We Are Sealed By God Himself

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Ephesians 4:30

How long does the Bible teach us that our Father has sealed us for? According to God, He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit until the day of redemption! The Holy Ghost doesn’t seal us for just a moment, or just as long as we act right, no way! Our Father seals us until the day of redemption. We are sealed until the day that Jesus physically returns to the earth! 

Our peace is that we are now new creatures in Christ, who have been sealed with the very Spirit of God, 2 Corinthians 5;17! We have been made one with the very Anointing of God and we are now the Temples of God, 1 Corinthians 6:19. How awesome are these Truths? The Truth set us free and faith comes by us hearing these Truths, John 8:32! These Truths will set us free from fear, from sickness, from doubt, and from sin! 

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:11 

The Mind of Christ that we have been given allows us to know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that we are now alive unto God, just as Jesus is alive unto God! We have been baptized with Christ and we have put on Christ! We are one with Him right now. We are not one with Who He was, we are one with Who He is! 

And now O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine Own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. John 17:5 

Jesus has been raised from the dead, death has no more dominion over Him, and He now has the complete and full glory of God. This is Who we are now one with! So Just as Jesus is sealed from attack, so are we! Just as Jesus is sealed from sickness, so are we! Just as Jesus is sealed from all of the ills of the world, so are we! We have been sealed with the exact same Spirit of God that Jesus our Lord and Savior has been sealed with! 

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 

Through Christ our Father has given us all things that pertain unto life and unto godliness!

Revelation 12:13-14

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male Child. 

After Jesus’ resurrection the Church has always been persecuted, yet for the true chosen ones, our Father has always been victorious through us, Romans 8:37! Satan has always failed and he always will. Our Father is always in control and that is our peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7. Remember too that God is constantly telling the demons what they can and cannot do, satan is no different, and he can only do what our Father first allows him to do.

Satan wages war on the Church, the woman, because that is who salvation has come to. Salvation has not come to Israel, they rejected Jesus. Salvation will come to Israel during the Great Tribulation, but not until then. And here we see that as soon as satan was cast down to the earth that he pursued the woman. This is the Church, we are the only ones that were here from the beginning.  

And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 2 Corinthians 3:13-15.  

14 But the woman was supplied with the two wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260 days).

Isn’t it wonderful to think of how Christianity has flourished in the wildernesses of the world? Our Father clearly spoke that when the devil would begin his attack, the church would flee into the wilderness. Today there is America, which began as a vast wilderness. Christianity flourishes in the USA and our Father has used America from its very beginning as a nation to be an instrument of His righteousness. I find it interesting too that America is known as the Eagle and before it ever was, God was speaking of the wings of an eagle to be there for His church. But there were wildernesses for the saved before America and even today in the wildernesses of Africa, Asia, and South America, Christianity is protected and flourishes, even while being greatly persecuted. John was given this vision almost two thousand years ago and we can see that our Father knew what He was talking about. The Church will always be provided for and protected in the wilderness and in persecution. The end times will not change this Truth.

Revelation 12:6

6 And the woman [herself] fled into the desert (wilderness), where she has a retreat prepared [for her] by God, in which she is to be fed and kept safe for 1,260 days (42 months; three and one-half years). 

For 3 ½ years we are shown that the Church is protected and fed during the Great Tribulation. Jesus Shepherds His Bride to food and water during this time. He protects us from the scorching sun and He wipes away all of our tears. He uses us to provide to those in need, even when the world tells us that we can’t buy or sell, Matthew 24:45-46. The demonic attacks of the creatures of the Abyss never come nigh us. Our yoke is easy and our burden is light and greater is our Lord Who is in us, than anything that is in the world.

Notice here that the Revelation of Jesus never shows us that the woman would reject her child, as Israel rejected Jesus. I believe that is a huge point to not mention if the woman was actually Israel, as so many believe and preach. 

Also, Israel never fled into the wilderness, the Jewish people fled into Europe and Russia, heavily populated areas of the world, not the wilderness. But the true Church has always been on the outside looking in. Not the false Christian churches, they have been accepted for centuries and found favor with men. Governments have been able to manipulate them from the beginning to carry out their evil purposes. But the real church, those truly called and chosen by our Father to be the Bride of Christ have always been rejected. Many are called but few are chosen.


What I find so amazing when reading Revelation is the power and grace that will be exhibited through us. People ask me all of the time are we in the end times. I do not believe that we are yet. I believe that when you see the power and love of Christ freely flowing through us to where things are happening that man cannot do, that is when the end is near.  

