Life in Christ Jesus Podcast

The Revelation Series - Two-Edged Sword III

Two-Edged Sword III
John 6:53-63 “It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.”
Out of His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword, John writes in Revelation 1:16.  This two-edged sword is the Word of God.  This two-edged sword is Spirit and Life.  When we say it is the Word of God, does it simply mean it is the written word?  Does it mean it is the words of the Law of Moses?  What do we actually mean?  Maybe all the above but fulfilled and brought to life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
What I mean by this is He makes the Word alive.  For example the prophet Joel writes, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:”  While this was written in Joel’s time it was not in force until after Jesus raised from the dead.  He made it alive.  What was in the Book become personalized in the Person of Jesus Christ, and through His resurrection from the dead is made alive in the Spirit.
Jesus made the comment many times that Whosoever believes in me shall be saved, not perish, shall have the Spirit coming from their inner being, etc.  Jesus said these things, and they are recorded in John’s Gospel.  Now through the Spirit they are made alive.  We can receive them, experience them, and even give them.  We can go to our neighbor next door and declare that Whosoever calls on the name of Jesus Christ shall be saved.  Our neighbor can receive this word, believer and take it into their heart, and it is so.  Why is that, because it is Spirit and Life.  The Word we declare from the truth of Christ, as He is made real in us, is filled with His Spirit and Life. 
I believe that is what John saw in Revelation Chapter 1; the Son of Man in the Church, with the two-edged sword coming out of His Mouth declaring the Word of God in the Church.  I believe this is the first order by the Spirit of God, the Word revealed in us by the Holy Spirit.  “Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.”  Then as He is revealed, He is declared through the Church.  “The Spirit and the Bride say come.” 
This is exciting!  We can hear and know the Word of God, Christ Jesus the Lord, through the Spirit.  Then we can declare Him.  We can declare Him from a position of knowing, of having seen and experienced this Living Word in our hearts.  This is ongoing in our walk in the Lord.  We hear and see Him in our hearts by the Spirit.  We handle the Word of God as John says in His Epistle and we make known this Word of Life that we are handling.  Glory to God.
 
 

The Revelation Series - Two-Edged Sword II

In the appearance of the Son of Man the Apostle John writes.  Revelations 1:16  “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”  To bring this into context the two-edged sword coming out of His mouth was in the seven golden candlesticks.   In other words, the word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword was and is in the church.  John saw the Son of Man IN the candlesticks, the seven churches. 
 
Here in the church is where the Word of God is taking affect.  Here is where the Word of God is being spoken and ministered.  First from Him who is in us, and then from Him through us.  We are to sit at His feet and hear Him speak, as Mary did in the gospels when her sister Martha was busy with everything around (Luke 10:39).  I believe we can find a picture of the Church in Mary and Martha.  Both, we could say loved Jesus, but Mary chose that important thing.  She SAT and HEARD His Word.  We need to sit and Hear His word.  Be still, be silent and HEAR HIM!
 
In John’s gospel, it is declared that Jesus said to the Jews that they had not God’s word abiding in them because whom he had sent, they did not believe.  Read John 5:37-47.   God had said through Moses in the Books of Moses, particularly in Deuteronomy that Israel was to cherish His word.  Read Deuteronomy Chapter 6:1-10. They were to take it wear it, put it on their doorposts.  It was to be forever in their mind and if so, God would lavishly bless them.
 
The picture of Jerusalem when Jesus came froth was one of captivity not lavish blessings from God.  The Jews were in Roman captivity.  They were not following the teaching of Moses.  As Jesus said if they believed Moses, they would believe Him.  He declared Moses wrote of Him.  I believe the entirety of Moses speaks of Christ.  The work God did in bringing Israel from the slavery and bondage of Egypt to their entrance into Canaan flowing with milk and honey speaks of Christ.  Jesus has brought us from the Old Man, Adam, to dwelling in the presence of God, where out of us flows rivers of living water.  We are lavishly blessed as we abide in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
With that said, Moses declared God would raise up a prophet and Him they would be required the hear or hearken to (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  The word hearken here means to hear intelligently with implication of attention, obedience.  Israel was required to hear and act on the WORDS of Jesus.  His words are the WORDS OF LIFE.  “The words I speak to you are Spirit and they are life.”  Jesus declared that “Now is the time when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live.” 
 
This word hear in John 5:25 carries the same weight as hearken. They and we are to hear and receive His word to come to life.  In the definition of this word is comprehension.  It is not simply hearing what is said in a passive way.  It is dealing with those that hear and comprehend, attend to what He said.  This attend to is acting upon the word.  Eating it, receiving it in your heart and you come to life.  This is the very action of our salvation, we EAT HIS WORD, and come to HIS LIFE.  Glory to God.
The Jews were to eat this word.  It was required of them.  It is required of us. HIS WORDS ARE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.  No other will suffice.  Glory to God!
 

