God has been teaching me about the Day of the Lord. This poem reflects the puzzle pieces He has been putting together for me. I pray the Holy Spirit will use this to confirm what He has been teaching to those who are diligently seeking truth in these days.
The Day of the Lord: What will it Be?
The Day of the Lord, what will it be?
Perhaps something different for you and me
A fire of testing to reveal our faith
Uncovering all not leaving a trace.
What is the truth we hold?
The seed of our hope will be told.
Was it our strength, idols of our making?
Was it God’s mercy, eternal and everlasting?
As the Day dawns, the fires igniting
The dark grows darker and the light lightening.
For some growing angst, worry, grief, and pain
For others increasing power, rest, joy and gain.
Judgment cast by our own hands
As God lets our choices stand.
A time of trial unlike any on earth
For some a prison, others new birth.
Look to your left, to your right
Is it peace in God or growing fright?
Our God a consuming fire, coming in the clouds
To burn away all that’s haughty and proud.
For some a thief coming unaware
Others a fulfillment of hope prepared.
A shift among the powers of heaven
From evil’s reign to love’s dominion.
Children of light become mighty warriors
Bringing judgment as evil’s plan foils.
For both a sadness in what is lost
When love to save was given without cost.
But love will prevail in the end
Given by our truest Friend.
It’s mercy that’s without end, not suffering
It will cover all our blunderings
To redeem all that was lost
Though there are paths of different costs.
Out of the ashes will arise beauty
Lives transformed by God’s faithful duty.
In this Day, love holds the victory
As God reveals the fullness of the mystery.
What will the Day be for you?
A day of uncovering shame or being gloriously anew?
Now, unlike any time before, is the time for God’s elect, those who are united to God in truth and spirit, to pray for the deliverance of the souls of others.
In Job 42, God had “accepted” Job because he saw his true self, and in that awareness he repented and turned to God. After coming through the refining trials and continuing to cling to God and the truth, Job finally saw God. He knew Him. Job 42:5-6 Because of the new spirit within Job, God told Job’s friends to go to Job and have him pray for them because He had “accepted” Job. Job 42:7-9 God would hear Job’s prayers.
Why have the elect pray on others’ behalves? They have traversed a journey like Job’s. Like Job, they have passed through the refining trials. As they’ve clung to the truth through them (very important element), they’ve come to a point of “seeing” themselves and God. This awareness has led to a deep repentance at their core, which has affected every area of their lives. As a result, their will is submitted to God’s, and they hold the Spirit of God, the spirit of truth, in them as a new creation. Their lives are a testimony to them of God’s spirit in them. 2 Corinthians 5:5
In being united to God, they abide in God’s truth and are constantly going deeper into it. They put it above all else. Psalm 138:2 They abide in it daily. They desire to obey the truth and be completely consumed by God. That truth in them has sanctified them and prepared them to be powerfully used by God. And because they hold God’s truth, they pray in unison with it.
Connection Between God’s Word and Prayer
Often people dismiss the connection between abiding in the Word of God (truth) and prayer. But the two go hand in hand. If you turn from God’s truth then your prayers lack power. In Proverbs 28:9 it says they not only lack power, but they are an abomination. One, truth reveals who you truly are and who God is. Only when you honestly know both can you repent of one and turn to the other. Two, if you don’t seek and abide in truth then you don’t know God for He is truth. So if you don’t truly know God, who are you praying to? 1 John 5:19
Once through the refining trials and filled with God’s spirit of truth, a person’s prayers have tremendous power. In Revelation 19, Christ, called the Word of God, comes with His saints to conquer. His method of conquering? The sword that comes out of His mouth; His Word, truth. God’s words have power. By them He creates and destroys. Those filled with His Word, hold its power. May we not underestimate the power of it and neglect the Word and the significance of prayers spoken in line with it.
Now God is very merciful. Truth and mercy go hand in hand – thank goodness. Someone who is seeking God in truth, but immature in their understanding of the God and His ways as they progress through the refining trials, probably aren’t praying in line with God’s will. They are unknowingly praying against God’s will, and they don’t really know what is good. But their heart is to know God and their seeking testifies to that fact. Graciously, the Holy Spirit prays on their behalf as they don’t know what to pray. This is why at times they feel their prayers aren’t answered. God isn’t answering them as they expect because of His love. If He did ramifications would be harmful. This is what Satan does, he gives someone what he superficially wants yet it’s to his destruction. God gives you what is best for you, and as you learn in time it’s what you truly desire.
