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Archive for the ‘Growing in God’ Category

The Devil’s Food

Posted in Growing in God, tagged , , on August 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

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Scripture reading: Revelation 6:7-8

When the fourth seal was opened (see Revelation 6:7-8), John saw a “PALE” horse and the name of the one who sat on the horse was Death. Death was riding. Can you imagine that death will be riding to and fro through the earth? We have seen this and it is getting worse. “Hell followed,” the Bible says. Death strikes them down and hell swallows them up. We are talking about the death of many sinners. Sinner’s blood will be shed.

You wonder why Satan would kill his own people. He has no power unless he gets it from the human realm. Satan has to kill people in order to get their blood. Blood must be shed for Satan’s kingdom to go on. It is like how we kill cattle to get the strength to carry on our lives; we eat meat. Satan lives on humanity.

In Genesis 3:14b God cursed Satan, “Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.” In verse 19 of the same chapter, God said to Adam, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Man became DEVIL’S FOOD. It is terrible, but it is great. If you could control the food of your enemy, then you would be assured of victory. All you would have to do is starve him out. If Satan can tempt us and we yield, he takes our energy, he takes our life. If we rise up IN CHRIST, he gets less and less from us. Then he has to depend on the people of the world for his food. You can see what is happening. Eventually, we will overthrow him, because we will cast him entirely out of our lives and out of our business.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pages 114-115)

Thought for today: Let us not submit to the devil’s tricks but let us starve him out so that he would be entirely cast out of our lives.

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The Mystery of the Union with Christ

Posted in Growing in God, tagged , , on August 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

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Scripture reading: John 17:20-23

The third stage in the Tabernacle, the third seal, is when THE PEOPLE OF GOD BECOME UNITED. Jesus prayed in John 17:21, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” In the countries, mostly in the East, where the people have been greatly persecuted, where darkness covers the land and the government and everything, where persecution is strong against the Christians, the Christians are more one than we in the West. This is the plan of God, to bring His people together into one.

We call this a UNION WITH CHRIST or the candlestick operation, wherein the oil is poured into the candlestick (lampstand) and then it is distributed through all the lamps. The seven lamps are on the same level and they all get the same amount of oil. This candlestick is made of pure gold, which is a type of the nature of Christ. The bowls of the candlestick were “made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower” the stages of fruit bearing. The whole candlestick is covered over by this symbolic artistry. “All it shall be one beaten work of pure gold,” Exodus 25:36b says. The people of God must know that it is fruit-bearing when we abide in the vine.

In John 15, Jesus tells us that unless we abide in the vine, we will be cast out as a branch that has no life. God is speaking to the church to remain in Him, to be attached to Him, and to draw life from Him. This is the message of the candlestick, union with Christ. Christ must have a people, through whom He works, in total obedience to Him. When He moves to the right or to the left, the heavenly hosts move. The people on the earth learn to move with the heavenly hosts. This brings oneness. If there is disobedience, then we cannot receive from God the power and the deliverance we need, because we are not moving with the heavenly hosts and with the angels of God. When God speaks a Word to His people to do anything, it means He has angels who are ready to be with them, for we are not alone. If we disobey in any way, we throw the whole business out of kilter, because God wants us to work with His angels. The work that we cannot do, they will do.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pages 113-114)

Thought for today: As we yield to do the will of God, all of the heavenly angels wait to move and work with us.

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Baptism into Christ

Posted in Growing in God, tagged , , , , on August 22, 2024| 1 Comment »

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Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

The baptism into Christ is described in 1 Corinthians 12:13a. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” This is the final baptism. Baptism in water is the beginning of baptism which finally ends in baptism INTO CHRIST. Christ, therefore, is a place in the Spirit, a Body, a mystic Body, into which we are incorporated by the power of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit. We cannot be baptized into Christ by man but by the Holy Ghost. Man baptizes you in water. Jesus Christ baptizes you into the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost baptizes you into Christ. In Christ is our final destination. That is the destination of every child of God. When CHRIST IS IN YOU, wherever you go, Christ has to go. If you go someplace Christ does not like, Christ will still have to be there in you, because you are carrying Him. When YOU ARE IN CHRIST, you go where Christ wants you to go. When the bull is eaten by the high priest, the bull has no say. He does not tell the priest where to go.

SANCTIFICATION is the work of the Holy Ghost. This work never ceases until we come into perfection to be like Jesus Christ. “Sanctus spiritus” means the “Holy Spirit.” “SANCTification” means “bringing us into the Holy Spirit.” This is the work in the Outer Court, done by the second work of grace, as the second seal is broken. There are three parts to this whole work – baptism, sanctification, and consecration. CONSECRATION is the putting aside, for the purpose of God, that which has been sanctified and cleansed for God and God alone. We are not to be used by the world. Many Christians allow themselves to be used by the world.

