_________________________________________________ A Review: The Revelation, HB2 Title Page "The Lord God says, 'I will revive My work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years I will make Myself known.'" Habakkuk 3:2 MULTIPLYING THE REVELATION: A Teaching (Handbook 2) The Work God Is Reviving Man will rule over every living thing that moves on the earth. Man shall bear the heavenly image of God's Son, Jesus Christ. God's people will be a kingdom of priests, a people for God's own possession. Not one from the book of the Lord will be missing, none shall lack its mate. The people of God will be willing in the day of His power. How God Is Reviving His Work, How He Is Making Himself Known He is aroused and risen from His holy habitation. He is coming and will dwell in our midst. (Handbook 2, Article 23) He is restoring things to the "Divine Original" -- His will and purpose in creation. (Handbook 2, Article 28) He is making a correction by establishing a plumb-line, a measurement. (Handbook 2, Article 24) He is summing up all things in Christ. (Handbook 2, Article 34) _________________________________________________ The Revelation and Beyond, a Personal Journey Introduction "In the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, Daniel, still in exile in Babylon, observed in the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, the number of years for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely seventy years." Daniel 9:3 "For thus says the Lord: 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you... to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.'" Jeremiah 29:10, 11 So Daniel gave his attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and supplication. In the spring of the year 2008 -- more than six years after receiving from God the Revelation and Message to the Churches in the Christian Handbook 2, I am pricked in my heart by this word from Jeremiah: "Who has stood in the council of the Lord, that he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to My word and listened?" Jeremiah 23:18 I believe the Revelation; I believe that He is "reviving His work in the midst of the years" -- that in the midst of these years I am now living, "He is making Himself known." I have heeded His warning to "come out" -- to separate myself. Beyond that, I have tried to take to heart the teaching He gave us that multiply the Revelation: I can number the ways God is reviving His work; I can quote His purposes and speak of what He is doing now -- looking, calling, separating, unifying, gathering -- summing up all things in Christ; I can say, "I have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem..." as recorded on the final page of the Handbook and try to picture myself there; I can remind myself over and over that God's eyes are now on the kingdom (also on the last page) but the years go by and the Revelation remains only information in my mind and memory, there is no understanding in my heart. Yet, God has said: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but the things which are revealed belong to us..." God has given us the Revelation; it belongs to us! But the last part of this verse is a mystery to me: "that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29:29 Lord, how do I "do" the words of the Revelation! So I, too, gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and supplication. _________________________________________________ My Personal Journey Begins My Personal Journey Begins God responded by giving me this Scripture: "Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the days that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built." Zechariah 8:9 When I asked Him "which words," He led me first to the laments and pleadings of the O.T. prophets when His people turned from Him again and again through the generations. And for the first time I heard their words resounding down through the centuries, pleading for the people of my generation, pleading for me. "Remember Your congregation which You purchased of old, which You redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance, and Mt. Zion where You dwell. Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins; the enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary. Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place; they have set up their own standards for signs... To the ground they have defiled the dwelling place of Your name. They said in their heart, let us altogether subdue them. They have burned the meeting places of God in the land. Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, our adversaries have trodden it down. We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name. We do not see our signs. There is no longer any prophet. Nor is there one among us who knows how long... will the adversary revile and the enemy spurn Your name forever? Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?" Psalm 74 There is no knowledge of You among us, there is no fear of You in our hearts; we do not walk in Your judgments, nor remember You in Your ways; we do not seek Your kingdom or Your eternal purposes, the desire of Your heart and soul. * * * * I have never asked with Isaiah: "Who is this who comes... with garments of crimson colors, the One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength?" "Why is His apparel red and His garments like the one who treads in the wine press?" Isaiah 63:1, 2 I did not grasp God's answer; I did not fathom the depths of His sorrow and anger. "I searched for a man among them who should build again the wall of righteousness and stand in the gap before Me for the land that I should not destroy it; but I found not one." Ezekiel 22: 30 "I have trod the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me... For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come. I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; so My own arm brought salvation to Me; and My wrath upheld Me." Isaiah 63:3, 4 Nor had I heard God's similar expression of sorrow and anger, echoing from the pages of Handbook 2: "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away, for truth has stumbled in the streets, and uprightness cannot enter... Now the Lord saw and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw there was no man, and was astonished that there was none to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, He will repay." Isaiah 59:14-18 Then I was pierced with sorrow; I had not been there with Him. And I sensed that He might be sorry that He made me. And I remembered David about whom He testified: "I have found David, a man after My own heart who will do all My wills." Acts 13:22 God surely was not sorry He made David nor that He called him out from the sheepfold. "David served the purpose of God in His own generation..." Acts 13:36 And I prayed: "O that I had such a heart in me to 'do' all Your wills! And that I, like David, might serve Your purpose in my generation." _________________________________________________ Scriptural Responses, a Commission My Personal Journey Begins Revelation is one thing, what men "do" about it is another. I thought of others in the Scriptures who received revelations from God -- some personal, some to be shared with a few people, some with world-wide, heaven-filled, eternal prophecies and warnings -- men and women who with willing hearts served the purposes of God in their generations. They "did" the revelations God gave them. "Men become aware of the approach of God and they hear for themselves His word and believe. Then those who hear and believe carry out, in the place and circumstances in which they find themselves, their understanding of what this word requires." Harpers Bible Dictionary I thought of Paul: By Revelation there was made known to Paul the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to men. Think of his response. I remembered Noah: The Situation: "Now it came about when men began to multiply on the face of the land... the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with (or rule in, abide in) man forever, in his going astray he is flesh...' Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in (Lit. to) His heart... And the Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created... for I am sorry that I have made him.' But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 6:3-8 His Response: "By faith Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of righteousness which is according to faith." Hebrews 11:7 And Abraham: The Situation: "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to a land which I will show you.'" His Response: "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Joseph, fellow-heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11:8 Mary: The Situation: "Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph. Gabriel's word to her: 'You will conceive in your womb, and bear a Son and you shall name Him, Jesus.'" Her Response: And Mary said, "Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word." Luke 1:38 Joseph: The Situation: "Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly. But an angel appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'" His Response: "And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife." Matthew 1:24 Jesus: The Situation: "Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane. He said to His disciples, 'My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death.' And He went a little beyond them and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' ...He prayed a second time... 'My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Thy will be done.' He prayed a third time, the same thing..." His Response: "He came to His disciples and said to them... 'Arise, let us be going. Behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand.'" Matthew 26:46 Ananias: The Situation: "Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' And he said, 'Behold, here I am, Lord.' And the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so he might regain his sight.' But Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to the holy ones at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.' But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine...'" His Response: "And Ananias departed and entered the house, and laid his hands on him..." Acts 9:10-17 Isaiah: The Situation: "Isaiah saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Isaiah cried, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.' Then one of the seraphim touched Isaiah's mouth with a burning coal saying, 'Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is atoned for.'" "Then Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?'" Isaiah 6 Isaiah's revelation contained a commission: "Revelation presupposes on our part a capacity to respond. To be completed, revelation must break out of the limitations of language -- written words on a page -- it must become a living activity." Harpers Bible Dictionary His Response: "Here I am. Send me." The Revelation in HB 2 also contains a commission (Handbook 2, Article 39): "Now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage... our God has not forsaken us, but has extended loving-kindness to us... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of the Lord, to restore its ruins..." Ezra 9:10 "Arise! For this matter is your responsibility." Ezra 10:4 And I remembered the word given me at the beginning of this personal journey when I asked God: "How do I do the Revelation?" "Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the days that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built." Zechariah 8:9 The house of the Lord to be raised up, its ruins restored? A foundation to be laid, a temple to be built? My responsibility? I don't know how to respond or what to do -- so I echoed the words of Ezra: "And now, O Lord, what do I say after this?" (Handbook 2, Article 39) _________________________________________________ A History of Useless Words My Personal Journey Begins And now, O Lord, what do I say after this? Before I could speak I was reminded of these words of Jesus: "And I say to you, that every useless word that man shall speak they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For in accordance with your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Matthew 12:36, 37 Scripture records many useless responses (meaningless words), but one especially that has been repeated over and over by the people of God whenever the kingdom is offered to men. It still resounds today. The Situation: "In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of Egypt... they camped in front of the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel... Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the people, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel...'" The Response: "And all the people answered together and said, 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do!'" Exodus 19:5-8 But they didn't! Did they mean it at the time? God was hopeful! "And God heard the voice of the words of His people. And He replied, 'They have done well in all that they have spoken.'" Deuteronomy 5:28 Why did their words prove useless? "They were a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart, and whose spirit was not faithful to God." Psalm 78:5 Was God faithful to them? Did He give them every opportunity to become that kingdom of priests, that holy nation, He offered to them in the wilderness? "He brought them to His holy border, to this mountain which His right hand had gained. He also drove out the nations before them, and He apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. Yet they put to the test and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers..." Psalm 78:52, 53 And so it went, generation after generation; God is faithful, the people are faithless. In times of His judgment they repented and promised to return to Him but their pattern of useless words continues right up to the time when God, the Father, sends His Son. And Jesus proclaims the "good news" that His Father has not abandoned His original plan and purpose to have a kingdom of priests and a people for His own possession, nor has He abandoned His people in spite of their rebellion. And God in His faithfulness (renews? extends?) the offer of the kingdom to His chosen people alive in Jesus' day. "From that time Jesus began to proclaim and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" Matthew 4:17 But the majority of the priests and people of Jesus' day felt no need to repent even though their useless words through the generations were now compiled into oral traditions that invalidated the word of God. Jesus quoted Isaiah to them: "This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me... In vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men..." Matthew 15:8, 9 The Amplified Bible puts it this way: "For the sake of your tradition you have set aside the Word of God -- depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect. You pretenders -- hypocrites! Truly did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ...uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men." Matthew 15:6-9 And this setting aside of the Word of God and invalidating it with doctrines and oral traditions had a detrimental effect on God's divine purpose to have a kingdom. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." Matthew 23:13 And the outcome in their personal lives? "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 23:27, 28 What was the God-given role of the priest? "True instruction was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is a messenger of the Lord of hosts." Malachi 2:6, 7 Back to Jesus' word to the priests of His day: "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted (or violated) the covenant of Levi." Malachi 2:8 Did there come a day when repentance for them was no longer possible? "Jesus called the people to Him and said to them, 'Listen and comprehend this: it is not what goes into the mouth of man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles... What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart and this defiles. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts such as murder...'" Matthew 15:10-19 When they were defiled beyond repentance? Jesus' word to them: "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence (or judgment) of hell?" Matthew 23:33 And the final outcome for that generation: "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it." Matthew 21:43 * * * * * * Did God give up on His original purpose and plan to have a kingdom of priests? "When the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, He answered and said: 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 13:11 And Jesus' words to Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..." Matthew 16:19 And to His disciples after His resurrection: "...to the apostles whom He had chosen, to these He presented Himself alive... appearing to them over forty days, and speaking of things concerning the kingdom." Acts 1:2, 3 And John in Revelation: "And He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father..." Revelation 1:6 _________________________________________________ Useless Words in My Generation, My Later Years in the O.V. Church My Personal Journey Begins Now more than two thousand years later, in my generation, the pattern of useless words has persisted and again the kingdom is taken away -- this time from the o.v. church: "You were not to know any god except Me, for there is no savior besides Me. But when I gave you the world as your pasture, your heart became proud... and when your heart was lifted up, your spirit behaved arrogantly; you determined not to be subject to Me. You said, 'I will not serve.' You thrust Me aside and rejected Me, executing plans but not Mine, making alliances but not of My Spirit, substituting your own doctrines, works, traditions for My word, My works, My way. Did you not know you had joined hands and heart with the spirit of lawlessness? ...There is no longer any healing or remedy -- you have crucified My Son again and put Him to open shame. This time you drew the lot for His robe, this time your hands offered Him the sour wine... The kingdom has been taken from you and given to a people who will bear the fruit of it. I have left you desolate. The age of the church is over." Message to the Churches (Handbook 2) Was there no warning? Should the churches have known better? Jesus sent words (letters) of both commendation and condemnation through John to the seven churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3. The letters contained warnings if corrections were not made: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. I will remove your lampstand out of its place -- unless you repent! Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly. And I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come. You are neither cold nor hot, I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of My mouth... And there were many men and women through the centuries who spoke or wrote "warnings" to their congregations. (Many of them I have quoted in the Christian Handbooks.) So the announcement in Handbook 2 that the Holy Spirit no longer strives with the churches should have come as no surprise. A Personal Note by a Fellow Journeyman I want to share some of the spiritual insights God has given me lately. I have been reading the Gospels and I'm currently in Luke. As I read about Jesus' assessment of the Jewish religious leaders, I can't help but be reminded of the Catholic and Protestant denominations of our day. It seems that the Gentiles are destined to make all of the same mistakes that the Jews did when it comes to their relationship with God. The traditions and false doctrines have been recreated. Some churches worship Mary and the saints like the Jews worshiped Moses and Abraham, trusting that in them as intermediaries, their salvation is secure. Priests and clergy, mega-ministers and bishops, many dressing themselves in garb fashioned after finery of Aaron and his sons, stand between God and the Gentiles so the people can outsource their religion to someone else. Cathedrals and church compounds rival the Jewish temple in their splendor and the people lose sight of God's spiritual temple in the shadow of these ornate physical structures. Churches and ministries sell products to pay for their buildings and programs like the money changers that Jesus, in His zeal for His Father's house, expunged from the temple. It seems that the church of the Gentiles has replaced everything that Jesus came to remove and abolish and free us from. The only difference is that it is in the name of Christianity instead of Judaism. I'm intrigued by this "full circle" phenomenon. Is it human nature or God's plan or both? The Jews had to fail for God to offer His gifts to the Gentiles. Did the Gentiles have to fail for God to justify the Jews? The Scripture talks about a remnant chosen from among the two groups who become God's people, Israel. (See Romans 9) One last note: The Scripture I read today (Luke 21:20-24) confirms that there was a "time of the Gentiles" and it seems that is now over. * * * * * Why didn't those of us in the o.v. church (and I include myself -- I was part of the church for many years) listen to the following parable? Why couldn't we "hear" until it was too late? No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, "The old is good enough." Luke 5:36-39 It seems that last sentence was our response to the gospel: "The old is good enough!" My Church Years: First, the later years, then the early years. During the later years that I was a member of an o.v. church, I began to notice many traditions, doctrines, creeds, organized works and methods that did not match the Scriptures. (And I now realize that in some small measure I had been "coming out" of the o.v. church, rather that He had been drawing me out, for some time before His pronouncement in Handbook 2.) And when He gave me opportunity I spoke up about these things. But the congregations I belonged to or visited, had built strongholds around their beliefs and they closed their ears. If one or two did consider what God had given me to say, they would tell me, "If I accept what you are saying, it would destroy me -- it would shatter my faith." Their traditions and doctrines had become the foundation of their faith. And not a few began to separate themselves from me. But because these congregations were true to the Word in some things I did not separate myself from them -- at least that is why I thought I stayed. I tried instead to find within the Christian community smaller, home-style, Bible-study groups, many who seemed to be searching. But sooner or later, even there, I found myself, unwelcome; I was viewed as causing dissension, accused of disturbing the faithful, or in the extreme, being an unwitting emissary of Satan. However, God gave me people of like-mind and spirit among Christian writers (His messengers) from past generations and I learned that God had been warning His people over and over through the centuries -- His correction was not something new to my generation. (I have quoted many of these writers in the first two handbooks:. Martin Luther, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Charles Spurgeon, AW Tozer, Watchman Nee, Charles Finney, Oswald Chambers -- Christians who were grieved by the error and deceptions practiced in their congregations -- they tried like John the Baptist to make His paths straight.) God was faithful to them and merciful to me: "He confirmed the word of His servants, and performed the purpose of His messengers (in me!)." Isaiah 44:26 Through the "witness of their walk" with God, I "unlearned" many spiritually destructive ideas that I had accepted as Truth when I was a spiritual "babe." "It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials, what God wants for us is to un-learn. God is all the time bringing us to the place where we unlearn things. How many of us can unlearn? This has nothing to do with the faculty of intelligence. It has everything to do with our heart before God, becoming poor in spirit. What do we lose? Useless spiritual information, that is what we lose. We can't just add facts to an improper foundation, or to no foundation at all. First we must get down to the only foundation, which is Jesus Christ. But isn't that odd; It is not learning but unlearning. It is un-teaching. This is the biggest problem." Oswald Chambers And part of my unlearning was to repent. Repentance takes individual responsibility for embracing error, for laying another foundation than was laid. _________________________________________________ Taking Responsibility for My Early Years, Presenting Myself for His Correction My Personal Journey Begins Taking Responsibility for My Early Years I grasped so eagerly every precept and tradition presented to me in my Christian infancy and childhood -- perhaps because I found comfort and security and fellowship in believing what everyone else believed, perhaps because in the first years of my Christian walk, it just wasn't in me to be like the people of Berea: "Now these were more noble-minded... for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so." Acts 17:11 These words in the Song of Songs described me! "I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: 'Open to me...' I have taken off my dress, how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again? My beloved extended his hand... and my feelings were aroused for Him... I arose to open to my beloved... but He had turned away and had gone... I searched for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer." Song of Songs 5:2-6 It was only because of His grace and mercy that He continued with me, routing me from my spiritual lethargy and laziness, from false words and deceptions, from self-will and pride, by harsh and painful discipline and reproof; He turned my human world upside down -- all things I counted dear, all things I dreamed of, all desires of my heart were whisked away from me. Even those dreams of how I might serve Him vanished like the puffs of smoke they were and I found myself alone in a spiritual wilderness with no moorings. And He did not spare nor lift the rod until I knew that He was God -- there was no one else in heaven or on earth who could deliver me, help me, heal me, and make me spiritually whole. One night, in the midst of those years, I cried to Him -- "Will this last forever?" And He answered me that very night -- a February 24 -- through the evening devotions of Charles Spurgeon. "What a sweet answer to an anxious inquiry! This night let us rejoice in it... there are good things in store for you... Your time of travail shall soon be over; your captivity shall end. Bear patiently the rod for a season, and under the darkness still trust in God, for His love burns toward you... He knows your case as thoroughly as if you were the only creature He ever loved. Approach Him and be at peace." From that moment to this, the Lord God and His Word are my vital, everyday need, the imperative of not only my Life but also my life; I watch daily at His gates, presenting myself before Him for reproof, instruction, correction, listening for what He has to say to me. And about reproof? It was also during that time that I acknowledged the following: "It is a trustworthy statement... that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost." 1 Timothy 1:15 And through His marvelous grace and mercy He granted me forgiveness for neglecting so great a salvation and has continued with me now for as many years -- convicting, reproving, chastening, disciplining, instructing me -- all synonyms for loving me. Those whom I dearly and tenderly love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten, that is I discipline and instruct them... And I resolved with all my being to do my part: "...so be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal, and repent -- changing your mind and attitude." (Amplified Bible) Revelation 3:19 And wonder of wonders He granted me the following privileges and I knew He loved me. "When a person falls, he jumps up again, when he discovers his mistake he goes back to the fork when he made the wrong turn." Jeremiah 8:4 "If you return, then I will restore you -- before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokeman." Jeremiah 15:19 And then I knew "what to say" after this! "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me, and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or harmful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23, 24 And now I know something to "do" -- I presented myself to Him for His correction. "He is making a correction by establishing a plumbline, a measurement." (Handbook 2, Article 24) _________________________________________________ Instructions for My Personal Correction, a Check List! My Personal Journey Begins The Revelation speaks of a specific correction -- a plumb-line, a measurement. Surely this is correction with a capital "C." But before moving on I want to check if any crooked ways still meander through the landscape of my spiritual life -- any twists or turns that need to be corrected. I also want to see if I have set aside any of His precepts, ignoring or neglecting them. "...as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight... And all mankind shall see and understand the salvation of God.'" Luke 3:4, 6 I understand now why the people of Jesus day failed to recognize Jesus. The crooked paths they had chosen for themselves blinded their eyes, shut up their ears, hardened their hearts; they could not see or understand the salvation of God. So correction time begins in me; I need to "get" or "set" a few things straight! Any lingering error or twisted truth in my heart, my mind, my spirit will also blind my eyes so I cannot see or understand the CORRECTION He speaks of in the Revelation. Weighty Instructions: "...guard what has been entrusted to you... turn away from irreverent babble and godless chatter, the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination..." 1 Timothy 6:20 "I charge you to keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which will be shown in its own proper time by the blessed only Sovereign Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords." 1 Timothy 6:14, 15 Guidelines: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable... for correction..." 2 Timothy 3:1 "Study to present yourself approved to God a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing (handling accurately) the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 "Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form (or appearance) of evil." 1 Thess. 1:21 So here goes -- checking out the following precepts and beliefs embedded in the spiritual landscape or playbook of my generation. And the Revelation moves beyond words on a page or on the internet -- it begins to live in me. _________________________________________________ Quoting It Doesn't Make It So! Spiritual Facts or Fiction Spiritual Facts or Fiction, Truth or Twist? A Checklist "When one man finds His way, many find their way; When one man loses His way, many lose their way." Rosalind Rinker * * * * * QUOTING AND CLAIMING IT MAKES IT SO? Yesterday on TV, a popular, well-known evangelist-healer led his studio audience (numbering about one hundred), in a "repeat after me," group exercise. "I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. I was chosen in Him from before the foundation of the world. I am holy and blameless before Him. I have redemption through His blood, forgiveness for my sins. I am adopted as His son. I have all wisdom and insight, I know the mystery of His will. I am sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." Taken from Ephesians 1 Another method of "repeat after me" gaining popularity among congregations is the "Little Sir Echo" phenomenon, the speaker force-feeding his words to the listeners. "It is God's will that you receive healing today in this sanctuary. Say, 'God's will!' It is God's will, that today, you receive your healing. Say, 'Today.' ('My God, I feel the anointing...') Now turn to your neighbor and say, 'My God, I feel...'" Is this really how it works -- say it, claim it, receive it? "Suppose some angelic being who had since creation known the deep, still rapture of dwelling in the divine Presence would appear on earth and live awhile among us Christians. Don't you imagine he might be astonished at what he saw? What if he sat in on the daily sessions of an average gathering and noted the extravagant claims Christians make as believers in Christ and compared them with our actual spiritual experiences? He would surely conclude that there was a serious contradiction between what we think we are and what we are in reality. The bold claims that we are sons of God, that we are risen with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places, that we are indwelt by the Life-giving Spirit, that we are members of the body of Christ and children of the new creation, are negated by our attitudes, our behavior, and most of all, by our lack of fervor... Perhaps if our heavenly visitor pointed out the great disparity between our doctrinal belief and our lives, he might be dismissed with a smiling explanation that it is but the normal difference between our sure standing and our variable state. Certainly then he would be appalled that as beings once made in the image of God we could allow ourselves thus to play with words and trifle with our souls. Significant isn't it, that of all who hold the evangelical position, those Christians who lay the greatest store by Paul are often the least like Paul in spirit... The difference may be stated this way: Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still. Most seek and find and seek no more. After 'accepting' Christ they tend to substitute logic for life and doctrine for experience. When Paul cries 'that I may know him', he uses the word 'know' not in its intellectual but in its experiential sense. All gain he counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, and if to know Him better meant suffering or death it was all one to Paul. He panted after God and calm reason had little to do with it. '...you are accepted in the beloved, and blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. What more do you want? You have only to believe and to wait for the day of His triumph.' So Paul would be exhorted if he lived among us today... But knowing Paul as we do, it is safe to assume that he would ignore this low counsel of expedience and press onward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And we do well to follow him. The present neat habit of quoting a text to prove we have arrived may be a dangerous one if in truth we have no inward experience of the text. Truth that is not experienced is no better than error..." AW Tozer Christian Living Is More Than -- "reading and quoting Scripture; it is experiencing the Living Word in the depths of our being. The Word must become a part of us by a personal encounter in which we discover, recognize, perceive, comprehend, and then apprehend by making its reality our reality, a reality so developed in our mind and spirit, so clearly revealed to us that it become an everyday part of living." Charles Finney _________________________________________________ Satan, Putty in Our Hands? Spiritual Facts or Fiction Spiritual Facts or Fiction, Truth or Twist? (A Checklist continued...) SATAN, PUTTY IN OUR HANDS? "Shout, people. Tell Satan he can't touch you. Shout, 'We're coming after you, Satan! We're bringing you down.'" Do we have power to bind this spiritual personage, authority to command him? Can we shout him down and revile him in the name of Jesus? "I know certain Christians who feel they must bind Satan before they do anything. When they go into a room to have a meeting, they will pray to bind the powers of darkness. The New Testament gives absolutely no warrant for this type of approach. Nowhere do we read that Christians are instructed to go around binding the powers of darkness. The idea is not in the New Testament. 'SO BEWARE!'" Ray Stedman "...I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the holy ones. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed... these... reject authority and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil... did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.'" Jude 8,9 "Boast no more so very proudly, do not let arrogance come out of your mouth..." 1 Samuel 2:3 _________________________________________________ Once Saved, Always Saved? Spiritual Facts or Fiction What is the Truth? Let the Scripture speak for itself! Salvation can be neglected: "...we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved stead-fast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Hebrews 2:1-3 Salvation can be lost: "In the case of those who have been once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame." Hebrews 6:4-6 "For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them according to a true proverb, 'A dog returns to its own vomit,' and 'a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.'" 2 Peter 2:20-22 "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment..." Hebrews 10:26, 27 Salvation is a work in progress: "So then... work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Phillipians 2:12, 13 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phillipians 1:6 Salvation requires: Endurance: "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise." Hebrews 10:36 "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who endures to the end who will be saved." Matthew 10:22 Faith: "For yet in a little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in Him." Hebrews 10:37-39 Sanctification: "...God has chosen you in the beginning for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through the gospel to the gaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 Instruction and discipline: "For the grace of God has appeared to all men, bringing salvation, instructing (or disciplining) us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age; looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the Great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority." Titus 2:11-15 Obedience: "...although he was a Son He learned obedience from the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation; being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 5:7-10 Hope: "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ Our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7 Once saved, always saved? I don't think so! _________________________________________________ Is Jesus Coming Soon? Spiritual Facts or Fiction "Do return, O Lord, how long will it be?" Psalm 90:13 "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless..." 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 The day of the Lord will not come unless: "The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to the whole world for a witness to all nations, and then the end shall come." (Matthew 24:14) "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the periods, times of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times." (Acts 3:19-23) "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.'" (Acts 2:34) "Let no one in anyway deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy (or falling away from the faith) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God... For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7) * * * * * * 1. Has the gospel of the kingdom been preached to the ends of the earth? Is it not rather the the gospel of salvation and the gospel of grace that have gone out? "Never offer a man a thimbleful of Gospel... Many of the current gospels are addressed only to a part of man's nature... And men slip back again from such religion because it never really held them." Henry Drummond "Nowadays the great passion is for souls... But it is the passion for Christ that the gospel of the kingdom teaches. Whenever the passion for souls obscures the passion for Christ, Satan has come in as an angel of light." Oswald Chambers Is it not clear? It is not the gospel of salvation that must be preached before Jesus can return, it is the gospel of the kingdom. Salvation is a gift of His grace but the kingdom is not! Salvation is open and waiting for those who receive Him but the kingdom is a mystery that we must seek and find, a mystery hidden in parables and in the person of Jesus Christ. Can I ever understand and articulate that mystery so that God might commission me to take it to the ends of the earth? There has to be someone or "someones" before Jesus can come again! 2. Jesus is waiting for the restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times. I will revive My work in the midst of the years... "And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins, you will raise up the age old foundations, you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the paths in which to dwell." Isaiah 58:11, 12 "They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will build up the former devastations, the desolations of many generations... But you will be called the priests of the Lord..." Isaiah 61:4, 6 "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant to give us a peg in His holy place, that God may enlighten our eyes... Our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins... Arise, this matter is our responsibility... be courageous and act." Ezra 9:8, 9; 10:4 3. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God until God makes His enemies a footstool for His feet. And at this moment I have only Psalm 110 to give me any insight as to how this will come to pass. "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.' The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, 'Rule in the midst of Thine enemies.' Thy people will be willing in the day of Thy power..." Psalm 110:1-3 (Is God announcing in The Revelation that He is working or about to work on this now?) "God is aroused and risen from His holy habitation, He is moving among us. The Lord will go forth as a warrior. He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout. Yes, He will raise a war cry. The Lord arises to contend and stands to judge His people. He has kept silent for a long time. He has kept silent and restrained Himself." (Handbook 2, Article 23) 4. It will not come unless the apostasy (or falling away from the faith) comes first... "Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of worthlessness... who say, 'Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass that we may know it.'" Isaiah 5:18, 19 _________________________________________________ The Rapture, Fact or Wishful Thinking! Spiritual Facts or Fiction A definition: A separate whisking away of Christians before the so-called second coming. This is a belief that divides the promise of Jesus' return into two separate "comings", an idea that has blossomed into a fervent hope of many, that they will be whisked away before the terrible days of the Great Tribulation. This hope has now taken on doctrinal status in the belief system of many Christians. We have all heard its passionate rallying cry: "Don't be left behind!" Is it wishful thinking, a false hope, an opiate for the fearful? Or it is a real event still to come in the life of Jesus Christ, as real and true as His birth, His ministry, His death, His resurrection. The word "rapture" does not appear in the Scriptures but there are verses that may give some spiritual weight to this belief. "I know your deeds. Behold I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have kept My word, and have not denied My name... Because you have kept the word of My perseverance I will also keep you from the hour of testing (or temptation), that is to come upon the whole world to test (or tempt) those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one takes your crown. He who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of My God and he will not go out from it anymore..." Revelation 3:8, 10-12 "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have kept His justice: seek righteousness, seek humility, perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger." Zephaniah 2:3 And these Scriptures... Rapture or no? "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations... men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming on the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near... When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with... the worries of life, and that day come on you like a trap... But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:25-36 Speaking of the tribulation, there are also these Scriptures to consider: "I, John, your brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation and the kingdom and perseverance which are in Christ Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." Revelation 1:9 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world." John 16:33 "...through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22 Jesus speaking to His disciples: "...these things are merely the beginning of the birth pangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will be caused to stumble... And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, it is he that shall be saved. And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." Matthew 24:8-14 A Personal Note God has never clarified for me whether the rapture is in His plan or not. So for me it remains a "maybe" or a "perhaps". He has, however, given me these Scriptures about Jesus' coming again: "...Christ ...having been offered once to bear the sins of many shall appear a second time, not to bear sin, to those who eagerly await Him for salvation." Hebrews 9:28 "...awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ..." 1 Corinthians 1:7 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform the body of our humble state in conformity with the body of His glory..." Philippians 3:20, 21 "...looking for the blessed hope; and the appearing of the Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13 And the words prick my heart and my conscience. Do I: Look for the blessed hope; Eagerly await His coming; Love His appearing? I want to! And so I will not cling to the hope the "rapture" offers for it would foster in me an escape mentality. I do not want to wait eagerly for His coming so I will be rescued; rather, I want to love His appearing because I will behold Him on that wondrous day in all His glory and majesty, I will see Him as He is. Is the rapture fact or fiction? I don't know! But this I do know: If I prepare myself to stay, it will not prevent my going; If I put my faith in going and staying is required, this may well be said of me: "She did not consider her future, therefore she has fallen astonishingly." Lamentations 1:9 _________________________________________________ The Fear of the Lord Is Old Testament? Spiritual Facts or Fiction Are you thinking that since Jesus came, fear is out, love is in? Surely God loves His Son. But was their relationship only about love? "And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:2, 3 Isaiah tells us the fear of the Lord is a treasure. "The Lord is exalted for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He shall be the stability (or faithfulness) of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure." Isaiah 33:5, 6 God made a covenant of life and peace with His priests because they feared Him and stood in awe of His name. "My covenant with him (Levi) was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as a object of fear; so he feared Me, and stood in awe of My name." Malachi 2:5 The Psalms speak often of the fear of the Lord: "How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments..." Psalm 112:1 "How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways." Psalm 128:1 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints... But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Psalm 34:8-11 "The Lord looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men; From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth. He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works... Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who wait for His loving-kindness To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine." Psalm 33:13-19 The fear of the Lord in the New Testament: "So the church... enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of Holy Spirit, it continued to increase." Acts 9:31 "And opening his mouth, Peter said, 'I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and works righteousness is welcome to Him.'" Acts 10:34, 35 "...and Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, he said, 'Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen ... Brethren, sons of sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us salvation is sent out.'" Acts 13:16, 26 "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done whether good or bad. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men..." 2 Corinthians 5:10 "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31 And is the fear of the Lord relevant to us in this generation. This Scripture is the last word in the Revelation in Handbook 2. "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12;28, 29 How the fear of the Lord works for us: "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them... and I will put the fear of Me in their heart so that they will not turn away from me." Jeremiah 32:38-40 "So then... work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12, 13 "...let us cleanse ourselves from all defilements of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1 And for the first time as I was working on this subject I heard these words of wisdom. "Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square... 'Because I called and you refused; I stretched out my hand and you paid no attention; And you neglected all my counsel, And did not want my reproof; When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come on you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.'" Proverbs 1:20, 24-29 Wisdom speaking again: "For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:3-5 And suddenly I knew why Isaiah speaks of the fear of the Lord as a treasure. "For thus the Lord spoke to me with strength of His hand and instructed me not to walk in the way of the people, saying: 'You are not to say, "It is a conspiracy!" In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear And He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary...'" Isaiah 8:11-18 "And these words I am commanding you today shall be on your heart... you shall fear only the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 6:6, 13 God -- my only fear? God -- my only dread? That will take some doing on my part. But the thought of the result is staggering -- He shall become a sanctuary... Could this be the "secret place" of Psalm 91? That would surely be a "treasure" beyond compare. "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser, Teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:9, 10 * * * * * "Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. 'And they shall be Mine,' says the Lord of host, 'on that day that I prepare My own special treasure, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.'" Malachi 3:16, 17 _________________________________________________ The Marriage Feast, a Dress-Up Affair? Spiritual Facts or Fiction "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly come to pass." Revelation 1:1 "...Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb... These are the true words of God." Revelation 19:9 A Parable: "Jesus spoke to them again in parables saying, 'The kingdom may be compared to a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son and he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast but they were unwilling to come. Again he sent out other slaves... But they paid no attention and went their way... Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways and as many as you find, invite to the wedding feast." And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the guests, he saw a man not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?" And he was speechless. Then the king said to his servants, "Bind him hand a foot and cast him into outer darkness..." For many are called but few are chosen.'" Matthew 22:1-14 There was a custom at one time that helped me catch a glimpse into the possible meaning of this parable. The expectant bridegroom bought many bolts of cloth, all the same pattern and color, all the same material. From this cloth he fashioned not only his own wedding attire, but also the wedding attire of "his" invited guests. In this way, those who belonged to him were immediately recognizable. _________________________________________________ Go to the Phones: Ministries and Money Spiritual Facts or Fiction "Go to the phones! Go to the phones. God is waiting for your call." "God has promised in His Word: 'While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest ... shall not cease.' Go to the phones. Go right now. Sow your seed -- your harvest awaits." "You are the breakthrough person for your whole family. Break through by sowing your seed and your loved ones will also break through. Your children will be saved. Your finances and your marriage will be healed." "Call now while the waters are troubled; sow even from your need. Sow from your 'nothing' -- expect an extraordinary harvest." "Go to the phones. God is waiting to bless you one-hundred fold." The Question of Finance: In this day of mass hysteria of Christian ministries asking for money through every media outlet available, it would seem wise to consider again the words of Watchman Nee. "The first question anyone should face who believes himself truly called of God is the financial question. If a man can trust God, let him go and work for Him. If not, let him stay at home, for he lacks the first qualification for the work. He must be able to look to the Lord alone for the meeting of his daily needs. All propaganda in connection with the work must be avoided. With utter honesty of heart the man of God must trust in God and make the needs of his work known to God alone. Nothing must be done by way of advertisement in the hope of receiving material help. This is displeasing to God and hurtful to the work. It is a shameful thing to profess trust in God and then broadcast our needs or the needs of our work to others. But does not the Scripture say, 'The laborer is worthy of his hire' and, 'The Lord has ordained that those who proclaim the Gospel should live by the Gospel'? Absolutely! As the hearts of believers are touched by God, they give gifts to His servants, so that while these servants receive gifts through men, their trust is still entirely in God. It is only to Him their needs are told, and it is He who touches the hearts of His children to give. God does it all. There is no human communication involved. Did you forget that it is His work?" Watchman Nee _________________________________________________ Falling "Backwards" Into Healing? Spiritual Facts or Fiction Some are holding world-wide healing services proclaiming that a day will come this side of heaven when everyone will be healed. "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread... In the same way He took the cup also... saying 'This is the new covenant in My blood...' Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself... for he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep... But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned with the world." 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 A Personal Note Have I spoken useless, harmful words to others and to myself, comforting when God was disciplining, encouraging when He was discouraging, praising when He was reprimanding; have I passed out the word like a soothing balm, a fix-all potion, touting healing promises to those who have raised the Cup to their lips unworthily and have fallen under His discipline? Consider these Scriptures about health and healing: "I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 2 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8 "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord am your healer." Exodus 15:26 And what about "falling backward" supposedly a "sign" or manifestation of the Holy Spirit, either in the preacher-healer or in the person "slain"? "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, 'Do not be afraid...'" Revelation 1:17 "And I heard the voice of a man... and he called out, 'Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.' So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face... and while he was talking with me, I sank into a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me and made me stand upright..." Daniel 8:16-18 "...the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God... the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest... and there the hand of the Lord came upon him... Then I saw... the appearance of the rainbow... such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. 'Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!' And as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet..." Ezekiel 1:1, 3, 28; 2:1, 2 "...He went forth with His disciples... where there was a garden... Now Judas... knew the place... and having received Roman officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus asked, 'Whom do you seek?'... They answered Him, 'Jesus the Nazarene.' When therefore He said to them, 'I am He,' they lurched backward and fell to the ground." John 18:1-6 _________________________________________________ Prayer: A Misunderstood and Misused Privilege! Spiritual Facts or Fiction Do the following Scriptures describe me? "You have wearied the Lord with your words..." Malachi 2:17 "When you come to appear before Me, who requires of your hand the trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no longer, their incense is an abomination to Me... So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you. Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen..." Isaiah 1:12, 13, 15 Is He wishing for someone like this? "Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the gate (or doors), that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar..." Malachi 1:10 Prayer -- A Marvelous Privilege "Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in earth?" Psalm 113:6 "What is man, that You take thought of him? And the son of man that You care for him?" Psalm 8:4 "For what great nation is there who has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?" Deuteronomy 4:7 Prayer -- A Misused Privilege Scripture tells us that we do not know how to pray. "...the Spirit helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should..." Romans 8:26, 27 Romans 8 also tells us we don't know what to pray! "...the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Scripture also tells us we are not to pray alone. "Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and entreating, to that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose, interceding on behalf of all the saints." Ephesians 6:18 And we are to pray according to His will. "And this is the confidence which we have toward Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14 A Personal Note I learned the hard way that praying fervently and repetitiously from the wants and desires of my own heart is spiritually hazardous ...I did not wait for His counsel, but craved intensely in the wilderness, and put God to the test... So He gave me my request but sent a leanness into (my) soul (Psalm 106:13-15). During the difficult days that followed, I learned that I did not know how or what or when to pray. And I was silent before God for a time -- I was prayer shy. But during those silent days the Holy Spirit begin to teach me how to separate my desires from God's desires, my will from God's will. I called it pray-reading. (Handbook 1, Article 8) Prayer Essentials Knowing and praying only His will: "And this is the confidence which we have toward Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14, 15 Faith: "I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." Mark 11:24 Obedience: "...whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." 1 John 3:22 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples." John 15:7 True Prayer Begins with God -- True Prayer is Prayer in the Spirit "Many times prayers are only an exercise of the mind; they do not have the inspiration of the Spirit. The believers themselves are the origin of the prayer. 'True prayer begins at the heart of God; is made known to the hearts of men, is prayed back to God again and God answers... The will of God is the starting point, we voice it, God does it. All spiritual prayer is prayer in the Spirit. All spiritual prayers originate from God. True prayer is the exercising of God's will -- God shows us what he wants, we stand and ask, and God acts from heaven." Watchman Nee And suddenly this Scripture sheds new light on the privilege and the service of prayer -- the binding and loosing that Jesus spoke of is accomplished through prayer! "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst." Matthew 18:18-20 Can this be true? Can two or three gathered in His name (Jesus standing in their midst) bring to pass the will of God (the binding and loosing) on earth through their prayers? "Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, 'O sun, stand still, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon...'; And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there was no day like that before or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." Joshua 1:12-14 "The effective prayer (Lit. supplication) of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And He prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit." James 5:16-18 _________________________________________________ The Martha Syndrome! Spiritual Facts or Fiction When I first became a Christian, I was encouraged by those who helped me find Jesus as my Savior, to go right into the "work"; one day -- a spiritual baby, the next -- a Martha, worried and bothered and busy with many things. "Now as they were traveling along, Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with much serving and she came to Him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? ...Tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10: 38-42 Without even a look in His direction I took on the yoke, the workload, of my congregation, believing I was serving and pleasing God. I was soon involved in many phases of church work -- I had the mistaken idea that if someone from my church asked me to take a job, it was God's will for me. And trying to be faithful, I worked until I was physically and spiritually exhausted. Not for one moment did I dream that God had made plans for me, or that He had laid out and prepared a work for me to accomplish for Him, a path for me to walk. "For we are God's handiwork recreated in Christ Jesus that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 I had been so busy "serving" I did not notice what Jesus had said: "Come to Me all who work to exhaustion, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is pleasant (easy, kindly), and My load is light." Matthew 11:28-30 How could I have missed that! But I did. And I worked myself to exhaustion, believing I was doing His work, believing I was serving Him. And when I finally sat at His feet like Mary, Jesus taught me that even His works on earth were planned beforehand, the paths He walked, the words He spoke, the judgments He gave were already laid out for Him by His Father. He did nothing on His own initiative. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself except it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He is doing..." John 5:19, 20 "...He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world... I do nothing on My own initiative... and He who sent Me is with Me, He has not left Me alone, I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." John 8:26-29 And: "By this we know that we are in Him, the one who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:4-6 _________________________________________________ Family God's Number One Good? Spiritual Facts or Fiction "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them..." Psalm 127:3-5 "Do you think that I came to cast peace on the earth? I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:34-38 "Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned to them and said: 'If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.'" Luke 14:25-27 "While He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold His mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. And someone said to Him, 'Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside to seeking to speak to You.' But He answered the one who was telling Him and said, 'Who is My mother and My brothers?' And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, 'Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever shall do the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.'" Matthew 12:46-50 And could Jesus be ashamed of us, ashamed to call us "brethren"? "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren..." Hebrews 2:10, 11 _________________________________________________ Does My Heart Have a Spiritual Problem? Spiritual Facts or Fiction Heart problems are the number-one killer in the physical world; problems of the heart may also be the number-one killer in the spiritual world. The Natural State of Our Hearts "The Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with men forever because he is also flesh...' Then the Lord saw... that the intent of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually..." Genesis 6:3, 5 Being born again renews our spirit, but it does not change the condition or state of our hearts. "...give attention to My words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23 We need God's help with our hearts, even His first two commandments seem impossible. "You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it.) "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39 In fact we need a heart transplant! But first consider: "...man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 "...the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." 1 Chronicles 28:9 "But Thou knowest me, O Lord, Thou seest me; And Thou dost examine my heart's attitude toward Thee." Jeremiah 12:3 Checking Out the Attitudes of Our Hearts A Distant Heart: "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah say of you , 'This people honor Me with their lips but there heart is far from Me, in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.'" Matthew 15:7-9 An Unprepared Heart: "...A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart, And whose spirit was not faithful to God." Psalm 78:8 A Hardened Heart: "They refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit... And it came about that just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen, says the Lord of hosts; but I scattered them with a storm wind..." Zechariah 7:11-14 An Unbelieving Heart: "Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God... lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin... And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it." Hebrews 3:12-18, 4:1 Again: "But Thou knowest me, O Lord, Thou seest me; And Thou dost examine my heart's attitude toward Thee." Jeremiah 12:3 A Contrite Heart: "Jesus said, 'Come to Me... take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart...'" Matthew 11:28-30 "O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:15-17 "For thus says the High and Exalted One who dwells in eternity, whose name is holy: 'I dwell on a high and lofty place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:15 An Obedient Heart: "Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them..." Deuteronomy 5:29 "But thanks be to God, you became obedient from the heart." Romans 6:17 A Willing Heart: "...as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." Ephesians 6:6 "Therefore, when He comes into the world He says, 'Behold I have come, (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O Lord.'" Hebrews 10:7 "May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ." 2 Thessalonians 3:5 "God raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My wills.'" Acts 13:22 A Devoted Heart: "Solomon's heart was not complete with devotion to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father, David..." 1 Kings 15:3 "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." 2 Chronicles 16:9 A Listening Heart: "...Take into your heart all My words which I shall speak to you, and listen with your ears." Ezekiel 3:10 "Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the days in the wilderness ... They always went astray in their heart; and they did not know My ways ... Therefore they shall not enter My rest.'" Hebrews 3:7-11 A Seeking Heart: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 A Cleansed Heart: "Create in (Lit. for) me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 David prayed: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts, And see if there be any way of pain in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23, 24 "Moreover The Lord your God will cleanse your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live." Deuteronomy 30:2, 3, 6 A Pure Heart: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8 "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Handbook 2, Article 26) Psalm 24:3, 4 A New Heart: "O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like Thee in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing kindness to Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their hearts." 2 Chronicles 6:14 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their minds I will write them. And their lawless deeds I will remember no more..." Hebrews 10:16-23 "I shall gather you from the people... when they come there, they will remove all detestable things and abominations. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in My statutes and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God." Ezekiel 11:17-20 _________________________________________________ Nobody's Perfect? Spiritual Facts or Fiction NOBODY'S PERFECT! Scripturally correct or the "perfect" excuse? This idea was never a formal doctrine; rather, it was and still is in some circles, a comfortable oral tradition -- a voiced response of Christians when urged to move on in their spiritual quest. And when only examined in the light of the following Scripture, it has a self-stroking flavor of humility. "...I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think..." Romans 12:3 But it is, in truth, the secret "underbelly" of self-righteousness, expressed in the words, "He is -- but I can't become!" But many other Scriptures provide us with "living" examples of Christian perfection. "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be perfect.'" Genesis 17:1,2 "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man... But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord... Noah was a righteous man, complete (or perfect) in his generation; Noah walked with God." Genesis 6:5-9 Interchangeable words used in Scripture: "Perfect," "complete," "mature," "blameless," "having integrity," "holy," "godly" (like God). Perfection is one of several themes repeated over and over in His Word. Others: "God's Rest," "God's Way," "A Kingdom of Priests," "In His Image." "You shall be perfect (complete) before the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 18:13 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 He chose us -- actually picked us out for Himself as His own -- in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless in His sight, above reproach before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4). He delivered and saved us and called us with a calling in itself holy and leading to holiness, a life of consecration, a vocation of holiness, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began eternal ages ago (2 Timothy 1:9). Paul describes the "vocation" of holiness given to us in Christ Jesus: "I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him... Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may even lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect (or mature) have this attitude; And if you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you..." Philippians 3:8-15 "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ -- right up to the time of His return -- developing and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you." Philippians 1:6 And perfection is not only an individual pursuit. "...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ... speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects unto Him..." Ephesians 4:13, 15 Perfection was the assigned work of the church: "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the holy ones for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of faith..." Ephesians 4:11-13 Now I realize why this oral tradition is so devastating and destructive! Surely it could be classified a doctrine of demons for with it Satan stunted the spiritual growth of many of God's people -- their love grew cold and they turned away to their own destruction. It is comforting to scoff at perfection: I can ignore sanctification; I can put off taking up my cross until some later day. And if my spirit is troubled I can soothe myself, "After all, nobody's perfect!" And that excuse becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. _________________________________________________ Sanctification: An Obsolete Word? Spiritual Facts or Fiction Pursue, "sanctification without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Selah! Pause, and think of that! Sanctify: to purify, cleanse, make holy, consecrate (set apart as holy) Sanctification does not descend on us from heaven, nor overtake us, nor come upon us while we're sleeping. Sanctification is regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we had done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 2:11-15 "...you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of God." 1 Corinthians 6:11 Remember, quoting it doesn't make it so! "Cleansing is subtracting. It is Christ dealing with every part of the 'Body' which is not out of Him. The natural life and all that is not out of Christ must be purged away. Sanctification can only come after cleansing, and the basis of cleansing is the Lord's word. If we do not know the Lord's voice and hear Him speaking to us personally and specifically through Scripture, there is no way for us to be cleansed and sanctified; for we do not know in which aspect we need to be cleansed. And if we consider that we do not need cleansing, we are deceiving ourselves." (Handbook 1, Article 84) Watchman Nee Sanctification and Salvation "...God has chosen you in the beginning for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through the gospel to the gaining of the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 "For the grace of God appeared to all men, bringing salvation, disciplining us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession." Titus 2:11-15 Sanctification and Obedience "Peter to... those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit that you might obey Jesus and be sprinkled with His blood." 1 Peter 1:3 Sanctification and Our Inheritance "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:30 Sanctification and Our Calling "But we should always give thanks to God for you... because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 Sanctification and Our Work Sanctification prepares us for the work God planned for us in the beginning. "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore if a man cleanses himself from these things he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:19, 20 Jesus and Sanctification Jesus prayed for the sanctification of this generation. "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sake I sanctify Myself, that they themselves may also be sanctified in truth. I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word..." John 17:18-20 "For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call they brethren, saying... Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me." Hebrews 2:11, 13 "...He said, 'Behold, I have come to do Thy will...' By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:9, 10 * * * * * "Pursue... sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 _________________________________________________ Faith Without Works Is Dead? Spiritual Facts or Fiction We erred by allowing the teaching of God's grace to overwhelm and obliterate the truth given us by James that "faith without works is dead." "For by grace you were saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8, 9 And the verse that follows has for the most part been left out or ignored. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 And the fatal result -- we decided how to serve Him, we decided what "work" to do for Him. "What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? ...Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself... Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac, his son, on the altar. You see that faith was working with his works. And by the deeds, faith was perfected (or completed) and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God.' You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone... For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." James 2:14-26 Jesus had work to do, assigned to Him by His Father. "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do." John 17:4 "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.'" John 4:34 "The witness which I have is greater than that of John for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me." John 5:36 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works that these will He show Him, that you may marvel." John 5:20 Jesus said His followers also have work to do: "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father." John 14:12 Again: "For we are God's handiwork recreated in Christ Jesus that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Jesus gave Himself for us... "...that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." Titus 2:14 I understand now that the deeds I performed (described in The Martha Syndrome) were not just useless in serving God, they were lawless! In the Revelation to John and to the seven churches, it is clear that the churches were given deeds to accomplish. Jesus commends the church in Thyatira: "I know your deeds... your last deeds are greater than the first." Revelation 2:19 And the church in Philadelphia: "I know your deeds. Behold I have put before you an open door which no one can shut because you have a little power and have kept My word, and have not denied My name." Revelation 3:8 The seven churches were also measured by their deeds: "I am the one who searches the mind and the hearts; and I will give to each one according to your deeds." Revelation 2:23 To the church in Sardis: "I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God." Revelation 3:1, 2 "And he who overcomes and he who keeps My deeds to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations and he shall rule (or shepherd) them with a rod of iron... as also I have received authority from My Father, and I will give him the morning star." Revelation 2:26 And to Laodicea: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold I will vomit you out of My mouth..." Revelation 3:15 Wake up! There is still work to be done. How do I know for sure? The Revelation in Handbook 2: "He is reviving His work in the midst of the years; In the midst of the years He is making Himself known." Jesus accomplished the work God gave Him to do! Did Paul? In his own words: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith..." 2 Timothy 4:7 Will I? "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father." John 14:12 "For we are God's handiwork recreated in Christ Jesus that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Remember the man in the parable of the wedding feast, the man who came without the proper wedding garment? "Let us rejoice... for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the holy ones... 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" Revelation 19:5-9 "The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father and will recompense every man according to His deeds." Matthew 16:27 _________________________________________________ Are We Being Stalked by an Adversary? Spiritual Facts or Fiction ARE WE BEING STALKED BY AN ADVERSARY, A DEVOURER OF SOULS? Who is he anyway? This enemy of ours who snatches away the word sown in the hearts of those who do not understand, the one who sows his evil sons among the sons of the kingdom, the one who would devour our souls if we give him a place. Scripture gives him the following names: "Satan," "the adversary," "the devil," "the prince of the power of the air," "the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience," "the world force of this darkness," "the father of lies," "a murderer from the beginning," "the accuser of the brethren." Jesus speaks of him as "the ruler of this world": "...the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." John 14:30 But in his beginning he was created a wondrous personage, an angelic majesty. "You were the one sealing a pattern, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God... You were the anointed cherub who covers (or guards) and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you... Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty..." Ezekiel 28:12-19 "You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God... I will make myself like the Most High... Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit." Isaiah 14:12-14 The above Scripture describes Satan's beginning and his end. But it is his mid-life that affects us. When Satan sinned, God did not remove him from the earth where he was originally the covering cherub -- he still had entrance to the Garden of Eden where God also placed Adam and Eve, his new creation. "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, and according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'" Genesis 1:27, 28 We all know what happened. Satan staged a perfect coup, usurping that authority for himself. And he became the ruler of this world we live in, the prince of the power of the air, the world force of this darkness. So let us not deceive ourselves, treating him like some dufus we can shout down or as a mythical creature in the category of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster; he has his sights focused on us who are seeking God and His kingdom. He will pursue us, assault us, anywhere that he can find an opening -- in our thoughts, our consciences, our fears, our emotions; anywhere our newly-born spirits are struggling with our flesh to gain control. And everywhere that the things of his world still enamor us. "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father..." 