TRUST

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Psalm 77:19,20   “Your path led through the sea, your way through the waters, though your footprints were not seen.    You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

Everything written in the Old Testament is to instruct us as stated in Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that in the endurance and encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”

As we continue studying Abraham’s life there are three major factors in Psalm 77:19, 20 that we will focus on. It is worth noting that we, as God’s children, experience each of these in spiritual growth. (1) The divine purpose of God governs everything. (2) The divine wisdom of God is working with one objective in mind. (3) God cares for his children.

To enter into the life of the Psalmist, read the entire Psalm. God has chosen you for this time. Focus on God’s care as we continue this journey into the fullness of Christ, our inheritance.

God uses Abraham in the Old Testament as an example to show us how He deals with our human nature, which includes our passions, likes, dislikes, interests and relationships. When God told Abraham to leave his country he was fearful of the criticism that would come to him when his family, friends and neighbors asked him, “Where are you going?” and he did not have an answer. But he knew God had spoken to him. Knowing is vital. God was calling Abraham out of all the relationships that would hinder him from entering into the fullness of Christ. We need to understand this as we see change coming to the world. Don’t be troubled but know that God wants to reveal Himself to you and through you. When we know this, it’s easier to submit to His divine guidance. God’s purpose will govern the actions of the vessel He has chosen. Notice that God includes the fears, questions, and failures of Abraham in the scriptures. He includes them so we can realize that the people God uses are just like us. When God speaks to Abraham, the word takes hold of him and he takes hold of the word. Now his walk in the supernatural power of the word begins.  Genesis 12:5-9 tells us that Abraham left Haran and arrived in Canaan moving through the country, God guiding them as they went.  Famine struck the land and Abraham took matters into his own hands and ‘went down’ to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan. Don’t you think God knew a famine would occur in the land? Don’t you think God knew Abraham would reason within himself and not seek the counsel of the Lord, but receive worldly counsel? Many of us do the same thing when we are confronted with adverse circumstances. The manifestation of God’s promise seems late so we take matters into our own hands. Flesh touches the promise of God and we are held back from our inheritance. Another example: Abraham in anguish about the son God promised  took matters into his own hands. Abraham’s decision is still reaping consequences to this day. God is showing us what He demands of His children; trust, confidence and faith in Him and what He says. God’s word stands ready. He spoke it and it will come to pass! God wants us to understand what He’s doing with us; He’s stripping away all that is flesh. Remember we are a heavenly people; we have been born again from above. The Lord has to strip away the things that hold us back from gaining Christ. Hindrances come from the world around us and also from within ourselves.

Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a good example of God stripping away earthly things. Lazarus was sick; but notice how God allowed the sickness to happen so that His son Jesus Christ would be glorified. The Lord allows time to elapse and Lazarus dies and is buried in the tomb. Divine  knowledge understands the will of God and why He permits things to happen; things such as pressure, antagonism, and persecution. Something is taking place in us as He is stripping away all things that are not inherent of the fullness of Christ. He arrives at the tomb and says in John 11:43, “…Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus comes out and the power of the word speaking to death calls forth a new life. The moment he comes into a new life something takes place. The grave clothes had to be removed so they would not obstruct his walk or vision. God will always bring us to a point where we are confronted with death to self so we may walk in newness of life. The same stripping away of old things happened to Abraham when he was told to leave his country, family and friends. Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The answer to our particular situation is always found in scripture.

The verse in Psalms 77:1-2 is an example of rising above adverse situations, “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted.” The Psalmist was in distress but he overcame his distress by recalling the mighty hand of God towards the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. Remember the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Can you see God’s Word governing the Psalmist as he recalls God’s deeds in delivering Israel and applying it to his own circumstance? The conclusion in verse 13 reads, “Your ways, oh God, are Holy. What god is so great as our God?” He was living off the promise of God. When we go through moments of perplexity and distress, we will also overcome by remembering God’s promise. When Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted of satan, He said in Matthew 4:14, “It is written that man shall not live, exist, by bread alone.” In other words, man will truly exist, be moved, and have his being by every word that comes forth out of the mouth of God. The living word of God is the key to our existence.

The living Word of God is the key to our existence.

Imagine the feeling of hopelessness in the millions of Israelites facing the red sea and the chariots of Pharaoh? Your ways were hidden from the natural man. The divine purpose of God was working in the midst of the storm as a nation was being born even in their terror and fear. Paul says, "These things were written for our instruction to understand the ways of God." God wants to bring us to the place where there is no salvation in our natural abilities, nor salvation in any government or institution under the control of satan. Changes are quickly happening on this earth and the church is in for a shock when the onslaught of hatred towards her is released. However never forget Exodus 1:12, “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.”

Listen to the cries for liberty and freedom from the youth throughout the nations. Can you hear the souls that want to be liberated from the curse of death? The Body of Christ is “a Holy nation” I Peter 2:9, a nation that has been set in the midst of the nations to fulfill the promise of God. God told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.” This is God’s perfect will.

I’ve been to Haiti and Cuba where I’ve talked with those who are being persecuted and I’ve read the testimonies of those in Indonesia and other places who have been persecuted for the Testimony of Jesus. This is where I see the faith of the Son of God manifested in the midst of cruel circumstances.  This is true trust in Christ and not trusting in anything of this world. Regardless of how promising the government aid is, we must know our position as new creatures created in Christ Jesus. We will come into the fullness of Christ, by being inside of Christ not outside. We are witnessing the reality of God’s wisdom and His methods in birthing a nation the same way He birthed Israel as He separated the Red Sea and guided them through a type of death and resurrection on the other side.

Nations are crying out wanting to know truth. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be witnesses.” A witness brings forth evidence, he is a proof producer. God will use you in your home, city and throughout the earth. He is raising up a people in every nation who know Him, the one true God. We are one in Christ washed by the blood of Christ. There is confidence and hope when you see the evidence of the power of God, the purpose of God, the wisdom of God, and the love of God in the scriptures. Our position must be established in His word and His word must be established in us as He governs our walk.

Remember Christ’s words in John 17:16, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” Don’t look to the world for your existence.

Let's reread Psalms 77:19-20, "Your path led through the sea, your way through the waters, though your footprints were not seen."  Remember the three major factors mentioned earlier: (1)  The Divine Purpose of God governs everything as it did in the life of Abraham, Israel and as it is doing in us. (2) The Divine Wisdom of God is working with one objective in mind.   God's Spirit is searching all things even the deep things of God. This doesn't make sense to the natural man. Read I Corinthians chapter 2.  (3) God Cares for his children. ". . . You led your people like a flock."  God is watching over us and He cares for us because He is the Good Shepherd.   Receive these three revelations and walk above all trying circumstances.


I pray the Lord helps you understand why you were born in your country. God has placed you right where He wants you. He will bring glory to Himself as He did with Jesus through the resurrection of Lazarus; as He did with the Israelites who crossed the Red Sea; and as He did with Abraham ready to leave his country and all that he knew to follow Gods call.

SECURE IN CHRIST!

