The Lord’s Reward

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2)

What was the joy set before the Lord as a reward for enduring the cross?  Was it to sit at the right hand of God in glory?  He already had that before coming to the earth so it must be something else.  I believe it was the joy of seeing the redemption of mankind, and the restoration of His creation.  In love, He would lay down His life for His friends (Jn. 15:13).  For creation, it was a return to what God had originally created, but for mankind, it was more.  The Father was putting the Second Adam to sleep so He could make a helper suitable for Him (Gen. 4:18-23).  From redeemed man He was going to make a Bride for His Son (Eph. 5:25).  The Lord has been patiently waiting for His reward.  He will receive it at the marriage celebration when He presents to Himself a Bride that has made herself ready (Rev. 19:7). 

How important is it to you that the Lord receives His reward?  Jesus is always concerned about His joy being fulfilled in us (Jn. 15:11; 17:13).  Should we not be concerned about Him receiving His reward?  If we make ourselves ready, both individually and corporately, this will come to pass.  Certainly, maturing in the fruit of the Spirit is part of our preparation but there is more.  We will never reach full maturity or fulfill our destiny unless we are also functioning as properly joined members of His Body (Eph. 4:16).  We must realize that we are not independent of one another.  As I have shared in other articles, we are living stones being built together into a spiritual house for God (1Pe. 2:5).  Jesus prayed on earth that we would be one with each other, with Him, and with the Father (Jn. 17:20,21).  In the Spirit, we have been joined together as one body in Christ.  We are in God and He is in us, both individually and corporately.  We must mature in this corporate unity before we can be a mature Bride.

It is not an easy thing for us to mature in unity.  Most of us probably do not even know what it means, or we would not be doing some of the things we do.  It requires a change in mindset about our identity.  We are individuals, but we are not independent.  “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Rom. 12:5).  We need to change our mindset from an independent identity to a corporate identity.  Even how we view spiritual maturity should change.  We hear a lot about becoming mature sons of God, but personally I do not believe that should be our main goal.  Gifts were given to every believer to edify the Body “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:14).  Please note that “a perfect man” is singular.  God views the goal of maturity as believers walking in love, as one man.

I used to think that when the Church reaches maturity, we will have a unity of knowledge, but this passage in Ephesians is referring to a unity of “the knowledge of the Son of God”.  We are to grow in our knowledge of God, not in our knowledge of doctrines.  We are to work at building up the body of Christ in love.  To separate from other believers because of doctrine is not love.  A family is still a family, even if the members think differently.  Walking in unity means that even if we have different views, we can agree to walk together to serve God (Amos 3:3). 

It takes effort to accept believers who think differently than us, but what if God has given them something that we need?  What has helped me to listen to teachers who so not see everything the way I do is to remember that “we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1Cor. 13:9).  If we only see in part, then from where do we get the other parts?  We all want to have a full picture of things, but God only gives each of us a portion of it.  We usually make up the rest from what we “think” is correct, which usually includes some human traditions. When I listen to someone’s teaching, I try to discern what God is saying through that person, but I also try to distinguish it from what they may have added to it from their own understanding.  Because they say something I cannot agree with does not give me the right to walk away from them.  I accept them as members of God’s family, and I try to see what Christ is doing in them.

There is a place for honest conversations about the things we disagree in, but these can only occur when we make a commitment to walk love. Love is the bond that keeps us together (Col. 3:14).  Too often, we put others in theological boxes which we would not want to be placed in ourselves.  Unless a teaching is a “destructive heresy”, we should not focus on confronting it (2Pe. 2:1).  If we focus on what is true, the things that are not true will fade away. 

There is a maturity and a unity of the Spirit that we must contend for if we are to become the Lord’s reward.  In a previous article (The Lord’s Search) I shared how the Lord is still searching for a body of believers who will stand in the gap as one man to intercede for the land (Ezek. 22:30).  He is looking for us to fulfill our priestly ministry with one heart, one mind, and one voice.

Union and Communion

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  (2Cor. 13:14)

One of the writings that greatly influenced me early in my Christian life was the book by Hudson Taylor, Union and Communion.  It taught me the importance of establishing a walk of unbroken communion with our Lord.  Lately I have been learning about meditating on our union with God as a means of experiencing His presence.  Prior to this, my practice of meditation had been to prayerfully ponder the Word of the Lord according to Joshua 1:8 and Psalm One.  As I have been learning more about meditation, the Lord has brought me back to those initial experiences of communion with Him.  It is like returning to my first love, but now with greater understanding and maturity.

The verse above provides a good summary of the key functions of the Trinity.  I like this verse because it emphasizes the role of Holy Spirit in our communion with God.  It is through the Spirit that we have fellowship with the Father and the Son (1Jn. 1:3).   Lately, gaining a better understanding of our union with God has been an earnest request of my heart.  I want to know experientially what Jesus meant when He prayed, “that they all may be one, as You, Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (Jn. 17:21).  Here are some of the things the Lord has been teaching me.

The first thing the Lord reminded me of when I asked this question was that the Church is the mystical body of Christ.  This is a picture of our union with one another, but it also explains our union with God.  Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One.  If we are His Body, and He is the head, we become the means of His expression to all creation.   Jesus Christ is the brightness of God’s glory, the expressed image of His person (Heb. 1:3).  As members of His body, we likewise should express the glory and person of God.  The Church is different than the rest of creation in this regard.  “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1).  We are different because we do not just declare His glory, it is expressed “through” us.

