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Calling On The Lord!/Salt! By Pastor Bill Taylor A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume 7//Issue 12 Prophecy: You must have faith in Me whom you don’t see for it isn’t you. My people aren’t those who think it might have been better if they’d said this or done that! For you don’t do; it’s not you. It’s I who do through you by My Spirit! Even the apostles didn’t always know where Jesus was going. Until the Spirit was given, they couldn’t know everywhere He was going or all He was doing. But in this generation you can know what I’m doing and where I’m going. But you must know by My Spirit where I’m going, else how can you be with Me? Your knowing must come from you walking softly before Me and continually calling upon Me. Those who do this share My will and experience the things that perfect the soul which are hidden from the world. The world can’t begin to comprehend them. But if you walk softly before Me and call upon Me continually, these awesome things will be made known to you. Thus you’ll walk before Me in a perfect way as My son David desired to do so long ago, it will be done in you. Walk softly before Me My people and I’ll make known to you the hidden things, the things that are in My heart, says the Lord. (Prophecy delivered at "My Father's House") I love the Lord because He’s heard my voice and my supplications. Because He’s inclined His ear to me, therefore I’ll call upon Him as long as I live. (Ps116:1,2) The pains of death surrounded me and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “Oh Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” (Ps116:3,4) In your Christian walk your greatest enemies are evil spirits; the flesh, the world, the devil; things that try to bind you and keep you in the physical realm; temporal things which end in death. She who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. (1Tim5:6) When temptations, cares of this world, the fears and worries of the temporal life are trying to take hold of you that’s like the pangs of death. To escape you need to call upon the Lord to receive His eternal Spirit. You need the help of the Spirit to set your affections and heart upon the things that are eternal. You need Christ’s power to lift you into the heavenly places where He’s above all these things. If then you were raised with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth. (Col 3:1,2) Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yes our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. (Ps116:5,6) Let’s contrast the word “simple” with But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise! (1Cor1:27) In other words the simple things. I was brought low and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul. (Ps116:6,7) What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I’ll take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. (Ps116:12,13) You’ve loosed my bonds. I’ll offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. (Ps116:16,17) I’ve called upon You for You’ll hear me, O God! (Ps17:6) Now if God didn’t hear you there’d be no sense in calling upon Him. Because He’s inclined His ear to me therefore I’ll call upon Him. (Ps116:2) Believing God will hear you has much to do with faith. Faith without works is dead. Believing God will hear you should lead to an appropriate action. The action that follows a faith that God will hear you is that you call upon Him. (Heb11:6) There needs to be a step of faith if you believe God is going to hear you. Do you believe God hears your prayers? Then how much praying are you doing? True saints are praying without ceasing. (1Th5:17) They’re continually calling upon the Lord. That means they’ve a very strong faith God is listening to them and answering them. You have the King of kings, the almighty Christ in heaven, Jesus seated upon the throne of God’s power and above all principality, might and dominion who can do anything, and help you with anything, who can change anything, and everything you need you can find in Him and you’re complete in Him and yet you’re just trying to muddle through down here on your own and you’re not calling upon Him to help you? It doesn’t make sense. Look at all the things people trust in the world and how much effort they’ll put into manipulating the beggarly elements to get their way and here you are, if you’re a true believer, seated far above the beggarly elements (Eph2:6) and all you need to do is call upon the Lord to get help! Of course there can be a problem with calling upon the Lord; If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord won’t hear. (Ps66:18) Iniquitous people can’t have faith for God to answer them. So they don’t call upon the Lord. People that are full of sin trust in other things. They must work things out for themselves. They don’t speak to God because He doesn’t hear them but I call upon the Lord because He does hear me. I can know He’s heard me because He answers me. Whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (1Jn3:22) But if we don’t keep His commandments our heart condemns us and He won’t answer us. (v20) Jesus says if you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you’ll ask what you will and your prayers will be answered. (Jn15:7) So calling on the Lord saves you, because if the Lord hears you He’ll help you. If you don’t regard iniquity in your heart, if you’re clean and cleanse your way before Him, if your heart doesn’t condemn you, if you’re living righteously before God, you can call upon God, and He’ll hear you and you’ll be delivered from your enemies which is the same meaning as salvation. Hear a just cause O Lord attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which isn’t from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence. I’ve called upon You for You’ll hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. (Ps17:1,2,6) David’s being saved because the Lord hears him when he calls upon Him. I’ll call upon the Lord, who’s worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. (Ps18:3) Salvation then has everything to do with calling upon the Lord. You’ll be saved from demons, the world, flesh because you’re calling on the Lord and He’s helping you. The pangs of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. (Ps18:4) If you don’t overcome these wicked “death” spirits they’ll take you over and there’ll be no Christ in you, no life in you. You’ll go back to selfishness and the old man will rise up again. Without Christ’s love in you, in your dealing with other people you become cranky or irritable. Spiritual death comes upon you when you let go of the Lord and stray from His commandments. Let me not wander from Your commandments. (Ps119:10) If you’ve strayed it’s usually because you stopped calling on the Lord. You stopped asking Him to keep you; you’ve stopped watching and praying. Great floods of ungodliness are coming upon us in this wicked age. Jesus warned about the iniquity becoming so profound the love of many would grow cold. (Mt24:12) We’re in the end of the age where deceptions are rampant. (Mt24:3-5) Today there are 4,000 different methods of being a Christian and 3,999 of them are wrong versus one right way and few there be that find it. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. (Lk21:36) Watching and praying means calling upon the Lord. Watch for those things that might distract your heart away from God. (Lk8:14) Watch for whatever may cause your love to wane. The love of many grows cold because they’re not watching. Watch for irritations that tempt you to become carnal and selfish when you should be praying for Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith and fill you with the love of God which passes knowledge. (Eph3:17,19) Keep yourself. (1Jn5:18) Guard your salvation by calling upon the Lord, praying against anything that could be an enemy to your soul and asking the Lord to deliver you from it. You can’t do this if you’re not watching. The only people who’ll actually be saved are those who call upon the Lord. And those who properly call upon the Lord do it without ceasing. (1Th5:17) They’re constantly in communication with God to keep them and show them the way to walk in the Spirit. (Rom8:1) I’ll call upon the Lord who’s worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple. (Ps18:3,4,6) David is a man who can call upon the Lord because he doesn’t regard iniquity in his heart. For I’ve kept the ways of the Lord and haven’t wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me and I didn’t put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him. I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. (Ps18:21-24) Which corresponds to; Whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (1Jn3:22) Why is it so important to teach holiness in the church? Because you won’t be answered when you call upon the Lord if you don’t listen to Him when He teaches you how to live holy. To live your life “calling upon the Lord” you must be in obedience to Him. The Christian’s life is lived hearkening carefully to the Word of God, keeping God’s commandments; abiding in His Word, letting His Word abide in us, walking in His Spirit and letting His Spirit abide in us. There’s no salvation outside of abiding in Christ. (Jn15:5,6) Every promise that pertains to the blood washing your sins is given “in Christ” and you must be “in Him” to receive that promise. (Eph1:7) People who aren’t abiding in Christ and His Word aren’t His people, even though they talk a lot about Him. Being in His Spirit produces in you a life that’s like His which is how you know you’re in His Spirit. (1Jn3:24) Having His Word abide in you means you don’t disobey His Word. You understand and live by it. Any people who claim to know Christ while they don’t keep His Word aren’t saved. (1Jn2:4,5) Those who claim they’re in Christ when they don’t behave as Christ behaves, who love the world, (1Jn2:15) and are concerned about temporal things; the cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches and other lusts; (Mk4:19) don’t have Christ in them. It’s a lie if they say they do. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1Jn2:6) In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth. (Ps18:6-8) When one loves the Lord and is keeping himself Spiritually clean when he calls upon the Lord God will move mountains to save him. Look at Paul and Silas in prison singing hymns and calling upon the Lord. The earth shook and the prison doors were thrown open. (Act16:26) God answered their prayers with power; quaking and shaking! You can see this also when the disciples came back from being threatened by the Sanhedrin. The church got together and prayed and the place where they met was shaken. (Act4:31) Those are fulfillments of this scripture (Ps18:7) where God not only hears our prayers but is so angered at what the wicked have been doing to the righteous, He can shake the earth to show how much He’s on our side. David says when he presented his case to God it made God so angry with his enemies that God caused an earthquake and that’s what happened also in the New Testament at least two times. (Act4:31,16:26) These are examples of the extraordinary power God has to give victory to the saint who calls upon Him in righteousness; which is why righteousness and holiness are so important to us. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness. (Ps18:20) He delivered me because He delighted in me. (v19) He teaches my hands to make war. (v34) As for God, His way is perfect; The Word of the Lord is proven. (v30) You don’t have to test God’s Word, it’s already been tested. All you have to do is take hold of it. God sides with His righteous people who trust in Him and call upon Him against their unrighteous enemies and He won’t hear the unrighteous even if they cry out to Him! You’ve subdued under me those who rose up against me. You’ve also given me the necks of my enemies, so I destroyed those who hated me. They cried out, but there was none to save; even to the LORD, but He didn’t answer them. (v39-41) Beloved, don’t avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I’ll repay," says the Lord. (Rom12:19) It’s God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; therefore I’ll give thanks to You O Lord and sing praises to Your name. (Ps18:47,49) If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved. (Rom10:9) Consider the relationship between speech and faith. Since we have the same Spirit of faith, according to what’s written, "I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak. (2Cor4:13) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him won’t be put to shame.” (Rom10:10,11) For there’s no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. (v12) So the one who believes in Him is the one who calls upon Him. Whoever has faith in Christ and calls upon Him won’t be put to shame. Many who claim to