Things I've Learned During My Discipleship
Things I've Learned During My Discipleship
The Importance of Choosing
Avoiding Passivity; Being Decisive
Calling on Jesus Instead of Using a Formula
Praying Through
Being Led by the Spirit
Watch and See If What You Think God Is Telling You Is Confirmed
Do Not "Step out in Faith" Unless God Is Directing You
Do Not Fret over the Evil and Perversity in the World
Bringing Christ into Every Aspect of Life
The Bible and Religion Are Not Ends in Themselves
We Are To Drag this Body Around Until God Says "Enough"
Accepting One's Cross Patiently and Cheerfully
Praying Against Dread and Fear
Dealing Directly with Symptoms Rather than Analyzing Causes
Christ Is in Control of Everything and Everybody
The Interval Between the Giving of the Vision and its Fulfillment
To Maintain Our Trust in God When All Seems Lost
We Are Not to Criticize People
In the Resurrection What We Have Become Shall Be Revealed
We Assuredly Shall Reap What We Have Sown
The Rod of Iron by Which We Shall Rule Is Being Created in Us
It Is in the Present Hour That Man Is Being Created in the Image of God
There Will Be No "Rapture" To Deliver Us From Trouble
Preparing To Be Revealed With Jesus
The Importance of Choosing
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
The Israelites knew of the old gods and the gods of the Amorites. They also had seen the works of the Lord and had heard His Words. It was up to them to choose which of the divinities they would serve.
So it is with us. We can decide we wish to serve the gods that manifest themselves all around us, the gods of physical lust, or of money, or of importance, or of some kind of pleasure that appeals to us. Or we can serve the Lord Jesus.
I think it is too often maintained that "Jesus did it all." Our part primarily is to believe that Jesus did it all. This belief, it is said, will bring us to Heaven.
An appealing thought. We do not have to do anything but accept mentally what is taught and God will do the rest. But this is not even close to what the Bible teaches.
When we review the lives of the heroes of faith, of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews, we see that genuine faith is daily obedience to God; not belief, unless that belief is expressed in obedience. How many times each day are we presented with an opportunity to choose to believe the Lord!
I remember a girl in a Christian highschool. She was lame. A healing evangelist came by the school and prayed for her and others. She was healed instantly.
But the physical sensation when she walked was so different from what she was used to that she asked Jesus to restore her lameness. He did. This actually happened!
In my own case, I had arthritis in my right knee. I was not prayed for. In fact I went to the doctor. He injected some medicine into my knee and told me that I would be back, and probably would need crutches.
Two or three days later I felt the Lord's touch on my knee. I knew I was healed. I went around the house hopping on my right leg. To this day, over thirty years later, whenever I feel pain in that knee I hop up and down on my right leg. I choose to keep that healing!
There is something to be said for positive thinking. We can choose to believe that God is going to do good for us, or we can think negative thoughts of unbelief.
Let me be clear, however, that I am not speaking of the present rash of metaphysical devices: "name it and claim it"; "speak the creative word"; "the word of faith"; and so forth. There is no Bible for this. It is not of the Christian religion. It is not the faith of obedience. It is another religion.
Jesus is not glorified in this.
There is a fine line between choosing to think positively, and "the power of positive thinking." The first is the choice of believing God's Word. The second is a metaphysical device that proceeds from the soul of man and does not bring glory to Christ.
The so-called "faith message" is not of God and is to be avoided by the sincere disciple.
Avoiding Passivity; Being Decisive
"Passivity" is a classic Christian affliction. It runs deeper than just being lazy or disinterested in life. It is a crippling condition in which the believer is unable to make a decision.
He decides on a path he wants to take. After having begun, he decides this is not God's will. So he starts on another course. Soon the same doubt assails him and he is not certain this is the decision he should have made.
On and on it goes until he is totally confused.
The way out of this deception is to pray carefully, and to take a small step in the desired direction. Then examine the fruit. If all seems well, take another small step and look to see what the consequences are.
But do not change your mind. Keep going along the path unless it is obvious that God is not blessing and you do not have peace. Sometimes it is helpful to ask counsel from an elder.
Keep your will razor sharp. A double-minded man will receive nothing from the Lord.
Train yourself to be decisive. Make clear decisions and hold to them. If you are a person of prayer, and desire to please God, He sooner or later will correct your course if it is not what He desires for you.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5,6)
Calling on Jesus Instead of Using a Formula
It is fashionable in our day of books and tapes to find formulas that will solve mental or physical illnesses. We have a cold, so we have not been praising the Lord. Our child in school is falling behind, so he or she has not been praying enough.
If we go to the pastor for help, he may advise us to put more money in the offering. We have arthritis, so there is someone we have not forgiven.
You can buy a book that will relate all your infirmities to how you are behaving.
When King David was in deep trouble, he called on the Lord.
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (Psalms 18:6)
I think the words of this prayer were, "Help, Lord!"
This may be the best prayer of all, and anyone can pray it.
Sometimes you may be in such distress that you can't think of anything else to say except, "Help, Lord!"
This simple prayer is worth tons of formulas. God knows about your affliction already and what is causing it. You do not have to go to great lengths to describe the problem to the Lord.
Praying Through
And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (I John 5:15)
Fine, but how do we know that He hears us?
You have to pray until you can't pray about the problem any longer. All you can do is praise the Lord.
Maybe you never have prayed long enough to "pray through." Well, set aside a period of time so you can pray until you know God has heard you.
Do you remember Brother Jacob? He prayed until God heard Him; but Jacob had to do some wrestling until he got his answer. God changed Jacob's name to "Israel" because he struggled with God.
Maybe if you struggle with God long enough He will change your name.
Perhaps you mention all the items on your prayer list and then walk away. You don't know whether or not God has heard you.
Prayer is supposed to be a two-way street. You talk to God, and God talks to you.
God speaks clearly to some people. Others develop ways that tell them when God has heard and answered. Maybe you will have new experiences in prayer that you have not known previously because you never before really got down to business with God.
Once you learn two-way praying, praying will be the best time of the day for you. It may take a while to get there, but it is well worth the effort.
Once you know God has heard you, you can't wrestle any longer. All you can do is praise and thank God. The answer is on the way.