The description of the Church as the Bride of Christ also illustrates the way God’s glory is supposed to come forth from us.  “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” (Rev. 21:10,11).  The Bride of Christ “has the glory of God”; she does not just “reflect” the glory.  She “has” it because God dwells in her.  This description of the Bride is the condition of the Church after she has come to maturity.  What is further needed for the Bride to be made ready? (Rev. 19:7; 21:2).

When I commune with God, I begin by focusing on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  As I become aware of His presence, I begin to fellowship with the Father and the Son because they also are present in the Holy Spirit.  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (Jn. 14:23).  We can individually experience the presence of God.  This is the first step in experiencing the union that Jesus prayed for.

Another description of the Church is that she is the house of God.  “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe. 2:5).  We know that God dwells in each believer, but this verse is speaking of a corporate house, the New Jerusalem.  It is a spiritual house made up of living stones; each one in communion with God.  Then, each stone is properly fitted together into the house that God is building.  The prayer that Jesus prayed for our unity with God began with a prayer for us to be in unity with each other. (Jn. 17:21).  True unity of the Church, I believe, will only come after we are individually experiencing our union with God in the Spirit.  A religious spirit will not bring about unity in the Church; only the Spirit of God can do that. 

The main Scripture I use in my meditation for communion is: “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1Cor. 6:17).  To me this means that the Holy Spirit and my spirit live together in the same body.  We are one in the same sense that a man and a woman become one flesh through marriage.  I can, at anytime, turn inward to fellowship with the Holy Spirit.  There is much teaching these days about experiencing the realms of the Kingdom while still in our physical bodies.  This is what the Celtic saints did, and they greatly influenced their world as a result.  The Apostle John had a heavenly experience on the Isle of Patmos when he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” (Rev. 1:10).  If we want to walk with God in a deeper way, we must learn to be “in the Spirit”.

Another principle we can use is that of the breath.  In Genesis we read that God breathed into man the breath of life (Gen. 2:7).  The Holy Spirit is the breath of God.  As I breath in air, I activate my faith to breath in the Holy Spirit.  He already is inside of me, but when I activate my faith this way, His presence fills my soul.  “But you know Him (the Spirit of Truth), for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (Jn. 14:17). 

There are other Biblical illustrations, like the elements of the Lord’s Supper, that help us to meditate on our union with God.  What is important is not the illustration we use, but that we become entangled with Him as we wait before Him in faith and surrender.

From the Heart

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  (Prov. 4:23)

What is the heart, and how do we function from it?  According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, the main Hebrew word for heart is Lēb, which means the center of a thing.  For humans, this refers to the seat of our thoughts, will, and emotions.  As such, the heart appears to be a part of the soul.  The word for “soul” (nephesh) is sometimes translated as “heart”.   “For as he thinks in his heart (soul), so is he.” (Prov. 23:7).  On the other hand, Scripture sometimes speaks of it as distinct from the soul.  “And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart (Lēdāb) and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.” (2Chron. 15:15).  Lēdāb, which is a synonym of Lēb, refers to the “inner man”.  

The heart is also distinct from the spirit.  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Ps. 51:10).  Our spirit and the Holy Spirit are one. (1Cor. 6:17).  If we want to perceive the thoughts of the Spirit, we must listen with our heart.  “I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” (Ps. 77:6b). 

We have often heard the advice that we should follow our heart.  This is the only way to be true to ourselves, but it requires that the motives of our heart be pure.  Jesus told His disciples, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matt. 15:35).  When we are born again spiritually, we are given a clean new heart (Ezek. 18:31).  By grace, we can maintain this heart in purity. 

The Apostle Paul used the illustration of a ship on the waters to describe our walk of faith (1Tim. 1:19).  Lifting the sails of our heart, we capture the wind of the Spirit.  There are other winds, so we must be careful to follow only the Holy Spirit.  Many are afraid to walk by faith because they are afraid of getting into error.  We need not fear error if we remain humble and are motivated by love, which issues from “a pure heart, a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” (1Tim. 1:5).  A good conscience is needed to maintain a pure heart.  Without these, we will go shipwreck in our walk.  Paul gives Timothy examples of ministers who suffered this fate (1Tim. 1:20; 2Tim. 2:17).

Everything flows from the heart.  Even when we operate from our minds, we reflect a condition of the heart, which in this case could be unbelief.  The parable of the Sower describes the conditions that will produce a good crop.  It begins with good soil, which we have if we are born again.  Next, we need to cultivate it, plant the right seeds, provide the proper environment, and keep it free of weeds. 

Cultivating the soil of our heart will remove any hard areas and dislodge the weeds that have been growing there.  This is an ongoing process as we go in to possess the land of our soul.  Hard areas of soil are the result of having been trampled on.  We all have areas that need deliverance and healing.  Most of this happens in the beginning of our walk, but the process of transformation will continue until we reach maturity.  These areas are part of my soul; I do not regard them as part of my heart until they come to the surface.  Then I deal with them through forgiveness, repentance, and faith.

