The Lambs Book Of Life

But nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed shall ever enter it, nor anyone who commits abominations (unclean, detestable, morally repugnant things) or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 21:27

I want to talk about the Lamb’s Book of Life here. If your experiences are anything like mine you were taught that not very many people will ever have their name written in this Book. But yesterday at Bible Study the Spirit asked me this question: Whose Book this was? I answered Him that it is Jesus’ Book. He then brought to my mind several scriptures.

Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). Hebrews 13:8

[Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. John 17:2

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. John 3:16

For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise]. Romans 14:11

The Lamb’s Book of Life is Jesus’ Book of Life. Jesus never changes, He is always the same, so His Book cannot change either. The Truth is that Jesus has been given the power over all flesh. He was given this power so that all that He has been given may have eternal life. Jesus tells us in John 17:2 that our Father has given Him all of us, so His Book must include all of our names. If the Book doesn’t, then John 17:2 is a lie, because that would mean that Jesus was only given some of us. 

Our Father loves the world, not just those of us in the world who understand that He does. We know this wonderful Truth now, others will come to know it later, but all of us will one day understand and when we do, we will all bow and acknowledge the Truth that will set us free. The recorder of the Lamb’s Book of Life knows this Truth and every name, but one, has been recorded in it, John 17:12. 

Look at Revelation 21:27 again, notice that things can be washed? We all need washed! Notice also that we are told that no one who commits abominations, not who committed abominations are allowed in eternity. We all have committed abominations, but in eternity we will all have been washed and none of us will commit them. The Lamb’s Book of Life is full, Jesus was that successful!   

Does Our Father Want Us Rich?

But I have [your full payment] and more; I have everything I need and am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. [They are the] fragrant odor of an offering and sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights. And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:18-19

I was raised in a Full Gospel, you better tithe and offer kind of church. Every sermon somehow revolved around us giving money to the church. The sermons would typically go like this, give and God will multiply your seed a hundredfold. The scripture used for this preaching can be found in Mark 10. But what was amazing to me is that no one was a multi-multi-billionaire. I mean if it were true that if we gave a dollar, then we would receive $100 back, there would have been a ton of people making billions. So either the preaching was wrong or the Bible was wrong, and I choose to believe that it was the preaching. 

Look at Jesus’ life, was He super rich? Did Jesus have a huge home or His own private boat to travel on while He preached, Matthew 8:20? Did He have His own pure breed donkey to ride upon to show people that He was blessed by God, Matthew 21:2? Was Paul, John, or Peter super rich? Did they have huge homes and massive amounts of worldly things? They didn’t and yet every one of their needs were fully met by our Father and they had far more than a hundred fold of what they had when they first started. They had more fellowship, more love, more faith, more hope, more joy, more power, and more peace. They had so much peace they could be imprisoned and sleep like babies, Acts 12:7-8. They had so much that when the jail doors miraculously flew open, they stayed so that the jailor wouldn’t be killed, Acts 16:27-28. They raised the dead, healed the sick, made trips to Heaven, and all without money and worldly possessions.  

If you believe that our Father wants a bunch of rich worldly people, where is the example of Him doing with the Apostles or Disciples? Did all of these people who were giving so much over all of the years just not have the faith to receive it? Or, is our riches not of this world? The people in Acts sold everything that they had to share with each other and they did not become super wealthy because of it, Acts 2:45. They actually became so poor that Paul had to raise money for them as he traveled, 1 Corinthians 16:3. We are in this world, but we are not of this world and neither are our riches, John 17:14. 

Don't Look For A New Temple In Jerusalem

Jesus departed from the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the buildings of the temple and point them out to Him. But He answered them, Do you see all these? Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. Matthew 24:1-2

Many believe that the Jewish Temple must first be rebuilt before Jesus will return. But Jesus tells us that the Temple in Jerusalem, that has been made with hands, will be completely destroyed, and that temple has been. Jesus never tells us that the Temple must first be rebuilt before He returns. Many however believe that the Jewish Temple must be rebuilt because we are told that the anti-christ will set up his throne in the temple.

Who opposes and exalts himself so proudly and insolently against and over all that is called God or that is worshiped, [even to his actually] taking his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

But the glorious Truth is that man is now the Temple of God, not any building.

What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 2 Corinthians 6:16

When the anti-christ sets up his throne, it will be in man, not in a building. The anti-christ will not be human, but he will take on the form of man thus setting up his throne in the temple. We are told that he is a being that comes up from the Abyss, Revelation 11:7. So this being is allowed by our Father to take on the form of man, thus setting up his throne in what appears to be the true Temple of our Father, which is man. 

