The Mark Of The Beast III

For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) 1 Thessalonians 5:9

The next Truth to remember about the mark of the beast is that all who take the mark are going to receive the wrath of our Father, and we have not been appointed unto our Fathers wrath. So everything that we read about in Revelation, the plagues, the wars, the hunger, the demonic attacks, and the destruction, which are all our Father's wrath, are not for us. These things will never touch us, just as the plagues, diseases, and destruction from our Father towards Pharaoh never touched the Israelites at the end of their captivity in Egypt.

The Truth however is that many of us will be killed by the forces of the anti-christ and false prophet during the Great Tribulation. A great many of us will be killed! But that is alright, Stephen was killed for being used by our Father and as he was being stoned the Holy Spirit caused Him to shine like the Sun as he forgave those who were doing it. Jesus was killed for the Truth’s sake and He cried out for the forgiveness of those who were doing it to Him. Paul was stoned, beaten, and imprisoned for the Truth and the Holy Spirit caused Him to count it as all glory! John and Peter were beaten and they were empowered by the Spirit to rejoice for the honor of it. The Body of Christ has always been killed for the Truth’s sake and we will be killed during the Great Tribulation as well. But we will not endure any of the wrath of our Father during this time, not one little bit of it. So the plagues, diseases, famines, wars, natural disasters, water shortages, and demonic attacks will never be felt by the true children of God during the Great Tribulation.

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). Revelation 12:14

The mark of the beast brings our Father’s wrath and we are free from His wrath. So during the last 3 1/2 years of this age of the earth we will be used miraculously and powerfully to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation, tribe, and tongue. 

The Mark Of The Beast Part II

You also must be ready therefore, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him. Who then is the faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food and supplies at the proper time? Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing. Matthew 24:44-46

The Truth is that when Jesus returns to the earth, His blessed and faithful servants, those who have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, will be providing food and supplies to those in need. We will be doing this even though we will not have the Mark of the Beast, meaning we will not be able to buy or sell what we are giving. Our Father will have to miraculously empower us and put us in charge of this task! So there is no fear of not being able to buy or sell. 

To have faith in this Truth, think for a moment of when Jesus was here 2000 years ago. Thousands were in the wilderness with Him, they were hungry and tired, and Jesus took a couple fish and a couple loaves of bread, asked our Father to bless them, and fed each and every one of thousands until they were full. Not only were the thousands full, they had basketfuls of food left over. Jesus didn’t have to buy or sell and yet our Father used Him to feed those in need. We are also shown that Jesus was at a party that ran out of wine and He didn’t have to buy or sell anything to miraculously provide more wine. When it was time for Jesus to pay His taxes, He didn’t have to buy or sell to provide His and Peter’s taxes. Jesus simply told Peter to get the money they needed from a fishes mouth, Matthew 17:27. The Truth is that Jesus wasn’t a big buy and sell guy and He will cause us to be the same way!

I really don’t believe that we will be able to feed those in need during the tribulation because we have stored up huge amounts of food either. For one thing, if we had any supply at all, the anti-christ and false prophet’s forces would instantly seize them from us. Even if you will have a gun, they will have more guns. So to fulfill Jesus’ Word, our Father will have to miraculously use us to supply food to those in need. Our Father will use us just as He miraculously used Jesus to supply food, wine, taxes, weather changes, and healing's. So the mark of the beast and the power it will supposedly hold will not hinder our Father from using us to help the world. 

The Mark Of The Beast

So that no one will have power to buy or sell unless he bears the stamp (mark, inscription), [that is] the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:17

Then another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a mighty voice, Whoever pays homage to the beast and his statue and permits the [beast's] stamp (mark, inscription) to be put on his forehead or on his hand, He too shall [have to] drink of the wine of God's indignation and wrath, poured undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:9-10

Now if you are anything like me, when I heard of the mark of the beast, 666, I was always freaked out about it. I feared that if we took the mark, we were doomed to hell, and if we didn’t take the mark, we weren’t going to be able to buy or sell anything. When I heard this preached, I would think that not only couldn’t we buy food, clothing, electricity, or gasoline, but we also couldn’t buy little things like toothpaste, paper towels, or toilet paper. I would also think that in all likelihood we would be killed by the ant-christ’s forces for our disobedience. It just wasn’t something that I enjoyed hearing about. I mean I would put on a brave face and say that God will empower us, but inside I was very scared to say the least when I thought about it.

