Archived Thoughts

4   For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,     5   And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,      6   If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. ~ HEBREWS 6:4-6

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Friday we stopped at a visitor center and were asking about Zion National Park. The man told us that we could get souvenirs anywhere around the park without going to the actual park. It made me think of this scripture. There are those who have “tasted” but never really experienced the Spirit of God. You can have an interaction with the Spirit, maybe a feeling or some other manifestation, but unless that takes you all the way to your origin and gives you an experience deep in your heart that changes you, all you have is a souvenir. You can tell people you have been there, but you never really went.

17   And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.     18   For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. ~ ECCLESIASTES 1:17-18

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14   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.     15   For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.     16   The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ~ ROMANS 8:14-16

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“Ye have received the Spirit of adoption.” I think we are all familiar with the “Spirit of adoption” being speaking the Word, but what is the speaking for? Do we need squirrels or need to raise fish from the dead? Perhaps not, but creation is waiting for the Bride to come to this so there is something that will flow through the Bride. In the garden of Eden, it was fellowship with Adam that was a requirement and a desire of God Himself. Now, He dwells in a Bride. Creation is NOT groaning for the corporal Body of Christ, but they are groaning for Sons. Think about what is the potential of the Bride being the dwelling place of God (Psalm 132:13-14).

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. ~ PROVERBS 29:18

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A vision is a perception beyond normal experiences. It is the ability to see past what is in the physical present. It is also related to the sense of being caught or held. In Gen 22:13 the ram God provided Abraham was “caught” in the thicket. Today there is much knowledge of the Word. We read the Bible in the light of the prophet’s message and draw conclusions of doctrines and guidance for life, but have we really caught the vision? Do we have something that holds us and influences everything we do? The plan of God is not a random path that is climaxed in an escape we call the rapture. There is a change of position in our heart that seasons our entire life and brings us to a satisfying portion, fulfilling God’s desire for our eternal being.

16   Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.     17   Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.    18   She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.    19   The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. ~ PROVERBS 3:16-19

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“She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her.” When you consider that Jesus said, “I am the Vine, you are the Branches”, it is clear that life must flow through Her to God’s creation. Solomon calls this wisdom, but he is describing Logos, the Word. The position of the Bride is the most important thing in this hour. The part of God that is the avenue of peace to the whole earth, must come to realization, or there is no peace.

5   Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:     6   And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. ~ MALACHI 4:5-6

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To have our heart turned is more than just a turning of our attention in another direction. The word “turn” means to “press toward your home”, or return to your original position. The redemptive act on the cross finished what was necessary for us to return to our origin, but for seven church ages the Temple had to be built. In the end, the turning of our hearts by the opening of the Seals sealed our position, revealed our origin, and made a reality the full effect of the reconciliation of all things. Have YOU been changed?

30    I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.   17    Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. ~ JOHN 5:30 & EPHESIANS 5:17

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Jesus came not to do His Own will but the will of the Father. He was conscious of the life that He was. He did not wake up each day hoping the Father would use Him that day. Every move was the life in Him. How about us? We desire that God use us for His glory, yet do not have a consciousness that it is His life and ONLY His life, that operates you if you are born again.

19   Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,     20   By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;     21   And having an high priest over the house of God;     22   Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. ~ HEBREWS 10:19-22

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What does it mean to have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience? Our conscience is our sense of right or wrong but it comes from being aware or a recognition of your surroundings or condition. An evil conscience would be an awareness of unrighteousness. A pure conscience would be an awareness of a state of redemption that is not yoked with this world. Recognizing what life you are living is required for an adoption.

5   Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:     6   From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;     7   Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. ~ I TIMOTHY 1:5-7

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Verse 5 is my favorite scripture, mainly because the final result of teaching should be charity out of a pure heart. It is the “good conscience” that I want to focus on in this thought. “Good conscience” is a state of being aware of something, in this case it is the knowledge of the teaching. This knowledge is not just human knowledge, but it is entering into something, mainly by experience. This word for “conscience” is equivalent to the Hebrew word Madda, which means knowledge, but more specifically means you have entered in through a door. True teaching should produce a transformation by realization, an awareness of some other state of things that you cannot see but know it’s there.

9   Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?     10   Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ~ JOHN 14:9-10

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The Father was not a different Person living in Jesus. He said, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” (John 5:19) He had a consciousness of the life in Him. He knew that every action came by His life, not a different Person. I believe we have that same privilege, to know that our life is His life, and there is no separation. There is no authority without this consciousness, because the authority doesn’t come TO US, but BY US. God is glorified, made totally known, when that life is manifest in us. (John 15:8)