The beast that you saw [once] was, but [now] is no more, and he is going to come up out of the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and proceed to go to perdition. And the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been recorded in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they look at the beast, because he [once] was, but [now] is no more, and he is [yet] to come. Revelation 17:8

We also know that the anti-christ will not be human because when our Father is done allowing him to rule, he is thrown directly into the Lake of Fire. The anti-christ, or the beast, will never come up for judgment. We are told that all men will be present on Judgment Day, Revelation 20:12-14, but the anti-christ will not be there, he will have been destroyed by the Lake of Fire a thousand years before Judgment Day, Revelation 19:20.

A Benefit Of Salvation: Peace

And the peace of God, which passeth understanding, shall keep your hearts, and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

The peace of our Father that passes all understanding shall keep our hearts and our minds, now that is some kind of peace! God, Who is Omnipotent, Who is Omnipresent, Who is the Beginning and the End, and Who is not afraid of anything, has given us His peace and He shall keep our hearts! Our Father has made everything that has been made, so what can threaten Him? The devil led a rebellion with a third of the Angels and our Father just threw them out of Heaven. There was no Major Heavenly War that our Father was required to lead the troops into to put the rebellion down. There was no bloodshed when satan was kicked out and there was no disruption in our Father's Authority or His power! He just spoke, sent over Michael, and satan was flung from Heaven and like a lightning bolt he came crashing to the earth! Our Father does not have to concern Himself or take thought for sickness, debt, fear, work, fellowship, or anything, He’s at perfect peace with Who He is and what He is and how He is. His peace is the perfect peace that passes all understanding! That peace, the perfect Omnipotent peace of God, now keeps our hearts and our minds!

We are born from the peace of God! We are now members of His body and we are now His Temple! Our Father has no threats, none whatsoever, and He sent Jesus to die for us so that we could have and enjoy the fruits of peace, and not just any peace, we enjoy His peace, and that is the peace that now keeps us. Our Father doesn’t say that our peace will keep us. He doesn’t leave the responsibility of such a powerful life force to chance, He takes care of it Himself. Amen, we now have God’s very Own peace keeping us. We can see the power of our Father's peace in action with Paul and Silas. They were beaten and cast into the innermost part of the prison and shackled, and even though they were wrongly accused, they sang praises to God at midnight, and our Father delivered them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all doors were opened, and all bands loosed. Acts 16:23-26

Paul and Silas were beaten and shackled. Yet they had our Father’s peace keeping their minds and their hearts during it. So they were strengthened and able to sing praises unto Him, and they were loosed, and if you read on, they won the jailor and his family to Christ. They didn’t do this on their own, they did it because of God, and they did it because God’s peace kept their hearts and their minds! 

Christ Removes Our Fear Of Death

For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity].

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 1 Corinthians 15:55

As for my attitude, though I am absent [from you] in body, I am present in spirit, and I have already decided and passed judgment, as if actually present, 1 Corinthians 5:3

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. 1 John 4:18

The perfect love of our Father drives all fear from us. Probably the greatest fear that we have is the fear of death and the love of our Father drives that from us. His love not only drives the fear of death in regards to us, but the fear of the death of others as well. The fear of a friend dying, or a child, or family member is all driven out by the Truth that the death of the flesh does not end us. This peace keeps us and allows us to be used even during tragic events that end in death. 

Love allows us to have peace that passes all understanding. Love causes us to understand that we are eternal beings and that Jesus has been glorified to give all eternal life.

[Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. John 17:2

Happy Memorial Day

And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw a single angel stationed in the sun's light, and with a mighty voice he shouted to all the birds that fly across the sky, Come, gather yourselves together for the great supper of God, Revelation 19:16-17

Look at Matthew 24:21-29 and you will see Jesus referring to this same event.

That you may feast on the flesh of rulers, the flesh of generals and captains, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all humanity, both free and slave, both small and great! Revelation 19:18

There is a great Truth here and it is that the birds eat the flesh of these people. John is not shown that the souls or the spirits of these people are destroyed, only that they die and their flesh is eaten. Instead of being buried and their flesh decay, our Father just cleans everything up quick. But His Grace does not cease for these individuals, our Father has not abandoned these peoples souls. He has just removed their flesh and the cares of this world that go along with flesh. He has done this so that He can bring them to a place of revelation into the Truth that will set them free. Just as He did with those who Jesus went and preached to in Hades. 