Being Led by the Spirit
The sons of God are those believers who are led by the Spirit of God. Now, being successfully led by the Spirit is an art. There are many traps and confusions, but this is not an excuse for not mastering this art.
God speaks to people and leads people in a number of different ways. In many cases God speaks into the mind. In other instances, there are mental impressions, or dreams. Remember how God spoke to Gideon. Gideon was very careful and forced God to activate a fleece. Looking for fleeces is not generally a good idea!
You can be tricked if you do this. If you really want to know God's will, present your body a living sacrifice.
God spoke to the Prophets of Israel. In one instance, Jeremiah waited several days until he was certain it was the Lord who had spoken to him.
Mary believed Gabriel, which pleased God.
The father of John the Baptist doubted, which did not please God.
On the other hand, God does not want us to be led about by spirits that speak to us. In my own case, I have had years of trial and error before I could distinguish what is of God and what is not of God.
Religion and the Bible are not ends in themselves. Their purpose is to lead us to the living Jesus, until Christ rises as the Morning Star in our heart.
I have noticed that Pentecostal people (of which I am one) sometimes lean on emotion instead of on the written Word. This makes for an unstable discipleship.
On the other hand, I have seen that Baptist people sometimes will reject out of hand any idea of being led by the Lord. "We depend on the Word," they thunder. This does make for stable disciples.
But sometimes they are unable to move forward with the Lord This is true today, as the Lord seeks to bring His people past the Pentecostal experience into the final three feasts of the Lord. There is not the sensitivity to what Christ is saying right now that we could wish.
I think this lack of awareness of the living Christ, of what Christ is saying right this minute, is true generally of the Christian denominations. They keep on pressing forward in their familiar patterns when Christ has new and surprising experiences for them.
So the history of denominations is a series of landmarks revealing the way Christ has moved through the centuries. And those people who are hearing what Christ is saying now are rewarded with misunderstanding and a lack of fellowship. I think it ever will be thus until the Lord returns.
God always is speaking to each individual. The person is to live by this Word, and not just by material food and drink. But in order to hear what God is saying to us requires months or years of practicing times when we are being still before the Lord.
The hurly burly of our culture seeks to involve us to the point we cannot hear God. There are ceaseless demands on our attention; also fears and dreads of one sort or another. "Be still and know that I am God." It is not easy, is it?
But it is state of being well worth pursuing!
Watch and See If What You Think God Is Telling You Is Confirmed
When you are learning to be led by the Spirit, watch carefully to determine if your circumstances line up with the Word of God. Listen to the advice of older, godly people.
I know right now of a Christian man of several years experience who has left his wife and several children. He is thoroughly convinced he is doing what God wants. There is another woman involved, which usually is the case.
He is making a shipwreck of his discipleship. He is not listening to godly people. He is not even using common sense. How could it be God who was directing a man to leave his wife and children?
This man has much promise. But Satan has entered him. How could this happen? Any time we attempt to make a heaven of the present world we become deceived. I think God eventually will bring him to his senses; but he will emerge a much humbler person.
"But God wants me to be happy," people whine. Did Jesus state that no one can be His disciple until he denies himself, takes up his cross, and follows Jesus?
Does this sound like "heaven" to you?
Our discipleship is rugged at best. Our cross bites into our shoulder for many years, although it may become lighter toward the end. But it never will become lighter until we have experienced "the dark night of the soul," and have shown the Lord that we will trust Him if He slays us.
This is how the iron scepter with which the saints shall govern the rebellious nations of the earth is formed in us.
It is this willingness to bear our cross patiently, as cheerfully as we can, throughout the days of our discipleship that is the only protection against being deceived.
Satan plants fantasies in our mind, assuring us that God has made an exception for us so we can behave outside of the written Word, the Bible. We either give in to the promised pleasures, or we take up our cross of deferred desire and march on after the Master.
There have been times when the saints have left bloody footprints in the snow!
Do Not "Step out in Faith" Unless God Is Directing You
How often it is said today that we should "step out in faith." Make out a check for ten thousand dollars, although you do not have the money in the bank. This is nothing but an invitation to presumption. God will not honor it.
The only time we are to "step out in faith" is when God clearly is leading us to take such a step.
The "faith" chapter of the Bible is the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews. You will not find one instance there of someone "stepping out in faith," unless it was in obedience to God. It was not an adventure fabricated in the mind of an ambitious believer.
Faith is not a magic principle by which we can get what we want out of God. Rather, faith is our reliance on God's faithfulness and truth as He guides us through the present world, which is the valley of the shadow of death.
The foundation under out faith is our trust in God, that no matter how perilous our situation may become, God will take care of us.
So we plod along through the night and through the day with our hand in the hand of God. We do not concoct some sort of accomplishment and then proclaim that we have faith God will send us the money.
When I hear ministers of the Gospel pleading for money, I wonder if they really have been led of God to do that they are doing. Does God or does He not pay for what He orders?
Perhaps it is time for some of us to back off until we can hear God once again; to return to our first altar, so to speak.
Do Not Fret over the Evil and Perversity in the World
Although it may seem impossible, the evil and perversity in the world is going to become worse—much worse! I believe this is what the Spirit of God is saying in the present hour.
In America, the Bible and the name of the Lord Jesus are coming into disrepute, if you can believe it.
Also, abortion on demand, and sexual excesses, are on the increase. It appears the various state governments and the federal government are not being operated by people who fear God and give glory to Him.
What then are we to do?
First of all, we must not permit ourselves to fret. To fret is to worry; to be agitated; to be irritated.
When we truly receive Christ as our Lord and Savior we are raised In Christ to the right hand of God. We are placed in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Fretting tears us down from our high place in God. Instead of setting our affections on things above we become involved in politics, or we begin to curse the darkness because of the evil and perversity we see in our own nation and in the world.
Christ has been given authority over all people. He alone controls what goes on in the world. So when we are fretting we are acting in unbelief and complaining about God's lack of wisdom and righteousness in controlling the world. We do whatever good we can and leave the rest with God.
If Satan cannot destroy us by tempting us to sin, he can accomplish the same result by provoking us to fret and complain.
It is difficult I know to keep our minds and hearts in the heavenlies in Christ. It is a continuing battle as the spiritual darkness increases. But it is the only way in which we can overcome the world and Satan.