Revelation 11:6

6 These [two witnesses] have power to shut up the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying (their prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph); and they also have power to turn the waters into blood and to smite and scourge the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they choose. 

We have seen the Four Horseman be empowered to kill off a fourth of the earth. We have seen that natural disasters are affecting a third of the earth. We have seen that a spiritual war will kill off a third of all mankind, and now we see that plagues are being spoken out by God’s two witnesses. These two first speak and the things that we have read about happen. They clearly tell the world that the wars are coming and they do. They tell the world that the natural disasters are coming and they do. Can you imagine how these two will be hated by the world for being used in this way? And we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to agree with them, so imagine how we will be hated as well! The anti-christ and false prophet will be trying to grab all of the worlds power during this time. At every turn these two witnesses will be used by the Holy Spirit to proclaim an event of wrath is coming from our Father and what they are used to proclaim will happen and it will hinder every effort of the anti-christ. These two will proclaim it, we will agree with it, and the world will hate us for it. 

The thing to remember here is that our Father released the Four Horseman. God released the seals, the Angel of the Abyss, the Four Angels at the Euphrates River, and now we are shown that our Father is controlling, through the Holy Spirit, these two witnesses. This is our Father’s wrath and He is in control and His wrath is not against His own body. We are fed by Jesus, covered by Jesus, and find clean water by Jesus. Our sins, sicknesses, and diseases are borne now by our Lord and Savior, and they will be borne during the Great Tribulation by Him as well. Even during the Great Tribulation, Jesus is greater within us then he that is in the world! Also remember that John was told of the speedy victory of Jesus. For the wicked this will be a long 3 1/2 years, but for the Body of Christ it is speedy!

Revelation 2:12-14

12 Then to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Pergamum write: These are the words of Him Who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword: 

   

13 I know where you live--a place where Satan sits enthroned. [Yet] you are clinging to and holding fast My name, and you did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) in your midst--where Satan dwells. 

Pergamum was located in modern day Turkey. The city was centrally located and used by the Romans as an administrative point for their kingdom in Asia-Minor. The city was a major cultural and political center. Pergamum had temples, libraries, and medical facilities; it was a modern city and Jesus tells John to write that satan was enthroned there. Consider our world today, satan’s primary tools to deceive and steal from people are governments and culture. People today, just as when this letter was written, look to the government and trust in government instead of God. People also look at culture and think that we are too sophisticated for God. There were believers in Pergamum and they were empowered to hold to Jesus even with all of the deceptive glory of satan at work. The truly called and chosen in this church were never left or forsaken by Jesus, even when people were being martyred. 

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people there who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap and a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [to entice them] to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and to practice lewdness [giving themselves up to sexual vice].

Once again, the chosen ones within the church would have in all likelihood read this letter of prophecy. Our Father would have insured they would have, just as He has insures that we read it, and just as true believers throughout history have read the Book of Revelation. They would have seen the killings and persecutions of the Romans, they would have seen worldliness being glorified, and they still were empowered to hold fast to Jesus. Even though the church leadership was allowing false teachings in, the Brides in Pergamum were enlightened by the Holy Spirit to see the Truth. 

The church leaders were probably trying to grow the church as church leaders often do. So they wanted to be inclusive and they allowed leaders in that were not called or chosen to be leaders. The Truth is that it is fine to have everyone come to church, that is what church is for, but read Timothy and Titus and see what true church leadership of a church should be. The chosen ones of Pergamum were probably pointing these shortcomings out and this letter is actually Jesus telling His believers your right. Jesus is showing them that even though the leadership is blinded and the church is in disarray, I have not left you or forsaken you!

We will be empowered by our Father to do the same during the Great Tribulation, when the world is going after the anti-christ and false prophet. We will be empowered to not be deceived by all of the glory of the anti-christ’s church. Even though false miracles will be abounding, we will see the Truth. We will be sealed and protected until the day that our Groom returns, Ephesians 4:30. 

Revelation 2:5

5 Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent. 

Notice that Jesus doesn’t encourage the leaders of the church of Ephesus with the Truth that the Holy Spirit would cause them to remember their first love. Or that He would Shepherd them back to green pastures, or that He was greater within them, then whatever was in the world. The Truth for the true believer is that Jesus never leaves or forsakes us, even when we are wrong, He will correct us.

But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal punishment along] with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:32. 