But the Holy Spirit really has been sharing with me over the last several years the glory of the Great Tribulation period for the church. Yes, I did say the glory of it!

Rejoice (celebrate) over her, O heaven! O saints (people of God) and apostles and prophets, because God has executed vengeance for you upon her! Revelation 18:20

According to our Father we should rejoice in the Truth that the evil of this world will be destroyed during this time for our behalf. During the greatest time of tribulation that the world will ever see, we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to rejoice. I have to be honest, I never really felt like rejoicing over it. Sure we are told that evil will be destroyed, but this is going to be one messed up time, worldly speaking! But the Truth will set us free from false teaching, beliefs, and fears. Over the next several days we are going to study what the Bible teaches us regarding the Truth about the mark of the beast.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

There Is A Hell

Then the king said to the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Matthew 22:13

There will be those whose names will not be in the Book of Life and they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Lately I have heard a lot of people saying and teaching that there is not a Hell. However, the Bible clearly teaches us that there is a Hell. But remember in this parable of the Wedding Feast, Jesus only mentions a very small amount of people, actually only one, who will be cast out of the very full Wedding Supper of the Lamb. The glorious Truth is that far more people will be left on the earth as the guests of the Bride, then will be cast into Hell. There is also another glorious Truth, those who are cast into Hell will consume away as smoke and there will not even be a coal of fire left of them to warm yourself by, Psalm 37:20, Malachi 4:1, and Isaiah 47:14.

And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

Why is this Truth glorious, because the people who are cast into the Lake of Fire will simply cease to be, they will not suffer eternally as I was taught as a child. Let’s look at 2 Thessalonians 1:9.

Such people will pay the penalty and suffer the punishment of everlasting ruin (destruction and perdition) and eternal exclusion and banishment from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

The Holy Spirit teaches us that these people will be cast out of the presence, glory, and power of our Lord. Think about that, isn't our Father omnipotent? So He is everywhere. Isn't it also the Truth that all things exist by Him for Him and through Him, Colossians 1:16? So the only way to be out of His presence is to not be at all. There is a Hell and we know for sure that at least one person will be cast into it and when he is, he will simply cease to be. He will cease to be just like death and Hades will cease to be when they are cast into the Lake of Fire.

I hope that it is just one person as Jesus taught in this parable of the Marriage Supper. It is my earnest prayer that only one person will ever commit Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and that the rest of humanity will be able to be forgiven. We may not all be Jesus' Bride, but amen, let's have a huge wedding and have billions upon billions of guests!

We Now Have Jesus' Full Power

And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. 1 John 2:3-6

Our Father proclaims that we are to walk as Jesus walked. That sounds tuff, but it’s not really that hard, when we consider the Truth.

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:11 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. Ephesians 5:30

If these verses are true, we can't help but to walk like Jesus? There is a freedom here in our Father's Truth that is not being fully enjoyed by the Church. Our Father has provided a rest for us from our own works and we need to talk about it, because faith will come that will set the captives free! The yoke of walking as Jesus walked is easy, it’s easy because our faith is now Authored and Finished by Jesus alone. It is the King of Kings Who is alive within us and He causes us to walk as He walks! So the Truth is that we cannot help but to walk like Jesus, because He will never allow us to fall short. Jesus' strength will constantly keep us.  

Our Father has really been showing me that we too often preach against the symptoms and not the problem. We look at someone who may be struggling with sin and we preach against that particular sin. When in reality, the problem is that the person does not know that they have our Father in their life to keep them from the uncleanness. The symptom may be cured, but if the problem isn’t fixed and the union with God accepted, another sin will arise.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Luke 11:24-26

So many of us believe that we will struggle with human weakness until Jesus returns, but from the Truth’s of God that we have studied, we can see that this kind of thinking is false. Our Father said that He would keep us; and man, if God keeps us, we are kept! Through Christ, Who we are now one with, we have God’s perfect love, we have access to the holiest, we have sanctification, glory, power, and eternal faith, hope, and love!

