by Rachel 7 Comments
Zechariah 9:11-12
“As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you.
God forgave in the Old Testament because forgiveness is a characteristic of love and God is love. So … why did Christ die?
2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
In the sanctified human vessel of Jesus, God entered human flesh to reconcile His creation back to Himself. For there to be reconciliation, unrighteousness had to be destroyed because God is holy. By infusing His powerful spirit of truth and love into this earth through Christ; in time that spirit would destroy the lies, the sin, thus death WITHIN mankind leaving righteousness to reign. 2 Corinthians 5:19
By becoming one of us, God entered the pit, darkness, sin, death, this flesh world and He infused His spirit of light here, as a root, to be resurrected in us in the end days. Romans 5:10 Isaiah 53:2 This resurrection of His Spirit IN mankind would bring in His eternal reign of righteousness by transforming mankind’s souls. As long as any reign is external people will stray, the reign has to be on the inside, this is what God did through Christ. Jesus Christ physically resurrecting 2000 years ago was a testimony of His powerful resurrection to occur in mankind when His spirit resurrects many in the end days. John 6:40, Romans 5:12-21, 2 Peter 1:19
As Christ spirit grows in us; we become holy creations living righteously. Romans 5:17 Thus righteousness begins to be established in the earth.
This union of our spirit and Christ’s spirit is the marriage of us and Christ. The consummation of the marriage occurs as Christ enters our spirit and places His seed of light is us that grows in us into eternal creations. Proverbs 4:18 As with a human marriage, which is consummated by the joining of the male and female, so we are married to Christ when His Spirit infuses ours and a new spirit is born in us. This is in part why we receive a new name, because we have a new spirit. Matthew 16:17-18, Revelation 2:17 When He starts bringing us to life by infusing our spirit with His, then we have eternal life for the corrupted spirit in us drys up as His spirit of righteousness grows within us. His spirit destroys all sin, takes over, and governs our souls for eternity. Thus, we are one with Him for eternity. John 17:3, 17, 21-22
The Holy Spirit has been here since the physical resurrection of Christ Jesus to prepare us to be unified to Christ’s Spirit. This is why He is our teacher to teach us all things. 1 John 2:27 Christ is at the door. Rev 3:20 Those who answer the knocking and embrace Christ’s spirit are those who sought God in truth and spirit, were taught by the Holy Spirit, and went through the death of their corrupted spirit so they could receive a new spirit. Matthew 22:14, Revelation 12:11 They have a true fear of God and follow Him alone, versus, following the commandments of mankind/religion. Proverbs 19:23, Isaiah 29:13 By the Holy Spirit, they’ve been prepared with the spirit of wisdom to be joined with Christ’s spirit. John 6:45 Their growth begins the establishment of Christ’s kingdom on earth; a kingdom that comes from within out. Matthew 13:31, 1 Corinthians 15:22-24 They are the peacemakers, as Christ’s spirit joined to theirs makes peace in them and around them. Matthew 5:9
Because Christ is coming within us; He is coming as a thief to many. Revelation 3:3, 16:15 But to the elect, first fruits, He isn’t a thief for they are experiencing this union within them that is changing everything. 1 Thess 5:4 They are increasing in righteousness, love, honor, kindness, thus peace and rest in these days of mounting tribulation for others. 2 Thess 1:7-8, Proverbs 15:24 But as the elect continue to grow, the spirit of Christ in the earth will be undeniable. In the coming days, it will be made known who is filled with Christ and who isn’t as His spirit will show itself mighty in the souls joining to Him. 1 Corinthians 4:5,Matthew 7:22, Matthew 25:32-33
Christ died and resurrected to bring a fallen mankind back to God because of His love for us. To understand the purpose of His life is to understand the mystery of the gospel of eternal life. Romans 16:25 This is why if you are looking on the outside for Christ’s return at this time, you are looking in the wrong place.
by Rachel 3 Comments
This term has been so common and misused it has lost depth of meaning and the truth it is grounded upon.. here I dive into its understanding. Talking about: How do you know you are born again? What does that mean for your life, now?
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
by Rachel 2 Comments
Now is the time to do the right(eous) thing.
