The Fourth Level..

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There is a fourth level in Christ. The first level is water to the ankles, that is, basic salvation from wrath. We learn about our Lord and Savior at this level.

The second level is water to the knees. This is the level of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit gives us victory over sin, and wisdom and power to minister.

The third level is water to the waist. It is as this point that we began to learn about the Father and the utter importance of stern obedience to Him.

The fourth level is waters to swim, the river of the Spirit that cannot be crossed over. This is the level of the Fullness of God. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles.

I would say that the Charismatic people are approaching the third level at this time. They know about Jesus as Savior, sometimes as Lord. They are acquainted with the Spirit of God. They are not that well acquainted with Jesus as Chief Executive Officer of the Kingdom of God. They suppose they are to go forth to heal a "lost and dying world," command angels, command the Holy Spirit, and appoint presiding angels over various municipalities.

It is time now to stop this foolishness, this ignorance, this "False "Prophet" who will assist the self-willed Antichrist in the closing days of the Church Age.

We now are at the Altar of Incense, so to speak, ready to pass through the ornate Veil into the Most Holy Place, wherein is the Ark of the Covenant and the covering Lid of Atonement. But in order to make this transition we are required to abandon our self-determination and learn to listen to the Lord Jesus at all times. We are to labor to enter the "rest of God," where every decision of our day and night is brought before Jesus.

Such is the eternal Sabbath, the Sabbath in which the Lord Jesus lives from eternity to eternity.

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 58:13,14)

Think about the passage above, and then compare it with the Lord’s own testimony of how He lives:

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(John 5:30)

And then with the following:

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. (John 6:57)

Perhaps we intend to overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb. Perhaps we intend to overcome the accuser by the word of our testimony. But are we ready to love not our own life to the death?

The critical issue of our day is abandonment of our self-determination and instant obedience to King Jesus in every situation and in every place.

The "seven thunders" cannot reveal their perfect power until those who are moving past the Lampstand, so to speak, prostrate their self-will before the Altar of Incense, crying out, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

The god of Antichrist is power, the power of his own self-will. This also is the power of Satan. The "seven thunders," of the tenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, speak of the perfect power of God. One member of Christ’s body when loving not his own life to the point of death, represents more power than the combined government and armies of the world.

We may note that the power of the seven thunders is operating in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation. The two witnesses. who represent Christ in and with His victorious saints, bear witness in the irresistible power of the seven thunders. First they must be judged, as portrayed in Revelation 11:1,2. They must say, "Not my will, but Yours be done" until their life and character are coming only from Christ.

The two witnesses are not preachers, but witnesses who portray in themselves God's Person, will, way, and eternal purpose in Christ. They shall present the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation. But only as they are abiding at the fourth level, that is, in the place where it no longer is they who are living, but Christ who is bearing witness in and with them. It always must be Christ in all things. Otherwise the seven thunders cannot speak.

This is a new day for us. The sin in the world is greater than ever. However, the grace being offered to us is far, far greater than the contemptible wisdom and power of the world spirit.

The fourth level of salvation is spoken of in the third chapter of the Book of Ephesians, where Paul prays that we might be filled with "all the fullness of God."

All the fullness of God always and eternally makes its home in our Lord, Jesus Christ. But Christ is the chief Cornerstone and Capstone of the eternal Temple of God. We are living stones in that same Temple, and are destined to be filled with all the fullness of God.

If we are a candidate for the fourth level of salvation, we will be brought down to very distressing situations. Then we are to call on the Lord, not attempt to deliver ourselves by working our spiritual "moves," whatever they may be.

When we call on the Lord Jesus, the channels of water and the foundations of the world are exposed. This means that the source of our life and the elements of our character are laid bare, as were Job’s.

If we will give over to Christ our life-force and the principles that govern our decisions (our character and our self-determination), then God will come down and avenge us on our enemies.

How utterly wonderful and marvelous it is that in our day such a door has been opened. Are you a candidate for the fourth level of salvation? I am! Let us then fasten our seatbelts and prepare ourselves for the most important experience we will have throughout eternity.

There is one fact we must keep in mind, however. This glorious Fullness of God is not given to us so we can feel good or have self-aggrandizing power. It is so a multitude of people can drink of the water of eternal life. The Spirit and the Bride, not just the Spirit of God, but the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come. Come drink of the water. Whoever is thirsty for the Life of God, come and drink without cost."

We see this plan in the forty-seventh chapter of the Book of Ezekiel. After we arrive at waters to swim in we come back to the banks of the River of God and stand as a tree of life. Then the Life of God will flow into the dead sea of mankind, bringing eternal life to whoever will partake.

The spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles (Succot) is described in the twelfth chapter of the Book of Isaiah. The Throne of God is established in our personality and with joy we bring forth water from the well of salvation that for eternity is in us. "Rivers of living water," as our Lord said during the celebration of Succot.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:20-23)

Are you willing to give to Jesus every aspect of your character and life, your thoughts, words, and decisions? Am I?

Let’s do it. Of course, there is a cost associated with pressing into the fourth level of salvation. It is true also that there is a loss associated with not pressing into the fourth level of salvation. Are we willing to suffer that loss?

You can hear the morning sermon at morning.http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at eveninghttp://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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