning gives the idea of bathing and washing. The Hebrew root for this definition is “to bathe.” Why is trusting related to washing? What does faith have in common with taking a bath? Because, we are “washed pure” - which results in trusting. If we lack faith in our walk, we should look to our heart to examine if we have left “known impurities” to exist, because faith goes hand in hand with purity.
1 Tim 3:9
Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
Daniel was found pure, the three men were found trusting in purity, and we must be found before God with a pure conscience – believing in Him, for our deliverance. We see an awesome reality if we follow the example of the three Hebrews; the enemy made the flames seven times hotter, and yet it was the enemy that was destroyed as they tossed them into the fire. The Three Hebrews were bound with “cords of affliction,” yet after being tossed into the fire, the cords were burned away. The fire itself had no power over them; the fire could not even cause the smell of smoke to cling to their clothing. In the midst of the fire was revealed one like the “son of man,” that the enemy saw. It is through fire that the world shall see Jesus Who is the Son of Man. The carnal mind says, "If judgment on the world occurs, then I will be destroyed.” This is not the case for the ones that trust with a pure heart. The pure in heart shall see God. They see Him as a shelter, they see Him as their salvation, and they see Him as the Master that they shall SERVE.
Zeph 2:2-3
Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the LORD'S fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you! Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD'S anger. (NKJ)
This is quite an important scripture, so pay extra attention. When you see the number three, in the Bible, then God is making a point of complete testimony to you. God wants you to see His great desire for you to SEEK HIM BEFORE these days have come upon you. Why? That you may be “HIDDEN ONES,” in the day of God’s wrath; that you may be a model of the three men; that you will be already found pure, before His throne, and have nothing remaining (at least in comparison to His acceptable measure) to be purged out.
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Serving others is a manifestation of purity. Serving and comforting others in their affliction will cause our consciences to be pure before God, and therefore have the faith that God requires. Purity must not be soiled from the world. We become a people that stay pure – without spot, blemish, and wrinkle. God fully intends to have a powerful church in the last days, but what will proceed this great power will be purity. God will hide us from the “plagues of Egypt,” but at the same time will cause us to be in “their midst,” shining forth as an answer for their affliction, and a testimony against those that reject Jesus. Daniel and the three men were a testimony to Babylon because God preserved them - though Babylon tried to destroy them. Babylon shall try to destroy us, and will not succeed, because God will preserve us.
We have focused here on the perfect examples of faith, purity, and its consequential rescue from affliction. Observe the person’s heart that God found as you read other “scriptural examples” of deliverance of affliction. To experience affliction like these examples, is to remain untouched! This is an encouragement to those walking pure before their God. We would call this type of affliction the “Daniel” type of affliction. The heart of the individual is much the same heart as the “martyr” type of affliction, but the consequence is different. God uses both types of affliction, but Daniel was kept “untouched” in body. Both types of righteous suffering contain hardships, but one lays down his life for the eternal reward, and the other is kept for “God’s continuing purpose.”
Job is the most popular example of affliction because the entire book is dedicated to his severe tribulation. It can be real hard for us to identify with Daniel, Paul, and other perfect examples. These examples are great to give us hope of where we can be IF we allow His grace to operate in our life, continually. They reveal to us the finishing line of the race that we are now running. They show God’s maturing process that can end in manifesting purity and righteousness. These men represent to us, that IF we walk in Him, we will show the world - Him.
1 Cor 1:30
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
We will show the world, spiritual attributes, that spring from the life that we have received from abiding in Jesus. Yet, many of us identify more with examples of Peter and David, then the “Daniels” of the Bible. Why is this? Because Peter and David failed, in many areas, and yet God held out His hand to restore them to faith. This is where most of us are now! Therefore, we will examine another Bible example that fell short but God restored – Job. Job presents to us a message for where we are today.
I avoided reading and studying Job for years. This was due to it being a difficult book to understand, and also due to the many erroneous teachings relating to Job. Job has become a religious icon that has allowed unbelief to exist. To teach contrary to the present teaching, tends to be quite difficult, yet in God’s timing, His truth shall be received by those who are pressing into His Inner Courts. God spoke to my heart strongly one day to read Job, and I knew it was God speaking at that moment (many times you realize it was God only after you see the result). That day the Holy Spirit taught me the book of Job and in quite detail – my spiritual eyes were opened. I was changed and I had a revelation concerning affliction that I never understood before.