1 John 2:15, 16 Also anywhere that self-will, self-expression, self-grandizement, self-indulgence still rule supreme in our hearts and minds... "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith..." 1 Peter 5:8 "Be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity (Lit. a place)." Ephesians 4:26, 27 "Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might, put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places..." Ephesians 6:10-12 "Take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm." Ephesians 6:14 "...take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one..." Ephesians 6:16 There are fierce battles for our souls going on, one, from outside ourselves and the other from within -- the struggle between our flesh and our spirit -- our old man against our new man. "...in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the the old self (Lit. man) which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24 And Satan, the great dragon, the serpent of old, the deceiver of the whole earth, the one who stole man's God-given birthright to rule over the earth enticed Eve to join him in unrighteousness and rebellion with a lie specially crafted for her. And when she entertained his lie, finding it interesting and desirable, she gave him a place. Not a shot was fired. All the devil needed to devour Adam and Eve and their pleasant world and ours was an opening, an entrance. But although that is the bad news, it is also the good news; he has boundaries -- he cannot get to us or get into us unless we give him a place. We can recognize him and repel his onslaught at the gate. How? "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7 And we can learn much from those who did not resist him and were also devoured. "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread ... was approaching. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people." Luke 22:1 "Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priest, and said, 'What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you?' And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him." Matthew 26:3 "And during supper, the devil, having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot... to betray Him... Jesus became troubled in spirit, and testified, 'Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray Me...' Peter said to Him, 'Tell us who it is...' Jesus answered, 'That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.' So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas... And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him... Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly...' And so after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night." John 13:2, 21-30 Devouring Judas was a two-step process: Satan put the thought in his heart. Later Satan entered into Judas. Scripture is not clear about what was in Judas' heart that gave the devil an opening. But with our second man, Cain, it is clear -- jealousy and hatred were the openings. "For this is the message we have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous... Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer..." 1 John 3:10-15 And when Judas and Cain were devoured they became the devil's agents in the world, doing his will. Satan devoured the Jewish priesthood: Jesus speaking: "You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your Father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, He speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar and the father of it." John 8:44 And they along with Judas became his agents to crucify Jesus. Then came a two thousand year onslaught by Satan and his agents to devour the o.v. church. "At the end of the New Testament period, the enemy of souls found entry into the house of God, and caused God's people, the very heirs of redemption to turn aside from His way..." Watchman Nee And the Message to the Churches in Handbook 2 announces that he finally succeeded in our generation. (Handbook 2, Article 27) That is why we who heard His message had to "come out" that we might not be devoured. "Come forth from her midst, My people, and each of you save yourselves... Depart! Do not stay! Remember the Lord from afar..." Jeremiah 51:45, 50 _________________________________________________ Called Out? To What? Where? An Invitation Spiritual Facts or Fiction A Personal Note Recently I heard a TV preacher, speaking of his call from the Lord as a young man, as a "call to the ministry." It reminded me that same counsel has been given over and over to young people responding to the first tug of God on their hearts. And soon they were off to Bible College or Seminary -- their "life" work decided. Called Out! The revelation in Handbook 2 calls us to "come out" of the organized visible church. "Come out of her my people lest you participate in her sins." Being called and/or called out by God is nothing new! Such a call has been given to God's people over and over. Abraham was called out, the children of Israel were called out; even Jesus was called out. "Out of Egypt I called My Son." Matthew 2:15 The church, the Body of Christ was called out. The Greek meaning of the word "church" is a translation of the Greek Ekklesia, which means "assembly of citizens called out." Harper's Bible Dictionary There is not a call from God that does not involve a coming out in some measure and in some recognizable manner -- a change of place, a change in attitude, a change in lifestyle, a change in thinking. A reviving. A renewal. Called to What? This is the tremendous, momentous good news of the gospel. "God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel to the gaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 ...called according to His purpose. "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For who He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren..." Romans 8:28, 29 "He who set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me..." Galatians 1:15 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence." 2 Peter 1:2, 3 "...join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity." 2 Timothy 1:8, 9 "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, The Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was faithful to Him who appointed Him..." Hebrews 3:1, 2 Called to Where? A Personal Note In the Revelation in Handbook 2 God has called His people out one more time. And most of us find ourselves quite alone spiritually in the physical world. And I have wondered -- what now? Surely not to seek new groupings where I might become entangled in the old and useless trappings, taking on again the old wineskins. I know I have been called out and why. And I know from the above Scriptures what I have been called to. But "called to where?" remains. I pray that on my personal journey, The Revelation and Beyond, I will find that answer. Perhaps the following Scriptures hold some clue. "And the two disciples (John's) heard Him speak, and they followed Jesus... And Jesus turned to them and said, 'What do you seek?' They said, 'Teacher, where are you staying?' He said to them, 'Come, and you will see.'" John 1:37-39 _________________________________________________ A Measurement, a Plumb Line Correction With a "C" Now, on to correction with a capital "C." He is establishing a plumb line, a measurement. (Handbook 2) Definitions: to measure: to compare, assess, gauge... a system of measuring: a standard or basis for comparison... a definitive quantity that has been measured... This Correction involves something more momentous than Adam and Eve being expelled from the garden, more revealing than the flood, weightier than the kingdom being taken from the Jewish nation and from the o.v. church. It involves the sum and substance of all things most precious to God, that ultimate Truth that God has cloaked in mystery that we might seek Him, and in the seeking, find Him. And in the finding be ushered into His very presence! But beyond its own inherent mystery, it has become so hopelessly entangled with layers of man-made worthlessness that hardly a breath of understanding and knowledge about it can surface on its own. It has to be extracted. "If you return, then I will restore you -- before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokeman." Jeremiah 15:19 To extract: to pull out, often with great force or effort; to obtain despite resistance. And what is this preciousness? Isaiah speaks of it as a tested and costly stone, equipped with a measuring-line and a level: "Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly stone for the foundation, well-laid. He who believes in it will not be disturbed (Lit. in a hurry). And I will make justice the measuring- line and righteousness the level; then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters shall overflow the secret place." Is. 28:16, 17 Amos speaks of the measurement as a plumb line that will lay waste the high places and sanctuaries of Israel: "Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by (or upon) a vertical wall. Then the Lord said to me, 'What do you see, Amos?' And I said, 'A plumb line.' Then the Lord said, 'Behold I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel. I will pass him by no longer. The high places of Isaac will be desolated and the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste.'" Amos 7:7-9 Zechariah speaks of the plumb line being used in relaying the foundation of the temple when the exiles returned from Babylon: "Also the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small beginnings? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line (Lit. plummet stone) in the hand of Zerubbabel -- these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth.'" Zechariah 4:1-10 Peter speaks of the foundation as a living stone, chosen and precious in the sight of God -- the foundation of the spiritual house being built to offer up spiritual sacrifices: "...Therefore, putting aside all wickedness... and hypocrisies... like newborn babes long for the unadulterated, spiritual word, that by it you may grow up to salvation ...And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up (or allow yourselves to be built up) as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And as having precious value for those who believe. For this is contained in Scripture: Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a 'precious' corner, and he who believes in Him shall not be put to shame. This 'precious' value, then, is for you who believe, but for those who disbelieve, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense... for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word..." 1 Peter 2:1-8 Paul speaks of the preciousness as a mystery: "I became a minister according to the stewardship from God for your benefit, that I might make full the word of God, that is the mystery which has been hidden from the ages and generations; but now has been manifested to His holy ones, to whom God willed to make it known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we many preserve every man complete (or perfect) in Christ. And for this purpose I labor, striving according to His power, working in me." Colossians 1:25-29 Paul struggled mightily that God's people would not only be perfect in Christ but also: "...attain to all the wealth of the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:1-3 The "Preciousness" and the mission of the church: "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift... And he gave some apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the holy ones (true believers) for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the true knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" Ephesians 4:7-13 The result was to be the escape from worthlessness. No wonder we have been so open to error and false doctrines. "As a result (Lit. that we may no longer be) we are no longer to be tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness with regard to the scheming of deceit; by walking in the truth in love, we may grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the Head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together through every joint of the supply, according to the working in measure of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:14-16 Oswald Chambers had it right! "We can't just add facts to an improper foundation, or to no foundation at all. First we must get down to the only foundation, which is Jesus Christ... This is the biggest problem." "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:11 _________________________________________________ Measurement of an Ancient King Correction With a "C" A Scriptural example of a man and not just not any man, a king, being measured. The setting: Babylon when Daniel was in exile there. "Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and he ordered the gold and silver vessels which his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken out of the temple, the house of God, in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from the vessels, praising the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Suddenly, the finger of a man's hand emerged and began writing on the plaster wall and the king's face grew pale, his thoughts alarmed him and his knees began knocking together." But when no one in the hall or any of the king's wise men could translate the writing, Daniel was called in to interpret. But Daniel's first words to the king were about his father, Nebuchadnezzar, to whom God had granted the kingdom and grandeur, glory, and majesty: all peoples and nations trembled before him. "When your father's heart was lifted up and his spirit became so strong that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away; he was driven from mankind and his heart was made like that of beasts... until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. Now you, his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this -- you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; you and your guests have been drinking wine from the vessels of His house while praising your gods which do not see, hear, or understand. But God in whose hand is your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified. This hand was sent from Him and this inscription written out. 'God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.'" Daniel 5 Belshazzar was measured, found deficient, and his kingdom was taken away. The Jews, God's chosen people, were measured, found deficient and the kingdom was taken away. The o.v. church was measured and found deficient and the kingdom taken away. And now my personal journey has brought me to this moment. And for the first time I asked God this question: "Have I also been measured and found wanting?" _________________________________________________ Measured and Found Wanting Correction With a "C" I expected to be brought before Him to be measured by the fullness of Jesus Christ. But measurement didn't begin there for me. Remember this assessment of God's people (and of me) in the first days of my personal journey: There is no knowledge of You among us; There is no fear of You in our hearts; We do not walk in Your judgments nor remember You in Your ways; We do not seek Your eternal purposes -- the desire of your heart and soul. At the time I did not recognize them as a measurement. But now God is informing me that I am measured and found deficient in all of the above. MEASURED AND FOUND DEFICIENT IN KNOWLEDGE From the Message to the Churches (Handbook 2): "These are the last days, the kingdom is at hand, and there is no knowledge of God in the land!" And this advice from the Scriptures: "Awake to sober sense and your right mind, sin no more for some of you have not the knowledge of God. I say this to your shame." 1 Corinthians 15:32 In my journey through spiritual facts and fiction I learned the reason I am lacking. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." Proverbs 1:7 Where is the fear and the trembling among those of us who call on His name? Where is the awe, the bowing of the heart, the bending of the knee before God, the Almighty; the One who before the foundation of the world, reigned in dread lone splendor; the fearsome and awful One who spoke and it was so; the One who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens; the One who has the final say of who among us will be worthy to inherit the kingdom He has prepared for those who love Him? "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser, teach a a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of God is understanding." Proverbs 9:9, 10 _________________________________________________ Knowledge of God 101: A Fearsome Encounter! Knowledge The Israelites experienced God Almighty at Mt. Sinai in the wilderness. It was a fearsome encounter. "...And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God and they stood at the foot of the mountain... and there were... thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound so that all the people in the camp trembled. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 'Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.'" Exodus 19 How different God's word to us as recorded on the final page of Handbook 2! But (we) have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... (Handbook 2, Article 42) There are no thunder and lightning flashes, no whirlwind and gloom and darkness for us. "For we have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them... And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, 'I am full of fear and trembling.' But we have come to Mount Zion..." Hebrews 12:18-22 Has Almighty God changed? Has He softened His image since Mt. Sinai -- changed into a gentler and more approachable God? Scripture tells us this is not true! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (He is, He was, He will be!) He is the same God the Hebrews glimpsed on Mt. Sinai; it was then and is still a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. He is still a consuming fire. "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29 And now I grasp for the first time the wisdom hidden in the depth of Jesus' words for the fear of the Lord is also the beginning of wisdom and understanding. "...no one comes to the Father but by Me." Until this moment, and to my shame, I did not fully comprehend what Jesus did for me. "For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross..." Colossians 1:19, 20 "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us... we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him... Therefore... we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..." Romans 5:1, 8 Without Him I would live and die, engulfed in darkness, subject to God's wrath, separated from God, my Father, forever. "...His hour had come that he should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the uttermost." John 13:1 The following Scriptures make it sound so soothing to enter into God's presence that I never fully grasped its meaning. "Since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16 "Since therefore we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great High priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19, 22 For this is the true knowledge of God and also of me. God Almighty was and is and always will be unapproachable for me. Ignoring or not perceiving His awful majesty I have not prepared my heart to meet Him face to face. The knowledge of the fear of the Lord came too late for Adam and Eve; perhaps it did not come at all for the o.v. church: I hope it has not come too late for me! "For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of the cross, whether things on earth or things in heaven..." Colossians 1:19, 20 "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He now has reconciled you in His fleshly body though death, in order to present you before Him, holy and blameless and beyond reproach..." Colossians 1:21, 22 "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of God is understanding." Proverbs 9:9, 10 _________________________________________________ How to Acquire Knowledge Knowledge So how do I acquire knowledge of the Lord? I only know one thing to do! "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain waters the earth." Hosea 6:3 And then I realized that I have had an experience of His coming to me like the spring rain. He had given me a prayer in the spring of the year 2000. At first I was neglectful. And then many days, perhaps months later, I sensed an urgency in my spirit and I begin to pray, (I wish I could say unceasingly,) but I did begin to pray. "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3 And also this prayer: "...ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God..." Colossians 1:9, 10 And did He in His time answer my prayer? He gave me the Revelation in Handbook 2. So how do we get knowledge? We ask and keep on asking. We seek and keep on seeking. We knock and keep on knocking. Now it is obvious why there was and is no knowledge of God in the land -- no one is asking! Remember AW Tozer's statement about Paul in "Spiritual Facts or Fiction": "Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still." Paul's determined purpose! "That I may know Him -- that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly." Philippians 3 (Amplified Bible) "Awake sleeper... be careful how you walk... making the most of the time... So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:14-17 _________________________________________________ What God Is Seeking! Knowledge And now that I am asking, He is also granting me the knowledge, the knowing, of what He is seeking in me. "The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God." Psalm 14:2 And Handbook 2 gives us a list. Check it out! (Handbook 2, Article 35) But He gets more specific! If I in truth want to serve Him, I will: Set up His throne of authority in my heart. "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord..." Romans 10:9 "...you became obedient from the heart..." Romans 6:17 Remember Him in His ways. (Take His yoke on me) "Thou dost meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, who remembers Thee in Thy ways." Isaiah 64:5 "By this (I) know that (I am) in Him, the one who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:4-6 "Christ is the Way. It is His being received by us that saves the soul. But we must perceive the Way, we must enter this Way by our own act. We must proceed in the Way. We must continue in this Way to the end of life and to all eternity, as the indispensable condition of our salvation... He did not say, I came to open the way, nor to teach the way, nor to call you into the way, but 'I am the Way'." Charles G. Finney Place my lips under His authority -- Pure speech from pure lips. "Hear for I speak excellent and princely things and the opening of my lips shall be for right things. For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrong doing is detestable and loathsome to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous -- upright and in right understanding with God; there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them. They are all plain to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge." Proverbs 8:6-9 Have the attitudes in me which were in Jesus: "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself (laid aside His privileges) taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death of a cross." Philippians 2:5-8 Have such a heart in me to do what is in His heart and soul -- to have the heart of a priest. "But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed forever." 1 Samuel 2:35 "Behold I have come, (in the roll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God." Hebrews 10:9 Allow myself to be built up as a spiritual house. "And coming to Him as to a living stone... you also, as living stones, allow yourselves to be built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood..." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 Present myself and my life to Him in full measure that He might reveal His Son in me in full measure. "He who set me apart... and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me..." Galatians 1:15 Seek to know and understand His eternal purposes, the desire of His heart. (Handbook 2, Article 28) Present myself to Him that He may revive His purposes, His work in me. "Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand." Proverbs 19:21 Seek to know and understand His choice of me. _________________________________________________ Knowledge of My Heart! Knowledge of God's Heart! Knowledge "...God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the appearance but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 The Heart and Knowledge: "If I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Love... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but prophecy, they will be done away; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part... but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. For now we see in a mirror in a riddle, but then face to face; now in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:2-12 The Highways to Zion: "How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; In whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of weeping, they make it a spring, The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion." Psalm 84:5-7 "And a highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called 'the highway of holiness.' The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it... But the redeemed will walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord will return, And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will overtake gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away." Isaiah 35:8-10 This highway to Zion was in Abraham's heart. Also in the hearts of Noah, Isaac, Jacob... "...he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... they desired a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be their God; for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:10-16 Are the highways to Zion in my heart? I don't hear myself doing any shouting! "And they shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion..." Jeremiah 31:12 Or any singing! "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God... How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house! They are ever praising Thee." Psalm 84:1-4 A New Covenant: "I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart." Jeremiah 24:7 I will gather you from the peoples... and I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statues and keep My ordinances and do them. Ezekiel 11:17, 19 GAINING KNOWLEDGE OF THE MATTERS OF GOD'S HEART David, a Man After God's Heart: "...He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He testified and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My wills." Acts 13:22, 23 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with the same heart and a willing soul; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act." 1 Chronicles 28:9, 10 Priests in the kingdom are also to serve Him with the same heart and willing soul as David. "I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always." 1 Samuel 2:35 _________________________________________________ Knowledge of the Spirit Knowledge GAINING KNOWLEDGE OF MATTERS OF THE SPIRIT: WORSHIPPING GOD Jesus and the Samaritan women: "'Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.' Jesus said to her, 'Women, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father... But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.'" John 4:20-24 John worshiped in the Spirit. "I, John... was in the Spirit (or in spirit) on the Lord's day..." Revelation 1:9, 10 Many times in large fervent meetings with the accompanying crescendos of a multitude of glorious voices, harmonizing in concert with familiar songs of faith and praise, I have felt overwhelmed by a longing for God and I thought I was worshipping in my spirit. But as I became more discerning I realized that it was not love and longing I was feeling but a tremendous surge of emotion in my flesh and soul that felt like love. And when the music died, the orations ended, the crowds dispersed, the rapture of emotion also died as evening breezes fade in early dawn. They were not worship, they were not truth, they were not Spirit. And these words of AW Tozer helped me know and understand. "Love is not a feeling, it is a willing!" I need to become discerning, to know myself so well that I can discern what is of my flesh -- my body and my soul -- and what is of my spirit. I communicate with the physical world through my body, my seven senses. I communicate with the spiritual world through my spirit. My soul, the seat of my personality -- my will, intellect and emotional life -- is the linking chain between the two. How things are supposed to work! "My soul looks to the my spirit for the supply which the latter has received from the Holy Spirit and communicates to the body what it has received so that the body may partake of the perfection of the Holy Spirit." But: "Why is this not immediately true for us when we are born again in our spirit? (We should clearly remember that in this life the soul is man's consummate expression, while in the next life in the resurrection the spirit will be man's consummate expression.)" Watchman Nee "It is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:44 "Because the believers have long been controlled by the soul, they have become very weak in their knowledge of the spirit. We should ask God to show us in our experience what is of the spirit and what is of the soul. Before a person is regenerated, his spirit is deeply submerged within his soul. The person cannot distinguish what comes from the soul and what comes from the spirit. The main functions of the spirit toward God are lost and dead, they are obliterated. Hence, even after a believer is regenerated, there is still the need for the work of dividing the soul from the spirit." Watchman Nee Scripture from Hebrews: "Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it... There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from His works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same examples of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:1, 9-12 (I had never noticed before that the verse about the division of soul and spirit is preceded by Scripture about entering God's Rest, one of the continuing themes in the Bible.) "It is only after a man is regenerated that God's life and the Holy Spirit begin to live in man's spirit and enliven it to become the instrument of the Holy Spirit. Man's spirit is independent of his other parts. The spirit is not man's mind, will or emotion. Here, God regenerates us and instructs us and leads us into His rest." Watchman Nee So what is the problem? Our spirit cannot be in control without the consent of our soul. "When the spirit tries to control the body, it has to do so with the help of the soul. Before man fell, it was the spirit (through the soul) that controlled the whole being. When the spirit wanted to do something, it communicated to the soul, and the soul activated the body to follow the order of the spirit. That is what it means for the soul to be the medium. The soul is potentially the strongest part, because both the spirit and the body are incorporated into it, take it as their personality, and are affected by it. But in the beginning, man had not sinned, and the power of the soul was fully under the control of the spirit. The soul is in the middle of the body and the spirit. It exercises its judgment to determine if the spiritual realm is to rule or if the physical realm is to rule. Or sometimes the soul rules through its intellect, (reason, opinions, prejudices, mind-sets, belief system) or emotions. Unless the soul yields its rule to the spirit, the spirit cannot rule. The soul is the master of a person because man's will is part of the soul. When the spirit controls the whole being, it is because the soul has yielded itself and has taken a lower position. If the soul rebels, the spirit will not have the power to control it. This is the meaning of 'free will' in man. Man has the absolute right to make his own decisions. He is not a machine which turns according to God's will. He has his own faculty of deliberation. He can choose to obey God's will , and he can choose to oppose God's will and follow the devil's will. All communication between God and man lies within his spirit. If a believer does not know what his spirit is, he will not know how to fellowship with God in the spirit and will substitute the work of the spirit with soulish activities such as that of mind and emotion." Watchman Nee "...if you are living according to the flesh, you are about to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." Romans 8:13, 14 _________________________________________________ A Vital Personal Knowing! Knowledge "C"orrection does not come with knowing about Him, it comes with knowing Him. And knowing Him has never been a group experience -- it is a personal one-on-one relationship. "You search the Scriptures, because you think in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life." John 5:39, 40 And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." John 17:3 Paul was willing to give up everything for this "knowing." "...I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege -- the overwhelming preciousness -- of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... that I may be found and known as in Him..." Philippians 3:8, 9 And now this same longing echoes in my spirit: ...that I might possess this priceless privilege -- the overwhelming preciousness -- of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... How many times I have measured my Christian walk by the following: He hears and answers my prayers, He speaks to me through His Word. He blesses me with the presence of His Holy Spirit, He forgives me... But these measurements mean only that He is continuing with me, guiding me, instructing me, loving me, giving me His grace and pardon. But as all parents wait and hope and work for the day when their children will grow up and be mature, He hopes for the day when I finally grow up to salvation, when I reflect His image and He can be pleased to reveal His Son in me. And then I hear His voice in the depths of my soul: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not come to know Me?" John 14:9 _________________________________________________ Knowing Jesus Knowledge Found Deficient in the Most Vital Knowing of All! It is true! Jesus has been with me a long time and yet I do not know Him. Do I know about Him? Do I know His voice? Is He not my Savior, my Deliverer, my Healer? Have I not in some "measure" experienced Him also as my Wisdom, my Sanctifier, my Righteousness, my Redeemer, my Intercessor, my Lord, my King? Yes, to all of these. But now I realize that the things I have experienced are only the beginning things about Jesus. I do not know Him (have not beheld Him) as who He is apart from what He has done for me. What a sad commentary on my life as a Christian. I remember as a kid, that although I saw my teachers every school day, I could not in my childish mind imagine them with any life beyond the classroom, with a life beyond me. "When I was a child, I used to... think as a child, reason as a child; but when I became a man, I did away with childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11 All these years He has been coming to me! Is it not time for me to come to Him? "And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said, 'What do you seek?' And they said, 'Teacher, where are you staying?' He said, 'Come and you will see.'" John 1:38, 39 Jesus Christ has a life beyond me and He wants me to join Him there. He wants to "revive me and enlighten my eyes" that I may behold Him in His glory. He wants me to come and see! "Therefore leaving the word of the beginning about the Christ, let us 'press on to perfection,' not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instructions about washing, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." Hebrews 6:1, 2 "...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of the faith..." Hebrews 12:2 And for the first time I sense the urgency expressed in the commission from Handbook 2: Now for a "brief moment," grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes... to give us a reviving... Many years have flown by, since He gave us the Revelation. And the words from an old hymn spark a sudden fear: "When on others You are calling, do not pass me by..." _________________________________________________ Fixing My Eyes on Jesus My Personal Journey A brief moment of grace... from the Lord our God, an escaped remnant... a peg in His holy place... enlightened eyes to give us a reviving... An invitation from Him to "Come and See"? How can I process such wondrous grace? And how does this work in my everyday life, how do I press on, how do I: "...fix my eyes on Jesus?" God answered my question by bringing the following Scripture to my remembrance. "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 10:5 Now I understand why my personal journey led me first through Spiritual Facts Or Fiction -- He was preparing me for this moment when He would invite me to "come and see" by bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And Measurement with a capital "M" begins in me! He is ...establishing a plumb-line, a measurement to bring God's people back to a position they have lost. (Handbook 2) _________________________________________________ Jesus and Perfection Every Thought Captive There is one thought more evil than others -- that we can't become like Jesus because He had special heavenly support that helped Him keep from sinning. Why is this so evil? Because this is the deception and spirit of the antichrist. "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." 2 John 1:7 Scripture assures us that Jesus did not masquerade as man. He was a man. He did not have a special "in" with the Father that is not available to us. He was not born full of knowledge, handed a list of what work He was to accomplish. Nor was he an automaton programmed to obey -- He learned obedience through the things that He suffered just as we do. He was tempted and tried just like we are. But there is a difference and a big one -- He did not sin. We like to attribute this to the part of Him that is God. We want to believe that He had special power that is not available to us. But this idea is the granddaddy of all error, the deceitful, lying doctrine of the antichrist. Have no part of it. Jesus came in the flesh. Every grace and gift from God to Him is available to us also through Him. We not only can become like Him, we must. Entertain no other thought on this subject. "For it was fitting for Him (God)... to perfect the author and finisher of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for that reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren." Hebrews 2:10, 11 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature..." 2 Peter 1:2-4 "Where there is no vision (of this), the people perish..." Proverbs 29:18 "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, things that have not been done, and saying: 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure'..." Isaiah 46:9, 10 _________________________________________________ The Measure of a Perfect Man Every Thought Captive "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment (or greater condemnation). For we all stumble in many ways. If any one does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." James 3:1, 2 It is also the measure of a priest of the kingdom: "True instruction was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found on his lips... For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for He is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." Malachi 2:6, 7 How did Jesus know what to say to the world and to us? How did He speak living, active words that pierce us to our depths, words that divide our soul and spirit, words that expose the thoughts and the intentions of the heart? And how did He know what words would comfort our aching and ailing hearts, revive our sagging spirits, strengthen our feeble and trembling faith, draw us to Him in love and obedience? The following Scripture has come up so many times now on my journey through the Revelation, it must be extremely important. Listen to the words one more time. "...the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world... I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me..." John 8:26, 28 Jesus did not try to serve and please His Father by His own witness. Before He spoke He was spoken to. This must also be true of me. Before I dare speak in His name, I must be spoken to. If Jesus had spoken on His own initiative there would have been death, not life, in His words. If I speak when God does not require it and even if at that moment Scripture should pour effortlessly and beautifully from my lips, I can be certain that there will be death in my words. Remember Isaiah? When Isaiah saw God in His glory he caught a terrible glimpse of himself -- he was a man of unclean lips, his words were ruining him. Then a wondrous gift was given to him -- God cleansed his lips and forgave his careless words. And he heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Who will go for Us?" God chooses who will speak for Him, He gives that one His words to say. But: "...those lips must be under the authority of the King... they must not speak at random or uncontrolled." Watchman Nee _________________________________________________ Because He Is, I Can Become Every Thought Captive "By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, both righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30 "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 God announced at creation His attention to make man in His image. It was always God's purpose and still is, to make His creation -- man -- reflect His image. "'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'... And God created man in His own image, in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them..." Genesis 1:26, 27 And it was and still is His purpose that such a man will rule on the earth. "What is man, that Thou rememberest Him? And the son of man, that Thou art concerned about Him? ...Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet... But now we do not see all things subjected to him. But we do see... Jesus." Hebrews 2:6, 8 Adam and Eve gave away their birthright, choosing to reflect Satan's image. And we are stuck with his image unless... God in His marvelous grace and wisdom equipped mankind with a wondrous capability that He did not give Himself. Men can change! "God changes not. The law of mutation belongs to a fallen world, but God is immutable, and in Him men of faith find at last eternal permanence... Nothing that God has ever said about Himself will be modified; nothing the inspired prophets and apostles have said about Him will be rescinded. His immutability guarantees this." AW Tozer I can change. "For a moral being to change it would be necessary that the change be in one of three directions. He must go from better to worse or from worse to better; or, granted that the moral quality remain stable, he must change within himself, as from immature to mature, or from one order of being to another..." AW Tozer I can become -- "change from immature to mature, from one order of being to another." "Change works for the children of the kingdom, not against them. The changes that occur in them are wrought by the hand of the in-living Spirit. 'But we all,' says the apostle, 'with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' Yet much as we deplore the lack of stability in all earthly things, in a fallen world such as ours, the very ability to change is a golden treasure, a gift from God of such fabulous worth as to call for constant thanksgiving. For human beings, the whole possibility of redemption lies in the ability to change. To move across from one sort of person to another is the essence of repentance; the liar become truthful, the thief honest, the lewd pure, the proud humble. The whole moral texture of the life is altered. The thoughts, the desires, the affections are transformed, and man is no longer what he had been before. So radical is this change that the apostle calls the man that used to be 'the old man' and the man that now is 'the new man', which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him." AW Tozer If I am "in" Christ, I am a new creation. It all hangs on that big-little word "in"! "Yet the change is deeper and more basic that any external acts can reveal, for it includes also the reception of life of another and higher quality. The old man, even at his best, possesses only the life of Adam; the new man has the life of God. And this is more than a manner of speaking; it is quite literally true. When God infuses eternal life into the spirit of a man, the man becomes a member of a new and higher order of being." AW Tozer Jesus came in the flesh. Every grace and gift from God to Him is available to us also through Him. We not only can become like Him, we must. Entertain no other thought on this subject. _________________________________________________ The Body of Christ, the Mystic Church Every Thought Captive During most of my Christian life the "church" (the local church and the mystic church) were melded into one entity which I labeled, "the Body of Christ." Then as I was working on Handbook 2 God began to rightly divide His Word concerning the church, the Body of Christ, and I gained a little insight. (Handbook 2, Article 12) And now on my personal journey the following Scripture has become real to me. "...the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: the Lord knows who are His..." 2 Timothy 2:10 Now I see the reality of the Church. The Body of Christ is: Jesus -- the Head -- the full measure of God. Those who are His -- the Body -- the full measure of Christ. And as I read the words of Watchman Nee I recognized that God had instructed him many years ago. "We need to revise our thinking about the Church. It is not an organization to be planned, nor is it just a company of people to be completed. It is not a concept to be grasped, nor an ideal to be attained... The church comes out of Christ; without Him, the church has no position, no life, no living, no existence... Like so much else that is ours in Christ, the Church is a reality to be seen with the help of the Holy Spirit through the Word. The Church is the heavenly Body of Christ. To discover this is to have one's life revolutionized... Heaven is not a place that the Church will reach at some future date. The Church is there, and never was anywhere else. Heaven is both the origin and the abode of the Church, and not her destination. And since the Church has never known any other sphere but heaven, the question of striving to reach heaven can never arise for her. And when we see the reality of the Church... then we shall recognize the Church in operation when we encounter it anywhere, be it even in a small group of believers..." Watchman Nee continues, bringing it to a personal level: "If you have been brought into the eternal reality of the Church, the day may well come when you yourself are called to speak and act for the whole Church... A movement on the part of any one member of the Body who is truly subject to the Spirit of Christ is a movement of the whole. The life of such a one in that hour transcends all externalities, for men recognize that God is moving through that member. The implications of all this are very great. We have no business to view things materialistically or intellectually -- that is, through the eyes of 'denominations or reformations' but only from the standpoint of God. God sees 'seven golden lampstands.' (And Jesus standing in the midst of the lampstands. Revelation 1) He knows only 'the Church,' and when we permit the Spirit of Truth to lead us into the spiritual truth of the Church, we shall see only the Church that God sees." And I jotted down these words: The church will not be raised up or rebuilt on earth. The church age is over. But the gathering continues! "...and you will be gathered one by one." Isaiah 27:12 The Church in eternity! "You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem... And to the general assembly and the church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven..." Hebrews 12:22, 23 Again: "And when we see the reality of the Church... then we shall recognize the Church in operation when we encounter it anywhere..." Watchman Nee "Be strong and courageous and act; do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished." 1 Chronicles 28:20 _________________________________________________ The Good Confession Every Thought Captive "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9 Sounds easy enough if I am a Christian. But the verb "confess" is much stronger than "say" and brings a caution that reminds me of the following Scripture: "Therefore I make known to you, that... no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord' except by (or in) the Holy Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:3 Timothy speaks of the "good confession." "...Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pilate..." 1 Timothy 6:13 "Pilate said to Him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to be a witness to the truth.'" John 18:37 Weighty words on this subject: "In the Book of the Revelation, God shows us an aspect of His Son, not shown to us in the Gospels. In the Gospels we see Him as Savior, in Revelation as King; in John's Gospel as the Beginning, in Revelation as the Ending. The one displays love, the other His majesty. In the upper room Jesus girds Himself about the waist for service; at Patmos He is discovered girt about the breast for war. In the Gospels His mild eyes melted Peter; in Revelation they are a flame of fire. Then His voice was gentle, calling His own sheep by name, and gracious words proceeded out of His mouth; here His voice is terrible as the sound of many waters, and from His mouth there proceeds a sharp two-edged sword, striking death to His foes. It is not enough that we know Jesus as the Lamb of God and Savior of the world; we must know Him also as God's Christ, God's King, God's Judge. When we see Him as Savior, we say, 'How lovable!' When we see Him as Monarch, we say, 'How terrible!' and fall prostrate at Him feet. The one issues in thanksgiving, the other worship. To see Him now as King is, one might almost say, to see 'another' Christ." Watchman Nee Pray: "...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the true knowledge of Him... that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened." Ephesians 1:17, 18 _________________________________________________ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth Every Thought Captive "...Jesus Christ... the ruler of the kings of the earth..." Revelation 1:5 "Why are the nations in an uproar, And the people devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed. 'Let us tear their fetters apart, And cast their cords away from us.' He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury. 'But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.' 'I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will surely give you the nations as Thine inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like potter's ware."' Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth, Worship (or serve) the Lord with reverence, And rejoice with trembling, Do homage (or lay hold of instruction) to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 2 The Lord God Gives Dominion to His King "The Lord says to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.' The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, 'Rule in the midst of Thine enemies.' Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power (or army); In holy array (or the splendor of holiness), from the womb of the dawn... The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, 'Thou art a priest forever according to order of Melchizedek.' The Lord is at Thy right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head." Psalm 110 "These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1:19-23 _________________________________________________ Jesus Changes for All Times the Meaning of the Word: "Temple" Every Thought Captive There is much chatter among TV ministries and their guests about undercover operations in Israel, preparations and plans being made for rebuilding of the temple proper on the temple mount. It is rumored that even the mercy seat, the sacred vessels, and the trappings of the Jewish priesthood are being duplicated. Many seem excited about this possibility, deeming it a fulfilling of prophecy. "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands, as the prophet says, 'Heaven is my Throne, and earth is the footstool for My feet; what kind of house will you build for Me? Or what place is there for My repose? Was it not My hand which made all these things?'" Acts 7:44-50 Interchangeable words: "temple," "sanctuary," "tabernacle," "house," "building," "dwelling," "abode." Consider these words of Jesus: "And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. He said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.'" Matthew 24:1, 2 After Jesus drives the money-changers out of the temple the Jews ask Him, "What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?" "Jesus answered... 'Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews replied, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture." John 2:13-22 Most generations since, including this one, have not remembered that He said this -- nor have we believed His words. Nor have we paid attention to the other Scriptures that expand on His meaning. "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness... Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God just as God said; I will dwell in them and walk among them..." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? ...The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him... Or do you not know that your body is a temple (or sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 "Do you not know that you are a temple (or sanctuary) of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the sanctuary, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which you are." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. Every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ (was faithful) as a Son over His house, whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:1-6 "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:9 "Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart...'" Hebrews 3:8 "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; in as much as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked." 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 Is there any doubt that the word temple has been redefined and Jesus is heralded as the Builder and Cornerstone and those who are His, as the building. "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on the throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.'" Zechariah 6:12, 13 "For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is laid, which is Christ Jesus." 1 Corinthians 3:9, 11 Is there any doubt that it is not a structure made with hands? Is there any doubt that this is what the following Scriptures are describing? "So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner stone in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple (sanctuary) in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22 "And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God, you also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable in God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 And consider these Scriptures, the first coming with an instruction and the remaining summing up for us the wondrous possibility of becoming a temple of The Living God. "The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His, and let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness." 2 Timothy 2:19 "Jesus was asked, 'Lord, what has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?' Jesus answered... 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and the Father will love Him, and We will come to Him, and make Our abode with him.'" John 14:23 "For thus says the High and Exalted One Who dwells in eternity, whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:15 _________________________________________________ God's House, a House of Prayer Every Thought Captive Jesus' redefining of the word, "temple," also changed forever the meaning of the following Scriptures: "And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling, saying to them, 'It is written, "And My house shall be a house of prayer" and you have made it a robbers' den.'" Matthew 21:13 "...For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." Isaiah 56:7 And this Scripture from the dedication of the temple of Solomon takes on a brand new and very personal dimension for me. "'I (Solomon) have risen in place of my father, David ...and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.' Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven... '...Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prays before Thee today; that Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place which Thou has said, "My name shall be there," to listen to the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place.'" 1 Kings 8:20-29 It is too wondrous an understanding for me to clarify by any words of mine. If He is also giving you this understanding the following Scripture will begin to live in your heart. "For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God... Christ was faithful as a Son, whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:4, 6 And my heart echoes the prayer of Solomon. _________________________________________________ "Come and See!" Pressing On My Personal Journey My personal journey to date has been mostly about correction and measurement -- the way God chose to begin the work of His Revelation, His reviving, in me. And bringing every thought captive to Christ has carried me far along this necessary Correction and Measurement. "We are destroying speculations, and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 But now the preceding two verses in 2 Corinthians 10 have caught the attention of my spirit and I know it is God leading me on. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God for the destruction of fortresses." 2 Corinthians 10:3, 4 Is my correction and my measurement completed? Of course not! Do I still need to bring every thought captive to Christ? Of course! They are forever a vital part of my walk with God; I am still walking in the flesh. But "fixing my eyes upon Jesus," I am to press on. Remember the four ways God is reviving His work, the ways He is making Himself known? (Handbook 3, Article 1) The following is the one He has chosen for the next part of my personal journey. "He is aroused and risen from His holy habitation. He is coming and will dwell in our midst." "The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. (The Lord arises to contend and stands to judge His people.) 'I have kept silent for a long time. I have kept still and restrained Myself.'" Isaiah 42:13, 14 "Sing to the Lord, a new song. Sing His praise from the end of the earth..." Isaiah 42:10 "The Lord is a warrior, The Lord is His name..." Exodus 15:1 "The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior." Zephaniah 3:17 And then He brought this Scripture to my remembrance and I was stabbed again with sorrow. "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me... For the day of redemption was in My heart... And I looked and there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me..." Isaiah 63 Handbook 2 tells me that He is going forth again, He is reviving His work in the midst of the years, He is making Himself known. And I know He is looking to see if there is anyone among His people to go with Him this time. And I know He is looking at me! _________________________________________________ The Lord God as a Warrior The Book of the Wars of the Lord God is reviving His work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years He is making Himself known. "God is aroused and risen from His holy habitation, He is moving among us. The Lord will go forth like a warrior. He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout. Yes, He will raise a war cry. The Lord arises to contend and stands to judge His people. He has kept silent for a long time. He has kept still and restrained Himself." The Revelation: Handbook 2 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times, things that have not been done, Saying: 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure...'" Isaiah 46:9, 10 The Lord as a Warrior as Recorded in the Old Testament, a Brief History "Now the sons of Israel moved out... And they journeyed in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, to the sunrise. From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites... Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord, 'Waheb in Suprah, And the wadis of the Arnon, And the slope of the wadis that extends to the site of Ar, And leans to the border of Moab.' And from there they continued to Beer, (a well), that is the well where the Lord said to Moses, 'Assemble the people, that I may give them water.' And from the wilderness they continued... to the valley that is in the land of Moab, at the top of Pisgah which overlooks the wasteland. Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 'Let me pass through your land. We will not turn off into field or vineyard; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the king's highway until we have passed through your border.' But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. Then Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land. Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites... And Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out, he and his people, for battle at Edrei. But the Lord said to Moses, 'Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' So they smote him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land." Numbers 21:10-35 Other Wars of the Lord and Other Warriors Joshua and the Amorites: "The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, 'Do not abandon (Lit. slacken your hands from) your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.' So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. And the Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.' So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching (Lit. he went up) all night from Gilgal. And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He struck them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon, and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it came about as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, 'O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." Joshua 10:6-15 Deborah, Barak, and Jael: "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were deserted (Lit. had ceased), And travelers walked twisted ways. The peasantry ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose a mother in Israel. ...Then war was in gates. Not a shield or a spear was seen Among forty thousand in Israel. My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel, The volunteers among the people; Bless the Lord! ...At the sound of those who divide flocks among the watering places, There they shall recount the righteous deeds of the Lord, The righteous deeds for his rural dwellers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake sing a song! Arise, Barak, and take away your captives, O son of Abinoam. Then survivors came down to the nobles; The people of the Lord came down to me as warriors." Judges 5:6-11 Songs of War and Praise "Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying, 'That the leaders led in Israel, That the people volunteered, Bless the Lord! Hear, O kings; give ear, O rulers! I -- to the Lord, I will sing. I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. Lord, when Thou didst go out from Seir, When Thou didst march from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water. The mountains flowed at the presence of the Lord, This Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.'" Judges 5:1-5 The song of Moses and the sons of Israel: "Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and said, 'I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him. The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is His name. ...Thy right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power, Thy right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. And in the greatness of Thine excellence (or exultation) Thou dost overthrow those who rise up against Thee; Thou does send forth Thy burning anger, And it consumes them like chaff. ...Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?'" Exodus 15:1-11 Liturgy and instructions for bringing the ark into battle: "And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and be saved from your enemies." Numbers 10:9 "The priestly sons of Aaron shall blow the trumpets..." Numbers 10:8 "Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, 'Rise up, O Lord! And let Thine enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Thee flee from before Thy presence.' And when it came to rest, he said, 'Return Thou, O Lord To the myriad thousands of Israel.'" Numbers 10:35, 36 The song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (New Testament) John speaking: "And I saw as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from the image and from the number of his name... And they sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations (or ages). Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts (or judgments) have been revealed.'" Revelation 15:2-4 A New Song: (New Testament) "And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood, men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they shall reign on the earth.'" Revelation 5:8-10 _________________________________________________ Jesus as a Warrior The Book of the Wars of the Lord Jesus speaks of warfare: "Do not think that I came to cast peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be members of his household. He who loves father or mother... son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:34-37 Isaiah speaks of Him as a warrior: "And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked." Isaiah 11:4 And Jesus reveals Himself to John in the Book of the Revelation as a warrior standing in the midst of the 7 churches: "...His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet were like burnished bronze... and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword..." Revelation 1:14-16 To the church in Pergamum: "Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth." Revelation 2:16 And also as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, waging war: "And I saw heaven opened; and behold a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are flames of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wine of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords... And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army..." Revelation 19 _________________________________________________ God's People as Warriors The Book of the Wars of the Lord Remember Psalm 110? "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.' The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, 'Rule in the midst of Thine enemies. Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power (or army).'" Other Scriptures: "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who teaches my hands to war, And my fingers to fight..." Psalm 144:1 "He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze." Psalm 18:34 "For though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses." 2 Corinthians 10:3, 4 And Handbook 2 gives us a war song for our generation. And notice it is a new song. "Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise to the ends of the earth! The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies." Isaiah 42:10, 13 How will He prevail against His enemies? "Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishment on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the Lord." Psalm 149:1, 2, 5-9 _________________________________________________ Armor and Weapons of Warfare The Book of the Wars of the Lord "Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, He will repay." Isaiah 59:15-18 And Jesus' armor and His weapon for warfare: "And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt of his loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist." Isaiah 11:4-5 And the armor and the "weapon" available to us: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..." Ephesians 6:10-18 Read the last verse again! What is the weapon of warfare for God's people? And how is it wielded? _________________________________________________ God's Choice of Weapons The Book of the Wars of the Lord John speaking: "I looked, and behold a door standing open in heaven... and behold, a throne was standing in heaven and One was sitting of the throne. And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book... And no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or look into it. I began to weep... and one of the elders said to me, '...the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book...' And I saw in the middle of the throne... a Lamb standing, as if slain... And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one... golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 4:1, 2; 5:1-8 "And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence for about a half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might give it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake." Revelation 8:1-5 "O Lord, I call upon Thee; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee! May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering." Psalm 141:1, 2 "The end of all things has come near; therefore be of sound judgment for the purpose of prayer." 1 Peter 4:7 _________________________________________________ Prayer in the Spirit Spiritual Warfare Spiritual warfare is binding on earth what God has bound in heaven and loosing on earth what God has loosed in heaven, (Matthew 18:18) through prayer in the Spirit. It is a call to do battle in the name (authority) and power of God: to defend, protect, strengthen, deliver, maintain, repel, reclaim, that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, that His divine purposes may come to pass. And His chosen weapon for battle is the sword of the Spirit -- His living Word. "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11 Again: True prayer begins at the heart of God, is made known to the hearts of men, is prayed back to God, and God answers -- the will of God is the starting pointing, we voice it, God does it. "Through prayer the church was to release the power of the Kingdom on earth." Watchman Nee "For the kingdom of God does not exist in words but in power." 1 Corinthians 4:20 But the Message to the Churches tells us there was no knowledge of God among them, no knowledge of what He was binding and loosing in heaven. And some were so foolish and arrogant to believe that this verse meant that God would honor what they decided to bind and loose. And I have also been told that in me there is this deficiency! But He has again given me a prayer to pray that I might not only know but follow the way of His judgments. Gaining knowledge of the way of God's judgments: "The way of the righteous is smooth; O upright One, make the path of the righteous level. Indeed, while following the way of Thy judgments, O Lord, We have waited for Thee eagerly. Thy name, even Thy memory, is the desire of our souls. At night with my soul I long for Thee, With my spirit I seek Thee diligently; For when the earth experiences Thy judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:7-9 And He has given me this word of encouragement. "In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught (Lit. battle) at the gate." Isaiah 28:5, 6 _________________________________________________ The Way of God's Judgments Spiritual Warfare Where to begin? Bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ! Jesus and God's judgments: "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 5:30 A simpler definition: All spiritual warfare is based on what we "see" God doing -- what He has bound or loosed. Besides Jesus we have examples of those to whom God revealed what He was doing. "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants, the prophets." Amos 3:7 "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?'" Genesis 18:17 "The counsel of the Lord is for those who fear Him... My eyes are continually toward the Lord..." Psalm 25:14, 15 Is He saying this to me? "'You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'And My servant, whom I have chosen...'" Isaiah 43:10 And this? "I am making Myself known to you..." The Revelation, Handbook 2 And is He also granting me the authority and power to pray in Him name? "He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority..." Luke 9:1 If so: My eyes must be continually toward the Lord to see what He will say to me. (Handbook 2, Article 8) And perhaps I can go with Him this time to "intercede." The following Scripture bears repeating: "In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught (Lit. battle) at the gate." Isaiah 28:5, 6 _________________________________________________ "The" Faith and Spiritual Warfare: Prayer Without Ceasing! Spiritual Warfare "Now He was telling them a parable to show them at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart... now shall not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night. And will He delay long over them? I tell you He will bring about justice for them speedily. However when the Son of Man comes, will He find the faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8 WHEN JESUS COMES WILL HE FIND "THE" FAITH ON THE EARTH? Faith is a core principle of the Gospel: "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed in (or by) faith to faith; as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith.'" Rom. 1:17 "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11;5, 6 "For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back My soul has no pleasure in him." Hebrews 10:3 "Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 What is faith? "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1, 2 Notice that in Luke 18:8, Jesus is not asking about faith in general but about "the faith," faith of such substance that by it men of old obtained a testimony that they were righteous. "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain and through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying by receiving his gifts..." Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, having become reverent, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of righteousness." Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the promise; for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11:8-10 But this verse also in Hebrews 11 is a shocker! "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises... All these, having gained approval through their faith did not receive the promise, because God had foreseen (or provided) something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect." Hebrews 11:39, 40 How would I have handled that? "Abraham went out, not knowing where he was to go. He didn't know what the land would be like, but he went, because his fulfillment was not in the condition of the land, His fulfillment was in the going... Abraham trusted God. His faith was in God, not in what God would do for him... God did not lure him into the land with promises of ease and prosperity, but rather He promised that Abraham's posterity would be aliens in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years. And He still went out. The purpose in our becoming God's children is that we might know and do His will, not that He might cater to our needs. God promised Abraham, 'I will bless you.' It is enough for us to know that. When God says He will bless, He will be true to His word. Eyes of faith will see the blessing even when it does not appear to the natural eye. The key is not in looking for the blessing, but in knowing the One who blesses. This is God's greatest blessing." Stewart W. Peterson I will know my faith has substance if the following Scripture describes me. "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises... but having seen them and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they are strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own... they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16 "The Faith" sees beyond the daily, the yearly, even the lifetime. "The" faith is not seeking rewards but seeking the One who rewards. It is not a question of "what" is our reward but "Who"! "Do not fear, Abram, I am... your very great reward." Genesis 15:1 The Faith in us will press onward, letting the promises and answers to our prayers overtake us in His time and His way. Is it not possible that some of the promises of God and the prayers He gives us to pray will be answered in a lifetime beyond ours, perhaps only when His Kingdom comes? "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 Now He was telling them a parable to show them at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart... However when the Son of Man comes, will He find the faith (in me)? _________________________________________________ The Commission My Personal Journey Remember the commission given to those of us who have come out? "Now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. ...our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of the Lord, to restore its ruins..." Ezra 9:8, 9 And remember the word given me at the beginning of this personal journey when I asked God: "How do I do the Revelation?" "Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the days that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built." Zechariah 8:9 Both Scriptures speak of the house of the Lord to be raised up, its ruins restored. A foundation to be laid, a temple to be built! And at that time I didn't know how to respond or what to do -- so I echoed the words of Ezra: "And now, O Lord, what do I say after this?" But now I do know some things to say! On my personal journey I have through His grace gained knowledge of Him, of the work He is reviving, of what He is looking for in His people, what He is looking for in me. The "reviving" is the relaying of the foundation which is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God in each one He has called out! And just as the calling out is One on one, the reviving is One on one, the correcting is One on one, the measuring is One on one, the rebuilding is One on one, the restoring is One on one, so the relaying of the Foundation is One on one. For we, His people, are at best a mixture of clean and unclean, truth and error, precious and worthless. And until we are cleansed, revived, measured, restored we are not stones that can be built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, living stones that can offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, nor can we serve Him as His "house of prayer." But all hope is not lost. The brief moment is still ours. Again: "Now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. ...our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of the Lord, to restore its ruins..." Ezra 9:8, 9 _________________________________________________ Pressing On! My Personal Journey "The Lord God says: 'I will revive My work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years I will make Myself known.'" Habakkuk 3:2 It is now late fall of 2008, more than eight months since I began my personal journey. And wonder of wonders: The brief moment of grace is still open... The peg in His holy place is still holding... His lovingkindness is still extended... Reviving is still granted... And the following Scripture assures me that His invitation to "Come and you will see" is still offered: "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4 And I no longer have to ask Him, "Where are You staying?" And although I will no longer be recording it at this time, "The Revelation and Beyond" is still my personal journey. "And a highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. And the unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way... The redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord will return. And come with joyful shouting to Zion..." Isaiah 35:8-10 And I believe if I continue on, the following from the last page of Handbook 2 will be my final destination: "You have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, and to the general assembly and the church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant... Now He has promised saying, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.' And this, 'Yet once more,' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:22-29 _________________________________________________ A Postscript: 9/24/09 My Personal Journey On 9/24/01, the day Handbook 2 was completed, God recorded and dated two promises on the final page: "'Consider, I pray you, from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month... consider this... from this day I will bless you.' And again the word of the Lord came... on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 'I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms...'" Haggai 2:18-23 Also, on the last page of Handbook 2, God repeated the promise to shake the heavens and the earth, this time it came with a warning. "See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven... He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.' And this expression, 'Yet once more', denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." Hebrews 12:25-27 Am I taking His warning to heart? Am I listening? "Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the days that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built." Zechariah 8:9 Listen to Isaiah: "Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, He will raise a war cry. 'I will lay waste the mountains and the hills, And wither all their vegetation...'" Isaiah 42:10, 13, 15 "A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people!" "I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My mighty warriors..." "The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle. ...The Lord and His instruments of indignation..." Excerpts from Isaiah 13:3-5 Listen to Amos: "Behold the eyes of the Lord are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth..." Amos 9:8 And to this word from Jesus: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent men seize it for themselves." Matthew 11:12 It is time! Am I aware of it? And even beyond awareness, do I perceive what is happening? "For it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God..." 1 Peter 4:17 (Handbook 2, Article 23) Isaiah again: "Sing to the Lord... sing His praise from the end of the earth!" And from John: "They sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God and the song of the Lamb. 'Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, The Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the ages. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.'" Revelation 15:3, 4 And the blessing God promised? Paul received it! "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He has considered me faithful, putting me into service..." 1 Timothy 1:12 (Handbook 3, Article 49) "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs, He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to 'knowers.' It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things, He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. To Thee, O God... we give thanks and praise, For Thou hast given us wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to us what we requested of Thee. For Thou hast made known to us the King's matter." Daniel 2:20-23