Tag: election

Articles

The Blessing of God’s Election

Pete

“The Blessing of God’s Election”

 The Lord has been merciful to us in bringing us out of many deceptions and giving us greater revelation of the mystery of Christ. One such huge revelation by the Spirit was seeing God’s plans and purposes to save all men by the same process and seeing with clarity that there is no preferential treatment, greater rewards or lesser punishments given to any man.

Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ

Eph 3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 

Eph 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 

The promises to Abram were that his descendants would be as infinite as the stars in heaven, symbolizing that ALL MEN are the Lord’s and will receive the same great reward (Gen 15:1) in the end.

Gen 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Any man given the gift of faith, which will be all mankind in the appointed times, are the children of Abraham.  This is true despite it also being true that today there are very few given the gift of faith and knowledge of the mysteries of God.  Yet the Lord and the Scriptures speak in ways that declare the end from the beginning which means they speak of things that are not yet as if they already were.  The righteousness by faith is coming to all men and that is how we as the Lord’s people need to see it with the end in mind.

Rom 4:17  As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

Growing in grace and truth, we are being blessed and learning the mind of Christ in coming to see as the Lord sees it and act with the same mercy and compassion He exhibited to all of mankind.

Gal 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 

Gal 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

Our enlightening (coming out of darkness) is very sobering as the depth of deception and false doctrines that bound us for a season is becoming clearer.  We have indeed been given a great escape from error and can now rebuild the holes that were in our doctrinal wall.

Ezr 9:8  And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 

Ezr 9:9  For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall [holy w/o doctrinal holes] in Judah and in Jerusalem. 

The people of God are learning contentment and waiting on the Lord versus the ways of the flesh which has us pursuing knowledge to reap unrighteous gain in this life.  We should take heed the Lord’s commands to continually pray that we be found faithful in the end and escape these errors that have led many disciples away from the living Christ.

Luk 21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [over eating/consumption], and drunkenness [knowledge/wine], and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 

Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 

Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 

Knowing the process, the punishments and the reward given all men is exactly the same, our commands are to be humble ourselves and wait on Him to bring the overcoming and exalt us to a place of greater spiritual maturity.   We are to be watchful for the adversary within us who by the subtlety of deceit will lead all but the very Elect astray.

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

It is a temptation of the devil and our flesh to seek disciples after ourselves and see ourselves exercising lordship and ruling over other men thinking that is a “special reward” for those first given the Lord’s precious gifts.  We must be wary this negative side of an evangelizing spirit and a spirit that seeks followers and the establishment of preeminence.

Hab 2:5  Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:

Paul warns of this spirit and that it arises within the church from within the those we gather and fellowship with.  Look within ourselves first!

Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 

The devil is always right there to play into our pride and take us up to show us that we can have dominion over men.  It is a lie of Satan that has us believing we will be ruling over other men in outward rulership that is contrary to the Scriptures rightfully divided.  Here is the origin of that spirit in the temptations of Christ which is the temptation of you and me as we are His Christ and on our way to becoming mature sons of God.

Luk 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 

Luk 4:6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 

Luk 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 

Luk 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [not Satan and not our flesh and its lusts]

The pride of life present in all flesh makes for an alluring temptation because all flesh seeks its own gain and glory.  It is very few who have had this pride squeezed out of them through heavy trials as Paul wrote to those in Philippi.

Php 2:20  For I have no one like-minded, who genuinely will care for the things about you. 

Php 2:21  For all seek their own things, not the things of Christ Jesus.

Only Christ, working in us will guide us to please [love the Lord] God and deny ourselves and seek not our own glory (1Co 13:5).

Joh 8:50  And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 

God’s Love for Israel

We learned many things that are not true the way we learned them.  For example, we would say things like the Scriptures are only written for us the chosen few in this age because we are a special class of people.  While it’s true only those few given ears to hear can understand the Scriptures and that is whom they were written, an equally great truth is that all men will come to knowledge of the truth and be saved by those same Scriptures and the fiery experience they bring when one is given to read, hear and understand them.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

It is Christ in us, the new man chosen to be ruler in Israel; King David in type and shadow who is the apple of His eye

Psa 17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 

 Yet the Lord loves all men and it is for the sake of all men that He was made a sacrifice for our sins.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

The saving of all men which is ALL Israel comes when we are born of the Spirit of God.  This too is all His Work, it is nothing of ourselves and hence there is no special reward for being given a free gift with no merit involved.  The simplicity in Christ has been spoiled by carnal inventions of men who have sought to exalt themselves among the people of God.

Eph 2:8  For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; 

Eph 2:9  not of works, that not anyone should boast; 

It will be the new man coming forth from the destruction of the first man (the old man, the first Adam) to be given the inheritance and loved by the Lord.

