Daniels 70 Weeks

And he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator. Daniel 9:27

The way that this verse was always taught to me went something like this: there are 70 weeks determined for the Jewish people. The weeks are actually 7 years each, so there is 490 years attributed to the Jewish people in Daniels prophecy. The years of Daniels prophecy began when Nehemiah was permitted to rebuild Jerusalem and Temple worship was restored. There were 69 weeks, or 483 years, exactly from the time that Temple worship was restored until the time that Jesus was crucified, leaving one week of the prophecy to be fulfilled. This final week will begin when the anti-christ enters into a covenant with Israel. And for the first 3 ½ years of this treaty there will be bliss and harmony, but right in the middle of the covenant, the anti-christ will break the deal and there will be 3 ½ years of great tribulation, ending only when Jesus returns. It was preached that since Daniel writes that this is a time of his peoples trouble, that it only applies to the Jews, so the Christians will be raptured out before all of this goes down, leaving only Israelites, and the rest of the unsaved world to deal with it. Oh, along with anyone who may be saved during those 7 years, but what a terrible time to be saved, so you better choose Jesus now, so that you wont have to deal with it! That is the 70 weeks of Daniels prophecy to a Full Gospel believer in a nut shell. Now there may be some nuances that I have missed, but this is the cliff notes version.

I was very content in believing this way until this last December, when the Holy Spirit began to show me that there is no pre-tribulation rapture; when He began to show me that during the Great Tribulation will be the greatest time of ministry that the world has ever experienced. All that I had been taught, all that I had heard, and even preached was shown to be false, and it was great! And last night, the Holy Spirit plainly showed me the Truth behind the 70 weeks of Daniels Prophecy.

The questions that I had always had were: the Bible never mentions a break in the 70 weeks, why do we believe that there is? Why did the weeks stop when Jesus was crucified, Israel was still a nation, there was still a Temple until 70 AD, 37 years after Jesus’ crucifixion? Why didn’t the weeks start in 1948 when Israel became a state again? Why would a new Temple have to be built to start the weeks again, when there was a Temple when the 69th week ended? It all just didn’t add up. And last night here is what the Holy Spirit showed me.

Jesus is the One who will make the strong Covenant with many people for one week, which is 7 years, and remember the many people are the Israelites, because this prophecy of Daniels is to the Jews alone. The strong covenant began when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a dove, and God began to use Him to minister the New Covenant with power and demonstration of the Spirit. Look at what Jesus did, He preached as no one had ever preached. For 3 ½ years He raised the dead, caused the blind to see, healed entire towns, drove out demons, changed the weather, and fed thousands from blessed table scraps. God used His flesh, Jesus, as He has used no one before. This is strong! Then right in the middle of the 7 year strong covenant, Jesus was crucified, causing the sacrifices of the Law to end. Never again would the blood of animals or the offerings of worldly things be accepted by our Father or needed. Jesus paid the price once with His perfect sacrifice, and that sacrifice will last for eternity.

But, what about the last 3 ½ years of the strong covenant? Look at scripture, for the next 3 ½ years the Holy Spirit uses Jews alone to minister in the power of the Spirit, to Jews alone. Thousands were added to the church daily, miracles abounded, the Holy Spirit was still operating and honoring the strong covenant of many Jewish people. Then at the end of the 7 years, it all stopped, Paul is called and chosen by Jesus on the road to Damascus and the New Covenant moves to the Gentiles. Paul’s ministry began in 36 AD, 3 ½ years after Jesus’ crucifixion. And we never again read of the Holy Spirit moving powerfully in Israel to bring salvation, until the Book of Revelation during the end times. Our Father moved to the Gentiles, to the Corinthians, the Ephesians, the Thessalonians, and the Romans. Our Father fulfilled His strong covenant with many people. He honored it and stopped the sacrifices by offering Himself so that there would never be a need for another one!

Now what about the one of abominations who comes and makes desolate that Daniel speaks of? It is satan, look at Revelation 12:5-9. When Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven, satan was cast out to the earth. The perfect Blood of Jesus was applied to all of our sins and the accuser had no room any longer in Heaven to accuse us, so He was thrown down to earth. And satan, the abomination, the one who makes things desolate will do so until the end of times. Satan is allowed to cause desolation until he is bound and thrown into the abyss at Armageddon.

And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.. 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). Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth to battle with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. But they were defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer. Revelation 12:5-8

Want further scriptural proof? Look at what Revelation 12:6 teaches us, for 3 ½ years after Jesus was caught up to Heaven, the church, which remember is only Jewish people at this time, is kept safe. The Church suffered persecution, but it flourished and grew abundantly. Jesus never said that we would not be persecuted when we are saved. But even though the Church was not part of Jewish custom or tradition, they were in the wilderness, meaning they were not part of the mainstream, they still flourished in a place of our Fathers safety, in Israel, for 3 ½ years. And right at the end of the 7 years, the time from when Jesus first began to preach, to the time Paul is called, that protection leaves and the church moves to the Gentiles.

There was no break in the 70 years. There will be no new Temple in Jerusalem at the end of times. There will be no treaty between the anti-christ and the nation of Israel. There will be no more sacrifices of animals to be ended. The 70 weeks of Daniels prophecy was fulfilled on the Road to Damascus when Jesus called Paul! When the nation of Israel completely rejected salvation and the gift was given to the wild branches!

A Pre-Tribulation Rapture?

“Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.” Matthew 24:9-10

Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition), 2 Thessalonians 2:3

2 Thessalonians 2:3 has been used so much in my life to teach on the concept of a pre-tribulation rapture. But this verse does not teach us of a snatching away, or a rapture, but a great falling away of many false believers. They will fall away because of the affliction and tribulation that will arise for Jesus’ Name sake. Those who will fall away have no root in Christ and as soon as the trials of this life come they will wither up and fall away, just as they do today. There is a great Truth for the truly saved and it is this: when trials come, especially great ones, and we are weak, Jesus becomes strong within us and we actually become victorious. But for those who are only acting saved, they will fall away during the great Tribulation, because Jesus is not within them. They will become offended at the trials and they will flock to the anti-christ.

“And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.” Matthew 24:14

Notice that Jesus teaches us in Matthew 24 that after the great falling away of false Christians, then will the Gospel be preached to every nation and then the end will come. In Matthew 24:9 Jesus proclaims that all nations would hate us and in Matthew 24:14 He teaches that the end will be known by the fact that the Gospel is being preached in every nation. In Revelation 14:6-7, Jesus shows us that the Gospel will be preached to every nation, tribe, and tongue with a loud and powerful voice. “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with an eternal Gospel (good news) to tell to the inhabitants of the earth, to every race and tribe and language and people. And he cried with a mighty voice, Revere God and give Him glory (honor and praise in worship), for the hour of His judgment has arrived. Fall down before Him; pay Him homage and adoration and worship Him Who created heaven and earth, the sea and the springs (fountains) of water.” Remember that in the Book of Revelation an Angel often refers to a human messenger or message, read what Jesus says to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3.

