Life is in the Blood. Loose our blood and we loose our life. Jesus life Blood was voluntarily poured out at the cross. His blood poured out until He could no longer live. When the last drop of life poured out onto the ground from His veins, it was finished. His death became our atonement for our sins forevermore.

At the very moment of Jesus death, the curtain that hid the Holy of Holies from the Holy place of the temple of God was ripped from top to bottom. We had just had our sins atoned for by the expended blood of Jesus Christ. Once, separated from God by sin, now the wall of separation was done away with. We, all of us who proclaim Christ as our Savior, had just in that moment been given the right to enter into the most Holy place of all, to encounter God Face to face, because God saw our sin no more.

At the very moment that the last drop of life poured from Jesus veins, was now paved the way for the Holy Spirit to come into our inner man spirit, our Holy of Holies, where the Presence of the Spirit would mark us as His possession.

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Ex 33:19-20

Such was the case before the cross of Christ. No one could see God Face to face and live. But through the blood, Father now sees us white as snow who have accepted Christ as their Savior. Now all of us who love Him can see Him “Face to face.” And that is Revival!

The tombs of the Saints of old burst open who were awaiting this very point in time when the Father would see their sins no more! And we were all washed in full, made completely clean of all sin for all time. Backward and forward in time, with the cross as standing at the highest point in all of history, everything points to this single great sacrifice. Christ did it all for us. And there is no longer any further sacrifice required.

The greatest moment in all of history was manifest in that one moment of time in which the last drop of life blood spilled from His veins onto the ground, that all mankind throughout all eternity, who would choose Him by faith, would be so completely set free from the penalty of sin that all are, without cost, fully welcomed to enter in to a Face to face encounter with the creator of the universe! What love! What joy! What a gift!

The blood set us all free. Free completely, for those who love Him by faith.

Then came the Power of God to supernaturally restore life to Jesus. It was a miracle. Jesus dead body was fully restored to life. Only God has power over life and death. The Power came, Grace came, the Holy Spirit came and then Jesus lived again. His resurrection in power became our resurrection in power, and by our faith, our full justification.

Thus, we have been forgiven in death and justified by resurrection power unto new life. By the washing of Jesus blood unto death we died, by resurrection power, now we also have been resurrected to a new life. We have been made completely righteous and fully justified by the power of the Spirit. We have been “Sozo’ed” by Jesus death and resurrection, and by the Power of the Holy Spirit of Grace through Faith!

 

What is Sozo?

 

Sozo: The Greek word Sozo appears 101 times in the Greek rendition of the Bible, all within the New Testament. Sozo is a product of the cross! Sozo means far more than just salvation. Christ came for far more than just our salvation. These are the meanings of this word:

• Salvation or being born again.
• To be saved from a certain death.
• To save or to be saved.
• To be made whole. Or to restore from brokenness to unbroken.
• To be delivered from evil, or any bad thing.
• To be healed in any way (spiritual, physical)
• To be carried forward, or to be preserved.
• To be made well.

Christ died and was raised in power for our full Sozo! Items 1-3: Salvation… this is only a part of Sozo, this is for then. Items 2-8: Holy Spirit POWER for service. This is for now and until we reach Heaven.

Every time you see the word “save or saved” replace it with the definition of Sozo, and you will then have a deeper understanding of what Jesus did at the cross. He is the truth of the Gospel and the power of the Gospel poured out for us! Every time you read the word “grace”, replace it with the word “power”, and you will get a deeper understanding of the power of the Gospel that Jesus provided for us!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God… Ephesians 2:4-8

…you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:28

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:13-17

It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses AND raised for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 4:24—5:2 

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration (death) and renewal of the Holy Spirit (new life), whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

“Justify” is a legal term. There must be a judge who declares that one is innocent. The Court Room is in Father’s house. Father is our Judge and Jesus blood is our evidence. To be justified is a legal declaration that justice has been fully served.

The Holy Spirit is the power Who reveals the declaration of our Righteous Judge. We have been brought from death to life. As Jesus died fully, so we, in our sin died fully to our old man self. As Jesus was raised to life, so we have been raised to life in our new man self, having now been fully justified by our Judge that there is now no remembrance of our former self, no remembrance of our sin nor is there any condemnation or punishment for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The justice of God was first required. Christ went before the throne with His blood before the Father, offering up His blood so that through His death and the power of His resurrection, we might be justified before the Father as utterly sinless. As Jesus stood before the God of Justice in the Heavenly court of the Lord, so He stood there on our behalf. Having taken the full penalty that we deserved upon Himself, we became justified. And that, not of ourselves, it was the free gift of God!