Planting the right seeds is such a joyful time, so full of hope.  In the natural, we give a lot of attention to the seeds we plant.  It is no different for the garden of our heart.  The passage of Scripture that exhorts us to “keep our hearts” also tells us to listen attentively to instruction and to hide it in our heart (Prov. 4:20,21).  We have control over what seeds are planted in our heart.  Jesus taught us to seek first the kingdom of God, “For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Lu. 12:34).  “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:2,3). 

The main way to grow a good crop is to develop a relationship with God in the Holy Spirit.  “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it.” (Matt. 13:23).  The seeds we plant must have time to germinate and grow.  This means they must be meditated upon until spiritual understanding comes, then they must be acted upon.  The Holy Spirit provides the moisture, and the Son provides the light energy.  The Father is the Gardener who oversees the entire process.  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (Jn. 14:23).  If we fellowship with God in our heart, He will make His home there.

As everyone knows, once you plant a garden, it must be tended.  Keeping the weeds from growing is essential.  No-one likes to deal with sin.  The problem is we tend to punish ourselves for it, but that will not cleanse us.  Only the blood of Jesus can do this, and it is given freely.  “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.” (1Jn. 3:20,21).  As we choose to believe the love that God has for us (1Jn. 4:16), we can let Him search our heart for anything that will harm us (Ps. 139:23,24).  We cannot do this effectively ourselves because our heart may deceive us (Jer. 17:9,10).  We must depend on the Holy Spirit to convict us of what is wrong (Jn. 16:8).  Guarding our heart is intentional and it requires diligence.

“But the ones (seeds) that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” (Lu. 8:15). 

From Glory to Glory

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”  (2Cor. 3:8)

When I deal with something in my life, I want to overcome it and never have to come back to it.  I think most of us are the same.  Recently, I was meditating before the Lord on why some victories are only partial.  Why do I sometimes have to return and fight the same battles again?  Take my health for example.  Why must I deal with hereditary factors when I have already placed the blood of Jesus between myself and my ancestors?  Even through water baptism, I have believed that the claims of the enemy on my body were removed when I identified with His death.  So, why should I have to continually confess His healing promises over my body?  Is it because I have not actually won the victory? 

As I was meditating on this, the Lord reminded me of a prophetic experience Rick Joyner described in his book, The Torch and the Sword.  With the weapons the Lord had given him, he was restoring life to spiritual movements of the past.  Out of curiosity, he wondered what would happen if he used his weapons to destroy a tree of worldly knowledge.  What he found out later was that because he did not plant a new tree in its place, another evil tree which was worse than the first grew in its place.  “You foolishly cut down one of the trees and did not plant the torch in its place.  You know very well that every time you displace the devil, or one of his strongholds, he will try to return, and if he can he will come back many times more powerful.” (p. 102).  

I have for a long time understood this principle when it comes to evil spirits, but I have not normally applied it to his strongholds.  There actually is a biblical basis for its application to strongholds.  When the Lord promised to go with the Israelites to take possession of the promised land, He told them, “I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.  Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” (Ex. 23:29,30).  Besides extending the Kingdom on the earth, the land we take possession of is our own souls (Lu. 21:19).  Even though we fight the same type of battles, we continue to take on new territories.  We are going deeper as we grow in maturity and become more established in revealed truth.  We are being changed from glory to glory. 

How we win these battles is very important.  We must maintain a mercy focus.  We extend the Kingdom by receiving and extending mercy.  We conquer by bringing all things under subjection to Christ. He has already defeated the enemy on the cross.  Our victory is in Him.  As we submit an area of our live to Him, the shed blood is applied to it.  The land is redeemed by mercy.  Paul understood this: “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has give us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2Cor. 5:18).  We must not be focused on the enemy, or our problems.  What does a focus on mercy look like?  You keep your eyes on the Lord, constantly aware of His great love for you.  When something gets in the way of your relationship, you deal with.  If it is a thought or an emotion that is not Christlike, you confess it and accept His forgiveness, and you give it to Him for transformation.  If it is an interference by an evil spirit, you look to Christ within.  Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1Jn. 4:4).  Resist the enemy, and he will flee from you. (Jas. 4:7).

If we resist this reconciliation, the enemy will strengthen his hold on our land.  Overcoming will be more difficult, but God is greater than our weaknesses.  We need to take time to fellowship with Him and “behold His glory”.  As we rest in His presence, His love will change our desires and imparts to us the anointing which will break the yoke of the enemy (Isa. 10:27).  We cannot change ourselves, it is “by the Spirit”.    

When we take territory, we must inhabit it.  We do this by allowing Christ to live through us.  Beholding the Lord brings revelation of truth.  We see who we can be, but we must take possession of this truth through obedience (1Pe. 1:22).  As we redeem the land, we must put to death the old patterns and establish new ones.  The Word will become flesh in us as we “receive with meekness the implanted word”, which is able to transform our soul (Jas. 1:21).  It is the Word planted in us that produces fruit.  Our responsibility is to provide the right soil and climate.  The soil is conditioned by mercy.  The climate is the light of His presence.  It is not enough to experience His presence; we must abide in it.  We must learn to walk in union with the Holy Spirit.  “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1Cor. 6:17).   He will empower us to be vessels of His grace (2Tim. 2:21).  He will watch over the Word to accomplish it in us.