So the question for me is why would God rapture out His mature believers, Who are His Body, His flesh and His bones when for the first time the Gospel is being preached in every nation and the people of the world needs His ministers of Truth the most? How will they hear without a preacher, so our Father, Who is love, will take His mature preachers out? If this where the case, it would be like our Father is taking His body out of the world to torture the non-believers for 3 ½ years before He sends them to hell.

So also [it was the same] as it was in the days of Lot. [People] ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But on the [very] day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all. That is the way it will be on the day that the Son of Man is revealed Luke 17:28-30

Lot and Noah were both delivered from the wrath of God, Lot and his family escaped to the mountains and Noah and his family to the Ark. But remember that the destruction and wrath of our Father came right when His families were taken out. According to the pre-tribulation rapture concept there is still 3 ½ years of tribulation to come. With Sodom and the Great Flood God was swift and no one left was saved. But during the Great Tribulation we can read that many will be saved, Rev. 6:11, Rev. 7:3, Rev. 7:14, Rev. 9:4, Rev. 20:2-4 and several other verses. So if the end of times is as it were with Lot and Noah, then the end will only come right after we are removed, when there is no chance for anyone else to be saved.

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 24:45-46

Jesus teaches us that when the master comes, not when the master calls the servant to him. What better and proper time for us to be used by our Father to give food and supplies to all nations and people in need than during the Great Tribulation? Wars, natural disasters, diseases, plagues and inflation will be devastating the population at this time. And as the world always has, they will hate us and want to kill us for being used by God, just as with Jesus, Stephen, Peter, Paul, and John.

And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect (His chosen ones) from the four winds, [even] from one end of the universe to the other. Matthew 24:31

Winds is translated from the Greek word Anemos, Strongs 417, it means the four corners of Heaven. And the Universe translates to mean world, Ouranos, Strongs 3772. So when the trumpet sounds the Angels will gather all saints both in Heaven and earth. So with these translations in mind let’s go to Corinthians.

Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed). In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 The dead in Christ will rise first!

The seventh angel then blew [his] trumpet, and there were mighty voices in heaven, shouting, The dominion (kingdom, sovereignty, rule) of the world has now come into the possession and become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah), and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)! Revelation 11:15 The Angel has sounded the seventh trumpet, the last trumpet, and the end has come!

For this we declare to you by the Lord's [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in death]. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (The living in Christ shall in now way precede those of us who have died in Christ!)

The Truth about the end times is that the last Trumpet will sound, and after it does the first thing to happen is that the dead in Christ will be raised and then after they are raised up, the rest of us will then be transformed. If there is a pre-tribulation rapture before the last trumpet, then 1 Corinthians would be false, because we who are living in no way precede those who have died, and the dead in Christ will not be raised until the last trumpet! 1 Thess. 4:15 clearly shows us that we will in no way precede those who have died before us.

Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 1 John 3:2 clearly teaches us that when Jesus comes and is manifested that we will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. So if Jesus is made known when He is manifested, then we haven’t been transformed to be like Him when we were raptured. So that would mean that we never saw Him during our rapture. Because we are only made like Him, when He appears and is manifested, the pre-tribulation rapture theory teaches that we are just caught away, and Jesus is not manifested until His return. So wouldn’t our rapture just be to rescue us from the tribulation and why do we need to be rescued from tribulation when we are one with God, more than Conquerors through Christ Who loves us, and Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world?

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Notice that the Holy Spirit has Paul write that we, the living ones, not those living ones. God has Paul write that he is part of the ones participating in this event. God also has Paul write that we shall be changed in 1 Corinthians 15:52. I just like that and wanted to share it with you.

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

This is the scripture that I used all of the time to say that there was a pre-tribulation rapture, but I also use the Truth that salvation means to be saved right now from all earthly ills, deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation, deliverance from the molestation of enemies, salvation as the present possession of all true Christians Fourfold salvation: saved from the penalty, power, presence and most importantly the pleasure of sin. This meaning of salvation I get all of this from is found in the Strong’s Concordance for the word salvation, Soteria, Strong’s 4991. We don’t need to be raptured out of trials and tribulations to enjoy these things of salvation now, why then would we during the Great Tribulation? The Israelites still lived in Egypt during the time of God’s wrath on Pharaoh and the instruments of our Fathers wrath never harmed them.

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

Actually this verse tells us that God will keep us spirit, soul, and body until Jesus returns. So even if the Tribulation is great, our Fathers power is always greater. So if it is true, as the scriptures have stated that we aren’t transformed until the last trumpet, and yet we are raptured away from the great tribulation, it would suggest that God couldn’t keep us spirit, soul, and body through the time of Jacobs trouble? Yet He kept the Israelites during Egypt’s great trouble? God doesn’t need to rescue His flesh from His own wrath. Think about it, when America used the atom bomb on Japan did we cause our own people to suffer the radiation and blast? So if God is pouring out wrath, is He going to pour it out on His own Body, His Own Flesh, His Own Bone? Remember the Tribulation is God pouring out His wrath, not satan pouring it out. Satan is on the receiving end!

The Marriage Supper of The Lamb:

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). Then [the angel] said to me, Write this down: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who are summoned (invited, called) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me [further], These are the true words (the genuine and exact declarations) of God. Revelation 19:7-9

In Revelation 19:1-7 John hears roars of praise, but God never says that the roars are from the Saints who have been raptured. And then in Rev 19:7-9 notice what the beings are saying: His Bride has prepared herself, She has been permitted to dress in fine linen. If the roars of praise were from us, or even those of us who had been killed for His Name’s sake, then wouldn’t John have heard something like glory to God we have finally been prepared and we have been permitted to dress in fine linen. The voices are speaking praises to God about someone else. There are millions of angels in Heaven, so they could be the voices. And just a quick thought, wouldn’t John have ever felt like he was part of the Marriage Supper, that He was part of the Bride that was giving praise, and then been permitted to write that He felt that He was. Paul wrote in 1 Cor. and in 1 Thess. that we will be transformed, he saw it and was writing as being active in it. Yet John only observes others giving praise. To me, and this is just a thought, if I was seeing something that I knew that I was going to be part of, it would somehow come out in my writings that during all this praise that I too joined in the praise, that I too spoke the words with my brothers and sisters, as Paul wrote.

