Accessing The Throne of Heaven

The Beat Goes On

In the past couple of weeks the Holy Spirit has continued to pour wonderful thoughts and ideas into me about the beauty of heaven and the kingdom of God on earth. The two are inseparable as the kingdom of God in earth is the revealing of things as they exist in the presence of God.

When John the Baptist, and then Jesus Himself, and then the disciples of Jesus began to proclaim the message of “the kingdom of God” it was both a proclamation of freedom as well as a warning.

The message was a warning to the spirits of darkness that their game of human destruction was over, and a message of freedom to the human race as well, who had been under the hammer of the devil and his angels since the surrender of Adam in the Garden of Eden.

John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for a supernatural paradigm shift among men, preaching in the wilderness (outside of the camp of Israel) and saying, “Get ready for the biggest shift of perspective in human history. Repent (which means “have another mind”)! Prepare yourselves by getting ready to change your entire reference point to reality! Wash away all of your old perceptions and way of doing things here in the waters of baptism! And get ready for God’s Ultimate Deliverer to appear because the time has come.” Then one day the mystery man John had been sent to identify appeared before him:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO BEARS AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. This is He of whom I said, after me will come a man which is preferred before me, because He was before me. And I didn’t know Him, but that He would be revealed to Israel, and this is the very reason I am come baptizing in water.’ And John bore record saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending out from heaven like a dove, and it rested on Him and remained there, and this is the same man who will baptize with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bore record that this is THE SON OF GOD.”

The Beat Gets Specific

Like I was saying, there has been a wealth of things the Holy Spirit has helped me with in the last few weeks, but I haven’t been particularly inclined to write about them. Sometimes when things are happening you feel like, “Wow! This has significance for someone. I better drift this out into the channels so it can get to the person it needs to get to.” But it wasn’t until now that I’ve felt that sense of quiet urgency.

About a week ago that statement of John the Baptist began to grab hold of me. “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO BEARS AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.” In most cases the Holy Spirit ministers things to you because of need, and God knows I needed to begin hearing this message once again. Through subterfuge I hadn’t realized I was being quietly pulled out of the biggest game I’ve ever been allowed to play in. It is the business of darkness versus light, the power of satan versus God, the suppression of Holy Spirit ministry versus the expression of Holy Spirit ministry.

In warfare good tactics require you to discover your enemies weaknesses and exploit them. It doesn’t make sense to attack at the strongest point does it? The same is true in the tactics of spiritual warfare the devil uses against us. By attacking us at our weakest point the enemy may temporarily gain an advantage, that is until the Holy Spirit comes to us and pours out a provision of God that makes us more powerful than the attack.

This is what I mean by “the beat gets specific”. In the battlefield the enemy will bring the onslaught of attack at your weakness. The beat or BEATING dished out will be at a specific point and if there is a previous wound there is no rule that says you can’t gouge into that again. In spiritual warfare, there are no rules of “nice”. It’s brutal, and it’s life and death not only for you, but for those God has called you to deliver as well.

Subtlety Never Announces Its Arrival

THE THING ABOUT SUBTELTY IS IT HAS A WAY OF SNEAKING UP ON YOU (Hey! Remember where you got that phrase when you get a chance to use it somewhere). When satan came after Adam and Eve in the garden to undermine their pure and perfect connection with God, he didn’t come on with blaring trumpets announcing his intentions. Instead, as an instrument to work through he chose the creature who was most likely the least threatening at that time, but definitely the most subtle of all.

Genesis 3:1 records for us, “Now the serpent was MORE SUBTLE than any beast of the field.

With me, I have issues relating to God’s grace and the forgiveness of sins. I can give you a thousand reasons why I deserve to burn in hell. I can offer you a list of reasons why the Holy Spirit should have nothing to do with a creature like me. I have clear reasons why I am unworthy to bear the mantle of God. There is no doubt I am the lowest of all men, and my enemy has no qualms about reminding me of the horror of my past sins, keeping my faith from resting in the gracious mercy God has poured out toward me.

Behold The Lamb of God

This word is captivating my thoughts, and the Holy Spirit is lifting His voice. “Behold the Lamb of God who BEARS AWAY the sin of the world. It’s dogging me. It’s following me with a relentless passion. It has come in answer to the weeping of my wounded spirit. “Behold the Lamb of God, who BEARS AWAY THE SIN of the world.”

My friend Randy Solvang got the message. He deceived me into coming to his house the other day. He didn’t lie to me he just set me up. That’s subtlety on the good side like Jesus said, “Be wise as serpents but harmless as doves”, (Matthew 10:16). As we sat on his deck Randy went into a rant and a rave about the forgiveness of God and the people who were not receiving God’s blessing because I’m not accepting the grace and forgiveness of God and burying sin under the blood of Jesus. It’s time to let it go and give God the highway He can parade His glory down. And who do I think I am, to deny the grace and mercy God has shown me and not respect the shed blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus? I paraphrased Randy’s words, but that’s what I heard. Randy had the boldness to add at the end, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Oh, My God

The forgiveness of sins may just be the most powerful truth in God’s universe. BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO BEARS AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. It is indeed the knowledge of sin in our conscience that creates a chasm between the beauties and glories of God upon His heavenly throne and us. And as long as the knowledge of sin is lodged within our conscience, we are incapable of enjoying the fullness of His love to us. Even our prayers are faithless because we are unsure of our standing as we approach Him. The forgiveness of sins is the beginning point of the power of His kingdom freely revealing itself in this earth.