Righteousness Comes From Faith Not Works

For what reason? Because [they pursued it] not through faith, relying [instead] on the merit of their works [they did not depend on faith but on what they could do]. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone. As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations. Romans 9:32-33

Whoever has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to believe in Jesus shall never be ashamed or disappointed! Thank God that we do not have to depend on our own works to obtain righteousness! We are no longer limited by the power of our humanity; the power that sin had over us has been removed and we have been set free to walk in the greatness of God. Jesus isn’t ashamed and we are now and forevermore one with Him! Our Father has given us Jesus, the best that He has, and Jesus has been made the righteousness of God for us! And through Jesus and through the power that He now exhibits through us, we will never be ashamed! Jesus causes us to succeed in every area of our lives. Jesus will never fail us and He will always allow our Father to triumph through us!

Jesus is completely dead to sin! The power that separated man from God, which is sin, was destroyed for us by Jesus at the Cross! Sin lost all effect and power over us because of the righteous Blood that Jesus shed for us! All of the forces of evil that attempted to overcome Jesus while He was here as a man, lost all of their abilities over Him when God raised Him from the dead!

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Romans 6:9-10

Jesus is the righteous Stumbling-stone that our Father has laid in Sion! Man apart from Christ wants to earn his own righteousness and many stumble over the free grace of God that is Christ! Righteousness without Christ is sin to our Father! The Truth for life is this, it’s God’s way or it’s failure. Our Father wants us righteous and He gave us only one way to become righteous, and that way is Jesus! No work will do, it's all just a free gift from our Father and Jesus gives us the faith to accept it!

Through Christ We WIll Change Things

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,” Hebrews 6:1

Right now the faith of so many believers is that we will absolutely mess up, there is far more faith in the weakness of our humanity then on the strength of our Father. Too many believe that we can’t help but to fall short, but they believe that it is all right, because our Father will forgive us, because He said that we can repent. This belief is a beginning principle of Christ, let’s move on to perfection and maturity, let’s grow up and actually live with the Divine Nature of our Father. Let’s cease from our own works and actually enter into God’s rest and become all that He has provided for us to be. Through the Blood of Jesus we have been perfected unto every good work. Through the Blood of Jesus we have escaped corruption, we are now a royal priesthood that has been delivered into God’s glorious Light. We now have virtue by the Blood of Christ and as He is so are we in this world. The Truth is that we will be used by our Father to do the works that Jesus did and all of the other magnificent Truths that we have studied together! The Church needs to move on past the beginning principles of Christ and we need to move on to perfection, a glorious Church without spot, wrinkle, or blemish.

Through the power of Christ we can actually be a Church that changes things! So what if the Courts say that abortion is legal, our Father will shine through us and show all of those considering it that there is a better way. The Courts didn’t say that we have to have abortions, they said that we can have them. So let’s be as Jesus and give real answers to women, let’s give these answers in love, and through the virtue and power of uttermost salvation, change the hearts and minds of the world. If just two of us are empowered by the Holy Spirit to agree in the power of God’s love, it will happen.

Now here is the power: Jesus is the only way that we will have this power and success. We can’t do it, it has to be Him, and He is willing and He is able to. So let’s ask and receive, you know that you want all that Jesus has. 

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:19

God Empowers Us To Keep His Word

And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6

Do you know how it is that we can know that we are in God? Well, according to the Word, we will know that we are in God, when His love is perfected within us. Wow, how many will dare to say that God’s love is perfected within them? And do you know how we know that God’s love is perfected within us? When we keep His Word. Double wow! How many will even dare to think that they have been empowered by our Father to fully and completely keep our His Word? But let’s go on, and if we say that we abide in Jesus, then we should be walking as Jesus walked. Walk as Jesus? That's what the Holy Spirit had John write, walk as Jesus. These are not typical Sunday morning sermons are they? But, as we have discussed so many times before, wherever we read that we are required to do something in the Bible, we can find where our Father has said that He is the One doing it through us. So let’s see what we find concerning these requirements.