Why is it then that we continue to think of ourselves with the old man mindset? Why should I dwell any longer upon thoughts and remembrances of the old person that I used to be, when it has already been fully justified in the Heavenly Courts? Justice has been served! I am no longer sin.

To remain in guilt condemnation or judgment is to reject the truth of our justification. There is always the need for the lifestyle of repentance, and we do it as we are convicted by conscience and the Spirit of our ungodly deeds. But we don’t camp there!

Repentance through confession sets us free of earthly bondages. But repentance is not for the purpose of a re-justification. You have been justified, having been made 100% righteous. We grow through confession and repentance, but we grow all the more when we stand firm in our identity in Christ Jesus that we are a new man creation, having fully died to the old self, having been fully reborn into the new self that we are in Christ Jesus, having stood before the Judge over all, the gavel hitting the table and these words having been said over you and all the Saints, “Not Guilty!”

Now that we have each gone through this requirement of standing before the Judge over all, through the One Man Jesus, and having now been fully justified by grace through our faith, God descends upon us the beautiful precious gift of the Coat of Righteousness. It covers us. It defines us. It is who we are. It is a gift undeserved, yet necessary. Justification then makes the way for the gift of righteousness.

Being justified fully and having been made righteous in Father’s courts, we stand fully able in the new person self that we now are, by grace through faith! Not having earned a thing. Yet walking boldly yet humbly in our true identity.

For our sake he (Father God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus became sin for our forgiveness, we received His righteousness for our justification. Our sin became Jesus sin. His righteousness became our righteousness. We are therefore acquitted from all sin, then imparted to us is Godly righteousness as Jesus was acquitted from righteousness and sin was imparted upon Him. By this truth, He became sin for us so that we became justified and righteous for Him!

Lamentation 1:18 and Jeremiah 12:1 indicate that the Lord alone is righteous… ONLY God. Thus only God can impart that which is only of Himself upon us. Because He took it all, we are justified. And if we are justified, we are made righteous.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:4-11

And because of him (Father God) you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

 

What is Grace?

 

Grace appears in the Old Testament six times.

Grace, or the Greek word “Charis” appears in the New Testament 148 times in the Greek Lexicon. As it is with Sozo, so also Grace is a manifestation of God born at the cross.

Here is a beautiful definition of the Greek word “Charis”, or grace:

“The merciful kindness by which God exerts His Holy influence upon souls, turning them to Christ, keeping, strengthening, increasing them in faith, knowledge and affection. The spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine intervention.”

God has always been merciful. But the fullness of Grace was born at the Cross. Grace is not mercy, grace is power. And like the coat of righteousness that God offers us to wear, grace is a free gift for those who believe by faith.

Grace is the very same power that resurrected Christ from the dead. Grace is the very same power that brought each of us from death to life, from our old self to our new self. We have been saved by grace through faith! We have been saved in the power of the cross by faith! We have been Sozo’ed by grace through faith!

We are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved by mercy through faith, even though God is full of mercy. Our salvation is one of Power. The Power of the Blood of the cross!

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace (in His power) you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10

Grace is not mercy.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

This scripture clearly separates mercy from grace. Contrary to what most theologians think, they are not one in the same.

By grace through faith we can do all things through Christ who empowers us, who strengthens us! What much of the church is missing is the power of God. Therefore because the church does not see God’s supernatural manifesting power, it has rejected any notion of a supernatural God in its midst. The power of God is reduced to the very occasional chance event that because no one can explain it, it must have been a miracle. That is the extent of faith in much of today’s church.

We are then left with arguments that only build up humanistic religion. We hear such thoughts as, “Well, I can only surmise that I’ve been born this way.” “If we haven’t seen it, it must not exist.” “ The power moves of the Holy Spirit were for the purpose of the start of the First Church, they don’t apply to us today. And besides, when’s the last time you’ve ever witnessed a power move of God?”