Beware that you be not spoiled of man

Beware that you be not spoiled of man
Colossians 2:6-10 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” 
 
This teaching is from one of our Tuesday night meetings.  Here we are looking at Colossians 2.  The Apostle Paul is declaring to the Colossians that all fullness is in Christ.  As you have received Him, walk in Him.  Rooted, built, abounding in Christ Jesus.  In Him is the fullness of the Godhead bodily.  In Him is your completion.  This is such a beautiful set of scripture.  In Him is the fullness and in His fullness we are complete. 
 
I believe the vision of the Son of Man in the Book of Revelation Chapter 1 is a picture of the fullness of Christ Jesus in the Church.  Here is where we are to abound.  Here is where we are to grow, in the knowledge of Christ. In Him we have come to God’s fullness.  In Him we have come to our perfection and completion.  Let us abound in Him.
 
In the midst of Paul’s presentation to the Colossians of the believer being in Christ’s fullness he puts out a warning.  “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”  Here I am concerned is where many believer’s walk, after the traditions of man and not after Christ.  I believe this is evident even in much of our speech, as we typically declare to one another I am a Pentecostal, or a Baptist, or a Kingdom preacher.  We have, without meaning to, divided the Body of Christ.  Paul told the Corinthians they were carnal and walked as men because of this very thing. (I Corinthians 3:3)
 
In Galatians 1, the Apostle Paul writes and tells the believers he is astonished with them.  His astonishment is that they have moved away from Christ to finding perfection and completion in the law.  This I am afraid is one of the strongest bonds that is upon Christians today.  They come and receive Christ who frees us from the law, and then are immediately preached back up under its bonds. 
 
Anything but Christ spoils us.  The word spoil in Colossians 2 is defined as to carry off as booty or prey.  I can see in my mind a pirate coming in and gaining booty from his conquest.  We become the spoil anytime we are moved from the truth that is in Christ.  We need to be vigilant in the Word of the Lord to understand the truth that He, Jesus Christ, is.  Our hearts must always be turned to abound in Him.  Set our minds to His Revelation.  Set our thoughts to His course.  Let Him be Master, Savior and King.  Glory to God!
 

The Revelation Series - Two-Edged Sword

Two-Edged Sword 
Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 
 
Most Christians would believe that the description of the sword coming out of the mouth of the Lord is the word of God. As recorded in Matthew 4, Jesus said “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” We live through God’s word, which is in us. As we have made note of many times in our fellowship, Christ is in us. His indwelling presence is to be the reality in the hearts of the believer. We must hear the Word of the Living Christ of God, who dwells within us and be transformed by His power.
 
Speaking in regards to hearing His Word as recorded in John 14:10 Jesus said, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” Examining His words closely should cause us to consider common Christian belief. Many believe Jesus was down on the earth while the Father was far away in heaven. Jesus words bring a stark contrast to that belief. He said the Father in me does His works. He said to His disciples that they were to believe that He was in the Father as He was speaking to them and that His Father was working out of Him. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.”
 
Now seeing that God was in Christ as Jesus said in verse 10. Let’s look at verse 3. Here Jesus says, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” In verse 10 Jesus tells us where He is. He is in the Father.  This is the place we must see that Jesus is declaring. Many have believed that Jesus was talking of some place far away that He must take us away too. I want to be clear He takes us away, but in an entirely different fashion. He does it through the cross.
 
Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you. He was speaking of a place in the Father’s house. His preparation for us was made at the cross. At the cross Jesus made a way for us in the Father’s House. He took the old man in His flesh and put him away, and brought us forth in a new creation to dwell IN the very presence of God. In John 14:20 Jesus said, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” Jesus is speaking of the day the Holy Spirit comes.  When the Spirit comes, we are to know that Jesus is IN the Father and we are IN Him and He is in us. This is the place He was coming to receive us unto, IN Christ!
 
“Now we are no more strangers, but we are of the household of God,” Paul writes in Ephesians 2. Paul goes on to say that we are here in God’s household and are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. This foundation is Christ in us. Here we are built for a habitation of God by His Spirit. This is where Jesus brought us to. This is the way He made, and this is what His WORD declares. Glory to God!
 
