1 Minute Of truth: God Chose you Matthew 6:65

We Are Predestined To Be Like Jesus

For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29

Before our Father ever said let it all be, He knew and loved us. He knew that He was going to choose us and He knew that He was going to make us to be just like Jesus is. He knew that He was going to use us to serve the world. Now there are a lot of people that believe that we will become better people when Jesus returns to the earth, but not many of us actually have faith and believe that we can be just like Jesus now. But here is the glorious Truth: Jesus came so that we could be just like He is right now on this earth!

In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17

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

You and I were predestined by God to be just like the best that He has, which is Jesus. Our Father has always known that He was going to choose us and make us one with Jesus. We have a destiny and our destiny is to serve our Father by being one with Him through Christ. It is His desire and His will and our Father always gets His way. We cannot help but be who God has called us to be, because His power makes us the way that He wants us. 

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]. 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 8:30-31

We cannot mess up our Father’s plans for us! We have been predestined to be the Bride of Christ. We have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be a royal priesthood that goes into all of the world and preaches the Gospel to every creature. We have been destined to be used to lay hands on the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. 

Bride Of Christ Part II

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. Matthew 22:2 

And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself. Acts 2:38-39 

And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God's purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls [them], It was said to her that the elder [son] should serve the younger [son]. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (held in relative disregard in comparison with My feeling for Jacob). Romans 9:11-13

When Jesus spoke this parable of the Marriage Supper, the tradition of the people that He told it to was that the father of the groom chose the bride for his son. The glorious Truth for us is that we did not first call on Jesus to be our Lord, our Father first called and chose us to be saved. We were called and chosen to be the Bride before the world ever was created.

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased Galatians 1:15

This is so powerful, because it means that our Father knew all of our faults and weaknesses before He ever chose us. None of that matters to Him, only the grace of our Father matters. We have been given God’s free grace as He has called and chosen us to be His Son’s Bride. We have been called to be one with our Father through Jesus. We have been called to be new creatures and serve a world that desperately needs service. 

The Bride Of Christ Part I

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. Matthew 22:2

The King here in this parable is God and the King’s Son is Jesus. Jesus tells us n His parable that our Father is going to throw a party for Him and His Bride. The question here for us is: who is Jesus’ Bride?

Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching, 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 17:20-23 

Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself. She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white--for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people). Revelation 19:7-8

The Bride of Christ is all of us who have been chosen by God to be one with Jesus. The important thing to remember as we study about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is that those of us who are the Bride, were chosen by God to be the Bride. Just as our Father chose Jesus to be the Groom, we have been chosen by God to be the Bride.

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

No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. John 6:44

For many are called (invited and summoned), but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14

And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father. John 6:65

Now Is The Day Of Our Salvation

For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

On the day that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to make Jesus the Lord of your lives, that became the day of our salvation.

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking under the power and influence of the [Holy] Spirit of God can [ever] say, Jesus be cursed! And no one can [really] say, Jesus is [my] Lord, except by and under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3

The Truth is that our salvation is for today, it is not just for when you get to Heaven, it is for right now. The Truth is that right now we are saved. This is the very moment, this is the very time of our salvation. That is an awesome Truth, and when we are empowered to realize that we don’t have to wait for our salvation, or earn it over time, there is a godly peace and joy that totally consumes and empowers us. This knowledge of the Truth allows us to be used fully by our Father to further His Kingdom! Our Father’s Truth set’s us free and through His peace that passes all understanding, and through His love that passes knowledge, we can enjoy and live completely in the Truth. We can eternally live in the Truth that our salvation is never ending and it is for each one of us who have Jesus as Lord!

I want to show you an absolute scripture here. Because there are a lot of people who believe that we can lose our salvation. The Bible tells us plainly that we cannot.