As a young believer continues to abide in the Word and the instruction of the Holy Spirit, they come to better understand God’s will and pray more in line with it, though the Holy Spirit is always interceding to some degree for God’s people because there is always more to learn.
Conversely, for those who have willingly NOT abided in the Word, their prayers lack power. They’ve been misled by false teachers and religious doctrine that abiding in the Word and diligently seeking God by feasting on His truth daily isn’t thatimportant. As a result their prayers are without strength no matter how good they may appear. Matthew 7:22-23 (Though God still shows them mercy in their lives.)
Powerful prayer comes from knowing God and being united to Him in truth and Spirit. It’s then that your heart, mind and spirit are truly united to Him.
John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Call To The Elect
In Revelation 11, the two witnesses (the two groups of believers, the two lampstands whose light wasn’t removed, who aren’t bound by local institutions, denominations, or titles) stand before God. Their words have tremendous power. Revelation 11:5-6 They intimatelyknow God. They know His truth. They walk in it. They’ve been purified by it. John 17:17. They’ve honored God’s command by doing what He has instructed; know Him, seek Him, abide and mediate on His pure Word that comes from Him. Revelation 2-3 Thus their words and prayers have tremendous power.
God is calling these elect to pray on others’ behalves. They are able to pray in a power and a manner that those consumed in darkness (lies and deception) cannot. God is using them to deliver many because of His great love for ALL His children. God is longsuffering, patient, and waiting for people to truly repent from following self and turn to Him. He doesn’t want any to perish. Because it’s God who saves, prayers are needed by those accepted by Him to pray to have mercy upon souls bound in darkness. Revelation 6:10-11
Do you see the difference of the power of those who are truly of God, who have His Word abiding in them, and who pray in line with His will? In God’s holiness, God’s elect need to pray to an extent that others cannot. Now is the time to pray; to pray for God’s truth to penetrate others’ lives, for their souls to be united to God’s in truth and Spirit, and for God to have mercy.
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another (and forsake them), and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
How persistent are you truly? Now is a time when your patience and persistence will be greatly tested.
I sense a significant growing separation among people; a separation between those of the light and those of the darkness.
God is truth. Those who are diligently seeking God are growing stronger in Him, His ways, and truth or light. Those who aren’t diligently seeking God are growing further away from Him and truth, and into lies or darkness.
In Revelation, it talks about the eventual removal of the lampstands from certain professing followers of God. Revelation 1:20, 2:5 The lampstand holds the light. The light is the spirit of God, a spirit of truth. Revelation 4:5 Once the lampstand is removed, those people will no longer dwell with the spirit of God. Thus, their thoughts, ideas and teachings will fall more and more away from truth and into lies. You don’t want to be in a place where the lampstand has been removed.
In line with this falling away from truth, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says there will be many who pose as messengers of truth. Outwardly they appear like those of truth, but in reality they are creating illusions of truth with mouths of consuming graves. These charlatans come in many forms appealing to a wide variety of souls and their particular desperations. Some will fall for some and not others, but the variety of masqueraders ensures that many will fall.
Why these masqueraders of truth? However influenced by evil or their ego, the issue is pride. People think they inherently know best and don’t really need God’s truth to guide them. In not diligently seeking God, they erroneously believe lies are truth. Having others come alongside gives them a false peace and confidence that their lies are truth. Other people agreeing with us validate our beliefs whether right or wrong.
If we are unknowingly a part of their masquerade, then we will greatly suffer for it, for lies destroy the soul. 2 Peter 3:16 Hosea 7:8-9 The truth is our protector and guide. Without a love for it and diligently seeking it from God Himself, we are lost to the influence of those around us. Truth comes from God. He is the only source. If we haven’t been diligently seeking truth, then we don’t know what is right and what isn’t. Are you getting the idea to diligently seek?
As a result of the spirit of God leaving or the lampstand being removed, those who truly know God will be pulling away as well to follow God. John 10:27 The true followers of God go where He goes, thus the massive separation between those of truth and those of lies among those professing to be of God.