Our transformation is gradual.  Just because there are areas of our lives that need renewing does not mean that we are not walking in victory.  Our spirit man is an entirely new being in Christ.  We are a spirit being with a soul in a physical body.  The soul is essential for us to function in this physical body, and it must be transformed for us to live in a new resurrected body.  The transformation of our soul is the working out of our salvation; it is an expansion of our territory.  We have received a new life in Christ, and now we walk with Him to redeem the land (Gal. 5:25).  We were made alive by the Spirit but now we must walk in the Spirit to “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

The Middle East Conflict

“‘A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”  (Prov. 22:3 NIV)

Christians understand that conflicts in the Middle East will continue until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The more we understand the source of these conflicts, the better we are at discerning the times.  The Day of the Lord will come as a surprise for those in the world, but as children of light we should not be caught unaware (1Thess. 5:1-4).  We should watch and be sober, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation”. (1Thess. 5:8).  As we see danger approaching, we should not hide in fear, but rather take refuge in the secret place of God’s presence (Ps. 91).  We should be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, putting on our spiritual armor so we can stand in the evil day (Eph. 6:10-18).  In this article I want to share why I believe Iran will be involved in this conflict until the end.  As you see events unfold, you will not fall into deception like the rest of the world. 

My focus on Iran started many years ago when I listened to a teaching from the Book of Daniel.  Jesus Himself directed us to the Book of Daniel to understand end-time events.  He told us that a time of sorrows would precede the Great Tribulation.  We are currently in this time of sorrows.  The beginning of the Great Tribulation, Jesus said, would be marked by the “‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15).  In a divine visitation, Daniel was told that the king of one of the four divisions of the Greek Empire would “take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.” (Dan. 11:31).  This occurred during the time of the Maccabees, but Jesus also spoke of it as a future event.  The king who did this in the past was Antiochus Epiphanes of the northern (Syrian) kingdom.  He was a type of the antichrist.  The actual antichrist will be “broken without human means” (Dan. 8:25), but this man died a natural death.  Although some of the prophecies in Chapter 11 were fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes, others belong to the last days.

In earlier visions, Daniel was shown that the Medo-Persian kingdom would be replaced by a Greek kingdom, and that this kingdom would be divided into four.  From one of these kingdoms would arise a king that would speak “pompous words against the Most High” and “persecute the saints of the Most High” but God would rule in favor of the saints, destroy this king and establish His Kingdom forever. (Dan. 7:25-27).  Now we know that the Greek Empire was replaced by the Roman Empire, but since some prophecies for the king of the north still need to be fulfilled, I expect the antichrist to come from a restored Syrian Empire.  The teaching I heard stated that this restored Syrian Empire would include Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.  It is not surprising to me that Iran is involved somehow in all these countries. 

Even though nations are involved in end-time events, it is important to remind ourselves that the powers behind them are spiritual.  There are principalities over nations looking for ways to influence mankind.  Kingdoms may change, but the unseen rulers remain.  The spirit of the antichrist was in this world in New Testament times and has remained until now.  In the end, this spirit will find expression in the man of sin, the son of perdition (2Thess. 2:3).  Scripture tells us that the “mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He (he) who now restrains will do so until He (he) is taken out of the way.”  (2Thess. 2:7).  Bible translators are not certain about which pronoun to use here.  Some people believe that this is referring to the Holy Spirit who will be removed from the earth with the Church at the start of the Great Tribulation.  I disagree with this doctrine because people will still get saved during that time, and salvation cannot happen without the working of the Holy Spirit.  I believe that “he who now restrains” is a spiritual power working through other nations.   

Considering Iran as the leading nation in a restored Syrian Empire, which nations or people groups are currently opposing it?  The first is Israel; the second is Saudi Arabia; the third is America.  Obviously, the spirit of the antichrist would target Israel because they brought to us the Messiah, and they will believe in Him in the last days.   Saudi Arabia is the enemy of Iran because their people are mostly Suni Muslims while the people in Iran are mainly Shiite Muslims.  Suni Muslims believe that Shiite Muslims are heretics.  The civil war in Yemen is part of Iran’s conflict with Saudi Arabia.  The United States is an enemy of Iran because it is a world power that opposes its goals.  It is also an ally of Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Shiite branch of the Muslim faith believes in a messiah-type prophet that will rule the world.  The main leader in Iran is the Ayatollah who is both a religious and political leader.  Similarly, the government of the antichrist will be both religious and political.  Now even if the Shiite faith is used by the spirit of the antichrist to advance its goals, the son of perdition will reject all religions and claim himself to be god. 

Communism also is antichrist in nature.  The alignment of Communist countries with Iran and Syria is already occurring but the main threat of Communism is towards America.  As long as The United States continues to hold the balance of power for the West, the revealing of the son of perdition will be delayed.  This is why there is such an effort by demonic forces to weaken and divide America.  If my understanding is correct, when America loses this balance of power, we will see the start of the Great Tribulation. 

As we see the Day of the Lord approaching, we must continue to take refuge in Christ and work with Him to bring about His purpose.  Our prayers are needed so more people can be saved.  Paul tells us there will be a great falling away of believers before the revealing of the antichrist, but before this falling away we should expect the often-prophesied end-time revival.  With this outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be an increase of spiritual power amongst believers.  Let us be open to all that God wants to do to equip us to stand in the evil day (Eph. 6:13).