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

The Truth is that we are saved now and we are saved eternally. Our Father doesn’t give us a new life and then take it from us. Salvation is a gift and our Father never withdraws His gifts once He gives them. We cannot fool God into giving us eternal life and then throw it back in His face. He knows the beginning and the end, so He knows who and what we are, before we ever are. The Truth is that our Father actually chose us before we ever were. He gave us a new life even with knowing all of our weaknesses; none of them mattered though,  He still chose us.

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased. Galatians 1:15

So right now, not tomorrow we are saved, and we are eternally saved. Our salvation will never leave us!

Our Father Knows What He Is Doing

And they said to Him, Grant that we may sit, one at Your right hand and one at [Your] left hand, in Your glory (Your majesty and splendor). But Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism [of affliction] with which I am baptized? And they replied to Him, We are able. And Jesus told them, The cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized, But to sit at My right hand or at My left hand is not Mine to give; but [it will be given to those] for whom it is ordained and prepared. Mark 10:37-40

The Holy Spirit clearly tells us that our Father has already ordained and prepared someone to be seated at Jesus’ right hand and at His left hand in His Kingdom. The Spirit clearly reveals, through the scriptures, the glorious Truth that we are predestined to carry out our Father’s will. I don’t know why predestination is a problem for anyone to believe? Our Father predestined Jesus to carry out His will, Luke 2:31. Our Father also predestined Paul to carry out His will, Galatians 1:15. Every Christian I have ever met boldly confesses that our Father is in complete control. They confess that He is Omnipotent and Omniscient. They glory in Him being the Shepherd, the Potter, the Vine, and the Head. So why should they freak out that He knew what He was doing and had a plan and a purpose to carry out His will?

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 3:10

For me predestination takes away all of the fear of eternity. Our Father knew who I was and how I was, before I ever was, Psalm 139:16. Even with all of this knowledge, He still chose me and He still had a plan and a purpose for me. I greatly rejoice in the Truth that we have absolutely no ability to override our Father's will. God is our Shepherd, He is our Head, He is our Vine, our Potter, our Lord, and our Master. Jesus purchased us, we are now His possession, 1 Corinthians 6:20. That makes Him responsible to keep us and guide us. We do not lead our Father, He leads us. Our Father is not reactive to our abilities, He is proactive in causing us to be who He wants us to be. That just brings me so much peace. I have no fear whatsoever in the Truth that our Father knows what He is doing and that He has all of our best interests at heart.

Faith and hope in predestination takes away all of our pride and ego. If our Father gives us one talent or five talents, doesn’t matter. What matters is the Truth that our Father chooses what He wills and the benefit is glory for all of us. Just as the vine determines when and what fruit that the branch will bear, so does our Father determine the things that are to be in our life's.

Galatians 3:1-2

1 O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom--right before your very eyes--Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified?

   

2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?]

We can ask ourselves the exact same question that Paul asked the Galatians: which one of us received the Holy Spirit by obeying Saturday as our Sabbath, or by not making an idol, by having no other god’s, by not coveting or murdering, by being circumcised, by honoring our parents, or by not lying about others? Be honest here, most of us were not keeping any of these things that our Father commanded the children of Israel to do when we were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Let’s bring the focus of this question into the religious rules of today and ask ourselves the same question again. Which one of us was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit by not drinking, by wearing certain clothes, by wearing a certain hairstyle, by going to a certain building on a certain day, by tithing, by offering, or by not saying certain words, or thinking certain thoughts? None of us were saved by doing these works. The Truth to grab hold of here, and it can only be grasped through the strength of the Holy Spirit, is that we weren’t saved by religious laws and we aren’t kept by them either. Our Father chose us before the world ever was and He birthed us right in the middle of most of us doing crazy and stupid things, just as He did with Paul, Galatians 1:15 & Acts 9:2-8.

No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. Acts 6:22

For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through [observing the commands of] the Law but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 4:13

Likewise, my brethren, you have undergone death as to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that now you may belong to Another, to Him Who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. Romans 7:4

We were saved because our Father did it for us. We are righteous because Jesus now Authors and Finishes our Faith, Hebrews 12:2. And we are now dead to the Law and all religious laws except Love. Yet even Love is not ours to worry about, Jesus lives to cause us to Love with the full and complete power of His love, John 17:26. The Holy Spirit will never let us be fooled or bewitched by false teachers who claim that we must first do anything on our own or who place a bunch of so called religious laws before us to keep. 