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MAY GOD, HIMSELF, THE GOD OF PEACE, SANCTIFY YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH. MAY YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT BLAMELESS AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU IS FAITHFUL AND HE WILL DO IT. I THESSALONIANS 5:23

  

God is sovereign! He knows all things, He is all powerful and He is everywhere. This is very important to understand and to know in our heart. There is not one place in this universe that He is unaware of and does not see. He is fully conscious of what takes place everywhere. Therefore, He knows where you and I are, not only geographically but spiritually. The enemy likes to see us, God’s children, ignorant of our inheritance, our position and our state of being. He uses ignorance to maintain his doubting and fear tactics to hinder our progress. The Holy Spirit resides in us to destroy the ignorance, doubt and fear that hinders you and me from coming into the fullness in Christ.


Have you ever questioned who you are, why you are here or what your purpose in life is; David did. He wrote in Psalms 8:3, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” As David was looking at the greatness and the vastness of the universe, the question arose from his inner being; what is man? There is so much confusion within the Body of Christ regarding what is man. Some people say man is mind and matter; others say he is only soul and body. Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit says in I Thessalonians 5:23 “May God, himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” Note; He will do it. Here in the scripture we discover man is spirit and soul and lives inside a body. In this revelation of separation, it is important for us to know what God is doing in us and it is important for us to know His process so we can submit to the work of God within us. In my last letter we read examples in history of how God works with man. In Genesis 12 we read the story of Abraham and the process God took him through. This is the same process for his children today; the process of stripping away those things that have come from the past life, the old man; leaving the influence of country, family, and friends. It is amazing to see how God worked through these chosen men and women of the Old Testament without the Holy Spirit residing in them. The Holy Spirit would come upon them for a specific work, and then He would depart. Where is the power that separated Abraham from his country, his people, his culture, his surroundings and his family? Surely the ability is not within man’s self. Remember what we read in I Thessalonians 23:5? HE will do it. Isaiah 55:9 confirms where the ability comes from. God says “As the heavens, are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” We are entering the mind, the thought and the character of God. The power to take Abraham from his country, from his people, from his family and separate him was in the Word of God that came to him. The minute he accepted God’s word he began to walk in the supernatural power of the word. Today we not only have His word in us we have the Spirit of the Lord in us, the Spirit of the Son in us. Genesis 12:2 reads, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The power to fulfill this word was not in the ability of Abraham, all he had to do was surrender his will to the living God and he was moved into the supernatural. By the power of God’s word he was able to release, let go and let God govern his life.


Genesis 12:4 reads, “So Abram left as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.” Who is Lot? He’s from his father’s house. He’s latched on to Abraham even though God said, leave your people and your father’s house. Lot represents the past. In the same way, things from the past continue to latch onto us as we continue our journey. These are emotional attachments and hindrances. It could come from family, surroundings, your work, your community, where you live, friends that have not understood the process of separation. These are soul ties. Sarai, Lot and all the possessions they accumulated and the people they had acquired were attached to Abraham. God said, “I’m speaking to you and you alone.” Here is the mixture. The Holy Spirit is revealing truth to us so we can say, Lord I surrender to you, and I belong to you. There are things we hesitate to release and do not want to give up. God loves us and deals with us to come into the fullness; He wants us to possess everything He has given to us. Abraham arrived in Canaan. Many scholars say Canaan is heaven, but this cannot be because there are no Hittites, Amorites, Philistines, or Canaanites (enemies) in heaven. After Abraham arrives in Canaan, he builds an altar. He is still in the process of separation, so more tests are yet to come. Genesis 12:10 reads, “There was a famine in the land and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.” I picture famine as a time when the rain stopped falling; there was no grass for livestock. His surroundings began to change and they began to influence Abraham. God has chosen a people from before the foundations of the world, for this age. He will reveal them as sons of the living God who have no ties to this world or the world’s system; and the spirit of the world will not control them because they are being controlled by God and the supernatural power of the resurrected Lord. Jesus Christ made it very clear in John 17:14, “. . . for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” A word of warning to any child of God that thinks help will come from this world or government, which “. . . is under the control of the evil one” (I John 5:19).  The spirit of fear will only get a stronger grip on you, tempting you to save your life, like it did Abraham when he lied about Sarai being his sister and not his wife.


Even now, there is a famine in the land. There is a lack of jobs in America. Fear is starting to control the people as they are losing their homes, their life investments and possessions. Panic is breaking out. But the sons of the living God are standing firm. They have been placed in a position of security. They are secure in Christ. Hebrews 2:17 (KJV), “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to SUCCOUR them that are tempted.” We are secure in Christ because; He has atoned for us, He has helped us, He has come to our aid. Christ, as a man without sin, conquered all temptations, hostility, anger and rejection. When he accepted and received us, He secured us in the same position He is in, to be an expression of His glory, mercy and love. This is God’s unfolding plan. The world wants to see this. We don’t run to the world. This is why the revelation of ‘unity in the spirit’ was so powerful in the beginning when the church was born. They knew the resources to provide for a member was within the body. In the book of Acts, if any member was lacking and another had, it was given to the lacking member without hesitation. They considered not their possessions as their own.

WHEN ABRAHAM, LIKE PETER, GAVE ATTENTION TO HIS SITUATION HE WENT DOWN.

With all the revelation and technology we claim to have here in North America, there are still areas in this world where the gospel has not been heard. We’ve become self centered and selfish while many are suffering. This is why there is so much confusion in the Body of Christ. Why do we think that we have nothing to do with our brothers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Russia and other third world countries? We’ve forgotten we are one in Christ. God has to strip us so that we can only be possessed by Him and He is our possession. Think about Peter and the disciples in the boat and Jesus walks on the water. Peter says, “If it’s you Lord bid me to come.” The power of the word overtook Peter; he stepped out and started to walk on the water. However, as soon as he gave attention to the waves he went down in the water. When Abraham, like Peter, gave attention to his situation he “went down to Egypt.” We walk in the supernatural but the minute we pay attention to our surroundings, fear enters and the temptation to run to the government or the world overtakes us. God wants us to run to Him, He is our security.


Many members of the Body of Christ will be confused and not understand as North America spirals downward. It is a spiritual work because God is sovereign and in control. In my travels to Central and South America I’ve been made aware of many illegal aliens flooding this country; many are Christians and many have been encouraged by their pastors. What is the intention? God makes no mistakes; He releases the blessings there in the place where you were born if you trust Him only.


I gave my life to the Lord thirty years ago. I had a well paying job, but because of my rebellion, alcohol, drugs and surroundings I lost that job. I sat in my living room after a night of partying, thinking what am I going to do now. I cried out to God and God delivered me. I said, “I don’t want to know religion or denomination; I want to know you. I give you 100% of me.” He took me at my word. I remember attending a fellowship where some members knew what I was going through financially. These brothers in the Lord told me I could qualify for food stamps. I said to myself, if the God whom I serve cannot provide for me what kind of God is he? God knew where I was at. He promised never to leave me nor forsake me. God has not failed me once, even though I have failed Him. He is merciful! See Him reaching out to humanity. He knows your condition, the hostility that surrounds you. But we are SECURE IN CHRIST IN GOD as we continue on our journey. Jesus Christ has promised freedom; freedom and liberty from the power of sin, death and satan. The Truth that we know will set us free.