Does understanding all these types of affliction make it easy for us? No, affliction hurts just as bad when you know a lot of the ways of God, then if you knew none of the ways of God. Why do we teach it? So our afflictions are not wasted. After affliction, if you can remain unchanged, you suffered having learned very little. Understanding these ways, is important, that we can mature as we receive pain. When we learn the lesson, we grow spiritually, when we stay puzzled, we wasted that affliction. Many times, affliction is to challenge you to a duel, a duel with the Lord, a wrestling of wills. This is a duel, that to win, you must lose. For those of little understanding of the ways of God, they never show up for the duel.
Do not get the wrong idea of these teaching, in this way. We can think that, after learning all this, we will glide through the trials and afflictions. Not at all, we will ALL act like babies, most of the time, when truly afflicted by God. Those that make themselves above this type of conduct are in actuality, hiding it. God is after our first response to affliction, to be perfect in that response. Unless you have categorically died to self, your first response will be failure. This is normal; this is what God expected. But, those that understand the ways of God, will now see what they look like, and will now deal with it – unless there is something that prevents dealing with it, like – SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.
We are told at the onset of reading the book of Job, that he was perfect. He is preached by some ministers of the gospel, that he was TOTALLY blameless, and perfect. That would put him in the category of the previous examples that we had observed. Job would be more like Daniel, the three men, or Paul. The Holy Spirit taught me to the contrary. Many agree with what I have just said and others would disagree. These types of controversies prove the lack of unity in doctrine. Now the challenge would be to teach the entire body of Christ that Job was not perfect when the King James Version says that Job was perfect. God has the answer. Every controversy in scripture is a controversy in our heart. With God, there are no controversies. A controversy exists, because we fail to see Him, and learn about His ways. A controversy exists, because we do not press onward towards the finishing line, when we are told in Hebrews that He rewards those that diligently seek Him. A controversy exists, because we choose to believe man’s teaching instead of God’s Word. Why do we trust the doctrine of a minister instead of God? Because of a “lack of confidence” to hear God for ourselves. The children of Israel in the wilderness “desired not” God’s voice, the church did this with the Catholic Church, and we still have this same immaturity today in our gatherings.
Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
These are the four qualities of Job. The first one is the one we tend to stumble on. The word perfect in the King James Version will rarely mean our current English definition. This instance of the word “perfect,” literally means, “Had integrity.” This Hebrew word was used to describe Jacob, BEFORE he tricked his brother Esau into trading his birthright, and BEFORE Jacob deceived his father into pronouncing the blessing of the birthright, on him. How is it then, that God can call Jacob upright with integrity- perfect? Because, God was comparing him to his brother that had very little integrity. Esau represents everything earthly, and Jacob represents everything spiritual, yet Jacob was not very spiritual at the time, in fact, Jacob was destined to learn many of life’s hard lessons, to deal his with this “lack of integrity.” Job had integrity compared to the rest of Job’s generation (probably right before Abraham’s time), and yet there was in his heart something that had to be dealt with.
So we see that perfect does not mean our thoughts on being perfect, it simply means to have integrity, and is used comparatively against others who demonstrate less integrity. If Job was the most upright man of his time - why test him? We are a people that like to compare ourselves to others. Others become our standard of measurement. When we do this, and the target of our comparison falls short of where we are, we neglect to look any further, and the remaining soil in us is never dealt with. UNDERSTAND THIS - If there is anything in you – anything at all that is unlike Jesus Christ, which CAN BE TOUCHED – than God will allow affliction to deal with it. God is after your heart. If there is any area of your life where you are separated from God – He desires to unite you with Himself. As you become more spiritual than those around you, there will be a temptation to compare yourself to their spirituality. As you compare yourself to their spiritual maturity, we leave areas in our life untouched by God’s Life. These are areas that the Holy Spirit has reproved as being sin, these are areas that you have went your own way instead of God’s way, these are areas that become a tare. Job had areas of his life that he failed to deal with, and now, God will allow affliction to get his attention. God does not desire external qualities that have been untested, God desires internal qualities obtained from heaven and tried by fire.
Job 1:5
And it came about, when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings {according to} the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually. (NAS)
Before affliction came, we find a problem. We have three times where scripture mentions that Job’s children were feasting and drinking wine. God goes out of His way to mention that affliction occurs on the day of this feasting. Job believed in his heart that they were habitually in sin. Scripture is given by inspiration of God; God includes these events for a reason. It is not a coincidence.