As Jesus hung on the cross, the sin of the whole world and of all ages were placed upon His body. Just as in the Old Testament when a man’s life was at odds with the expression of God (i.e., sin), in His great mercy, the God who loves mankind and cherishes face-to-face relationship with us all allowed that a substitute could bear away the sins of the man so that relationship could always continue.

"And Aaron will lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, PUTTING THEM ON THE HEAD OF THE GOAT, and will send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: AND THE GOAT WILL BEAR ON HIM ALL THEIR INIQUITIES INTO A LAND OF SEPARATION and he will let the goat go in the wilderness”, (Leviticus 16:21-22).

All of these previous sacrifices for sin only pointed to the One true sacrifice that John the Baptist came to point out when he said, ‘BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO BEARS AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD”.

“But Christ having become a High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (the temple in Jerusalem); Neither by the blood of goats and calves, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us…How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, PURGE YOUR CONSCIENCE from dead works to serve the living God?”, (Hebrews 9:11-12,14).

“For He has made Him to BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”, (Romans 5:21)

“If we confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, and to cleanse us FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”, (1ST John 1:9).

Being forgiven by believing in what Jesus has done creates purity in our conscience before the awesome power and presence of God. This complete cleansing of conscience by God’s mercy alone opens the door to face-to-face relationship, which is critical to man fulfilling his destiny in God just as it was in the beginning with Adam, who surrendered his face-to-face relationship and departed from God’s glory and God’s purpose for mankind’s creation.

It Is Finished!

The removal of sin restores the full freedom of relationship in the fullness of the Father’s presence. By faith in what Jesus has already done for us we receive this cleansing and are free to enter boldly before the very throne of God. Because of Jesus finished work, the SCEPTER OF GOD’S FAVOR IS ALWAYS STRETCHED OUT TOWARD US! THIS ABSOLUTE FAVOR IS OUR CONSTANT EXPECTATION WHENEVER WE APPROACH THE THRONE OF HEAVEN!

“Seeing we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, let us hold firmly to WHAT WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED. For we do not have an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED”, (Hebrews 4:14-16).

“But this man (Jesus), after He had offered ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God; from now on expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. By ONE offering, He has COMPLETED (FINISHED) FOREVER those who are set apart to Him. For this reason the HOLY GHOST ALSO IS A WITNESS TO US: for He said before, ‘This is the covenant (agreement/contract) that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws INTO THEIR HEARTS, and IN THEIR MINDS will I write them; AND THEIR SINS AND INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE.’ Now where CANCELLATION of these is, THERE IS NO MORE NECESSITY TO OFFER ANYTHING ELSE EVER AGAIN. Having therefore, brethren, BOLDNESS TO ENTER INTO THE HOLIEST BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, by a NEW AND LIVING WAY which He has consecrated for us THROUGH THE VEIL, that is to say of His flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us DRAW NEAR with a TRUE (trued) HEART, in FULL ASSURANCE of faith, HAVING OUR HEART SPRINKLED FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE…”, (Hebrews 10:12-22).

It’s A Free Concert From Now On!

The only way into the concert of God’s eternal and continual favor is by the blood of Jesus. What Jesus paid is the only means of obtaining a ticket. It’s like the movie Willy Wonka, if you didn’t find the golden ticket you won’t be getting into the chocolate factory.

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. It is our faith in the blood of Jesus, that on the cross He absorbed into Himself all the sin of the whole world, and then ending it all there, putting it all to death there, that is the only means available to cleanse us from all consciousness of sin.

The blood of Jesus is the only ground we can stand on in the presence of God. There is nothing else that is acceptable. God doesn’t care about your good works if you want to use them as proof that you belong before Him. He doesn’t care about anything that we might want to base access to Him on because there is only one basis upon which we belong there and that is the basis of the blood of His Son, who only has the power to cleanse our conscience from the knowledge of sin.

“Being declared freely and LEGALLY WITHOUT GUILT OR FURTHER OBLIGATION whatsoever by His grace alone, through the price that was already paid to fully satisfy ALL POSSIBLE OR POTENTIAL CLAIMS against you, which is revealed in Christ Jesus: Whom God has set forth to be the meeting place of all mercy THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, for the purpose of unveiling God’s own right and clear actions in passing over of all judgment for all sins before Him, through the delaying of His final judgment; to unveil I say at this time His right and clear actions: the He might be without accusation and be at the same time the One who frees him who believes in Jesus from any accusation regarding any thing”, (Romans 3:24-26).