SEPARATION

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THE LORD HAD SAID TO ABRAM, LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY, YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR FATHER’S HOUSEHOLD AND GO TO THE LAND I WILL SHOW YOU. GENESIS 12:1

I thank our Lord for allowing me to open my heart again and share what He wants to accomplish through the Body of Christ.  I pray that what I share stays with you, challenges you and helps you in this glorious walk in the quest of knowing Him.

I begin this letter with a quote by G. Campbell Morgan; an evangelist, preacher and leading Bible scholar in England in the early 1900’s: “For a correct estimate of the present times, and a true conception of future events, we must have a clear understanding of the things that are past. We are in danger of living too much in the present, and of looking upon the Divine activities as if they were haphazard or accidental, as our own always are, save as we are under the control of the Spirit of God. We seem to have contracted the idea that in the history of the race God has been making experiments with men; and that when one plan has failed, He has adopted another. Such false conceptions arise from the fact that, mentally and spiritually, we live too much in the circle of our own times and are forgetful of all that has gone before. The corrective is found in studying history from the Divine standpoint. Nothing yields a more chaotic, uncertain, and unsatisfactory result than a view merely from the human side; while, on the contrary, order, beauty, and progress, are seen only as we take the Divine outlook.”

To understand God’s ways with His children and mankind, let’s refer to the history of Abraham in Genesis. Abraham is called the Father of Faith. There was nothing exceptional about Abraham, but God chose him because there was a deep hunger in his soul and heart. If you are not searching for God you will not find Him. If you are not hungry for more of Him you will not seek Him. If you are not thirsty for Him you will not look to be satisfied by Him. God called Abraham “His friend.”

I will center this teaching on three commands God gave Abraham regarding separation from three major circles of influence. It is written in Genesis 12:1, “The Lord had said to Abram.” Note, the word ‘had’ refers to the past. The word God gave was “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”

The first command was to leave your country. Everything was bound up in obedience to the command; his future, his destiny, and his purpose. During the Old Covenant man’s spirit was dead to God; however the book of Acts clearly states, God revealed Himself by the word spoken to Abraham in a vision. It’s interesting to note that the soul was having communion with God. This word given to Abraham has been confirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ, when He said in Luke 14:26-27, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” God does not change; we’re the ones that change. God is objectively dealing with us when He calls us to come out of the world. We are not of this world even as He is not of this world. It is written in John 17:14, "I have given them your word and the world has hated them for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world." The profound revelation in this is that the influence of our surroundings is where we develop our likes, desires, passions and begin to form who we are. Here is an example: All the things in our home are an expression of our likes. There are certain furnishings, certain pictures on the wall, and certain wall paints which have created an atmosphere of influence. I have been privileged to travel to Central America, South America and the Caribbean Islands and stayed in beautiful hotels and some not so beautiful; but regardless of how beautiful the surroundings and how comfortable the hotel was, nothing compares to going home. Why? I get to re-enter the atmosphere that my soul, my emotions and my thoughts are comfortable in. They are all related to the atmosphere that has been created by my surroundings; the objects around me. The Body of Christ misunderstands why God is separating us from the world and so we resist His leading. To reach our position in Christ we must submit to the Holy Spirit, in faith, as Abraham did. We have a greater privilege than Abraham had, the greatest gift ever given to man after the fall; our spirits have been born again and we now have direct communion with God through Jesus Christ.

Let’s get an understanding of what really happened when God told Abraham “Get out of your country.” Genesis 11:31 reads, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” When God spoke to Abram in Genesis 12:1, He spoke to him personally. He told Abram to leave your father’s household, leave your family. But he, like many of us, disobeyed and brought alongside the natural man who is represented by Terah, his father. Terah takes hold of the command of God and takes control. When God speaks to us we must allow God to direct us in His timing, and not take control. The natural man is one of the biggest hindrances to the progress of the Body of Christ coming into the fullness of Christ. Paul talks about this critical separation of the natural and spiritual man in Romans 6. When Terah died, Abram moved on.

The second command was to leave your people. God is not saying to neglect or reject your people, but discern that your people and the culture of your people have a great influence over you. We must leave culture behind, whether we are Hispanic, Asian, White, Native American or African American, because we are a new creation; born into a heavenly culture. This is confirmed in Galatians 3:26-29 which reads, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Colossians 3:9-11 also confirms this, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."  I heard a leader of a country say; multiculturalism does not work, because every culture demands attention. If it doesn’t work in the natural realm it can’t work in the spiritual realm.

SELF-FULFILLMENT IS A DECEPTION SATAN WANTS TO BRING TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST TO KEEP US FROM SEEING GOD'S ULTIMATE INTENTION.

The limitations in God’s people must be controlled by the Holy Spirit in order to come into the true satisfaction and rest of our souls. Jesus said, “All who are heavy-laden and frustrated come to me and I will give you rest.” The soul is seeking rest and rest can only be found in Christ Jesus. When the soul is being influenced by the spirit of the world it will never find rest. Listen to what satan, who is the prince of the world, says in Job 1:7 “The Lord said to satan, where have you come from? Satan answered the Lord, from roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.” Satan forfeited his God given habitation, power and authority to fulfill his own purpose that is why he will never find rest. Self-fulfillment is a deception satan wants to bring to every member of the body of Christ to keep us from seeing God’s ultimate intention. We are being drawn by the Holy Spirit to see God’s ultimate intention realized. This can only happen when we abide in our habitation, Jesus Christ. We are seeing with spiritual eyes what God is showing us and we are hearing what the spirit is saying to the church. The new creation is solely from above and only by the leading of the Holy Spirit can we come into the fullness of Christ who is our inheritance.

The third command was to leave your father’s house; your family members. He is not saying to hate your family; but don’t allow them to hinder your walk. Scripture confirms the Christian life is a pilgrimage; a journey headed towards a position, a state of being that was prepared for you in Christ before the foundations of the world. The closer you walk with the Lord, the easier it is to realize the minute you step out of His environment. It’s the same environment change as when you step out of your home into the hustle and bustle of the stores. The enemy is always ready to pounce on our minds and emotions, but in Christ you will experience the peace, the joy and satisfaction only found in Him. This is our quest; our calling. We gain Christ. The gift of Christ is our salvation, but that’s just the beginning. It is written in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” The revelation of Jesus Christ kept Paul continually going forward. Everything Paul wrote was his experience “IN CHRIST”. Read Paul’s letters and count how many times, of Christ, for Christ, in Christ and by Christ is mentioned. Paul was not preaching a sermon he learned from a book; his life was an expression of Christ. Salvation is just the beginning. As we continue to follow the Holy Spirit; we gain Christ, we enter into more of Christ. This helps us to be delivered from the influence of the spirit of the world; its ways, lies, cheating, backbiting, greed, hatred, and rebellion. God separates us as we follow the Holy Spirit. “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Revelation MUST come from God if we are to gain Christ. I thank God for the ministers he has allowed me to sit under and the books that have come into my hands which have helped me understand the process of separation, but if I didn’t have the revelation of Jesus Christ, everything would be mere information. Nothing compares to walking with the Lord. NOTHING!

