When Christ who is our life shall be manifested, then shall ye also with Him be manifested in Glory." Col. 3:4.
It is important as a believer to understand something of what God has planned concerning us: and what he has done for us in Christ. It is important to understand that we are united in Him - - - a partaker of all that He has accomplished: when Jesus died on the cross, we were there, too.....When His body was bruised and broken, we, too, were bruised and broken.... His crucifixion is our crucifixion; for God, in His all-encompassing plan, included us in His Son.... He has crucified us in Christ. We are never to look at ourselves outside of Christ and our union in Him.
Having considered the fact that we have been crucified with Christ, we now come to the realization that when He was raised from the tomb of death in resurrection life, that we were raised together in Him.
A question may surface at this point, as to how we can attain unto so much, but yet fall short of arriving at God's full purpose and design. The answer is: God's new creation man is perfect thus far, but not perfectly completed. Jesus Christ is God's perfect man.... He is God's representative man.... our pattern.... and we are being conformed to his image. II Corinthians 5:17 states: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation).... old things are passed away.... all things have become new." Since Calvary God has been bringing forth a new man in the earth.... a corporate man.... the many-membered body of Christ. I Corinthians 15:45 states: "The first Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Christ), was made a quickening spirit." It is God's foreordained plan to bring forth a people conformed to the image and likeness of Christ.
Many types and titles are ascribed to this end-time company of people in the word of God. For those who would desire to do a study.... some of these types are listed below:
Adopted Sons (Gal. 4:5)
Body of Christ (Eph. 1:23)
Bride (Rev. 21:2; 22:17)
Building of God (I Cor. 3:9)
Children of the Kingdom (Matt. 13:38)
First-Fruits (James 1:18)
Hidden Ones (Ps. 83:3)
Jewels (Mal. 3:17)
Lively Stones (I Peter 2:5)
Pure in Heart (Matt. 5:8)
Overcomers (Rev. Chapter 2 and 3)
Sons of God (Romans 8:14)
Temple of God (I Cor. 3:16)
Zion (Ps. 69:35; 76:2; 87:2)
144,000 (Rev. 6:4)
Man-Child (Rev. 12:13)
City of God (Heb. 12:22)
Elect (Isa. 45:4; Matt. 24:22)
Heirs (Rom. 8:17)
Israel of God (Gal. 6:16)
Kings (rev. 1:6; 5:10)
Peculiar People (I Peter 2:9)
Gideon's 300 (Judges 7)
God's People....God's Plan....God's Kingdom on Earth!
CITY OF GOD
Revelation 21:22-25 "And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there."
These verses of scripture describes the Holy City - - the New Jerusalem, which John saw coming down from God. Many of us have been taught that this is some literal city with literal streets paved with gold that will come floating down to this earth from heaven some day and have failed to understand that as the church - - the redeemed of the Lord - - the many-membered body of Christ - - His bride - are also referred to in scriptural symbolism as the New Jerusalem - - the City of God. In Revelation 21:2, John tells us that in his Patmos vision, he saw the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, descending out of heaven, prepared as a "Bride." So, we discover that twice here in Revelation 21, the Word of God refers to the New Jerusalem as the Bride of Christ. There are many other places in the New Testament where the church is called the Bride of Christ. It is important to understand that when scripture presents the New Jerusalem as the Bride of Christ, it is speaking about us....the two are synonymous. To lay hold of this blessed revelation will free us from carnal concepts and allow us to begin to understand something of the higher purposes of our God to bring us into His fulness. For truly we are becoming that City of God, line-upon-line, precept-upon-percept, here-a-little, there-a-little, as our changing nature within becomes more and more like Him. This is what John saw- - that perfect realm in the spirit - - that ultimate purpose of God for His people - - the fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ! (Eph. 4). This glorious reality is progressively being fulfilled in a people in this hour.
Spiritual symbolism is important and can reveal to us dimensions of great depth and purpose. It allows us to see clearly that heavenly City that John saw, and we can understand that when John saw "streets of pure gold," he was seeing by revelation, a company of people who had come to a perfect walk in the incorruptible nature of God. John saw the light of that City as a jasper stone, clear and crystal: "light" in God's word refers to truth - - therefore, what he saw was a people who had come to the fulness of truth - - all darkness, all error, all carnal concepts, had been totally purged - - until that people appeared unto John as a City of Gold whose light was as pure and transparent as crystal.