The Bride

“‘Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.” (Rev. 21:9-10)

The Book of Revelation ends with a description of the New Jerusalem.  This is where we are headed.  The Gospel is more than about heaven and hell.  It is about God the Father preparing a Bride for His Son and sharing His love with all of creation.  By making the message only about getting saved, we have hindered people from pursuing the fullness of what God has for them.  If getting saved is the goal, then all we need to do is maintain what we have received, while we pursue other goals in this natural life.  This is a man-centered gospel.  Are we thankful enough for our salvation to seek to know the One who saved us?  Is our destination heaven, or to be a part of the holy city where the Lord God and the Lamb are the temple (Rev. 21:22)?

Throughout the ages, God has given messages to His people.  The Book of Revelation is one such message.  There are other messages given to the Church that have not been included in Scripture.  They do not have the same authority as scripture, but nonetheless are useful for edification.  Today I want to share a little from the message Jesus gave to Dr. Dale Fife, which he recorded in The Secret Place. 

In the vision, he walked along a road chronicling the history of the Church.  The Lord said, “‘You cannot limit My church to the present time you are living in,’ He said, with a sparkle of eternity in His eye.  ‘You must view it through the years and centuries since I began to build it.’” (p. 163).  Throughout history, Christ has been building His Church.  As we move forward in time, we should rediscover some of the victories the saints obtained, hold fast to what is good, and press in to discover more of what God has for us.  We should also believe in hope for a final great outpouring which will help the church rise to full maturity.  “‘This is why I have brought you here.  You must tell My church that the time for the greatest harvest is at hand.  It is now here!  The whole earth is in the throes of judgment and deliverance.  I am calling in the harvest.  You must tell My laborers that now is the time!’.  As He said this, He hurled a ball of fire upon the earth and said, ‘I am empowering My workers for the end-time harvest!’”.  (p. 165)

Next along the road they encountered a series of grotesque billboards portraying every human body part imaginable.  The scene was so disturbing that even Jesus began to weep.  “This is what you have done to My church.  You have defiled the purity of My bride.  You have torn my beautiful bride into pieces and dismembered her.  You have divided the parts of My body and put them on display.  You have exalted some of the parts and scorned others.  I have watched while you ridicule that which I call holy.  My heart is broken.  I can bear it no longer.” (p. 174).  How many of these divisions have occurred in the name of righteousness?  How we react to the evils we see in the church is not always the way Christ would have us do it.  To move forward without repeating the mistakes of the past, we need a humble and pure heart.

As He spoke, an army of workers was seen approaching.  “Behold, My great company of apostles and prophets.  Some have already begun to work among the body parts to bring healing and restoration to the bride.” (p. 175).  They will not abandon the church, but neither will they participate in maintaining the religious strongholds of the enemy.  They will tear down what is man-made and rebuild according to the instructions of the Lord.

These end-time workers will have eyes to see the Bride as she is in the Spirit.  “From this moment on, I want you to envision My bride as whole, for I am about to undo what men have done.  No longer will I allow My body to be divided into pieces or separated into parts.  The final restoration and knitting together of My church is coming.  I will not allow anyone or anything to separate My people any longer!” (p. 180).  We are all members of His body and individually precious to Him, but we also have a corporate identity.  The Body is one.  As we come into maturity, “to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), it will be evident to the world that we belong to Him.  “This is the time of times, and the season of seasons.  This is the unfolding and fulfillment of My purpose from the foundation and beginning of creation.  The earth will begin to see the unveiling of My true bride.  That which has enshrouded her and kept her from coming forth will be removed.  All that has hindered her will fall at the hands of My true end-time apostles and prophets.  Their work of completion has begun!” (p. 181). 

It is clear to me that the Church is the Bride of Christ, but I understand why some believe that the Bride is only those in the Church who overcome.   The Bride must make herself ready for the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7), so it is true that only the overcomers are the Bride.  My conviction is that not everyone who gets saved endures to the end.  Once we are baptized into the Body of Christ, nothing can remove us except God Himself.  Jesus indicated in His message to the church in Sardis that this is possible (Rev. 3:5).  This is a difficult truth to accept this if we see the Gospel as a heaven or hell issue, but I believe there is more to salvation than that.  Let God be the final Judge, but as for us, let us continue to walk in love by faith.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God except our own choices.  “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” (Heb. 3:12-14).

The Mysteries of Man

“What is man that You think of him? Or the son of man that you are concerned about him?  You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor; You have put everything in subjection under his feet.” (Heb. 2:6-8 NAS). 

This scripture speaks of God Himself taking on a human form.  For a while, He took on a form that was created lower than the angels.  After He had suffered and tasted death, He arose victorious.  The first mystery is that God took on the form of His creation to raise it up in Himself.  The second mystery is that man, who was created lower than angels, is raised up with Christ to rule with Him over all the works of His hands.  The third mystery is that the final state of man was planned from the beginning.  “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” (Eph. 1:4,5). 