Mal 1:2  I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 

Mal 1:3  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 

But as we saw, God sees the end from the beginning.  It is all men, not just those chosen to be given the gifts in this age who will bear both experiences.

1Co 15:47  The first man [Esau] is of the earth, earthy: the second man [Jacob] is the Lord from heaven. 

1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

We are blessed first as those given the gifts now in this age and gathered in Christ by His predestination of our entire life before we were even born.

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

The promises of God will come to all men as He loves all and is no respecter of any person.  It will be the one and the same conclusion which is the result of coming through the one and same process of judgment that is the lake of fire resulting in a man conformed into the image of God in whom Christ is glorified.

Romans 8:30  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

In this age, indeed few will be chosen and be given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.  The resurrected Christ only appears to the witnesses chosen of the Lord in every age.

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen

Act 10:40  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 

Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 

But a few chosen now does not negate the truth that all will be chosen in the end and receive the same full reward and attain salvation by the one and same process the Elect experience earlier.

Isa 46:13  I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

Who will be saved from their sins?  ALL MEN

1Ti 4:10  For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe [now in this age, the receive the gift first]. 

Isa 66:16  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Luk 3:6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 

What is the advantage of being Elected or Chosen sooner?

Paul wrote about two temporary classes of people, the Jews and Gentiles extensively in Romans 2.  Those scriptures showing that the Jews are first given the blessings that will come to all men and there is no difference and no respect of persons with the Lord.

Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 

Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 

Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

Paul continues in Romans 3 and answers the logical question he as asked and that all inquiring carnal minds will ask.

Rom 3:1  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of [spiritual – Col 2:11] circumcision? 

Rom 3:2  Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed [BELIEF – FAITH in] the oracles of God. 

It is much better to be in the truth now and have faith than to be separated from the Lord and abiding in spiritual darkness.  Our advantage or superiority as some translations cite the word is that we receiving the blessing first.  We are first given to read, hear and understand His Word and reap the blessings to the new man as Christ is formed in us and grows.  Being delivered from bondage and set free from our sin is certainly an advantage I hope all of us are eager to hearken unto.  There is great freedom in Christ as we are given the faith to abide (live and act) according to His Word and commands.

Joh 8:31  Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples. 

Joh 8:32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 

Being free in Christ versus remaining in slavery to our sin is the clear advantage to the Jew who is saved first.  Being chosen of God, we become His witnesses and then spread the word of God (the fire) as His preachers and ministers and eventually all mankind comes into the kingdom.  What a wonderful blessing to be the first to taste of His heavenly gift and be used of Him to work His work.

Joh 14:12  Indeed, I tell you truly, the one believing into Me, the works which I do, that one shall do also, and greater than these he will do, because I go to My Father

There are many warnings for us to not be puffed up and begin thinking of ourselves as superior to other men.  Those admonitions are there for a reason.  Because we will do such things before we learn not to do it.

Mat 23:12  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 

Oba 1:3  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 

Oba 1:4  Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 

The truth is we are not better than other men, we are truly unworthy servants [Luk 10:17] chosen without merit by the Lord to bring about His will to His people which is all men beginning with ourselves.  None of us is righteous or brought anything the Lord needed to the table.

Rom 3:9  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Rom 3:27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 

The whole premise of asking what greater pay is in it for us as the Elect is a carnal question.  The better question and the focus of our heart is how can we serve our Lord and bring His glory to the Gentiles within and without ourselves.  That glory is made manifest by judgment that comes by the Word that comes to us when given the Holy Spirit which is guiding us in all truths.

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 

Mat 12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 

God’s people are first to go through the lake of Fire, experiencing the Second Death now in this age. This is the very thing that is making them holy as we die to death which is the carnal mind [Rom 8:6] and raises us up with Christ having His mind.  There is no greater blessing any man can receive.

Deu 14:2  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 

It is truly a blessing to be God’s Elect in this age.  Being the firstfruits unto holiness and being set free from our sin is an advantage our possession of the oracles of God will bring to us if we endure to the end (Mat 24:13).

Studies

Marriage Part 1 – The Spiritual Significance

Ronel

The Spiritual Significance of Marriage

Introduction

Today we look at the spiritual significance of the many facets of marriage not only to our physical spouses but to our Husband, Christ, which Bride we are as a Body collectively. We know most of these teachings but it behoves us to think and ponder upon our spiritual and physical marriages as it is in our own days of the Lord.

Why do we need marriage? Are there spiritual lessons to be learned? Why was Adam given a woman instead of another man, which is the weaker vessel?

1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Let us lay the foundation, starting at the beginning:

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Marriage is the mystery Paul speaks about:

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The spiritual meaning of “she was taken out of the man” reveals to us this hidden meaning of this verse:

Joh 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Joh 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

God, the Father, created Christ and in that sense Christ came out from His Head, for the specific purpose of creating the physical universe and for the specific purpose of creating all men of all time, and becoming the Saviour of all. Think giving life.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Christ was “the firstborn of every creature BECAUSE by him were all things created that are in heaven and in earth…”

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

The spiritual meaning of “sleep” is made clear in the NT.

Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Being in “a deep sleep”, is a symbol of being dead. If we are given the understanding that the first Adam is a type of the last Adam, then we will know that the first Adam had to, “in a figure”, die before he could be given a wife who would, just like the last Adam, be given a wife who also must come “out of [Himself]”. Being dead is being in our natural state of unbelief and disobedience.

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Spiritually, we are collectively being the espoused “chaste virgin”, who is the Bride.

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

It is being accomplished only as Adam’s “deep sleep” typifies, “through death”.

Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Christ brought Adam’s wife to him, what is the spiritual lesson?

Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Who gave Christ His wife? It is clear that the Father is, was and will be giving Christ His wife, each in His own order.

Joh 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

The first Adam (a living soul), and Christ (quickening Spirit), the last Adam, both willingly died and die for their respective errant, sinful wives. As He is, so are we [1 John 4:17]:

1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman [as the type of Christ’s called out ones] being deceived was in the transgression.

Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Only the sons of Christ understand how integral Christ’s espoused wife is to His own purpose, death, resurrection, and inheritance.

Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

The word “for”, translated from the Greek word “dia”, which means “through”. Christ was delivered up to be crucified through our offenses, and was raised from the dead through our justification. The Bride is being given to Christ “through death”.

When looking at the spiritual meaning of flesh and bone, we ask where does Eve come from?

Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Eve coming “out of Adam”, reveals that Christ Himself is the one out of whom Adam came. Christ IS the Word who said, “Let us make man in our image…”

Col 1:16 For by him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Scriptures teach that when God creates another, a second, for that which He created first, under those circumstances, that which is first, becomes the stronger, and becomes the Head of that which was created for the first and preeminent creation.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Christ was created before the man, Adam was created before the woman, and the Father is He “of whom are all things” (1Co 8:6). This is the lesson of the institution of marriage. It is through death that the Bride become “bone of [His] bones, and flesh of [His] flesh”. The purpose of showing us that a married couple are to be “one flesh”, spiritually typifying the one spiritual mind of the one body of Christ and His Bride.

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

The earthy type is created in a “marred… made to be destroyed” condition, the spiritual anti-type is being made to be of an “immortal” condition, “a spiritual body” [1 Cor 15:44].

Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made [” marred… in the Potter’s hand”] subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Adam called her Eve because she is the mother of all living. She is the weaker vessel.

Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

The wife is being made for the husband for the purpose of giving life to others by her husband. The headship of God over Christ, and Christ being the Head of the man, and the man being the head of the woman, is all ordained to be symbolized by a man having short hair and thereby having an “uncovered… head”. The same symbol of submission to God’s ways is also symbolized by a woman having her head covered by her long hair. Please study 1 Co 11:4-7.

What is the point being made?

1Co 11:8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. [and Christ for His Head]
1Co 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. [As the man was created for Christ]
1Co 11:10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels [the messengers of Christ].

1Co 11:11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

1Co 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

What does “uncovered” mean?

1Co 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
1Co 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

This lesson reveals the submissive, fruitful function that Christ fulfils for His Head.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Col 1:15 Who [Christ, whose “head… is God”] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 

 Christ is the Firstborn of every creature:

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

We are being taught by the institution of marriage that there is no trinity. The invisible things are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made [Rom 1:20]. We sit at the Lord’s table in a prescribed manner.

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Christ is integral to His Head and we are integral to Christ:

1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

The man is by the woman tells us that Christ is a woman to His Head. Marriage teaches us that we are the weaker vessel, the called-out bride of our Husband and   reveals to us that Christ is the weaker vessel, in His relationship to His Head, by whom the Father has chosen to give life to all men. We are being saved by giving birth, not only to be married to Christ but giving Him children [a renewed mindset].

1Ti 2:15  Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. 

Likened it unto getting married to Christ as being given faith as a gift, and bearing children is grace working through faith, in other words becoming doers of the true doctrine of Christ. So, faith comes by hearing [as a gift] and grace comes through trials. Our trials are to die to self.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

 Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 

How do we find a wife [new mindset]?

Pro 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Remember, it is a good thing finding a wife, we still have to walk the marriage out! Let us look at how not to find a wife:

“Falling in love” is nothing more than falling in lust because every man is drawn away by his own lust.

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 

Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 

We certainly need to be in love with our Husband, Christ, but never out of control, meaning not to give in to seducing spirits:

1Co 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

So, godly love is something we are dragged to, through fiery trials, and that we do not just naturally fall into loving our spiritual husband Christ.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Twice in the life of Samson we are shown what our uncontrolled emotions will produce within our lives. The first was his Philistine wife and the second was his experience with the harlot Delilah. Here is Samson’s out-of-control, impatient, rebellious words to his parents [The Father and Christ], after “falling in love”. This is us spiritually in our seasons.