Galatians 1:1

PAUL, AN apostle--[special messenger appointed and commissioned and sent out] not from [any body of] men nor by or through any man, but by and through Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and God the Father, Who raised Him from among the dead--

The Holy Spirit has Paul begin this letter by letting the people know that He is an Apostle only because our Father commissioned and appointed him to be one. The reason that this is so important is because when our Father appoints us to be something, we will be it. Paul was not looking for this commission of an Apostle, it was chosen for Him by our Father before he was ever born.

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone]. Galatians 1:15-16

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10

Our Father knows the beginning and the ending of all things, so He knew who He was going to use and how He was going to use them before this world ever was. We may know we are being used, or we may not know that we are, but either way in no way limits our Father’s selection of us and His call for us. Our peace in this Truth is that if we are called and chosen to serve we will always have the full and complete power of our Father causing us to be what it is that He needs and when He needs it. It is always our Father’s power within us doing the works of His righteousness.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the ( His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power). John 14:10

For he was a good man [good in himself and also at once for the good and the advantage of other people], full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit and full of faith (of his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation). And a large company was added to the Lord. Acts 11:24

Ephesians 5:11-15

11 Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that [such people] practice in secret.

    

13 But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.

We are now one with the Light, so all that is against our Father’s will is clearly exposed and made visible to us. The Light drives out the darkness and we are now free from all fellowship with it. The power of our Father keeps us safe and sound from all that would ever be able to harm us or keep us from being one with His glory. 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

The powerful Truth for us that we are shown here is that our Father called us out of the darkness. Our Father knew who and what we were. He knew all that we would ever do before He created the world and He still called and chose us, Psalm 139:16. God alone has made us light, no work, no human effort, it was all a free gift and our once our Father gives a gift, He never takes it back, Romans 11:29.

14 Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.

We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. Romans 6:6

15 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),

And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. Ezekiel 36:27

Because of Christ we cannot help but walk carefully, accurately, and purposefully! Our Shepherd will never leave us or forsake us and He will cause us to be more then conquerors through Him. 

Ephesians 4:10

10 He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).

Jesus is in control of everything. Like or or not, He is. Jesus even controls those things that we think are bad. Our Father has always controlled all things. The One Spirit of our Father has always controlled the world, from the lowest things to the highest things.

All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. John 1:3

For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him. And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). Colossians 1:16-17

For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur. Acts 4:27-28

Our Father predestined and predetermined that Herod and Pilate would do what they did. Our Father controls all things, the Holy Spirit uses the Book of Ephesians to blow free will right out if the water! 

So how do we deal with this Truth when it comes to murder, rape, sickness, and poverty? How could a loving God actually be in control of these things? 

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and [b]tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Romans 5:3-4

[But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! Romans 8:18

So many judge good and bad through their flesh only. Our Father judges all things through our spirit’s. Our flesh is temporary, our spirits are eternal. Bad things to the flesh often result in great things for our spirits. Death of our flesh is not an end, it is the beginning of the next step to our life’s. Tragedy, while bad, will lead us to not rely on ourselves, governments, politicians, jobs, doctors, insurances, or police. Tragedies and sufferings drive us to rely on our Father. This reliance on Him allows us to be used to help others and serve our Kingdom.

But what about the lost who do not know our Father? Just look at Lazarus in Luke 16. Lazarus had a terrible life and upon his death he was transported right to paradise. We are never by told by Jesus that Lazarus was a good man, a faithful man, or a believing man. Jesus only told us that his life was filled with sickness and poverty. People will add that Lazarus was a faithful man to this parable, but Jesus never said that he was. All we are told is that Lazarus suffered tremendously on this earth and that upon his death all of that was taken away from him. The sufferings of Lazarus’ life were in no way to be compared with the glory and prosperity that he will enjoy for all of eternity.    