This separation was prophesied long ago, and now is coming into fruition. Ezekiel 34, Matthew 13:30, Revelation 18:4 In God’s great mercy, He has allowed the lampstand to remain and the intermingling among those of Him and those not of Him as He patiently waits for people to turn to Him and away from their self-driven ways. 2 Peter 3:9 As a loving Creator while shining His light upon us, He has allowed us to traverse our self-chosen paths, so that when the depravity of our ways comes upon us, we’ll realize the error and turn to Him. However, many have not turned. Hosea 7:10 The time will come when the window to come to God as we can now will close. For when the lampstand, the light, is taken away it means God’s spirit is taken away. The chance for the truth to penetrate the lies is lost, thus there is no way out of the darkness of deception.
Therefore, those of the darkness will grow deeper into lies, while those of the light will grow deeper into truth. Those of darkness will experience torment as lies destroy, inflict and bound. Revelation 9:18 Being in the dark, they don’t understand what is happening and dismiss it as “just life”. Remember, their lies are their truth. Those of the light will continue to transform into the light. Truth will invade every area of their lives. They will feel the intensity of the lies around them but in their spirits they will experience growing oneness with God in truth and spirit.
Here is where patience and endurance comes into utmost importance. Rev 13:10 This time of separation coincides with a growing spiritual battle as the dark grows darker and the light lighter. It will be difficult spiritually. For those who possess little truth and a weak relationship with God, the truth will be slipping from their fingers. Matthew 25:29 Those sealed, so they can’t fall from truth, will still have their truth challenged and tested. Their souls will be burdened by the growing lies, deception, and damage being manifested around them. Psalm 91:7-8 Now more than ever we need to support others who are striving for truth. We need to follow God’s lead about who and who not to embrace. In this battle, it’s our work to seek and know the truth, and cling to it.
I encourage those growing in truth to not grow weary in doing good. You reap what you sow. If you reap truth, that is what will grow in your life. Don’t give up. Leave the results and expectations of your situations up to God. His ways are not our ways. Keep praying, seeking, and drawing near to God. Never underestimate His faithfulness and mercy.
Truth is your armor. Read the Bible each day, God’s grounding tool of truth. Seek instruction from God. Pour out your heart to Him. Obey Him where you know HE has taught and led you. Keep it simple. If you trust Him, He will let you know what you need to know, when you need to know it. Your part is to abide in truth and seek His counsel. Pray for others.
The times we are in take great patience and endurance, and only those who finish the race are able to gain the prize. Run to gain the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
God saves us, not ourselves. Therefore, we each are in great need of God’s abundant mercy.
The cry of mercy is a heartfelt cry of wanting nothing of our self-driven life and wanting only the life God has for us. It’s a cry that we are tired of following the dictates of our heart influenced by this world and want to completely follow God. It’s a cry to be governed through and through by God, and thus no longer to govern our own soul. This cry spews from our lips, when we understand the corrupted nature of our self-will and the death and filth it manifests and the perfection of God’s eternal life for us. It’s a desire to forsake all that separates us from God. It’s the response of seeing the truth of ourselves and God. It’s the response to tasting God’s love.
John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life
When we come to this point in our soul, a point of deeply and honestly wanting to forsake our self-driven life/soul (repentance) and follow God in every way, then it’s God who gives us a new spirit. He replaces the old corrupted nature with a nature that’s of Him. In a very real way, we (our self-driven soul) are crucified with Christ, in Christ and then filled with a new spirit like a new operating system. As we can’t birth ourselves into this physical world, we can’t birth ourselves into the spiritual one. It’s all God’s work in us.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Some doctrines can be somewhat misleading on this point by putting salvation into the hand of people as if it is all their choice. Our part is to ask for mercy, for our self-driven life (flesh) to be crucified, and for God to have mercy and give us eternal life by giving us life through His eternal spirit. But He is the one who gives new life.
Christ died for our sins. He conquered sin and death of that self-driven life that we might be identified with Him in His death and be resurrected to a new eternal life as He was. Our part is to call out to God in mercy to ask for that resurrected life, as we willingly crucify our self-driven one. Galatians 2:20 We lay down our life. God raises us to eternal life as He raised Christ.
To gain the new, we have to let go of the old. But, it’s God who gives the new birth. He is our Father. It’s His doing not ours.
Testimony we are God’s
Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
This verse above is the testimony that we are truly born of God … the Spirit of Christ is in us. The Spirit of Christ desires the things of God. It longs for truth; loves the truth. It seeks to do God’s will above all else. It longs to obey God in all areas. It loves God and loves others in purity.