believe in Jesus when you ask how much praying they do confess not very much. So their “believing” is a lie. Without faith it’s impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe He is, and He’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb11:6) Faith believes God rewards those who call upon Him so those who have faith call upon Him. And calling upon the Lord has everything to do with your whole day, keeping you in the Spirit in everything. So salvation doesn’t come because you say you “believe in Jesus,” it comes because you believe in Him so as to call upon Him continually. The Lord is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they haven’t believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they haven’t heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they’re sent? (Rom10:12-15) Pray without ceasing. (1Th5:17) There must be a preacher so they can hear. They must hear so they can believe. They must believe so they can call on the Lord. If they hear and don’t believe they won’t be saved. If they believe and don’t call such a “faith” won’t save them either. There are other things that can interfere with salvation. If you regard iniquity in your heart God won’t hear you, even though you call on Him. (Ps66:18) If your heart condemns you (1Jn3:20) God won’t answer you. If you’re to be saved when you call on the Lord you must believe in such a way as to live a clean life before Him. So the very essence of salvation is to call continually upon the Lord, and to be live in such a way you can have faith He’ll answer. To have faith Jesus will answer means you must obey Him. You must abide in His Word and let His Word abide in you, (Jn15:7) keep your heart clean and be diligent about the things of God. (Pr4:23) So “saving faith” isn’t just a “belief” that acknowledges God’s existence; that doesn’t save you. Even the demons believe and tremble. (Jms2:19) You’re “saved” by calling on the Lord in such a faith that He’ll answer – and if He doesn’t answer you won’t be saved. Jesus teaches your prayers will be answered if you abide in Him and His words abide in you. (Jn15:7) John says you can ask and receive if your heart doesn’t condemn you and you do those things that are pleasing in God’s sight. (1Jn3:21,22) So, “believing” is more than most people make it. You can’t believe this verse (Rom10:9) in such a way that it disagrees with these other scriptures and be saved. If Jesus says the five foolish virgins will be lost because they aren’t prepared for His coming (Mt25:1-13) then they’ll be lost even though they’ve confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in their heart He’s risen from the dead, because this verse (Rom10:9) doesn’t stand alone. We must live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Mt4:4) The scriptures can’t be broken. (Jn10:35) So if you’re interpreting one verse (Rom10:9) in a way that doesn’t agree with these other scriptures such as (Mt25:1-13) then your interpretation is presumptuous and you’re “breaking” the scriptures. Many “believers” today will perish for they’re basing their salvation on an erroneous interpretation of one or two verses of scripture. Concerning salvation it’s not enough that I believe God is rich to all who call upon Him, but to call upon Him effectually I must live right and obey His Word. Teach me Your statutes. (Ps119:12) Asking God to teach you His ways is an important part of calling upon Him. To have access to the throne of grace and be able to call on the Lord in troubles, I need God to teach me how to live holy in a way that’s pleasing to Him. The person who’s calling on the Lord rightly recognizes his weakness and need to be kept by God and be found righteous before Him. He won’t be regarding iniquity in his heart if all day he’s been praying, “Keep me in Your Spirit, Lord.” If I’ve been watching and praying, asking God to give me understanding so I can live pleasing to Him, keeping my heart clean so it can’t condemn me, then anytime I need God on a more serious level I can ask and receive because God and I are walking together and I’m connected to Him in everything I do. The Psalmist (Ps119) is continually calling on the Lord to teach him so he can truthfully say, With my lips I’ve declared all the judgments of Your mouth. I’ve rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I’ll meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. (Ps119:13-15) He tells God, “God show me Your ways and I’ll meditate on them to do them.” (v125,135,48,60) Last week we rebuked some in the church because for several services we were studying a passage of scripture (Jn8) and I asked, “How many of you have really read it?” It turned out some of the brethren hadn’t. So this scripture (Jn8) is coming out strongly in the service and this is from God. God is speaking. But how can you love God whom you haven’t seen if you don’t love your brother whom you have seen? (1Jn4:20) How can you hear the Spirit whom you don’t see if you can’t hear the preacher whom you do? When the preacher is bringing something out from the Spirit how can you walk out of the church and ignore it? How can you let scriptures God thinks are important enough that He keeps me studying all day to bring them to you, be nothing to you so you can walk away and forget them? Can you say you love God if you aren’t paying attention to Him? If you had read this passage (Jn8) while we were studying it God would be showing you new things. This is where He is right now. He’s into this (Jn8) and that’s why He’s bringing it out in the services. So many people wonder why God doesn’t speak to them, the Spirit doesn’t lead them or show them anything new or special and yet they’ve never hooked on to anything God is already doing. Are you an “independent christian” walking your own way, doing your own thing, looking only at what you feel like, and not paying attention to what God’s guiding the entire church into? You want to get something useful? Find out where God is by paying attention to what He’s doing right now in the church. Get into that and God will give you more. He’ll take you farther than where you’ve been. What the Psalmist promises is, “God teach me Your statutes and I’ll meditate and contemplate on them” (Ps119:15) He’s showing God truthfully how he rejoices in these things. You can’t stand before God and say this if it’s a lie. But if you can go before God and say “God don’t you see my heart, and how happy I am when you show