Ephesians 4:1 Part 1

1 I THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service,

We have been Divinely called and chosen by our Father to serve His Kingdom. We were called and chosen by God before we were in our mother’s womb, Galatians 1:15. We have been born again and we are now grafted into and one with the Vine of Jesus Christ and because we have been, we now cannot help but live worthy life’s. A branch has no choice but to produce the fruit of the vine that it is grafted into. 

And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. Ezekiel 36:27

So many people will read a verse like this first one in Ephesians 4 and teach on what we have to do to live right, as if there is a separation between us and our Father. They preach as if the branch is responsible to produce fruit on its own. They teach as if the arm is responsible to act apart from the head or the clay is to on its own conform to the potters will. The Truth is far greater and the Truth sets us free. 

[My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses]. Galatians 2:4

The Truth that we live in through Christ is that we are never left alone to do anything on our own. We are new creatures in Christ, old things have passed away for us, and now all things are new for us, 2 Corinthians 5:17. We are now one with our Father, just as Jesus is one with Him. We are perfectly united with Him, John 17:21-23. For us to do something on our own would be like believing that Jesus can do things on His Own, apart from God. 

Ephesians 3:1

1 FOR THIS reason [because I preached that you are thus built up together], I, Paul, [am] the prisoner of Jesus the Christ for the sake and on behalf of you Gentiles--

    

Paul writes to us that he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ. Jesus arrested Paul on the road to Damascus and forced him to serve the Kingdom of Heaven. Don’t think so, go and read Acts 9 and see what actually happened to Paul. 

But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel; For I will make clear to him how much he will be afflicted and must endure and suffer for My name's sake. So Ananias left and went into the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And instantly something like scales fell from [Saul's] eyes, and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized, Acts 9:15-18

Jesus told Ananias that Paul was a chosen vessel of God and Paul wrote to the Ephesians that He was a prisoner of God. Paul also wrote to the Galatians that he was chosen by God to serve before he was ever born and he told the Corinthians that he was Jesus’ slave.

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone]. Galatians 1:15-16

These sayings of Paul do not sound like a man who believed in free will. They do sound like a man who had known the Truth and was set free by it. They sound like a man who knew that our Father was in control and the driving force in our lives. They sound like a man that was convinced that because our Father was in control that all things now worked out for his good, Romans 8:28. They sound like a man who knew the love of our Father and freely accepted the Truth that He is in complete control. The love of our Father and the love that He gives to His children allows us to accept and actually rejoice in the Truth that He is in complete control of our lives. We cherish the Truth that we are the prisoners of Jesus. It means that the battle is His and the victory is ours. 

There was a little girl who was friends with my daughters and to say the least she was a pistol. Her mother and Father always said that she must make her own mistakes and they gave her a very long leash, even though she was still in elementary school. When she would come to our house Beth wouldn’t tolerate her actions. Beth would lay the law down and the child loved it, she could see the love in it and the compassion in it. 

Jesus told us that those who come to Him as a little child would inherit the Kingdom, not those who came to Him from their own free will, Matthew 18:3. To this day my kids talk about how mean and wild that girl is. She was being raised as an adult even when she was a little child and the results show it. In Christ we are raised as little children, which means that our Father has to be in complete control of us, this is what brings us peace, power, joy, hope, love, and faith. Our Father is in complete control of Jesus and no one freaks out over that, because we believe and accept that the Two of Them are One. Well the Truth that sets us free is that we are now one in Them, Jesus is one with the Father and we are one with Jesus, John 17:21-23.  So we are able to have perfect peace that our Father controls us just as He controls Jesus. 

