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THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES TO EARTH Part Six June 2001 The Angel With The Everlasting Gospel (continued) While in the Spirit on the Lord's day, John had a vision in
which he saw an angel "flying" in the midst of heaven. An angel is generally
interpreted as a messenger, or it may be someone ministering in the realm of the
Spirit. The word angel, from the Greek, means a messenger; it is usually one who
brings tidings of good news. John saw an angel, or a messenger, flying or moving
about in the realm of the Spirit. Or, we might also say there was spiritual
activity in the heavens of God's Spirit by a heavenly messenger. That angel, or
messenger of good news, was seen "flying" in the midst of heaven,
"having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come:
and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of
waters" (Rev. 14:6-7). The word "everlasting" simply means "perpetual" or "eternal,"
including all that is of the past, present and future. The "everlasting Gospel"
may very well be the message of the good news that will provide us with our full
salvation. It is the very Word of our Father, sent from the Heavens of Spirit to
this earth, that will change us from this mortal, corruptible "worm" of flesh
and blood into the new man of spirit, to become the incorruptible, immortal and
beautiful "butterfly" creation of God. We shall then manifest the abundant and
eternal Life of Christ. An angel, or a spiritual messenger, was seen by John
moving throughout the heavens of Spirit spreading the everlasting Gospel, which
is the anointed Word of God that will complete our change into the fullness of
the image and likeness of the risen and glorified Christ of God. John saw, by the Spirit, that the blessed hour would come, in
the outworking of Father's purposes for this world, when that angelic messenger
would begin the grand and glorious work of sending the anointed Word of God to
the earth. That anointed Word of Father's power and authority will bring about
our literal, bodily transformation. And that blessed hour may be nearer than we
realize! We are to hear and receive that "everlasting Gospel," which will cause
our total and complete bodily transformation. We must have hearing ears that are
anointed afresh by the Spirit to HEAR all that those heavenly messengers will
say to the firstfruit saints, or to the Lord's elect. Therefore, we must make
the transition from hearing and listening to man to hearing only the anointed
Word of our heavenly Father. And we will surely do this if we are called to
become manifest sons of God, who are being transformed into the image and
likeness of Christ! During Jesus' earthly ministry, a certain scribe asked Him,
"Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all
the commandments is, HEAR, O Israel; The Lord our God is one
Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first
commandment" (Mark 12:28-30, see also Deut. 6:3-6). How important it is for
us to HEAR the Lord our God, and Him only, and then to love and obey Him above
all others! When the ten commandments were given to Israel, the people heard
the Voice of the Lord speaking to them out of the darkness, with the mountain
burning with fire. They knew, by those wondrous and majestic experiences, that
their God, the God of Israel, did speak to man and that He was the God Who
lived. But they feared for their lives because of His awesome and dreadful
presence that was displayed when God spoke. The people even agreed to do all the
Lord told them to do, through their leader, Moses, as long as they were not
required to be in God's presence when He spoke (see Deut. 5:25-27 & 18:16). So
they persuaded Moses to listen to the Lord for them. From that day to this, God's people have been accustomed to
appointing priests, prophets, pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons, to hear
the Word of the Lord for them, instead of hearing Him themselves. But that old
order has since passed away! God has established a new and higher spiritual
order for His elect! And this new order of the Spirit replaces all those
substitutes, whether they be prophets, priests, pastors, teachers or elders, and
makes His true sons kings and priests in the kingdom of their Father, with the
spiritual ability to HEAR all the Lord would tell us. No longer do the elect and
chosen ones listen to God's word through someone else, except to confirm what
they have already heard, for we have grown and matured spiritually to HEAR God
speak for ourselves. If we are indeed sons of God, who are growing up to become
manifest sons of God (1 John 3:1-2), then we are hearing the pure, anointed Word
of our Father directly from His pure mind! While in the Spirit on the Lord's day, John saw a royal company
of white-robed saints. One of the heavenly "elders" then said to him, "What
are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said
unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of
great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and
night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light
on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne
SHALL FEED THEM, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Rev. 7:13-17).
Let us understand clearly just who these white-robed saints of
God are! They are people in this world just like you and me! Some of them have
passed from this life to the next; but all of them have endured the tests, the
trials and the tribulations of this life. And they are seen coming out of those
tribulations in the triumphant victory that characterizes all the overcomers,
who are the true sons of God. They have washed their robes and made them pure
and white in the blood of the Lamb. Their "robes" are their garments of this
life; it is their physical bodies of this present, earthly flesh and blood life.