Hebrews 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
John 5:25Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
In the Old Testament (OT) covenant, God clearly laid out the choice between life and death and what each path manifested. Deuteronomy 30:19 He granted them forgiveness for their transgressions against Him, yet very few repented and turned to His ways. If and when they did turn because of the painful afflictions of going their own way, He was right there to heal and restore them. Yet, even after the outpourings of mercy and blessing, they soon again rebelled in following the dictates of their own hearts. Isaiah 65:12 They lacked the power to truly believe.
Why was it so hard to believe?
The Israelites had God’s forgiveness and help. They saw His wondrous works. So, why couldn’t they follow Him; what was missing? Without God’s spirit in us, we can’t believe as we ought. This is why the Israelites fell so quickly into rebellion and why you see the same thing throughout history. The only way we truly believe is by the power of God’s spirit working in us. John 6:45
Corrupted Spirit vs. God’s Spirit
We are either governed by a corrupted spirit or by God’s pure spirit of righteous love. Soon after birth, we become imprisoned by the lies (what appears as our truth) of the world flooding into our spirit taking us captive to do their will. 2 Timothy 2:26 This corrupted spirit opposes God’s wisdom and love; therefore all we do is sin for we’re slaves to sin. John 8:34 Under its reign, we are blind as our truths are lies, therefore we can’t truly believe in God, thus walk in righteousness leading to eternal life. How can a soul believe in life if it is consumed in darkness and deception; holding lies as truth? How can it find its way out of the pit of darkness and death? The answer lies in the power and victory of Christ’s spirit filling us. God gives us His spirit to govern us instead; this is the new birth. Our Father births us to life, by His will, not our own, by giving us His seed of life. This seed holds His faith which enables us to believe unto eternal life. This Seed of His spirit within us is our deliverance and salvation from the pit of eternal darkness in which people now dwell.
God’s Plan of Salvation
God made a promise to Abraham, that ALL the nations would be blessed through him and his seed. Genesis 22:18, 28:14 He was promised that his descendents would be as the dust of the earth; a promise of giving salvation to many many souls. Have you seen dust recently? What we do see is a huge gap between ALL nations being blessed and just a few truly believing unto obedience that leads to righteousness and abundant life. As I talked about true belief in a previous post, as it stands right now very few would move into eternal life because very few truly believe, yet this doesn’t fit with God’s promise to Abraham.
When true belief has shown to be extremely trying at best, what hope is there that ALL nations will be blessed? Revelation 15:4
This powerlessness to truly believe is why Christ gave up His spirit. He offered up His Spirit on the cross, so it could be resurrected in many in the end days. John 12:23-24, Joel 2:28, 1 Peter 1:13 With the seed of His spirit in us, we are able to grow unto eternal life because we now have the ability to believe because of His spirit within us giving us His faith. Hebrews 12:2 This is why some will not die, but be changed. 1 Corin 15:51 As the spirit of Christ is being raised in souls, then eternal life will begin to exist on earth, for He is eternal life. Since Christ’s flesh resurrection over 2000 years ago, there has been the Holy Spirit, God’s wisdom, in grace enabling some to believe in the hope of salvation. Romans 15:13 Yet, we haven’t see the fulfillment of that hope of salvation as people are still living lives of sin leading to death. The Holy Spirit is a guarantee of what is to come; the union of our spirit with Christ’s. Ephesians 1:13-14 As the wedding feast fast approaches; as Christ spirit starts resurrecting in people thus being “married” to their soul, they will start walking in righteousness leading to eternal life and therefore not taste death.
Marrying Christ’s Spirit
Now is the time to draw near to God, for Christ has sowed His seed in the field, our souls, to bring in His Kingdom. Hosea 10:12, Matthew 13 He has given us the grace and power by giving us His faith to believe in a world of death and lies. Now we have to step into that grace and power by sowing truth into our lives which allows the seed to grow in us.