Hebrews 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
How can you truly obey without abiding in the Bible being instructed by the Holy Spirit on what God desires of you in your life? This is much to important to simply rely on what others tell you God wants you to do.This new spirit is very real. You experience a change in how you operate, think, feel and what you desire. You let go of the self-will that has driven and directed your life since birth, and now you are directed by a new spirit from within. 2 Timothy 1:7
The time of the end is very close. Cry out for God’s mercy, repent (turn from self-will), and ask God for His life to consume yours.
As the end is drawing very near, each one of us needs to ask ourselves a very serious question, Are WE Ready? 2 Corinthians 13:5 Do we have the oil in our lamp so we’re prepared when the Bridegroom comes? Matthew 25:1-12 Are we a wise virgin with the knowledge and truth of God, or a foolish one lacking understanding and wisdom? Are we one to whom Christ’s return will come as a thief in the night or are we one who will know of His return? 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4
Oil in the Bible is equated to the Holy Spirit. The lamp is our soul. Matthew 5:14-16 Do we have the oil of the Holy Spirit that brings the true light and life of Christ within us; our guarantee we are His? Christ Jesus is coming for His Bride; those who are ready to be united to Him in truth and spirit. Like an earthly bride, there are preparations required. We need a spirit prepared to be united to Him.
How do we know that we have the Holy Spirit who is given as a guarantee and we are ready?2 Corinthians 5:5 (Hint: it’s not just about speaking in tongues, which can easily be manipulated by deceptive spirits) There is MUCH deception these days around the filling, anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. How do we know that we haven’t been deceived into thinking we have the Spirit when we don’t, falsely promised by others that we do, and have a spirit of deception in His place? 2 Corinthians 11:4
We look to the Bible for our answers. 2 Corinthians 5 is a helpful chapter on the evidence one should experience in their lives when they have the Holy Spirit.
Evidence of Holy Spirit within You
First, you are taught by God. God Himself prepares your soul for Him. (vs. 5). Jesus is the Word. It’s the Word that sanctifies you. John 17:17 This preparation of God entails you diligently abiding in the Bible, the Word, and seeking the Spirit of God to instruct and teach you in who He is, in truth and your union with Him. John 6:45, 1 John 2:27 It’s allowing the truth to penetrate your life in molding, changing and setting you apart for Christ. He teaches you and His truth starts abiding in you altering your life.
Second, you obey God. (vs 9) When you have the Holy Sprit, it’s your aim (internal desire) to please God, thus obey Him. You seek in the Bible, being taught by the Holy Spirit, to know God’s ways and truth so you can walk in them. You are driven to know truth so you know you are pleasing God and not following the dictates of your own heart or following the ways of others. Matthew 15:8-9
Third, you fear God. (vs. 11) When the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you fear God in all areas of your life. You feel very accountable to Him, like a good child to a parent or a faithful employee to a tough boss. No one else has to hold you accountable to the things He tells you because you fear Him. Yes, others can point out your blind spots, but to what God has told you, you possess a strong will to do what God says out of a fear of going against Him. When HE tells you to do something you do it. Though you may have to war against you rebellious sinful flesh, the desire in your deepest self is to do what God has asked of you. It’s a desire to be obedient; therefore your choices will reflect that obedience. What you do will also be driven by love. Though you fear Him, you also know of His love for you. The course of your life shifts to align to His will. Again, you seek to know God’s will from Him and not from another because you want to be sure you are walking in truth and what HE desires, not being led astray by your own heart or someone else.
Fourth, you are a new creation. (vs.17) You start experiencing a deep change within. It feels like you’ve been given a new operating system that governs your body and soul. As a new creaiton, you are directed by God’s spirit and no longer your self-will. As the body and soul respond to the new operating system, you start to think, act and feel differently. Your desires change. Above all, your will longs to be in unison with God’s will.
Fifth, you experience fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Because these are fruits of the Spirit, it comes from the Spirit and not your self-imposed efforts. The occurrence of these fruits in your life comes from a place beyond yourself and what you use to know and do.
So are YOU ready by these measurements?
IF NOT, FEAST upon the pure bread of heaven; the Bible taught to you by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Seek the truth from Him as you abide in the Bible. Read with the motive to know God and to draw near to Him as someone you love in truth and spirit. This seeking and abiding is the path to being prepared for the soon coming Bridegroom.
