Keep It Simple

January 9, 2001

The most that we can do in our individual Christian calling is to progress in our spiritual development. I know that is controversial in itself because it seems that so many Christian teachers would have us believe that as soon as we arrive at the cross that we have all that we need and many Christians go on in their salvation without truly growing into maturity. In practice we need to do as one below has suggested and "die every day." The vicissitudes of everyday life stunts our growth only if we let it.

We are all individuals with individual needs and strengths. Each one of us is a living stone in the building upon the foundation already laid of the restoration. There may be many walls and many majestic rooms but only one temple. Do you really want to see that Shekinah glory? I have caught a glimpse of it, but I want and need more. Many of you have seen it too, but none of us can glory in it. None of us have the truth in full measure but we do have Jesus, who is the truth. We are to build upon the fact of Jesus as the Christ and Him crucified. As we build the temple built without hands, we are the building materials. We are the finished creation as the church itself but a restored church, a holy church, a loving church - one that Jesus can be joined to.

We are not to make this construction all that complicated, one stone upon another until we are joined and fitted perfectly. We need to remind ourselves this year of the perfect law of liberty and not make things so rigid and put up so many legalistic roadblocks and miniscule interpretations to follow. Who is more justified - the person who will not accept the other because he is not doing it right or the one that accepts the other even if he is not doing it right? Sure, we should try to make things right, but how many of us can say that we have arrived?

I would like to close the Catholic-Protestant dialogue that we have had. It was a good discussion but it did not solve anything. We may know a little more about the strengths and weaknesses of both but you and I know that there will still be the Catholic way and there will still be the Protestant way. We as the remnant that have come out of these things are not to be divided into parties and the traditions of men but to follow Jesus as the Way. As long as men try to bring parties together, there will still be sectarian parties, we have to be One without these parties and transcend the division. Learn the way of love, humility and acceptance and you will be among the living stones in the restitution of all things. This is what needs to be learned and taught, not sectarian strife and one-upmanship over those you disagree with.

These are basically the things that the responses are saying as to exactly what we should be building upon now that the foundation of the temple is laid. Taking up the cross means that we deny ourselves, love and respect each other, grow in that love and then grow in truth and unity and praise and spiritual power and we will see the greater works. It is not about us and how right we think we are, it is about Jesus and His righteousness and taking on His nature.

Well, we have an on-line forum now. The first couple of days showed almost 100 people joining and Friday, the first full day had 57 messages. Praise the Lord. For those of you that have not had the opportunity to join yet, the address is http://www.egroups.com/subscribe/latter_rain_list . Some left the group right away because of the flood of e-mail messages but I have gone and change the options to let us have one daily digest. If you like you can even check that off so that you don't get any e-mail at all and can read them and be part of the different things being discussed on the site itself.

There were several issues discussed on the forum but I think that the most interesting one was on divine healing. Let's take off on that and discuss the healing ministry. This is a group that believes in the healing power and of laying on of hands as a foundational principle (Hebrews 6:1). The issues to discuss are the aspects of faith involved, what condition of faith needs to be present? Why do not all get healed? Why doesn't it last? What can we look forward to in the future prior to Jesus' return? Let's also discuss the power involved, we know it comes from God but what is the process?

Jay

Jay, you must get a ton of email everyday. Thank you for taking the time to read this one. It is a great vision you have of unity in the faith. Christ died so we could become like one man. Namely Jesus. This, should be the focus of any and every Christian aka Disciple. Acts 11:26. Matt 28:18-20. Go make disciples of all nations...

What could be the biggest thing we are to learn from Christ as his disciples? Love God, with all our heart mind soul and strength and Love one another as ourselves. Matt 22:37 For in the image of God has God made man Gen 9:6.

But, who am I to be loved? Am I good? No. Am I Noble? No. How can I love myself, through all the sin? This is the beginning of our God's divine plan. For he knew how to rescue us from ourselves. Very rarely will someone die for a righteous man...but God demonstrates His own Love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Rom 5:6-8.

Therefore, we now know Love. We understand how to practice it. If God dared to Love us in such a way...how can we not Love ourselves? Furthermore how can we not Love each other even more so? Luke 9:23-26 says we must die everyday. For Him and for each other. This is the Glory that God has brought to man's understanding. This is what it takes to be a disciple of our Lord Christ. A Christian.

My point is clear. We must learn from the Word of God. We must put His word into practice. We must deny ourselves to do this. We must not assume, we must act. Be careful, my friend and brother as you try to mediate between different doctrines. Paul says I resolve to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified.