It’s a Sad Ploy - Don’t Believe It!

The enemy wants nothing more than to undermine our relationship with God by whatever means he may. If he can cause us to believe our sins (both past and ongoing as our hearts learn the ways of the Holy Spirit), are not born completely away from us when we confess them and when we believe the sacrifice of Jesus was totally sufficient, then he has a basis to destroy our faith in the presence of God. The destruction of confidence before the presence of God makes men weak in faith, which is to the enemy’s advantage.

“This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and reveal to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we are in communion with Him and live our lives in darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth: But if we live our lives within the light, just as He also is in the light, we have communion one with the other, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN. If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not shining in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND HE IS JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”, (1st John 1:5-9).

Later on in 1st John chapter 3, the subject of having confidence in the presence of God comes up. This confidence in His presence is critical and is in fact a key to unleashing powerful faith in our prayers that cause miracles to take place.

“And by this we know that we are of the truth, and will ASSURE OUR HEARTS BEFORE HIM. For IF OUR HEART CONDEMNS US, GOD IS GREATER THAN OUR HEARTS, and knows all things. Beloved, IF OUR HEART CONDEMNS US NOT, then we have CONFIDENCE TOWARD GOD. AND WHATEVER WE ASK, WE RECEIVE OF HIM, because we are following His guidance and are practicing the things that are pleasing to Him”, (1st John 3:19-22).

There is a powerful mystery here in the way the things of God operate. I will never be equal with God as far as power and glory and being and who God is in His God-ness, if I can put it that way. But there is a “mystery of union” with God in that my heart before Him as I commune with Him needs to be on a kind of parity with His Person. This is what we refer to as having “peace with God”.

“Therefore, being declared legally without guilt or any further obligation to pay a price as a result of our faith (in Jesus), we have PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: BY WHOM WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE (condition of favor) IN WHICH WE FIRMLY STAND, AND REJOICE IN ASSURED EXPECTATION OF SEEING THE GLORY OF GOD”, (Romans 5:1-2).

In Him there is absolute holiness, which is the total opposite of anything to do with sin. To be before God in a high level, and to be there with confidence and without any condemnation, I must be there with Him in a TOTALLY BLAMELESS state of existence. The ONLY way I may approach Him is by the blood of THE LAMB OF GOD WHO HAS TAKEN AWAY MY SIN. There is no other way. Without that, I’m a dead man.

”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLAME BEFORE HIM IN LOVE: Having predestined us to the adoption of children BY JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE, in which He has MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED. IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE”, (Ephesians 1:3-7).

My access to the very throne of God is not available to me by any good works or merit I may be able to offer to Him. Neither does any further suffering or penance that I may think, or that others may think I deserve because of my sin, enhance my access.

But by the redemption I have been chosen to participate in freely by His grace and only His grace, I stand before the God of the universe, who welcomes me, as a Father would welcome His own beloved son, and based solely upon the work of the blood of Jesus to remove from me every vestige of sin, I stand before Him as holy and without blame, basking in His absolute love. When our heart condemns us NOT in His presence, this freedom is our wonderfully ordained experience before Him.

Silence A False Witness

The Ten Commandments are not simply rules of application to men on earth. The Ten Commandments are also in effect within the spirit realm. The eighth universal commandment to all created beings is, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”, (Exodus 20:16). God despises false accusation and one reason is the master of the false accusation is none other than satan himself.

“And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon: and the dragon fought and his angels, and PREVAILED NOT; neither was their place found any more in heaven (a place of authority)…And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: FOR THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN, WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT”, (Revelation 12:7-10).

Interestingly enough, the word “accuse” in the previous verse literally means, “one who stands against another as a complainant at law”, which has its own deeper implications when you consider Jesus also brought an end to “the law” as a ruling factor in mans relationship with God. But the devil still continues undermining our confidence in our standing with the Father by accusing and condemning us boisterously before God and within our own consciences. He is a constant reminder of our sins and our unworthiness in the presence of God. He tells us why God is distant to us. He brings us to doubt our own standing and calling. It’s all doubt, it’s all to tear down, and it’s all to destroy and to cut men off from the glory, power and mission of God in their lives. And it is relentless. Hear it again as it says, “WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT.”

God Provides Solutions

There is a remedy, and it is a perfect one. In fact, its implications are eternal and have far reaching power to affect our lives with God. I somehow think that if this stone in the foundation of life is firmly laid, it is the beginning of a new dimension in God’s kingdom. To come to the throne of the universe knowing you stand there as holy and blameless before Him in absolute love could release a stream of redemptive power in the earth unknown in history.

Yes, I can think of a thousand reasons why I should not be allowed into the presence of God, and why I should not operate in the power of God. The devil throws those same reasons at me day and night in the effort to undermine my bold and confident access to the throne of my Father, God. But by the blood of the full and finished work of Jesus I stand blameless in the highest and holiest place of all, the unveiled, face-to-face presence of the Creator of the universe.