The manifestation of all these points is a process. Though you may feel a lack in some of them, are you growing in them? Are you experiencing them more today than three months ago? Are YOU diligently seeking God or are you leaving the seeking up to someone else, to only live off their efforts? It doesn’t work that way. The wise virgins couldn’t give their oil to the foolish ones. And when the foolish ones came back with their oil, the door was shut. Are you ready with your own oil?
Some years ago while reading Jeremiah, my heart was deeply stirred by his words. I realized those words were to me; to examine my life by.
For those who believe these old prophets are speaking to the physical seed of Israel, I challenge you in that belief because it greatly affects our understanding of what is occurring these days. If I’m wrong, then we would only benefit from examining our lives by their words. If I’m right, and we dismiss them, it will be a grave mistake. The Bible is written to God’s people, those who are called by His name, so it’s written for us.
Romans 9:8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
I’m reading Jeremiah once again. As I feel his heart pour off the pages delivering a hard message to his brethren, again my heart is deeply stirred. I want to share with you some of what the Spirit shared with me; messages that continue to get stronger and clearer each time I read them.
The message is about judgment on God’s people who’ve gone their own way, who’ve followed false teachers and leaders, who’ve lacked a LOVE for the Truth. People profess love for the man Christ. He was a manifestation of truth. If you truly love Him, you will love the Truth. You will hunger for it, meditate on it, desire to walk in it and all the things you do when you deeply love someone or something.
Here is a taste of what Jeremiah says. The detail of truth in his words and what is happening today is astounding.
People don’t seek God and honor His words. Jeremiah 4:22, Jeremiah 6:10
People are assembling together, but in “harlots’ houses”. Jeremiah 5:7
People have been willfully led by false religious leaders. Jeremiah 5:12-13
God has stricken them because of their backsliding (Jeremiah 5:3), but they don’t repent. They continue to praise God with their mouths, yet follow their own hearts.
The religious leaders are of their own making. Jeremiah 5:31
People don’t fear God. Jeremiah 5:22
Judgment is upon us. Jeremiah 9:25-26 Each one is accountable to God. If you’ve been diligently seeking God in truth and spirit then you’ve heard the cry to examine your life, repent from self and walk in the truth. It’s a jolting message that wakes you from a sleepy existence. It stirs you to fervently seek God to know truth.
In the messages of this passionate prophet, God is giving those who stray from Him (the Truth, the Word) into the hands of the enemy. Jeremiah 12:7 In other words, many have professed Christ, but it’s a vain belief. 1 Corinthians 15:2 The Spirit searched my heart with this message in these ways — Jesus, the Word, is the Way; have you walked in that way? He is the bread; have you eaten the pure bread of heaven or the doctrines of others? He is the light, have you loved the darkness (own life) more than Him?
God is allowing those professing to be His to walk the path they have truly chosen. Jeremiah 2:17 I’ll ask you what He asked me, what have you truly chosen, not just professed? What does your life show?
People debate which leaders and churches are corrupt. Jeremiah spoke to the whole nation. God is speaking to each one of us. The warning is for us all. It’s not about examining our lives by each other or by our own rational, but by the Word.
I’m passing along the cry of Jeremiah, the warning of the deprived and deceived spiritual state of many and the ramifications to follow. As the end draws near and the new temple is dawning when God will set all things straight, more than ever we need to put God’s Word first. We need to examine our lives by it and know it’s God and His truths we are following and not false doctrines, which abound these days. Jeremiah 5:16-17
A response to his warnings…
Read the prophets. The words were written for your admonishment. Seek God in the Bible trusting the Holy Spirit to teach you, not a person. Seek understanding from Him with all your heart, soul and mind.
What does it mean to seek? To set a time aside each day (what is more important than God?) Read and meditate in the Bible. I’ve found reading a chapter in the Old Testament, one in the New Testament, then a Psalm or Proverb a good balance. Start with Jeremiah and John. Read with the motive to know God as He is; to know His truth. Rely on the Holy Spirit to teach you. 1 John 2:27. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Ask God to reveal the errors you’ve learned about Him and His truth. Seek to follow His voice above all others.
Each one accountable to God. No one can cultivate a relationship with God for you. No one can pour God’s truth into you, but Him. He is the one to write in on your heart and mind. Your part is to abide in it with a desire to know it so it can be written on your heart. You can’t live by the strength of someone else’s relationship. You don’t want to be the one who has no oil when the bridegroom comes. Matthew 25:1-13
Some of the greatest enemies to your soul are distractions and busyness. Be wise. Spend time in God’s Word seeking the instruction of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing more important. Honor the prophets by hearing their words. They were written for us.