For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit, In which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, [The souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God’s patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water. 1 Peter 3:18-20.

Our Father loves all of us and He will do whatever it takes to set us free, even if that means getting rid of our flesh. Everything that God does is to make us better. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches stop us from being used to produce fruit. So our Father will prune our flesh to allow our souls to abound in the production of fruit. He will do this even if we do not believe or acknowledge Him. What kind of parent would He be if He only dealt with His kids that behaved? I have two children and Beth and I would be negligent if we only dealt with our kids when they were doing what we wanted. Parenting requires action all of the time and with all attitudes and our Father is a very good parent.

So on this Memorial Day we can rejoice in the Truth that whether our loved ones who have died were actively serving God or not when their time in the flesh was over, are being loved and taken care of by our Father. We are able to rejoice in the Truth that they will be with us throughout all of eternity, because the King of Kings was that successful. We are able to rejoice in the Truth that even those who fought against our loved ones will be with us and all of the hatred and bitterness that fueled the wars will be gone.

All Are Destined For Eternity

And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being]. Romans 8:30

We are told in Romans 8:29 that all who our Father knew, He foreordained to be conformed to the image of Jesus. The Truth is also that our Father knows everyone before we are ever born, Psalm 139:16. So our Father will call all of us, regardless of whether we believe the Truth or not, because He has known all of us. We are also shown this wonderful Truth in Matthew 22:10, Jesus’ parable of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Notice in Jesus’ parable that both the good and bad are called to attend the Wedding Supper. We are also shown this in Revelation 20:12-13, when all who ever have lived are called to be on the New Earth when our Father comes to dwell here. Jesus tells us that when we are all here, both good and bad, that only one is not allowed to stay for eternity, Matthew 22:11-12. The rest of us are allowed to stay with our Father because we have been covered by Jesus’ Blood. We are appropriately dressed for the Wedding Feast. Only Judas has not been kept by Jesus, John 17:12. The Bride has the appropriate garments and the guests have the appropriate garments, only Judas is not dressed for the event.  

Amen, everyone will be justified by the Blood of Jesus, that is how powerful our Lord’s sacrifice is, Romans 5:19. All of mankind will be called to the Marriage Supper, or in other words all are called to be in eternity. Everyone who is called to be there will be glorified by what Jesus has done for us. Everyone’s perishable bodies will no longer be perishable. The Bride’s physical bodies will have been glorified a thousand years earlier when Jesus comes to Rule the Earth. The guests will be glorified at the end of the Millennial Reign, because their enemy, which is death, will have been thrown into the Lake of Fire. Satan will also be thrown into and destroyed by the Lake of Fire. Our Father will end all pain, suffering, tears, torment, and fear. All things will become new, Revelation 21:4-5. 

What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] Romans 8:31

Our Father is for us. He is for us all, because He loves all of us. Sin cannot overcome our Father’s Grace and separate us from Him. Where sin abounds, our Father's Grace much more abounds. Satan can’t separate us, evil can’t separate us, and even unbelief and doubt can’t separate us from our Father's Love and Mercy towards us, Romans 11:32. What good would Grace be if we had to earn it by believing or accepting it? It would then be a wage paid to us based on our actions. Look at Jesus' life on the earth and you will see His life in the future. 

Forget About Social Security: You Have God's Security

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8

I hear so many who are so concerned with Social Security. Why are people concerned over something that is so small? Social Security only provides the bare minimum for ones survival, if that? I believe this is a great time for the Church to stand up and proclaim from the rooftops the Truth that will set us all free! Through Christ, our Father will make all of His favor abound towards us, so that we will always have all sufficiency in all things. He will do this so that we may be used by Him to abound unto every good work! Our Father’s provision goes beyond just helping us, to abundantly using us to help those around us! Social Security is only able to give us the bare minimum, so that maybe, we might have some sufficiency in some things, so that we may not starve! And for the government to provide this minimal benefit for us will drain billions upon billions of dollars from our citizens who don’t have it to give! Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. Our abundance is met according to God’s riches and glory in Christ Jesus and our Father’s riches are limitless!

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Matthew 6:25-26

Jesus teaches us to take no thought for our own lives. We are able to do this because our Father causes all of His grace to abound towards us, so that we will always have all sufficiency in all things! Why Christian’s are getting into this fight over Social Security is beyond me? Through Christ we have so much more than Social Security, we have eternal abundant security! Jesus teaches us to look at the birds, they sow not, neither do they reap, and yet our Father feeds them and provides for them. The birds get to fly South when it turns cold. Believe me, we Christians should be taking notice of the birds! 