Ephesians 2:9-10

9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]

All of the Spiritual blessings that we have been given are all free, so that we can’t boast. We can’t claim to have first believed or that we keep believing. We can’t boast that we first do anything on our own, because we are never alone in doing anything. It is always our Father within us, He is always doing the works.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the ( His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power). John 14:10

I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. John 15:5

If it was our Father in Jesus working 2000 years ago, it is our Father working in us, who are Jesus’ body, today. Jesus couldn’t and didn’t boast and neither do we who are His flesh. You hear a sermon about what you have to do to get our Father to act in your life, run from that message, it is not the Truth that will set you free. The Truth is it is all our Father, it is all His grace. We were not chosen by our works and we are not kept by our works. The Truth is not what we have to do, the Truth is what Jesus has to do through us. The head always drives and directs and empowers the body.  

John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.] John 3:27

10 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Whose handiwork our we? We are God’s handiwork! Who have we been recreated in? The Alpha and Omega Jesus! Why has this all happened for us, to do the works that our Father predestined that He would do through us before the world ever was! Our Father knew what He was doing before He ever spoke, “let it be.” He determined before the world was to cause us to walk the paths that He prepared beforehand and to live the prearranged good life that He made for us to live in. This one simple verse tells a Truth that so many are not yet permitted to see. People who think that predestination and a lack of free will means that we are robots or puppets, have no revelation of the grand Truth of who we now are in Christ. The freedom and power in the Truth is so far beyond what we can think of, imagine, dream of, or pray for with a mere human mind. So thank our Father, because He has given us the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16, that is fully able to understand the grandeur of the Truth.  

Ephesians 1:4-6

⁴ Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

⁵ For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]—

⁶ [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

An awful lot of people shy away from predestination and for the life of me I don’t know why? The same people will tell you that our Father knows the beginning and the end. They will also tell you that He is the Potter and that He is the Head. So why is there all of this shyness with predestination? Our Father controls everything, Colossians 1:16. He knows everything and He has a purpose and a plan for everything, so of course He had to predestine everything. But to help people along with this glorious and absolutely freeing Truth, here are some other scriptures.

 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10

Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose, Isaiah 46:10

For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur. Acts 4:27-28

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased. To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone]. Galatians 1:15-16

Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:16

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23

For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. 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 8:29-30

Revelation 4:9-11

9 And whenever the living creatures offer glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities),

10 The twenty-four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,

Whenever the four beasts see what our Father is doing they give Him the credit, they give Him the glory, and the twenty-four elders agree and all that are in Heaven pay homage to our Father for His goodness. The elders and beasts see our Father’s love, they see the results of His actions, they see how God takes care of His children, and they praise Him for it. The elders throw their crowns at our Father’s feet to clearly show that He is the ultimate authority and that they agree with His actions. They show that His actions are righteous and just, and loving, and that they are Truthful! Our Father must keep giving them back their crowns, because they keep on doing it. 

11 Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.

God sees all, past present and future. Our Father is in total control. He is accountable, and the twenty-four elders are in total agreement with His actions. Our Father is good, He is love, He is gentle, kind, and He is a great provider! Our Father’s actions bring praise and thanksgiving. He isn’t selfish. Everything that He has, He has given to us through Jesus. Everything that He is, He has given to us through the power of His Holy Spirit. We are now one with Him, even while we are on this earth! The four creatures see it, the twenty-four elders agree with it, and Jesus was willing to die for it. That is how special we are to our Father. That is how much He loves us and our Father is more than willing to show it!

When I see in the Word how Jesus personally dealt with other people I know that these actions that John has seen of the creatures and elders have to be symbolic. Jesus told the disciples that if they had seen Him, then they had seen the Father, John 14:9. When Jesus was raised up from the dead and glorified back to the state that He had before He came to the earth as a man, how did He act? Did He command those who saw Him to bow down before Him to pay Him His rightful homage, or did He prepare a meal for them after miraculously given them a bounty? John 21:7-9. I don’t see our eternity as being an eternity of us bowing down before our Father, we do worship Him, but as a loved child, not as a slave who cowers at the feet of their master. 