me something? Lord, show me some more and I’ll meditate on it.” Then God’s surely going to open things up to you. I’ll walk at liberty for I seek Your precepts. (Ps119:45) Compare that to Continue in My Word and you’ll know the Truth and the Truth will set you free (Jn8:31,32) which means I’ll walk at liberty “set free” by continually abiding in Your Word. So the Old and New Testament agree. In many churches people think the Old Testament is passed away. But the New Testament is founded on the Old Testament and often you can’t rightly interpret the New Testament unless you know the roots of what you’re reading in the Old Testament. It’s a shame how many “believers” despise the Word and how little they think of it. “I’ll walk at liberty for I’ll seek Your precepts and by continuing in Your Word (Jesus), I’ll know the Truth and it will set me free.” (Ps119:45;Jn8:31,32) The Old and the New have kissed each other! (Ps85:10) I’ll delight myself in Your commandments which I love. My hands also I’ll lift up to Your commandments which I love and I’ll meditate on Your statutes. (Ps119:47,48) This Psalmist loves God’s Word and gets great enjoyment out of reading it. He gets more enjoyment out of God’s Word than kids today get out of their computer games. He gets more enjoyment out of God’s Word than the sports fanatics today get out of their sports. He gets more enjoyment out of God’s Word than our TV generation gets from their TVs. And when he says, “God show me more,” God can see this man loves His Word and can give him more. Let those who fear You turn to me, those who know Your testimonies. (Ps119:79) There are innumerable versions of Christianity today but there’s only one that can save. There’s only one that’s Truth. Most people think they’re saved because in some manner they believe in Jesus. But demons believe and aren’t saved! (Jms2:19) If you aren’t calling on the Lord for Jesus to save you by living in you, you aren’t saved! Real salvation is only found where people believe in Jesus to live in them and they take hold of all the things that pertain to that, which include, “Lord, I must be crucified with You so I don’t live unto this world or unto myself.” (Gal 2:20) Such believers will pray continually, “Lord help me be conformed to Your death (Phil 3:10) so I’m demonstrating that I’m crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me, and it doesn’t have any power to rule over me. Fill me with Your Spirit so I live the heavenly life where my citizenship is in heaven. (v20) Help me walk in the Spirit so I’m a son of God! (Rom8:14) Show me how to keep my affections set upon things above. (Col 3:1) Lord, live Your Son of God life in me! Keep me abiding in You and keep Your Word alive in me.” (Jn15:7) That’s the kind of calling upon the Lord that will save you. But most “believers” today are trusting in some facts about Christianity instead of calling on the Lord to live His life in them. They trust they’re saved because of some ideas which they think are Truth and think they’re saved because they believe those ideas. You search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you’re not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (Jn5:39,40) They aren’t saved, nor are they born again, who believe in a Jesus they rarely call upon and when they do call upon Him they want Him to save them from the outside, without living in them so they’ve missed the whole point of calling upon Him; which is that He’d live in them. (Gal 2:20) At "My Father’s House" we’re one of the few churches that know the true gospel. If anyone has a right to say Lord, let those who fear you turn to me; it’s us. (Ps119:79) We can show people how to be saved because we know the Truth. Get them away from the heretical, the lukewarm and the false churches. Bring them to us Lord, and by Your Spirit we’ll make them sons of God. “Let those who fear you turn to us.” The Psalmist can pray this because he knows and loves God’s Word so he can be a blessing to those who fear God and want to know Him. The Word of the Lord came to Jonah saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message I tell you. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the Word of the Lord.” (Jon3:2,3) How shall they call on Him in whom they’ve not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they’ve not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they’re sent? (Rom10:14,15) Jonah is sent by the Lord. He preaches the message God tells him to preach. It seems the entire message was “40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown,” but because of the power of God in that message Nineveh repented. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles saying, “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; don’t let them eat or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily to God; yes let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that’s in his hands.” (Jon3:5-8) What they did is like, “If My people will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways… I’d heal their land.” (2Chr7:14) Too often people pray but don’t turn from their wicked ways. But Nineveh is turning. The Lord’s hand isn’t shortened that it can’t save nor His ear heavy that it can’t hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so He won’t hear. (Is59:1,2) Isaiah says God won’t save these people because they pray but don’t turn away from their sins. But God does save the Ninevites because their faith has works. They hear Jonah’s preaching and they repent. Then it says God saw their works that they turned from their evil ways. (Jon3:10) It isn’t different in the New Testament. “Bring forth works worthy of repentance,” John the Baptist preaches. (Lk3:8) Faith without works is dead. (Jms2:20) If you want God to forgive you show Him you’re serious about turning away from evil. You must stop all known sin if you expect God to heal and cleanse you. “Then God saw their works” and repented of judgment because God rewards according to your works. (Rev2:23) Faith isn’t just believing God will save you. Your believing has to be such that you turn from your iniquities or else God won’t hear when you call upon Him. According to Romans (10:13,14) the whole purpose of believing is so you can call upon the Lord. He who believes won’t be ashamed for the Lord is rich to all who call upon Him. (v11,12) “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom10:13) if the Lord hears your call. But