They have washed their "robes," or their bodies in this world, and made white in
the blood of the Lamb. All this was done by the Spirit, as the Lord led them through
the processings of this life, which made them pure and righteous in God's sight,
while they walk this earth in the midst of worldly sin and corruption. They have
taken each spiritual step onward and upward in God that is necessary for their
ultimate change. Their true, spiritual desire and goal is to put off these
earthly, fleshly garments or robes, even though they were made white by the
blood of the Lamb. Their desire or their goal is "to be clothed upon with
our (their new and much more glorious) house from heaven" (2 Cor. 5:1-2).
Those white-robed saints have grown, matured and progressed
spiritually all the way westward in God until they have reached the realm of the
Holiest of all, which is the utmost and the highest spiritual realm of the
fullness of God. Their white robes show that they have been thoroughly processed
and prepared in the holy fires of God's burning, purging presence, and all the
iniquities of man have been removed from them. Having reached His highest and
utmost, they are resting in the Lord "before the throne of God, and serve
him day and night in his temple." He who sits on the throne of the Lord
dwells among them; they are in the wonderful, rewarding and sustaining presence
of the King of kings and Lord of lords. They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
spiritually speaking, for the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne shall FEED
THEM. They do not partake of the food of man, but are feasting on new, heavenly
manna! The "food" the Lord shall give those white-robed saints will be
the mature "meat" of His kingdom. It is spiritual food that will also lead them
to the rich and abundant waters of the Life of Christ, as God has promised.
"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne SHALL FEED THEM, AND
SHALL LEAD THEM UNTO LIVING FOUNTAINS OF WATERS." And when they
have eaten of His kingdom Bread in sufficient abundance (as in Jo. 6:47-51), and
have also partaken in fullness of the waters of His Life (as in Jo. 4:13-14),
they shall be gloriously transformed into the full image and likeness of their
resurrected and glorified Lord and King. Jesus Christ, the first Son of God, set the standard for all
other sons when He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I HEAR (My
Father), I judge; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father
which hath sent me" (John 6:30). If we expect to become manifest sons of
God, doing only His perfect will and ruling and reigning with Him, then we must
HEAR all our Father has to say to us to change us into His likeness. Then we
also shall obediently walk in the light of His revealed will. Flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Co. 15:50)! Therefore, to reign in His
kingdom we must be changed into the wonderful and glorious image and likeness of
Jesus Christ, the first Son of God. When Jesus appeared in His transformed glory
on the mount of Transfiguration, along with Moses and Elijah, the voice of the
Father spoke out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son: HEAR HIM"
(Mk. 9:7 & Lu. 9:35). In this glorious and wonderful new Day, our Father has brought
forth a new spiritual order in the earth. He also has elevated us in the Spirit,
given us ears to hear, and promoted us to the high rank of kings and priests in
His kingdom. Therefore, we should HEAR our Lord and all He would say to us
today. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Captain of our salvation! This means He is
our chief and only Leader, the victorious and chief Son who is appointed of the
Father to bring "many sons unto glory" (He. 2:10). He is not merely
trying to bring His brother-sons to the same glory that
He attained, but He IS doing that great kingdom work
with mighty power and deliberate purpose! Therefore, we should HEAR HIM, not
some carnal, earthly substitute! Our Lord Jesus Christ also is the firstborn Son of God! He
walked this earth in a literal, physical body, just as we are. He was tested and
tried and made perfect through sufferings, just as we are. He overcame all
things of this corrupt worldly order, including the wiles of the devil, as we
also are. The spiritual path He walked as the Captain of our salvation is also
the path in the Spirit that we are to walk as sons of the most High. He
victoriously triumphed over death, hell, and the grave, as we are also! He arose
from the grave in victory and came forth with a new, resurrected and glorified
body that is eternal and is the very image and likeness of the Father, just as
we shall also. And because our Lord Jesus Christ is our chief Leader, the
Captain of our salvation, and the first Son of God Who triumphed over death and
brought forth divine Life for all, we should HEAR HIM, not some carnal, earthly,
man-ordained substitute! Jesus gave a wonderful Word of promise to all the elect, who are
His sheep, when He said: "The sheep that are My own HEAR and ARE
LISTENING to My voice, and I know them and THEY FOLLOW ME, And I give
them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages -
to all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed." These three
things are vital and necessary in our relationship with our Father and our walk
with Him: hearing, listening, and following Him. The sheep that
are His own, who are the elect and chosen sons of God, are listening to His
voice and are hearing Him. Because we hear His Voice, listen to Him, and follow
Him, we are progresssively and continually being changed to receive eternal
life, or the everlasting and abundant Life of Christ for the eternal future.