May our Lord have mercy on me if I teach falsely. May He give you guidance, wisdom and understanding in accomplishing what He has set you to do. Preach the Word!. In and out of season. Please read: Luke 13:24. Also, if you don't mind. I have a question for you. What if Christ asks all of us; "Did you not hear what I said to the man named Nicodemus?"

in Christ,
Andrew Robertson

The scriptures have been preserved for all people at all stages of our history and are as pertinent today as they were when they were written. But they are also written with layers upon layers of holy guidance. The least of us, who have eyes to see and ears to hear, can derive sustenance from them. Likewise, those who have sought a deeper spiritual walk with our Lord can find direction also. It is in this spirit that I offer the following: Solomon was enlisted to build the "house of the Lord and his own house." This is important, because it tells us at the outset that Solomon was embarking upon a holy commission to build, not only the Temple at Jerusalem, but also, "his own house." The Holy Temple in Jerusalem represents the center of THE POWER OF LOVE in the consciousness of mankind. Without love, man is not able to progress spiritually. The Holy City is a habitation of peace. There is only one way to the spiritual Jerusalem and that is through the Christ. When we have brought all that we are physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually, under the dominion of Christ, we have established the I AM THAT I AM consciousness within ourselves. The personality (John the Baptist) with its intellect (Golgotha) must be crucified, before the Christ is able to manifest through us.

Right now, even the best of us, where we are in our present state of development, are doing no more than making a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit the temple. Sometimes we stand in the outer court, which is reserved for the Gentiles. Sometimes, we stand up to teach, but we are doing no more than periodically bringing about a spiritualized condition in the physical temple of stone and mortar.

We erroneously believe that because we are baptized in His Spirit, we have the Mind of Christ. But that is not so. To have the mind of Christ, we would know what the Father knows and we would do what the Father does. What we have is merely a spiritualized intellect. We have filled our minds with prayers, scriptures, hymns, and psalms. All that is good. But it is merely spiritualized intellect. We don't even function out of the mind of our own individual spirits yet. Most people don't even have a nodding acquaintance with the mind of their own soul yet. And how many more don't even realize that their own mind is compartmentalized into superconsciousness (spirit mind), subconsciousness (soul mind) and intellect (personality consciousness)?

Moses was a " type of " all mankind and personifies man's journey back to God. Solomon was a "type of" Jesus. He signified what man, operating at spiritual level of consciousness, could do when he is surrendered to the will of God. Solomon typifies man at a higher level of spiritual development.

Altho David was the "apple of God's eye", he was not permitted to build the temple because David was a man of war. Solomon was a man of peace. We are told that he "was strengthened in his kingdom", which is to say, he had control over the carnal nature more than any other man of his day. He walked with the God of his fathers and magnified the Spirit of God thru his entire being.

Solomon "went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord, had made in the wilderness...."(2 Chron.1:3) We are also told that Solomon had to make a thousand sacrifices, indicating that this work was not something he could designate to some underling. He had to do this himself.

"A high place" means elevated consciousness. Here we are told that an illumined state of consciousness where man is able to REALIZE his oneness with the triune God is to be our first pilgrimage before we "can build the house of the Lord and our own House." This illumination is positively necessary for without it, the most we are able to build is a synagogue (spiritualized intellect). And without this illumination, the POWER of love is not released into our beings. This love is not some sentimental emotional attribute which selects its benefactor. The POWER of love embraces all life in every form and beholds the perfect image in which it was created originally.

We understand that Solomon was not a perfect man but there was none other like him during his time on Earth. His name.....Solomon....Solar Man.....gives us a clue as to why people traveled from long distances to visit this king and why his "fame" spread far and wide.

Can we not, with the Holy Spirit breathing life into these scriptures, catch the vision put before us? Why is it repeated so often that Solomon built not only the Temple in Jerusalem but also "his own house"? Surely, this scripture was not preserved to merely inform us that Solomon built a royal palace. Oh no! The house that Solomon built is what each of us is being called to build now. Paul said (in 1 Cor15:53) that the corruptible shall put on the incorruptible. The Temple not built with hands is within. "Our own house" must be built also (Hebrews3:) "Now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him...."

The Living Holy Spirit of the Most High God is speaking to us, personally and individually today as at no other time and He is saying, "The time is come, yea, is even now, when men must worship God in the spirit, for God is a Spirit and we must worship him in the spirit."