After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness). His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand. He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God. And the troops of heaven, clothed in fine linen, dazzling and clean, followed Him on white horses. Revelation 19:11-14

Immediately after the praise for the time for the Marriage Supper has arrived, we read in Revelation 19:11-21 that Jesus Rides off on a white horse with the troops of heaven to go and conquer the beast and false prophet. Now that sounds like Jesus appearing in the sky like lightning and then as He returns to earth the dead in Him are raised first and then those of us that have been left shall be caught up with Him to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I may be wrong but it only sounds like the praise is being given because the time of the Supper has arrived, not that it is taking place? Also when Jesus was going to the Cross, He spoke about being able to summon a legion of angels to rescue Him. Sounds like the Troops of Heaven? I believe this is the first place in Revelation that we read of Jesus actually physically returning, so this is the first time the dead in Him could be raised. In 1 Cor. and in 1 Thess God writes that the dead will rise when Jesus returns, then we that remain shall be caught up in the sky. Here we read this is when Jesus returns.

Revelation 11:15 the last Trumpet, Revelation 8:1 last Seal, Revelation 16:17 last Vial

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). 1 Corinthians 15:52

And he gripped and overpowered the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and [securely] bound him for a thousand years. Then he hurled him into the Abyss (the bottomless pit) and closed it and sealed it above him, so that he should no longer lead astray and deceive and seduce the nations until the thousand years were at an end. After that he must be liberated for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom authority to act as judges and to pass sentence was entrusted. Also I saw the souls of those who had been slain with axes [beheaded] for their witnessing to Jesus and [for preaching and testifying] for the Word of God, and who had refused to pay homage to the beast or his statue and had not accepted his mark or permitted it to be stamped on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived again and ruled with Christ (the Messiah) a thousand years. Revelation 20:2-4

The Marriage sounds like it happens somewhere around Revelation 20:4, when we have our thrones given to us and we begin to reign, after the dragon has been cast into the bottomless pit, not during the rapture as I have always been taught. There couldn’t be a marriage if the dead in Christ cannot be raised until the last trumpet and we who are alive in no way can precede them.

I had always thought how can satan gain such power if we were still on the earth during the great Tribulation. But the hot will be hot and the cold will be cold, there will be no lukewarm Christians anymore. So if we are as Jesus is, 1 John 14:17, and our Father is working through us as He worked through Jesus, John 14:12, then of course satan could be permitted to be stronger than ever, because our Father will have made us stronger than ever.

Also Jesus’ yoke is easy to be born and His burden is light, Matthew 11:13. God will never place on us more than we can handle. And remember that when Stephen was stoned for preaching, he shined, he saw Heaven open up, and he asked for those who stoned him to be forgiven.

When the Holy Spirit began this study for me I believed and wanted to believe that there is a pre-tribulation rapture, but the scriptures that have always been used to show it to me don’t teach it and I have looked for ones that do, and as of yet I cannot find them. And as I think about a pre-tribulation rapture I think, why? Do we need rescued, that makes our Father seem weak if you ask me? And it seems that God has always been about giving people every last chance and then at the Great Tribulation He takes away the very instruments that have been used to show forth is grace. I know our Father can choose new ones to be used and empower them with Himself. But why aren’t we part of it and the one thing that keeps coming up to as why is we need rescued from a really bad time. But that just doesn’t seem right to me.

In Revelation we never read about those John sees in Heaven are those who were overcome with disease, pestilence, or famine that is the wrath of our Father, only that these are those that were martyred during the Great Tribulation. And Jesus clearly tells us that some of us will be used by God to be martyred. But once again look at how great of an experience it was for Stephen. God will even empower us during being killed, He is that great!

But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately He sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready. Mark 4:29

The Angels come and gather us for a rapture, but yet there are still millions to be saved, was the harvest ripe? Does a farmer go into a field and only take some of the wheat and leave some?

The seventh angel then blew [his] trumpet, and there were mighty voices in heaven, shouting, The dominion (kingdom, sovereignty, rule) of the world has now come into the possession and become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah), and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)! Then the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin], who sit on their thrones before God, prostrated themselves before Him and worshiped, Exclaiming, To You we give thanks, Lord God Omnipotent, [the One] Who is and [ever] was, for assuming the high sovereignty and the great power that are Yours and for beginning to reign. And the heathen (the nations) raged, but Your wrath (retribution, indignation) came, the time when the dead will be judged and Your servants the prophets and saints rewarded--and those who revere (fear) Your name, both low and high and small and great--and [the time] for destroying the corrupters of the earth. Revelation 11:15-18

The last trumpet blows immediately after the two witnesses are killed. Notice as soon as the power of God stops flowing mightily through man the time of this world is over. This is the time when God’s saints are rewarded. If there had been a time of reward before this, a pre-tribulation rapture, when some teach is the time of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, than these verses in Rev. 11 would be wrong. The time of the Marriage Supper is after the last Trumpet and not before.

Messing Up

Jesus looked up then, and seeing that a vast multitude was coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that all these people may eat? But He said this to prove (test) him, for He well knew what He was about to do. Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennies' (forty dollars) worth of bread is not enough that everyone may receive even a little. Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, There is a little boy here, who has [with him] five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many people? John 6:5-9

Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, I have pity and sympathy and am deeply moved for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and they have nothing [at all left] to eat; and I am not willing to send them away hungry, lest they faint or become exhausted on the way. And the disciples said to Him, Where are we to get bread sufficient to feed so great a crowd in this isolated and desert place? Matthew 15:32-33

The first response of the disciples was to doubt that they could help. Not only did they doubt, they even mocked Jesus a little: “forty dollars won’t even begin to meet the need.” They even doubted and mocked Him a second time, after they had seen a miraculous production of food.

Jesus said to him, Solemnly I declare to you, this very night, before a single rooster crows, you will deny and disown Me three times. Matthew 26:34

And sure enough, Peter denied Jesus three times that night.

Then [His disciples], forsaking Him, fled, all [of them]. Mark 14:50

Now, let me ask you a question, what was different between the Disciples, who doubted, mocked, denied, and forsook Jesus and the rest of Israel who doubted, mocked, denied, and forsook Jesus? Jesus clearly said that if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before the Father, Matthew 10:33. But yet, the Disciples were allowed to doubt, deny, mock, and forsake Jesus and still receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. Yet the rest of Israel, who did the same things, were not, why?