This unfolding revelation of the City-of-God that is to fully come forth in the near final consummation of the ages has been a progressive work of God down through time. He had to have human vessels to work through to fulfil His eternal purpose in the earth. By revelation we can see the City of God - - the New Jerusalem in its progressive stages in types and shadows. We are familiar with the Bible account of God's dealing in the life of Jacob and how he met God in such a supernatural way. Jacob was never the same after that encounter and we hear him exclaim: "How dreadful is this place. This is none other but the "House of God!" And he poured oil upon the rock where his head had rested and declared that place to be forever the House-of-God. That rock with the oil poured upon it, was the first foundation stone, a type of Jesus, our rock - - the stone that the builders rejected but He became the chief corner-stone.
Yet, Jacob's House-of-God was not the fullest revelation of what God purposed for His people. Therefore, we discover from scripture that Jacob's altar of stones anointed with oil progressed over the years into the tabernacle in the wilderness - - pitched by Moses - - another of God's chosen vessels. For several hundred years that Old Testament tabernacle was the highest revelation of the City-of-God that mankind had, yet, this still was not the fullest revelation of God's purpose for His people. Then God searched out a young shepherd boy named David and began to reveal to this yielded vessel something of His divine purpose. God anointed David and made him King of Israel and as a king he began to gather materials to build a temple of worship unto the Lord. These plans had not been completed at his death and were passed on to his son, Solomon who built the temple of God: and scripture reveals that God filled that temple with his Shechinah Glory.
Still, that temple of Solomon's day, as beautiful and majestic as it was, was not the fullest revelation of the high purpose of God for His people. It was only a carnal, physical type of what God had purposed to establish in a higher spiritual realm for His people.
About 2,000 years ago, God, Himself came down to earth in the person of His son, Jesus, and for the next thirty-three years, the fullest revelation of the house of God was a living temple that far superceded anything that Solomon could have built - - His name was Jesus - - a living temple! On the third day after His crucifixion, when Jesus came forth from the tomb in resurrection power, God's progressive work in the lives of mankind began to focus into a clearer picture and it has been getting clearer ever since. On the day of Pentecost, Jesus, the Rock, rushed in by the power of the Holy Spirit and indwelt His many - membered body with Himself! God now had a living tabernacle and His purpose progresses on....as He continues to work in His people, purging out the darkness that is within - - changing our natures - - changing us from glory-to-glory - - conforming us to the image of His Son - - paving our streets (our walk) with the gold of His incorruptible nature: we will come forth no longer a temple made out of lively stones, not only the house of God in the earth, but the "City-of-God".... the New Jerusalem! Abraham saw this by faith. The writer of Hebrews said of him: "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles.... for he looked for "a city" which had foundation, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:9-10).
Beloved, God is working in His people as much as we will allow Him to work in this hour... He will fulfill His purpose in a people! Let us allow Him to grow us up by His spirit and His word unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ... until He dwells within us in all of His fulness, completeness and glory and His light shines forth from within us. Until there is no more night in the City of God - - the New Jerusalem which we are becoming - - by the way of the cross and line-upon-line, precept-upon-precept progressively changing unto his likeness. John saw it by revelation and His revelation is progressively becoming our reality! Thus saith the Lord.
COVENANT PRAYING
"Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19).
This is one of the most profound promises made by Jesus concerning asking and receiving that we can find in the Word of God. To be promised "anything" we can ask for, is truly exciting.
However, it is necessary to always consider the whole counsel of God's word as we make it applicable to our lives and situations. Many times we allow our carnal reasoning to overshadow and supercede what God is fully saying to us, by grabbing hold of an isolated statement or promise from the Word of God, and attempting to coerce God to work His way - - "our way."