Jdg 14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

Jdg 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

We are as blind as bats when we are under the law, having false doctrines in our heavens listening to men [lies], tickling the ears and having many idols of the heart whilst and after being married to Christ. We lose our first love.

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Samson and the Pharisees are types of us when we place our trust in the old covenant and the law of the gentiles to the exclusion of Christ’s Words concerning whom we are to marry. Israel, a spiritual type of God’s called-out people, was commanded to marry only another Israelite, and they were specifically prohibited from marrying anyone who was of another way of thinking and that is foremost within and without.

Deu 7:1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
Deu 7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Deu 7:3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

These nations were driven out, and we receive faith as a gift. Now we are not to lose our first love but we do and then the miraculous work of Christ within us takes place, destroying that which just naturally submit to the “seven nations greater and mightier than [we are]”. Those seven nations, idols of the hearts, in our heavens, is what turn us away from our spouse, Christ. We have many mindsets, before through fiery trials, our minds are being renewed day by day.

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

 We are being forced to acknowledge our blindness, and die to self, before we are being delivered from the people [emotions] who are in the land of God’s people without the benefit of true circumcision. Going from hearing to doing is what is symbolized in this example. We have mixed multitudes within us that needs circumcision.

Jdg 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Falling in love produces the works of the flesh, and is, was and will be in every case, the opposite of “listen[ing] diligently to the voice of the Lord. In every case “the voice of the Lord” was/is completely ignored by those who “fell in love”, and the voice of the “the tempter… the devil is being heard and obeyed.

David lay with [another man’s wife] because he “fell in love with her”. He was supposed to go forth to battle, but sent others and in type he took a break from diligently listening to the voice of the Lord” [2 Sa 11;1-5]. When we diligently listen to Christ, and keep his commandments, we are doing spiritual battle. We take a break, trust in our own vision and pay a terrible and humiliating price in our days.

Recap:

Christ teaches us “the manifold wisdom of God”, and how to strengthen our marriages and how to grow in Spirit “by the church”, and that His Body of called-out believers speak in His behalf:

Luk 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

We learn that there is no such thing as falling in love, we are dragged to love our mate through the trials of marriage, which teach us that we do not live to ourselves, nor do we die to ourselves. In much patience, we are being saved by grace through faith, a process until the end.

Joh 6:44 No man can come to me [Love our husband, Christ], except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek – hello, meaning ‘drag’] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

 We learn that not everyone who says they are “in the Lord” is really in the Lord.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Although not discussed, we learn through the examples of Adam, Isaac, and Boaz in the OT Scriptures that God has all of our wives [mindsets] “written in His Book” before we are being born in our day of the Lord, and in His time, He brings our wives to us and renews us. Look with spiritual eyes within. This is also true for the physical.

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

We saw through the examples of these three men that it is in our long suffering that we possess both our souls and our marriages:

Psa 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

We see verses of Scripture which forbid believers from marrying unbelievers who are not of the same mind. Be diligent and look within first, we are not being able to have two mindsets, because we will love the one and hate the other!

Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

1Co 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
1Co 6:16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

An “unbeliever” includes not only a professing Christian who is not of the same “one mind” of Christ in the physical but foremost the ungodly thoughts we entertain.

2Co 11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

In the examples of Samson and David, we learn that outward beauty alone [knowledge and tickling of the ears] provokes nothing more than the lust of our flesh [in our tongues and doings], leading us to disobedience and causing us to turn our knowledge of His sovereignty and His grace into a self-righteous, lascivious and permissive spirit.

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We do that by being disobedient to what we know, we should be doing.

Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Finally, we learn that those who marry an unbeliever before they come to know that marriage is “only in the Lord” are never to put away their spouse because that union is also a work of the same God who is working all things after the counsel of His own will for our good. What this says in hidden spiritual language is that the law is good in that it brings us to Christ [Galatians 4].

1Co 7:12 But to the rest [couples where one spouse is not a believer] speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
1Co 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
1Co 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
1Co 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

Lord willing, we will look at more shadows typifying our union with Christ, our Husband, and learn to pay attention to the things He says concerning how to preserve and strengthen the institution of marriage.

Click Here to see the listings of the entire Marriage Series Study Series

Your questions and comments are welcome and encouraged.  Please comment here as you are led or you can email us directly (in confidence) also at peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Articles

The First and Last: The Alpha and the Omega

Pete

Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

All things are of God is a most important spiritual pillar that is so often spoken about on this blog and believed by so precious few.  This includes everything, the good, the bad, the dark, the light, even our very sins without any exceptions.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

So few are given to know this and brought into this inheritance in this life in these clay vessels.  But it does not change the immutable truth of who the Lord is and what He is doing in the lives of men.