But these are all arguments within humanism, a form of religion that denies healing, deliverance, restoration, the miraculous and very supernatural power of the cross. It is a form of religion that focuses only on the salvation, but not on the power.

…having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2 Timothy 3:5

There is only one way out of religious humanism, namely by grace (in His power) through faith! That is what we are after. The cross, and the power of the cross, which only activates when we choose to believe yet not see. As in all thinks of the Kingdom of God, faith must come first. Only then does grace come, only then does the miraculous occur. Faith first in all things of the Kingdom of God. Faith is like the currency of the Kingdom of Heaven! You’ll never see it, you’ll never get it and you’ll never use it until you pay up!

We’ve all seen the miraculous… namely the greatest power move over all, which is our new life in Christ Jesus. That’s a very great miracle! But that is only the beginning. Thereafter comes the in-reaping of souls, healing of the sick, casting out devils and raising the dead to life literally.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12

Fully one third of all of Jesus ministry in the four Gospel’s was in healing the sick, casting out demons, cleansing skin diseases and raising the dead. He walked in power and said we would walk in power. So where is the power in today’s church? There is only one reason we don’t see these things in today’s church… we don’t believe it by faith.

How do we overcome these religious lies that we have accepted as truth? The answer is, by grace through faith!

Understanding who we are in our salvation is vital. It points us in the right direction then sends us down this supernatural road of grace by faith. From one encounter to the next, from one wonder to the next, from one glory to the next glory we grow and mature in unity of heart and in the joy of the Holy Spirit and with supernatural weapons of warfare. We succeed when we move in the power that Christ afforded us at the cross!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:17-18

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith for faith (from first to the last), just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17-18

Without these understandings firmly in our hearts and without our minds willingly yoked to our heart, we will be fruitless in our life walk for Jesus sake. We need to know who we are. We need to walk by grace through our faith in all we do. We need to know there is power in what we say and in what we believe, power to either build up by faith, or power to tear down by the lack of faith. This is the cry of the Heavens in this hour. Know who you are and then walk in it!   It’s what Jesus died for you to be.

 

It takes an encounter in the Spirit to understand the value of an encounter with the Spirit. It takes an encounter to understand how much we need ongoing encounters! This is why our call to bring Revival to the church is so vitally important!

Revelation comes within the encounter. Without ongoing encounters with the Holy Spirit, two things happen. We dry up. And we loose The Spirit of revelation knowledge. Kingdom expression of revelation truth disappears.

We are left dry and hungry. Suddenly comes all manner of good sounding arguments from the mind of man, simply because the mind is all we have left to figure things out.

This is why most of today’s church does not understand the Holy Spirit. We fear an encounter with the mysterious. We fear the unknown. We fear letting go of control. We fear letting go of what we understand.

This is why the devil works so hard to convince the church that encounter experiences with the Holy Spirit are out of line. We must always remember that every argument will come against the manifesting works of the Holy Spirit. It is because it is by the Spirit that we grow in maturity and in power to reap a harvest. This we must always remember!

 

Start of the Church Encounter

The Church did not start with principles, doctrine or theology… It started with an encounter! Namely Pentecost.

Pentecost was not a one time single event for the First Church! Pentecost is an encounter for everyone now and in the future. Kathryn Kuhlman said it so well, “We live in the day of Pentecost!”

As Peter was addressing the crowd who came to witness what was happening on the day of Pentecost, these were his final words:

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 2:37-41

Peter was saying, “This is for everyone now and on until Christ comes again.”

The Manifest Presence of the Spirit is an ongoing filling and then refilling! This is the Christian life. Encounter is an ongoing thing!

Ephesians 5:18 in many translations reads, “Stop getting drunk on wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Intl Std Version and the Complete Jewish Bible. 

The Amplified Classic Bible says this… “but ever be filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit.”

We are living in the day of Pentecost. As it was in the beginning, after Jesus ascended to Heaven, so it is just as much true today as it was in that day. Here is proof positive that Pentecost was not a one off event, and there are many passages like this within the New Testament. This coming on again of the Holy Spirit was upon both the new believers in the room and upon the same people who were in the Upper Room:

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. Acts 11:15

We need the encounter again and again, not just for us, but for all who have yet to witness His encounter. We grow in maturity and in anointing power as we embrace the unknown encounters of the Holy Spirit. All things by GRACE (which is power) through FAITH. I say again:

“…for the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

In addition to the last post “Word AND Spirit” I would add these thoughts:

For we are the (spiritual) circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God AND glory in Christ Jesus AND put no confidence in the flesh– – Philippians 3:3

We worship in the Holy Spirit, that is in the Manifesting Presence, both privately and corporately.