Our respect for His Word, as well as our obedience to that Word,
will reward us with His eternal Life. "And they shall never lose it or
perish throughout the ages - to all eternity they shall never by any means be
destroyed." Amen and amen! Furthermore, "no one is able to snatch them
out of My hand" (John 10:27-28, Amplified). We are safe and secure in the
hands of our loving, merciful and caring Father! He will complete the work He
has already begun in us, for His glory! And nothing or no one shall ever take us
out of His masterful, creative and loving hand! The anointed, Life-imparting Word of the Lord comes down from
God out of heaven as rain upon the earth, to give Life to all who hear. Of that
Word, God has promised, "It shall not return unto me void, but it shall
accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it" (Is. 55:10-11). And what will that specially anointed, sent Word of God
accomplish? The prophetic word promises, "For ye shall go out with
(the) joy (of the Lord), and be led forth with (the) peace (of the kingdom of
God, for you will be transformed into His image and likeness): (then) the
mountains and the hills shall break forth BEFORE YOU into singing, and all the
trees of the field shall clap their hands (something they seldom have done
before due to the curse and their former bondages). Instead of the thorn shall
come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree
(this tells us that the creation shall be delivered and the curse removed,
possibly when we are transformed): and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off" (Is. 55:12-13).
Amen, and blessed be the Name of the Lord! The Psalmist stated a similar truth, when he said, "He sent
forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave" (Ps.
107:20, NIV). By the word of the Lord, sent from the heavens of God's Spirit to
this earth, we shall be made whole in every area of our spirit, soul and body.
We shall be rescued from the grave to live the Life of Christ in fullness. This
shall take place by the impartation of His Life. How important it is for every
true, maturing son of God to HEAR the precious Word of the Lord from His pure
mind, which is His Life, without any added "debris" from the carnal mind of man!
A new order has come to the earth, not by the letter of the law, but by
the will of God being inworked within His elect and chosen sons of God, who are
walking out the will of their Father in this world. The sons of God are being led by the Spirit to walk a new path
in this new Day. The new path they are walking and which they have created is
the highway to the new and more glorious order of the kingdom of God. This new
kingdom highway takes us beyond church order and the realm of Pentecost; it will
take us all the way to Tabernacles and the fullness of God if we will follow
that spiritual path. The true, maturing and chosen sons of God are being raised
in the Spirit to heavenly realms. They are being gathered together in the Spirit
and by the Spirit, not outwardly in the flesh, or unto man and man's ways. These
elect are being raised to heavenly realms of the Spirit where they are being
joined together with others of like calling and purpose. This is a spiritual
gathering, not a literal one. Their lives in this world show forth the quiet
confidence of those whose spirits are in heavenly places and who are hearing
only their Father's pure Word. Our necessary processings and preparations are taking place in
our lives while we remain hidden away in our God-ordained booths, tabernacles,
or secret places in the Spirit. Our Father is joining us together now, but only
in the Spirit and by the Spirit. We are being gathered together UNTO HIM in the
Spirit, for "unto him shall the gathering of the people be"
(Gen. 49:10, Mk. 4:27 & 2 Thess. 2:1). Then, when we are complete, mature and
perfect in all three areas of our beings, our union with others of like calling
and purpose shall then take place, in the Spirit and by the Spirit. Then this
Manchild, or this Christ-body, which we are becoming, shall be fully joined to
Christ the Head. And then this thoroughly matured and gloriously perfected and
adorned company of the sons of God shall be unveiled and revealed outwardly for
all the world to see. That will be the glorious and wonderful manifestation of
the sons of God! Ezekiel's Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones By the Spirit, the prophet Ezekiel was carried into the spirit
and saw himself in the midst of a valley that was full of bones. The Spirit then
took him around that valley where he could see that there were very many bones,
and every one of those bones were very dry. They were as dry as dust and lacking
the Life of the Spirit, which is death! The Lord then asked him, "Son of
man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he
said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones,
hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these
bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I
will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with
skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall LIVE; and ye shall know that I
am the Lord" (Eze. 37:1-6). Notice that the word "Son" in the
above passage is capitalized, yet that word does not begin a sentence in the
scriptural text. The term, "Son of man," is usually used with reference to the
Lord Jesus Christ. In His life in this world, Jesus walked through that which is
revealed in Ezekiel's prophecy. He suffered and died on the cross, and was