Bringing Christ into Every Aspect of Life
Perhaps you have read about Lawrence of the Resurrection, commonly known as Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence brought the Presence of Christ into all of his tasks in the monastery, from the smallest to the greatest.
For the last few years I have been preaching concerning learning to live by the Life of Christ. Actually, it is the same idea that Brother Lawrence had, although I did not realize this until recently.
All through the day, and when we are awake during the night, we are to keep talking to Jesus; asking His opinion about things; expressing our desires, giving thanks for the help He gives us; asking for His wisdom in decisions that are confronting us.
When I awake I ask Jesus for wisdom and strength for the day. By communicating constantly with the Lord in this manner His Presence and His angels are with me at all times. I cannot see the angels, but I am aware of their assistance. I never speak to the angels, only to Jesus.
It is my firm impression that perilous times are ahead for those of us who live in the United States. It seems to me at this time that the only people who will survive, and be able to help others survive the moral and physical chaos, will be those who are living by the Life of the Lord Jesus.
To a young Christian it may seem impossible to live this close to Jesus. It is not, but we have to work at it ceaselessly until it becomes second nature.
The Bible and Religion Are Not Ends in Themselves
It appears that sometimes Christian people make their religion and the Bible ends in themselves. They are faithful in all the practices of their religion and swear by the literal inspiration of the Bible.
Sometimes such people have to be encouraged to look up from the Scriptures and behold the Man who wrote the Scriptures, the living Jesus.
The Bible and religion are not ends in themselves. Their purpose is to bring us to Jesus until the Morning Star rises in our heart.
Think about the following passage:
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." (John 14:22,23)
What do you think the above passage means? Is it saying that if we obey the teachings of Christ the Lord will show Himself to us?
Yes, that is exactly what it is saying.
This does not mean we forsake the Bible. The Bible is our guide to Jesus that we might have fellowship with Him. As by His assistance we obey His teaching, He Himself will become increasingly real to us.
Jesus rebuked the Jewish elders because they would not look up from the scroll and believe in Him. I think in some cases it is like this today. We have been taught that we should go by the Bible. And let me say that I have proven to myself over the years I have been a disciple. that the written Word of God is absolutely infallible in every detail.
Yet if we are not careful we can make the Bible a substitute for the living Lord. In fact, I heard it said once that the Bible is the same as Jesus. When we read the Bible it is Jesus speaking to us. We then really do not need to know Jesus Himself. We have the Bible!
This is not true. The Bible is not the Bride of the Lamb nor is it the Firstborn from the dead.
What is the Bible? It is God's written Word to us that brings us to Jesus. We are to meditate in it daily until Christ is formed in us. Even after that, we are to spend time in the Word each day, because Satan always is attempting to deceive us.
It is my personal opinion that we shall be studying the Bible and teaching the Bible to others for eternity. It never shall pass away, as Jesus informed us. It always can be depended on, whereas sometimes we can be led astray as we seek to serve the Lord.
Being led accurately by the Spirit is an art and it is not mastered in a short period of time. The Bible keeps our feet on the narrow path that leads to Life, that is, to Christ Himself.
Our fellowship is with Jesus, not with the Bible. Jesus is our older Brother. The Bible is not our older brother.
Therefore let us meditate in the Bible continually, and enjoy fellowship with our actual Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We Are To Drag this Body Around Until God Says "Enough"
Being 88 years of age, I am ready for a new body. I look forward to leaving the present world and going to be with the Lord. I do not enjoy being so tired all the time. Also, I have other afflictions. So death to me is like the summer vacations when I was a boy—something to happily look forward to.
I suppose when I pass on there will be a few people who will grieve, such as the members of my immediate family. But there really is no need to grieve. I will not be grieving but thanking God I am free from the prison of the flesh.
You know, your mind and your brain are two different mechanisms. When you die your brain stays with your body, but your mind continues to make you aware of your present circumstances.
On one occasion in Bible school when the Spirit of God was unusually present, I was sitting waiting for the Greek class to commence. Suddenly I drifted up to the ceiling. I was aware of the class, the students, the teacher, who I was, and that I was up at the ceiling.
But I could not remember the Greek I had studied. It remained in my body sitting on a classroom chair.
I had prepared for the lesson, so I realized I had to get back in my body, which I did. Then I could think of the Greek.
If I am not mistaken, we always will have a conscious mind somewhere, whether on earth, in Heaven, or in Hell.
So we are to faithfully drag this old worn out body around until God lets us know that our work is finished. We do not want to go to Jesus before that time. Nor do we want ourselves or our loved ones holding on so we do not die. When the right moment comes, we are to pass peacefully into a world that is far, far better than the present.
I reject nostalgia totally. Life for me, and for you, has been one painful trial after another. Would you want to go back? Neither would I. So nostalgia is a part of the old adamic nature, and I refuse to give in to it! It is a liar. I am looking forward to freedom from my tired body. How about you?
Accepting One's Cross Patiently and Cheerfully
Every genuine disciple of Jesus has a cross to bear. Either our most intense desires are deferred for a season; or else we are compelled to remain in a distressing situation.
One of the keys to a successful discipleship is that of being willing to stay steady with God while our desires are deferred or we are in a miserable situation.
The are people who would like to be considered a Christian. But when there is a choice between remaining in a painful situation, or following the path of enjoyment, they choose the latter. Such never can be a genuine disciple.
It is during the period of time between being given a vision and the fulfilling of the vision that the saints are made.
If we cannot keep serving Christ when we are not getting what we desire, we never will be "saved" in the sense of attaining to the destiny of the faithful. It is he who endures to the end who is saved.
Satan always is looking for those "believers" who have burning desires that are not being fulfilled. He can deceive such easily, no matter how much they pray and read the Bible.
If you have a burning desire, or are miserable in your present circumstances, go to the Lord. Ask Him to remove the burning desire. Ask Him to make your circumstances tolerable. He will give you your desires when your character has been formed in accordance with His plans for you.
Do not focus on your cross, on what you do not have. If you do, you probably will fail. Rather, pray for strength and wisdom and focus on the blessings you do have. Every fruit-bearing Christian who has gone before you has had the same temptations and struggles. Such temptations are common to people, and God always will make it possible for you to bear them.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Behold the land that is very far off and learn to live one step at a time. Oftentimes our problem is that we are worrying about the future. That which may seem impossible to you may be resolved if you concentrate on one small step at a time, meanwhile praying about each step.