Dan 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Jesus is the beginning and the end.  Sure He created all things thru the power God gave to Him and it is Him who hold all things together.  These verses cannot be shown enough, if only people could believe them.

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Yet these profound words of Scripture about “ALL THINGS” and the  Lord being the Alpha and Omega are far larger and profound than anyone yet carnal can comprehend, until their eyes are opened to see.

 Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

What this verse and many others like it say for those who can believe, is that all things that happen and that anyone does are from the Lord.  Jesus Christ is the first and the last, the beginning and the end.  But do you know that all men are first Adam and then the Lord from heaven?  Did you know that first comes the man of sinful flesh thru Christ and then comes the new man thru Christ? Don’t you know that flesh and blood was never intended to inherit the kingdom of God and cannot?

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

First the natural than the spiritual.  But all things in between, THE ALPHA and the OMEGA, are still all IN CHRIST. 

Paul’s words describe this macro truth and giant pillar that if you are given too see it and believe it will open up giant doors in your heaven to receive the truth and grow in knowledge of the Lord.

1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (first and last)

1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (alpha and omega, beginning and the end)

So all men will go thru this process, it only matters the times appointed before hand.  You see all things have been written in our books of life before there were any such days.  That is simply how powerful God Almighty is and the carnal mind just cannot accept these truths.  But God’s Elect will simply stick with the Scriptures that sayeth this:

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Job 14:5  Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

And yes this includes our initial marred in the flesh, rebellious and sinful state.  There are no exclusions to God’s sovereignty despite what our carnal minds might want to believe.

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Here is the vision of what God the potter is making and the process He has ordained for it. Contrary to Babylon folklore, man did not fall in the garden, but instead was created in bodies of sinful flesh on purpose.  And this is how ALL ISRAEL shall be saved in the end!!

Jer 18:1  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Jer 18:2  Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

Jer 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Jer 18:5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Jer 18:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

The New testament says the same thing, God’s plan never changed.  So much for the lie about the fall of mankind, it sure seems to say we were created marred ON PURPOSE!!!!!  That is Christ’s work in us.

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Nobody has arrived in these clay vessels.  We all wait but God’s Elect, the firstfruits will understand these things and earnestly be praying for the hastening of the Lord’s work in us.  A down payment or earnest of the Spirit is awesome but we wait for the fullness of the purchased possession in our new spiritual bodies.

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

God first gives us this experience of evil on purpose.  We have to learn good and evil and recent posts such as Who Is The Author of Evil  and I Make All Things New have spoken on those topics at length.

In God’s higher ways, our own wickedness is used to correct us in due time.  But make no mistake, this is all HIS work in us, we have nothing to do with it.  He is the alpha and the omega in our lives and the lives of every human being that has or will ever exists.

Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Via the process of judgment we will learn good and evil and be taught the righteousness that is only found in Christ.

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

And here is a great verse rarely seen or believed by the carnal minds of those in Babylon who cling to their strong delusion of eternal torment and free will of men.

 Psa 90:3  Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

The fact is that everything we do is IN CHRIST.  He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end; he is the alpha and the omega.  Even the bad stuff that is cut off is IN CHRIST.  Still don’t believe?  What sayeth the Lord?

Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Paul tells us this also, in this very profound and enlightening Scripture. The Lord is not coming in behind us cleaning up our messes, He is working all things for the counsel of His will.

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Knowing that all things that happen are not some coincidence or strange happenstance but are for the sakes of God’s very Elect is a mind blowing truth.  As we grow we can begin to look behind in our walk and see how the Lord has done these things to us.  I have suffered much of late, been stripped of many things but all those things were done for the sake of the new Peter and Christ in me to grow and for the old man Pete to die.  Even the suffering, especially the trials and the suffering.

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

As we begin to grow in the truth, we will finally come to understand this truth and why we should work out our own salvation with fear and not be murmuring and disputing with the carnally minded.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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.

Php 2:13  For it is God (NOT YOUR FREE WILL) which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

It is coming to believe and not doubt this truth  — that Christ is the first and the last and all points in between that is spiritual maturity.  We have to be brought to our wits end with our sins and be taught that of our own striving we cannot and will not conquer anything.  We are all first fools and incapable of stopping our sinning despite the outwardly clean cups we remain full of death with uncircumcised hearts.  But then the Lord comes to bring judgment and destroy that beast within us all.