We glory in Jesus Christ who is the revealed Word of God.

We place no confidence in the flesh, which is an independent mind will or emotions. This is the way of humility to the lowest point… even death on our cross.

The Spirit AND the Word in a state of full dependence. That is the right way of the Lord.

…and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know him (Word) AND the power of his resurrection (Spirit), and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death… Philippians 3:9-10

“If you only have the Word, you are going to dry up…

If you only have the Spirit, you are going to blow up!

But if you have the Word AND the Spirit, you are going to GROW UP.”

Carol Arnott
Toronto Outpouring
Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship

We tend to swing from side to side on this most vital issue. But the truth is clear, we must have both. And I have been saying this clearly from the beginning…

Soaking, intimacy, seeking His Face in worship… this is invaluable. But it does not replace the need for the expression of the revealed Word of God.

The Word of GOD is invaluable. But it does not replace the need for time spent with Him in intimacy.

We must stop swinging back and forth on this issue. We need both… always. But at NO POINT are we to reject one for the sake of the other. That is great error.

Please hear me clearly?

If we suddenly reject the need for intimacy and replace it with the Word and teaching alone, we are going to dry up.

If all we do is to seek the Presence, and take our focus off of the Word, there will be no growth into maturity.

I am a Revivalist with all of my heart. I ADORE the Manifesting Presence of the Holy Spirit. In that beloved place of intimacy, I get volumes of revelation. Not just of who I am in His eyes, but in Father’s heart for His church, and much more than this!

Yet I know that if I take my focus off of His Word, there is a vital aspect of this transference of His knowledge into my heart that goes missing.

Waiting on Him as in Pentecost, worshiping Jesus, the Father and the Spirit privately or corporately, is such a great joy. But while in the Word, there is a private Revival that happens between me and my Father that is equally joyous. How I love Him! How I love the Spirit! How I love the Word!

His truth is this… we MUST have both.

SPIRIT

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart… Ephesians 5:18-19

WORD

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10

SPIRIT AND WORD

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit AND truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. GOD IS SPIRIT, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

Spirit AND Word 🔥🔥❤🔥🔥

Prophet’s Call

 

Father sets the prophet who is willing to call.

Willing to die, to sacrifice it all.

To speak forth the word that Father will show.

To stand back and watch as His Body will grow.

 

Oak trees planted in a swampy bog.

Yesterday’s vision lost in today’s fog.

Rivers shifted long ago,

from where it was, their fresh waters flow.

 

Religion now formed and maintaining divisions,

clinging to yesterday’s plans and visions.

Results in a blindness to much of His word,

that speak of His healings, miracles, shifting of the Lord.

 

The mirrors cast a hazy vision,

of imperfect knowledge, God’s decision.

Though we discern some true understanding,

no man gets the glory that He is commanding.

 

Moving, changing, Rivers shifting.

Vision of its cloudiness now lifting.

Men and women discern fresh vision,

this constant fresh flow of Father’s provision.

 

Narrowly few these visionary’s numbers,

trust and faith to see such wonders.

Showing wisdom and knowledge to these growing few,

a weighty call to carry forth such a view.

 

Do equip the Saints with Kindgom discernment.

From heaven above, the word of God’s movement.

Holy call this prophetic function,

to speak forth the plan of God’s fresh new unction.

 

Imperfect in knowledge His servants discern,

it’s all that we have by which we can learn.

Oh who can know the Father’s direction?

The prophets set in, the Word at His discretion.

 

But this is the truth and is firmly unchanging,

the word must go forth before His arranging.

Then so shall it be for those who discern.

Hear now the word, our future to learn.

 

New wine can’t be placed in the old.

Why must this story again be retold?

What is past is now done and now it is gone,

“A new thing I do from this time on!”

 

Perhaps what is most difficult to take,

is the change that’s required for leaders to make.

For true it is that the prophets declare,

every word that goes forth comes a shift in the air.

 

Change is not easy for those locked in,

stuck in a place of faithless sin.