Jesus teaches us that we are to consider the birds, which we are far far better then. The birds do not have to sow to reap! Sound like any sermons you may have heard lately? There is a huge message in Christianity today that goes: we have to sow our finances so that we may reap! But according to Jesus that is not how and why we reap. According to Jesus we reap because we look to our Father and seek His Kingdom and His righteousness! 

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:31-33 

You Are Rescued Right Now From Wickedness

Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father-- Galatians 1:4

Man, there are several great things that we can study with this one verse. The first is that Jesus not only saves us, but He sanctifies us. I believe that this is one of the greatest Truth’s that is not preached or taught nearly enough: we do not sanctify ourselves, we are sanctified by Jesus. 

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 1 Thessalonians 5:23

For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; Hebrews 2:11

Jesus alone separates us from all profane things. The peace for us in this Truth is this: it is Jesus’ responsibility alone to stop us from doing wrong things! It is the vine’s responsibility to cause the branches to produce fruit. It is the head’s responsibility to cause the body to move. It is the gardeners responsibility to keep insects and disease from the plants. It is the potters responsibility to form the clay and it is the shepherds responsibility to heard the sheep. Our peace and freedom is Jesus is our Head, our Shepherd, our Vine, and our Father is our Potter and He is our Gardener. This is why there is absolutely no condemnation for us who are now in Christ Jesus.

THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. Romans 8:1

If we were responsible for even the littlest aspect of our own sanctification, then there would always be room for condemnation, but we aren’t responsible to sanctify ourselves, and we never will be. We have a part to play, but our part is never played by being separate from Christ. We are His body and we are always perfectly united with Him. Our part is played as a branches part is played, the branch is the part of the plant that the fruit appears on, but the branch is not the force that caused the fruit to come to be. You can take a branch from a merlot vine and graft it into a cabernet vine and the branch will produce cabernet grapes. We were of the devil, now we are of Jesus and now we produce righteous fruit because of Him, not because of us.

This Truth will give you so much peace! And not only will it give you peace it will set you free from actually doing the things that you don’t want to do. As long as we believe that we have to keep ourselves, we will do what we do not want to. 

Jesus Was Sacrificed So Everyone Would Benefit

Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, Philippians 2:9

We are told here that Jesus has been given authority over all flesh, a Name above every Name. Jesus alone has The Name. He alone has The Power and He alone has The Authority. We also know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). Hebrews 13:8

So the question is: did Jesus come to be sacrificed for just a few of us or for all of us? 

But God’s free gift is not at all to be compared to the trespass [His grace is out of all proportion to the fall of man]. For if many died through one man’s falling away (his lapse, his offense), much more profusely did God’s grace and the free gift [that comes] through the undeserved favor of the one Man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for [the benefit of] many. Romans 5:15

OK, so Jesus came so than many could have His free gift of righteousness, but just how many?

That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

[Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. John 17:2

The Truth is that Jesus came so that every person would be set free and saved from Hell. Not just a couple and not just most, what type of sacrifice would that be? Jesus is God. God came and made Himself a sacrifice, you think that it didn’t far outweigh Adams sin? Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed so that all flesh could have eternal life with Him. 

When Jesus was here on the earth 2000 years ago He forgave people who did not ask for it and He healed people who did not ask for it. He feed people who would later kill Him. So on Judgment Day do you really believe that Jesus will change and now begin to damn people? Do you really believe that Jesus would condemn those who He just had bow down to Him? Do you believe that He will begin to act like modern day dictators who kill people for disobeying them? 

Think of it, millions of people will all be bowing down confessing Jesus as Lord on Judgment Day, which is what we are told that we must do to be saved, and then Jesus tells them to go to Hell? No, His sacrifice was far more successful than that and that is not what Grace is! 

We Are All Christ

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him: Where there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:10-11

Christ is all; that is an interesting statement of Truth and such a powerful one. When our Father chose us and empowered us to accept Jesus as Lord, we put on the new man and now Christ is all and Christ is in us all. We are now members of Christ’s body, members of His flesh, and members of His bones. We now have His Spirit and we now have the His mind. The Truth is that we now have the actual Mind of Christ. Jesus’ joy is now fulfilled within us, we have been given His glory, we have His peace, we have His salvation, plain and simple Christ is now all for the truly saved! A-men, this is such a powerful Truth. 