Our Father prophesied through Ezekiel that He would place His Spirit within us and cause us to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments, Ezekiel 36:27. But we don’t read here that Jesus spoke to the leaders of the church at Ephesus this way. Jesus told them to remember or they would lose their church! The Truth is that we can do nothing without Jesus, John 15:5, especially in correcting our bad behavior. Our Father knows full well how we are, so He did something about it, He empowered us with the fullness of Himself, to seal and keep us until the day of our redemption.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Ephesians 4:30

I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. John 17:15

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

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Hebrews 13:5

We Are Recession Proof

Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes [in the using], but strive and work and produce rather for the [lasting] food which endures [continually] unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give (furnish) you that, for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him. John 6:27

I then heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues. Revelation 18:4

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? Matthew 6:25

Our Father plainly tells us that we are to not labor for earthly things. Jesus tell’s us to take no thought for food and clothing and that we are to come out of Babylon, the worlds economic and political system. How can we do these things? How is it that we can actually take no thought for food when we need food to live? How is it that we can live on this earth and not be part of its corrupt system? The answer is that we reap what we sow. Our Father is greater in us then anything that is in this world and He is causing us to sow things that are not of the world’s corruption. He is doing this through us  so that we can live apart from this world while we are still in this world.  

The sower sows the Word. Mark 4:14

Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. Matthew 19:21

External religious worship [ religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world. James 1:27

Judge not [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released. Luke 6:37

The Holy Spirit causes us to share the Truth that sets people free. He causes us to give to those who we can receive nothing back from. Our Father drives us to the needy to be there for them as friends and He empowers us to forgive everyone everything! Because our Father does all of these things through us, we actually live in the perfect peace of taking no thought for the cares of this world. 

Remember this Truth: when Jesus called His disciples He had them leave their earthly jobs. He took them out of Babylon so that they could serve The Kingdom of God. Our Father had Paul serving mainly from prison cells or on the run. Yet all of the disciples were taken care of and rejoiced that they were not part of the worlds corrupt system. They had real peace and joy even though they were living in what the world would call hardships. Our Father never left them and He never forsook them and they were always taken care of because our Father always had them sowing His Heavenly possessions to others. They all reaped what our Father had them sow.   

Jesus' Blood Makes Us Perfect

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. A-men." Hebrews 13:20-21

Let’s talk for a minute about the Truth of our Father being responsible for insuring that we are redeemed until the day of Jesus’ return. We don’t hear that preached often do we? But when we look at what God has said to us, we see that He is responsible for us. Jesus teaches us that He is our Shepherd. And the Truth is that a shepherd is fully responsible for his sheep. There are other scriptural references of Jesus being our Shepherd, but this is by far the most powerful one! In two short verses we have so many Truths: the Great Shepherd, the God of peace, the Blood, and perfection in every good work that pleases our Father! And we are also shown that it is God working in us that which is well pleasing to Him. This is a great verse to share with a person who still believes that we possess a free will that is separate from our Fathers will.

Wow, you just have to love these two verses! Through them we see so clearly that our Father has taken the responsibility of our walk into His Own hands. Through the Blood of Jesus we are perfect in every good work and through Christ we are well pleasing to God! We are all of these things only because of Jesus! We are pleasing to God because God makes us that way! Jesus Himself makes us perfect in every good work to do God’s will, and Jesus uses us to perform works that are well pleasing to God. Jesus just doesn’t make us please God, He makes us pleasing to Him as well!

Our Father also calls Himself our Gardener and we are the branches, John 15:1. Once again we see that our Father takes the responsibility for us. Jesus says that He is the Head of the Church, Ephesians 5:23. All of this said, the most powerful Truth is that God call’s Himself our Father, so there is great responsibility there. Why am I teaching on this? Because we are not alone, we are never alone! We are not solely responsible for everything being right or wrong in our lives. This is not a solo journey we are on. Our Father is right here with us, He is one with us, He is in us, on us, over us, before us, and behind us. He is willing and able and He is responsible for our fruitful and abundant lives. And because He is, there is therefore now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1! The Blood of Jesus has made us perfect!

God Has Given Us His Best

"Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

The Anointing of our Father, which is Christ, has established us. Our Father's anointing has sealed us and because it has, we are able to be taught all things and be used by God to do all things! We can now be used to do all things by our Father through Christ Who strengthens us! We are now strong in the Lord and the power of His might! The earnest of God and all of His fulness now abides within us! We have the best of God, we have His all, and we are sealed with it until the Day that Jesus returns!