The One who brought the universe into being has enough wisdom and power to solve your problems. You should not flee from your circumstances, but you always should pray that God will deliver you. And He will at the time that is best for you.
But if you break out of your prison, you will be captured and put in a worse prison; unless God gives up on you. And you do not want that to happen!
Praying Against Dread and Fear
I personally am attacked often with dread and fear. When this happens, I ask Jesus to remove the dread and the fear.
Our inheritance as a Christian is peace. Christ will keep the individual who trusts in Him in perfect peace. This is our inheritance. This is what the infallible Bible states, and it is true.
So when I ask Jesus to remove the dread and the fear, and give me His peace, He does. This is part of the normal Christian warfare.
Dealing Directly with Symptoms Rather than Analyzing Causes
There are Christians who know so much about medicine they should be doctors.
Any ache or pain you may have, they go to their textbook and tell you what is causing your distress.
If you have a stomach ache or headache, it is due to cancer.
If you have a pain in your arm or leg you are coming down with arthritis.
If you have a dizzy spell it is a heart condition.
Because of my great age I often have a pain here or there. I have found the best solution is to go to Jesus. Pray that He will remove the symptom. Lord, my stomach hurts. You don't have to look on the Internet or read a medical text. Ask Jesus to remove the pain and forget about the cause for now.
We Pentecostal people sometimes are reluctant to go to the doctor. We may view this as a lack of faith.
I'll tell you what I do. If the symptom does not go away when I address it directly, I ask Jesus if I should go to the doctor. If He says, "Yes," then I go; and while I am on the way I ask Jesus to direct the doctor and the nurses. I do this with an untroubled mind about whether or not I have faith.
If Jesus says "No, it will pass," then I go about my business, knowing from experience it will pass.
Perhaps Jesus does not speak to you like this. But you probably have some way of communicating with the Lord. I suppose it would not hurt for you to ask Christ to speak to you plainly.
But as I have stated previously, as you take steps toward the Lord, watch your circumstances carefully. If the circumstances do not agree with what you think Jesus is telling you, then go back to the Lord and ask for an explanation.
I could be mistaken about this, but I think Jesus will be a lot more real to His people if they will make an attempt to hear from Him and communicate with Him. He has promised to reveal Himself to us if we will keep His commands!
Christ Is in Control of Everything and Everybody
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. (John 14:2)
According to the Bible, Christ has authority over all people.
Another passage I like is the following:
The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; (Psalms 24:1)
As we read the paper today we notice the increasing evil and perversity, not only in our own country but throughout the world at large. This wickedness may cause us to fret, to worry, or to become angry.
This precisely what Satan would like us to do.
We need to remember that the Bible says the earth and all its resources and people belong to the Lord.
So the question becomes: does God care what is happening; and if so, is He able to do anything about it?
God loves the world enough to give His Son to die for us. And as to power—have you ever considered the power demonstrated in the sky above us? It is so great that we cannot wrap our mind around the mass that is present or the distances between the heavenly bodies.
Yes, God certainly cares about us, and has sufficient wisdom and power to solve all the problems of the world in a short space of time.
Sometimes people venture that God must not be good because He permits people to suffer. This attitude is understandable, particularly if an individual has just lost a child through cancer, or has suffered some other harrowing experience.
But we must keep in mind that when someone dies their troubles and pain are over, if they have been a decent person and did not reject Christ if the Father presented Christ to him or her.
There is something else that must be factored in, when we debate in our mind why God allows so much suffering. It is that God has a plan for mankind that requires a certain amount of human suffering.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:28,29)
To understand why God works the way He does, one must consider that the history of the world is a reaction against a prior rebellion on the part of God's angels.
God is building a kingdom that will insure there never will be another rebellion.
The history of the world describes how God is calling out people and training them to be future rulers of the Kingdom of God. All of the events of history have been designed to bring these called-out people to perfect obedience to Christ, and into His internal and external image.
The perfecting of these "Royal Priests" has required that there be evil in the world. The evil results from the working of Satan. History is portraying to angels and humans the result of obeying Satan. Even in the present hour there are people who declare openly that they are worshipers of Satan.
You might ask, "How could my child's illness or death contribute to the perfecting of the members of the Royal Priesthood?"
First of all, if your child dies, he or she is in a far, far better place.
Second, the sin in the world results in Divine judgment. This judgment comes upon all who live in the world. We all die physically because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
The suffering we experience comes from Satan, not God. Sometimes God uses Satan to cause us to suffer. But this is because suffering helps us overcome sin and moves us close to Jesus, if we take it in the right way.
All of the events of the world are designed to perfect the Royal Priesthood. Once their perfection has been accomplished, they will return with the Lord Jesus and fill the earth with the Glory of God.
Then the little child can have lions and tigers for pets with no problem.
If there were no suffering, the whole earth would be an arena for the most ugly sexual displays—one vast sexual orgy.
So there is a new world of righteousness on the horizon. But its accomplishment and maintenance has required a period of suffering until the priesthood is ready to govern.
As long as human beings who are not trained by the Lord are in positions of power, as we see today, there shall be one disaster after another because of the self-seeking of people.
The Interval Between the Giving of the Vision and its Fulfillment
The coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth is a vision of the future. In that day, God's will shall be done here just as it is in Heaven.
How we behave ourselves while we are waiting to enter the new world of righteousness determines how happy or unhappy we will be when God's ruling priests appear with the Lord and enforce God's will with a scepter of iron righteousness.
If we behave righteously, and receive Christ when the Father presents Him to us, we will be filled with eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace, when the Lord appears. But if we are a rebellious individual, loving the things of sin and wickedness, we will suffer untold misery in that Day.
The sufferings of the present hour are designed to form us in righteous behavior, if we will make that choice. But there are numerous opportunities to pursue a destructive life style. Then the saying will be fulfilled: "Let the righteous remain righteous and the wicked remain wicked."
Perhaps God has put a desire in our heart, it may be for a relationship, or a position of some sort. But after a month or so has passed we become impatient. So we force the situation, the people, the circumstances, to get what it is we so fervently desire.
The door is locked. We kick down the "door," so to speak. But the room is empty.