Through the power of Christ we are now renewed in the very image of God, just as Jesus is in the very image of God. Jesus said that if we have seen Him, then we have seen the Father, well, we too are renewed in that image by the Anointed One, Jesus Christ! And praise God, it is available to all: to Jew or Gentile, to Young and to old, to male or female, to rich or poor, to every race. Our past has nothing to do with it, it does not matter, all who are empowered with the Holy Spirit to choose life will have it! 

Now here is something that needs to be realized today, in Christ there is neither Baptist or Church of God, there is neither Church of Christ or Nazarene, there is neither Methodist or any denomination, for we are all Christ. Jesus is in all and He is all! We have been renewed and we have put on the new man of Christ, and we now have all of Christ, not just some of Him. All that Jesus is, all that He possesses, all of His faith, all of His glory, all of His joy, all of His love, all of His hope, and all of His wisdom and knowledge, we are now one with and He now has all of us! And the world will believe and be saved by the power of Him working through us!

The 7 Fold Spirit

And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth. Revelation 5:6

Jesus keeps showing John the Seven Fold Spirit of our Father in the Book Revelation. Jesus does this to constantly remind us of what the Holy Spirit is actually doing for us, Isaiah 11:2, even during the end times. We see that the Holy Spirit is causing us to be wise and to understand all of the Truth. He is causing us to be mighty, He is counseling us, and He is causing us to have knowledge and to have reverence for our Father. Jesus shows us in Revelation 5 that the Holy Spirit is in all of the earth during the Great Tribulation. The Truth is that the Holy Spirit is in all of the earth as the seven seals of the end times are being opened. This is very important to see because many people believe that the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth during the end times. They believe that the Holy Spirit is removed from this world and then because He is removed, the anti-christ is allowed to come into power. They teach this from a verse in 2 Thessalonians. 

For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:7

Our Father only has Paul write in 2 Thessalonians that the Holy Ghost is restraining the anti-christ and that there will come a time when He is removed from doing so. Our Father in omnipotent and so is His Spirit. He is everywhere all of the time. He cannot remove Himself from the earth, because there is nowhere that He isn’t. The Holy Spirit can allow things to happen though and He can stop things from happening, that is what our Father had Paul write about the anti-christ’s ability to come to power. Our Father only had Paul write that the Holy Spirit would stop preventing the anti-christ, not that He would remove the Holy Spirit from the earth. 

Jesus tells us that there is not a time when our Father’s perfect Spirit, the Seven Fold Spirit, is not causing us to be: wise, understanding, counseled, mighty, knowledgeable, reverent, and obedient. These seven attributes are repeatedly used by Jesus to identify Who and What the Holy Spirit is and who and what He is causing us to be. These are the definitions and powers of Who has exactly been given to us to strengthen us, John 14:16. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to cause us to be wise and understand our Father completely. He counsels us in the will of our Father. He causes us to be strong and know that it is our Father within us. He causes us to truly love our Father and He causes us to be obedient to our Father. Our true strength to worship comes to us directly from the Holy Spirit; it is not from us, it is not our own free will and human abilities deciding that this is our part to play. It is always our Father within us causing us to accomplish His will and purposes. 

Our Freedom Allows Us To Serve All

For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. Galatians 5:13

The great Truth for us is that our freedom and love are both directly from Jesus, John 17:26. Jesus is our Shepherd, He is our Head, and He is our Vine, John 15. Jesus will never allow us to lose anything or stray from the Truth. He will not allow one of His body parts to act alone or lose anything!  

And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day. John 6:39

Jesus ever lives to intercede for us and because He does, we are saved to the uttermost.

Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. Hebrews 7:25

For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] Romans 11:29

Because of Jesus we are saved completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time to the uttermost. Jesus is responsible to insure that our freedom never stops our Father’s love and power from serving the world. Our freedom in Christ will never insnare us or hinder us! Our Head eternally lives to intercede for others and our Head insures that His body does too. 

Another great Truth about our freedom is that it will never be taken from us and none of us will ever be lost. Our freedom also comes with a peace that passes all understanding. Which means that we may not understand all of our Father’s plans and we may not be able to quote all of His Truth’s, but we know beyond any shadow of a doubt that through Christ we are eternally free.

This freedom removes us from all condemnation: condemnation for ourselves and condemnation for others, Romans 8:1. Our freedom allows us to love all, even our enemies. 