We are to keep God’s Word. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land I gave your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of your tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Ezekiel 36:26-30

Ezekiel 36 gives us such an awesome Truth. God, our Father, is the One Who is keeping us from all uncleanness; God has saved us from ourselves! I don’t know about you, but that is cause for a great big A-men! Our Father is the One Who is causing us to keep His commandments and He is causing us to keep His Word. Our Father has given us a heart that desires to do this, and a heart and spirit that allows our Father to do it for us. Now, after reading these verses, ask yourself this, does our Father struggle with doing anything? So if it is God within us that is saving us from our uncleanness and it is God within us Who is causing us to live right, where is the struggle? There is none, because we are now more than conquerors through Christ Who loves us. And our Father can now do all things through us by the power of Christ that strengthens us! Christ has strengthened us with Himself so that we can now be the Temples of God and if we abide in Him and His Word abides within us, we can ask what we will and it shall be done, and herein is our Father glorified that we bare much fruit, and so are we His disciples! We can't help but keep our Father commandments, because He is the One causing us to keep them.

Jesus Alone Delivers Us

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

If your experiences are any thing like mine when it comes to religion, you were taught that we are to keep ourselves from temptations and if we mess up, we only have ourselves to blame. Well, the Truth, the Truth that sets us free, is that is totally and completely wrong!  

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:9

It was preached to me so often, or heavily implied, that the major burden of our living appropriately was upon us. I heard countless sermons that said that we were expected to somehow manage to get life right through our own human efforts. Then if we were successful at living godly, our Father would reward us and bless us. But here we see the Truth that it is Jesus Who is the One Who knows how to deliver us from all temptations. We are plainly told by our Father that it is Jesus Who is the One Who ever lives to intercede for us and that Jesus is the One Who saves us to the uttermost. We rarely hear sermons that boldly proclaim that Jesus is the only One Who causes us to walk righteously. Yet the Truth is that Jesus is our only Shepherd and the Shepherd is responsible for the sheep; the sheep are not responsible for the sheep.

Think of it like this: the truth is that if a sheep leaves the flock there is a great chance that it will be killed or injured. It’s kind of a law of nature: stay and be blessed or leave and die! But the responsibility of the safety of the sheep falls on the shepherd and not on the sheep to fulfill the righteousness of this law! There are things that as Christians we have to do, yet it is the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus within us that causes us to do them; Jesus is our only Shepherd! When the Holy Spirit causes this hope to become real in the Church: that Jesus is the only One responsible for us, then Jesus will begin and finish the faith that will allow us to walk justified to the uttermost. Then through the faith of Christ, peace will come and the Church will really rejoice in the fullness of our Father's hope. We will then actually rejoice in the glory of God. We will experience the power of a life fully lived because we are saved to the uttermost, partakers of our Fathers Divine Nature, acting fully and completely with the Mind of Christ. Then we will truly be used to serve the world. 

Our Father has given us Himself and all other things that pertain unto life and godliness to enjoy, and He has given them richly to us. As long as people believe that it is with their own power that they keep themselves from temptation, then they will always live with some level of condemnation and failure. As long as people believe that faith is a human ability to believe God, they will never achieve the peace of God that passes all understanding. Faith is our Father's force working within man that allows the power of the Kingdom of Heaven to be realized and lived in! Hope in these Truths will never leave us ashamed and such hope will never disappoint us.

Jesus Allows Us To Rest

For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Hebrews 4:10

Our Father sent Jesus and the Blood that our Lord shed on the Cross for us has fully completed its work. Jesus' Blood has overcome the evil one and it has set us free, so now we have rest. Because of Jesus we can have peace, joy, hope, faith, love, and we can have all of these things richly and we can also richly enjoy them. We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, a peculiar people, and we are now in our Father's Light.