There was another door that was slightly ajar, but we did not notice it in our frantic effort to gain our desire.
This is so true of life in the world!
The Bible tells us that the saints endure patiently until they are granted their desire. Patience is very important in the Kingdom of God.
Some of the recent Christian teachings tell us how we can get what we want now . That is not God. The way of the Lord is to wait patiently until God grants our desire. Then the blessing of the Lord makes us rich and He adds no sorrow with it.
Have faith in God. He knows your desires better than you do. He will grant your desires when He sees the moment is just right for you. Learn to trust His love!
To Maintain Our Trust in God When All Seems Lost
There do come to the faithful saints what some have termed the "Dark night of the Soul." At one time we had been a merry Christian, singing the happy choruses of the youth meetings. But what has happened now?
Nothing seems to make sense. We wonder why God has forsaken us? We may suffer oppression, or anxiety, or a physical affliction, or financial problems. It appears that God is not answering our prayers.
Did we offend the Lord in some way? But Heaven does not answer.
Faith does not seem to work at this time. But trust does!
What is the difference between faith and trust?
Faith is victorious. We are saved as we in faith persevere in doing the will of the invisible God. We by faith live as an overcoming Christian.
Trust, on the other hand, is a clinging to God in hope that He has not deserted us; that He will never leave us or forsake us; even when there is no evidence He is hearing our prayers.
We cling to our former beliefs, and do not turn back into unbelief or sin.
This spiritual oppression may continue for years.
But if we do not quit, do not turn away from our trust in God's promises, a day comes when we emerge into the light. Then we know God as never before.
A good example of the "dark night" is the patriarch Job. He tried to cling to his former perceptions; yet he could not understand what was happening to him.
But the day came when the Lord revealed Himself to Job. Then Job repented of his anger at God and declared himself a worm. After this, God instructed Job to pray for his friends.
In the years that followed, God blessed Job with many material riches.
So it will be with us. We needn't expect people to understand us. They probably won't. But we will come forth from this experience with a far greater knowledge of God. And that is worth everything!
We Are Not to Criticize People
We had better not criticize people unless we want God to criticize us.
It is helpful to remember that Jesus said a person can receive nothing unless it is given to him or her from Heaven.
God creates people with specific abilities and desires. They cannot be or do what God has not given to them to be or do. We need to keep this in mind when we are thinking of being critical of them.
Does a person have the ability to change; to do differently?
Yes, within limits. In fact, at the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be judged according to our decisions.
How, then, do we put this together? If God has determined what an individual will be like and what he or she can do, how can He judge him?
This is a very difficult question. Even the Apostle Paul answered it by saying, "God is the potter and He makes one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. God has mercy on one person and hardens another."
We humans simply cannot see the fairness of this. It is because we are so proud we are not willing to let the Potter be the Potter. He must treat us fairly or we will accuse Him of unrighteousness.
"Fairly" by our standards. But we do not know all the elements involved. So we do well when we let God be God and give glory to Him.
As I stated previously, God is creating a Royal Priesthood. He is managing all the events of the world. Out from the chaos of human existence will emerge sons of God shining in the righteousness Christ has created in (not imputed to) them.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Matthew 13:43)
Please note that imputed righteousness cannot "shine like the sun."
Diamonds have to be cut and polished with extreme care if they are to be valuable and to shine as they should. So it is with God's "diamonds." They are cut and polished with the greatest of care, and the process can be painful. It is not possible to cut and polish a diamond with Kleenex.
This is the reason there are all kinds of people in the world, the righteous and the wicked. In the last days the wicked will be removed from the Kingdom of God, and then the righteous will shine.
Because God knows what He is doing with each individual, and that person's role in the furthering of God's plan, and we know none of this, we really have no basis on which to criticize another person.
"But he or she did wrong!" No doubt he did. But perhaps he did not have the wherewithal to change.
I am not saying people are not responsible for their actions. They are, and God will judge them on the basis of God's knowledge of them. I know for a fact that every person will be brought to account and one day will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and explain his of her actions.
One day the saints shall judge the world, and angels as well. But until that time, we do well to refrain from criticizing other people.
In the Resurrection What We Have Become Shall Be Revealed
Every day we are being formed according to the choices we make. We are being confirmed in our faithfulness and righteousness, our integrity, or we are being confirmed in our treachery and self-seeking.
As we make our choices, our spiritual nature that is in the heavenlies, and our new form that is there also, are being formed according to our choices during our present life.
We would not want people to know the secrets of our heart, in many instances. We probably wish to appear as a basically good, honest, trustworthy person. But that may not be what we are behind closed doors.
We are able to conceal what we are, to wear a mask, as people say. The man who is gentle and kindly when among people may be a beast at home, beating his wife and children.
However, in the Day of Resurrection, what we have become will be revealed clearly for everyone to see.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)
Can you imagine being regarded with shame and contempt when you are raised from the dead?
"But I have accepted Christ!" That does not matter. If your personality when it is exposed causes people to react with shame and contempt, your religious status does not matter. You are a shameful person, worthy of contempt by other people.
Christianity has followed other religions in advancing the doctrines of Heaven and Hell. If you practice our religion you will go to Heaven and not Hell.
This is not the case. There are different areas in the Land of Darkness and different areas in the Land of Light. Heaven itself, a part of the Land of Light, is the domain of the Royal Priesthood, the rulers of the new world of righteousness.
In the Land of Light there are people of various spiritual conditions who have to go to school to learn the ways of Heaven.
In the Land of Darkness there are several areas that grow increasingly painful, with Hell being the lowest stage. There are many lashes and few lashes, Jesus taught us.
The point is this: When the Day of Resurrection reveals what kind of personality you have, you will be placed in a suitable environment where there are other people like yourself. My understanding of the spirit world does not go beyond this, such as can a person move from a less painful area of the Land of Darkness into the Land of Light. I do not know.
We Assuredly Shall Reap What We Have Sown
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7,8)
What we sow we are going to reap, the Apostle Paul tells the Christians in Galatia. If we choose to yield to our sinful nature, we will reap destruction from that nature. If we choose to obey the Spirit of God we will reap Life from the Spirit.
Since the Bible is so clear on this, we can see that a great deal of today's Christian teaching is in error. In the Day of Resurrection we are going to look like what we are in actuality. Grace, mercy, and Divine love do not change this fact. We shall be placed where we belong.