But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. Luke 6:35

Our Father Works Out Our Salvation

Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Philippians 2:12-13

I have a friend who told me that her pastor ended every sermon with Philippians 2:12. So I asked her if he ever went on to verse 13. She had no idea about verse 13. So for year after year the messages that she would hear ended with work out your own salvation. Year after year the message left all of the burden on the people and not on the Lord. The pastor never gave the Truth that would set the listeners free. When the Holy Spirit used me to share the Truth with her the freedom that He gave her was visible and she began to be set free from all of the fear of messing up. The Truth always sets us free, always! 

Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. John 17:17

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

The glorious Truth for us is that our Father sanctifies us through and through. Our Father works out our salvation for us. Now look at what the Holy Spirit tells us in 1 Thessalonians, that He not only causes our spirits to be pure and blameless, He causes our bodies to be as well. Our Father is faithful to do it and He is totally trustworthy. There is now absolutely no fear for us. We have won because our Father doesn’t fail. 

So when you hear that we have to work out our own salvation, rejoice, we don’t do it through our strength, our Father does it through His.  

Pray Always Part II

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).

May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]-- To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Ephesians 3:16-21

Jesus will cause us to pray for people to have the same mighty power that He has. Our anointing will lead us to pray that love secures others and that they are filled with all of the fullness of God, just as Jesus is filled with the fullness of God. The Holy Spirit directs us to pray that our Father will do more through people than they can ask for, believe for, or pray for. Our Father uses us to pray for those that love and and those who hate us. We intercede for the saved and unsaved to have all of the power of Jesus. 

Now here is a great Truth for us: even if we pray wrong, the Holy Spirit will take what we pray and turn it into what our Father’s will is, so that we will receive even if we asked for the wrong things. 

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groaning’s too deep for utterance. Romans 8:26

So pray aways, because in Christ we always receive our Father’s perfect will. Father I ask that You cause us to always and every place to pray in the full and complete power of Your might. 

Pray Always Part I

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people). Ephesians 6:18

Jesus ever lives to intercede for us, and because He does, we are saved to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25. We are now one with Jesus, so we too ever live to intercede for others so that they may be saved to the uttermost, John 17:26. With these Truths in mind let’s study some examples of prayer’s in the Bible.

And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment], So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]. May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]. Philippians 1:9-11

Through Christ we are empowered to pray for people to abound in the fullest measure of love. We are glorified to pray that people are pure and blameless and without fault and we are led to pray that they are filled with righteousness. The Holy Spirit causes us to pray that people are just like Jesus is. The Holy Spirit empowers us and gives us a heart and will that wants everyone to have all that Jesus has. Our prayers should be far more for other people then they ever are for ourselves.  

Harmony Within The Body

So by whatever [appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever] strengthening and consoling and encouraging [our relationship] in Him [affords], by whatever persuasive incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the [Holy] Spirit [we share], and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy, Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. Philippians 2:1-2

Look around your town, your city, your state, and country, just look at the world, how many church denominations do you see? How many of them are in harmony? Not many are there? But yet most of them are preaching that we must love each other and that Jesus is our Lord. Yet, there is no harmony, very little unity, and mistrust abounds between churches and denominations. Why?

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Philippians 2:13

It is impossible for us to come together in harmony through our own strength. We can talk about being harmonious and one, but unless the Truth that sets us free is taught: that it is Jesus causing us to do all things, we never will. 

That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. John 17:21-23

For us to be one, we must believe that we are actually as glorious as Jesus. That understanding has to come to us directly from the Holy Spirit. We cannot accept or believe this Truth through our own power, it has to come from our Father. That is why we are being used to study it and teach it; faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We can say that we need to live in harmony, but that preaching does not do anything. The preaching that changes things is that Jesus lives to make us one with each other and that we are glorious this day in Him. This preaching is the power that will lead us to true unity. 

For He says, In the time of favor (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation). Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from God]; behold, now is the day of salvation! 2 Corinthians 6:2

Full Joy

These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11

What were the Words that Jesus spoke that would allow our joy to be full? And not just any joy either, Jesus’ spoke Words that would allow His joy, the joy of the Lord, which is our strength, to remain in us! Amen we now have the joy of the One Who was with God from the very beginning and Who is with Him right now, seated in power on the Throne with God. We now have the joy of the One Who knows the full power of God, the One Who was delivered out of Hades and Who has seen all that God has to offer and the One Who is One with it! We now have His joy remaining within us! Don’t just play that off, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you exactly what Jesus’ joy is and the power of it. Ask that Jesus’ joy remains with us! Because Jesus’ joy doesn’t come and go, it remains with us; it never leaves us or forsakes us!