if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord won’t hear me. (Ps66:18) So what did the Ninevites do? They got rid of the iniquity, then they cried out to the Lord. That’s why He hears their cry. Everyone wants to be saved. Even the demons want to be saved, but not everyone is willing to turn from their iniquities. Demons won’t turn from their iniquities. And people who won’t turn from their iniquities won’t be saved. What happened with the Ninevites is they turned from their iniquities and when they turned God saw they were serious about their repentance their believing had works in it. They were bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance. So His hand isn’t shortened that it can’t save. He saves them! Now what’s remarkable about this is He saves the Ninevites, yet He’s telling His own people (Is59) He won’t save them. He won’t save the Jews because they didn’t do what the Ninevites did. The Jews didn’t turn from their wicked ways when they cried out to God. Jonah is upset with God because he wants God to destroy the Ninevites. I know You’re a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, One who repents from doing harm. (Jon4:2) That’s why Jonah ran away. He was afraid God would save the Ninevites. He knew the preaching of judgment isn’t condemnation but it’s God’s mercy giving the Ninevites one last chance to repent. Do you understand how merciful God is, how gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness? Yet wicked people today, false christians, accuse us of preaching condemnation when we preach judgment, while preaching judgment is God’s way of giving an already condemned people one last chance to repent and be saved. It’s remarkable how God saved Nineveh. It’s as remarkable as His saving the Apostle Paul. There’s an extraordinary heart in God that wants to save even the heretical Baptists and Catholics. But it’s going to take an extraordinary grace from God to bring them out of their sins. We must call upon God to open men’s eyes to see their impending judgment. In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. (Rom2:16) Preaching judgment is the gospel. Many false christians are basing their faith for salvation on the erroneous assumptions that they’ve met the requirement of If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved. (Rom10:9) But notice it doesn’t say you ARE SAVED but it says you WILL BE SAVED thus indicating that salvation is a process that begins with confessing your faith but must continue. For we’ve become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. (Heb3:14) So saving faith must keep working to the end – and one verse isn’t enough to stand on for salvation, for man doesn’t live by “one verse” but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Mt4:4) And if you’re confessing Jesus as Lord, you ought to be obeying Him as Lord, Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which I say? (Lk6:46) else you’re lying when you confess Him as Lord. Also if you believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead then Christ must be living in your heart – that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph3:17) and you must be crucified and raised with Him – buried with Him in baptism in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead. (Col 2:12) and you must be calling upon the Lord continually – pray without ceasing (1Thes5:17) – For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom10:13) because the very purpose of confessing Christ as Lord (Rom10:9) is to begin an ongoing relationship with your Lord so He can perfect and teach you – teaching them to observe all things that I’ve commanded you; and lo, I’m with you always, even to the end of the age. (Mt28:20) Because salvation is a process in which you progress in faith – For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it’s written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom1:17) and there are many things Christ must teach you – I still have many things to say to you, but you can’t bear them now. (Jn16:12) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He’ll teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (Jn14:26) Things like how to have oil in your lamps (Mt25:1-13) else you won’t be saved even if you’ve done what Romans (10:9) said. And that you must finish building your tower (Lk14:26-30) or you won’t be saved even though you began by doing what Romans (10:9) said. And the tower you’re building is the complete Christ in you, the hope of glory. The Lord is my high tower. (Ps144:2) For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Rom8:29) 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. (Eph4:13) My little children for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. (Gal 4:19) To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Col 1:27,28) If you really believe in your heart Jesus is Lord you’ll obey every word He speaks. I haven’t spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command what I should say and what I should speak. And I know His command is everlasting life. Therefore whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me so I speak. (Jn12:49,50) Moses truly said to the fathers, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who won’t hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” (Act3:22,23) But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. (Lk21:34-36) So if you don’t watch and pray you won’t escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man. You won’t be saved because your salvation isn’t found in one verse (Rom10:9) but in every word of God and all the other verses that apply to salvation. (Like Lk21:36). You must call upon the Lord to perfect you, keep you obedient and make you an overcomer in Christ unto the end. The simple minded falsely think they’re “saved” because of their misinterpretations of and incorrect “obedience” to one verse (Rom10:9). Jesus said to them, “You’re mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Mt22:29) As also in all his epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (2Pet3:16) If you’re one of these “untaught and unstable” who think you can enter into Heaven on the basis of one or two scriptures (see 2Pet3:16) you must repent zealously. You must enter into a true submission unto Christ as Lord in which you’ll obey Him and call upon Him continually to accomplish all the things God’s Word requires of you pertaining to salvation or you’ll