Psa 107:17  Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

Psa 107:18  Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat (true doctrines) ; and they draw near unto the gates of death (believing false doctrines and lies such as eternal torment and free will)

Psa 107:19  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses (when they come to see they are truly a beast and nothing good dwells in their flesh, etc)

Psa 107:20  He sent his word (causes them to hear His word spoken by the angels of God), and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

This process begins IN CHRIST when we see and when we as the reader understand who and what is the abomination of desolation.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Once that happens then the victory will come little by little.  This is the Lord’s work in us to bring salvation and give us deliverance.  It will only take place if we are brought to Mt. Zion with spiritually speaking means into His Body.  We all will live the experience of thinking this is all up to us yet we will miserably fail. This is part of what living by every word of the Lord means.  Yet in our day of judgment, if that day has come in this age, we will learn otherwise.

Psa 107:23  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters (CARNAL WORKS, FLESH)

Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

Psa 107:28  Then (when they see they are the beast, the abomination, in need of repentance, need a physician……THEN) they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

We all must be dragged to Christ.  He brings us into the desired haven, we would never make such a free will decision of our own choosing.  The real Jesus is a rock of offense and a stumbling block and we will esteem HIM NOT when we are yet carnal and devoid of ears to hear and eyes to see.

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Revealing the antiChrist

We are all antiChrist’s when we go around believing and denying that the Lord is working all things for the counsel of His will.  We deny Jesus Christ with such carnal blasphemies.  It is the spirit of self righteousness, lying spirits that all seduce us at first.  These are the lies and false doctrines taught and believed by billions in orthodox Christianity.  Lord willing we will learn to try those spirits and our own thoughts against what the WORD says to sort out the truth from the lies.

 1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

The spirit that says Jesus Christ was not first and is not the very beginning of our lives and all points in between, the good, the bad, the sins, the stumbling, the falling into lusts and pride, etc………… IS THE LIAR.  Such a spirit denies Jesus Christ, is not from God, and will keep us in bondage and spiritually blind.  This spirit will claim God has nothing to do with our sins and those are free will decisions we ourselves make.  Those spirits, thoughts and doctrines are not from God, they are from the enemy (tares of the field) that the Lord has put there to guard the way to the tree of life.

 1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

This verse has nothing to do with anyone speaking physically that Jesus Christ came 2,000 years ago in the flesh.  It has a much greater spiritual depth and intended meaning and is speaking about Jesus Christ HIS BODY that lives in each generation and is His Elect.

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

It is only when we are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God (the land within us) that we will be able to bow before the Lord knowing He is working all things after the counsel of His will.  Then we will come to understand what working out our own salvation with fear and trembling means, knowing it is GOD and not us that works in us to will and to way according to His good pleasure (not our delusion of free will).  And here ladies and gentlemen is an easy way to spot the deceiver in ourselves and in those that claim to know the Lord but do not.

 1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Those that are truly of God will have been given ears to hear this truth and eyes to see it in the Scriptures.  It is everywhere when your eyes are opened.  Here is how we will know who is in the truth and who is not in the truth and that is whether or not our words as God’s Elect are received by those who hear us.

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

The Lord is the one who first makes our paths crooked and then in due time comes to straighten them out.  He is doing it all, the first and the last and all points in between in our lives in these vessels of clay.  If you are so blessed to be His anointed, to be His Very Elect then these words apply to you.

 Isa 45:1  Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

See that it is the Lord doing it all.  He holds our right hand (we are His workmanship, mere clay), He subdues kings (sins in our lives, false doctrines we believe), He opens the doors and gates into His Body and in our heaven and gives us ears to hear and eyes to see as His Two Witnesses.  And no delusion of free will or anything else is going to change that, the gates shall not be shut, His word will not fail to accomplish what is has been sent to do.

If we are Cyrus in this age, then the Lord will go before us to make our formerly crooked paths straight.  He will break all the flesh gates and carnal thoughts that have held us back and kept us in bondage in Babylon.

Isa 45:2  I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

We will come to know He is the Lord when He brings judgment upon us and pours out His wrath on our carnal lusts and desires of the old man.  All things in our lives will be brought into this marvelous light.

Isa 45:3  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

We will be dragged to Christ and His name will be written on our mind (forehead).  He is doing this to His Elect only in this age, the true Israel of God that Christ has chosen before the world was even formed.

Isa 45:4  For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

Isa 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

We will learn by abiding in this fire that is Christ, that there is nothing that happens that is not the Lord doing it.  He truly is the alpha and the omega and we will come to know this with every fiber of our being in due time as we mature in the true faith of God.  We will learn a new appreciation for what Lord means and the completeness of what sovereignty really means.  Apart from Him doing it, we ourselves can do nothing and are in fact clay in the Potter’s hands.

Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

We will be able to speak and show others that it was not them, but the Lord who caused all those pains and evils in their lives and they will see and believe verses such as this.

 Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

And when a door to our inner heavens is opened to these truths, then the pure doctrine will fall from the sky and come to our earth and the crops and fruit of the Lord will begin to blossom within us which is the righteousness of the saints.

Isa 45:8  Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

When we continue to strive and not cease from our own carnal works, we will be judged.  That pothsherd (carnal mind) will be destroyed in time and we will no longer believe in any way shape or form the lie of free will that so deludes the masses of mankind.