What Jesus spoke in John 15 that allows His joy to remain in us, is that He is the Vine and that our Father is our Gardener. Jesus taught us that our Father would prune every branch that was within Him that produced fruit, so that He could produce even more everlasting fruit through it. This is the thing that brings us joy! When we are saved, our Father is right here with us, leading us into the paths of righteousness, so that He can produce more and more righteous fruit through us! As we are used by our Father to produce His fruit, through the power and abilities of Jesus Who is within us, we are continually strengthened to produce even more fruit. As we grow, the glories of our Father and the fruit of our Father will ever increase through us. The love of our Father will increase, the wisdom of our Father will increase, the peace of our Father, the strength of our Father, the gifts of our Father, the faith of our Father, everything of our Father will increase through us. Because He is right here with us, insuring that they do. Our Father will take away all of the unnecessary things in our lives, as Jesus, our Vine, is giving us everything that pertains unto life and unto godliness! When we have been called and chosen to accept Jesus as Lord and have become one with Him we cannot help but to be used to produce much fruit.

I am the Vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. John 15:5 

Jesus said that we would produce much fruit, so we will produce much fruit! Jesus spoke this Truth so that our joy may be full as His joy remains within us! 

We Are Now Royalty

And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth! Revelation 5:10

The elders of Heaven testify and they sing praises that those who are chosen by God become one with Him as leaders and great leaders in Heaven are great servants. They proclaim that as Jesus is, so are we on the earth, 1 John 4:17. In Revelation 1:6, Jesus tells John to tell us that through Him, we are now Kings and Priests to God. Here John is hearing the twenty-four elders, and He knows them specifically as elders, are proclaiming that we are Kings and Priests. John is hearing the elders of Heaven proclaim that we reign on the earth. How cool is this? Think of John being up there in the presence of all of these things and hearing Jesus, the elders, and the angels all saying that we are Kings and Priests, just like Jesus is! Wow! Also, ask yourself why is John being told these glorious things before He is shown the great Tribulation? Just another Truth that there is no pre-tribulation rapture! 

The Truth that sets us free is some great stuff! Through Christ we are now more than conquerors, Romans 8:37. We have been raised up together, and we now sit together with our Lord in Heavenly places, Ephesians 2:6. Jesus is far greater within us than anything that is in the world, 1 John 4:4. And as Jesus is, so are we now in this world, 1 John 4:17. Today is the day of our salvation, and now is our appointed time, 2 Corinthians 6:2. 

We are Kings and we are Priests, because we are one with the King. We have the whole armor of our Father just as Jesus has it, and whatsoever thing that we are led to bind by our Head is bound, and whatsoever thing we loose, is loosed, Matthew 16:19. We are empowered and led to forgive sins and they are forgiven. We have the very Spirit of our Father teaching and plainly showing us all things to come, we have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16. This is our salvation and the elders of our Father sing praises about the Truth of who we now are in Christ! And our Savior needed to show us who we are in Him and Who He is in us before He showed us the events of the end of the world.

So many are afraid of the end times. They will be bad, but they will also be a time when our Father uses us as He never has before to win billions of people. 

After this I looked and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and before the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9

The Holy Spirit Causes Us To Be Righteous

So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh. For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. Romans 8:12-3

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work within us. He is constantly causing us to be righteous and holy. He is controlling us to always love and forgive everyone, in spite of what they have done. He gives us the strength to offer up our right cheek after our left one has been hit. He empowers us to walk two miles when only one was demanded of us. He is leading us to ever live to intercede for others. The Holy Spirit is teaching us all things. He is taking everything that Jesus has and He is making it active in our lives. He is leading us, whether we know it or not, and whether we accept it or not. We do not empower the Holy Spirit to act, He empowers us to act. He causes us to do the works that Jesus did and He causes us to do even greater works. He leads us into all of the world to lay hands on the sick, so that they can recover. He prays for us with an intensity and words that cannot be uttered by man. 

We have been baptized into Jesus’ death, so that we can now live as He lives. The Holy Spirit is our Lord’s power and He is our power as well. We are not limited by our flesh. Absolutely our flesh is weak and sure it will fail, but there are now no laws to convict us with. Grace allows our Father to place His Holy Spirit within us and grace allows Him to use us in the full power and demonstration of the Spirit.  