most certainly be lost! How long you simple ones will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge. Turn at My rebuke; surely I’ll pour out my Spirit on you; I’ll make My words known to you. Because I’ve called and you refused, I’ve stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all My counsel and would have none of My rebuke, I’ll also laugh at your calamity; I’ll mock when your terror comes; when your terror comes like a storm and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they’ll call on me but I won’t answer; they’ll seek me diligently but they won’t find me. Because they hated knowledge and didn’t choose the fear of the LORD. (Pr1:22-29) Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He’s near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD and He’ll have mercy on him; and to our God, for He’ll abundantly pardon. (Is55:6,7) Prophecy: Hear My words you captives to your flesh and to iniquity. Hear Me you who say “I’m saved by grace and not of works,” thinking that exempts you from obedience. Hear My words. For My Word says the demons believe and tremble yet they’ll by no means inherit My Kingdom for they chose satan over Me and they’ve chosen their wicked, wicked works. Their part is the lake of fire. Their day is sealed and so it will be with you if you won’t turn from your iniquity; if you won’t cleanse your ways. Your part will be the lake of fire. I tell you o’ people that when My Word comes to you, if you this day believe My words and cry unto Me and say, “Cleanse me o’ God, remove my iniquities from me.” I’ll cleanse you and make you whole. You who are held captive by flesh and iniquity, you must be sober in what you believe. You must be sincere as you come to Me. For the one who I’ll look upon is the one who acknowledges his sin before Me, loathes his flesh and cries unto Me when he hears My words of salvation to turn him from his evil ways; from the wickedness of his heart and to put a new heart within him that he may walk in My statutes. And those are the ones who I’ll cleanse. Those are the ones I’ll save and cause to walk in My ways. So I tell you people, today when you hear My Word, you must believe and cry out to Me in a way that sincerely desires to be cleansed, saith the Lord, that My Kingdom may be your reward. Prophecy: I speak to those who are disobedient to My Word, who say they’re Mine but aren’t. I say the only cry I’ll hear from your heart is, “Lord I’m sorry! Lord I repent!” I’m calling the disobedient “church” to repentance. I’m calling the ungodly “churches” to turn away from their iniquity and stop following harlotry. I call every sinner to repent. That’s the only cry I’m listening for and the only cry I’ll answer from those who’ve been disobedient. But I say to My church who’s clung to Me, who’s cried out, repented and cleansed herself, I say, keep calling on Me and I’ll perfect you. I’ll make you spotless and I’ll make you holy. You won’t be ashamed to have called upon Me. For I’m a rewarder of those who diligently seek Me. And the reward you’ll get will be Me, Christ formed in you, and knowing Me which is eternal life, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at My Father’s House) Salt! Prophecy: Deceiving spirits have gone out saying, “Here’s the Christ over here. Here’s the Christ over there.” Did I not say it would be so? But how will you know where I am in Truth? You must know My Word. For many will be deceived because they’ve despised My Word and haven’t sought Me through the things I’ve given them. Many will follow deceiving spirits because such spirits tell them what they want to hear. But My people know My Word and they know My character through My Word and they know what I’m doing because of My Word. They test the spirits because My Spirit agrees with My Word and they know Christ because Christ is the Word. He fulfilled the Word perfectly and My children will fulfill the Word perfectly because My people love Me enough to know, understand and live by My Word – every word; no word left out! The Word that feels good or the Word that feels bad is all good because it all makes you like Christ. And My people learn, understand and know the will of the Lord by knowing and understanding the Word of the Lord. For I’ve given My Word to you for a purpose. It’s not to gather dust on your table. It’s to be lived by and known and memorized. It’s the guidebook I’ve given you to salvation and those who despise My Word will be lost, saith the Lord. (Prophecy delivered at “My Father’s House”) And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Lev2:13) Salt has a relationship to God’s covenant because a “covenant of salt” is considered unbreakable, permanent and enduring. It’s not difficult to understand how people in ancient days would associate salt with preservation. Salt preserves. It’s not just for flavoring. Jesus refers to this when He speaks about the church; “You’re the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor how shall it be seasoned? It’s then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Mt5:13) For everyone will be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. (Mk9:49) There are many scriptures in the Old Testament concerning salt. And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it...” (2Kng2:20) Here Elisha is healing the waters in Jericho but he needs two things; one is “a new bowl” and the other is salt. For God to heal the polluted waters in the “churches” today He also needs a new bowl, a new church with salt in it. Job asks, “Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?” (Job6:6) God won’t accept a sacrifice that doesn’t have salt in it – salt is a preservative; a purifier and a mark of the covenant that makes it permanent. Salt is also a flavoring and it makes things that would otherwise taste bland to be palatable – and Jesus says the church must be salty. If we’re not salty we’re good for nothing but to be cast out. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt... (Col 4:6) There must be salt in everything we speak. Everything you say should have something in it that’s a preservative or a flavoring. But the flavor salt gives isn’t the same that sugar gives. In the early days of the “Faith Movement” there seemed to be a work of God going on. There was a burst of attention to the Haganite doctrine and their numbers exploded but it was like a mushroom. It came up in a day and rotted overnight. One of the things the Faith Movement held out to believers was the power of God which most other churches didn’t but when corruption came into the Faith Movement there was no salt. Salt is a preservative and an important preservative in the church is the ministry of reproving and rebuking. I heard Ken Hagan, the founder of the Faith Movement, say “When I see my people doing wrong, I go to God and wait for God to straighten them out.” He wouldn’t rebuke. So because in the Faith Movement there was no reproving and rebuking, there was no preservation against the rot and corruption. When flesh came in it took over quickly because there was no salt to oppose it. Today many “believers” think “Love” means saying sweet things, but salt isn’t sugar. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. (Rev3:19) If sugar is what Christ wanted the church to be He’d have said “Have honey in yourselves.” But He didn’t say that, He said “have salt.” And salt has a sting in it! You can compare salt to No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful... (Heb12:11) If a chastening doesn’t “hurt” it’s not doing it’s job because to cleanse you it must bring you into a Godly sorrow that’s not to be repented of. (2Cor7:10) Jesus also compares salt to light; “…if the salt loses it’s flavor, how shall it be seasoned? ... You’re the light of the world. A city that’s set on a hill can’t be hidden.” “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mt5:13,14,16) For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and Truth, finding out what’s acceptable to the Lord. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. (Eph5:8-10,13) Light shows what’s wrong and shows what’s right. It shows you what to do and it shows you what not to do. Where anything can be seen it’s because of light. When a preacher exposes your sin and you’re convicted you’ve done something wrong, you’ve experienced light. Whenever you can see what the right thing to do is from the wrong light is there. When there’s salt in a food and corruption tries to come in the salt fights and hinders it. So exposing and convicting of sin hinders the spread of sin. If there’s enough salt there’ll never be any corruption. This is one reason why lunchmeats, hams, and such things last so long in comparison to fresh meat. There’s a lot of salt in the former. In the old days they salted some foods so much you had to soak them in water before you could eat them. With enough salt foods can be preserved indefinitely. The devil is always trying to corrupt things. But if you have people in the church who’ll stand up for what’s right, rebuking evil, the corruption will be hindered. And if you have enough people standing for what’s right the corruption can be brought to a stand still. Thus saltiness has to do with preventing corruption by standing up against it – speaking against it – exposing it – revealing it. Reproving and rebuking is salt. But salt is also a flavoring. If you’re lukewarm you don’t taste good to God because lukewarm is like being without salt. So then, because you’re lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I’ll vomit you out of My mouth. (Rev3:16) It’s like you don’t have any character or flavor. You’re like the white of an egg. The kind of people God likes are salty people. Salty people will stand up for what they believe and they believe what God teaches them. They’re able to stand against the corruption around them. You want to see someone God loves? Look at John the Baptist. He’s a salty man. He tells the nation of Israel their sins and then sticks his finger in Herod’s face saying, “You can’t have that woman! You’re sinning. She belongs to your brother.” And he dies for it. But he’s a sacrifice salted with salt! Phinehas is a salty man of God. He stands up for what’s right and does something about it; he stopped the corruption! (Num25:6-12) And Paul isn’t a wimp! He rebukes the Apostle Peter when Peter’s reverting to Judaism. (Gal 2:11,12) Paul pleases God because he’s salty. And look at Peter standing up against the Sanhedrin saying, “You killed the Son of God.” (Act5:30) And Stephen saying to the Pharisees, “You do always resist the Holy Spirit.” (v7:51) And John exposing Diotrephes, I wrote to the church but Diotrephes who loves to have the preeminence among them doesn’t receive us. Therefore if I come I’ll call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself doesn’t receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. (3Jn9,10) John stands up against the sinner – calls him by name – tells the church Diotrephes’ sin. Salty people hinder corruption in the church because they stand against it. While I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude3) If you lose your salt you’re no longer a hindrance to corruption. What good are you? A church without salt is like the white of an egg, it has no flavor to God. It sickens Him. To have salt in yourselves is to be giving God the flavor He’s looking for; that “Here’s a church that restrains wickedness.” The time will come when they won’t endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they’ll heap up for themselves teachers; and they’ll turn their ears away from the Truth and be turned aside to fables. (2Tim4:3,4) We’re living in the time where this prophecy is fulfilled. Teachers who scratch itching ears aren’t salty. They’re speakers of “sweetness!” And we’re in the age where most people don’t want salt they want sugar. That’s a sign that we’re the peach turning rotten – the banana that’s gone too long – we’re disintegrating into corruption because we’re overly sweet. We don’t have enough salt. And it’s distasteful to God and to people who have any real sense of righteousness. Many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” (Jn7:31) Jesus has to be the Christ. He’s fulfilled the scriptures and done everything we could expect the Messiah to do. But using this line of reasoning we could also say, “When the ear ticklers come will they do more ear tickling than these people have done? Could they possibly tickle ears any better?” (2Tim4:3,4) The ear ticklers are here. The scripture is fulfilled. The corruption is upon us. This corruption is characterized by an overly sweet behavior that doesn’t reprove and rebuke – it comforts sinners in their sin. It doesn’t cry aloud and spare not, nor lift up your voice like a trumpet and show My people their sins. (Is58:1) It doesn’t turn church people away from their iniquity. (Jer23:22) It makes them feel like