 
 

The Revelation Series - Hair White as Wool II

Hair White as Wool II 
In our continual pursuit of Christ Jesus our Lord, we are looking at His Hair White as Wool, as John describes in Revelation 1.  Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength; and the splendor of elders is their gray hair.”  The grey or white hair is said to be the splendor of the elder man.  This word splendor speaks of beauty and majesty.  Throughout scripture, God’s majesty and splendor is declared.  Here in Revelation 1 we see Christ Jesus in the majesty of God, or we see the majesty of God through Christ Jesus our Lord.
In Him dwells all fullness.  When we turn to see Him, we are turning toward the fullness of God.  Paul writes that it pleased the Father that in Christ would all fullness dwell, or all His divine essence, Colossians 1:19.  In Colossians 2:9 Paul writes that the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Christ.   In Christ we find all the glory, splendor and majesty of God that has been declared throughout scripture.  Here in Christ this glory and majesty we read about becomes real to us.  We are in Christ. 
In the Old Covenant God’s glory, honor and majesty was on display outwardly.  He showed His deliverance and power as the Egyptians (horse and riders) were cast into the sea.  He showed His brilliance as Mount Sinai burned with fire and smoke.  His Glory filled the Tabernacle and Temple in a Cloud and a Fire.  The Israelites could physically see what God did, but could not touch it, or know it.  They could not partake of His essence, His substance.  They could just look at it outwardly and try to live in accordance to His law.    
We have come to a new Mountain (Hebrews 12) that can be touched.  We have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, Mount Zion.  We have come to a place where his work can be touched.  Not only is the Old Man crucified, horse and rider cast into the sea, but the old man can be put out of our hearts as we know Christ.  Our consciousness is in a process of change as Christ is revealed.  This mountain can be touched in our inner most being.  We can be filled to the fullness of Him.
Consider that our conscience or sense of being can come to the awareness of Christ as our life.  We can come to this.  We can comprehend this.  People say to me, but we can’t because we are in the flesh, and the answer is yes, we can.  It is not through our ability to come to the awareness of Christ.  It is through Him that lives within us.  It is not by our might, nor by our power, but by His Spirit.  It is through the Spirit of God revealing the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in me, in my heart.  May we see the splendor and fullness of our Life, who is Christ Jesus our Lord!

The Revelation Series - Hair White as Wool

Hair White as Wool
In Revelation Chapter 1, in the vision of the Son of Man in the Candlesticks, the scripture says His hair was white as wool and His eyes as a flame of fire.  Why is His hair white like wool, as white as snow?  Does this mean that Jesus simply aged and he had grey hair?  No, not at all.  We could say he is full aged, which would be a good start.  His hair being white as wool is speaking of one full of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. 
 
We approach Him who is of full age.   The scripture actually says that all treasures of wisdom and knowledges are hid in Christ, Colossians 2:3.  Do we spend our time searching for the hidden wisdom of God?  Do we spend our time searching for the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God?  Are we setting our hearts toward that idea?  I made a comment in last week’s sharing and repeated it in this one that I wish I had understood the purposes of God in Christ after I was first saved.  I wish this was what I had been taught and set my heart toward immediately after receiving the Lord.
 
Consider in your heart Ephesians Chapter 1.  Look at verses 9 and 10. Ephesians 1:9 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”  How much time have we given to the mystery of His will?   Have we even considered that God had a will and purpose?  Much of our time in even coming before God it is to receive something for ourselves, correct? 
 
For a moment let’s change that order.  Let us approach our Father and say to Him what is the mystery of your will?  Show me Father how you have gathered all things together in ONE even in Christ.  All things in heaven and on earth in Him, “thy Kingdom come they will be done.”  Gather my heart and mind up in the work of Christ.  Let Him be my want and desire.  That I might know Him.  Let me set my affection toward Him that is above.  Let me obtain that which Christ obtained for me.
 
For a moment consider that the word fullness actually could be interpreted completion according to the Strong’s Dictionary.  Paul could be saying in the completion of time, God gathered up all things in Christ.  What did he gather?  He gathered the Temple.  He gathered the City.  He gathered the people of God.  He gathered the Priesthood, circumcision, the forgiveness of sins.  All things were gathered into Christ and completed.  He is the completion of all things.  I cannot know the true Temple of God unless I know the one that is built on the true foundation who is Christ.  I can’t know the true Priesthood of God unless I know the one that is after the order of Melchizedek and speaks of an endless life.  All of the things in the Old Covenant come to their completion in the person of Jesus Christ. 
 
You and I find our very own completion in Him.  I could spend all my days looking for purpose and it would flee from me until I come to the reality that the writer of Hebrews said, but we see Jesus.  Here we find our purpose.  Here in Him we find our completion.  Here we find our belonging.  Glory to God.
 