But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment, For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Matthew 10:19-20

One of the greatest fears in the world is publicly speaking. I have heard surveys that say people would rather die then publicly speak. Our Father knows this, so to insure that we have peace, He gave us the Holy Spirit and He know speaks through us.

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

So many people are scared about loosing their salvation. They fret about what they think, do, eat, wear, and say. Our Father knows this too, so He gave us the peace that He never takes it back. Jesus has allowed us to enter rest, complete rest, spirit, soul, and body.

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

Have a great day in the Lord, He has done it all for us.

Do You Hope To Be Filled With All Of God?

[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]! Ephesians 3:19

And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power]. Colossians 2:10

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:9

Faith is the evidence of the things that we hope for, Hebrews 11:1. So ask yourself this question: do you hope for all of the things that we have studied in these postings about the power of Jesus to be realized within our lives? Do you have the lively hope that because Jesus is your Lord, that there is absolutely no temptation that can sway you and that through the power of Christ there is no evil that can overcome you? Do you have the hope that through Christ you are saved to the uttermost and delivered from every temptation?

When we talk about things like perfection and sanctification, are you offended by the thought that we are, or do you hope that they can be lived and experienced by all who are in Christ? Do you have the hope that each and every second of every day that Jesus is actually living to intercede for us, in every area of our lives, for the small and mundane and for the massive and life changing? Do you hope that we are sealed with Holy Spirit and that nothing can penetrate that shield? 

If you are saved, you have the lively hope of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. If you are saved, faith will come because of His hope and as you hear these Truths of our Father, your faith will grow and mature, because Jesus is the One Authoring and Finishing your faith and such hope will never disappoint or shame you!

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. Romans 5:5

Jesus will absolutely make us know Who He is and what He is. We will all come to have His peace. He is that good at what He does. 

Jesus Delivers Us From All Temptations

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:9

Wherein He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him. Seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 

Jesus lives to keep you and I from any and all temptation. We are never alone; there is not one second that we are ever left alone or separated from Jesus. Our Spirits, Souls, and Bodies are never left by the power of Christ to defend ourselves from evil. Jesus is always being greater in us, then anything that is in this world.

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

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13 

Jesus is with us continually leading us and guiding us and strengthening us in the ways of righteousness and all things now work for good for those of us who have been empowered to love the Lord. Through Christ our darkness is now as the noonday, there is now no weapon that is formed against us that shall prosper. Our Father has empowered us to be used by Him to do all things, because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Through Christ we are able to be saved to the uttermost, because Jesus knows how to and is obligated to deliver us from all temptations. Jesus is living to intercede for you and I, and the very Spirit of God has sealed us until the day that Jesus returns. These are all benefits of our salvation, freely given, and they are God’s desire for all men to have and enjoy through Christ. We have the absolute best working for us, we have the One Who created it all, the One Who made us, the One Who only has to speak and it happens, He is for us, so nothing can be against us! Jesus is ever living to perform these things for us. Even more sure than the Sun will rise in the East, these verses are Truth. Heaven and Earth will pass away, yet these Truths will still remain active and alive working for us. 

With that in mind, I want you to ask yourself this question, how do you talk about your life, how do you think about your walk with the Lord? Do you talk and believe these things are so? Many of us don't, but faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God! 

Richly Enjoying Christ

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the Living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Timothy 6:17

Our Father has given us richly all things to enjoy. Look at what our Head said to us: “all things to enjoy.” Our Father has given all things that pertain to life and godliness and He has not just given us enough to get by; our Father has richly bestowed all of them on us. Our Father has given us all of Himself, what more do we need? Our Father will keep us unto salvation and He will keep us unto eternal life. Our Father has richly given us all of His Holy Spirit, so that we might be filled with the fullness of God and so that we can know all things. We have been richly given the spotless Blood of Christ, which has totally redeemed and sanctified us. All of this has been given freely and richly to us, and now through Christ we are partakers of our Fathers Divine nature! Through the love and power of Christ we have escaped the corruption of this world. God gave us richly all of His things to enjoy, now honestly ask yourself this: is the Church richly enjoying them? Are you enjoying them? Faith comes from hearing the Truth that sets us free!