Now this is the really cool part, because this Truth will blow religion away. The Disciples were simply rewarded in spite of themselves, because they were chosen of God. The same reason that we can doubt, question, deny, and mock Jesus and not be separated from Him and still receive all of the blessings that come along with being chosen. Religion tries to tell us that we are in control and that if we obey, then we receive a blessing and if we don’t obey, there is a curse. But yet we see that Peter did not obey and even denied and lied, and yet he was rewarded. We see that the Disciples doubted and mocked and yet they received a surplus of food. All simply because they were God’s kids. And admit it, we all have questioned, doubted, mocked, forsook, and denied our Lord, even after we were saved! And praise God, He never left us for one moment and He never forsook us!

I was raised in full gospel, holy rolling, churches and the famous saying was always that God cannot bless us past our last act of disobedience. Sounded religious enough, but it is pure bull! The Truth that sets us free is that if we are chosen, than our Father is always blessing us, even in our ignorance. He may need to correct us and even discipline us, but even that is blessing! All things now work together for our good, it’s just the way it is for God’s children. We have been born into this blessing. And just as with the Disciples we may doubt, we may forsake, we may deny, and yet our Father will never leave us or forsake us and in that union is eternal blessing and provision.

Our Father knew us before we were. He knew what we were, how we were, and how He was going to live through us. So, just as Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him, He knows when we are going to mess up. And it doesn’t change for one second the Truth that He will miraculously intercede on our behalf so that we might be saved to the uttermost! Religion that has a form of godliness, but denies the power of it, will preach how we are to obey and the consequences of our actions. But the Truth that sets us free is that Jesus knows what we need, when we need it, and even if we fall short, no big deal, He knew it was going to happen and the miraculous provision is still coming.

This is the truth that needs preached from the rooftops. And if someone is all concerned about how this will affect someone who may choose then to intentionally mess up, all they are telling you is that they are serving God through works and not through salvation. Because for the chosen, who are filled with the Holy Spirit and power, we know the desire of our hearts is to fully allow Jesus to shine through us. We know that it is our Fathers power alive within us that allows anything to happen. And the farthest thing from us is to look for and desire a life that doubts, denies, mocks, or forsakes Jesus, our Lord and Savior! So preach the Truth that our messing up in no way hinders our Father from shining forth through us or providing miraculously for us. The Disciples messing up never did and neither does ours!

Praying

THEN HE was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, [just] as John taught his disciples. And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done [held holy and revered] on earth as it is in heaven. Give us daily our bread [food for the morrow]. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended us or done us wrong]. And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil. Luke 11:1-4

Notice how Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “our Father,” “give us,” “forgive us,” “bring us,” and “rescue us.” When Jesus taught us to pray, He did not teach us to pray: my Father, give me, forgive me, bring me, and rescue me.

I don’t know about you, but my prayers have usually been either for a need or a want that I have, or a need and a want that someone I know has. But when Jesus taught us to pray, the prayer was for the body as a whole and not just for a specific member. Even if the prayers are really religious, like for wisdom, faith, healing, or love. They usually would go something like Father, I ask You in Jesus’ Name to give me wisdom, or Father I ask You in Jesus’ Name to heal so and so. But this is not at all how Jesus taught us to pray!

Now I want you to look at Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Right before Jesus was crucified, at the time of His greatest need, He prayed for the body as a whole. He prayed for all who would believe in Him. He prayed for the body to have eternal life. Jesus prayed for us to all be one with our Father as He is One with our Father. He prayed for the body as a whole to be sanctified and for all of us to have our Fathers love abiding within us. We don’t see many examples of prayers in the Gospels, but the two prayers that the Holy Spirit did have written, were both for the body as a whole.

There is a power here that I think the church is missing. And the Truth is that we are all one, we are all the body of Christ. We are members of His body, flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone. And if I have a need or you have a need, the body has a need. Jesus knows better than any our oneness with our Father through Him and our oneness with each other. And when our Lord taught us to pray, it was for the body as a whole and not just for a specific member. Just think of your own body and how it works, if your hand is cut, your whole body has a need and the whole body joins together to assist the hand. This is exactly how the body of Christ is, we are one!

And when Jesus taught us to pray He was teaching us to not only look to our Father for every need, but that our need is actually the body’s need, and when we pray our prayers should reflect this Truth. There is only One Spirit, One Lord, and one body. So our prayers should sound something like, Father in Jesus’ Name I ask that all who are called and chosen are healed this day, that this day all of your children have perfect wisdom and peace. That today all of your children are debt free and lenders and not borrowers. Father, I ask that in Jesus’ Name that we are all as You are, even while on this earth, that we all have the mind of Christ, and that we all have the Holy Spirit abiding within us showing us plainly things to come. So whatever your need or desire may be, include the whole body in your prayer, just as our Head taught us to, and as our Head did! Because our need is the Body of Christ’s need. We are all one!

A Study of John 15

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. John 15:1

Think of what the Vine does for a moment. The Vine is what is rooted and grounded. The Vine determines what is going to be grown and when it will be grown. The Vine is the instrument that brings the nutrients and life to the branches, without the Vine there is no life for the plant.

Next, let’s consider what the Gardener is. The Gardener is in control of the Vine and the branches. The Gardener protects the Vine. He is responsible for keeping insects and disease from the plant. He is responsible for insuring that the Vine has enough nutrients and water to produce abundant amounts of fruit. And the Gardener owns the Vine and the branches and He owns all of the fruit that is produced by the plant.

So Jesus starts off by teaching us in John 15 that our Father is in total control. And A-men for us, He is!

Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
John 14:27, Jesus gives us His peace.
John 15:11, we posses Jesus’ joy.
John 14:10, it is the Father within us Who does the works.
Galatians 2:20, we are dead and yet we live, but it is not us who live, it is Christ alive within us Who lives.
John 17:26 , the love of God now abides within us.

Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. John 15:2

Jesus goes on to teach us that God is the one Who is in total control of us producing fruit. The Truth that sets us free is that our Father is responsible for continually pruning out of us everything that would hinder Him from producing abundant fruit through us. Religion places all of this responsibility on us, as if it is a choice of ours; it is preached and implied that we can either choose to or not choose to do the will of our Father. But that is not at all what Jesus teaches us. Jesus shows us that we produce fruit because we have become one with Him and He is the Vine. Jesus teaches us that we produce fruit because our Father prunes out of us everything that would ever hinder us from being used. God is successful, He never fails, He succeeds 100% of the time, and this is why He is in control of our destiny. And our Father controls our destiny by making us one with Himself through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is not one truly saved person who will ever fail, because God is in control and it is finished!

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. John 17:21

Religion teaches us that God sent Jesus and gave us access to a better life. But so many preachers make it a life a choices and place man with his own human abilities in control of them. God is made to be a reactive to our direction. It is preached if we do what He said, then we will be rewarded with His favor. But grace teaches us something far different. Grace teaches us that God is in total control and if there is something that needs removed, He removes it. If there is faith needed He authors and finishes it. Jesus is the Head, the Vine, and the Shepherd. We are the body, the branches, and the sheep.