Prov 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Job offered sacrifice for his children, but God requires us to train them in the way of righteousness. Are we saying that Job was afflicted based solely on how he raised his children? No, what we are saying is that the children died because their hearts were evil, not because Job needs to learn a lesson. However, the sin of Job’s children was an indicator of the impurities in his heart, as well. Our lives affect others, and especially those that are the closest to us. If you were to raise ten children in Christ, you would have faith that at least a few would serve God all their days. This was not the case with Job; he raised ten children that did not serve God. If you do not raise your children in God’s way, than you are guaranteed affliction in your road ahead. This was true of many examples in the Old Testament. This is also true of many modern-day examples. This is God’s first uncovering of something hidden in Job’s life. If you have failed as a parent, you simply must receive forgiveness, mostly forgiving yourself, and then set yourself to raise spiritual children.
Job 1:8
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man,
Does Satan point out Job? Nope, God points out Job to Satan. My humorous response is “Please Lord, I have enough problems. It is to be noted that God will point out to Satan our life - to afflict us - but He will not reveal to Satan the purpose of the affliction. This is why Satan conspired to destroy Jesus; Satan never sees the resurrection life on the other side of the cross.
Job 1:10
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Satan is the source of affliction, because in God, there is no evil to afflict with. God has a hedge around us like He had with Job. Sometimes we simply leave His hedge by violating His way. For example if you drive dangerously, then you leave His hedge of protection by violating common sense “safe practices.” This is the “suffering for unrighteousness” type of affliction. At other times it seems like everything hits us, and we have not been doing anything evil to bring the affliction. This is the case with Job. God lifted up the hedge to get to the deep inner parts of his being, but the works of Job were not in violation to God’s ways. God will allow this affliction, but in the case of the dangerous driver, it was the driver’s choice. When we are afflicted because we were foolish, then we must just respond in crying out to God for mercy. Had it not been for God’s mercy for all the foolish things I have said and done, I would have been utterly destroyed years ago.
1 Cor 3:13
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Job was tested to reveal - “what sort” his uprightness was. All of us shall be tested as James declared.
James 1:3-4
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have {its} perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete
Our faith when tested is what will bring endurance and then completion. In Job’s case, we see uprightness, fear of God, and integrity, on the surface, but in the deep recesses of his heart, God will cause his mouth to speak. For example, let’s say that you are a rural driver in an unpopulated road system, as you drive daily to your destinations you are known as a “stress-free driver,” to all those that know you. It is easy to be stress-free when you have few drivers on the road, and this is what Satan pointed out. Therefore it is the PLAN OF GOD to bring you to a place of busy highways to test that stress-free condition that resides within, when you drive. If it is God Who is Peace in your heart, then God will be your response. If it is the peace that can be manifested by the natural man, than your response will be one of flesh. Many can be naturally gentle, naturally kind, and naturally stress-free, but it takes a testing, to tell of what sort it is.
Job lost all of His possessions and His children. What was his response? He worshipped God and sinned not! Could we have passed this test in such a way? We must become dead to things and we must submit our children to God – both belong to Him. God was not finished though. Job had yet to come to the end of himself. Affliction is designed to see yourself in the deep places of your heart. We become afflicted, and we do everything, except place our heart on God’s altar and say, “if there is any wicked thing in me please show me.” Job now receives bodily affliction!
Job 2:10
What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
God makes a point to let us know that Job still did not sin with his lips. This is where some Bible teachers miss it. They assume that because it says Job does not sin with his lips in Job 2:10, than he must not be sinning in his following dialogue; however, what we see is Job’s affliction is getting to him. The fire is purging deep and what is about to burst will be nothing like the uprightness that has been previous spoken about. Job’s response to this affliction will show us the “true version” that Job held about God. Job will now speak of God’s way in a manner that does not resemble the true God in heaven. There are many that can mimic being spiritual, but the mimicking stops at the test.
As we have stated before, it is not prudent to inject every kind of affliction into the “Job-kind-of-affliction” mold. If your present affliction fits, then inject it, apply it, and change your course. If it does not fit, learn from certain truths and principles, in Job, and see if they fit. The Holy Spirit is always faithful, to speak to you in your affliction, period. Be patient, put yourself in a listening posture, and stay humble.
Job’s three friends approach Job and they mourn with him. In Chapter 3, we have the start of four dialogues. Job and the three friends take turns in an unprofitable discussion. The difficulty in reading these passages is that all four of them were wrong, and yet made many true statements; in fact, the Apostle Paul quotes a saying of one of the three friends as a “Gospel Truth.” Most important though, is that there is a truth in these dialogues, which gives revelation of the TRUE condition of Job’s heart. Sometimes we remain confused because the dialogues around us are “ALL WRONG,” but contain an element of truth. Christians take sides on issues, and both sides are many times in error, but both contain an element of truth. The result is unprofitable.
