|
|
|
|
One Spirit! By Pastor Bill Taylor A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume 8//Issue 1 Prophecy: Thus says the Lord, whose Name is great and whose power reaches past eternity. My people, I’ve called you from the beginning of time, from the beginning, before things were, I’ve called you to be prepared to glorify My Name and to show forth My righteousness. Even though you’re a people dim of sight and dull of hearing and as human beings you’re very incapable of many things, I tell you, in this time and in this day and in this age through the work of My Son I’ve given you My Spirit whose Name is the Spirit of Truth and in Him is all truth. But yet He’s also named the Holy Spirit and in Him is all holiness; He’s named the Spirit of Justice and judgment, and in Him is all justice and judgment; He’s also named the Spirit of wisdom, and in Him is all wisdom and My people, in yourselves you can have a portion of what is called holiness, but you can’t have holiness. In yourselves you can have a portion of what is called wisdom, but you can’t have wisdom. And in yourselves you can have a portion of all these things that are of Me but you can’t have the completion of them apart from Me, saith the Lord. But in My Spirit you can have the fullness of all that I am. My people, I have called you for this purpose; to be a people who walk and live and breath My Spirit, who know My Spirit, who’s all that I Am, that you may glorify My Name and show forth the brightness of My Spirit and My glory. I’ve called you to do this and I’ll work in you its fullness and its perfection in everything that I’ve called you to be, saith the Lord. So you shall be a glory to My Name and a glory to My Son. And I’ll also work on your behalf. Not just you will work, but I’ll work on your behalf, for you’ve stood for My Name and been called according to My purpose and I’ll also work on your behalf to glorify you and to glorify everything that I’ve called you to do. And you’ll see Me work and not only you will bear witness but I will bear witness to My Name through you. And I’ll work in a mighty and awesome way to glorify your house and to glorify your work for your work is My work as you walk in My Spirit. But I’ll also do this, for I’m a great King and I’ll show forth the glory of My Name by destroying My enemies and bringing down My foes who have used My Name for their own works and for their own purposes and for their own glory. For in themselves they think they find their holiness and in themselves they think they find their wisdom and in themselves they think they refine all their works. But it’s for them, and for their own glory, and they’ve used My Name to do iniquity so I shall bring them down and I shall bring them to nothing while I raise you up to show forth the difference and the contrast and to glorify My holy Name for I’ve called you to do this and My Spirit works through you to do this, saith the Lord. Prophecy: I said I’d send the helper to you, the Spirit of Truth, and He’d guide you into all truth. The simple minded think that means they’ll know it all, that they’ll be taught everything there is to know and they’ll possess everything there is to know. But the Spiritual see that only God Himself possesses all truth, in that sense. And when I said My Spirit of Truth would guide you into all truth, rather I would that you’d see truth as a vast ocean and that My Spirit of Truth will guide you to that ocean, the ocean of all truth. And He’ll immerse you in that ocean. And then I ask you My people, will you possess that ocean, or will that ocean possess you? Because My Spirit is guiding you into the vastness of My truth, the vastness of My wisdom, the vastness of My peace, the vastness of My light, and in a measure you might say that you possess these things, but in reality, it is I who possess you. My wisdom possesses you, My peace possesses you, My truth possesses you, My light possesses you, and all you are, and all that you do will flow out of that, My Spirit of truth who possesses you, says the Lord. Prophecy: I tell you there’s a famine in the land and to those who aren’t Mine the famine is increasing and they’re starving and dying and they’re lacking that which could give them life which is My Spirit and My truth. However you My people aren’t in the famine but you’re in the midst of those who are in the famine. And I tell you that you have the abundance of Joseph, and while their famine is increasing your abundance is abounding and your faith is growing because you’re in Me and in My truth. And I tell you there are some who are coming out of the famine, and they will come to you and receive of the abundance you have and they’ll receive your truth which opens their eyes and which opens their hearts to see the light that’s in My Spirit; the Spirit of Truth; the Way and the Life. And because you’ve an abundance of My truth and of My Spirit and because you have a true relationship with Me, you’ll be able to relate to them what they’re lacking and give them life because those outside are blind, but you who are inside can see for your veil has been removed. Thus I’m doing an awesome and mighty work to cause the abundance you’ve received in here to be known out there and they’ll come to you and I’ll be glorified in you by those whom I save through you, thus saith the Lord. Prophecy: In the work I’m doing today, there are many who call themselves by My Name sitting on the fence, and I say now and in this day and in this age I’m going to cause all who are sitting on the fence to get off that fence and they’ll either become hot for Me or become cold for death. I’ll not allow them to go on falsely