Think of your body for a moment. Your head is in charge of your body, it is directing every activity whether consciously or unconsciously. It is not a choice for the arm to act at the heads direction, the arm can do nothing else. If the arm would move at its own direction, the body would be a cripple, and the Body of Jesus Christ is not a cripple! And not holding fast to the Head, from Whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. Colossians 2:19 A-men, God causes our growth! The whole key to our salvation is that we are one with Jesus, Who is One with God, there is no separation and our old self has been crucified with Christ, and our new self, is actually now part of Jesus, one with Him, and one with God!

You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. John 15:3-4

The Bible teaches us that we have been grafted into Jesus, the Vine, Romans 11:24. Think of this process of grafting. Who does the grafting? Does the branch decide it wants to be grafted or does the Gardener decide He wants to graft the branch? The Gardener decides, the branch has no ability on its own to do it. This is why the Bible teaches us that many are called but few are chosen, Matthew 22:14. God wants us all to be grafted, but He knows the heart and He will only graft those whom He has chosen! Religion teaches us that we choose, but the Truth is our Father chooses! This is important because many will teach that it is our choice as to whether to live in Jesus or not, so it is mans choice to bear fruit or not. But that is not the Truth. The Truth is our Father chose us and grafted us into Jesus, making us one with Him. And since He did, He is now responsible for causing us to bear fruit and our Father is responsible for us living as one with Him. This is the peace that passes all understanding. Everything that is required for us to live in the full salvation of our Lord is accomplished by our Father through His body Jesus. We are saved to the uttermost because of Jesus, not by some human effort. Wherefore 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

And since we are one with Jesus, as the branch is one with the Vine, we cannot just stop living as one with Jesus. And since we are one with Jesus we are clean as Jesus is clean. And we will be used by the Vine to bear fruit! For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; Hebrews 2:11

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

Think about Jesus as you read this verse. Why does He bear much fruit? Jesus bears much fruit because He is one with God. He was chosen by God to do it! God made Himself man and came and died so that we too could be one with Him and enjoy the exact same blessings as our Father enjoys! Jesus cannot help but to bear much fruit, He is God, and that is just the way God is! And we are now grafted into God through His Own flesh, Jesus, and we now enjoy the same things.

So many times when the Holy Spirit begins to have me teach these Truths, people refer to us as only being robots then. And the famous religious saying comes flowing out, and God doesn’t want robots! And here is the question that the Holy Spirit has me ask them back, was Jesus a robot? Jesus was chosen to be birthed by a virgin, He was chosen to die on the cross at a specific time, at a specific place, and before hand suffer specific tortures! He was chosen to be raised from the dead at a specific time and He said that He could only speak what He had been directed to speak by the Father. Jesus’ life was predestined before the world ever was. So was He a robot? The answer is always no, He was God! Sounds religious and like the right thing to say, and it is true. But when you bring the Truth that God came so that we could be just as Jesus, it somehow then becomes we are robots? But we are not robots, we are parts of the actual Body of Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and King of Kings. And God knew use before we were even in the womb. And He knew what we would be and how He was going to use us. He knew He could choose us and He could choose us because He knew we could be grafted into the Vine and have absolutely no problem whatsoever in being one with Him. And by being one with Him means He is in total control. What is being a robot to the unsaved is being part of the Body to the saved!

If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:6

Only Jesus! If we are not chosen, we will be thrown into Hell!

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. John 15:7-8

Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God, Romans 10:17. And faith is the evidence of things hoped for, Hebrews 11:1. We have seen through the testimony of Jesus that we were chosen by our Father to be grafted into Himself. It was His choice alone, John 1:13. We have seen that it is our Fathers responsibility to keep us clean from everything that would hinder us from being used by Him. We have seen that it is Jesus’ responsibility to have us produce fruit. And with all of these Truths in mind, go and reread these two verses.
Asking what we will, means asking what our Fathers will is. And that is all that we can do, because it is our Father Who is alive within us! Religion tries to make a separation between us and God, but there is none. So we ask because the Holy Spirit is leading us to ask, and He is our strength and guidance in this world, just as He was with Jesus! So God will use us to ask and He will use us to produce much fruit in asking, just as He used Himself to ask and produce much fruit when He was here as a man. The Truth is that it is the Anointing of God, which is Christ, is alive and in control of us, just as it was alive and in control of Jesus on the earth! So when we think of Jesus, how He lived and how He acted, this is exactly how we should think of ourselves. Because as He is, so are we in this world. 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

Yeah, but if we ask amiss? Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:3. The great freedom that we have as the chosen ones of God is this. All things work out for our good! We are assured and know that [ God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Romans 8:28. So even if we ask amiss, it will work out for our good, because as God clearly teaches us, all things work together for our good! God knew we were going to ask amiss before we did and He had already provided a plan for it to work for our good. So ask, ask away, and watch God prune out the amiss questions and replace them with His will. And you will bear much fruit and our Father will be honored and glorified through you. The Truth of salvation is our Father causes us to win 100% of the time.

I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [[a]continue in His love with Me]. John 15:9

Jesus is God and God is Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh and God in the flesh loves us every bit as much as He loves Himself. God loves us so much that He grafted us into Himself so that we could live exactly as He lives! It is impossible for Jesus not to abide in our Fathers love, and neither can we.

If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love. John 15:10

As we have studied, it is impossible for us not to continue in God’s Word, because we have become one with it. So why is it that Jesus say’s these types of things? Why does He say, if you continue and not you cannot help but continue? The Disciples wondered why Jesus always spoke in parables as He taught. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? Matthew 13:10 And Jesus told them plainly why. He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Matthew 13:11. So when Jesus spoke He spoke in ways that men could not understand, because it wasn’t for them to understand. Jesus knew that it would take the Holy Spirit to bring the Truth to those who are called and chosen by God! So think of religion and how it is predominantly taught that all of the responsibility is placed on man. It is preached that we are to pray and God will act. We are to give and God will act, obey and God will act. The message is really, though never preached so boldly, that God is in our control and if we do what we should He will obey and we will be blessed. But the Truth is God will cause us to pray so that His will may be done. God will cause us to give so that His will can be done. God will cause us to obey, by continually pruning us, so that His will can be done. God is the Director and the Head. He is in control and He is the power that leads us and causes us to walk in His statutes and to keep His judgments, Ezekiel 36:27. Jesus spoke this way so that those who were not chosen would always look to themselves and those that are truly chosen will constantly look to Him. Both will quote scripture, but only one is truly looking to God while the other is looking to themselves! Many will come to Jesus and say that they did miracles and works in His Name, and Jesus will say that He never knew them, Matthew 7:23. While true Christians will come and say You Jesus used us to do mighty works and Jesus will welcome us on in!