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14

We are the sons of God right now! The Holy Spirit now controls every aspect of our lives. He is there empowering us as we brush our teeth and as we are praying over a sick family member. He is our strength in playing a game and witnessing to a lost soul. There is nothing to small or too big for Him and we are never, and I mean never, left alone to do anything without Him. There is no part of life that we play on our own. We never take a first step that allows Him to then take two for us. The Holy Spirit never leaves us at a crossroads to decide the path that we should take. We owe our flesh nothing. It holds absolutely nothing over us. We are not ruled by it and we are not dictated by it. There is no opportunity for the Holy Spirit to fail and He insures the same victory for us. 

Faith comes from hearing this Truth and this Truth sets us free to be used to serve the world. 

Love May Not Act Like We Think It Should

And He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation. Mark 8:12

Jesus, Who is God, Who is Love, 1 John 4:8, made a whip and turned over tables and ran people off.

And Jesus went into the temple ( whole temple enclosure) and drove out all who bought and sold in the sacred place, and He turned over the four-footed tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who sold doves. Matthew 21:12

Love told a Father with a sick child that he wouldn’t believe unless he saw a sign, Mark 9.

Jesus, Who is Love, did these things. He talked openly with a known adulterous woman. He allowed a former prostitute to wash His feet with perfumed oil and not just any oil, the  oil she used cost an entire year’s wages. Jesus drank. He was called a wine drinker and a gluten, Matthew 11:19. Jesus turned gallons of water into wine for a wedding party where the people had already drank all the wine that they had. So in reality He made more wine for a bunch of partying and probably drunk people. Jesus intentionally read out loud verses of scripture that would offend religious people. He called a woman a dog when she asked Him to heal her child, Matthew 15:26. He repeatedly told the disciples that they had no faith when they were scared and He encouraged people to desire to be the greatest, Matthew 18. Most of the things that Jesus did when He was here would get us kicked out of church today. 

So why would Jesus call a person a dog, when all they wanted was for their child to be healed? He did it to spark the woman’s ability to believe. Jesus knew that woman better than she knew herself. He knew that getting her riled up would spark in her an energy to receive exactly what she needed. Jesus also knew that all of those who were around to hear and see it would marvel that she didn’t care about anything but receiving from Jesus what her child needed. The comment motivated her and then Jesus went on to say that He hadn’t seen such great faith in any Israelites. As humans we are motivated by all of our emotions and our Father knows exactly what it will take for each one of us to receive. He loves us enough to do whatever is needed in our lives. So don’t be surprised if there are times when the Holy Spirit has you say something that may seem politically incorrect or act out in anger. All things work out for our good in Christ and because we are one with Him, we will be used to walk as He walked.

Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself. 1 John 2:6

So praise God, we may very well be used to make a whip, groan openly at unbelief, tell people that they have no faith, make alcoholic beverages, have diner with notorious sinners, raise the dead, heal the sick, feed thousands, and we may even be used as a martyr. Love is never put in a box! 

We Can't Help But To Always Love

And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

Our Father is love and we are now one with Him and perfectly united with Him, so love is never a problem for us who are the Bride of Christ.

He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 1 John 4:8

I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. John 17:23

The Truth is also that Jesus lives so that we now have His love within us.

I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make [You] known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them [felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them. John 17:26

So we can relax, because the Truth for us is that we cannot help but walk in love, because we are one with Love. Our yoke is easy and our burden is light. Love is always greater in us than anything that is in this world and He will never grow cold or fade away. This Truth sets us free. 

We Now Have Life Just As Our Father Has Life

According as His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3

We have been given all things that pertain unto life and unto godliness! We have been given all things that pertain unto life and godliness just as God has all things that pertain unto life and unto godliness! Notice that these things are not reserved for us, waiting for us in Heaven, they are for us right now, today, this very second! Our Father doesn’t have to wait for these things and we are now His body and one with Him. Praise God, we have been strengthened with Christ, the very power that God gave to Himself when He came to the earth as a man. And through our Lord and through the power of His love, we have been made to be partakers of God’s glory and virtue. The power that has been freely bestowed upon us by Jesus, allows God to be Who He is within us, so that we can walk successfully 100% of the time! For us to fail would mean that God had failed, and God never fails. All things now work together for our good, just as all things work together for God!

We are now more than conquerors through Christ Who love’s us! Greater is our Father Who is within us than anything that is in this world! The weapons of our warfare are now mighty to the bringing down of strongholds. And through Christ we have life and we have it abundantly, an abundant life according to our Father riches and glory, an abundant life that overtakes us! Today is the Day of our Salvation and now is our accepted time and our faith to accept all of God’s Truth is Authored and Finished by Jesus, the Alpha and Omega!

Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ's appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life. 1 Thessalonians 5:10

That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. John 17:21-23