To my Brothers and Sisters living where the scriptures are not allowed and where Christianity is persecuted; KNOW that you are gaining Christ. With every moment of neglect and rejection, you are GAINING CHRIST. Philippians 1:21 reads, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Do not look at this as physical death only but death to your spiritual aspirations,  hopes, goals and dreams. He is there with you, in you and around you. He feels what you’re going through and He alone has the plans for you. 2 Corinthians 4:9-11 “persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

In a future letter we’ll study the story of Job, one of the greatest examples of how God dealt with man. God’s promise is stated in Genesis 12:3, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” Abraham was a bond servant of God who surrendered his will to the will of God. This is for you and me, “I will make . . . . . . YOU ….” The favor of God is upon us; we are blessed with the greatest blessing, CHRIST himself, the greatest gift man has ever known. Meditate on these words; because we have come into Christ, we have become a blessing to the nations. Everything is happening according to the Will of God. He is sovereign, He is omniscient and there is nothing out of time with God. He is bringing forth his people who are willing to submit their wills to the will of God. God will have the greatest witness on the face of the earth; Jesus Christ the Son of the living God expressed through his people; glorified through His people who were chosen before the worlds ever existed. According to the scriptures YOU are one of those expressions. God bless you in a greater way into the fullness of Christ. Amen and Amen!

SPIRITUAL VISION

 

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I AM SENDING YOU TO THEM TO OPEN THEIR EYES AND TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT, AND FROM  THE POWER OF SATAN TO GOD.  ACTS 26:17,18

The hand of the Lord is on my life and as He permits I open His word to you.  He is speaking to me about the current state of the church. The church we see today is not in accordance with God's word. There is a lack of spiritual vision in the Body of Christ and we have made it of very little importance. Spiritual vision is not an option! It is God’s grace and love for His children that makes available this distinguishable trait. Seeing the world in chaos, confusion, pain, and hunger it is important, as God's sons and daughters, to understand what is actually taking place and who is really in control. I mentioned in my last letter that ‘The Heavens Rule’. God is in control; it is God's plan that is unfolding on the face of this Earth and throughout the universe. “We are seated with Christ in heavenly places.” If we are ever going to realize our position and be over-comers we must accept the fact that God is in control. This is absolute, it will not change. I am asking the Holy Spirit for spiritual insight into the truth which is Christ Himself.

 There is a revelation in the Old and New Testament which I have briefly touched on in past letters.  That revelation is not a system; it is not a teaching to use as a means to control others.  The revelation of the Old and New Testament is the Person, Jesus Christ. My prayer for you comes from the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, “... that God would grant unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation...” (Ephesians 1:17). If you and I are going to overcome, we must have a revelation of Jesus Christ.  All the answers to the questions of why things are happening and who is the cause are answered in the one person of Jesus Christ. 

There are several miracles mentioned in the book of John which he refers to as ‘signs’. John's final words to the church were, “These signs were written so that we may believe in the Son” (John 20:30-31 paraphrased). One particular miracle ‘sign’ that I would like to focus on is in John chapter 9 which reads, “As he went along he saw a man blind from birth.” By this ‘sign’ the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to us that we are all born spiritually blind; Jesus came to heal us from that spiritual blindness. Jesus is talking about spiritual blindness as a result of Adam’s disobedience. Adam was cut off from God and his original relationship with God was severed.  Thereafter every directive of God was objective and outward, but with spiritual significance. All the blood sacrifices that our heavenly Father commanded of His people in the Old Testament were symbols of things to come. The disciples asked Jesus in John 9:2-3, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?” Jesus answered very carefully, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life”. Jesus is saying that every man is spiritually blind but when he is ‘born again’ he receives sight. He is then able to see the work of God taking place in and through his life and it becomes increasingly evident. (Ephesians 2:10)  Without spiritual vision we cannot display the works of God, so how can the world believe? This is why spiritual vision is so important and why our Lord performed this ‘sign’ for us. This is for each member of the Body of Christ throughout the world.  With our spiritual eyes opened, we will be able to see how we are connected to each other by the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 12:12,13)

God is permitting the persecution and torture of the children of God throughout this world.  This is not something new; we read about it throughout the history of the Church. Read the prayer, in Acts 4:23-28, that the early church offered when the hostility towards them began and note the conviction at the end of their prayer which should also be in us. Acts 4:28 reads, “They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” The persecuted church had no doubt about who was in control of the affairs of men. Our “Sovereign Lord” is in control. A new strength is undeniably coming to the Body of Christ through those with spiritual vision.  A fresh revelation of Jesus Christ is coming. For too long we have sat in our pews and listened to one man bring the Word of God and we leave without being changed. There's no revelation and therefore no transformation. You are a part of the Body of Christ as a whole.  This is not the movement of one ministry; this is the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the face of this earth. If you are a child of God you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I repeat Lord and Savior. You have the privilege of having insight into the Truth, which is Christ Himself! Revelation is not the revelation of earthquakes; it is not the revelation of the anti-Christ; it is not the revelation of the harlot; it is the revelation of Jesus Christ and this is what we His children should be governed by. We should be living by the revelation of Jesus Christ coming into our hearts. You might say, “I thought that was only meant for the apostles and the prophets”. No! God desires all His children to have this gift of revelation to be able to see beyond mere words and actions into the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ our pattern. He is the plan of God. He is the purpose of God on the move.

What does the Bible say concerning Abraham?  Listen to Stephen in Acts 7:2, “To this he replied, Brothers and fathers listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia.” What enabled Abraham to leave his homeland,his family, and his community of friends? It was the revelation of God, the revelation of Jesus Christ coming to him and equipping him through the journey. I admit he made mistakes just like we make mistakes. However, our Father is always bringing him back to the most powerful satisfaction that was in his heart, ‘He saw the day of the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoiced’ (John 8:56). This is the spiritual vision we must have if we're going to go through these times of great tumult and tribulation. Remember we are the Body of the living Christ. Hebrews 11:27,  “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing.” This will separate God’s children from the pretenders, because remember, for every original there will always be a counterfeit.  Neither Abraham nor Moses created their circumstances, God did. He knows precisely the time He is going to make Truth real to you as you walk with Him and are lovingly obedient to His Son and the Holy Spirit. Each step will require a new revelation of Truth to your spirit, to your heart. Hebrews 11:27 continues, “By faith he left Egypt not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.” How is it possible to see someone who is invisible? He saw in his heart with spiritual vision. He persevered because he saw spiritually. The Word from Genesis to Revelation is Jesus Christ.

 MINISTRY BEGINS BY SEEING, BY REVELATION THROUGH AND OF JESUS CHRIST; NOT THE DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS THAT HAVE COME INTO FORMATION.

How does ministry start? How is a man called? How is a man placed into position to impart life and bring growth to others? God asks Jeremiah in chapter 1:11, “What do you see Jeremiah?” Ministry begins by seeing, by revelation through and of Jesus Christ; not the doctrines and teachings that have come into formation. Those things are the result of a standard formed by man as an easy cure attempting to reveal the house to the house (Hebrews 4:6). We are His house and we are instructed “to make it plain.” How can we counsel, how can we teach someone else, if we haven’t had the standard revealed to us which is Christ Himself. You cannot take someone beyond the point of your walk and yet that is what we hear from pulpits. God is bringing judgment to the church. Remember we are a nation even as Israel in the Old Testament was a nation within the nations       (1 Peter 1:9). The purpose of Israel was to reveal God to the nations; the true God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God was to be revealed through Israel’s conduct as they were given evidence that there is only one true God – Elohim!