To clasp the hand of a Christian brother or sister and say, "Let us agree together for an answer from God regarding a particular need or desire, is certainly scripturally proper...but only if we are abiding in the whole counsel of His Word. For you see, God also says, "If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." To consider this counsel in the light of Matthew 18:19, puts the matter of agreeing in a more responsible spectrum. We must now consider, in asking for an answer from God for this need, am I abiding in Him and is His Word abiding in me... and further, is this brother or sister with whom I am coveting, abiding in Him and His Word abiding in them?
As believers and members of the body of Christ, it is of eternal value and importance that we saturate our spirits with the Word of God. To abide in Him and to have His Word abiding in us, will activate faith within us, and allow us to live in the realm of the miraculous. Paul realized the importance of this when he declared in Acts 20:27: "For I have not shunned (failed) to declare unto you the whole counsel of God." Paul can never be found zeroing-in on an isolated portion of God's Word and building a doctrine or theory on it. But we find him teaching line-upon-line, precept-upon-precept...and pulling it all together until it becomes fulness and wholeness. The principle works the same for us - - and the more balance, wholeness, health, prosperity, blessing, and glory we will surely experience in our lives!
How Hot Do You Want the Fire? It's Your Choice!
Have you ever noticed that Peter says, "Count it all joy "IF NEED BE" you are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the trial of your faith be much more precious than gold tried in a fire," and Job said, "The Lord knows the way I take, when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold," (speaking of divine nature.) The refiners fire of affliction can get very hot sometimes but it is precious and needed. You see beloved we are creatures of habit and sometimes we find change very hard. We are sometimes stiff-neck, stubborn, rebellious, and just don't want to, or sometimes even if we want to, we find change very hard. So the Lord in His great love turns up the fire and affliction helps us learn obedience by the things we suffer. I was originally from California lots of mountains there, but when I came here I couldn't hardly see anything but trees and no mountains. Nevertheless the shadow of the mountain surrounding of California lingered with me for years. It took a lot of practice and a great deal of time to get used to that change. I borrowed my mom's pictures off of the wall to copy them and kept them for a while, mom said, "I wish you would hurry and bring my pictures back, I miss them, every time I go by where they are supposed to be. I'm used to looking at them and thinking about my loved ones." Someone else said they left their favorite bible somewhere and "they are lost without it." Yep, we find change very hard, but the Lord in this great love and desire to change us into His image turns up the heat and lo and behold a little loving affliction fire, "BLAZING HOT," does the trick. We learn the lesson and we're all very lovingly happy. The other day I was chiseling mortar off of some bricks. I had my hand wrapped around the chisel, thumb on side toward me. Well every time I slipped and missed the chisel head I hit my thumb, it hurt too. After about the fourth time or so I thought, "You know if I move my thumb around and just cup the chisel my thumb won't be there to hit." But you know I hit that thumb several times until I made a decided effort, moved my thumb, and quit hitting it. Well I reckon I learned obedience by the things I suffered, usually lesson like that stays with us. Thank you Jesus. So remember what ever fire you find yourself in even judgment fire, be ye thankful, the Lord is loving you with all His might that you won't be condemned with the world. And that you would be perfect and entire, lacking nothing (James: 1). Well I think I'll just throw this one in for free, remember I said, "Count it all joy "IF NEED BE" you are in heaviness through manifold temptations or trials the trying of your faith being more precious than gold tried in fire. Beloved you determine how long you cook, that's right it's your choice. You can learn quickly or learn the HOTTER way. I'll share a secret with you, the Lord's WORD is like a FIRE take it and JUDGE YOURSELF, lest when you're JUDGED you're CHASTENED that you won't be CONDEMNED with the world. Yep, that's right you are in a day when you have the right, privilege, and time to judge yourself so the Lord doesn't have to. Then "YOU WON'T NEED BE" in heaviness through manifold temptations or trials. It's your choice how hot the fire has to get to get your attention. Well praise the Lord. Fresh courage take loving Saints the Lord is nigh at hand and even in the fire with you. Just think about those three Hebrew children. "There's four men in that fire where we threw in only three," said Nebuchadnezar. "And the fourth one looks like the Son of Man." You know the only thing that got destroyed by the fire was the enemies that threw them in and the bands and bondages that bound those three beautiful saints, Hallelujah. Their clothes didn't even smell like smoke. Praise the Lord for the freedom from the midst of a fire.