claiming they know Me, while defiling My Name, saying they’re My children while they reject My Word. And I’m not going to allow them to go on anymore in their lukewarmness, because I’m exposing their lukewarmness right now and I’m using you My people to expose this lukewarmness and all will have to make a choice. They’re going to serve Me with all their heart, 100%, all My way, or it’s not going to be any way, saith the Lord. And I’m going to expose and shine My light so brightly that I’ll cause men to get off, on either the right side of that fence, which is My side, or they’ll have to get off on the left side. And the lukewarm are going to be spit out of My mouth and men will be provoked to come to Me or they’ll go the other way, for I won’t have a people any longer riding on that fence. But I’m working to expose every bit of lukewarmness and I’ll cause men to make a decision. And they’ll make a decision for Me or they’ll make a decision to serve their father the devil, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father’s House”) The Lord has done what He purposed; He’s fulfilled His Word which He commanded in days of old. He’s thrown down and not pitied. (Lam2:17) There are so many prophecies of what God promised He’d do to His people if they disobeyed Him. And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. I’ll destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. I’ll lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I’ll not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. I’ll bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. I’ll scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. (Lev26:27-33) The word prophesied in Leviticus was shown to be fulfilled to the letter in Lamentations. Not a word of God’s promises will ever fail; whatever hasn’t yet been fulfilled will certainly be fulfilled. The Lord has fulfilled His fury, poured out His fierce anger. (Lam4:11) Through Daniel, God prophesies to Nebuchadnezzar, They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they’ll make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity. (Dan4:25,27) Yet even after this awesome warning, the king rises up in pride and that very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar. (Dan4:33) In the New Testament, All this was done so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying: behold a virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call His name Emmanuel. (Mt1:22-23) It also speaks of Jesus as a child being in Egypt until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying, “out of Egypt I have called My Son.” (Mt2:15) And after Herod killed the children in Bethlehem then it was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying, “a voice was heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children.” (v18) Then He came and dwelt in the city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (v23) Nazarene means “a branch.” (Zec3:8, 6:12) And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” (Mt4:13-16) For surely I say to you that until Heaven and earth pass away not one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Mt5:18) Over and over again through Jesus’ life and ministry you’ll see references to the scriptures being fulfilled. Sometimes Jesus consciously fulfilled them, other times God sovereignly fulfilled them. It’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of God’s word being fulfilled. If one jot or tittle of His word failed to be fulfilled, God would not be God. God has to be perfect because He’s God. Everything He’s said He’ll do must be done to prove it’s the real God who is doing it. Often God uses men to fulfill the scriptures and they’re conscious that’s what they’re doing. Who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” (Is44:28) Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.” (Ezra1:2) If you want to be a true partaker of God’s grace ask Him to let you help Him fulfill His word. Get into His Spirit and get to know His word so you can be a co-worker with Him else you’ll end up fulfilling His word as a recipient of His wrath. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. (Acts13:27) There is no blessing in that. God has prophesied of a great apostasy that will occur in the closing days of this age. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (apostasy) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. (2Thes2:3) Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you’ll be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Mt24:9-11,24) But He’s also prophesied He’ll have a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. (Eph5:27) So which of these scriptures do you want to fulfill? Will you fulfill the scriptures by being a part of the apostasy and be damned, or would you rather devote your life to helping Christ glorify and cleanse His church for which you’ll receive the reward of eternal life? Find out what God wants to do, what His will is and help Him fulfill it. Do the blessed things that pertain to what God has prophesied, and you’ll be helping God bring about a solution to the world’s problem instead of aggravating them. You can choose to be a servant of truth or by default you’ll be a servant of falsehood. How important is the prophetic Word to God? How important is fulfilling God’s word to Jesus? How important is fulfilling God’s word to Paul, and to every real Christian? And how foolish are the “churches” and “believers” today who don’t even know what the New Covenant is really about and who can’t fulfill God’s word because they have no interest in it and don’t even know the things God says that they ought to be fulfilling. The New Covenant is Spiritual. The New Covenant is believing not merely that you’re saved, but believing that by faith Jesus will live in you (Col 1:27;Gal 2:20) and cause you to behave in such a way that God will reward you with eternal life. God isn’t saving people who are wicked in their behavior except when they repent and let Him change their behavior by faith in Christ, so they can become worthy of His eternal Kingdom; so they can have a Christ-like behavior that God can reward. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, don’t cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Col 1:9-10) Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, (2Thes1:11) God has changed His people from being criminals in the sense of unrighteous sinners to being good citizens of His Kingdom with Christ-like behavior. He’s brought about the means to do that through the giving of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant. And to be “saved” you must have faith to take hold of the promise of the Spirit which is what the New Covenant is about – attaining to the promise for Jesus Christ to actually live in you. If you have faith to truly receive the Spirit of God then you’ll do God’s will, through His Spirit which dwells in you and you’ll behave in such a way as is glorifying to God, and makes you worthy of His eternal Kingdom. For if you live according to the flesh you’ll die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you’ll live. (Ro8:13) By His Spirit He’ll make you a child of God and change your behavior so you won’t bring reproach on Him but you’ll bring glory to Him. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Ro8:14,16) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezek36:27) When “churches” teach the purpose of the New Covenant is to forgive your sins but they don’t teach it’s also to change you and make you an obedient child of God; (Heb10:7) then they don’t “save” you because you’re not even forgiven if you don’t get into the Spirit of Christ. The forgiveness is in Christ. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Eph1:7) To be in Christ you must be in His Spirit Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he’s not His. (Ro8:9) When His Spirit is in you, you don’t sin for His Spirit doesn’t sin; His “seed” remains in you and you can’t sin. (1Jn3:9) Anyone who truly abides in Him doesn’t sin. (v5-6) Most “churches” today aren’t teaching the New Covenant. They’re teaching a perversion in which they believe the mere acknowledgement of some truths about Jesus being Savior makes them God’s children and they think themselves to be saved in spite of their blatant carnality, worldliness and sin. Most people are so gullible and ignorant of the scriptures that they think any organization that claims to be of God actually is. In truth most “churches” are “synagogues of satan” (Rev3:9) They’re run by the devil and his iniquitous servants, who actually serve their own interests while they pretend to serve God. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it’s no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2Cor11:13-15) They pervert and twist the gospel to offer their victims an alternative to God’s way so the false believers can go on in their iniquity and still be slaves to unrighteousness (Ro6:16) while thinking they’re “saved.” By this means satan hinders the expansion of the Kingdom of God. If all churches taught the truth, all Christians would actually be born again and serving the Lord Jesus, not iniquity (self), else they’d depart from the faith altogether and not pretend to be believers. By condoning and excusing fleshly behavior, instead of crucifying it – satan fills his captive “churches” with unChristlike false brethren while he suppresses true Spiritual Christianity with his heresies, like “once saved always saved” or “imputed righteousness” in place of true holiness. In these ways satan produces a semblance of salvation without actually turning people away from their iniquities. So they remain the devil’s children while thinking they belong to God. Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2Tim2:19) To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. (Acts3:26) You’re of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there’s no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he’s a liar and the father of it. (Jn8:44) True New Covenant salvation will make you a saint who obeys God. Christ won’t leave you a sinner; sin won’t have dominion over a true believer because the Holy Spirit gives you power to put to death the deeds of the body. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or don’t you know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Ro6:2-3,6) For if you live according to the flesh you’ll die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you’ll live. (Ro8:13) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:16,24) Paul says, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I’ve preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1Cor9:27) A disciple is one who disciplines himself. If I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ then I must be disciplined to obey Christ. Jesus says, “If you want to be My disciple you must forsake all. (Lk14:33) If you want to be My disciple you must be crucified to this world. (Gal 2:20) If you’re to be My disciple you must pick up your cross and follow Me; and lose your life to save it.” (Mt10:38-39) All these things pertain to being disciplined to live in a way contrary to how worldly people live. Worldly people are iniquitous – they don’t obey God but follow the dictates of their own evil hearts and