We each need to seek Him with full commitment to discover what this message means. It is more than getting joy bumps at a praise service. It is more than speaking in tongues. The Kingdom of God IS WITHIN and he who seeks shall find it. Trust in our Lord. Overcome fear and draw nigh unto His Living Presence. See, hear, experience His reality. And then the building of the Temple and our own houses can begin.

Joyce Boisseau

Dear Jay, Of everything you have yet written, this is truly the most important to THIS HOUR we are in and what the LORD HIMSELF is saying to US, HIS BODY, HIS CHURCH....thank you so much for your faithfulness and the heart you have to serve HIM and HIM ALONE! That is all that will matter in the END...when the separating is done on that final hour of JUDGEMENT....the sheep on ONE HAND, the GOATS on the OTHER.

This past week has been for me one of the most instructive and corrective of all my Christian WALK..oh so many things have been LEARNED....we can't do ANYTHING in the strength of our own flesh....it isn't going to amount to anything lasting. Works of the FLESH are the WOOD, HAY, and STUBBLE...it has nothing to do with form or traditions of men...ONLY THE SPIRIT OF GOD (PURE AND PERFECT LOVE)amounts to LIFE, THE NEW WINE....we are living in very incredible times. This is the time of the NEW COVENANT...and what we need to do, each and every one of us, is DIE. Oh what reality THAT is, huh? LOSE OUR HEADS? DIE to all we know and all we are within our own understanding SO THAT we may LIVE to CHRIST ALONE....God forbid that ANY of us should be found guilty of doing what the pharisees of old did when the MESSIAH first came into this WORLD...try to figure out WHAT and HOW HE would fulfill the prophecies of OLD....it's very exciting to me to realize that I am living in the DAY of the LORD. I do not want to be found guilty of the same thing the pharisees were, "expecting something that was not the REALITY of God's WILL, and then REJECTING the TRUTH when it was right under my NOSE all along!) I don't want to MISS HIM, as the pharisees and saducees did because I am so blinded by pride or my own understanding that I cannot SEE the KING OF GLORY at the gates. For this reason, I look constantly at the words of Jesus concerning the FINAL judgement on us ALL...and I can only believe that what is most important of all is that WHEN HE COMES however HE decides to do this, we are to be found "about HIS business". It's pretty simple stuff. FEED the HUNGRY, CLOTHE the NAKED, visit the SICK and IMPRISONED, the WIDOWS and the ORPHANS in their affliction...this is TRUE religion and UNDEFILED...because THIS IS LOVE....LOVE and REALLY LOVE...selfless acts of mercy and kindness and charity...works that are generated by FAITH...we are safe ONLY there. If we are doing anything else apart from this we are deceiving only ourselves.

Such an incredible and awesome TIME we are living in! We should be on our faces (in our hearts if not in our bodies) and crying out without ceasing, "COME SOON LORD JESUS" and each of us need to be focused right now on OUR PART in this GLORIOUS SYMPHONY that our GREAT CONDUCTOR is orchestrating so as to bring the CLOSURE to all this....I am just watching and waiting, EVER LOOKING UP....because I do know THIS...our REDEMPTION draws NIGH....and all that matters is that WE are found FAITHFUL in that HOUR....Blessings and LOVE, Karen

What does it mean to restore the church?

Our history books show that the Roman Church had ultimate power. Kings would summon the prophets prior to sealing a decree. Not only would they summon the prophets, they "trusted" the prophets as being their direct link to God. Even the political leaders knew that any efforts apart from God were futile. Somewhere along the way the power of the Church was tainted "perverted" from it's true intent. The "trust" was broken and we continue to feel the rippling effects of the hot lava killing every breath of life in it's path. (Everyone has a church "hurt" story (excuse)

Suddenly (cause that's how God works), Christ came, died, and lives all to restore the Church. Cutting off the old "blackened soil" and suddenly signs of life spring up in the cracked soil (the remnant). As those fragile green stems blossom and bloom, their beauty is admires and they pollinate and "suddenly" (cause that's how God works) more stems bloom from blackened soil until the blackened soil (though wide-spread) fades and all that is left is the green pastures that David refers to in Psalms 23.

I believe that the lava has no place left to go. It never flows backward. Whenever we are killing unborn babies by the thousands and mourn not for their death, mothers against daughters, and fathers against sons, etc. there is no were else to go. It doesn't get worse than this. Thank God that behind the hot lava that destroyed the field...life once again rises. This is the restoration of the church building on the foundations of UNITY.