Praise the Lord.
Maranatha-Lord Jesus come quickly and fan the fire, causing us to stand where the fire blazes and the elements melt, and cause us to come forth as pure gold in your image and likeness to the Praise of Your Glory.
In Jesus Name
Thank you Lord for Every Fire
With Love In Jesus
Brother Charles
Wondering
I asked the Lord, "Lord why did you eat a lot of fish and do so many things with them?" Does it have something to do in that they school, or did you just like fish, you know good for you maybe, or was it because of the sitting there around the sea and they were available, or is there some significance to them?" Well, I thought, maybe you know Lord, I'll wait on you to tell me. . . . After a while the revelation came something like this... Well we are called to be fishers of men and like a fish the Lord catches us, then He cleans us (scales and guts) speaking of outward and inward cleaning, then He roasts us in the fire (Holy Ghost Fire) until edible or done, a finished work. Then he uses us like a meat offering to feed others, by thanksgiving, blessing us and breaking us into little pieces of meat as not to choke them but to feed the multitudes. So I see Peter and company in the boat catching fish and the Lord on the bank FIRE Blazing roasting FISH which he offers to the disciples to eat because they're hungry after their work. Don't worry little ones the Lord Jesus is the only one I know who can gently scale, gut, roast, feed you to others and still cause you to come out better than you ever were before. I say to you, "How's the fire?" I am reminded of a song, "All consuming fire burn till there's nothing left but you, take me to the upper room and fill my hungry heart and make me new, touch me with Your fire, touch me until I burn for You.
MARANATHA - Lord Jesus come quickly and fan the fire that we may be like You.
In Jesus Name - thank You Lord.
With Love In Jesus
Brother Charles
William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army said (or should I say prophesied) at the end of his life:
The principal danger of the 20th century will be:
1. A religion without the Holy Spirit;
2. Christians without Christ;
3. Forgiveness without repentance;
4. Salvation without regeneration;
5. Politics without God; and
6. A Heaven without a Hell.
KINGDOM THOUGHTS
To many this is an exciting day to be living in. Revelation truths are pouring forth in this hour to the sons of God. Many in this end-time are hearing a trumpet message that is stirring in their inner-beings and motivating them on up into higher realms in the Spirit. These are being informed and taught the "mysteries of the Kingdom" - - the Christ-in-you" quality of Life. This fresh move of the Spirit is sweeping across the world like a mighty wave of glory and is unlike any move of the Spirit in the ages past - - Psalm 110:3 describes, prophetically, this new day as the "womb of the morning". Jesus, in John 1:51, describes this day as a time of unveiling - - a time of "seeing Heaven open". Associated with this new out-pouring, is an explosion into a fresh, new realm of revelation-truth and knowledge concerning God's end-time plans for His creation. This is revelation known only to those who are being apprehended for the high-calling of God in Christ". God is preparing for a great end-time ministry of deliverance and restoration of the whole creation that has been in bondage for 6,000 years. His program in this hour is geared toward maturing a son-company for His Kingdom-age of ruling and reigning with Christ, the King-of-Kings and Lord-of-Lords right here on this earth. Rom. 8:19-22 tells us that all creation is waiting with great expectation "the manifestation (or unveiling) of the sons of God"; for, it is at this time that all of creation will be delivered from its bondage of corruption. It is evident from the Word that God will have a qualified administration in His Kingdom to deal with all things pertaining to death and bondage. Joel, the prophet, said of this company of people: "A great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be after it. (Joel 2:2). All across the land today many are receiving the exciting revelation that this is God's hour for "manifestation"- - coming forth from the "womb-of-the-morning"- - a chosen generation - - a manchild company - - an order of priests and kings after the order of Melchizedek, etc. As this day continues to unfold, more and more their appearing in the earth will be known. The old-order, as good as it was, is passing away and God's new order is appearing in the earth - - no more carnal efforts to bring in the Kingdom for the Kingdom is coming... is coming... is coming in earth as it is in Heaven. Ask Him to make this real in your hearts.