In the story of Samson, he transgressed and transgressed again until he broke the covenant. His hair was the symbol of covenant, the handwriting of God upon him. Just like our baptism is the handwriting of God upon us, so was the hair upon Samson. When his hair was cut off, the covenant was broken between him and God and he was made to grind corn like an ox. The Philistines blinded him and made him grind corn for them. The man of God was the means by which all their lusts were being fed. This is what God is saying about transgression. Too many of us do not understand that we were bought with a price and are to be set aside for God’s use and God’s use alone. We are not to be drudged; we are to be put aside specifically for the work of God in all things. This is what is meant by CONSECRATION.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pg. 110-111)

Thought for today: Let us walk each day in the Sanctification and Consecration of our baptisms.

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The Three Temples Approved by God

Posted in Growing in God, tagged , , , on August 21, 2024| 1 Comment »

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Scripture reading: 2 Chronicles 7:1-3, Leviticus 9:22-24

The same manifestation described in 2 Chronicles 7 and Leviticus 9 happened at Pentecost. Every time God anointed the temple, He brought FIRE FROM HEAVEN upon the altar and the fire remained there until the use of that temple was over. That fire was of God and no man could light a fire in the temple by himself because God does not want strange fire. People say that they have the Holy Ghost but manifest strange manifestations. This is strange fire. They are walking in death.

Aaron the priest had two sons named Nadab and Abihu. These boys decided to take fire from their own home and take it into the temple. When they lighted the fire, they were slain by fire. It is a symbol for all times for all people. God does not accept strange fire in His temple. Anyone making strange manifestations, carrying on in God’s house and in God’s business, is playing with death. The result of it, the end of it, must be death according to God’s Word.

God called down fire in the time of Moses and lighted the altar (see Leviticus 9:24). That fire remained all the days of the Tabernacle, some 490 years. When Solomon dedicated the temple, fire came down again and lighted the altar (see 2 Chronicles 7:1). This is God’s way! When Pentecost was fully come, fire came down from heaven upon their heads, a symbol of God’s approval upon the third temple, which is THE LAST TEMPLE. No more shall a temple be built in Jerusalem that is of God. This third temple is THE BODY, the temple of the living God, the New Jerusalem, the people of God. Every person is a temple and many temples are coming together to make a city of temples. God calls this city Jerusalem, THE NEW JERUSALEM. This is what God is doing in our time and in our day.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pg. 109-110)

Thought for today: Remember, our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so let us walk only in the fire that comes from God.

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God’s Purpose for Baptism

Posted in Growing in God, tagged , , , on August 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

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Scripture reading: Hebrews 8:8-12

Outside of doctrines and people who preach differently from what the Bible says, it would be very clear to understand the two steps we should take. John the Baptist said that Jesus Christ is the man that will baptize you “in the Holy Ghost and fire.” Man baptizes you in water, but it is Christ that baptizes you in the Holy Ghost. You need these two operations. The reason is that GOD’S INTENTION is to fill man, to be in man, completely filling his whole being. Hebrews tells us that God wants to walk in us, to talk in us, to be our God, and for us to be His people. This cannot be done by accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour and remaining there. If you are really born again, then you must seek life, you must go on. You must be baptized in the Holy Ghost. Paul clearly stated this. Go over it and go to God and ask Him, “Is this what I need?” God will tell you.

Baptism is a definite work of grace, depicted by the second piece of furniture, the Brazen Laver, in the Tabernacle of Moses. You must be baptized in water and then Jesus Christ will put His seal upon you by baptizing you in the Holy Ghost and fire. The question some will ask is, “What is the manifestation? How do I know I am baptized in the Holy Ghost?” The question I would ask is, “How do you know you are saved?”

You know that you are saved because a newness of life came into you. The things that you used to do, you just cannot do them anymore. The way you used to think, you do not think that way anymore. Your behavior has been changed. It can be pretty radical. Like me, the change was so radical, people had to notice it. In the baptism of the Holy Ghost, there is also a radical circumstance that occurs. What happens in the spiritual is that the Spirit of God, or the Holy Ghost, enters into your spirit and begins to overshadow your soul. There is no mistaking it. When He comes into your spirit, He begins to use your mouth. You speak the Word of God or receive prophecy or speak in another language, but there must be a manifestation that the Holy Ghost has taken over. You are no longer your own.

Of course, you are going to tell me about all the people who say they have received the Holy Ghost and misbehave. I have seen people speak in tongues and speak other languages who are not baptized in the Holy Ghost. A person can speak in tongues from the following three sources: God, a mental effort, or an evil spirit. I do not want to go into the details of this subject here, but those who want to hear more may write for audio recordings on the subject. The truth is that there are manifestations that must come at some time and there must be some utterance.

In Acts 2, the brethren were fasting and praying for ten days, so their hearts and minds were tuned to God. Verses 1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Here is a manifestation (“cloven tongues”) we do not usually see now, when people are baptized in the Holy Ghost. Yet, it did happen at Azusa Street some 90 years ago.

(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 1, pg. 108-109)

Thought for today: Let us fulfill the purpose of our baptism by yielding to the Holy Spirit so that He can make us Holy.

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