I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. John 15:11

Jesus told us that God will keep us. That He will produce much fruit through us. That He will cause us to always live in His love because we will always abide as one with Him. These Truths are why Jesus is happy, He can never be separated from God and neither can we. So we are one with the same joy as our Lord! We live in the same power and same reality as Jesus. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:10-11

This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. John 15:12

The Commandment of Jesus is that we love one another. And to insure that we do, we have been grafted into and made one with Love. He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love.1 John 4:8. God just doesn’t love, He is love. And the love Jesus has now abides within us. I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very [c]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. If there is anything that would hinder us from loving, God will prune it out of us, so that we may abound in love as He abounds in love. And through our oneness with Jesus we are able to love one another exactly as God loves each of us. We can do nothing less, how can the Body of God love any less than the Head of God? Our Fathers Spirit, Who He actually is, causes us to walk as He walks.

No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.] John 15:13-15

Jesus holds nothing back from us, what He knows we know! We have been given the Holy Spirit that teaches us all things, John 14:26. We now have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16. As the branches are fully connected and operate under the complete direction of the Vine, so do we! We are what Jesus has ordained us to be. He is our Shepherd, our Head, He is our Vine! Jesus holds nothing back from us. He has made us one with all and Who He is.

You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as [b]presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. John 15:16

Here is some powerful Truth. Jesus chose us. He knew who we were, how we were, and what needed done within us. He knew every fault and every weakness that we had, and He still chose us. He chose us and He has appointed us to go into all of the world and be used by our Father to preach the Truth that will set the captives free! If we chose Jesus, than there would always be doubt about our eternity. But He chose us, the Alpha and Omega chose us. He Who knows the beginning and the end and chose us. This is why we can so confidently ask. Jesus knew everything about us and He still chose us to be grafted into Him. Just as He was chosen to be our Savior, so too have we have been chosen to serve. Our Father knows exactly what He is doing and He knew what He would do before He ever created the earth, before we were ever born, our Father knew that we would be one with Him. So ask, ask and receive, and Jesus will answer our prayers and our Father will be glorified that He is able to bear much fruit through us!

This is what I command you: that you love one another. John 15:17

If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. John 15:18

The world hated Jesus and He still loved. He could do nothing else because He is love. The world cursed Jesus and He healed them. The world persecuted Jesus and He fed them. The world crucified Jesus and He forgave them. He did all of these things because He could do nothing else. And He is alive within us today. We will love regardless of what is done to us. During the Great Tribulation, when we are being sacrificed for the Testimony of our Lord, we will love. Because it is our Fathers power to love within us causing us to love as He loves. And the power of His love will cast out all fear, 1 John 4:18. Love cast out fear and torment, and our Father has shed His love abroad in our hearts. He chose us to love, and He knew what He was doing.

If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours. But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me. John 15:19-21

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin [would be blameless]; but now they have no excuse for their sin. John 15:22

Not everyone that our Father leads us to witness to will be saved. There will be times when it is simply to share the Truth so that they will have no excuses. God knows who will be chosen and who will not be. But all will have had the chance, so none will be able to say that they were not given the opportunity to be called and chosen. God desires that all men be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4. All will not be saved, and God knows who will and who won’t. But just because He knows, doesn’t mean that He doesn’t desire that all will.

Whoever hates Me also hates My Father. John 15:23

If I had not done (accomplished) among them the works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin. But [the fact is] now they have both seen [these works] and have hated both Me and My Father. John 15:24

Miraculous works do testify that God is alive and real. Paul wrote that He did not preach with just enticing words, but with power and demonstration of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2:4. Jesus said that if they did not believe Him for the Words that He spoke, believe them for the works that God did through Him, John 4:11. In the Book of Acts, miracles abounded and whole cities were saved. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He never changes, Hebrews 13:8. God used miracles with the Prophets, He used miracles with Jesus, He used miracles with the Apostles, and He will use miracles during the Great Tribulation, and He uses them today. God is miraculous, so His body, His flesh, has to be as well. And we are now His flesh. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Ephesians 5:30.

But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause.(A) John 15:25

They will hate us without a cause as well.

But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me. But you also will testify and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning. John 15:26-27

End Time Revival

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

Then, addressing me, one of the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said, Who are these [people] clothed in the long white robes? And from where have they come? I replied, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (persecution), and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:13-14

THEN THE kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). Matthew 25:1-2

You ever notice that Jesus taught that five of the ten virgins had the oil, 50% had the oil! Not 10% or 20%, but half had the oil and were allowed to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Then look at what Jesus showed John in Revelation, that there would be so many people that were saved during the great tribulation that no one could count them.

The earth has around 6 billion people right now and in Revelation 6:8, Jesus teaches us that power was given to the rider of the pale horse to kill a 1/4th of the earth. So if it were to happen today that would mean that around 1.5 billion people would be killed. Then we read in Revelation 9:15 that a third of mankind will be destroyed, so with today’s population that is approximately another 1.5 billion people, leaving 3 billion people, plus or minus. Now remember that half of the virgins had the oil and tie it together with the Truth that no man can count those that come out of the great tribulation, and we can see that by using today’s population figures that about 1.5 billion people will be saved during the great tribulation! How absolutely awesome is that? When satan is at his best, God calls and chooses 1.5 billion people!

Now don’t get all caught up in the math thing here, I may be off, but the Truth of these verses is that even during the greatest of hardships, our Father is wining tons of souls! There is coming a revival and no one will be able to count the number of our brothers and sisters that will grafted into the Vine that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

A Study of John 14

1DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.

You may read this and think, OK, I have to keep my heart from being afraid. But here our peace that passes all understanding, Our Father is responsible for keeping our hearts from trouble.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

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

The Truth is that anywhere that we read in scripture that we have to do something, there are multiple other scriptures that teach us the Truth that it is God doing it for us. The reason the Bible is written in this way is because its Truths are only for those who are truly chosen and saved. It takes the Holy Spirit within us to plainly show us the full Truth. There are a ton of people who claim to know Jesus, but He does not know them. So they read this and preach that the burden of salvation is on man, we must do this or that to receive the blessings of our Father. They make God reactive to our direction, but the Truth is that we are the ones who are reactive to our Fathers direction, just as the hand is reactive to the heads direction. So it is the Truth that we must not have trouble hearts and that we must trust in Jesus. And false religion will preach that we have to do it. But the real Truth is that we must not have troubled hearts and trust in Jesus, and to insure that we do the peace of God that passes all understanding keeps our hearts from fearing and not trusting. The Truth is that our Father has given us His very own Spirit and since He has we do not fear, because we are one with our Fathers power and love!