The first Adam was created a “living soul”, with a spirit, and a physical body (Gen. 2:7).  God’s order for man is first the spirit, then the soul, and then the body (1Thess. 5:23).  When the spirit comes into man, it gains an entirely new dimension of expression.   The soul is essential for the spirit to function in a body.  In the new creation his spirit is renewed, his soul is transformed, and  he obtains a new spiritual body.  This renewed spirit will obtain an entirely new expression in a spiritual body that is greater than what was possible in a physical body.  A transformed soul is essential for the spirit to function through this new spiritual body. 

All of this is possible if our salvation is complete.  We often think of it as a past event, but it only begins with the new birth.  Salvation should come to every part of man, but it is possible for us to receive only some of it.  I believe we have presented the gospel too simply.  There is a salvation of the spirit, a salvation of the soul, and a salvation of the body.  The spirit is saved through the new birth, but the resurrection of the body is the “hope of our salvation”.  We will attain this if we overcome this world.

There is more to salvation than just going to heaven.  We are called to reign with Christ as His Bride.  Only those who overcome will reign with Him.  Jesus made this clear in His messages to the seven churches of Revelation.  “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Rev. 3:21). 

How can we be overcomers?  We face a lot of issues in life, but to be an overcomer we must go to the root of our problems.  The key is found in what happened to us in the fall.  We were deceived to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and as a result we became like God.  What is so wrong with becoming like God?  I certainly want to be like God in character, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil does not produce character.  Instead, it gives one the ability to be a judge.  Partaking of this fruit outside of the will of God resulted in the independent nature found in man.  This nature has been dealt with on the cross, but the old thinking remains in our soul.  In Christ, we are no longer bound to live by the old nature; we are free to choose which thoughts to obey.  “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6). 

The independent spirit is the spirit of pride.  We can tell by the fruit in our lives if we still have issues with independence.  Fear and anxiety are symptoms of independence. So is a lack of grace to overcome sinful habits.  God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas. 4:6).  One of the most overlooked results of independence, however, is judging others or ourselves.  Only God has the right to judge.  Paul said, “In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.” (1Cor. 4:3,4). 

Jesus overcame this world and has made a way for us to do the same.  The key was His humility.  The devil tried to tempt Him to walk independently from God (Matt. 4:1-11).   He even offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” without having to go to the cross.  “And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:8). 

Even though He overcame as a man, He did not rely on human strength.  Before going into the wilderness, He was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Before the devil came to test Him (Lu. 4:2,3), He spent forty days strengthening Himself in the Spirit through fasting and prayer,.  Then He came out the wilderness “in the power of the Spirit” (Lu. 4:14); not just because He overcame the devil, but because He had been with the Father. 

The advice Jesus gave His disciples in Gethsemane still applies for us today: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt. 26:41).  We do not overcome the enemy by looking at him or our problems.  We overcome by keeping our eyes on the Lord.  First, we draw near to God, then we resist the devil (Jas. 4:7,8).  As we commune with God, the light of His presence surrounds us.  We see more clearly when the devil or sin gets in the way of our fellowship. If we know our authority and if we are quick to repent and believe, we can maintain unbroken communion with our Lord.   

 What is man that God thinks of us?  It really is not about us; it is about His Son.  God is preparing a Bride, a companion suitable for Him.  “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” (Rev. 19:9). 

Mysteries of Creation

“This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”  (Eph. 5:32)

It is important that we understand the mysteries of creation as they concern Christ and the Church.  One of those mysteries is “that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” (Eph. 1:10).  “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:19).  From the beginning, God had a plan for mankind that would far surpass the original creation.  We tend to think of redemption as something God was ready to do in case man sinned, but the mystery is that the second state of man is better than the first.  In the beginning, man had fellowship with God, but through redemption, man became “members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” (Eph. 5:30).  Man was first created as a living soul but in Christ, he becomes a living spirit (1Cor. 15:45).  Redeemed man becomes a new creation, not just a restored one. (2Cor. 5:17). 

In the first account of creation, we see the order of when the heavens and the earth were formed.  We are told that on the seventh day God rested because “the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” (Gen. 2:1,2).  There is always more than one dimension to the Word of God.  When we look at the seven days of creation, we can view them in a framework of time and space, which would mean that there is an eight day and so on.  We can also view the account as covering all of creation, from the beginning of time to the end, which would mean that each day represents an era.  With this second view, the fall and redemption of man is included within the six days and God’s rest is for eternity.  I like to think that both views are acceptable and provide different perspectives of God’s work.

One of the mysteries to consider is of the earth itself.  How old is the earth?  We know that God created everything is six days, but how long was a day before the sun was formed?  Also, what was the earth when it was created?  God calls it all the dry land (Gen. 1:10).  From our perspective that would mean the planet Earth, but from God’s perspective, it could mean all the dry land in the universe.  Even limiting our interpretation to the physical universe may be wrong.  What if God’s perspective is multi-dimensional?  Maybe the earth that God is referring to is in another dimension and the physical universe is just an expression of it.  On the earth that God is referring to, vegetation came forth on the third day, but the sun and the stars were only created on the fourth day.  This means the original earth had light from a different source, just like the new heaven and the new earth will have (Rev. 21:23).

If the earth is multi-dimensional, then the garden of Eden, which was planted by God on the earth, is still here.  After the fall, man was driven out of the garden, but Scripture does not say that Eden was removed.  Rather, it says that “He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Gen. 3:24).  Since the garden of Eden is still on earth, in a different dimension, then we should be able to gain access to it in Christ.  We do not need to understand everything, but the more we do, the deeper can be our experience with God in His Kingdom.