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘NOW is come SALVATION, AND STRENGTH AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD, AND OF HIS CHRIST: for the accuser of our brethren IS CAST DOWN, which accused them before our God day and night. AND THEY OVERCAME HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not THEIR lives unto death”, (Revelation 12:10-11).

“There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION (ground of accusation of guilt or wrong) to those who are in Christ Jesus, who no longer walk after the flesh (mans efforts to be approved of God on his own merits) but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit”, (Romans 8:1-4).

And finally to put some icing on the cake:

“Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this GRACE given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all me see what is the FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent THAT NOW UNTO THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN HEAVENLY PLACES might be revealed by the church the many faceted wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: IN WHOM WE HAVE BOLDNESS AND ACCESS WITH CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH IN HIM”, (Ephesians 3:8-12)

Touch’e devil. I rest my case.


Randy

The Power of Truth

It’s hard to know where to begin. The last six days have been a labyrinth of experiences of good and bad, right and wrong and a multitude of lessons learned. You know, I really like the lessons that come as God just pours into you revelation, but there are also lessons Jesus has that are so incredibly important that they must be inscribed into the heart by experience, and sometimes it can be painful as the divine chisel goes to work in us.

The awesome power of truth

The lessons I’m learning all have to do with TRUTH, and the powerful weapon of truth in overthrowing darkness and revealing the glory of God. You see God is all about absolute truth. There is nothing within Him that is semi-true or partially true. In God there are no shadows, only the brilliance of absolute truth. Listen to Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect…a GOD OF TRUTH and without iniquity, just and right is He.”

Paul wrote to Titus and expressed it this way, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect people, and the acknowledging OF THE TRUTH which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, WHICH GOD, THAT CANNOT LIE, promised before the world even began”, (Titus 1:1-2).

Then in Hebrews 6:16-18 it says, “For men in making promises solemnly swear by something greater than themselves: and an oath made in confirming their commitment is to them an end of all doubt as to the performance of the agreement. For this same reason God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of His promises the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by making an oath as well: That by two immutable things, IN WHICH IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay firm hold on the hope set before us: And this hope then becomes an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…”

God’s single impossibility

There is nothing that is impossible with God. With a single word He could create a new sun or moon or an entire galaxy and it would be no more difficult for Him than making a single drop of rain, fall from the sky. That is until we come to the topic of truth, and then we find the one and only thing God cannot do.

Because God in Himself is “immutable”, He cannot lie. To lie is the one absolute impossibility of God. When it says He is a “God of truth” it means His very being is truth itself. God is immutable and it is impossible for Him to go against Himself, being that His very nature is the God of truth. It is against the very essence of God to speak or do anything but what is absolute, pure and nakedly true.

God plays no games

This is why we know God is trustworthy and we can place our lives entirely in His care. We know that whatever He says can be counted on 100% of the time. He will not and He cannot say one thing, making us a promise, and then do another thing because in doing so it would be inconsistent with His very being and nature. There is total integrity with God and we learn to securely count on that fact. He is trustworthy and He is always true.

God is truth. God says what He means and means what He says. Listen to Jesus discuss the nature of the Father in Luke 11:9-13, “And I say to you, ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened. If a son will ask bread of any of you that is a father, WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE INSTEAD? OR, IT HE ASKS FOR A FISH, WILL HE FOR A FISH GIVE HIM A SERPENT? OR IF HE ASKS FOR AN EGG, WILL HE OFFER HIM A SCORPION INSTEAD? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT to them that ask Him?”

Make no mistake about it. God loves to have fun! But His fun never violates His nature of truth and love. As Jesus illustrated above, if you ask your heavenly Father for bread He isn’t going to play some cruel trick on you and do a heavenly bait and switch by giving you a rock instead. There is no confusion here with God as His nature is truth and truth is reliable.

Truth and “light” are expressions of the same idea

The ideas of absolute truth and absolute light are the same. For example, when we suddenly realize a truth, we say that we have been “enlightened”. The same holds true in spiritual language. Truth sheds light on a thing in terms of the spirit dimension.

Remember it is impossible for God to lie. Listen to Psalm 119:105 as it talks about God’s words and their effect, “Your word is a LAMP to my feet and a LIGHT to my path”, and then again in verse 130, “The entrance of Your words GIVES LIGHT.”

There are many other instances in which truth and light are linked, but to give you one more example we will go to 1st John 1:5-6, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare to you, THAT GOD IS LIGHT, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL. If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, AND DO NOT THE TRUTH.”

The weapon of truth overcomes darkness

Truth is one of the most powerful elements in the arsenal of God against evil and evil spirits. God has written this reality into the very fabric of the universe. Just as in nature darkness will rule in the absence of light, even so in the spirit realm darkness rules until truth shines. However, even more powerfully – light will absolutely triumph over darkness in every realm into which it shines. It is impossible for darkness to withstand light. In the presence of light darkness becomes nothing. It is outmatched and overpowered.