Everyday we need to hear this Truth: that our Father loved us so much, no, He loves us so much, that He did something to insure that we would spend eternity with Him. And that eternity began the day that you were called and chosen by Him and empowered to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Once you have truly been empowered by the Holy Spirit to say, "yes I believe and trust in Jesus as Lord," our Father will richly keep you! From that very moment God will richly give you all things to enjoy! It’s born into us to have a spirit and a mind that takes no thought for the flesh and sin, because through Christ we are righteousness minded, not sin conscious. Through Christ we follow after the Spirit and are no longer carnal minded which is death, we follow after the Truth which is life and peace. The Blood of Jesus is bigger than we are, it has provided us access to the very Divine nature of our Father, it allows us to live for God as Jesus lives for God, Romans 6:5-11.

Our Father knows our needs and He knows the weakness of the flesh and He took care of all of it. Satan wants us to stay in condemnation, he will say that our flesh is evil; our flesh is weak, our flesh, our flesh. But we know the Truth that Jesus has washed our bodies with pure water. We know that our Father is our Shepherd. We know that Jesus is our Head, that God is our Gardener, and that He will keep us through the power of His Spirit that is within us, so that we may be given all things by Him to richly enjoy! Our weak flesh can't do anything to stop the power and love of our Father to work through us to further His Kingdom, of which we are part of! When we are weak, our Father is strong! Our flesh has been quickened together with Christ by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Through Christ we have been richly given faith to enjoy, love, peace, joy, discernment, hope, forgiveness, miracles, healings, needs, wants, knowledge, wisdom, and most importantly Christ to richly enjoy!

We Are One With The Power Of God

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of 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

This is true godly service, God working through us on His level, not on our human level. Our Father’s normal is our miraculous and He said that He would do above all that we can think of or ask for. He also tells us that He would do it by the power of His might that is at work within us! 

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]— Ephesians 3:20

Our Father is concerned with our whole person, our whole spirit, our whole soul, and our whole body. Virtue allows us to give as our Father gives and Jesus has given us His virtue and all of the other things that pertain unto life and godliness. 

For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). 2 Peter 1:3

We have been redeemed with the Blood of Christ and we have been freely justified by it. We are born again, we are born again by the very Spirit of God, and we are one with Him, just as the branch is one with the vine. Through Christ we are now one with the complete and full miraculous power of our Father, Who came from nowhere, stood on nothing, and spoke and here it all is!

So often we want to believe that we have to do the works. But here in Hebrews 13 we plainly see that it is our Father within us making us perfect and it is His will working through us. Our Father is not passively sitting by waiting on us to act. He is active and alive in us, causing us to carry out His will and because He is all things now work together for our good. 

Jesus Is Virtuous Through Us

And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately. Luke 8:45-47

All of the verses that we have studied together with this Blog are Truth, there is not one lie in any of them. So if we truly have been empowered with the Holy Spirit to believe the Word, what should the Church be doing with them, and how should we look? In Luke 8 we see that Jesus was just walking down the street and virtue was overflowing from within Him. He didn’t even have to give it; it could just be grasped by those around Him! Through the will of our Father, we have been called unto virtue and through Christ we are partakers of God’s Divine Nature. This is how Jesus lived, so shouldn’t this be happening in the Church today that Jesus lives in? I mean everywhere Jesus went people where healed, it wasn’t just a once and a while thing; actually when it didn’t happen, Jesus marveled at the unbelief of the people. Yet even then, He healed some who were there.  

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that beliveth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. John 14:12 

Jesus never took the credit, He always said that it was God within Him Who was doing the works. Then He said that God would use us to do the same things. Well of course He will, because our Father never changes, if He did it through Jesus, He will do it through us. Our Father did it through the Apostles, through those in the Upper Room, and He did it through Paul, and Jesus says that He will do it through all who believe. God is always in abundance, even when He is in us, and He is always virtuous, even when He is in us! So our desire and expectation should be that our Father work through us just as He works Jesus. 