The Revelation Series - Eyes as a Flame of Fire III

The Revelation Series - His Hair White as Wool and Eyes as a Flame of Fire II
Revelation 1:14 “And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;”
Over the last three weeks we have been looking at the description of the Son of Man as His Eyes as a Flame of Fire.  We have seen in scripture that it is declared there were seven lamps of fire before His Throne, and these seven lamps of fire were are the seven Spirits of God.  We saw that the seven Spirits of God were sent out into all the earth.  We also see in Scripture and know in reality that there is only ONE SPIRIT of God, but in the Book of Revelation the One Spirit is described as seven or seven-fold.  We have looked at the number seven and its relationship to Christ as our Sabbath Day.  The seven-fold Spirit here speaks of completion and fullness and rest that are found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the Day of Pentecost, as written in Acts 2 the Holy Ghost sat upon the disciples with cloven tongues of fire.  This fire began to transform those believers and consume all that was in them to refine them in the knowledge of Christ.  This is the work of the Holy Ghost to refine us in Word and Deed into the Image of Jesus Christ.  John 15 and 16 declares that the Holy Spirit will show you the things of Christ, “He shall take of mine and show it to you,” John 16:14.  As the Holy Spirit shows you that of Christ you come to a seeing of Him.  In this process of seeing you are refined in your heart to Image of Christ.  Hallelujah!
In Ezekiel Chapter 1, the prophet of God sees a Cloud with Fire.  In this Cloud are living creatures and above their heads is ONE on a throne.  This one Ezekiel sees has fire from His waist downward and fire from His waist upward, our God is a consuming fire.  When Ezekiel sees Him, he falls on his face as dead before him like John’s experience in Revelation Chapter one.  The Prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah Chapter 6 I saw the Lord High and lifted up.  When he saw Him, he said I am a man undone with unclean lips.  The answer to Isaiah was fire from the altar to purify His Speech.
The answer to our hearts and to our speech is the Revealing of the Living Christ within us.  As we see Him by the Spirit of God we are transformed inside and out.  Our speech will begin to align with what we see in our hearts, “of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,” Matthew 12:34.   As he is revealed within our hearts, He becomes our abundance.  We begin to speak of Him, or out of the understanding of Him.  Let us see, as the Holy Spirit takes of Him and shows Him to us and declare Him that we see to one another!  Praise God!

The Revelation Series - Eyes as a Flame of Fire II

The Revelation Series - Eyes as a Flame of Fire II
Revelation 1:14 “And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;”
In Revelation Chapter 5 John sees the Lamb of God having seven horns and seven eyes.  These seven horns and seven eyes are the seven Spirits of God.  In Chapter 1 and Chapter 4 the seven Spirits of God are called seven lamps of fire.   The scripture says the seven Spirits are sent forth into all the earth.  Now we that search the Word know there is only one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4).  So, the number seven is speaking of completion.  God completed creation and rested on the seventh day.  In Jesus Christ our Lord, God has finished a work that we dwell in.
We could say the Spirit of God is sent forth in the earth in the finished work of God in Christ.  In Acts 2, the scripture says Jesus has shed forth the Holy Spirit in the earth.   Malachi said the Lord shall come to His Temple and sit as a refiner’s fire.  Paul says we are God’s Temple, we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  So, God sits in His Temple to refine us.  However, His refining is not making the best us we can be in and of ourselves.  He is refining us in he Image of the ONE that is in us.  We must come to see this.
God is not looking for the best Wayne or Bob or Andrew he can see.  He is looking for Christ.  The refiner is looking for His own image in the gold He is refining.  Our salvation is much greater than us coming to the place to not sin anymore.  Our salvation is Christ in us.  We are to be conformed to His Image.            II Corinthians Chapter 3 says we behold in a glass the Glory of the Lord to be changed into the same Image.  The Image is the Glory of the Lord.  The Image is Christ.  We are to look in the mirror of God who is Christ to be changed. 
Notice in Acts 2 when the Holy Ghost was given, the Spirit was described as sitting upon the disciples as cloven tongues of fire.  The refiners fire came right upon their mouth, and they spoke with tongues as the Spirt gave them utterance.  This heavenly language they received began to refine them.  Even what they spoke was refined.  That is what happens when the refiner begins to reveal the image.  Our utterance begins to declare by this refining process.  We do not speak by enticing words of men’s wisdom or knowledge.  We begin to speak by the Revealing of Jesus Christ in us.  We begin to utter His words.
This is so necessary in the Body of Christ today, that ministry would speak out of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and not out of themselves.  May He refine us to the very thought, person, and substance of Christ.  May His glorious understanding come forth in our voice.  May His nature come forth in our actions.  May Christ be revealed in our hearts that He be manifested through His body in the earth!