Job opens his mouth in chapter 3 and reveals his response to his affliction. Our focus will be God’s focus, which is a focus on the bitter waters. God already said at the onset that He thought Job was upright, now God will magnify that which is not upright. When you are in affliction, God has a focus on YOUR BITTER WATER. God will focus on that which is NOT UPRIGHT in your heart. Our reaction is normally a focus on what we have done right, and therefore we conclude that we are not deserving of such affliction – this was Job’s response!
Job’s attitude turned to despair, a loss of all hope. Job cursed his birthday; he wished he had been a miscarriage. Job’s despair grew and he wanted God to kill him. Always observe your response to any affliction lest you be blind concerning yourself. SELF-PITY will never deliver you from your affliction! When severe affliction comes we want to lie down, we want to quit. We find that there is no resource within us to overcome, and we want to distance ourselves from our affliction. For some, the only way to distance themselves from their affliction is suicide, or at least the desire to die. Despair is a killer, it takes away all opportunities for deliverance.
I know the depths of despair many of us go through. I know it is hard to muster up the strength, to see anything but doom for our future. We want to stay in bed. We want to avoid relationships. We hurt so much inside; we just want the quickest way to end the pain – leaving this physical world. Nevertheless, this is not God’s destiny for you; this is the destiny that the enemy wants for you. The weight of despair may feel like a truck of bricks upon our heart, but we have to empty that truck, we have to choose God’s course. I think, those afflicted with the worst bouts of despair, are the ones that God has called to the greatest shows, of His strength, in this Earth. But, before the “greater works,” we must get through the bout of despair. It must end for good. It starts with a choice to finish your allotted course.
Job 6:11
What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
Job saw that the road ahead was darkness. Yes, this is a natural reaction, but God wants us to know Him Who is Hope. Spiritual reactions are pleasing to God, and He gives us the ability to hope because of Jesus. It is easy to preach this, a lot harder to walk it when you have been terribly afflicted and hurt. God reaches down in our despair, and by His mercy, will restore us to a place where despair will have been swallowed up in hope.
Rom 5:5-6
hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (NAS)
Job continues to mischaracterize God in his dialogue. Job says that God is against him. Job does not look within his own heart. Job proclaims that he has done nothing deserving of this affliction. “God has made me bitter” says Job; “who can ever be right or do good in His sight – God is unpleasable” “God will not even answer me” “God blesses the house of the robber – those who provoke Him are secure” “God is a merciless judge of every infraction.” If that were true, we would all have been judged long ago.
Ps 103:10
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. (NAS)
Job blames God, and depicts God as being an unfair judge. Job proclaims a false version of Who God is. Job complains to God, and about God. All of these are but symptoms – not the root of the problem. Many times, we go through affliction and respond in self-pity, anger, blaming others, or blaming God. These are responses that usually spring up from something that has been not dealt with in our hearts. Many times, we see the meanness in another not realizing the mental and physical abuse they may have experienced in their youth – the meanness may be a manifestation of a broken heart that God wants to heal. Many in the world feel that God was unfair to allow abuse to happen to them, their response to this “mischaracterization of God” is one of bitterness. If we will learn these important lessons of truth, God can use us to minister to these, as we learn His dealings and submit to them.
The dialogue of Job revealed a deep-rooted problem that God wanted dealt with – SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS! Can self-righteousness contain self-pity? As you will witness, it surely can.
Job was stubborn and refused the counsel of his wise friends, but there was a problem there as well, for the words of Job’s friends were added affliction to his already miserable condition. The friends actually pointed out the self-righteousness. They told Job that something was not right in his life. They told him that his end would be restoration even greater than before. They preach encouragement, hope, accurate statements about God’s character, they corrected Job’s wrong statements with accurate ones and many more wise sayings. Why were they an added affliction? Because they were bitter water, mixed with sweet water. Their words were mostly from - the “natural man,” and only caused Job to become more contentious. They even digressed into giving the “false purpose of affliction.” They did this by telling Job that the affliction was due to Job withholding his bread to the hungry, this was a false accusation. It is hard to see the error of the three friends until you observe the righteousness spoken from the fourth friend.