Being A Good Steward Of Money

Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections]. John 12:6

My whole life I have heard so many Christians tell us that our Father demands that we be good stewards of our money. I have heard countless sermons on how God wants us to watch what we spend, that we need to manage our money well, and that we need to take thought of and have a plan for our financial success. The question is: is that really our Father’s demand? To see if it is, let’s look at Jesus and see how He handled His money? In John 12 we are told that Jesus, our Lord, our example, our perfect Savior, knowingly put a thief in charge of His money. Now that is not being a very good steward of money is it? I mean to knowingly take the money that could help further the Truth and allow a guy to hold it who you knew would take it, is not very wise.

The Truth though, is Jesus was perfect and so He had to be a good Steward of everything, even money. Jesus allowing Judas to steal the funds showed us that money means nothing at all and that we are not to take thought for it. The Bible repeatedly calls money filthy lucre. Putting any thought towards money is foolish. 

Jesus shows us this Truth through a parable. He tells us that there was a man who was a great steward of his money. Jesus tells us that the man totally prepared himself for retirement and when he was ready to enjoy it, he died. Jesus calls the man in the parable a fool, Luke 12:20. Jesus tells us throughout the Gospels to take no thought for money and the possessions of this world, Matthew 6:25. Jesus tells us to not labor for worldly savings accounts, Matthew 6:19. He tells us to give our money all away to the poor, Mark 10:21, and He tells us that being rich is actually a hindrance to serving the Kingdom, Luke 18:25.    

Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? Matthew 6:25-27

So all the sermons that talk about our Father wanting us to be good stewards of money or that we should have big worldly bank accounts so that we can glorify the Kingdom are false. Just try to find in scripture where John the Baptist, Paul, Peter, or John were rich? Our savings accounts are only in Heaven and the only way to have anything in them is for our Father to empower us to place no trust in earthly wealth. When He does that, we will freely give it all away. To the world we will be terrible stewards of our money. We will pour perfume that costs a whole years wages on a persons feet, Mark 14:5. We will go out to the world with no money or plans, Luke 9:3. We will knowingly place a thief in charge of our cash. To the world we will be foolish, but to our Father we will be the wisest of all men!  

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21

   

The Power Of The Lord's Prayer

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Matthew 6:9

Here is the really powerful thing about our own lives, when Jesus taught us to pray, He said to begin the prayer with, “Our Father.” Thus, Jesus is telling us to consider ourselves equal with God.

This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him [to do away with Him]; because He not only was breaking (weakening, violating) the Sabbath, but He actually was speaking of God as being [in a special sense] His own Father, making Himself equal [putting Himself on a level] with God. John 5:18 

He said to pray this this because it is the Truth, God is now our Father. We can pray this because we are now one with Jesus. We can pray this with all of the confidence and boldness that Jesus prayed it! That is the measure of love that our Father has for us, that He allowed us to be born again of Him. He used the same power that He used to bring Jesus into a body, His Spirit, and He is allowed to do it for us because Jesus was sacrificed and His Blood was shed, and there was no fault found in Him! We are not born of the will of man; we are born of God!

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name; Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

A child does not choose to be born; he is just born. It is the parents that willed it. Well, the same is true with us, a man can seek God, but God is the One Who chooses for him to be born again. Many are called but few are chosen. Now our Father is not stingy, He would that all men be saved, but He knows the hearts of all men, and He sees what is Truth, and He chooses who will be born again. Our Father knows who will truly be used to serve the world and those are the ones who are chosen. That is a powerful Truth, because so many believe that we are the ones who choose to be born again, which is why they believe that we can fall away and loose our salvation! But we are not born again by a man’s will, or by our own will, we are born by God’s Will, John1:13. There is no fooling God; He has no illegitimate children, that is why Jesus said that we should pray in a way that tells the world we are equal with our Father, Who is God! Because we are a chosen generation and we are a royal priesthood. 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light: 1 Peter 2:9

The Importance Of Believing Your A Child Of God

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

Let’s study why this hope of being a child of God is so important for us. The Holy Spirit tells us that “every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” Wow, pure as God is pure, and all we have to do is to have the hope that we are the children of God. But wait, we have to hope. The question is, can we do it, do we have the power, this is big stuff, pure as God, can a mere mortal, weakened by the flesh hope for such a thing? Well, I honestly believe that our Father has never required us to do anything that He is not within us giving us the power to do, so let’s see what the Word says?