God’s purpose has not changed. We, the Body of Christ, have the same responsibility and the same call.  Zechariah 4:2 reads, “What do you see Zechariah?” Spiritual vision is so important for every child of God, not just for those behind the pulpit but for every member from the smallest babe in Christ to the mature. You cannot progress without spiritual vision. Growth comes by seeing.   II Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveiled faces always reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” As you are seeing Jesus Christ in His word, you are being transformed. Without that revelation there cannot be growth and transformation to be able to stand in the midst of opposition like Jeremiah stood when confronted by the teachings of the false prophets and the priests. The true Church is coming forth.

There will be a falling away of many so called believers when the man of sin is revealed  (II Thessalonians 2:3). The true church, the born-again by the blood of the lamb, the saved, and the delivered will expose the false. The glory  of Jesus Christ is coming forth from within His children; coming forth from within each member regardless of where you live. God doesn't see us as isolated individuals, He sees us as a whole. When you are going through persecution and tribulation He sees us as one. God does not make exceptions, He loves us all and if He must bring correction, He will. He is correcting us now and it will increase according to the distance that we have gone astray. It is a privilege to live in America but the blessings that God, by his grace, has bestowed upon us has become a curse to His church. There are many of our brothers and sisters, members of the same body living in poverty in other countries, but rich in Christ. They possess the true riches of the kingdom of God, Jesus Christ our inheritance. God told Abram in Genesis 15:1, “Do not be afraid Abram; I am your shield, your very great reward.” Now substitute Abram’s name with yours and LIVE! 

Without a doubt I know the time is here for our brothers and sisters in the Third World countries to come forth with the revelation of Jesus Christ and the powerful, mighty faith of God that will shake nations. Heaven and earth will pass away but the kingdom of God and the Word of God will not pass away. You have been born not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible; Christ himself. Genesis 1:11 says “The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kind. . .”  I pray you receive this word in your heart to produce the life of Christ. This is why Paul sums it all up in this phrase, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Christ is living through you and in you. He’s dictating and governing your every action even through trials, persecutions and tribulations. This is the revelation to the Body of Christ.

Open your heart and say, “Lord here I am, reveal your son in me and through me.” May the spirit of God come upon you in waves of power and might.  Many of you will be saturated and consumed by the Holy Spirit, who will purge out doubt and unbelief. He cares for us with His love that never changes. Remember that God the Father chose us in Christ Jesus before this world in all its hatred, confusion and limitations. He chose us to be with Him forever. Awesome! Galatians 1:15 reads, “God . . . .was pleased to reveal his son in me”.  It brings pleasure to our Heavenly Father to reveal his son in us. This is the beginning of everything in God’s Kingdom. This is eternal life. I pray this word will strengthen your heart; will touch you; will minister life to you. My heart’s desire is to impart life to you wherever you are or wherever you’re listening. Amen and Amen!

RIGHT? WHAT RIGHT?



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AND HE SAID, DO NOT LAY YOUR HAND ON THE LAD OR DO ANYTHING TO HIM; FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT HELD BACK FROM ME OR BEGRUDGED GIVING ME YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON. GENESIS 22:12

I thank our Lord for allowing me to open my heart again and share what He wants to accomplish through the Body of Christ.  I pray that what I share stays with you, challenges you and helps you in this glorious walk in the quest of knowing Him.

On August 19, 1982, several months after I gave my life to Christ, I was given an awesome experience. I want to emphasize the word given. The experience was a dream that transformed my life and after all these years I'm still discovering what that dream meant. In my dream Rosie (my wife) and I were in a procession walking with couples. There were couples in front of us and behind us and I fell backwards. When I opened my eyes I saw the form of a man filled with an unexplainable light. Out of this man came these words, "If you seek Me you will find Me and when you find Me you will grow in Me." I never knew what it really meant, even though on the surface it is obvious. However, today I've learned the profound meaning of the words "in me". These words have come to unfold His tremendous plan for each of our lives, not just me but everyone who chooses to seek Him, to be a part of Him and to be in Him. This dream changed my understanding of salvation and its purpose. I was born into Christianity and became a member of a large denomination. I witnessed the power of God in our weekly church services which lasted until late at night. The youth were taken home under the power of the Holy Spirit. On one occasion the fire department was called to our church building because the neighbors witnessed flames rising from the roof and thought the building was on fire. Upon arrival the fire department couldn't enter the building because the presence and power of almighty God kept them outside. I witnessed that at a young age. However, after experiencing the power of God moving in our midst everyone went back to their routine lives as if nothing had happened. We didn't understand that the experiences God gives us is for perpetual increase; each person took God's visiation as a momentary, individual blessing.  We didn't realize His visitation was to benefit the whole body. Too often we are of the misleading idea that the benefits of salvation are personal. The shame is that self centeredness becomes the reason we come to Christ and thereafter we are kept in that self centered attitude because of the teachings we hear. God has to deal with us to make Him the center of our lives, the center of our universe, and the center of our whole existence. Outside of Christ we cannot grow. The sustenance and power to mature is in Christ.

After the dream I was in Mexico at the invitation of a missionary working there and with permission to access her library, I found a book, Ultimate Intention by DeVern Fromke. What brought me to searching was the hunger to understand those words from the dream "in me". In his book DeVern Fromke said, "Every major awakening has centered in a major recovery of the truth necessary to mature and balance other aspects of truth." Today in order for you to qualify in the religious system you must have a vision. There was a time when I penned a vision but it was not what God wanted to accomplish.  Christ himself is the only true vision. It is the heavens that rule.  May I remind you that in Genesis 1:1 the heavens  were created first and then the earth.  You see, once we come into this new position of accepting Christ and giving our lives over to Him there are no alternatives. Nothing revolves around us anymore because God becomes the center of our lives. God began to unfold this revelation to me and I saw the words "in me" throughout the New Testament.

In prison, Paul writes the book of Ephesians where he reveals the secret which was in God's heart before the world existed. At his first encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul gave up all his rights. He was unlike Peter in Acts who walked with Jesus for three and a half years and yet when a sheet descends from heaven and God says "kill and eat" Peter replies, "No, by no means Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unhallowed or ceremonially unclean." He was contradicting his acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus Christ in his life. He was stuck in his traditions and his religion of that time. Tradition and religion are major blocks in the growth and maturity of the Body of Christ. It is very easy to say 'yes, Lord' and yet let doctrine, denomination, and religion be lord over us. It is not so easy to actually live 'yes, Lord'. Now consider Paul's way of acknowledging Jesus as Lord. Paul says in Act 9:6, "Lord, what do you desire me to do?" It is written in Ephesians 1:4, "Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world....." This is a statement that is in  no way touched by time, touched by sin or touched by anything of this earth. We were chosen in Christ before there ever was a world. We are tied to the past before heaven was created. Colossians 1:16 clearly states, "For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him." In my dream God was telling me, "you will grow in me." I'm discovering the depth of "in me" through years and years of solitude, discipline and sacrifice. Every child of God is unique. One of our major problems is that we live off of someone else's experience. Because we are unique, our walk with the Lord is unique. Existing in Christ is the only way the manifold wisdom of God can be expressed through your life, my life and anyone else who chooses to walk His way. Ephesians 2:10 reads, "For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] 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 [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]." There is no alternative!