I don’t believe that God created these beings just so they would bow to Him constantly. I don’t think our Father is that insecure, because we can plainly see our Father in Jesus? I think these visions show that God has a hierarchy in Heaven that loves Him, trusts Him, honors Him, and agrees with Him. And no one and no angel and no created being can ever say that God did not act in complete love and Truth and fairness.

Also notice that the confession of faith in Heaven is that our Father created all things according to His will. The glory given to our Father in Heaven is how His will is in control. How ironic is it that in most churches today the glory spoken of is how our Father gave us a free will, a will separate from His? A confession of free will does not glorify the Truth, it glorifies man, and it will not set you free.

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10

Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]-- Ephesians 1:4-5

Revelation 1:6-7

6 And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

We are now royalty in Christ. We have been so blessed by what Jesus did for us that we are now  called the sons of God! We have been given the very glory of our Lord and Savior, right now, so that we may be one with our Father, just as Jesus is One with Him! It was extremely important for our Savior to first tell us that we are royalty, that we are sin free, and that we have the full power of our Father within before He ever tells us about the turmoil of the end times. He does this because it allows us to know that we our Father is not angry with us. It shows us that we are going to be used to serve in a power that goes beyond human ability. It allows us to have no fear and actually rejoice and praise our Father, even though everything around us will be crumbling. 

I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: John 17:22

For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. 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 8:29-30

Notice that Jesus tells us that we are now a Kingdom of Priests. We are not becoming a Kingdom of Priests, we are a Kingdom of priests. Just as Jesus is a King and a High Priest, so are we, who have been made one with Him. You see we can be no other way, because we are now our Lord’s physical body on the earth, Ephesians 5:30 and as 1 John 4:17 teaches us, as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Jesus prayed in John 17 multiple times that we would be one with Him, and Jesus was crucified to insure that we would be and so we are! Amen we are one with God and that is why this is such a great prophesy to read. Just wait and see how our Father is going to use His Body on this earth, it is spectacular! 

7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it).

The dead who are not in Christ, will not be raised until a 1,000 years after Jesus’ return, Revelation 20:12-15. Verse 7 clearly shows us that unsaved people do not just sleep when they die. They are actually aware and being taught to love while they are in Hades, Luke 16:20-27, and this event will inspire those people to love and desire the day when they can be raised up and be part of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. That is an entirely different study though, but ask yourself this, why else would our Father allow the unsaved to see this happening? Is our Father so cruel that He rubs it in their faces? That is how dictators act, not our Father Who is love. Our Father uses all things for our good and showing those who even pierced Jesus this event gives them hope. 

The unsaved who are alive will see Jesus’ return as well. Some of these people will have taken the Mark of the Beast and they will be destroyed at Armageddon, Revelation 16:16. But many will not have taken the Mark of the Beast and they will have not been called to be the Bride of Christ either. These people will now live under the power and rule of Christ for 1,000 years. The earth will be just like it is now. There will still be death, we know this because at the end of the 1,000 years when satan is allowed to return for a brief season, some will follow him and die, Revelation 20:3-8. Even though we believe that it is a glorious thing to live under Christ’s rule some will not. This is why they mourn and we are shown that Jesus must rule them with an iron rod during these years, Revelation 2:27. These people will actually rather follow satan at the end of the 1,000 years and they will be destroyed. 

Now my hope is that these foolish people will be raised up immediately after they are destroyed for Judgement Day and that they will be judged by Grace, which is all free and unearned. I believe that only one will not be allowed to stay with us for eternity. I believe this because in Matthew 22:11-13 Jesus tells us that only one is not allowed to stay at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Jesus also tells us in John 17:2 that He has been given all flesh and in John 17:12 He goes on to tell us that He will only loose one person, who is Judas, that He has been given. I believe that our Father’s Grace is so wonderful that it will even apply to crazy people who lived under Jesus’ love for 1,000 years and rejected it. This is my prayer and my hope and to be honest I will not be offended in the least if our Father even changes His mind and lets Judas in.