In the case of God, who IS light and truth, His light is so brilliant that in His presence there are not even shadows! It is a permeating brilliance. Listen to the apostle James as he says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, with whom is NO VARIABLNESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING. Of His own will He begat us with the WORD OF HIS TRUTH…”, James 1:17-18. We can also read in 1st Timothy 6:16, where the apostle Paul writes, “Who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man has seen, or can see: to whom be honor an power everlasting. Amen.”

When Jesus appeared in time, He boldly declared to both the visible and invisible worlds, “I AM TRUTH”, (John 14:6). Listen to Jesus in John 15:22, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have any sin: but now they have no cloak for (means to cover up) their sin.” When THE TRUTH came THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT shined brightly and THE MEANS OF COVER UP was destroyed, their disassociation with truth and the glory of God could no longer be hidden.

The contrast between Light and darkness

We’ve been talking about God and truth and the brilliance of the light in which He dwells. But Jesus had some very clear things to say about the darkness as well. In John 8:42-44 Jesus makes the issues at stake quite clear, “Why is it you get confused by the things I speak? It is because you cannot actually hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the passions of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and ABODE NOT IN THE TRUTH, BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. When he speaks a lie, he speaks out from the very core of his own nature: for he is a liar and the father (progenitor, beginning point, the very source) of all that is a lie.”

Jesus made it plain. There is NO TRUTH in the devil. When Jesus said no truth, He meant zero, nothing, nada. But often the darkness APPEARS to be telling the truth, but at the core of every single expression emanating from darkness is the spirit of a lie. When Paul the apostle was writing the Corinthians he gave them this warning, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into (appearing as) the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for satan himself MASQUERADES AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according to their works”, (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15).

Why is it that we are so easily persuaded by a lie and have such a hard time believing God? We tune our lives to the influence of darkness but have such difficulty abandoning our entire trust to the Holy Spirit who dwells within those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus. We become so accustomed to the subtleties of the lie that the voice of the Holy Spirit seems strange and actually contradictory to us, and to our life experiences, challenges and they way we face them are often based on concepts or ideas that are actually not true.

The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth

Jesus promised His followers that the very Spirit of Truth would come to live perpetually within us. This is amazingly significant because it is the Spirit of Truth that sets a follower of Jesus apart from everything else and all other spiritual communication.

Jesus said:

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER; even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world (those dominated by the spirits of darkness) cannot receive, because it sees Him not, and neither does it know Him: BUT YOU KNOW HIM; BECAUSE HE IS DWELLING WITH YOU NOW, AND SOON WILL BE IN YOU”, (John 14:16-17).

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, which PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER, He will testify of Me”, (John 15:26).

“Howbeit when He, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IS COME, He will GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: for He will not speak out of Himself; but whatever He hears, that will He speak: and He will even show you things that are to happen even before they happen”, (John 16:13).

Where God Dwells

This is one of the fantastic mysteries of God. From the beginning of the world God has gone from place to place when relating to mankind. He visited Adam in the garden. At times He chose other special places or mountains on which to visit. He had Moses build a special tent that was patterned after heaven and He met people there. David built another tent and God dwelt there.

Solomon built a beautiful temple and the glory of God appeared there, but none of these were His eternal purpose. God had something much greater and much more powerful than any of these places. God had something in mind that would be the ultimate weapon and threat against the dark spirits of this world. God had Jesus in mind and His followers, those who would be redeemed from out of the dark world system through believing the truth regarding His only begotten Son.

The apostle John described Jesus this way, “And the Word (the truth as God declares it to be) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld HIS GLORY, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH”, (John 1:14)

Hebrews 1:3 refers to Jesus this way, “Who being the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY AND THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, AND UPHOLDING ALL THING BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

But then those who believe in Jesus are extended the very same Spirit of light and truth who dwells literally within us, as it says, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN, THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS by faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the other saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes far beyond all knowledge, THAT YOU MIGHT BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD”, (Ephesians 3:16-19).

The apostle Paul said it plainly, “Do you not know that YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, AND THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU?”, (1st Corinthians 3:16).

Giving God a comfortable home

Seeing we are chosen to be the dwelling place of God, it becomes those who long for the full measure of the Holy Spirit to be revealed within them to create the kind of “home environment” in which the Spirit is most comfortable. It is in the atmosphere of absolute truth (among other things) the Holy Spirit is most comfortable. It is the atmosphere that resonates with Him.

In Ephesians chapter four, we are taught by Paul that “the TRUTH” is in Jesus and like a garment we are to put off our old attitudes and behaviors that were based on the lies of darkness (v.21-22). Then he tells us we are to be “RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF OUR MIND” and that by doing so we will literally be putting upon ourselves that which bears the very image of God Himself (V. 23-24). Then one of the first things Paul specifically addresses to put off from us is lying, and the first thing he tells us to put upon ourselves is an absolute commitment to truth as he says, “For this reason PUTTING AWAY LYING, every one of you must SPEAK TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOR” (V. 25).

Why do you suppose that is? It is because TRUTH is the atmosphere in which the glory of God is most clearly revealed! It is because God is absolute truth and absolute light and when we harmonize with God by His Holy Spirit, His glory is reflected through us.