buried to become like one of those "bones." Then He rose from the dead, and was
glorified, to become the firstfruits of us all. Thus, by those real living,
earthly experiences, Jesus fulfilled the example given in Ezekiel's prophecy of
that company that shall have the breath of the Life of God in them, causing them
to stand on their feet and become an exceeding great army. The term "Son of
man," may also apply to anyone who is a true son and who has become fully "inChristed"
by the same process. And that same term, "Son of man," when used of the prophet
Ezekiel, undoubtedly shows his destiny in the kingdom of God. It is our destiny
as well, if our Father has given us ears to HEAR only the anointed, living Word
of our Father! It is by the anointed, living Word of God that we shall come
forth out of these graves. There are not only literal graves where many are
buried in the soil of this earth; but there are also "graves" of the flesh in
which we now live in this world. These physical bodies are also "graves." When
those dry bones heard the Word of the Lord, they could do nothing else but obey
that Word, for that Word came with all of Father's power and authority. When the
very first anointed Word of the Lord came forth from heaven to the earth, there
was a noise and the bones started rattling and shaking. The dry bones were
coming together from their various places, and were being joined to other dry
bones, each bone in its proper place. As the prophet, or the Son of man, observed, he saw that sinews,
flesh and skin came up over that bony, lifeless structure to cover it. But there
was no breath in them! So the Lord said to the prophet, "Prophesy unto the
wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come
from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and
they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army"
(Eze. 37:9-10). Ezekiel was a well-known prophet of the Lord in Israel. The
people knew he was a true prophet of the Lord and they respected his
relationship with God. The prophet told how the people would talk of his
prophetic ability. They would speak of him "by the walls and in the doors of
the houses." They would say to one another, "Come, and HEAR what the
word is that comes forth from the Lord. And they come to you as people come, and
they sit before you as My people, and they hear the words you say, but
they will not DO THEM; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart
goes after and is set on their [idolatrous greed for] gain" (Eze.
33:30, Amplified). This describes many Christians today! They may hear God's
Word outwardly, but they cannot hear Him in the depth of their spirits, to DO
what that Word conveys. But surely this cannot and will not be said of any of
the Lord's elect and chosen ones of this new Day! The word of the Lord is coming forth today! This fresh, new Word
is not given only to designated prophets, pastors and teachers. It is better,
rather, to avoid those who claim such an office and turn your own spiritual ear
to the Heavens of His Spirit, and hear for yourself what your Father has to say.
May we all, who are called of God to walk in sonship and who are also doing all
His will, let us "come, and HEAR what the word is that comes forth
from the Lord." Father's anointed Word of life, wisdom, power and
authority is coming "down" from the heavens of His Spirit. Let us HEAR HIM and
then obediently DO all He tells us to do. The secret to hearing a further Word
from the Lord is to be obedient to the first Word He speaks to us. Our obedience
to the first Word He speaks to us will bring forth other divine words of truth
and purpose, as well as that final Word of Life, which will change us from this
"worm" of flesh into the beautiful "butterfly" that manifests His Life.
It is the anointed, living Word of God that shall transform us
into the image and likeness of Christ; not some strange, mystical, religious
performance, or someone's spurious doctrines, that might be out of our reach or
beyond our ability to hear and do. It is also by the power of the anointed Word
of God that we shall be given the breath of the Life of God, which will
transform these "bones" that we are into that great army of God that Ezekiel
saw. That anointed army shall minister that same Life to the burdened, groaning
creation, by the Spirit. Our Father has already given us the spiritual abilities
and tools necessary for our transformation. The abilities or tools our Father
has given us are the hearing ears of the Spirit, a love for Him and His ways,
and a deep and abiding longing to do His pure and perfect will, and His will
only. And all we need to do to become fully inChristed, and changed into His
image and likeness, is to use those God-given abilities. The words and ways of the Lord are always perfect, peaceable and
righteous. Man's word will bring confusion, doubts and spiritual turmoil. But
the word of the Lord, sent to the earth from His pure mind, is "the wisdom
that is from above (and) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be intreated (or good for persuasion - which means that someone spiritual may
be easily persuaded by His good word), full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace of them that make peace" (James 3:17-18). The pure word of the Lord, the word our Father would speak to
our innermost beings to transform us, is not strange, misleading or difficult to
hear. His Word is not hidden from us, nor is it far off. To receive His Word, we
do not need to ascend to heaven; nor do we need to travel across the oceans.