God told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they surely would die.
Then Satan told them it was not certain they would die. Satan produced doubt in their minds.
So it is today. The New Testament tells us in several places that we are going to be rewarded according to our works. Yet the preachers of today are saying this is not so. They are speaking today as Satan spoke 6,000 years ago: "You shall not surely die"!
What should we do, jump up and down and say some preachers are liars; palace prophets?
That would be neither polite nor effective.
But what do we do to turn around today's preaching?
Paul wrote that if a believer sows to please his flesh he will reap corruption. This means that in the Day of Resurrection he will appear as a shrunken creature clothed in torn dirty rags.
Every Christian preacher worth his salt believes in the plenary verbal inspiration of the accepted Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts.
How then can he or she claim that if a person "accepts Christ" he will be raised to glory in the Day of Christ, although he sowed to please his flesh during his lifetime on the earth.
On what basis can he or she claim that grace, or mercy, or unconditional love make Paul's words, the words of the New Testament, invalid?
Are we in America so intellectually dishonest that we will claim to believe in the inerrancy of the Scriptures, and then deliberately teach that the Apostle Paul is mistaken?
Are our seminaries and Bible colleges and universities so blind they cannot see that they are invalidating the written Word of God?
I think the philosophy of Humanism has overtaken us to the point that any statement of the Bible that is not declaring God loves us so much He couldn't possibly make us suffer, is not permitted to be spoken.
Is it any wonder our country is in such a mess, being split apart internally by conflicting ideologies?
Isn't there some Christian leader who can stand up and declare that we are preaching "another gospel"?
Some are saying we need a reformation of Christian theology. This is a fact. I hope to live to see such a reformation takes place, regardless of what happens in our government.
The Rod of Iron by Which We Shall Rule Is Being Created in Us
To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26,27)
Exactly what is the iron scepter by which we are to govern? It is the iron righteousness that is formed in us as we choose to do God's will in spite of the numerous pressures that seek to compel us to be disobedient.
I seem to notice in today's political and business leaders there is a lack of iron will. There is a tendency to cave in to people's opinions, whether what the people desire is righteous or even sensible.
I accept the fact that political and business leaders may need to be pragmatic if they are to keep their position. But in the meanwhile, the standards of what is right and what is wrong are obscured.
The commands of God and Christ are not pragmatic. They cause upheavals in our life. They split families. They cause us to be unpopular---sometimes viciously persecuted.
Our country is a republic in name, a democracy in practice thanks to the multitude of communication devices. This means that the leaders must listen to the wishes of the populace. But most of the populace will choose that which pleases the flesh. If a politician is to remain in office he may have to sacrifice his principles, if he has any to begin with.
It appears to me that good moral men do not dare voice their genuine beliefs for fear they will not be elected. The result is, the party that stands for the popular desires will be elected even though such desires lead to the destruction of the nation.
God's truth is found in the Bible. It simply does not matter whether we approve of what it does or does not say. We obey, and we do so wholeheartedly and accurately. If our obedience means prison, torture, or death, as it has in the past to many genuine Christians, that is not an issue. The only issue is iron righteousness; fiery holiness; and stern obedience to the Father.
I wonder how many leaders of today would say and do what is according to the Bible, even though it meant they would never succeed in having their program adopted?
And then we come to the Christian churches. Are some of the pastors soft-pedaling the demands of discipleship in order to have a large church? If so, they are "unjust stewards." They had better make friends with their congregations so they will have someone to receive them when they die.
No Christian who does not have iron righteousness created in him or her can forget about being resurrected when the Lord returns. Why? Because the first resurrection is for those who will appear with Christ and enforce righteousness on the nations of the earth.
Such believers are God's "untouchables." They cannot be bribed or frightened into not forcing God's will on the rebellious nations. In the present world God sees their character. These are the rulers of the new world of righteousness. These are the members of the Royal Priesthood.
They will smash the resistance of the saved people of the nations with the iron scepter of righteousness that has been created in them.
It Is in the Present Hour That Man Is Being Created in the Image of God
All Christians understand that God created man to be in His image and likeness, in His internal image and external likeness.
Adam and Eve did not fit the Divine fiat except in a very elementary manner.
We know of the thousands of years since then; of the creating of called-out people when Abraham and Sarah were called out of Ur.
We know of the revealing of the moral law of God through Moses and Aaron.
We know of the appearing of the Son of God, and then of the Apostles. Through them the structure of the Godhead was revealed, as was eternal life.
Then the Christian church came into being, and the idea of being spared from Hell and eternal residence in Heaven. This fundamental concept of salvation exists to the present day.
But being spared from Hell and living forever in Heaven was not the original declaration. It was that man would be in God's image, not that people would leave the earth and live forever in Heaven. How ridiculous!
The blood atonement made on Calvary and the outpouring of God's Spirit was the first step in forming man. This is where we are in the present hour. We have been forgiven through the atonement and can receive the Spirit of God if we ask. But these are means to an end, not the end.
We now are in the twenty-first century, and God is ready to make us in His image.
Three steps are necessary if we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, which is equivalent to being made in God's image.
First, we must be delivered from our sinful nature.
Second, we must be filled with the fullness of God.
Third, we must be raised from the dead and clothed with a body from Heaven.
Our sinful nature also is in three parts: the love of the world; the sinful nature that dwells in our flesh and spirit; and our self-will. God is ready now to deal with all three, and we must cooperate with the Spirit of God if we are to be made in God's image.
God uses many disappointments and pains to deliver us from our trust in the world. We do our part by being baptized in water, declaring that we have left the world and now are entering the Kingdom of God.
Deliverance from the lusts of our flesh and spirit requires that we live in cooperation with the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God will point out our sins one at a time. When we become aware of a sin we are practicing, we must confess it clearly as sin, to the Lord Jesus. Then we are to ask His help in vigorously turning away from this behavior.
Deliverance from self-will is the most difficult issue facing the believer who would be in the image of God. We must absolutely, resolutely, declare to God that we are going to do His will in every matter from now on.
The Jordan River and the Veil of the Tabernacle are symbols of death to our self-will. God will give us a cross of deferred desire to help destroy our self will; or He may place us in some sort of prison of undesirable circumstances. We will be baptized with suffering.