they unfairly favor their own interests over the interests of others. They’re carnal – which means their flesh causes them to pursue useless pleasure. The Apostle Peter says, “those who’ve suffered in the flesh have ceased from sin.” (1Pet4:1) The righteous have ceased from sin because they don’t favor what feels good over doing what’s right. To do that they must crucify the flesh and let it suffer whenever its interests oppose God. They must say “no” whenever flesh wants to do what ought not to be done. The false church doesn’t teach people to crucify the flesh. Paul talks about a people who perish because they didn’t love the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thes2:10-13) In other words, they wouldn’t discipline their bodies. They wouldn’t suffer in order to cease from sin. Jude talks about contending for the faith because of people who’ve turned the grace of God into permission to sin or licentiousness. (v4) All around us we see “christians” who admit they’re sinners and believe they can’t cease from sin – yet they think they’re “saved.” (2Pet2:14) (See our previous publication “Christians Aren’t Sinners.”) Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. (1Jn3:6) These false brethren are full of flesh, full of selfishness, full of the world, pursuing their own pleasures, and refusing to discipline their bodies. Yet they claim they’re saved because in some superficial way they acknowledge Jesus. But the Jesus I know says to such people, “Why do you call Me Lord, Lord and not do what I say?” (Lk6:46) He’s not Lord of these people. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-- who set their mind on earthly things. (Phil 3:18-19) They’re enemies to the cross, because they won’t put their flesh to death. That’s what the cross does, it crucifies the flesh. “I am crucified with Christ.” (Gal 2:20) Their end is hellfire. They’re not led by the Spirit but by their belly; their thoughts are on earthly things; they don’t know the mind of Christ. True Christians can’t have unity with such people. These are false brethren. Paul tells us we’re to serve God in the newness of the Spirit. (Ro7:6) The New Covenant is a Spiritual covenant, God prophesied concerning the New Covenant that He’d give us His Spirit and His Spirit would cause us to obey God. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezek36:27) The prophecies concerning this also tell us that New Covenant believers will hear and know God. All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. (Is54:13) Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. (Is30:21) “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I’ll put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I’ll be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” (Heb8:10-12 from Jer31:33-34) In the New Testament Jesus says, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (Jn 6:45) My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (Jn10:27) True New Covenant believers serve God in the newness of the Spirit, not the oldness of the letter. (Ro7:6) The oldness of the letter means you don’t hear God, Himself, you just know His laws. And you have to interpret the law as best as you can and try to follow it in your own strength, your own wisdom, which is why it failed in that it was weak through the flesh. (Rom8:3) The newness of the Spirit however means Christ lives inside the true believer and He’ll show you by His Spirit how to do righteousness and will give you the power to overcome sin in the flesh and do what is right. So the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Ro8:4) If you carefully compare the Old Testament to the New on this subject one of the first things you’ll see concerning the Spirit is in the Old Testament it predominantly talks about the Holy Spirit coming upon people. But in the New Testament it talks about the Holy Spirit dwelling in people. In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit wasn’t given to dwell in the people as He can today. He could come on them or anoint them to perform a particular kind of service as to be a prophet of God, but He didn’t live in them in such a way as to make them sons of God. Notice how the Spirit would move upon Samson, (Judg15:14) and he’d do mighty feats to deliver God’s people at those times but the rest of the time he lived a very iniquitous life, nothing like a New Testament son of God. Similarly King Saul was anointed by the Holy Spirit and became “another man” (1Sam10:6) but he also proved to be very iniquitous in his behavior toward God and God’s man David. Old Testament anointings such as these are similar to New Testament gifts of the Holy Spirit which may come upon believers “as the Spirit wills” and cause them to do mighty works. (1Cor12:7-11) But this kind of an anointing does not necessarily make you a son of God in behavior or even remove your iniquity. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice iniquity!” (Mt7:22-23) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (Jn7:38-39) So under the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit couldn’t be given in the way described here, not until Christ was glorified. But now, under the New Covenant true believers will have this Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling in them and flowing out of them as “rivers of living water.” And what would you think the difference in effect is? If the Holy Spirit dwells in you then how is that better than His just coming upon you? First, He’s always there. He comes upon you in the Old Covenant for special services at particular times. Under the New Covenant if you exercise the proper faith He can live in you always. He can be there to guide you in everything you do. Whether you eat or drink do all to the glory of God. (1Cor10:31) The Holy Spirit is always available by faith to the true New Covenant believer to give guidance, help, strength, light in every step you take, and to pour out God’s blessings upon others, because He’s not just upon you He’s in you. But notice what the scripture says about John the Baptist. He’d be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. (Lk1:15) Yet the Bible says, …for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (Jn7:39) So even though John the Baptist believed in Jesus (see Jn1:29-34) John died not having that kind of filling of the Spirit which Jesus was prophesying would characterize the New Covenant believer. As Jesus also said of John the Baptist. “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there’s not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who’s least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” (Matt11:11) And Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he can’t enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (Jn3:5-7) Thus indicating John the Baptist was not “born again” of the Spirit even though he was “filled with the Spirit.” He wasn’t “born from above” in such a way as to be even a least member of the Kingdom of God or a son of God. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption (sonship) by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Rom8:14-16) For you’re all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:26) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” (Gal 4:4-6) John himself says, “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (Jn3:30-31) Thus indicating that John is earthly “born of woman” and not born from above. And so it’s written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. (1Cor15:45) John has the nature of the first Adam even though he’s filled with the Spirit. But those that are born from above take on the nature of the second Adam – Christ – the Holy Spirit of sonship. This is the New Covenant filling of the Spirit. Notice also, those who have the nature of Adam are able to receive life but those with the Spirit of Christ become “life givers” as in a life giving Spirit and rivers of living water (or waters of life) flowing out of the New Covenant believer’s innermost being to bless others. (Jn7:38) Now one very important effect of the New Covenant Holy Spirit being in you is it will produce unity with God’s purposes. He’ll bring your entire being, your entire life into harmony with God and His plans. Notice in the Old Testament how the Holy Spirit would come upon men like Samson or King Saul for particular purposes to defeat the enemies of God’s people, but the general tenor of their lives was iniquitous and self serving. So because of his selfishness and iniquity Samson dies as a captive of the Philistines and Saul dies also at the hand of the Philistines. Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice iniquity!” (Mt7:21-23) Even in the New Testament Jesus warns us that doing works when the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, won’t by itself gain you entrance into the Kingdom of God. But you must let Christ live in you through the Holy Spirit so you’re delivered from iniquity and your whole life becomes an expression of God’s will. So having the Holy Spirit dwelling in you will bring you into unity with God, but it will also bring you into unity with the true people of God. For there is only ONE SPIRIT and He can’t oppose Himself so all who possess that one Spirit will be in agreement with both God and each other insofar as they’re walking in that one Spirit. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling. (Eph4:4) But this also means to attain Christian unity the Holy Spirit must lead you to a true church to hear what your brother Christians are hearing. For to be in unity, you must all be taught the same truths by that same Spirit. For this reason I’ve sent Timothy to you, who’s my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who’ll remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (1Cor4:17) Moreover, brethren, I don’t want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same Spiritual food, and all drank the same Spiritual drink. For they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (1Cor10:1-4) So even under Moses God was bringing His people into unity by their sharing of a common “Spiritual food” and although in one way He was successful and they did become the nation of Israel With most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (1Cor10:5) Because most of God’s people didn’t have a common Spirit in them as: My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. (Num14:24) So most of the Jews rebelled against God; Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, (Heb 3:8) and fell into various sins; Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And don’t become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. (1Cor10:6-10) Even though they had a common diet; For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Heb4:2) they perished because they didn’t have faith. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. (1Cor10:11) Whereas concerning the New Covenant the just shall live by faith. (Ro1:17) And To those who’ve obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. (2Pet1:1) And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, (2Cor4:13) For; There’s one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph4:4-6) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (1Cor12:13) It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” (Jn6:45) So if we’re all taught by the same God, the same Spirit, the Spirit of truth that will most certainly produce unity. And the numerous divisions in the contemporary “churches” are a sure and certain proof that the vast majority of “christians” are not being taught of God and they aren’t Jesus’ true church or even in a true New Covenant faith. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1Cor1:10) Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, (Phil 1:27) Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Phil 2:2) But to have such unity we must all be eating that same Spiritual bread – The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. (1Cor10:16-17) Don’t be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it’s good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which haven’t profited those who’ve been occupied with them. We’ve an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. (Heb13:9-13) If we don’t come outside the camp and get away from the common “bread” of worldly carnal “christianity” and into that true Spiritual bread of Christ – we can’t have unity with Christ or with each other. This is why I can’t have unity with Catholics, Baptists or other such worldly christians who are trying to adapt their “christianity” to be agreeable to the world while they remain in the camp. They don’t eat from the table I eat from – their churches are different from Christ’s. Also here at “My Father’s House,” where God has called us into 6 day a week church, we’ve noticed those who’ve tried to join us but would only attend 2-3 meetings per week could never attain a real unity with us. “To him who hears more is given.” (Mk4:24) “He who sows much shall reap much.” (2Cor9:6) Every day we meet at “My Father’s House” the Spirit teaches us something fresh and of vital importance. Those who don’t partake with us in all the Spirit is teaching, by being absent from meetings they should have been a part of, they miss what the Spirit is doing. They’re not able to pray effectually in corporate prayer or have an accurate sense of Spiritual direction; where the Spirit is, what He’s doing, where He’s going. So because these “part-time” members weren’t allowing the Spirit to teach them in the same way as He’s teaching us they’d often embarrass themselves when they’d try to participate in the sharing services, and they’d demonstrated no real unity with the full-time true and faithful believers. Unity comes from obedience to the Spirit and in “My Father’s House” God has commanded us to: Not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb10:25) So being in unity with the saints you have to meet together with the saints as often as it’s possible for you to be there and in a way where God can teach us all the same things and bring us into the place where we all think and speak in agreement with God and each other. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. (Heb8:11) The Holy Spirit doesn’t just want to teach you some facts about God – He wants to teach you to know God. Worldly “churches” give their members “information” about God, but in the true church the Holy Spirit gives us confirmation of His presence, and proof from God that we’re actually fellowshipping with Him and hearing Him. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Cor2:4-5)
God may do that by speaking to you, enlightening you, quickening scripture to you, influencing you in your private prayer times and devotions – then confirming what He’s shown you in private by the preaching and teaching that occurs through the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and even the sharing and testimonies of the brethren whether personally or in the corporate services. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you’ve shut your door, pray to your Father who’s in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Mt6:6) So believers who’ve met with God in the secret place before they come to church, will be rewarded with confirmation that they themselves are hearing God and being taught of God when they participate in the corporate services. However “christians” who have little or no private time with God when they participate in the same corporate services and hear the same preaching etc., they may receive the same “information” as the “secret place” believers but they can’t receive any confirmations since there’s nothing they’ve heard from God in the secret place that God can confirm. So because they’ve no private time with God, God can’t prove to them they really know Him and truly they don’t. Such “believers” even if they go to the same church as real believers don’t receive the same blessings as the true Christians. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing they don’t hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive;” But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; (Mt13:13-14,16) Don’t be deceived, God isn’t mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he’ll also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Gal 6:7-8) But this I say, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2Cor9:6) So if you want to have true fellowship with God and the real brethren, the Holy Spirit must guide you to sow bountifully and participate in Bible studies, reading the word and praying at home so when you get to church there are things God has showed you at home He can confirm in the church to build your faith that you’re actually hearing God and being taught by God. And those who won’t do that, what will they get out of even a very Spiritual church service? They might get some information, but they won’t get