"But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart,
that thou mayest DO IT." (Deut. 30:11-14). If God has given us
ears to hear His Word, then that Word comes with all of Father's authority and
power to fulfill it and do it. He puts it in our mouths, that we might confess
it and obey it, and in our hearts, giving us the spiritual strength, fortitude
and ability to DO IT. The Spirit of the Lord gave the introduction to the angelic
message of the everlasting gospel. This tells us what our attitude should be as
we prepare to receive that Gospel message of the Life of Christ, which is the
good news of the kingdom of our Father. He said, "Fear God, and give glory
to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him
that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
(Rev. 14:7). This is the day of the Lord! It also is the day of the coming of
the first, or Davidic, phase of the kingdom of God to the earth. But to say it
as John saw it, we might say, "the hour of his judgment is come!"
This is the new Day of the kingdom of God on earth; it also is
the hour or the day of the Lord and the day of His judgments. We shall be judged
on this Day, corrected of the Lord, and then deemed worthy to partake of the
fullness of His Life. It is the hour when God shall judge our works to determine
whether our works are of the flesh or of the will of God and the Spirit of the
Lord. If what we have done and are doing is of the flesh, or the result of the
religious works of man, they will be burned in the fiery presence of the Lord,
and we will be saved, "yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:13-15, 2 Pet. 3:10,
Rev. 2:23). If there is anything of and by the Spirit of God in the works that
we have done, they will remain as a part of His kingdom, and our Lord will
reward us for all we have done in His Name (Is. 40:10, 62:11). All who see this Day and Father's plans and purposes for it will
respectfully and joyfully fear the Lord and will give all the glory to Him and
to Him only. The Lord is doing an awesome and glorious work in this new Day, and
we respect and honor Him for it. Respect and honor for the Lord seems to be
sadly lacking today! Someone recently talked to us about the clothes people wear
in the churches of today. It appears that anything goes, including any type of
casual clothing worn by some who attend church today. There is an outright lack
of respect and appreciation for the Lord and His presence by those who attend
church today. What has happened? Why this lack of respect and honor for the Lord
and His presence in churches and fellowships today? The simple answer is,
the glory has departed! The living, vital presence of the Spirit of the
Lord is no longer there! The glory of the Lord and His joy, which
accompanies His presence, has been replaced by the carnal, soulish happiness and
excitement of man, along with man's enthusiasm! It is the same "spirit" one may
feel at a good, exciting sports event! Contrary to the way and the manner of the people in the
spiritually dead churches of today, the elect revere, respect, and highly honor
the Lord their God and Father! They know and understand, by the Spirit, that
this is a new Day, even the day of the Lord. They also know that this is the day
of the beginning of the first, or Davidic phase, of the kingdom of God on earth.
The first dominion of the kingdom of God has come to the elect of earth (Micah
4:8). The Spirit within them has made the elect and chosen ones aware that
something strange and wonderful is happening in the Spirit. Because of what they
sense in the Spirit, the elect have great respect, honor and reverence for their
Lord and King, and also for His kingdom. Their hearts are filled with Godly fear
and holy reverence, and they worship Him in the secret place of the most High.
They acknowledge Him as their Savior, Head, Lord, and King, and desire that only
His perfect will should be done in all the earth, just as it is done in the
heavens of His Spirit. The Way of the Lord Restored Among the Elect These are days of restoration, but these are also days of the
Spirit's burning, purging judgment unto correction! The day of the Lord is a day
when the Lord judges and corrects all that is not of His pure and perfect will.
The prophet Joel set forth the Lord's order of restoration, correctional
judgment, and Spirit-birthed revival. The prophet declared that God would
"restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten." This tells us that
even the time we spent in the tests and trials of this life will be restored to
us. The prophet Joel told of the blessings that would come to the people through
that restoration. Then, the word of the Lord came to the prophet,
saying, "And it shall come to pass AFTERWARD, that I will pour out my spirit
upon all flesh." (Joel 2:25 & 28). In order for the Spirit to move in great
glory in the earth, God must first restore His elect. He obviously does this by
judging us, correcting us, and raising us up to a higher spiritual realm in God.