After Job and his three friends have concluded their unprofitable discourse, we see God’s man come on the scene. God loves us so much that He sends a true messenger of God. Elihu means “God of Him.” Elihu definitely belongs to God, and God has much to say through Elihu the prophet. Elihu begins by stating the problem with Job – “He justified himself instead of God.” This is such a dangerous place for us to be in, because we will justify our motives, when we should have sought the motives of God. We now become RIGHT IN OUR OWN EYES. We see ourselves as victims, not deserving of affliction, because we have done right. May we fear and tremble in His holy presence and never degrade to this place of blindness. We can use scripture to justify ourselves, we can use past accomplishments done in the Name of Jesus to justify ourselves – if this is our response then God’s response will be to “give you up to your own way.” Know this - Prov 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Job 32:2-3
Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
Revealed are the problems with the dialogues. The answer has always been in these verses. Job pleaded his case as though he was innocent, and had no sin. The friends preached restoration, God’s character, and wisdom that they learned from God, but their much speaking had no answer; to make matters worse they condemned Job and gave him no help of deliverance. Observe and note carefully! There are many in ministry that think that all you have to do is interject some accurate information about God, the cross, restoration, and even counseling, but if you do not provide the answer that is from heaven, for that moment, for that person, than you will have a ministry of wood, hay, and stubble. You will be in sin; you will have become the ministry of the “three friends.” Fear God in this I beg you. When you preach and counsel those in their affliction – is there an answer or just information?
Elihu had the answer! Elihu waited for the three wise and older men to speak first, even though he had the answer. Have you ever gotten into a small group of people, after church, in Sunday school, or in other gatherings, and you find certain individuals (maybe even you), are always the first to dominate the course of the conversation, with their much knowledge. You leave those settings not edified, but an Elihu will wait for the moment when there is no answer, and then speak from heaven the Master’s answer, that cuts to heart and restores. I desire to be as Elihu, waiting for compassion to move me with a word that has His answer.
Job 32:7-22
"I thought age should speak, and increased years should teach wisdom. "But it is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. "The abundant {in years} may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice. "So I say, 'Listen to me, I too will tell what I think.'
There is a public ministry of the prophet, yet every believer is a prophet in regards to speaking the word from heaven that confounds the wisdom that comes from elders. We have the breath – the Spirit of God teaching us, and causing us to learn in a few days what might have taken these wise friends a lifetime to achieve. God will use an exegesis of scripture to cause us to rightly divide truth, but in addition, the minister must hear from heaven. Those that hear from heaven as Elihu did – MUST BE BOLD TO TELL WHAT THEY THINK! Do not let the “supposed wiser” or the elder of much knowledge, prevent you from declaring ALL that you are hearing and therefore must speak – that provides God’s true understanding of a matter. Let us not get goofy and become troublemakers; wait for the “elders” to speak, and if there is not answer for one in affliction, then speak what God is saying for the moment.
Job 32:7-22
"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, while you pondered what to say. "I even paid close attention to you, indeed, there was no one who refuted Job, not one of you who answered his words. "Do not say, 'We have found wisdom; God will rout him, not man.' "For he has not arranged {his} words against me; nor will I reply to him with your arguments. "They are dismayed, they answer no more; words have failed them.
Words have failed them. So sad that we sit in gatherings where hurting people have gathered, sitting next to us, and our words fail us to bring healing to their affliction. May we mature, that we may bring the words - that restore them. When their words cry out for help, may we answer them in Christ. There are many that wander in their affliction because NOT ONE has been found to give words that have answer, to give words that fail not.
Job 32:7-22
"And shall I wait, because they do not speak, because they stop {and} answer no more? "I too will answer my share, I also will tell my opinion. "For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. "Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, like new wineskins it is about to burst. "Let me speak that I may get relief; let me open my lips and answer. "Let me now be partial to no one; nor flatter {any} man. "For I do not know how to flatter, {else} my maker would soon take me away. (NAS)
Anyone that has ever prophesied can identify with Elihu. We are full of words – His words, how can we possibly contain or make them undelivered. We see here that “words that flatter” are words that shall puff up the carnal man while simultaneously deflating the spiritual man. May we fear God as Elihu did in this matter.
In chapter 33 Elihu rehearses back, to Job, what he said in his dialogue that was to be reproved. Then Elihu tells Job that his depiction of God and his reasoning for the purpose of his own affliction is “not just.” Many times, we deceive ourselves into thinking we know the purpose to why we were afflicted and the result is never fruitful. Many think they are suffering for righteousness sake when they are in fact suffering for not using Godly wisdom. There are multitudes of teachers that spread false doctrine and suffer because of it, but their deception tells them that this is the sufferings of Christ. There are those that misuse the gifts of God and cause reproach, from the world, and other Christians; they are deceived into thinking their suffering is for righteousness sake. You might be one that imposes their will upon those that you influence, and when afflicted, you still never see “this contradiction” to the steps of Jesus; you will be left to your own way no matter how much praying or studying God’s Word that you may do.