God’s love is great. His mercy has been overwhelming me along with the impeding messages of judgment. But if we don’t heed His Word, we’ll fall prey to what is upon us. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 Each one of us has to spend time with God seeking Him in truth and cultivating our own relationship. This union is what will allow us to stand firm.
From my previous post, there were some comments questioning whether all churches are lumped together in this concept of Church System. Here I want to address that issue because it touches upon a fundamental aspect of our walk with God.
God is judge, not us. His Word is judge, not us. Ezekiel 34:20
Even Jesus didn’t judge for Himself. He heard from God and that is what He did. We are to follow His example in all things. John 5:30 “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. Further, Paul says he doesn’t even judge himself, only God judges him. 1 Corinthians 4:3-4.
When we ask the question whether this denomination, my church, or this pastor is good or not, it’s God’s judgment not ours.
What do I mean? How do we know what to do?
When it comes to our lives, we don’t judge good or bad. We look to God and His truth and that’s our guide. God judges and we follow His lead, whatever and wherever. Following God’s lead and not our judgments is choosing to eat of the tree of life instead of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The former is letting God be judge and being one with His will and simply walking in it. The latter is putting us as judge of what is good or bad.
To know and follow God’s judgments and ways, we have to set our ill-understanding aside and follow Him daily. Luke 9:23 Therefore, each day we sit with God, we seek the truth, we seek the pure manna from heaven (the instruction/truth of the Holy Spirit grounded in the Bible), we seek to know God so we can follow Him, and we seek His counsel throughout the day. (Seeking entails having a LOVE for the Truth, and putting time to know God as the priority in our day) We seek, ask, and act. We don’t pontificate on what we think is good by our own limited understanding. We seek counsel from the One who knows all.
Therefore, it’s not up to us to judge about this church or not, it’s up to God. To be able to know and hear His leading in this area we have to diligently seek Him. We have to put His words above religious leaders. We can’t read the Bible with our religious leaders opinions as our filters. We read for a desire for truth, realizing we don’t know and we may be misled in our current understanding. As we do, we will come to know God and His will; as He directs. We will be in the state of mind to be watchful for the times we are in. We will be hearing from God so we can walk in His will.
If we haven’t spent time diligently seeking, we will be very susceptible to deception. We won’t be able to follow God’s voice and not the voice of others because we are listening to ourselves. Make sense?
Seeking to know God comes first, so we can follow Him above all else. THEN we’ll be able to know what to do because then we will simply see and follow as Jesus did. It’s not about us deciding good or bad. It’s knowing God and following Him. See the difference? This following comes into play with all aspects of our lives, including this issue of leaving the church system (CS).
If you aren’t diligently seeking, how can your truly follow God’s voice? Again, not seeking is a spiritual death trap, because you remain spiritually blind. So even if you feel I’m wrong about the CS, spend time each day with God seeking to know Him as He is and His truth – this is your life, literally. Amos 5:4
When you seek you gain the spiritual “eyes” to see and the “ears” to hear. Revelation 2:29 As for leaving the CS, I “see” the CS corruption and the spiritual death and decay it breeds. Jeremiah 19:4 “Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents.” It isn’t my judgments, it’s just looking and seeing as God leads. It’s not about comparing churches, saying this one seems pretty good, or this pastor seems like a good man. Those are all our judgments. Instead, it’s seeking God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Then wherever He leads we follow. 1 Chronicles 16:11
The Bible is written to all who profess to be God’s people, which includes many denominations and groups. We all are to be examining our lives by its words. To think they are words for someone else is a grave mistake. Read Jeremiah, Isaiah, the minor prophets and Revelation seeking the instruction of the Holy Spirit and listen to what God has to say. When you look into the Bible with a heart to know truth and not to follow the doctrines of mankind, then you will “see”. Then you will know what to do. You will “see” the CS for what it is, how it destroys souls, and the impeding judgment. You will see the contrast between the system and the true temple of God.