There can be no lies in the presence of God

How important is truth to God? In the Book of Revelation and in other places we discover there can be no lies or liars in the presence of God. In the heavenly, supernatural city of God where the throne of God resides Revelation 21:27 tells us, “And there will IN NO WAY enter into it ANY THING that defiles, or makes abomination, OR MAKES A LIE…” And then it assumes that those who follow Jesus easily fit this class of people as it says regarding those who do enter, “but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” So it makes the assumption that the followers of Christ the Lamb are void of the spirit of lying, which would mean they are filled with the Spirit of Truth.

Regardless of whatever else you may believe about the City of God, one thing we can all agree on is the city represents the fullness of the presence of God. And there are certain things when practiced bar one from PARTICIPATION IN THE FULL BEAUTY, GLORY AND PRESENCE OF THE UNVEILED GOD. In Revelation 22:13-15 we read Jesus saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have RIGHT TO EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, and MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY. For on the outside are those who are dogs, and sorcerers, and murderers, and idolaters, AND WHOSOEVER LOVES AND MAKES A LIE.”

In the presence of the God of truth a lie is intolerable. It is the antithesis of His very Spirit and nature and comes out from the father of lies, the devil. In case you haven’t noticed, that is the crux of this whole matter is it not? The focal point of all things in this present age is the war in the spiritual dimension in which the devil and his works and workers are ultimately and entirely destroyed. It's light versus darkness, good versus evil, the glories of heaven versus the sufferings of hell, love verus hate, healing versus sickness, peace in all of life versus torment and fear in the soul, life versus death, Jesus versus the devil, Christ versus anti-Christ, truth versus lies, and the like. And the people whom God inhabits are His special warriors in the midst of the fray of this battle, wrestling not against men but against the spirits that bind men to the dark leaches of evil that devour peoples lives.

To date in history one of the most amazing revelations of God’s presence on earth is seen in Jesus and then among His followers in the early church. I’m not going to go into it, but just for fun I encourage you to read Acts 5 to see what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira when they brought a lie into the presence of the Holy Ghost. In the atmosphere of pure truth, judgment comes quickly on the dark spirit of deceit.

Conclusion

The light of truth is a powerful weapon against the forces of evil in the earth. Where truth shines, darkness is destroyed and becomes as nothing. Our God is the very God of truth and the followers of Jesus are made to be His dwelling place in earth. It is in the atmosphere of truth that the Holy Spirit finds Himself most comfortable because He is the very Spirit of Truth. For the glory of God to shine in it’s fullness we must put on a commitment to speak, do and follow purely truth as God declares it to be, not as the world declares it to be.

In Ephesians 6 it talks about spiritual warfare and we as the followers of Jesus heading out to destroy the darkness. The first bit of armament we are told to put on is that of truth, “Put on the whole ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to STAND AGAINST (as an opposing force) the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. For this very reason take to you the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to withstand (as in pressing against) in the evil day, and having done all, to remain still standing. Stand therefore, HAVING YOUR LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH…” (Ephesians 6:11-14).

And I guess I will finish with this thought, going back to the passage where Paul is telling us what to put off from us and what to put on. Remember the first thing he said to put off is lying and the first thing he said to put on is “speaking the truth”. As he goes through his list of new and old clothing, he interjects this thought, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Truth brings the joy of the Holy Spirit and the reflection of God’s light and glory through us. The opposite brings grief and a restriction of the flow of the Holy Spirit within us. We defile ourselves. There is no such thing as a white lie.

Randy

Courage Wins!

Jesus School of Spiritual Warfare is so much fun AND so educational. You know, the Bible is replete with images of war. The history of Israel is a history of battle, victories and defeats, conquering and being conquered and all revolving around the dedication of a people’s souls to The One True God. When the heart of a nation is surrendered to God, they are an unbeatable force. However, when the heart of a nation is not surrendered to God they have no power over their enemies and other nations (powers) rule over them.

It is only when we come to Jesus that we see the truth. In Jesus the curtain is pulled back and the mysteries are revealed. Only in Jesus do we begin to see that what is really happening in life is all about the battle of dominions in the spirit world.

This is difficult for us to grasp because our minds are trained to look at only what we can see and interpret life with only the natural, logical side of our being. But functioning from the basis of our natural mind is like living in an unenlightened condition. And without knowing the world we see is more spiritual than it is natural we walk away from the enlightenment of Jesus and what we are left with is only darkness.

About Jesus, the apostle John wrote, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came to His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on His name: Which were born not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, BUT OF GOD”, John 1:4-5, 10-13.

John is the same one who teaches us, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship (serve) Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John is adept, if we will listen to him, at explaining to us that the coming of Jesus and His kingdom is not a kingdom like the natural kingdoms of this world, but it is an invisible kingdom that is not of this dimension. He is explaining to us that Jesus kingdom is of the spirit dimension and those who serve God must operate out of that dimension instead of the dimension of the five senses.