The second account of creation is “a history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” (Gen. 2:4).  This record helps us to gain an understanding of the mystery of mankind.  We know from Chapter One that man was created (or re-created) on the sixth day.  In Chapter Two, however, we find that Adam was formed “before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown.” (Gen. 2:5).  This would indicate that Adam was created on the third day, before even the physical universe, as we know it (sun, moon, stars), and before any of the fish, birds, and animals.  This time frame is confirmed in the next verses as God creates birds and animals to provide companionship for Adam.  The problem we have with understanding scripture is we always look at it from our current circumstances.  The earth as we know it today is in a fallen state, subject to death and decay.  This was not the case in the beginning, and it will not be after death is destroyed. (1Cor. 15:26; Rev. 20:14).   

It is not clear on which day Eve was created.  Following the linear timeline, it could be on the sixth day when God created man “male and female” (Gen. 1:27).  This would place the fall and redemption of man after the seventh day.  If we consider the view that the creation account is from eternity to eternity, then it could be before the creation of our present universe, on the fourth day.  With this view, marine life, animal life, and mankind would be re-created on the fifth and sixth day.  Redemption would then occur on day six, when we become new creations in Christ.

What about the angels?  The only reference to them is at the fall of man.  When Lucifer appears to tempt Eve, he is described as a serpent that “was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord had made.” (Gen. 3:1).  Could the original birds and living creatures be angels?  At least symbolically they are.  When Paul quotes from Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians Chapter 5, he compares the creation of Eve to the creation of the Bride of Christ.  Angelic beings would then have been created to provide companionship to the Son, but they were not sufficient.  “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.” (Col. 1:16).  By putting Adam to sleep, God was foretelling the death of Christ.  It has always been God’s plan to create a Bride for His Son.  The ultimate purpose of man is to reign with Christ as His Bride.  Salvation is the pathway to this end purpose.  Let us pursue God with all our hearts so that His purpose will be fulfilled in us.

The Normal Christian Life

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  (Jn. 1:4)

After my retirement, my wife and I moved unto an acreage.  A large part of the reason for this move was our understanding of the times we live in.  We are preparing for more glorious and more difficult days ahead.  As much as possible, we want our needs to be met apart from the world’s economic system, but more importantly, we want to be a source of blessing to other believers.  Greater than the natural preparations, however, are the spiritual ones.  As we turn to see what the Lord is saying to His people, we are learning to dwell in our union with Him.  This union is not just for our spirit life, but for the natural life as well.

Although we live in the natural world, the normal Christian life is not natural, it is spiritual.  When we say “spiritual” we think of prayer and ministry.  It certainly is that, but it is also Christ living a day-to-day life through us.  Have you ever thought about the first thirty years of Jesus’ life.  At the age of twelve, He was found in the temple teaching the scholars of Israel.  Although He said He should be about His Father’s business (Lu. 2:49), He left Jerusalem and returned to Nazareth with His parents, “and was subject to them” (Lu. 2:51).  In returning to Nazareth, He was not putting off being about His Father’s business; He was only putting off the ministry part of it.  The Father’s business is not just preaching, teaching, and healing (Matt. 9:35).  “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8). 

The normal Christian life is to let Christ live through us (Col. 3:3,4).  Christ desires to live every aspect of our life.  We are to live “in Him” spiritually as He live “in us” naturally.  It requires a constant act of faith to submit our soul and body to Christ.  The normal Christian life is spiritual because it is our spirit, in union with Christ, living in our body, through our soul.  We can walk with the Holy Spirit in everyday life.  Religion separates the secular from the religious, but Christ in us is both King and Priest.  There is an anointing for daily living in the same way that there is an anointing for ministry.  It is accessed by faith through thanksgiving and praise.  As we walk this way, we will experience more peace and joy.  “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17).

In the book The Call, Rick Joyner describes a vision of the end-time army of the Lord.  It concerns the plan of the Lord to prepare His Church for the last great battle.  In the vision, the army is composed of three groups.  “As I watched, I noticed that the plain was dry and dusty before the army, but immediately after the first twelve divisions passed, the earth was dark green, with trees giving shade and bearing fruit and pure streams flowing throughout the land.  This army was restoring the earth.” (The Call, p. 142).  The second group in the army was not as focussed as the first group because the soldiers were hindered by the selfish ambitions.  “They left bridges and many buildings, but the ground was not left in as good of shape as before they had passed.  The grass was not as green, the streams were somewhat muddied, and much of the fruit had been taken.” (The Call, p. 142).  The third group did not at all behave like the first two.  They were plagued with in-fighting.  After they passed over the land, “The grass was either gone or so trampled into the earth that it could not be seen.  The few trees that remained were stripped.  The streams were polluted.  The bridges were broken down and impassable.  The buildings were left in shambles.  It seemed that this group had undone all the good that the first two had done.” (The Call, p. 142, 143).  In seeing this, and sensing the Lord’s displeasure with the third group, Rick asked why He did not just remove this third group.  The Lord responded that most of the Church was still in the third group but that it would not be so in the end.