The Bible speaks about the impeding judgment on the “house of God” and to leave and fully embrace God as our sanctuary, which is leading to something tremendous… the New Jerusalem, the temple from heaven. Revelation 21:2-3 It’s out with the old and in with the new, just as in the days of Jesus. We are the temple of God. God’s dwelling place is with us, in us. We have the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we are His, and a taste of things to come. A fuller manifestation of God dwelling within us is upon us. Revelation 21:22 Be careful to not be like the church leaders and members of Jesus’ day, who held on to their traditions and understanding and missed Christ, the truth. The old is passing away, and God is doing a new and tremendous thing … are you ready to embrace it?
I’m expanding on the previous post; Why leave the Church System (CS). In hopes to spur diligently seeking, I further explain why it’s imperative to leave the corruption of the CS and cling to the Truth and the true temple of God, a place made without hands. Luke 17:21
As individual seeking is deemed unnecessary (see previous post), those in the CS receive an “image” of God “handed” to them by “trusted authorities.” This receiving without discernment, creates a gateway for deception. It opens the pathway for false images to arise. It opens the door for the father of lies to enter in. Without individual seeking, which leads to discernment, truth and spiritual understanding, darkness prevails. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
The number of professing believers who diligently seek God to know Him as He is through the Bible by the instruction of the Holy Spirit are few. Thus in the CS there are numerous ways for the father of lies to covertly spew his poison. There comes a point where the deception spreads and takes over the entity. A little leaven affects the whole lump. Lies breed corruption and spiritual decay.
God knew this corruption would happen. It’s foretold through the prophets to warn us. As a result, in the end as a part of judgment, God gives the CS over to its own corruption as it’s released into the hands of the enemy. Revelation 18:2 God allows the people to walk the path they have chosen, which is to follow and heed “religious leaders” instead of Him. As a result, the enemy now reigns where he shouldn’t. Lamentations 2:7, Matt 24:15. When we see this happening, we are told to flee, and not to go back for any reason. Matthew 24:16-18
In Lamentations 4:12, it says no one would believe that God would let the enemy take over the sanctuary. Read the Bible again and you see that He has and He will as a part of judgment. For those seeking and “watching”, they see what the CS has become – an inhabitation of every foul thing Revelation 18:2, a den of thieves, and place where souls are destroyed as they are kept from entering into the kingdom. This is powerful language of the Bible to make an insurmountable point.
But I don’t see evil people in my church. Over and over we are warned that the enemy looks humble, kind, godly… is transformed into ministers of light and righteousness, wolves in sheep clothing. 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 What will that look like? Remember it’s deception. They don’t appear as slick salesmen (well, some do); they look like the humble and godly person. Even someone with “good” intentions can be lead astray. A soul without discernment because of a lack of LOVE for the truth is a breeding ground for lies regardless of how nice.
What is so evil? We are doing nice things. The father of lies is moving in. John 8:44 God’s definition of evil and good are different from this world’s definitions. Evil is anything counter to God’s will. The greatest evil is that disguised as good. Without individual seeking, an image of God is being manifested in the CS that defines good and evil and keeps people from seeing the truth. Our eternal life is knowing the true God; not some image. John 17:3
But my church references the Bible … One of Satan’s greatest tactics is using God’s words and twisting them to make them a lie. It’s what lures people in because there is an element of truth. He did this with Eve and Jesus. Satan uses the Bible for his purposes to destroy, which you see throughout church history. For those who lack a LOVE for the truth, they won’t be able to discern between the holy and profane. They don’t see the twisting of the scriptures. Thus, they are given into the delusion that puts them on the path to destruction. It’s like being lost to the world’s lies. A lie is a lie. As the CS keeps people from true seeking, those inside are kept from the light, thus darkness spreads.
This corruption and evil that is destroying souls is why true seekers are leaving. In diligent seeking, eyes are open to see what is taking place in the CS. The sanctuary is being given over for judgment and the impending plagues. Examine the lives of those in the CS and your own. In the CS, you will experience the plagues that come upon it. Revelation 18:4 Therefore, you have to leave. Most are expecting plagues that look the same in each life. What looks the same is the suffering, but how they’re manifested appears different. Revelation 9:17-18.
In seeking, you see the signs and leave. If you haven’t been seeking, you will stay because you are following the religious leaders who tell you why you should be there. What voice you have been following is the voice you will heed.
Why would God give His people over? They turned from following Him. They followed an image of Him instead of Him. Matthew 7:22-23 (read these) They followed their own will. From the beginning God set before us life and death; His way or our way. Most haven’t sought to really know God’s way and fully chosen Him. God is giving them over to the choice they have made, themselves.