Then He will make us the messengers of that restoration to the rest of the
people of the world (2 Cor. 5:18-19). When the Lord called us out of the religious systems of man, He
knew what was in our hearts and whether or not we would be faithful to Him to
keep the way of the Lord. The Lord called Abraham and said of him, "For I
know him, that he will command his children and his household after him,
and they shall keep the way of the Lord." (Gen. 18:19). Whenever
the Lord begins a new Day, with a new plan and purpose for that new Day, He
calls forth an individual or a group of saints who have a willing heart to do
all His will, keep the way of the Lord and faithfully walk in that way. When He
called us, our Father also gave us something of His nature, along with the
gifts, abilities and the where-with-all, to do all His holy will and keep the
way of the Lord. It is impossible for any of us, of ourselves, to walk in His
perfect will and keep the way of the Lord. That is something God gives us when
He calls us. In this way, no one is privileged above another person, for all
that we are and have is from the Lord. Our high calling is "not of works,
lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them" (Eph. 2:9-10). The tests and trials of this life are purposed of our Father to
prove us, to see if we will be faithful to keep the way of the Lord. When the
Lord saw the disobedience of His people Israel, in history, He declared that He
would not drive out the enemy nations, which remained to trouble Israel after
the death of Joshua. The Lord said, "I also will not henceforth drive out
any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That
through them I may prove Israel, whether they will KEEP THE WAY OF THE
LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not" (Judges
2:21-22). Our processings may be deep and troublesome, but when we have come
through them all victoriously and triumphantly, God will have determined that we
will surely keep the way of the Lord, with no other plan in our hearts and minds
that might interfere with His greater plan, and without hesitation or
compromise. And His way is not tiresome or burdensome to us, but "the way of
the Lord is strength to the upright" (Pro. 10:29). The Elect and the Spirit of Elijah In a previous booklet (April 2001, page nine), we wrote that the
elect are anointed with the Spirit and power of Elijah, which is that portion of
God's Spirit that shall restore all things everywhere. This is in keeping with
our Father's sovereign plan and purpose in redemption and restoration. At the
beginning of the church age, the Lord called forth John the Baptist, who was
anointed with the Spirit of Elijah. All that John the Baptist did then was done
by the Spirit of God and according to the manner and the way of the Spirit and
power of Elijah, which is to restore all things. Once again, in the beginning of this new Day, the Lord has
called forth an elect and chosen remnant who are anointed with the Spirit of
Elijah, as John the Baptist was. It is that same Spirit that anointed both
Elijah and John the Baptist with the ultimate purpose of restoring all things.
It may not look like it now, but all things shall be restored in Father's time
and according to His due order. The elect, who are keeping the way of the Lord,
shall have a large part in bringing that restoration to pass in the lives of all
mankind everywhere in all the earth, and ultimately throughout the entire
universe! We are anointed with the Spirit of Elijah! That anointing of the
Spirit includes "the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness (in this
wilderness that is outside the churches and systems of man), Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make straight in the desert (the same desert or wilderness, which
is outside the churches and fellowships of man) a highway for our God (as in Is.
35:8). Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made
low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for
the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Is. 40:3-5). This word came forth
out of the "mouth" of the Lord. It has had a partial fulfillment in the past,
but shall surely be fulfilled in a greater measure in the days to come.
Before the transformation and resurrection of the saints could
take place, which He clearly demonstrated on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus
said, "Elias (Elijah) truly shall first come, and restore all things."