confirmation, which means they don’t get to hear God themselves, they don’t get to know God themselves. So such “believers” aren’t in the New Covenant because even though they have “information” they’re not getting confirmation that they personally know God, as in “All shall know Me.” (Heb8:11) Even as you’re reading the Glory of His Grace – if you’re a true Christian who has a good devotional time with God you’ll receive confirmations that God has been speaking many of the same truths written here to your heart; whereas an intellectual “christian” just receives information; ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. (2Tim3:7) The unspiritual never get to hear Jesus the Truth and God’s voice themselves. Such people can’t be in unity with the Spiritual Christians because they never really know what the Spirit is saying or doing. They don’t know Christ’s voice. They only have some head knowledge about Christianity, not a relationship of faith firmly established by experiences and confirmations of Christ’s leading. These people don’t understand God enough to see the means He uses to accomplish His purposes in making us sons of God. So if we pray for unity we better start doing things that will make for unity. Which means we’ll try to be there every time the Lord speaks to His people in our church meetings. Which means we’ll spend time with God personally, good quality time. Which means we must really like fellowshipping with the brethren. And out of that we’ll obtain God’s gracious confirmations to help us see that we really do hear God when He speaks to us, so we’ll be built up in our faith and our confidence that He actually leads us and guides us and we do indeed know His voice. So there’s a means by which God through the Spirit causes us to be in unity and also there’s a means by which God causes us to be obedient to His commandments, If you walk in the Spirit you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal 5:16) I’ll put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you’ll keep My judgments and do them. (Ezek36:27) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Ro13:14) Also these verses must be understood in connection with, He who’s suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. (1Pet4:1) For if you live according to the flesh you’ll die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you’ll live. (Ro8:13) If you live according to the flesh you will die – even if you claim to believe in Jesus. So salvation isn’t just “believing” in Jesus but if you want to be saved you must be believing in Jesus in such a way that you don’t live according to the flesh. When people claim to believe in Jesus and still live according to the flesh they’ll die – they’re not saved. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you’ll live. (Ro8:13) For these are the sons of God (v14) the ones who are led by the Spirit and who put to death the deeds of the body. The New Covenant is a Spiritual covenant. The New Covenant through faith unites you to the Spirit of the Son of God where you delight to do the will of the Father. It brings you to the place where your ears are open and you can hear and be taught by and obey God, where you don’t do the will of the flesh because you’re willing to let your flesh suffer in order to obey God. The New Covenant is where the power of the Spirit in you is great enough to give you grace to endure the suffering of not doing what the flesh wants but instead gives you grace to do what God wants you to do. The power of this New Covenant salvation includes the grace of the Holy Spirit to heal, do miracles and such, but the predominate power is the power to suffer and do the will of God because suffering won’t cause you to give in to sin in the flesh anymore; because you, by the Spirit can put to death the deeds of the body. What did Jesus demonstrate on the cross? The power of the Spirit in Him to suffer in order to do the will of God. How extreme was His suffering! It says His visage was marred more than any man. (Isa 52:14) He was beaten, scourged and His beard plucked out. He carried the cross until He dropped. But the Spirit in Him was stronger than the pain. And He demonstrated a mighty victory over the flesh. He demonstrated the power in Him to overcome every torment and do the will of God. Now He says that power is available to you by faith. And the one who has faith in what the New Covenant really represents can say no to sin, can say no to drugs, to tobacco; they can say no to anything that has taken them captive. No matter how much suffering you must go through to say no to sin the Spirit will give you the strength to overcome. Because the power of the Spirit is stronger than the flesh. For I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it’s the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it’s written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Ro1:16-17) But Paul warns in the last days there will be men who are described as; having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2Tim3:5) The power of true Christianity is the power to be a son of God no matter what kind of enemy you face, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1Jn4:4) Any church that isn’t preaching this truth, isn’t preaching the gospel. Any “christian” who doesn’t believe in the power of God to bring about righteous behavior in the believer, doesn’t believe the gospel. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It isn’t a license to sin and be forgiven; it isn’t mere information; it’s power; it’s the power to overcome sin; it’s the power to cause you to walk righteously as a son of God and do the will of God joyfully. Until that true Spirit of Christ is in you the word of God isn’t fulfilled in you concerning what your salvation is supposed to be. And you can see by what we’ve been showing you how important it is to God that His word be fulfilled. Then Christ is charging you and every other true believer to fulfill the word of God. Be what He says you’re to be. Believe that you’ll receive what He says you are to receive in true salvation and then demonstrate you have it. The word of God is fulfilled when what you call Christianity means having one heart with Christ, and a new Spirit that you may walk in God’s statutes and keep His judgments and do them. (Ezek36:27) That’s when you’ll be His people and He’ll be your God. The word of God is fulfilled when I’ll put My law in their minds, write it on their hearts, I’ll be their God and they’ll be My people, and no one will have to teach his neighbor and his brother saying “know the Lord,” for they’ll all know Me from the least of them to the greatest of them. (Jer31:33-34) The word of God is fulfilled when I’ll put My fear into their hearts so that they’ll not depart from Me. (Jer32:40) The word of God is fulfilled when “your ear is opened, when you delight to do God’s will and His law is in your heart.” (Ps40:6-8) The word of God is fulfilled when you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. (Ro8:13) Where that’s going on God’s word is being fulfilled. Where that isn’t going on a perversion, a fraud is going on – it’s false christianity! The churches are filled with false christians today. People have made up their own standards of what constitutes “Christianity” but their standards aren’t of God. What they have isn’t Christianity; it isn’t the New Covenant where Christ lives in you and you’re a son of God and you hear God, and you do His will joyfully and there’s one Spirit in you and all the other true brethren and that unites us with God, each other, and to His purposes and all His true people. And where Christ lives in you there’s a power that overcomes all the power of sin, the world and the devil. This doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain, but it means nothing can hurt a true Christian enough to make him disobey God because the Spirit is stronger than the hurt. That’s the good news. That’s the power available to us through the New Covenant. That’s why the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Because in it the righteousness of God is revealed – the one Spirit of Christ’s righteousness who overcomes all unrighteousness in every believer who truly knows Him by faith. Hallelujah! Prophecy: I’m God Almighty. I’m holy. I’m pure. I desire a people like unto Myself. I desire to have fellowship with a people who are holy as I’m holy, true as I’m true. I desire truth in the inward parts. I desire to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth. I desire a people who when they ask Me to show them My ways they’re asking from the heart, and they really want to know My ways and they’re not just making pretty sounds, going along with what is going on around them, being an imitation of that which is around them, but that in their hearts and their deepest inner being they desire to know Me and know My ways, and to such a people I will show them My ways. And in this place I’ve been showing My ways to My people who truly desire from the depths of their heart to know them. And I tell you it is a similar thing, whatever you cry out for, when you sing, when you pray, I desire truth in the inward parts. I see whether you’re just making a sound or whether you are truly communicating to Me your heart’s desire. For when the people cried out to Jesus, “Hosanna,” as He entered into the city, they were crying from the heart. They wanted to be saved; they felt their need for salvation. And within that week salvation came to them. Within that week the Lamb had given Himself. And I tell you, when I hear the cry that comes from the depths of the heart, when I hear the truth in the inner being, from the inner parts, I respond quickly. So be a people who look into your heart before you speak, sing, or worship. Don’t be like these around you who make the noise, who make the sound, who say the words, but I look at what’s in their hearts and I find no connection between what comes out of their mouth and what’s in their heart, for their heart is in a different place from what is coming out of their mouth. There’s no agreement between their heart and their mouth. Don’t be like them, I say. For these are the church below, the Jerusalem that will be cast out. It won’t inherit. These are the ones whose father is the deceiver. Who practice deception and don’t repent. Who live in iniquity, speak in iniquity, sleep in iniquity, who walk in iniquity and yet don’t even know what iniquity is. Don’t be like them I say, but be alert and awake, and look at what’s in your heart and see if it’s right. And look at what’s coming from your mouth and listen and see if it’s matching up with what’s in your heart. And give Me worship that glorifies Me that I can look upon you and see, “Here’s a true worshipper, with truth in the inner parts. With truth in the mouth, with a true desire and a true Spirit to come to Me and to bring glory to Me, to be made right by Me.” For I’ll answer such a one, saith the Lord. And I’ll make him Mine, saith the Lord. (Prophecy delivered at “My Father’s House”)
The Glory of His Grace is offered free of
charge. However, tax-deductible contributions can be made to “My Father’s House”
and are much appreciated.
113 Martin St. Indian Harbour Beach, FL, USA 32937
|
|
Copyright © 2006 My Father's House Incorporated
|