Sowing the Seed
We sow the seed of Christ’s spirit by seeking truth, for God is truth. As we do then His spirit of wisdom grows in the depths of our soul. John 12:25 Wisdom is truth driving our lives. We gain wisdom by listening to and following His gentle whisperings to our soul, leading us into all truth. John 6:32, 45, 57, 63, James 1:21 It isn’t religious doctrine we heed and follow; it is the perfect spirit of God communing with us in the depths of our being. Psalm 85:8 The spirit of wisdom grows within us as we listen and obey God’s voice, which is now possible because we have Christ’s spirit of faith in us enabling us to believe. James 2:14-26 In time, we are trained in righteousness, so we can walk in righteousness. Sin ibrings death. Right-mindedness brings immortality. Proverbs 12:28
Further, God takes our transgressions, now under the umbrella of His forgiveness, and they become part of our training ground as we are chastened by them and delivered from them by a loving Father. In time, our minds are renewed and we become holy eternal creations. In God’s perfect timing, all will learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:9 First those of the “elect”; then the rest. 1 Corin 15:22-24 The elect serve the rest by preparing the way and bringing in the Kingdom by Christ’s spirit in them.
As we sow truth, we start to yearn for God’s will over all else because we become aware of the perfection of His ways and how it is His ways we truly desire in everything. We realize we are truly poor in spirit, and need His spirit of wisdom. Matthew 5:3 When we gain these understandings, we abandon all other “wills” to be fully governed by His spirit. Our part is to know and embrace the will of God and forsake all other paths; for love involves choice. Mark 8:34
Now is the time to listen for the voice of the Son of God; because those who will hear will live; for the kingdom is at hand.
John 6:38-39 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
Recently, I clearly saw the beast in each one of us; the internal beast that Christ came to destroy and put His Spirit of righteous love in its place. It was very powerful, full of lies of destruction, and in a form often undetected for what it truly is, though it abides within us. Christ battle isn’t against us; it’s against this internal beast of wickedness that seeks to destroy us. Understanding the true battle is essential to understanding God’s plan of salvation.
This internal beast is our corrupted controlling self-will influenced by evil. 1 John 5:19 It’s the controlling spirit of our soul, which we are born with, that makes us slaves to sin. Romans 6:16-19 It’s a corrupted operating system governing every thought and action in the ways of death instead of life. This operating system is full of lies, feasts on lies, and serves lies. (Lies that we hold as our truth.) Its outputs are lies; lies about who we are, who God is, what love is, what truth is and on and on. The lies manifest sin, which manifests pain, suffering, and hardship, which leads to death. James 1:14-16 This beastly entity abides in all people, thus why all are dead. 1 Corin 15:22 It’s contrary to God; therefore all it produces are the fruits of death. By giving us His spirit, Christ came to free mankind from this beast that imprisons our souls and makes us corrupted, defiled, vile, and dead. Now is the time for this promise to manifest. 1 Peter 1:5, 9, 13
This internal beast spirit rules us, until it’s put to death and a new governing spirit takes its place. This new spirit is the salvation of Christ given to all. We’ve hoped in this salvation of receiving a new operating system, the mind of Christ crafted in pure truth and righteous love that enables us to be eternal creations with God. That hope is now being realized to those who have been waiting and watching.
Preparation Period: Putting on the Wedding Garments
Now is the time to get dressed. God’s spirit is preparing those who come to Him in truth and spirit by clothing them in garments of pure light/truth/righteousness so they can be married to Christ, which means people are starting to walk in true righteousness by the power of God like never before.
These garments are necessary to 1. Stand in the day of the fiery trial coming upon the whole earth Isaiah 33:14-16 and 2. Come into the wedding feast to be joined with Christ for eternity. Matthew 22:12-14
How? Christ is pouring the eternal life spirit into souls who are ready and willing to receive. John 6:63 This Spirit of wisdom is the mind of Christ and it starts small within us. 1 Corin 1:30, Luke 17:21. If you live in righteousness, you live in eternal life. As we listen and obey His lead, He guides us into the paths of righteousness where there is no death. He leads us to abundant life inside and out. He leads us into the kingdom of heaven here on earth. He leads us to safety and protection in a world whose ways are crumbling and becoming full of depravity, pain and suffering. Our part is to listen and obey His instruction to us, which we can by His power filling us as we heed His word. Ephesians 1:19
Christ the perfect husband washing His Bride in the word. Ephesians 5:26, John 17:17 His Spirit is personally speaking words of life to souls who are listening. He’s teaching, leading and enabling people to abide in paths of righteousness. There is a new power working in the souls of those receiving Him. John 14:23 He is opening their eyes to see their sin and the consequences of it, thus enabling them to chose the way of life. Luke 4:18 As they walk uprightly, everything around them starts to change for life is replacing where death once dwelled. We create our surroundings by our faith. If we are walking in His righteousness, His faith, which is life, then we create life, eternal life, and works without end. These lives will stand victoriously in the judgment coming upon the earth. Transformations into deep joy, abundant rest, blessings and true love are occurring as people walk the paths of holiness by the power of His spirit in them. As a result, they are adorned with garments of holiness and prepared to enter the wedding feast.