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Matthew 13:10-11

2In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.

Jesus came so that all of mankind could have a direct and unbroken relationship with God. Jesus came so that we could become one with God through Him. God has room for us all. God would that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. God has room for all men, He has room for the angels, and the 24 elders and created beings that we read of in Revelation. Our Father is all about hospitality.

There will people from every nation, every tribe, and every language saved, Revelation 5:9.

3And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

Ask yourself this question, is this for our future when Jesus returns to set up His Millennial Reign , or is it for us right now because Jesus has been raised from the dead?

And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Ephesians 2:6

And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions, Colossians 2:13

IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

It only took God 6 days to create the earth, man, and every living thing on it. I really don’t believe that it would take Jesus thousands of years to create our place in Heaven. God just speaks and things come into existence. So when you tie these verses into Jesus saying that He is coming back for us, so that we may be with Him where He is, it has to be for us right now. Jesus was crucified and He was raised from the dead by the Spirit of our Father, so that we could be one with Him. And we are one with Him today, as well as in Heaven.

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

We are one with Jesus right now so that the world may believe! Our oneness with our Father through Jesus is our power to evangelize the world.

Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me] may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me]; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24

If we are only to see Jesus’ glory when we are in Heaven than our life here on this earth will be miserable. Every day we see Jesus’ glory. We see Him leading us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake, Psalm 23:1. We see the power of His Blood cleansing us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:7. We see Him bearing our sins, sicknesses, and diseases and by His stripes we are healed, 1 Peter 2:24. We see the Holy Spirit causing us to remember all things and strengthening us in all things, John 14:26. Every day we the chosen of God see the glory of our Lord and Savior.

4And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.
5Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?
6Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

The way for us to be where Jesus is, is not our physical death and then we go to Heaven. The way to Jesus is being empowered by the Holy Spirit to make Him the Lord of our lives. It is the truth that sets us free, John 8:32. We are one with Jesus right now. Just as Jesus was one with God when He was here on earth as a man, we are one with Him. God is bigger than our physical bodies and He is not confined by flesh and time and space.

7If you had known Me [had learned to recognize Me], you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him.

Look at this, from know on we know the Father. Jesus never teaches us that our Father is mysterious and private. Jesus never says that we have to go through others to speak to our Father. God desires a one on one relationship with Him and through Jesus’ sacrifice He has it.

8Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father--that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied.
9Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father?

10Do 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 ([a]His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power).

Right here Jesus tells them that even though He is on this earth, He is still in the Father and the Father is in Him. And when Jesus was raised from the dead, we became one with Him. So we are now where He is, just as Jesus was where His Father was. This is salvation, that we become one with our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We can read about Jesus and see what we now have, exactly what He had when He was here as a man. And we even have more, because Jesus has been raised from the dead and He has shed His Blood to bring in the power of the New Covenant. A covenant that allows God to graft us into Himself and actually make us one with Him. For we are members of His body, flesh f His flesh, and bone of His bone, Ephesians 5:30.

We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. Romans 6:4-5.

Also take clear notice of this Truth, it was God in Jesus doing His works and it is God within us doing His works. 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. Religion will try and tell us that we need to do this or that to have God work through us. They will tell us of steps or that we have no faith. But the Truth is this. God chose Jesus to work through. He chose when to work through Him, Jesus did no miracles until He was in His 30’s. And the same holds true for us. It is the power of our Father and the timing of our Father. If we need faith, we have Jesus to Author and Finish it, Hebrews 12:2. If we need to be cleansed from some problem, God is our Gardener that prunes us, John 15:2.

The Truth of salvation is that we are now one with God. We are actually part of Him. There is no longer any separation whatsoever. Our old man is dead. I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20.We cannot do anything alone anymore, it is Jesus within us doing it all. 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.
So if you are thinking if I would just do this or that and then God will work through me; you’re wrong. There are absolutely things that need to happen in our lives, but we are never alone, we are always one with God and it is always our Father within us doing His works and on His time frame. Think of it like this, for us to eat our mouths must chew. Our tongues and teeth have their parts to play. But is their part separate from the body? And isn’t the head telling the tongue and teeth what to do? Jesus is our Head and we are His body. The head doesn’t tell the tongue it is my desire for you to swallow and if you do there will be a blessing and if you don’t there will be a curse. Tongue the choice is yours. The tongue has no choice but to do what the head directs it to. The tongue is not a robot, but one with a greater thing, the body. And that is how we are, through Christ we are now one with God and Jesus is our Head.

You may be asking, but what about our free will? You ever here a preacher tell you that God loves you so much that He will allow you to go from Him. Bull! Jesus tells us that to have any part of the Kingdom of Heaven we must be as little children, Matthew 18:3. Think of a father saying I loved my little child so much, a love that man cannot comprehend, so I let my little child decide to stay or go from my home. He would be arrested and charged with child abuse if he allowed the child to wonder off.

Think of a sheep. Does the shepherd say I love the sheep so much that I allow them to stay or go? If a sheep leaves and is killed the shepherd is to blame. And Jesus is our Shepherd.

Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches, John 15:5. Does the vine say to the branches I would like for you to produce this kind of grape and you will be blessed if you do, but it is your choice. The branch cannot help but bear the fruit of the vine that it is attached to, and we are attached to Jesus. The branch produces the fruit that the vine tells it to and when it tells it to. And the gardener keeps the bugs and diseases off it, so that it can produce abundant crops. And God is our Gardener, John 15:1.

We can only say yes to Jesus because we have been chosen and empowered to. For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 12:3. For us to be saved is a total sacrifice, just as Jesus had to die, so must we, it is the only way that we can live. So if your all about free will and your choice, the true revelation of what salvation is has not come to you.

11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the sake of the [very] works themselves. [If you cannot trust Me, at least let these works that I do in My Father's name convince you.]

We shall know each other by the fruit that Jesus produces through us, Matthew 7:20. And Jesus tells the apostles the exact same thing, that look at what you see God doing through Me, this is how you will know that He is in Me and I am in Him.

12I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

God loves miracles. He used them all throughout the Old Testament. He used them through Jesus. He used them through the Apostles, through the believers in the Book of Acts, and we read that He will use them during the Great Tribulation in the Book of Revelation. God never changes, Malachi 3:6. People should see things that cannot be done by humans through us. It proves that God is alive. But so many preach that it is our power to believe that allows them to happen. Instead of the Truth that it is Jesus’ power to believe working through us that allows God to use us to do them. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God and faith is the evidence of things hoped for. So we need to preach the Truth that will set the captives free to be used by God to do the works that He did through Jesus and even use us to do greater works. People are captives to themselves believing that there is separation between them and God and that they have to muster up this ability to believe on their own and then God will use them.