The Lord is preparing His people to be like the first group.  He is coming for a Bride that is “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:27).  Most of the Church is not there yet, but the good news is that some are, and many have moved out of the third group.  We are still in a time of preparation, but the day is coming when we will be judged.  Before the last battle, the Lord will discipline His army.  “Know that I will no longer abide those who remain in the condition of the third group.  Then I will stop the march of the entire army until those in this group have been disciplined to become soldiers or dispersed.  I will discipline those in the second group to cast off their evil ambitions and live for Me and My Truth.  Then My army will march forth, not to destroy, but to give life.” (The Call, p. 150). 

As children of light, we are called to produce life wherever we go.  His life in us is the light that shines in the darkness.  The normal Christian life is prophetic in nature; God speaks and acts through us.  “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10).  We cannot separate the natural things we do from our calling to be children of light.  Living life in fellowship with Christ is an act of worship (Ro. 12:1).  To walk this way is to walk in the wisdom from above.  “Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.  This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.” (Jas. 3:13-15).

The Powers of the Age to Come

“and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come” (Heb. 6:5)

As we enter the last days, we can see from a distance the start of the Millennium Age where the Bride of Christ will rule and reign with Christ on the earth (Rev. 20:4).  Soon, Christ will reveal Himself to all mankind and those who have been faithful will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” (1Cor. 15:52).  The resurrection and glorification of believers will be the long-awaited revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:18-25).  All of creation is waiting to be “delivered from the bondage of corruption and into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (vs. 21).  Creation groans and “we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” (vs. 23).  Will the release from bondage be a one-time event?  For the children of God, it is both gradual and sudden.  First, we are born again in the spirit and seated with Christ in heavenly places.  We have been restored to fellowship with God our Father.  Our soul is undergoing the gradual process of transformation (Rom. 12:1,2).  But we still groan inwardly because we live in temporal bodies.  Even now, however, the resurrection life of Christ is making our natural bodies come alive with health and strength (Rom. 8:11), and suddenly our bodies will be changed into eternal bodies at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1Cor. 15:22,23). 

For creation, the release from corruption will also be gradual and sudden.  Although the natural world is increasingly suffering the effects of man’s sin, there are local areas of relief because of the righteousness of the saints.  During the millennium, creation will experience an increased measure of its release from the bondage of death.  “The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” (Isa. 11:7).  The complete release from death, however, will only occur after the Millennium, when God creates new heavens and a new earth (Rev. 21:1).  The gradual obtaining of victory, until a climax is reached, is a spiritual principle that applies to every age.  This is an important principle to understand as we approach the end of this age.

In my early years of ministry, I was warned against the manifest sons of God doctrine.  I accepted this warning at the time, but because of its growth in popularity, I have now been pressed to discern it for myself.  How we discern doctrines is important.  To discern is different then passing judgment.  The former brings understanding; the latter brings division.  Because of fear, we tend to isolate anything that may appear to be wrong.  This results in dividing the Body of Christ.  There is a need to remove sin from our midst, but that should not include separating ourselves from those of different views.  Certainly, there are destructive doctrines propagated that should not be tolerated in any form.  These are the ones that deny the Lord or what He has done for us through His atoning sacrifice.  “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4).  The manifest sons of God doctrine may or may not be scriptural, but it should not be included in the category of “destructive heresies” (2Pe. 2:1). 

We are to judge (discern) a tree by its fruit.  When I look at the fruit in the lives of ministers who adopt these teachings, I see good fruit.  I also see some bad fruit, but this occurs with any movement because of how people apply the teachings.  The problem with new revelations is how we interpret them.  Prophets see things coming and tend to explain them from their current understanding, which always contains some influence from past traditions.  The revelation may be true, but the explanation may be inaccurate. If we are too quick to reject new teachings, we risk missing what God may be saying.  For the sake of unity and love, we need to accept one another, even if we have different views.  God is moving us away from a focus on doctrine to a focus on relationships.  As we “endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”, our understanding will grow and we will come closer to the “unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:3,13).  The basis of their teaching is that God will bring about a company of mature children in the last days.  I think we can all agree that Christ is returning for a mature Bride.  What we may disagree on is what this will look like and how it will come about.

The revelation that the Body of Christ needs to receive today is that we can taste the powers of the age to come.  Anything that belongs to the next age can be experienced today, in a measure.  What will be can now be.  We will reign with Christ during the Millennium, so we can reign with Him now.  We are not hidden away as we wait for the appearing of the Lord; we work with Him to put all His enemies under His feet.  “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.” (1Cor. 15:25). 

Religious traditions will try to keep us from advancing, but we must press into all that God has for us.  To meet the challenges of the end times, we must walk in the powers of the age to come.  As we move forward, however, we must continue to guard our hearts against enemy tactics.  An increase in spiritual experiences can lead to spiritual pride.  The devil will try to tempt us, deceive us, or discourage us with persecutions, but we are more than conquerors in Christ. We overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and by living in total surrender to Christ (Rev. 12:9-12).  Our desire for spiritual gifts and experiences should not overshadow our pursuit of love (1Cor. 14:1).  Spiritual maturity is measured by the character of Christ in us, not our experiences.  “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1Cor. 13:2).  To taste the powers of the age to come is not the end goal, but seeking these experiences to extend the kingdom of God may help us to fulfill the commandment of love.