To go through this transition, first we have to understand what is currently controlling us. When we see and understand this internal beast in us, then we can die to it, which is abandoning it. It isn’t simply turning from a sin here and here, but the source which sin comes from. It’s knowing the very core of us is corrupt and abandoning our self-will altogether. Romans 7:4 When we no longer listen or follow it, it loses all power. A lie is only powerful if you believe it as truth. Once truth enters in, it becomes nothing. Psalm 91:4
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
But then what/who are we following? If we truly abandon our self-will, we will embrace the new operating system of the Spirit of Christ. We have to follow something. It starts with small steps of obedience to God’s voice of righteousness within us, and continues until He governs every aspect of our lives. This transition is sowing on the wedding garments. As a result, we are transformed into eternal creations and the world around changes as righteous love flows from us, thus the kingdom of God starts to be established on the earth.
Rejecting Christ’s Spirit
Many will not head this voice, and embrace the cleansing spirit of Christ knocking on the door of their hearts. Revelation 3:20 They will continue to follow the dictates of their own hearts. Jeremiah 16:12 Outside the kingdom of God (not heeding His voice) will be a place without mercy, as mercy is lifted to expose the works of darkness and reveal hearts. Jeremiah 16:5 Those outside will face eternal fire, eternal punishment, everlasting burnings, weeping and gnashing of teeth, and outer darkness … all descriptions of the judgment of God that will destroy the corrupted self-will spirit they refused to give up. It will be a tribulation unlike any other because wickedness and our corrupted self will perish.
All will be seasoned with fire. Mark 9:49 But if we have the garments of righteousness, the fire will not harm us. Instead we will be greatly rewarded and be to the praise, honor and glory of Christ. 1 Peter 1:7 If we don’t then we will suffer great loss, punishment for correction, and judgment by the works of our own doing. 1 Corin 3:15 Now is the time to seek God. To reap mercy and righteousness .. that He may pour His righteousness into us Hosea 10:12-14.
God will not be mocked we will reap what we sow. Sow the wedding garments so you can be married to Christ. Galatians 6:7 He has poured out His grace, that you may walk with Him in righteousness. Abide in this grace. 1 Peter 1:13
Thank Christ for the amazing gift of His spirit which can be united and enter our soul and govern us instead of the beast. This is our salvation, our defense, and our life for it is the spirit of eternal life.
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Talking about how this has been greatly neglected … it is gaining the mind of Christ, which is our salvation through the Tribulation.
God speaks to us in a still, small voice .. by Christ, His spirit becomes our good conscience to lead us into the paths of righteousness. True repentance is listening and following His counsel, direction and word to us within our spirit (harmonizing with the Bible) that leads us in the details of our lives. This is truly the helmet of salvation because as we walk this path of repentance, we gain the mind of Christ. Christ is our salvation – this mind is our salvation for it saves us from ourselves, our controlling self-will. That newness of mind is our protection these days and the days ahead as Christ will destroy all that is not of Him. He is the truth. If we hold onto the lies and don’t embrace His counsel to each one of us, we are going to suffer in the coming tribulation. Now is the time to repent .. truly repent
God is love. God is righteous. He isn’t one or the other. He is both ALL the time; He is righteous love. When you know God, then you know this love and you begin to see it in ALL His ways; and certainly in His plan of salvation for mankind.
The spirit of rebellion in each of us leading to sin thus death first revealed itself in the Garden of Eden. At its appearance, God foretold His salvation. Genesis 3:15 A Seed (Christ) of the woman, would defeat such a spirit forever. God, the perfect Father and Creator, set out to develop His creation into a people who could abide with Him forever in perfect righteous love. He is love and for a true bond of love to exist, love is given and received in its purest truest form. Mark 12:30 He had the love; and His creation would to.