Nor is it easy for those,

who carry the weight of yesterdays pros.

 

But this is the time for God’s acceleration,

of spiritual radical harvest of our nation!

Smashing little boxes of limitations,

rejoining houses of former relations.

 

Evangelists, pastors, teachers now dying,

willingly crushed, alive, now flying!

Apostles rising, now hand in hand.

Prophets now joined, together they stand!

 

“It’s a new thing I’m doing, and always will be.

But hear it first, you must, thru these voices from Me.

See, I do nothing without first speaking forth the prophetic word.

So let them go! Let them fly! My plans you have heard!”

 

Declaring the word now with bold declaration.

Honest in love and in humble submission.

Heard, agreed, the word now going out.

The Kingdom advancing without any doubt.

 

Stands now the prophet, prepared now the call.

Willing to die, to sacrifice all.

To speak forth the word that Father has shown.

To stand back in joy as His Body has grown.

 

T. Scott Morton

The Way of Love

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…” Matthew 7:15

We’ve heard it said in scripture that not all who declare the name of Jesus shall enter into the Kingdom of God. Indeed, the word is true. However, the enemy uses this word to bring fear into the hearts of many Christians. The question then follows, “Am I really saved?” “Is this scripture speaking about me?” “Have I done enough to be saved?”

We can answer these questions by reviewing other scriptures that identify the true attributes of a heartfelt believer. As we review these scriptures, and see how we stand in Him, let there never again be the question, “Am I not ‘right enough’ to be saved? Have I not done enough for Him?”

The first thing we should address is the fact that our salvation is NOT based upon good works. It is the condition of the heart that saves us. For out of the condition of our hearts come forth the fruits of our salvation. Out of the condition of our hearts come the evidences that we are saved.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:27-28

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:5-6

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Galatians 3:2-3

Our salvation, and our assuredness of it is not by what we do, but by what we believe within our hearts, not in our minds but of our hearts. What we rightly believe in our mind first requires a right condition of the heart. And that hearts condition can not BUT lead us into good works! And so, our works are the evidence that we believe of the heart. Our works don’t qualify us, our faith by grace alone qualifies us. Our works have become our evidences that we are qualified.

And so the first question is this, “Do you love Him?” If the answer to that question is a resounding yes, then the second question must follow, “What are you doing for the Kingdom of God?” The final question then is this, “Why are you doing what you do?” Is it to selflessly give away what you have been given? Or is it to be seen by others?

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? James 2:14-20

This point is not so difficult to understand. What is the condition of your heart? THAT is what saves you. Are you in love with all that God is? Are you in love with your Heavenly Father? Are you in love with your Savior Jesus? Are you in love with the Holy Spirit? If so, then good works shall most certainly follow. But those good works gain you no higher amount of favor. The works you do have become an evidence.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Matthew 19:29-30

You are no more or no less saved by how much or how little work you do. And we can see through Jesus parables that the amount we produce is not at issue. The key question is this, “Are you producing at all?”

“Other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:8-9

Whether you produce a hundred fold, sixty fold or thirty fold, you are by no means judged by how much fruit you produce. Herein lies a key accusation of the enemy. “You’re not doing enough for the Kingdom of God, therefore you are not right before the Lord.” That is a FALSE notion indeed!

However, what is said about the one who does not produce any good fruit out of what they have been entrusted with? Read carefully the parable of the talents:

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.  “Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:14-30

This is a hard but clear word. We each have been given a very great blessing, this very great salvation we enjoy. If we truly believe from the heart that Heaven and Hell are real, and if we truly know that the only way to Heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and if the basis of our belief is heartfelt love… then what are we doing here on earth with the talents we have been given? Why would we not be shouting this wonderful truth from the mountain tops? And why would we not want our family, our friends, our neighbors, our cities and our nations to know of this magnificent truth?

“You (the believer) are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14

If we have been given a light to shine into the world, if we have been given talents to invest, if we have been asked to bear fruit… then there can only be but one reason to do otherwise, and that is that self has been set above the Savior.

Love is selfless. Love serves. True loves gives away what has been given. If my faith is based in love, then there is no way that I could not bear some measure of fruit with the love I have been shown. Not only do I know that I should bear fruit… I WANT to bear fruit! I do so, not because I have been commanded to bear fruit, but because I desire to, thereby doing NOT by the law, not by duty… but by love. We are compelled by love…

One can be assured; faith without works is a dead faith. The lack of one’s expression of faith into this dying world is the evidence of a cold and faithless heart.