Isa 45:9  Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Jesus is the first and the last.  He is both darkness and light.  He is everything.

Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The salvation of all men is to come.  It only awaits the timing God has already determined.  All things are of the Lord.  I trust this has given some some issues to ponder about the deep meanings of the word of God.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (His Elect).
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Questions or comments can be made here or sent to me via email at peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Your brother in Christ,

Pete

Articles

Christ Builds His Church

Pete

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ

If we are God’s Elect, we are the temple of God and collectively as the body of Christ represent a spiritual house that performs the work of the Lord.  The building of the house of God is serious business and one we have many examples in type and shadow throughout the Old Testament.  Those examples contain some profound wisdom for God’s Elect who have ears to hear the truth of this word.

A common error the ministers in Babylon have a hard time getting beyond, is coming to the understanding that the Lord Himself builds His House and He does not need man to build it for Him.  Jesus Christ is not only the foundation of the House but He is also the builder. This carnal misunderstanding leads all of us while we are in Babylon to go along with false doctrine of man having free will. We will believe and some rather passionately that that it is up to those called of God to go warn others that the only way to avoid “eternity in hell” is for them to choose Christ and then using their free will to stop sinning.   That basic lie is gigantic in its error and permeates all of orthodox Christianity.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Virtually everyone has heard the above Scripture, that Jesus will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.    Yet the belief that man has free will and it is up to them to choose Christ directly contradicts these words and are a stumbling block that very few are given to get beyond.  The principle that the sum of God’s word is truth, if we can apply it, will keep us in the truth which is determined by the whole counsel of God.  Christ does build the church by appearing a second time for salvation without sin within the hearts and minds of His Elect.

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The Elect, the bride of Christ are given to Him by the Father.  They were chosen before the world began and in the appointed times, the church is built by the process of the Elect being dragged to Christ.  It must be given to us even to understand this simple truth.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me drags him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

NO MAN means NO MAN, there is no room for debate.  If anyone comes to Jesus Christ, it was 100% an act of God and man had absolutely nothing to do with it.  I had a local minister of Babylon send me an article that depicted his personal beliefs about faith and salvation. The title of the article was “God’s role and Man’s role in Salvation”.  Stop right there!   The title alone gives this away instantly as another jesus and a false gospel because the clear truth is this:

Jon 2:9  Salvation is of the LORD.

Yet the details of this article profane the name of the Lord and pervert His truth with carnal doctrines.  It is truly amazing to see the extent and completeness of the apostasy.  Here is an excerpt that denies the Lord which is what we all will do when we are blind but claim we see.  Lies are all over this little paragraph, there is zero truth in any sentence yet this is what billions of people believe.

Repentance and faith are not vicarious but are the free acts of men.  Men, with their own mind, heart, and will must renounce sin and receive Christ.  God doesn’t repent and believe for us~we repent and believe.  Turning from sin and reaching out in faith to Christ are the acts of man, and every man who so responds to the gospel call does so because he honestly desires to do so.  He wants to be forgiven and he can only be forgiven by repenting and believing.  No one, including God, can turn from sin for us, we must do it.  No one can trust Christ “in our place,” we must personally, knowingly, and willingly trust Him in order to be saved.

Wow, amazing what the delusion of free will can do to the truth!  We have to save ourselves they believe or else we will burn in eternal hell.  What a puny pathetic, not all powerful God this man serves.  This God is at the whim of a piece of clay to save himself.  What a bunch of lies these words represent.  This may sound right to the flesh but it is another jesus.  We can’t decide to believe on our own, FAITH IS A GIFT.  We don’t decide of our free will, Repentance must be granted/given to God’s Elect (Israel).  Any obedience is all the work of the Lord, HE CAUSES it, it has nothing to do with the carnal mind’s delusion of free will.

Act 5:31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, TO GIVE repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (FAITH) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Rom 9:15-16 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

The immutable truth of the matter is that Christ builds the church on the Father’s timeline.  He will not fail and He will lose none.

Joh 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Babylonian doctrine greatly diminishes the Lord and puts themselves and the flesh of men in the position of saving themselves.  In their doctrine, Christ loses very many and most people will burn in eternal punishment.  So utterly silly to see the things we used to believe after the Lord has mercy and opens our eyes to see the truth.  Oh thank God for the wonderful works of God to the children of men!

Old Testament References

The truth of God’s plan is shown throughout Scriptures.  We can bring out the treasure from both the old and the new.  We can see that in every case of Israel going to build the house for the Lord, the prerequisite in all cases was the Lord stirring up their spirits.

Hag 1:14  So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

There is no room for free will in any of this.  It is the Lord’s work.  He stirs up our spirits and that is what leads us to Him and to work in building His House.  The story is consistent, the truth changes not.  Here we have the Israelite s (type for God’s Elect) being stirred up and being MADE WILLING to build the House for God.