With the choice of following self in the Garden of Eden, mankind showed their weakness; their ability to go against God’s will of perfect love. They demonstrated that without being governed by the Spirit of God from within, they would go their own way forsaking God’s, thus severing the bond of perfect love. When Adam and Eve received as truth the lie based in fear that they were “missing out,” fear and lies were brought into this creation. Genesis 3:1-8 They chose to go against God’s instructions, which kept them in perfect love with God, one another and creation. Now they were no longer governed by pure love, but fear, and not by truth, but lies. Thus sin existed in them and in creation. Adam and Eve didn’t understand the consequences of going their own way for they only knew God’s perfection, until the moment they went astray in their hearts. This was the first time they were exposed to anything related to death and death itself.
Now all of God’s children are born in pain. Genesis 3:16, 3:20 Eve is the mother of all living. And because of sin, her children, us, are born in pain (sin). All have to come through death/sin then into true life. Hebrews 9:27 This journey teaches us the consequences of going our own way, (an understanding Adam and Eve originally didn’t possess) and our need to have the mind of Christ to truly discern between good and evil, right and wrong. Even Christ, as our forerunner, learned obedience (righteousness) through the things He suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8 God took their transgression and thus ours, and used it to teach mankind an very important lesson for life to exist eternally: only God’s will is good, thus we have to be a part of Him. He put creation on a path of salvation in which He would give us His spirit with the mind of Christ so we would always walk in righteous love with Him. 1 Corin 1:30
Challenge: To Really Believe in God
As we saw in the OT, people will not believe in God; that His ways are better, He forgives and He is love. When He laid it all out they wouldn’t follow Him. Isaiah 48:18, Deuteronomy 28 They wouldn’t receive His forgiveness and repent. When their sin manifested terrible consequences, they kept rebelling. When He spoke from heaven, did amazing miracles, and showed His power, they still strayed. Finally in Christ, He showed the depth of His love and forgiveness, people still would not believe so He would be Lord of their lives. (True belief is walking in God’s truths because you know and love Him; not simply acknowledging His existence, who He is or what He does.)
Consider your own life, how often do you look to your understanding instead of following God? No matter what we learn or know, following self is like a cancer we can’t rid ourselves of. We can’t believe God to wholly follow Him. Luke 16:30-31, Romans 7:24-25 (If we truly believed, we would follow wholeheartedly.) As Adam and Eve did, we’ve done the same. The difference in our relationship with God now verses the Old Testament, is that now Christ is preparing His vessels (our souls), which He purchased by His blood, to fill them with His righteous, so we can abide with God forever as eternal creations.
Victory of Christ
Christ did for us what we couldn’t; became our faith. Hebrews 12:2 By His spirit in us, we are able to believe and follow; to possess a spirit having the mind of Christ which is being poured out on all flesh. Ezekiel 39:29, Ezekiel 11:19-20, Hebrews 8:9-11, Acts 2:17 Christ had to die and resurrect to be the seed of life; a seed that once it died could be raised in many. John 12:23-25 He had to die so His spirit could be resurrected in many, because no one would truly believe God or follow Him unless they were a part of Him. 2 Peter 1:4 No one comes to Christ unless God calls Him. John 6:44 No one can come to the Father expect through Christ. John 14:6 It’s all God’s work by His spirit. Something dead can’t bring itself to life. Something unborn can’t birth itself. For us to believe, really believe, we need His spirit and this is what He is giving us in abundance.
Becoming a new creation who can abide with God forever is the purpose and victory of Christ. 1 Corin 15:55 Without God’s spirit living in us in such a fullness as Christ, there will always be sin and death. Ephesians 4:13, 1:10, 3:19 For us to be God’s creation who can abide with Him for eternity, we have to have the mind of Christ and this is exactly what He is giving us in these days, though some are rejecting that voice, wisdom, and good conscience to their own destruction. 1 Timothy 1:19-20
Our sin is harsh; it is death. When we see what it creates in the Old Testament; death, destruction, stoning … it is horrific. Thus, in His love God destroyed it in Christ. He destroyed the seed of death. He destroyed the self-will in all of us through Christ’s death and resurrection. Being birthed in pain, we learn the death nature of self-will. By God’s grace in Christ, the self-will dies and souls are married to Christ and transition into eternal life. Though dead, He resurrects to us to life and starts to mold us into eternal creations.
Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
by Rachel 6 Comments
Talking about the chastening of God for the purpose of establishing His kingdom on this earth. All will learn righteousness .. and I talk a bit about that process.
Living Light