The Spirit of restoration with which Elijah was anointed is the same Spirit that
also anointed John the Baptist. And that same anointing of the Spirit is also
within the elect of the Lord of this new Day. As the elect of the Lord, we are
also fulfilling the Elijah ministry for this Day, which is to come to the earth
before the transformation and resurrection of the saints, or before the
manifestation of the sons of God. Like all things of the kingdom of God, or all
things spiritual, the Elijah anointing of the Spirit must come "down" from God
out of heaven to the earth, and it has. And now, once again it may be said,
"Elias (the Spirit of Elijah) is come already," or within the elect at this
time, to begin to restore all things, "and they (the world and most
Christians) knew him (them) not, but have done (and are doing) unto him (them)
whatsoever they listed" (Mt. 17:10-13). History is always good lesson material. If we will learn from
the mistakes our forefathers in history have made, we will gain much ground in
the kingdom of our Father. But just like our children in the flesh, some refuse
to learn from past mistakes, and desire to go their own way. But God has a
people today who are learning from Israel's past mistakes. It is not that we are
much wiser than they were, it is that the Spirit of God is doing a short, quick
work with His chosen saints of today to bring to pass His eternal purposes
without delay. Israel often turned from the way of the Lord to walk in the paths
of their own choosing. This resulted in multiplied troubles for the nation. At
one such time of disobedience, the Lord said of Israel, "Surely these are
poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord,
nor the judgment of their God. I will get me TO THE GREAT MEN, and will
speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the
judgment of their God" (Jer. 5:4-5). If we ever might have wondered who the great men of the world
are, this prophetic word of the Lord surely settles it! The great men of the
world are not the wealthy, the prosperous, the leaders of business and industry,
or the politicians and the governmental leaders of this world; they are the
saints of God who know the way of the Lord and who faithfully and obediently
keep it! They shall be exalted in the heavenly courts of the Spirit by their
omnipotent and sovereign Father, and eventually shall be heard and received by
the multitudes of this world. They shall be given rulership positions in that
great and mighty, all-encompassing kingdom of their Father, a spiritual position
that they gained through much tribulation. During the reign of King David, after the Lord had given him
rest from all his enemies, David expressed a desire to build a house for the
Lord. The Lord then spoke to Nathan the prophet and gave him His word regarding
David's desire to build a house for the Lord. The Lord questioned David's desire
and reminded him that God had not dwelt in any house since He brought Israel out
of Egypt, but had dwelt in tents or tabernacles. The Lord also informed David
that it was God Who took him from following the sheep, and Who made him to be
the ruler over His people, Israel. The Lord said He also was with David in
battles, to cut off his enemies, "and have made thee a great name,
like unto the great men that are in the earth" (2
Sam. 7:1-9). The Kings and priests of God are the great men of this world!
Our Father has made them to be that by the authority and power of His kingdom
reign and dominion. We may be mere sons of God now, but it does not yet appear
what greatness we shall have when our Father has exalted us and made us to sit
with Him on His heavenly, spiritual throne, with the masses of the nations at
our feet worshiping the Christ of God, of Whom we are a part. Other great men
are listed in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews! They, along with
other God-appointed kings and priests, are the great men of this world. But I
hasten to add that they are not just "men" after the flesh; they are men and
women of God who have kept the way of the Lord and who have become spiritually
mature "men" in the Spirit. They have become a part of that masculine "manchild,"
the SON OF MAN company, whether male or female according to the flesh. They have
been gloriously changed and wondrously transformed into the image and likeness
of Christ, their blessed Savior, Head, Lord, and King. Before the Lord proceeds to do a great and mighty work in the
earth, He first prepares His way within and among His people in the earth. He is
now preparing and establishing His way within His elect and chosen ones. By the
Spirit, the elect are now walking out that new kingdom highway that leads all
the way to the fullness of God. His way must be prepared or established, using
our lives as examples of the way, so that others may follow! Are you willing to
be used of your Father as stepping stones in His kingdom, setting down a path
that will lead to the fullness of God and the salvation of the multitudes of
this world? While those of the church system are following the ways of man and
of the dead past in this present world, the Voice of the Spirit can be heard,
crying out of the wilderness of our preparation, saying, "Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Is. 40:3).