Exo 35:21  And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

There are very many witnesses to this immutable truth that the LORD raises people’s spirits to go to work to build His true house.  Here we see who left Babylon to go back to build the Temple, this of course being type and shadow for God calling His Elect out of Babylon today.

Ezr 1:5  Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ builds His church.  Flesh shall have nothing to do with building the house of God.  These verses are never the subject of any sermon or if they are, they truth is overlooked and the flocks are mislead with the inference of free will. The truth is simply that, that the Lord will build His house.  I heard a sermon last week where the minister read the Haggai verses then went on to falsely state, contrary to the Scriptures, that these people decided themselves to begin obeying God and because of their decision, then the Lord began to use them to build His house.  There is no truth in that theology, it is a lie plain and simple.  Jesus Christ builds His church just as He said.  The potter does not wait for the piece of clay to choose God.  Christ said YOU DID NOT CHOOSE ME, I chose you.

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you

And so it is with how the house of God is built. The living stones are made and sent forth ALL, 100% by the working of the Lord.  It depends not on anything a man does.  Christ is not counting on us for anything, HE IS WORKING ALL THINGS!!!

Men Toil In Vain in Babylon

Psa 127:1   Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

There is an awful lot of labor in vain going on in the name of Jesus Christ.  The strong delusion is the belief that men have free will.  They have no such thing and it is carnal minded men, that walk in the flesh that will continue to pick and choose verse to support their false doctrines.  This of course is all of us, you, me, them, all men as the Lord brings us all into this world spiritually blind and only for the few does He have mercy and open their eyes.  So those God has blinded He has blinded and it is thru no fault of anyone, it is simply the Lord’s will.

Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

If only we could be learned to apply the sum of God’s word is truth, we would see the truth of the Lord building His church everywhere.  FLESH SHALL HAVE NO PART IN IT says the Scripture:

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Which is the same message as this from the Old Testament.

Exo 20:25  And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Man has polluted it by raising up its hands and its desires of its own choosing, not of the Lord to build His house.  This is the toil that will be in vain and those works shall be burned up in the end.  To restate, the words of Christ make it perfectly clear who builds the church and that no man has any ability to come to Him on their own initiative.  It is everywhere once your eyes are opened to it.  Apart from Christ we can nothing includes coming to Him.  Man does not choose God.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me drags him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (including making a decision to come to Christ or to follow Him).

Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Paul said the same thing too, the bible is totally consistent.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Php 2:13 For it is God (NOT YOU OR ME) which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

We are even told, the OLD TESTAMENT and ALL THOSE STORIES were not even written for the flesh jews, they were written for God’s very Elect.  They are not history lessons, they are spiritual lessons that each of us will live in our appointed times.  We will live by every word God spoke and He spoke those words too.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

So Christ has been building the church since Pentecost.  It is only a very small remnant in each generation that are being dragged to Christ.  These are the few chosen out of the many called.  The rock that is Christ will fall upon them and their old man and carnal mind will be grinded to powder.

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

That is the way of salvation, coming thru the righteous judgment of God against our old man.  This is a gigantic verse if one is given the ability to truly understand it.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

So the living stones that make up the church of Jesus Christ have all been chosen since before the world began.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

We are precious and quite few, the apple of the Lord’s eye.  The church of Jesus Christ means ekklessia or called out ones.  We are truly aliens and strangers in a foreign land and will not fit in with this world because we have been chosen out of it.  This is all the work of the Lord and we had nothing to do with it.

Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

The Body of Christ in Operation

Jesus Christ build the church through HIS Christ, His body.  God’s Elect, the few in number will speak His words to those other few that the Lord has prepared their heart and opened their ears.  When the words of eternal life are heard with spiritual ears, the house of the Lord begins to be constructed within.  Here are some verses that speak of the Lord building His church be sending forth His Body,  His disciples to speak His word to hearts He has prepared to hear.

Psa 10:17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

This article has conveyed the truth of God’s word and shown that GOD and not man is the one who works all matters of salvation.  There is NO EXCEPTION.  Faith, repentance, all of it is given to men from the Father of Spirits.  Anyone who is building the house of the Lord was stirred up in advance to do so by the Master Potter.  The Lord gives us our very desires of our hearts.  He is in control of that, not us.

God needs nothing from man, He is not cleaning up after man, He is causing all things that happen.  His will is being done in everyone’s life every single day.  That is a truth that the carnal mind cannot accept yet it is foretold throughout the Scriptures for those with ears to hear.  I hope you have ears and can receive this truth and if you are in Babylon, will hear the voice to come out of her my people.

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Sincere comments or questions can be emailed to me at peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Your brother in the Christ sharing the truth with joy,

Pete