This is one reason so many who followed the prophecies concerning Christ missed the fact that the long awaited Deliverer was standing right among them, staring them in the face. They had assumed (wrongly) that Christ was coming to establish a kingdom like all the other kingdoms around them reminiscent of the days of king David and Solomon. They assumed the power of life was in the natural realm and missed the truth that the true power of life emanates from the invisible world of the spiritual. They were unenlightened.

Again it is John who tells us about Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by cover of night so as not to be seen by anyone, and to talk with Jesus, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said to Him, ‘Teacher, we know you are a teacher COME FROM GOD: for no man can do THESE MIRACLES that You do, except God be with Him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Listen very carefully to what I am about to say to you. Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he cannot see (perceive) THE KINGDOM OF GOD.’ Nicodemus then said to Him, ‘How can a man be BORN AGAIN when he is old? Can he climb back into his mothers womb and be born a second time?’ Jesus answered, ‘Listen very carefully to what I am about to say to you. Except a man be born of water AND OF THE SPIRIT, he cannot ENTER (go into and out of, actively participate in) THE KINGDOM OF GOD. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You MUST BE BORN AGAIN.’ The wind blows wherever it CHOOSES, and you hear the sound of it, but you can’t tell from where it originated or where it is going after it disappears: So is every one that is BORN OF THE SPIRIT.”

So, the message of Jesus is a message of spirit. The power of Jesus is a power exercised in the heavenly or spirit dimension against the evil that is present there, as well as bringing forth into the earth the beauty and blessings of heaven. Being born again is being born by the Holy Spirit into a dimension of spirit where powers that control this physical world are constantly at work. If a person is unwilling to operate in life from the spirit level, they cannot actively participate with Jesus in the true work of His spiritual kingdom.

This is why Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world: If My kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight…but now is my kingdom not of this world”, John 18:36.

But yet we have every indication that those who are of Jesus kingdom are indeed engaged in a fight of extreme intensity. We find the fight we are engaged in is a continuation of the war that began before the foundation of the world and it is between the invisible powers of God who is rich in life, goodness, abundance and love, and spiritual darkness who’s dimension is death, destruction, diminishing and hatred. God who is all life and has no limit of being is found abundantly giving, giving, giving, whereas the darkness, which is the opposite, exists in its being by sucking out the life of other beings and is always stealing, stealing, stealing. These are the invisible powers at work, ALL OF THE TIME, influencing lives and histories here in the visible screen of life.

The apostle Paul was crystal clear on the nature of the war when he admonished, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES”, Ephesians 6:12.

So there is a war, but it is not for the destruction of other people, it is a war for the salvation of people and it is fought on a level that is far beyond any natural means. But a war just as real it is, and it is against sworn enemies just as real as any ever in existence. But often our confusion is in the fact that THEY CAN’T BE SEEN because they are indeed spirit and this becomes a huge disadvantage to us when we take our eyes off this fact.

The apostle Paul had trained himself to view things ALWAYS on the spiritual level. As an apostle and a warrior/servant of the supernatural kingdom of Jesus, Paul knew what it was like to be involved in MAJOR CONFLICT with the opposing supernatural powers.

Listen to this, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe it, lest THE LIGHT OF THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST SHOULD SHINE INTO THEM…For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in (our) earthen vessels; THAT THE EXCELLENCY OF THE POWER may be of God and not of us. WE ARE TROUBLED ON EVERY SIDE, yet NOT DISTRESSED, WE ARE PERPLEXED, but NOT IN DESPAIR; PERSECUTED (pursued with the intent of doing one harm), but NOT FORSAKEN; CAST DOWN, but NOT DESTROYED…For which cause WE FAINT NOT; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is RENEWED DAY BY DAY. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more excessive and eternal weight of glory; WHILE WE LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS THAT ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS THAT ARE UNSEEN: FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORARY; BUT THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL”, 2nd Corinthians 4:3-18.

Paul, and the vast number of believers in the early church, faced the realities of spiritual warfare. In their conversion and undying allegiance to Jesus Christ, they had unleashed a conflict on earth, striking at the heart of control in the supernatural realms, with the intent of overthrowing the god of this world and establishing the new world supernatural order of the kingdom of God in earth.

What is it with us? Do we not think that there would be a backlash on the highest order toward those who would dare to deliver the planet from supernaturally evil forces? Do we not get the realness of what we have involved ourselves in with this Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God, the Jewish child born of a virgin who God has annointed as both Lord and Christ and whom He has set at His own right hand UNTIL ALL HIS SPIRIT ENEMIES ARE PUT UNDER HIS FEET? For some reason, do we think evil will relinquish its hold without any resistance?

I am sorry to report to you that I have at times in my life been that naive’. Twenty plus years ago when I first started preaching the concepts of the church being the invading force of Christ in the earth against the powers of hell, I didn’t realize I had just stepped over the line of happy Christianity and into the naked battlefield of war. I was unprepared for the attack I was about to experience and the powers of hell drug me in their undertow below the surface in their attempt at destruction.

I have resurfaced.