 

Evidences

 

With this truth in mind, let’s explore certain evidences of the faithful heart according to scripture.

Our first evidence is simple. Those who are for Him are not against Him. Those who are not with Him are against Him.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Matthew 12:30

A clear evidence is the staying power of our faith. If we love Jesus, we walk with Jesus, we stay with Jesus. Walking with Him means communing with Him. He is the Word that we eat of and drink in every day. Being with Him is like living out the intimate love relationship between a husband and a wife. It’s why we are called “The Bride of Christ!” We live out our love relationship. We express our love one with the other. We divulge our deepest secrets one with the other. We walk hand in hand. We talk. We hug. We kiss. We adore each other. Are you walking with your Lord in this way?

Conversely, not walking with Him in this way, this is what is meant by scattering. We might say we are Christians. But talk is meaningless unless we walk out our talk. I might say that I love my wife. But living out that love relationship is the evidence that what I say to her is true.

This is why Jesus said, ” And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me…’ Matthew 7:23

And so the first test of my faith is an honest introspective examination of the state of my love relationship with my God. Am I in love with Him?

Further evidences are found in the manifesting of good fruit, of being filled with the Holy Spirit, of how my witness takes me deeper and of how I love.

As we consider all of the above together, allow me to develop these thoughts through scripture.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:13-27

What fruit are you bearing?

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Matthew 25:1-13

In scripture, wine and oil represent the Holy Spirit. In the above scripture, the oil is the Holy Spirit. The flasks of oil spoken of here are like new wine skins that contain the new wine.

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17

The new wine skin and the virgins oil flasks are containers of fresh new wine and fresh new oil. These things represent the new things of God and the freshly revealed Word and ongoing revelations of the Holy Spirit.

I see this as one of the most important and least spoken of truths regarding the prerequisites of salvation. And it is given in a parable so that only those with eyes to see it would see it! I pray with all seriousness that you will see this issue clearly!

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Holy Spirit… Ephesians 5:17-18

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Holy Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

What powerful declarations and promises are given in these words! Jesus died so that we would have the Holy Spirit in full ongoing measure. Father holds this truth in such high regard that if we walk without the Holy Spirit, we shall be left out of the Kingdom when that day comes. This parable of the Ten Virgins makes it clear that we MUST be filled with fresh oil. And like the five wise virgins, we MUST be carriers of the fresh oil! We must be carriers of the anointing! We must be filled with the Holy Spirit as Jesus commanded.

This is a discussion that is well developed in other of my writings, and so I will not go into detail. However, let the reader be absolutely assured of this truth. You MUST be filled with the Holy Spirit. And this is not the Holy Spirit that you were marked with at regeneration! It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the ongoing in-filling (the flask of extra oil) that we MUST receive and walk in. This baptism of the Spirit is clearly revealed in the following scripture:

And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. Acts 19:1-6

The apostle Paul imparted into these Saints the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands AFTER they had received the baptism into Christ, which is salvation. As Paul asked this question to the Saints of old, so I ask you the very same question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?” If not, then seek Him with all your heart. God is not a God that He should withhold good gifts from any one of His children who asks of Him. It is a necessary gift that Jesus died for you to have. He, the Holy Spirit, is your power to go out and to manifest Jesus love out of you into this dying world.

When the Spirit moves through us in power, as we witness His moving, how great is the affect upon our faith, how great is the effect upon our good works! We move from faith to faith! From faith to higher faith! And so we see again that if we are for Him, we cannot be against Him. And step by step our faith is built higher and higher, like a house built upon the Rock; He who shows Himself to those who have eyes to see. And when we see Him, our faith grows.

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. Mark 9:38-41

Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Acts 8:13

…how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Hebrews 2:3-4

These are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit upon and through those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit. And they become evidences to an unbelieving world just as a lamp sheds light into darkness! As Jesus commanded the twelve Apostles, so He commands us:

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8

And as Jesus was about to be taken up to Heaven, He said:

…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Are we so blinded by false religion and false teachers into believing that these manifestations were only for the First Church? But what did Jesus say?