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope; through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Praise God, if we want to be pure like our Father is pure, all we have to do is have the hope that we are now His children and that when Jesus comes back we will be like Him. That is no problem for us, because our Father, through His Holy Spirit, fills us with all joy and peace of believing so that we may abound in hope. And faith is the evidence of things hoped for, so we have the faith to live it, because our Father has empowered us with all of Himself to abound in hope, so that we may abound in faith. It’s all God working for us, as He works through us.

Also notice, we may have all joy and all peace in believing, that is so awesome, all peace in believing. When God says pure, as He is pure, we have peace and joy in believing it. I have said this verse in so many churches and they have gotten so mad at me. I have been asked to leave, I have been damned, I have been cursed and yelled at, but I have peace with this Truth, because the Holy Spirit has given it to me. I know, because God is always within me, that this is Truth. Our Father has empowered us with His very Own Spirit and empowered us so we don’t struggle with His Truth, I don’t hesitate at it, it’s just as sure within me as the Sun will rise! Heaven and Earth will pass away, but this Truth, will last forever. And this peace and joy is for every believer, no limitations with any of us!

We are now the children of God, and He has sealed us with His Spirit, and there is nothing that can penetrate that seal, nothing! We didn’t fool God to start with. We aren’t used by satan to fool God into accepting us, so that we can escape back to the world and then use it against Him. God knew us, and He chose us, and we have been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible!

The Blood Of Jesus Makes Us Pure

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. 1 John 1:7

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 Truth that sets us free is that we have been called out of darkness into God’s Light. 1 John 1:7 teaches us that if we are in the Light of God then Jesus’ Blood cleanses us from all sin. Just as human blood cleanses the body of infections and viruses, the perfect Blood of our Lord and Savior continually and eternally cleanses us from sin!

So if we are saved and have the Spirit of God within us, we are pure even as our Savior is pure, 1 John 3:2-3!

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

We are pure because of Jesus and we have the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are now the sons of God, Galatians 4:6. We know the Truth and the Truth has set us free. We are what our Father has born us to be and that is to be as He is! These things are the Truth of God and the Truth has set us free! They may want to kill us for saying it, but for those who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to find it, peace that passes all understanding and Light that drives out all darkness are to be had! The glorious Truth of our salvation is that it makes us just like our Father, just as Jesus is just like our Father.

We are blessed beyond expression through the power of God’s might that eternally abides within us!

The Bride Will Be Mistreated

While the others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and put them to death. Matthew 22:6

Jesus shows us here that His Bride, who are God’s servants, will be mistreated and even put to death in this world until He returns and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb actually begins. In this part of Jesus’ parable  of the Marriage Supper, people are being called to be part of the Bride. This means that the actual Wedding is taking place at this time, not the celebration afterward.

There is coming a time when the Bride as a whole will be violently mistreated by the world. Right now we see bits and pieces of what is to come. With all that is happening over the last couple of years in the world I have been asked a lot by people if this the end times? The Holy Spirit always has me answer the same way, no, this is just the beginning birth pains. The end times will be here when we see the Bride empowered with the full power of the Kingdom of Heaven. The last days will have arrived when we see our Father causing us to do the works that Jesus did and greater works, John 14:12, and when we see the Gospel of the Kingdom being preached to every nation, Matthew 24:14, then it will be close to the end.

Also, no one is crying out peace and safety right now.

When people are saying, All is well and secure, and, There is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3

The world will be saying peace and safety before Jesus returns, because there will actually be peace and safety at that time. There will be peace and safety because the Bride will be empowered as we never have before. Right before the end times arrive we will be empowered to be used by our Father in the full strength of His might. The world will take credit for what our Father is doing through us at that time and they will brag about how they have done it. Then when they are taken credit for all of our Father’s works, sudden destruction will come on them just as it did Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4:30-31. So no, it is not yet the end times.