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 The Holy Spirit has sealed us until Jesus returns! Our Father has strengthened us with His earnest until Jesus returns! We now have the mind of Christ and we are now confident through it. We are confident in Jesus’ abilities and we don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by denying God the ability to use us to do all of His good works through! We can’t deny our Father, because we are now crucified with Christ, and nevertheless we live, yet it is not us who is living, it is Christ within us Who is living! Jesus has never denied God and He never will, and we are now His body and we have been given His mind. And with His mind comes His thoughts, through Christ we now think like Jesus thinks!

“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 Our Father began this within us and He will continue to produce abundant amounts of fruit through us! Our Father is a God of action. When He called the heavens and stars into existence He never said stop and to this day the Universe is still growing! Our Father's first miraculous work through Jesus was to turn hundreds of gallons of water into wine! Jesus called upon God and fed thousands of hungry people with only table scraps and when they were full there were basketfuls of leftovers! Our Father worked through the Apostles to heal the sick and whole cities turned to Jesus! God has always worked abundantly through those who He empowers to believe and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so He always will!

I think you probably get the picture, it is our Father in all His forms, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Who keeps us and Who now works through us! I thank God that He reveals this to me every day. We live in a world that looks to itself for advancement. So many preach that we are limited by ourselves and by our own abilities and actions. But the Word of God teaches us that our Father is able to do exceedingly abundantly all that we can ask or think! The Truth that allows us to be set free is that our Father is the One Who places the burden of our salvation on Himself. God is the One performing His good works through us, and we just don’t live in a world where that is believed.

I have heard, as I am sure you have, God helps those who help themselves. This is absolutely a false teaching and because it is so widely accepted, we need to daily encourage each other with the Truth. The Anointing of God that abides within us, and which is no lie, will show us that our Father is the One within us allowing us to walk righteously. The Truth is that we are now one with Him, and because we are He can now do everything through us. Through the power of Christ the two of us have become one flesh. Born again, born from God's righteous seed, born of love, this is who we are now in our Father. We are all of this and more through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! God began His good work within us and He will continue His good works through us for eternity!

Nothing Can Stand Against Us

“And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39

The world claims to have powers and forces that no man can withstand: a tornado, a hurricane, a tsunami, an earthquake, who can stand against such things? Jesus can and He did! Our Lord’s might is able to tell the natural forces of this world to cease and they obey Him, and we are now strong in the power of His might. People say there are only two certain things in this world, death and taxes! Jesus overcame death and He paid His taxes miraculously! “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee.” Matthew 17:27 The glorious Truth for us is that we are now strong in the power of Jesus’ Godly might that did all of these things! How great is that? Jesus was strong on the earth 2000 years ago and He is strong through us in the world today!

What about a fire, can Jesus walk through fire and not be harmed, of course He can and we can be strong in the power of His might. “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” Daniel 3:23-27

What about a parent who has harmed us, can the power of Jesus’ might allow us to forgive them for that wrong? Absolutely, we are strong in the power of Jesus’ forgiving might. Recessions, terrorism, hatred, sickness, fear, all of these are powers that hold absolutely no ability against Jesus, and we are now one with Him! We have the very presence and power of the Living God dwelling within us and we too are strong in the power of His might. The result of our oneness with Jesus is that earthly things have no abilities to harm us. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17 There is no weapon: spirit, soul, or body, that can harm us. And this is our peace that passes all understanding, all things now work together for our good through the power of Jesus Christ! “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

We Are Sealed With The Holy Spirit

"Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

We now have Christ permanently living within us; we are now one with Him, so we can’t help but to walk in His Spirit. We have been sealed by the very Spirit of our Father. We have been Anointed by God, and He can now do all things through us by the power of His Anointing that strengthens us! Our Father has established us with His Anointing. He has sealed us with His Spirit. He has called us. He has chosen us, He has justified us, He has glorified us, and what can we say to all of this? Our Father, Who is God is for us, who or what, can be against us!

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

We are sealed by the Spirit of our Father until the day of our redemption. Well if we are sealed, that isn’t from the inside, that is from the outside. Think of a plastic baggie, the zip lock kind, that is sealed, think about Tupperware, that is sealed. Well we are sealed, so we can’t help but walk in the Spirit. Once again we see that it is our Father telling us to do something and again we see that it is God empowering us with Himself to do it. We can do all things through Christ that strengthens us! A-men!