Will we see greater works than we read about?

I believe it with all my heart. As the church (the entire body of christ) walks in unity we will be unstoppable. How else to get the attention of a dying world than to defy it's principles. The dead - raises, the blind - seeing, the barren - barring .... etc. that will get the attention of an atheist. Then all knees will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Every miracle is so the world may know that He is God!!! Jesus performed every miracle that I can think of so I believe that when he refers to greater, He's referring to quantity and not necessarily quality. I can't think of a miracle that he did not perform. Nor can I think of a half done miracle. We (by His Spirit) will live by heavenly principle and watch heavenly thing happen. Those that are carnal minded will be astounded and their hearts will be open to receive the Truth that the church has been missing. No more one man shows....it's about the body. No more perverted gifts....only those that are pure and undefiled.....no more fake anointings....the world is longing for the real thing and they've seen so much fake that they can smell it a mile away. We owe the world an apology on behalf of ourselves and our former generations. It's time the church as a Whole Body of Christ repent and return with no excuses. Father forgive us, restore Your Church...Your Body.

Detective Sonya Small
Marion Police Department

The Church will take its rightful place (which is beside her Husband) only when she denounces falsehood! As Revelation 19:7 records it, " Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready." Our Husband, Jesus Christ, is the Head of His body the Church or (Bride). His position as the Head was predicated on the basis of obedience to His Father, absolute Truth! In Isaiah 59:13-15 we read, "In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment (justice).

The body of Christ wants the benefits of marriage, "position and honor" without the required sacrifice, "denying ones self and taking up her cross." What is the Cross of the Bride? The same as her Husband, surrendering to absolute TRUTH! Jesus, who is the WORD made flesh said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Did this me His body only? Of course not! His body alone could not change the condition of His Bride. Jesus told us in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth , and the life..." His obedience to Truth is what cleanse Her. Let us not forget, the first Adam had a choice between the Tree of Life (representative of God who cannot lie Heb. 6:18) and the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil (representative of Satan who is the father of lies and who uses God's written word to deceive).

When Adam and Eve made their choice to believe Satan, they fell into spiritual falsehood. This began our never ending struggle between truth and falsehood. But, praise be to our Everlasting Father who will not be denied! Our Father has always preserved His truth. David said, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." Psalm 119:160 The Lord says in Isaiah 61:8, "For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them."

Lets turn our sight to another account of Jesus speaking of truth. In John 8:12-18, Jesus had just finished shedding light on the woman taken in adultery being accused by the scribes and Pharisees, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, Thou bearest record of Thyself, Thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true: for I know whence I came, and whiter I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, My judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me." Wow, what an example we the Bride of Christ have before us. If only we would follow Him as He followed His Father. Only He who is True can minister the things of God!

What are the characteristics of Melchisedec? Hebrews 7:1-2 says, "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually". And, 23-28, "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore! Wow, Wow and double Wow. Look at what our Husband's consecration is doing for us His Bride!! Oh there is so much meat in this word. Oh if we would only pay our vows to our Husband as Jesus paid His vows, Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me), to do Thy will O God." Heb.10:7;PS 40:7-8.

There is a price for the priesthood and a process for eternity. Because Jesus succeeded at the process, He is Crowned after the order of Melchizedek for eternity. We the Bride are in process and must pay our vows, "Lo, I come to do Thy Will oh my Husband." My personal thoughts.

Isaiah 54:5-8 says, "For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer."

In conclusion, Jesus demonstrates in John 15:1-5, "I AM the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in Me, and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." And Verses 25-26, "But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedth from the Father, He shall testify of Me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning."

Continuing in John 14:12-21, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And what soever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. (Jesuse is the Spirit of Truth) Note He says in verse 17, "for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." This Jesus is the Word that came out from the Father.

Revelation 19:11-13 says, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. (Truth verses falsehood) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God." Back to John 16:7-13, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you."

John 17:1-4, "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: As Thou has given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. Verses 16-19, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. (Psalms 119:142) As Thou has sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness (falsehood) into His marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation! II Peter 2:9 Hallelujah!

You are the true vine of Jesus as Jesus is the true vine of our Father!

Begin the New Year with the Truth for Truth is fallen in the street!

Truth will set you free. To whom the Son has freed, he is free indeed.

Sorry that I wrote so much, but I had to in order to complete the message. I do hope it is received as intended in much love. We are to provoke one another to love and God is the definition of love.

Sandra Johnson

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