YOU MUST NOT BE RESISTANT TO THE DEALINGS OF GOD. Suppose you are one that has a life of devotion before God, and let us suppose that in your dealings with the consumer market, one day, you do not get “your own way,” when afflicted are these contrary ways from the carnal nature – laid on the altar? And another, common way we tend to stay blind to God’s dealings, you are driving and someone “cuts you off,” or someone drives slowly in front of you, what is your response? Was it an automatic response of the fruit of patience, and the fruit of forbearing wrongs that are suffered? If this was not your response, when afflicted, have you searched your heart to have these immature and sometimes “wicked responses” dealt with? Discern your affliction, and always look in your heart for that which does not resemble Jesus that you may avoid being deceived.
The Root Purpose of Affliction
Elihu says:
Job 33:13-17 Amplified
13 Why do you contend against God? For He does not give account of any of His actions. [Sufficient for us it should be to know that it is He that does them].
Job contended and judged God as being unfair instead of listening to His voice. It is that voice that causes us to understand our affliction. When we understand our affliction, then we can see ourselves, as God sees us. When we see ourselves, we can respond to God, in repentance of our vile pride, and acceptant of His grace for true deliverance; that is deliverance from ourselves. Even as Job was self- righteousness - God tries to show us our unrighteousness; if we resist Him continually, we will also become self-righteous. We will be guilty of having measured our own level of righteousness against a criterion that is not God and then we are stubborn to change it.
14 For God [does reveal His will; He] speaks not only once, but more than once, even though men do not regard it.
15 [One may hear God’s voice] in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men while slumbering upon the bed.
16 Then He opens the ear of men and seals their instruction.
17 That He may withdraw man from his own purpose and cut off pride from him.
Memorize verse 17 and never forget it. Your valleys, tribulations, afflictions, chastisements, hardships are designed to cause verse 17 – to withdraw you from your purpose, your goal, your motives, and cut off the pride that gave you your own purpose – AT THE ROOT; but ONLY when you hear from heaven the voice that reveals the purpose of your affliction. This is the Father’s voice of instruction! The Holy of Holies is given the name in Solomon’s temple as - “THE ORACLE OF GOD.” This name literally means “THE SPEAKING PLACE.” When we talk about a life in the Holy of Holies, we are talking about a life that “hears from heaven,” a life that has ears to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. Some want a “Holy of Holies” for the sole purpose of giving them a “sense of God,” but the true Holy of Holies speaks to us, and we are to heed that voice – THEN we will “sense God in our midst.” It is only THEN can we stand holy in the midst of our holy God. It is only then, shall we have - God’s GLORY upon our life.
Job 33:22-30
"Then his soul draws near to the pit, and his life to those who bring death. "If there is an angel {as} mediator for him, One out of a thousand, to remind a man what is right for him, then let him be gracious to him, and say, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom'; let his flesh become fresher than in youth, let him return to the days of his youthful vigor; then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, that he may see His face with joy, and He may restore His righteousness to man. "He will sing to men and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it is not proper for me. 'He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, and my life shall see the light.' "Behold, God does all these oftentimes with men, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. (NAS)
This passage brings us to the end of ourselves, even, to the pit of death itself, but then God rescues us. I hope this message may be the “one out of a thousand,” but if not, God will send him to you - to deliver His word of grace. Elihu preaches with an answer from heaven of true restoration for Job. This word that Elihu preaches is restoration for all of us. Jesus is our mediator, delivering us out of all of our afflictions, and restoring us - as we follow Him. When we are afflicted, sometimes we do not see as we should, we do not do many things as we ought, but the message of the Gospel is this - Jesus lives in our heart, we have covenant with Jesus, Jesus paid our debt, and the debt was not His – TO RESCUE US FROM THE PIT. We do not deserve it, our pride should prevent it, but His mercy reaches down in our pain because Jesus experienced great pain, and He gives you healing. Our part is easy, humble yourself, knowing that you are the reason for your affliction, invite Jesus in… into every part of your life - and your life shall see light. Let Jesus prove Himself to you, and as you yield your life to Him - your life will become PROOF of Jesus in this earth. HIGGAION <Mediate on that>