13And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as [b]presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son.(A)

Jesus will answer whatever we ask in His Name, and He will answer our prayers, so that God receives the glory. Think of Jesus for a minute. He received everything that He asked for and we are now one with Him. Jesus can be so confident in our ability to ask for what is the will of God because He knows that He is our Head.

Religion tries to put limitations on us. I love quoting this verse to people and watch them scramble at trying to qualify it. But when we read what Jesus actually said, He never does. And think of what Jesus received from God, water turned to wine, because the party ran out of it. Storms stopped because His disciples got scared and the apostles caught so many fish that it broke their nets. These are not exactly needs for a person to survive. But yet they came to pass. Every bit as much as Lazarus being raised from the dead, thousands being fed in the wilderness, and thousands of people healed.

So when we read that whatever we ask in Jesus’ Name we will receive, we need to rejoice, because this is the Truth that Jesus spoke. And if Jesus wasn’t timid in saying it, why would we be in asking? This is a simple sermon, ask in the Name of our Lord, Jesus, and receive, and by doing so our Father receives the glory!

Now think of it, how will the world, the world mind you, give God the glory? If we pray for small things that only benefit us, or if we ask for big things that benefit the world, things that men cannot do? Think of Jesus and then you will see the kind of things that we can ask for! The water turned to wine was for others. The storm was stopped because the disciples were afraid. The masses were fed because they were hungry. Lazarus was the dead one, the masses were the sick ones, Jesus asked and received so that others would benefit. We don’t read that Jesus was asking for Himself, but for those around Him.

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:25 to take no thought for our own lives, and then we see how He lived. Jesus took on the servant’s towel. Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified so that we might live. And now Jesus ever lives to intercede for us, so that we might be saved to the uttermost. So ask for huge wonderful things: hurricanes to stop, whole nations to be saved, and the dead to be raised, even after they were embalmed.

14[Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as [c]presenting all that I AM].
Jesus comes right back and says it again. He wants no doubt about our ability to ask Him for
everything. Big and small. Ask Him for a better golf game and for someone to be healed of HIV. Ask Him for a great parking space and for Hurricane whatever to be stopped. Ask and receive. We are now one with Jesus and as He is so are we in this world, and Jesus receives everything from the Father and so do we.

15If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
Of course we will keep His commandments, we have the Holy Spirit within us causing us too!

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

16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

Once again we see Jesus asking for others, remember 1 John 4:17, as He is, so are we in this world.

We have been given the very Spirit of God. The same Spirit that Jesus has, we have. The same Spirit that strengthens Jesus, strengthens us. The Spirit of God, strengthens us, helps us, counsels us, intercedes for us, and is always standing with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us, we are one with God forever as Jesus is one with God forever!

17The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.
18I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you.
19Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
20At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you.

Because we have the Holy Spirit we know that we are saved. We know that we are one with God in the exact same way that Jesus is. Jesus died and was raised from the dead. Our Lords Blood has been shed, our place has been prepared and He has returned to be in us, the two (Jesus and His chosen ones) have become one flesh, Ephesians 5:31:32.

21The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

Religion will try to put all of this burden on man. We must keep the commands as if there is separation between us and Jesus. But there is not, we are in Jesus and He is in us, and we are all one in our Father. We have the Holy Spirit in us, never leaving us or forsaking us, causing us to keep the commandments of our Father. We are now one flesh with Jesus, so the commands are kept, because we are one with Jesus Who is the commands. Our yoke is easy and our burden is light, Matthew 11:30. The Truth is that we cannot help but to keep the commandments of God, because we have Jesus keeping them for us. He is our Head, He is our Vine, He is our Shepherd!

22Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world?
23Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.

Where Jesus is, so are we, and Jesus is at home within us! Not everyone will be saved, but God would that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, 1 Timothy 2:4. So we should be asking that all men are saved. In the last times I believe that many will be saved and here is why. Look at the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. When Jesus calls them and the time is at hand, five of the virgins are ready. Jesus could have said only one was or two, but He said five, and that is 50%! So pray for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth.

24Anyone who does not [really] love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not Mine, but [comes] from the Father Who sent Me.
25I have told you these things while I am still with you.
26But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

There is only one thing that we cannot know and that is the exact hour that Jesus returns, Matthew 25:13. But other than that we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. Everything that Jesus has ever said, we have the Holy Spirit Who causes us to remember it. Think of Jesus, think of what He knows, and then rejoice in the Truth that we have the same Spirit causing us to know. Jesus is the Beginning and the End, and we are one with Him, so there is absolutely nothing that we cannot know.

Now here is a trap and a snare of the world. People will talk about what they don’t know. I have been in several churches that fall into this trap. They talk about they don’t know this, or they fail at that. The problem with this is that a major majority of the attention is on man. And if you come back 5 years from now, they will be saying basically the same things. But when the attention is directed towards the Truth, towards Jesus, then things change. The Truth that will set us free is that we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things! The Truth is we have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, Romans 10:17. So things change by spending the majority of our time talking the Word of Truth and not talking about mans shortcomings, If Jesus is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Him, John 12:32.

27Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

You think Jesus is worried? We have His peace. He knows everything, and we have His peace. He is our Shepherd. Now think about that. If a shepherd knows there is no water, he will not lead the sheep there. If he knows there is a pack of wolves, he will not lead his sheep there. If he knows that there is a storm, he shelters the sheep. We have Jesus as our Shepherd and He knows the beginning and the end, and we now have His peace!

28You heard Me tell you, I am going away and I am coming [back] to you. If you [really] loved Me, you would have been glad, because I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater and mightier than I am.
29And now I have told you [this] before it occurs, so that when it does take place you may believe and have faith in and rely on Me.

Jesus was letting the disciples know what was going to happen. And now we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things. Jesus knew when He was going to die and how He was going to die. Jesus knew who would be His disciples and who wouldn’t. He knew who was going to betray Him and He knew who was going to deny Him. So many believe that we have to walk blindly in this world and we never see that taught. Jesus told Peter how he was going to die. Paul knew that he was going to be arrested in Jerusalem. We have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. We can and should know everything as Jesus knows. Now that sounds pretty incredible doesn’t it? But that is what our Lord said, so it is the Truth!

30I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]

We are one with Jesus and if satan has no claim on Jesus our Head, he has no claim on us, His body! Satan has no power over us.

31But [[d]Satan is coming and] I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know (be convinced) that I love the Father and that I do only what the Father has instructed Me to do. [I act in full agreement with His orders.] Rise, let us go away from here.