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12

What does “Truly truly” mean? It means that Jesus is making an extremely important point! It’s like He is saying, “Listen carefully to what I am about to say! This is REALLY IMPORTANT for you to understand!”

Two questions…

First: Where’s the time limit in that statement?

Second: To whom is Jesus referring when He says “he that believes in Me?”

The answers are simple. There are no time limits to this statement. And the person to whom Jesus is referring is you!

Jesus is identifying an even greater anointing that will manifest amongst the believers after He returns to the Father. So clearly Jesus is talking about the future Saints that are to come.

Yet even so, would God not be a liar if He were to make a promise and then revoke that promise to future generations?

Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago… Titus 1:1-2

In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:17-18

And here are the promises:

But the loving kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them. Psalms 103:17-18

But the word of the Lord endures forever. 1 Peter 1:25

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He (the Holy Spirit) may be with you FOREVER… John 14:15-16

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:18 

It never ceases to amaze me how so many of today’s church leadership are so miserably duped by good sounding cranial arguments of religion and false theology. But when we consider the motivation behind such falsities, the reason becomes clear.

If Satan is being forcibly displaced by these manifestations, if such miracles openly testify to the God who has all power over life and death, and if 3000 souls can be saved in one day as was the result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost… does it not logically follow that Satan would rise up false teachers to speak against such things?

Allow me to kindly attest to the hundreds of people I know of today that have either been outright healed, demonically delivered and set free from sickness. I am one of them. Allow me to introduce you to at least three people I have met who have been raised from the dead, including my former pastor and good friend Dwaine Tracey. He was raised from the dead twice!

When an unbelieving world witnesses these manifestations of power, they are confronted with a very tangible choice to believe or not to believe in the One to whom these miracles attest! These are the miracles of the Holy Spirit manifested through those who believe and have been filed with the Holy Spirit! And they are necessary!

Now then as we sum up the fullness of the question of our salvation, let us finish with this thought.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Love is the key to everything. It is the very key that unlocks the Narrow Gate that leads to salvation. By love, we see. By love, we hear. By love, we understand. By love, comes faith and then grace. But, love must follow with action, or it’s not love. Love receives, love gives, love sacrifices.  

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:35-40

So then, what are you sowing into the Kingdom of God, 100, 60 or 30? What talent are you investing into the world, 5, 3 or 1? What fruit are you bearing?

Are you encouraging the broken hearted? Are you housing the homeless? Are you feeding the hungry? Are you reaching out to the lost? Are you giving your money into Kingdom works? Are you providing for missionaries? Are you giving your life away on the mission field? Are you going to war in your prayer closet? Are your leading others into a state of worship and adoration? Are you teaching? Are you preaching? Are you sowing your time into your church? Are you stopping for the one?

Are you compelled by love?

The Narrow Gate has words across the top of it and this is what I see, “The Way of Love.” Only selfless lovers find it. Are you a selfless lover of the King of Kings, and the Father whom He represents? Are you a selfless lover of the Holy Spirit who empowers you in love to love? Then… Jesus, after having gone to the Cross and having been risen from the dead and Who is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Glory, has become your absolute surety. He intercedes for you day and night. He has good gifts for you through the Holy Spirit to help you along the way. And you are His and He is yours, forever. 

 

World Terrorism

With a heavy heart of love and prayer to the dear people of France…

What’s going on here? I am certain of this, random killing in the name of a false religion is not the end goal of Satan. Satan’s goal is not the battle on the field but the battle of the wold’s collective mind. He kills “in the name of god”, the world witnesses in disgust… not knowing the demonic manifestations that are really behind it. The world starts to think… and then quickly hate the notion of ANY religion which declares absolutes. “Such a thing is hate language!”, they say. Soon thereafter, governments start to legislate out open expressions of faith. The baby gets thrown out with the bath water.

Satan’s goal is not to randomly kill a few people. His goal is to silence the worldwide expression of spiritual truth, replacing it with worldly relativism. His design is to silence the expression of anything as being absolute truth. Absolute truth… which is salvation through none other than Jesus Christ. We who are in Christ Jesus should take every opportunity to express love into this dying world! For the day is quickly coming when the expression of this truth will, once again, result in open and world accepted persecution. This is the Satanic strategy behind terrorism, to replace truth with relativism. Besides the raw expression of demonic hatred, enforced relativism is what this is all about.