We are living in a time where we can be swept away and become slaves to the dictates of the world system if we haven't asked the Lord for discernment. It's nothing new; our Lord was tempted forty days and forty nights in the desert. God reveals to us the power to resist the attacks of the enemy. You and I have the power to resist in Christ Jesus. The moment you give your life to the Lord and accept God's ultimate intention for your life, His process begins to adjust your motives and your way of thinking. His process begins to establish in you the true point of reference that is constant and immovable. From this point of reference you measure your walk. Our point of reference is in Christ Jesus. In Colossians 3:3,4 Paul writes, "For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory." This is not about us, but undoubtedly about Him. Your life is hid in Christ! What does that mean to you? Jesus surrounds me, He embraces me. He surrounds me with His life, His life becomes my atmosphere. Jesus Christ said in John 17:23, "I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united....." The true witness and testimony is His life through you and me.

For many years I consistently opened our conferences with this statement, "How wonderful it is to abide in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Later the Holy Spirit told me to change it to this, "How wonderful it is to live in the true and faithful witness." Remember every true encounter with God is not just for the moment, it continues to transform and change your way of existence. Your mind and heart become illuminated to see what God desires of you.  Revelation 3:14 reads, "....These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God's creation:" Revelation 1:13-15, "And in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast. His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire. His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace...."Revelation 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword...." Revelation 2:8 "....These are the words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life again:"  We must see that we are in Him.  In the true and faithful witness who has the sharp two-edged sword, in Him who is the first and last who came to life again; in Him Who holds the seven stars; in Him the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. We are in Him and He is in us. This has to transform your life. Can it be possible to have an encounter with the God described above and live the same and be held prey to the deception of this world's system? To serve a living God, you and I my Brothers and Sisters have given up all our rights.  Do you remember what the Jerusalem wall represents in the Old Testament? It's a boundary. There is a line of demarcation, a separation of the inside from the outside. What does it mean when they crossed the Jordan? It means you died to your past life and arose to a newness of life on the other side. When we are in Christ we are separated from self centeredness. Think about it. We have fallen prey to self centered teachings. It must end!

 HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO LIVE IN THE TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS.

See what is happening in the world today. Listen to how the antichrist spirit is hovering over the nations and increasing in the control of humanity. Oh, that God's people would hear those whose hearts are crying out to be liberated from the bondage of the religious system and its deception. Their hearts are longing to be brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. It's time to wake up church; it's not time to be dealing with medial things, things of the surface. We get tangled up with what we see in the natural and begin to judge one another by our standards. There is only one standard and that is Jesus Christ. His intention is clear in the scriptures. We have no rights. The picture of Abraham about to sacrifice his son (story in Genesis 22) precisely expresses this message. Who had the right in that situation? Who do you belong to, who do I belong to? Do I have a right to choose how I want to live? Abraham didn't even have the right to the promise that God gave him. Who is revealing himself in the picture, is it Abraham or Isaac? No! God is revealing His heart. Abraham gave up his fatherly right to hold onto his promised son even as Isaac's right as a son was severed. Consider Paul's words in Philippians 2:5. "Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus." Who do we live for? People around the world are rising up against dictatorship and want freedom. The citizens of this great nation are rising up as they see their freedom taken away slowly but surely. How many of us are willing to rise up as we see the church losing its liberty? The way to the fullness of Christ has been obstructed by the deceitful comfort of where we are spiritually living. Remember Abraham wandered in a tent. We also are pilgrims. It was Lot who pitched his tent toward Sodom and found comfort.  But when God was ready to destroy Sodom, where was he? Lot was at the gates of the city inviting the angels to his home.  He had become comfortable with the ways of the world.  We can be compared to Lot in the temptation to settle down in our own comfort zone.  Moses is another example of giving up his rights. He had the rights of Egyptian royal upbringing, but he gave them up. Imagine Moses forty years as a shepherd and forty years wandering around the desert and yet not able to come into the Promised Land. Not everyone will enter into the fullness of Christ. Don't misunderstand me you will not lose your salvation. Even though Moses didn't enter the Promised Land we know he was saved because we see Moses in the transfiguration on the mount talking with the Lord. However, many will not come into the fullness of our inheritance which is Christ Jesus.

This is a time to evaluate your position and return to the moment when you gave your life to Christ Jesus. When we identify with the death of Christ, we can identify with the life of Christ after He resurrected.   II Corinthians 5:15, "And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake." A type of this death and life process is clearly seen when the Israelites were instructed to cross the Jordan River (death). God dried up the river as long as the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the Lord were firmly standing in the middle of it. Israel crossed over death to the other side which represents life. To commemorate the presence of the Lord, a memorial was made of twelve stones representing the twelve tribes (read Joshua 4).  Think about what you said when you gave your life to Christ Jesus. On August 19, 1982,  I said "I give my life 100% to you." We are to live the life of Christ, not live by our own ability or strength. The enemy can't touch us if we are in Christ. Nothing can hold us back from entering into the fullness of Christ. There may be struggles in the mind but it's worth it. I can't take you there; however, I can help you on the way. It's a choice you and I must make.

God has asked Mountain Moving Faith Ministries to take a new step and I have accepted it. The accumulation of these encounters and moments of being alone with the Lord have prepared me for the next phase. Meditate on the word recovery, recovery of the true and faithful witness. Joshua 5:13-14 reads, "When Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up, and behold, a Man stood near him with His drawn sword in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, Are you for us or for our adversaries? And He said, No [neither], but as Prince of the Lord's host have I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, What says my Lord to His servant?" This is not about us; but about HIM. It is time to come forth to be the light and the life that people can see, taste and touch. I haven't arrived, but I can say with Paul, "I press on towards the mark." There is only one mark, Christ Jesus.  My love for Jesus is expressed in the decisions I make for the Body of Christ. We are one.  As the word says, we become one spirit when we join ourselves to Christ.  This is unity in the Spirit.

CHRIST- THE CENTER AND SPHERE OF OUR BEING

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ON THAT DAY YOU WILL REALIZE THAT I AM IN MY FATHER, AND YOU ARE IN ME, AND I AM IN YOU. JOHN 14:20

This is a new season, and I’m not talking about our four seasons, but a season in God’s master plan. When I write to you it’s not just another letter or form of knowledge, but a way for you to come to know Christ in a fuller and more meaningful way by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The steps God has directed us to take, is challenging. I am becoming more aware of the lack of spiritual wisdom in the church and it has been one of the biggest challenges I have had to confront. Upon meditating on the weakness and spiritual state of the church, I realized that this lack is the cause of our spiritual eyes being blurred by traditions and customs, resulting in complacency, discouragement and frustration. This is a heavy burden on my heart. Some say we’re not to carry burdens, but it’s hard for me to agree. It’s impossible to see the condition of the Body of Christ and not feel burdened.