We cannot cross over into the land of promise until we learn to live by the Life of the Lord Jesus and always do His will in the smallest and greatest aspects of our being and behavior.
The Book of Ephesians speaks of being filled with all the fullness of God. The Lord Jesus told us, in the Gospel of John, that if we would obey His commands, the Father would love us and Jesus would come to us. They would make Their eternal home in us.
So much for the internal image of God: deliverance from the world and from sin.
Now for the external image.
As we keep pressing into Christ, we receive more of the Life of Christ in us. This filling with resurrection Life has its counterpart in the heavenly Jerusalem where we are located.
Our house reserved in Heaven, and our spiritual personality, keep being enlarged as we count ourselves dead and risen with Christ.
In the Day of the Lord, Christ will return with the victorious believers of history and raise them and us from the dead. As soon as our flesh and bones are raised by the power of God, they will clothe a greatly expanded inner nature with the heavenly body that has been fashioned by our conduct on the earth.
Now we are in the very image of Christ, internally and externally.
It may be many thousands of years until we look like the Jesus of the first chapter of the Book of Revelation or the first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel. But such is the destiny of the sons of God.
There Will Be No "Rapture" To Deliver Us From Trouble
One common teaching among Christians is that we need not worry about the trouble we see approaching, because "we won't be here!"
There simply is no scriptural basis whatever for a "rapture" to Heaven of God's people to deliver them from Antichrist and the Great Tribulation.
Perhaps the most familiar of the passages that are used to support the doctrine of the "rapture" is the fourth chapter of the Book of First Thessalonians.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (I Thessalonians 4:16,17)
Please notice that the "dead in Christ will rise first." This is not speaking of their being caught up to meet the Lord, but of rising from the dead—of being resurrected, just as the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. After Jesus rose from the dead on the third day He no longer could be harmed by any kind of trouble.
After they are resurrected they cannot be harmed by Antichrist or the Great Tribulation. Therefore to teach we are caught up to Heaven to avoid Antichrist and the Great Tribulation does not make sense, in that we already are invulnerable since we have been resurrected.
Now, examine the above passage carefully. Also read its context in your Bible, all the verses of the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians.
Can you find any mention that the Lord is going to return to Heaven; or does it sound like we are going to meet Him as we would someone flying in on an airplane?
Is there any mention of going to Heaven, or are we going to meet Him in the air?
Is there any suggestion that our being caught up is so we might not be harmed by Antichrist or the Great Tribulation?
Is there any indication in the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians that our current belief is supported here?
Or was the passage written because people were grieving over their deceased loved ones, and Paul was comforting them with the idea that they would be joined together with them in the Day of the Lord?
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. (I Thessalonians 4:13)
The "rapture" teaching is nothing more than wishful thinking.
The passage is speaking about the appearing of Christ and His faithful saints of history. This same appearing is described in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Matthew. It is the Day of the Lord.
As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, (parousias) and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3)
Now notice First Thessalonians, Chapter Four:
According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming (parousian) of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. (I Thessalonians 4:15)
The word for "coming," in both First and Second Thessalonians, is the Greek term parousia . To then say that First Thessalonians is referring to a special event prior to Matthew Twenty-four appears to me to be sloppy scholarship, since the same Greek term is used in both situations.
Another passage on which the "rapture" is founded is as follows:
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
This protection is not offered to everyone who "accepts Christ" but to those who endure patiently while sin abounds on every side.
I doubt that the hour of trial is the Great Tribulation. I think rather it is a time of so much sin that the love of the majority of Christians will grow cold. However, that is not which I wish to stress here.
Rather it is the verb "keep." It means to "protect." "If you guard and protect my command to endure patiently, I will also guard and protect you from the hour of trial."
Nothing is said about catching us up to Heaven.
Notice how the same Greek verb is used by the same author in another place:
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
More sloppy scholarship.
And then there is the passage in Luke:
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
The key to understanding the verse above is what it means to "stand before the Son of Man."
Those who teach the catching up of the Church to Heaven imply that this means to go to Heaven—that we stand before Christ in Heaven.
But if we look at what the Bible says about "standing," we see that it does not mean necessarily standing in Heaven.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. (Ephesians 6:13,14)
It is the same Greek term as the passage in Luke.
As I stated previously, I have been teaching our congregation that we must learn to live by the Life of the Lord Jesus if we are to stand and help others to stand during the Gentile holocaust that is at hand.
Two of my favorite Bible characters are Elijah and Elisha. Are they your favorites also?
Do you know that they had in common? While they were on the earth they were standing in the Presence of the Lord.
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (I Kings 17:1—KJV)
And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. (II Kings 3:14—KJV)
There may be other passages used to support the idea of a catching up to Heaven to avoid Antichrist and the Great Tribulation, but I do not know of them. But in any case, the three I have mentioned have nothing to do with a "rapture."
The effect of the "rapture" teaching is to persuade Christian people to not prepare themselves for the approaching evil day, by saying that there will be no evil day for believing Christians.
But is this what the Bible teaches?
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
Over the past few years I have been teaching our congregation how to stand in the days of moral and physical horrors rapidly approaching us in the United States. Would I be more in line with God's will if I told them not to worry because they will be taken to Heaven before there is any danger of them being harmed?
The result of the "rapture" teaching is the complacent, careless believers we so often see today. I wonder what the effect would be on the Church at large if the preachers reported they had been incorrect all these years, and the people needed to prepare themselves to stand in the evil day.
What is your opinion of this.
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer. (I Timothy 1:3)
Preparing To Be Revealed With Jesus
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1,2)
The Servant of the Lord is Christ—Head and Body. God upholds His Servant. The Servant has been chosen and God delights in Him. God has put His Spirit on Him.
And then the purpose—that He might bring justice to the nations of the earth. This will take place when the Lord Jesus next appears.
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. (Revelation 19:11)
Bringing justice to the nations begins with the battle we often call "Armageddon." It is Christ and His army, and the army of angels, attacking Antichrist and his army, Satan, the False Prophet, and a great company of demons. This battle will take place at Har Magedon , a short distance north of Jerusalem.
A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. (Joel 2:2)
The verse above is telling of what will take place after the victory at Har Magedon . Christ will lead His army and the army of angels throughout the earth, destroying the Antichrist institutions.