And the Holy Spirit has brought new clarity and understanding. And the power of the resurrection has brought me from the brink of death to the daring edge of life. And my eyes are open to see the difference between the power of heaven and the power of hell.

Can I say I’m heading down easy street? I think I can safely say, “Hell no!” and know it’s true. I bear in my soul the wounds of war, but like Samson was waylaid for a season, all that time his hair was growing and he slew more Philistines at the end than he had in any of his prior battles.

Joshua was about to lead Israel into war. They were going in to take the land of promise from those who were the current occupiers, just like believers are to invade and take what belongs to Jesus and themselves from the principalities that are currently parked in our parking space. We have the permit to that space and they don’t. But they’ve had possession and use of it for a very long time and maintain control by fear and intimidation. But we have not only the permit to the space, but the power to take it by force. And make no mistake, it will take force to take what is yours by the promise of God.

There was an admonition repeated to Joshua somewhere in the neighborhood of six or seven times between the book of Numbers, Deuteronomy and the Book of Joshua. In every case it is nearly identical saying, “Be strong and of a good courage, for I am with you and I will fight for you.” It is interesting to note that this is nearly the same type of admonition Paul gives to Timothy when discussing the “fight of faith” in 1st and 2nd Timothy.

But what does it mean and what application is there in the battles we face? In spiritual warfare, when we move ahead against the powers of darkness to take away possessed territory, it is imperative we learn to stand firm with strength and courage in what we know to be true in heaven and in God’s purpose.

When Moses told Joshua to “be strong”, he was telling him to take hold of, or seize a thing, to stand your ground and not let go of it. But the word “be courageous” takes the idea deeper and means: to act boldly or persevere IN THE FACE OF DANGER.

Courage is tried in the atmosphere of danger. Medals are given to those who act boldly or persevere when the battle is raging all around them, when the bullets are flying and the missiles are exploding and the enemy is in the foxhole and the combat is hand-to-hand. That is the atmosphere where courage is tried. It’s in the midst of the fight, not before it or after it.

Before the fight we often have those who brag about their courage. During the fight we have pain, wounding, confusion, casualties, advancement and a thousand other things happening all at once. After the fight we have proven warriors and those who not only fought and survived, but in the midst of the fight proved themselves valiant, mighty men and women of war who become warriors of renown. And looking for another fight. And looking to train others in the successful tactics of winning warfare.

It is perseverance when the battle is hot that is quite often the key to victory. The enemy isn’t going to easily let go of possessed territory very often. But your continued faith in Jesus name and power, and knowledge that your cause is His cause and holding to faith regardless of what you see with your natural eye, will bring complete triumph against the enemy and you and Jesus will become the new possessor of that space. Together you will rule and reign in that new conquered turf.

Here is Paul to Timothy:

“This charge I commit to you my son Timothy, according to the prophecies that were declared previously on you, that you by those prophecies might WAR A GOOD WARFARE; HOLDING FAITH, and a good conscience; which some HAVING PUT AWAY CONCERNING FAITH have made shipwreck”, 1st Timothy 1:18-19.

“When I call to remembrance the UNFEIGNED FAITH that is in you…I put you in remembrance to STIR UP THE GIFT OF GOD, WHICH IS IN YOU BY THE PUTTING ON OF MY HANDS. For God has not given us THE SPIRIT OF FEAR; but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of A SOUND MIND”, 2ND Timothy 1:5-7.

“Therefore my son, BE STRONG in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”, 2nd Timothy 2:1

“Therefore, I want you to ENDURE HARDNESS as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”, 2nd Timothy 2:3.

“I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I have finished my course, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH”, 2nd Timothy 4:7.

The earth altering power of faith is shown in Hebrews 11 and it is always a delight to read Hebrews 11:32-35 & 12:1-4, “And what more could I possible say? For time itself would fail if I began to tell you of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; and of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection…seeing we also are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin/unbelief which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking to Jesus the very author and finisher OF OUR FAITH; who FOR THE JOY that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. For consider Him that ENDURED SUCH CONTRADICTION of sinners against himself, LEST YOU BE WEARIED AND FAINT IN YOUR MINDS. You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin/unbelief.”

The battle is real and it is spiritual and it is very important to keep this in view. Just because you can’t see your enemy doesn’t mean it does not exist. Just because you often can’t immediately see the effect of your faith doesn’t mean it isn’t doing its work.

Always prime yourself to BE STRONG AND OF A GOOD COURAGE as the battle rages, because it WILL RAGE. Don’t quit, don’t give up, don’t cave in because in the fire is where the power of faith begins to do its most powerful work and where hero’s and warriors and mighty men and women of God are created.

“But thanks be to God, WHICH GIVES US THE VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my brothers, BE STEADFAST, UNMOVEABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, forasmuch as you know that YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD”, 1st Corinthians 15:58.

“For whatsoever is BORN OF GOD overcomes the world: and this is THE VICTORY that overcomes the world, EVEN OUR FAITH”, 1st John 5:4.

Randy