The Holy Spirit spoke to me concerning the condition of the Body of Christ. The word He gave me was, “Many believe in Me, but they don’t know Me.” This is a profound statement. We must pay close attention when God speaks. I believe this is one of the reasons that has delayed and restricted the development of the Body of Christ. We believe God heals and delivers us from troubles and situations, but we want to resist going through them. How can it be possible to know the Lord as my healer if my body has not been afflicted? We should not be anxious to escape the affliction. We must wait upon the Lord for the precise moment that He speaks a word in a particular situation. Whether it is a physical ailment or battle of the mind, we must know what He is saying and doing. We should not compare every situation with how He dealt with someone else. We are all different, and He deals with us individually. He wants us to know Him in our situation. We’ve strayed from the fact that the word must be a spoken word of God at that specific moment for that particular circumstance we find ourselves in. As we study teachings it’s easy to turn them into doctrines and a form of knowledge without the Rhema, spoken word, entering our spirit. We’ve taken the promises that were meant for a particular individual at a particular time and made it ours. When we don't wait upon the Lord to give us our Rhema word before you know it we grab a promise and confess it and the Lord says, “I’m not dealing with you in that way.” We are all different in the Body of Christ. Romans 12:1 (Message bible) reads, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering.” He wants us to present our whole being to Him so He can use it according to His desire, where He can receive the glory and man is not looking to man for answers.

You and I are members of a whole, the Body of Christ, which is the fullness of Christ Himself as written in Ephesians 1. It is important to see and recognize what God is doing through us as individuals and how He wants to bring increase to the Body of Christ. I Corinthians 2:13 reads, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, . . .” God is making a definite distinction between the word of human wisdom and the word of the Spirit. God speaks to us in John 6:63 (Message) “The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen.” The tragedy is that much of the church wants to bring programs of the flesh. I Corinthians 2:14 “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” There were schisms, jealousy and divisions in the Corinthian church. God is dealing with the soul man who has become sidetracked.

The Spirit can make life.  Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. 

There is a law that is working contrary to spiritual growth, contrary to the laws of Christ. We have been careless in allowing mixture to enter the Body of Christ. In the Old Testament God set patterns and principles regarding this. When God was giving His commandments He said, “Don't yoke an ox with an ass. Don't mix the linen cloth with the cotton cloth.” God doesn’t like mixing the spiritual man with the natural man.

During the Old Testament time of rebuilding the wall by Ezra and Nehemiah, the enemy always had his instruments working contrary to their purpose in order to bring disruption, frustration, discouragement and disappointment to the work that God had given them to do. Now, we are the building of God and we are to bring increase. Ezra 4:1-2 reads “When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “We’ll help you build. We worship your God the same as you. We’ve been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought us here.” Here is mixture, when flesh wants to help the Lord. Many in the Body of Christ are not building on solid ground and God is shaking it now. Verse 3 reads “But Zerubbabel . . . and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord. . .” The leaders of Israel were defying the enemy on behalf of the people and not allowing mixture. This is precisely how the enemy attempts to enter; through leadership. The leaders of Israel said to the enemy, you have no part with us. Their answer was clear cut, there was no compromise. They didn't say we could use your knowledge or we could use an extra hand. No, they were discerning. The enemy is using his mixture tactic to frustrate the development and growth of the Body of Christ. Paul is dealing with those tactics in Corinthians. Being lead of the Spirit reveals true sons.

In I Corinthians, Paul makes clear the contrast of the soul and spiritual man. The soul brings human wisdom and the spiritual brings Gods word which is life. Human wisdom doesn't bring life or growth, although it might bring growth to your movement, organization or denomination. But God measures life and growth by how much of Christ is expressed through you and me. The true ministry of Christ is not how many sermons or how many teachings we bring, but how much of Christ are we bringing to the Body of Christ. Do you remember in the Old Testament when the angel came to Ezekiel holding a chord? He was measuring the temple and he documented exact measurements. God wants us exact, and that’s why his judgments and corrections separate the soul man from that which is the spirit.

In order to increase we must go through the cross. This is Paul’s message, “We preach Christ and Christ crucified.” We cannot continue to grow without the cross which separates the natural from that which is of Christ. Notice the title over the cover picture ‘Christ the Center and Sphere of our Being.’ Scripture is clear to reveal that if we are in Christ everything that flows from our being should be an expression of Christ. No matter what you do or where you go, there should be an expression of Christ. The expression is registering Christ as King and Lord not only in this world but to the principalities and the powers of the air. This is what we were chosen and called for. Before time was, we were chosen in Christ for this. Before the world existed we were chosen for this. Many think if you attend service on Wednesday night or Sunday night, this is church. That is not church, we are the church. If you find your satisfaction in going to church, something is wrong, because our satisfaction should be in Christ. If my attending a fellowship or an assembly doesn’t bring me to a fuller satisfaction in Christ, then I’m being held back. When our Lord came to the river Jordan to be baptized, He was submerged and came up out of the water and the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. God spoke, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” If God, creator of all things, is satisfied, content and finds pleasure in His son but you and I, the creation, are still looking to the natural things in this world to satisfy our being, we have a wrong concept of who Christ is. If God is fully pleased with Christ, we should be fully pleased with Christ. Think about it. Meditate on it. Let it locate you. My prayer is, ‘Lord nothing in this world can bring satisfaction like Your son.’ Since You, mighty God find contentment in your Son, then I a mere creature should find contentment in your Son.’ Partner we have gone astray and this is why I am excited for this awesome season in God’s plan. Not everyone entered into their inheritance in the Old Testament, and I’m not talking about heaven but coming into the fullness of Christ. Christ Himself and everything that He is, is our inheritance.

Since you, mighty God find contentment in your Son, then I a mere creature should find contentment in Your Son.

We are in the season that God is bringing judgment to His people. We are God’s chosen people, His vessels to the Body of Christ. He will first bring correction to His house, then deal with the world. This is not a word to draw back from. If we love the Lord and the testimony of Jesus Christ on this earth and universe, we must say ‘yes Lord you bought me with a price.’ We won’t accept His judgment when we don’t understand that He is separating what is of the natural man and what is of Christ. He’s not just thinking about you, but the whole of His eternal plan. In the Old Testament when His people continued in rebellion in the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel, their hearts became hardened, dull of hearing and they could no longer see. I don't want that for you, but we all choose based on the word that is released to us. The church is in confusion, contradiction and hypocrisy. I don't agree with the message that judgment is coming to the nations. God has the nations on hold. The slowing economy is not God’s judgment on the nation, but on His people. Isaiah 48:10-11(Message) reads, “Do you see what I’ve done? I’ve refined you, but not without fire. I’ve tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have a reputation to keep up. I’m not playing second fiddle to either gods or people.” He will not share His glory with anything natural, only his Son.