God loves them no matter what they do. So this sweetness seeps like rot through the churches until there’s nothing left that isn’t corrupted by it; until everything is a stench in the nostrils of God because no one stands up for righteousness anymore. There’s no salt in the church. If John the Baptist came to most “churches” today they’d throw him out. They’d say he was mean, censorious, judgmental, unloving. What most “believers” think is righteous behavior is being sweet to everyone so no-one gets their feelings hurt. Most “preachers” today speak against the sins of people who are outside their church but no-one in their “church” ever gets convicted or reproved or rebuked about anything. The ear ticklers are here and they can’t get any worse than they already are. The next step is God throwing it all out if there isn’t a revival, repentance and the church turning back to salty salt! Because there isn’t anything to do with a rotten peach except throw it out and there’s nothing to do with savorless salt except throw it out. But praise the Lord, there’s real salt in My Father’s House. And that makes us a savory sacrifice to God. It makes us a pleasing aroma to Him. And in our being salty salt Christ preserves us, and will keep us for His Heavenly Kingdom. Amen. Prophecy: Don’t think it a strange thing that there’s a great contrast between the true and the false – those who are Mine and those who falsely profess to be Mine but aren’t. Don’t think it a strange thing that the separation becomes greater. For in times of corruption that which is preserved must be salted with even more salt than in times when there’s not so much evil. So that which is being saved becomes saltier even as that which is lost becomes more and more corrupt. So the distance between what’s right and what’s wrong increases because the power of corruption has to be offset by the power of preservation. So as the enemy rises up stronger so also do I. My true people become even saltier as the world around them becomes more corrupt. Thus it’s been with you even as I’ve spoken in the days of Isaiah, “Arise, shine for your light has come; for gross darkness covers the peoples.” As the darkness becomes greater upon the lost around you so the light upon you shines brighter and brighter. And I’ve ordained it that way in order that men’s eyes may be opened to see the difference; for blind people don’t see well and they need to have a great distinction between the shadows and the light in order to discern. And you’re living in an age of great blindness where people have little discernment. So I must show them by shining a very bright light on that which is of Me in contrast to the great darkness on that which isn’t. So don’t be confused by the fact that the distances between you and the unrighteous are growing greater and the distinctions between you and the unrighteous are stronger. For that is as it should be in this time and this season, saith the Lord Prophecy: Many who claim to represent Me don’t know My ways, follow worldly wisdom and think the way to save the lost is to be so close to them in behavior that when the lost is called out of his place he can come out by taking a short step that’s very easy to take. But I tell you those who try to come out by taking a little step, by making a very small change, aren’t coming out at all. And My people, I’m setting you up as an example that if men want to be saved they must take a great step to put their shame, their sin and their wickedness behind them. They must come all the way out and come into the light and the Truth and into the holiness of God. For I won’t have people who are 10% clean – 50% clean – 30% clean, I’ll have them 100% clean. They’ll be cleansed if they’re to be Mine or they won’t be Mine if they won’t be cleansed completely, saith the Lord Prophecy: I have sons but so does My enemy and his sons aren’t My sons; they’re illegitimate. They aren’t Mine whether they claim to be or not. They aren’t Mine unless they’re of the same Spirit I am – unless they’ve been born of Me. And you can tell whose sons they are by the desires they do. You can also tell whose sons are Mine by the desires they do. For in My true sons My desires will be their desires and those are the things they’ll accomplish, and they’ll be purified. The sons of My enemy will also do as they desire and they’ll be corrupted in what they desire. So I’ll make a clear and distinct difference between those who are mine and those who aren’t. For I’m a salty God, a salty Man of War. I do the hard things – I speak the hard things and I make sure you know what’s right and what’s wrong. I’m very savory and clean and I’m holy in all My ways. And My children are the same. If you aren’t salty you aren’t My children. If you’re all sweetness and sugar, you’re worthless and you’re of your father the devil. But My true people, rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for you’re salty when you’re seen as a savor to those who are Mine and as a threat to those who aren’t. For I’m making you mature, I’m making you as I am so you’ll be counted worthy to sit at My table. I’m making a clear and distinct difference between the wheat and the tares; between those planted by My enemy and those who are Mine. And when this distinction is seen know that that the time is nigh and soon I’ll put in the sickle and take to Myself the ones who are Mine and burn the tares with unquenchable fire, saith the Lord. Prophecy: My people stand up for My Kingdom and oppose all that opposes holiness. They oppose sin even as My men in days of old, Phinehas, Josiah, David, and My prophets fought against the people who were against My holiness and they fought against those who fought against Me. So My people are fighting against those who have raised up their heads against Me today. Those whose doctrine doesn’t accord with godliness and wholesome words, even the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, I tell you they’re proud knowing nothing. And My people won’t be easy on the adversaries because My people aren’t easy on that which is brutal to My Spirit. Those who’d trample on My presence and trample on My Word, I’m throwing them out because they’re a distasteful seasoning which won’t be in My food. But My people you’re awesomely being used by Me in many ways so I admonish you be strong in My Spirit, thus saith the Lord. (Prophecies given at “My Father’s House”)
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