John the Baptist came out of the wilderness of his preparation
"preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Yet,
Luke declared that John's message of repentance was "the voice of one crying
in the wilderness" (see Lu. 3:2-4). This was true of John, for he was
anointed with the Spirit and power of Elijah, which also is "the voice of
one crying in the wilderness." So also are we anointed with that same
Spirit, the Spirit and power of Elijah, which also is "the voice of one
crying in the wilderness." By the anointing of the Spirit of Elijah within
us, we are preparing the way of the Lord and are doing the perfect will of our
Father in heaven. We are also making straight in the desert, or in the
wilderness of this world, a highway for our God. This will make it possible for
many others to walk this new kingdom highway that leads to His fullness, just as
we are. The Fall of Babylon by the Message of an Angel At this strange time of transition, the world is heavily
burdened and thoroughly oppressed with man's carnal ways, along with the
corporate sin and corruption of old Adam. This has resulted in the creation of
the harlot systems of this world, known prophetically and scripturally as
Babylon (Rev. 18). All the Babylonish, worldly systems of the carnal man's
creation are in direct opposition to the kingdom of our Father and must be
eliminated from the whole earth; and indeed, they shall be. All the systems and
institutions of man's creation shall be removed from the face of the earth by
the mighty presence of the Lord. The coming of the kingdom of God to earth in
fullness will change the whole earth, removing all of mystery Babylon and her
corrupt ways (Rev. 14:8), and making it into the new earth of our Father's
sovereign will and holy purpose. We thank God for all that has been accomplished in the past and
all that is done in His name now. But we haven't seen anything yet! All the
efforts of those in the church system came out of the Babylonish religious
systems created by the carnal mind of man, and can only bring forth inpart or
partial results. Although the servants of the Lord within the church system may
love Him and may even be sincere, the results of their efforts can never be any
better than 30-fold or 60-fold. Their inpart works can only be partially blessed
of the Lord, for most of their works, as well as the timing of those works, came
forth out of the mind of man. But the Spirit of the Lord is now cleansing His
house! All who dwell in the true house of the Lord, in the Spirit and by the
Spirit, are being cleansed of man's ways and man's programs, and of the many
iniquities of religious Babylon. All that is of man is being removed from us. We
will then be pure and righteous, ready to do the pure and perfect will of God on
earth, and ready also for the promised 100-fold fruitfulness in the kingdom of
our Father! When we refer to religious Babylon, we are referring to the systems that were created by man, not to the wonderful results that may come out of it because of the blessings of the Lord. Whatever is done in the Name of the Lord will be blessed by Him, including some of the works of man that originated within the harlot, church system. But we must know, with full assurance and without a doubt, that the church system, or religious Babylon, is indeed corrupt! Those who are spiritual will know this to be true by the revelation of the Spirit within them! Because all those church systems, denominations, and other systems of religion came forth out of the mind of man and are controlled and operated by man, they must all be eliminated from the souls and minds of all men everywhere. And they surely shall be! In fact, the anointed Word of God, which "calleth those
things which be not as though they were" (Ro. 4:17), has already declared
all those Babylonish systems of man to be "fallen, and is become the
habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird" (Rev. 18:2). So says the Word of our Father!
Thank God, the elect are no longer a part of the religious systems of man! Those
religious systems are being replaced with the government, the glory, the
authority and the power of the kingdom of God, and also with the perfect will,
works and ways of our sovereign and omnipotent King and Lord of all.
During this present day of the Lord, the Lord is bringing
judgment on all that is not of the high standards of His holy and righteous
kingdom (He. 12:25-29). This is the day when the proud and arrogant sinner, or
the man of sin, which is the carnal, Adamic nature within us all, shall be
removed from us and destroyed (Is. 2:10-12, 17, 13:9, Joel 2:11). It is not
actual people that shall be destroyed (or "sinners," as in Is. 13:9); it is the
carnal nature, the man of sin, or the great "sinner" within us all, that shall
be destroyed. This is also the great day when all our works shall be judged by
the Lord and an appropriate reward or corrective judgment shall be rendered to
every one of us, according to the deeds that we have done in this physical body
of corruption, sin and death (see 2 Co. 5:10-11). Furthermore, this present day of the Lord also is the day of the
coming of the first, or Davidic, phase of the kingdom of God to the earth to
defeat every enemy of Christ and put them all under His feet (see Ps. 47:2-3,
Jer. 46:10, Mal. 4:1-3 & 1 Cor. 15:25). Also, this day came upon us suddenly and
as a thief during this present, prophetic night of spiritual darkness (1 Thess.
5:2 & 2 Pet. 3:10). When our Father has concluded His great and mighty kingdom
work of judgment unto correction in the lives of His chosen ones, we shall see
the pure, 100-fold work of the Lord done in all the earth, by His Spirit and for
His glory and honor! "Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises to our King, sing praises. FOR GOD IS THE KING OF ALL THE EARTH: SING YE PRAISES WITH UNDERSTANDING" (Ps. 47:6-7). Paul and Emily Mueller P O BOX 25055, PORTLAND, OR 97298-0055
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