We were chosen in Christ, before time was, to be an expression of the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the true and faithful witness, the great I Am. It is a tremendous honor to be chosen to represent our Lord on the face of this earth and bring adjustment. We are the new creation mentioned in II Corinthians 5 that the principalities and powers of the air must witness. We are the new creation that has come into existence through the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. My heart wants to bring you into this tremendous revelation that must be governing our lives. Precaution: in the Lords day, in the disciples and Paul’s day, much of the animosity and much of the anger didn’t come from outside the church it came from within.  We have become so consumed by our traditions and overwhelmed by our programs that when He does raise someone in the assembly to break the mold it’s those from within the church that the enemy uses. This happens because they aren't seeing the whole they just see themselves as the sole object of God’s affection and if you begin to threaten that position, the resistance and opposition begin. Not everyone is going to accept you. The attendance is great at our conferences, but not everyone is there for the same purpose. Remember “No one comes to the Father lest the Holy Spirit draws him.” The Lord of the house is cleaning house. It’s all Christ. II Corinthians 5:14 reads, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” He’s positioning the cross. Before entering the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament tabernacle, the first piece of furniture you confronted was the altar of sacrifice. If you love the Lord you will accept rejection and any other adverse condition that comes against that love. This revelation comes from the same Holy Spirit that led Jesus Christ through His moments of confrontation. The Holy Spirit is the same within us, the same power, and the same might is within us. That’s the spirit of the Son and the wisdom of the Son. He knows how to get us there, but many times we want to do it our way. He is our wisdom. So we read again, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” Not only did He die but He was raised and with that He sealed our position in Him. See your brother in the same position. There is lack in the Body of Christ because we don't see others the same way Christ sees us. One of the tricks of the enemy is having us look at their weaknesses and say I can’t put up with that. If those weaknesses are in Christ they are part of you and part of me. Continue to verse 16, “From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God.” We are a new creature, and our nature is of God and we are in Christ and Christ is in us, thus the title ‘Christ the center and sphere of our being.’ This is why God is cleaning house, because not everything in the church is bringing increase. I am excited to spiritually see what God intends. Let the Holy Spirit open your eyes.

THE HEAVENS RULE!

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When I consider your heaven’s the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4

Several years ago at a World Conference, a question was posed to us by Morris Cerullo. That question was “How far do you want to go?” This was a very challenging question and continues to be challenging to this day. Sometimes the going gets tough and that’s when I’m reminded “How far do you want to go?” It’s important to understand the depth of this question as we discover why our heavenly father does not tolerate mixture or unequal measure in our lives. We must answer the questions: what does my heavenly father want, what is He looking for and what has He made provisions for? These are basic questions that are essential to our progress and development into Christ’s likeness.

In past letters I shared on two spiritual conditions that are hindering the Body of Christ. The first is mixture in our lives. The second is unequal measure in our lives. We must take time to meditate on the word God has given us and allow the Holy Spirit who is the teacher and revealer, to bring us into a fuller knowledge of who Christ is and what He came to do.

Psalms 8 contains a beautiful scripture which records a question every man has asked himself at one time or another. Who am I, what is my reason for living, what am I doing here, where did I come from? Everything God allowed to be written in the Scriptures is for our understanding, for our maturing and knowledge of His ways. Have you sat outside in the cool evening and looked toward the heavens to stare at the immensity of the stars? Or have you watched a documentary on powerful telescopes that reveal the vastness of this universe and wondered, ‘who am I, what is my significance, how do I influence this universe?’ You're not crazy when you begin to question like this. The Psalmist in 8: 3-4 says, “When I consider your heaven's the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” The Psalmist is captured by the thoughts of God as he is gazing at God’s creation, the immense heavens. Why is God constantly thinking of man? God, what is it about man that has captured your attention? God says in Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” These words are not suggestions! This was spoken before you were even formed in the womb of your mother. When God speaks, His words permeate His kingdom. Remember the word of the Lord says in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” The moment He spoke those words, the universe - the complete heavens came to attention and were gripped by them. From that moment on everything was governed and controlled by, “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” The cherubim, the angels, everything began moving in the plan of God. The plan that was in His heart and mind before anything was created was beginning to unfold.

This is for the whole Body of Christ to understand, not just the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher.

We are entering revelation that will stir your heart. This is for the whole Body of Christ to understand, not just the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher. God will no longer tolerate confusion in the Body of Christ. Remember what He spoke in Isaiah 55:11 “. . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Let’s read what Paul wrote so we can know what man is. I Thessalonians 5:23 reads, “….. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul has answered the Psalmist’s question, what is man that all your energy, all your interests are directed to him? Thank God it is answered so we can mature into the standard of the man, Christ Jesus.

Psalm 139:14 reads, “I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” I still have not seen the invention of something equal in function and operation to the human hand in spite of the increased knowledge in technology. It is amazing to think God formed our body out of the dust of the earth. This body contains the spirit of man and the soul of man. The body was formed to be able to operate and function in the physical world. I can see, hear, touch, taste, smell, and move – there’s action. A thought comes into your mind, but before you put it into action you think about the pros and cons of your action. Negotiation is taking place inside of you before you act on it. Unfortunately, we all respond to situations without ever thinking how they will affect those around us. This is not the condition or state our heavenly Father wanted for us as human beings. Think back to the Garden of Eden and the fine details of God’s design. He finished it and called it good, perfect and then puts man in it. Meditate on that!



This letter is setting the tone for what God will reveal to us in the next few teachings. The soul of man consists of your mind, your will, and your emotions. Your will is the greatest gift God has given to man. The will is active and is part of every thought, every word, and everything that you do. Many times we blame other people for the conditions we are in, but the fact remains that your will holds you responsible for your choices.

Years ago the Holy Spirit revealed to me the meaning of ‘unity in the Spirit.’ I won’t share anything that hasn’t already become substance in my life. I once heard a minister say, the messenger must be the message and the message the messenger. How important this becomes in the midst of the chaos, frustration, restlessness and anxiety of today. You and I, as God’s children, must be positioned on the solid ground of knowing who we are, to whom we belong and who is continually working to see Himself in us. The emotions reside in the soul. Have you ever watched people when they listen to the news or they talk about certain things and their emotions go up and down, in and out, always vacillating? You never know how they’re going to meet you from one moment to the next, from one encounter to another. They’re being led by their soul. The only example of one who was led by the Spirit is our Lord Jesus Christ. He reveals to us total communion (unity) with God the Father. Jesus has shown us the unity that He's brought to us as members of the same Body of Christ. Paul is talking to the Body regarding this unity in Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Now, I clearly see the Spirit of the Son working from Genesis to Revelation. Paul is saying: keep unity in the Spirit always before you; let it control your actions, your decisions and your thoughts. This unity that is in the Father, in the Son, in the Spirit, is the same unity that is in the Body and in each individual member.

We have entered a new phase in the process of God in our lives and the church must be led by men and women who care only what God says. We need evidence of substance in our lives, not just theory. The hunger in the Body of Christ is increasing and our Father will not allow us to stay in this spiritual weakness, saying one thing and doing another. We will come into the fullness of Christ, advancing beyond the enemy’s strategy of stagnation. This will begin to separate those who are walking in the soul (the carnal) and those who are willing to walk in the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 reads, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Is the Word living and active in you? God knows how to move us from the comfortable positions that hinder us. He knows that the church needs a change. Change is here! In closing, I repeat the question, how far do you want to go? Only you can answer.