Many people will be slain and their spirits driven into the Land of Darkness. Others will be spared and be part of the nations that the Lord and His saints will govern.
The trappings of civilization, such as electricity, automobiles, highways, radios, televisions, will be destroyed because they take away that which God desires—time to love and serve God. The emphasis will be upon loving relationships in the family.
Electricity will be restored when God is satisfied that people are putting God and their families in the place of first importance..
The purpose of this destruction is that Christ and His saints may be able to bring the nations of the earth into stern obedience to God.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:18-21)
The sons of God will bring the Spirit of God to the whole earth. All people will be set free from bondage. This is what shall take place when Christ next appears. Romans tells us how the creation will be set free as the water of eternal Life flows from the Throne of God that has been created in the members of the Servant of the Lord.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9)
Isaiah describes the result of the filling of the earth with the knowledge of the Lord. The "holy mountain" is Jerusalem from which Christ and His Body are ruling. The little children, may, if they wish, have lions and wolves for pet. The vicious nature will be removed from the fiercest of beasts. This is the Kingdom of God on the earth for the thousand years after Christ next appears and prior to the final resurrection.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
Colossians informs us that we shall appear with Jesus. And this is the point of the present essay.
We noted, in Joel, that after the onslaught of Har Magedon , there was a cleansing of the earth in preparation for the rule of Christ and His saints from Jerusalem. This was done by a large and mighty army. While it is true that Christ will bring with Him when He appears all the victorious saints of past history, some of us may be still living on the earth when He comes.
"When Christ who is our life appears, then we also shall appear with Him."
Are we prepared to be part of such an army? That is the question I am raising in this brief article.
Are the churchgoers in America prepared to descend from where they met Christ in the air and confront all the forces of Hell? Are they then prepared to go through the earth and exercise Divine judgment on all the people and vaporize the Antichrist institutions that have made a warm, loving family life just about impossible.
Before we are ready for such a tremendous experience we must be manifested before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
For all of us it behoveth to be manifested before the tribunal of the Christ, that each one may receive the things [done] through the body, in reference to the things that he did, whether good or evil; (II Corinthians 5:10—YLT)
We receive the things themselves, just as Young says.
If we are a liar, our lying nature will be apparent in our resurrection form.
If we are covetous, the covetousness will be obvious in our new form.
We receive the things we did in the body. It is the law of sowing and reaping. We reap what we have sown, not a reward for what we have sown.
If we have gained victory through Christ over the deeds of our sinful nature, that righteousness and holiness will radiate from our resurrection form.
Let us look once more at our key verse, and the verse that follows.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:4,5)
"Put to death, therefore . . ." Why "therefore"? Because if we are to appear with Him we must be free from the works of our sinful nature.
Those who are resurrected and then caught up to meet the Lord in the air will be in His internal and external image. I do not say they all will be perfect at this time. But they will be much more mature than the churchgoer of today who has "accepted" Christ and now lives like any other worldly person.
So many are trusting in "grace" to catch them up in a "rapture" any moment now. But grace will not be operative in that hour. Rather, each member of the Body of Christ will have to have been delivered from the works of the flesh; and also will have had the iron of righteous behavior formed in him or her.
We are going to govern the nations by the iron scepter of righteousness that has been formed in us as we have chosen to confess and turn away from our sins. This is what the Holy Spirit is inviting us to do at the present time.
If we are to be a great and powerful army we have to have been delivered from the works of our sinful nature..
If we are to stand in the time of chaos that is approaching our country we have to have been delivered from the works of our sinful nature.
If we are to be resurrected and caught up to meet Jesus when He appears, and then appear with Him, we have to have been delivered from the works of our sinful nature.
In addition to be delivered from the works of our sinful nature, we must be totally obedient to Christ, resting in the center of God's perfect Person and will. There is to be nothing whatever in our life concerning which we do not say "Your will be done."
Also, we must be filled with all the fullness of God. There are two dimensions of being filled with all the fullness of God. One dimension is the forming of the Divine Nature of Christ in us. The other dimension is the dwelling of the Father in Christ in our personality such that it is not we who are living but They who are living in us.
The forming of the Divine Nature in us occurs as we keep eating the flesh of Christ and drinking His blood. We are given of this "hidden manna" every time we say no to the desires of our sinful nature, and choose to do the will of Christ. In this manner Christ is formed in us.
As far a God and Christ Themselves dwelling in our personality, this requires our removing ourselves from the throne of our personality that God might have His unhindered way in us. The crucifixion of our self-will must take place. God will accomplish such crucifixion in us if we will stay faithful to God, trusting Him through every cross and every prison.
If we remain utterly faithful, the time will come when we are permitted to resume our position on the throne of our own life, but we will be sharing it with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It always is the sword of the Lord and of Gideon when we are mature. God does nothing in our life without our cooperation, and we cannot do anything in our life apart from God.
The filling of our mortal body with the Spirit of God will complete our change into the image of God.
In all of this, we never lose our uniqueness as an individual. The difference, is we have become an integral part of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace will not help us when Christ appears. What will matter is what kind of person we have become in Christ. Are we fit to cleanse and govern the earth along with the Lord Jesus?
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
The Servant of the Lord is Christ—Head and Body. God upholds His Servant. The Servant is chosen and God delights in Him. God has put His Spirit on Him.
And then the purpose—that He might bring justice to the nations of the earth. This will take place when the Lord Jesus next appears.
Are you, as a member of the Body of Christ, prepared to bring eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace to the nations of the earth? If not, then the coming of the Lord will be the worst thing that ever happened to you.
You can prepare yourself today, but you have to understand that the current level of discipleship is far below the Bible standard. You must ask Jesus to help you prepare yourself for His appearing. This includes confessing and turning away from all the sins the Spirit of God points out to you.
Jesus is more than glad to assist you, but you must be utterly sincere and determined to deny yourself and to take up your cross of deferred desire.
Please keep in mind that the Lord Jesus is more desirous than you are that you might attain to the best that God has for you. He stands ready at every moment to aid you. He never will leave you or forsake you.
There are many today on the earth who will heed the call of the Spirit and prepare themselves to appear with Christ.
Will you?
The above are some of the major things I have learned during my discipleship. I hope they will inspire you to press forward until you attain to the measure of the fullness of Christ.
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)