God is love. Sometimes the greatest act of love is allowing someone to walk their own path to learn it isn’t life so that they will turn to the One who is life. Many are living what they think is life, but are swimming in the mud-pit. God wants them free.
Seek. Psalm 34:10 Embrace God, His truth, and the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Desire the fellowship of the true believers who are the temple, a place without walls. Instead of each week receiving messages leading to spiritual depravity, each day dive into a fellowship with God seeking His face in the Bible to know Him and trust Him. Instead of heeding the voice of a person, heed God’s voice. Seek to draw near to God in truth and spirit and not to the doctrines of the religious leaders.
It’s the Word of God that saves and sanctifies. John 17:17. It’s the truth that will save you in the end.
Seek the truth from God. Stop following others. Start following Him.
Mark of Self – the one you don’t want Revelation 13:17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Mark of God – the One you want Ezekiel 9:4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
The other day at the gym, I saw a man with a tattoo on his forearm of a bar code with the words “Made in Rio” above it. It struck me, the mark we bear reflects by whom we are made, thus by what we are made of? The man with the tattoo was “made in Rio” – a part of that heritage, culture, beliefs, and family. Each of us is a part of one of two entities made up of a heritage, beliefs, and family …
Ultimately, there are two options by which you can “be made of”; self or God. There is no neutral ground. Either you are made of God or made of self, which is under the sway of “evil” (what is contrary to love) because it is counter to God. 1 John 5:19 What we are made of starts in our minds and in our wills – that is why the mark is on the head (mind) or on the hand (will). Revelation 13:16
Which mark do you bear? Take time to contemplate this question in the light of Truth. Many are deceived in thinking they bear the mark of God when it’s truly of self; for that is what deception is.
What makes up your thoughts? What do you meditate on? Ideas of people, religion, or philosophies of this world? In what do you really trust? What do your actions show?
Have you experienced a renewal of your mind, a mind transformed from seeking your will to God’s will? To be spiritually minded instead of carnally minded?
Whose will do you truly desire to do? Yours or God’s? Do you desire to do what you think God wants or do you spend time daily with Him to truly know Him and His will so you can walk in it?
Who do you serve truly?
To have the mark of man is to strive to serve this life. It means you live by the wisdom of the world. You trust this wisdom fulfill your desires and purposes. You try to be the best in and of this world. Your mind is filled with thoughts and beliefs of people, institutions, etc. It’s ultimately about serving you; of course this can wear many disguises because to outwardly do so would be “selfish”. But that is at its core. You know best. The world tells you if you don’t live according to its wisdom, then you won’t advance. You can’t “buy and sell” unless you follow its protocol, bear its mark, own its philosophies and follow them, that is the only way you’ll advance to becoming to who you want to be, which will ultimately fulfill you and be good, of course.
Let’s dig a bit deeper. You feel you strive to do what is right and good. Even if you are oriented to be a good person isn’t that really serving your own need to be good and feel justified? Jesus said only God is good. Luke 18:19 So why do people strive for to be good outside of God? Possibly it makes us believe there is a change. We are different. We are special. We will be in God’s good graces, though we aren’t seeking His goodness. The only true transformation comes by the hand of God and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. It isn’t about our efforts but Him living and working through us. Many will be surprised in the end to see that they were really serving self, or the image of God constructed by self, but not God. They haven’t sought God to know Him to truly follow Him. How can you follow who you don’t know?
To be truly born again from above and to have a transformed mind is to “be made of” God. It means you have sought the truth to the extent to make a choice between self or God. Only the truth dispelling the lies of this world enables you to see past the deception the self will for what it is, death and destruction. With the knowledge of the truth of God and His ways, you let self go (true repentance) to follow God’s ways that bring peace, love, joy, rest, and life. Bearing God’s mark means you seek to live with God as Lord of your life, not you. Therefore, you seek to know God, know His ways and seek His counsel in all areas so you can walk in it. He is your first love. You meditate on the things of God. You want to advance and grow in the wisdom of God, not man, therefore you spend time seeking God’s wisdom not man’s. To seek God, to know, trust and live in and by Him is to be made of God.
Who owns you truly? Do you feel like a slave to this life? To the things of this life? How much time do you spend seeking God? How are you trying to advance in your life? All these things tell you who you are really serving, thus what mark you truly bear.
Living Light 