Come and See
Chapter 10 of the Gospel of John
Part i
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.(Revelation 4:1)
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Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. (Psalm 66:5)
For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isaiah 66:18)
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He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about tenth hour. (John 1:39)
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. (John 1:46)
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. (John 11:34)
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Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27)
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And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (Revelation 6:1)
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. (Revelation 6:3)
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. (Revelation 6:5)
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.(Revelation 6:7)
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Introduction to the Door
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  Before we examine the 10th Chapter of the Gospel of John, we must establish the door to heaven: Who is the Door, and Who Holds the Key of this Door? The Door to heaven is the Door of security; no one comes in, or out, of this Door without the authority of heaven; no one comes in this Door without faith, grace, and truth in Jesus Christ. This Door must be opened from the inside: that would be God’s dominion. And God must open the Door by the Doorkeeper, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who holds the key, and He is the only one who can open the door to heaven. I wish to show the depth, the height, the breadth of who the Son of God really is. He was not a ‘maybe’ sacrificial lamb, He was not a ‘maybe’ Savior, He IS the wisdom of God, the righteousness of God, the Sanctifier, the Redeemer of man, and this includes that He is THE DOOR to ALL God’s purposes and plan of redemption.
  Let us begin with the last mention of the Door in all of Scripture. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1) This is the conclusion, for now, the Spirit of God speaks to His servant, Come up hither. It is an invitation without restraints, for His servant John is washed in the blood of Christ. All of heaven will be opened to him, and his eyes will behold Him, the one who sits upon the throne. All good and perfect gifts must come from above from God Himself. God sent His Son to be the Door of salvation. He was sent from above. He was not of the earth, earthly, He was the heavenly Man, and He holds the key of David. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (Revelation 3:7)
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Christ — the Door
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  It is Christ alone who opens the door. He declared in John 14:6 that He is the WAY, He is the TRUTH, and He is the LIFE, and no one cometh unto the Father, ‘but by ME‘. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) In Revelation 4:1, the Door to heaven is confirmed by the door in John Chapter 10. The door in John Chapter 10 is finalized in the door of Revelation 4:1. It is the finality that Christ is THIS DOOR. What did John behold, but the very Lamb that was slain to redeem us unto God by His blood. In the confirmation of the Door, we also see the determinate counsels and foreknowledge of God. As John Chapter 10 gives us a present tense of the Door, so Revelation Chapter 4 gives us its final fulfillment, and allows us to enter in beyond the veil to the holiest of all. Only one time in all of Scripture do we have the phrase ‘the determinate counsels and foreknowledge of God.’
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:Â (Acts 2:23) Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24)
   Now think. . . . ‘the determinate counsels of God’ surround the cross of Christ, and the foreknowledge of God brings forth His Son in resurrection power, and glory in life everlasting. The counsels of God surround the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can there be a message from God to us in these two verses of the integrity and purity of the Word of God? It is the fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures past, present and future, and throughout Scripture in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ who has opened the door of truth to mankind. It is the faith of the Son of God, as the Author and Finisher of our faith who holds ALL believers in the unity of His body. He has committed them to His body, and both the sovereign hands of Father and Son secure all believers in grace, through faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Door to eternal life in heaven. Throughout the Psalms, David spoke of his position before God both on the earth and that which was to come. For in the 23rd Psalm he finalized it all with walking through the valley of the SHADOW of death, and then, dwelling in the house of the Lord forever.
<<A Psalm of David.>>Â The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2)
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:5)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:6)
  David does us a favor (through the Spirit of God) when he beholds the Shepherd of John Chapter 10 in Psalm 23. This door was a door of security for David, after all of David’s faults and sins, he could look up to heaven and cry out, What shall I render unto the LORD [for] all his benefits toward me? (Psalm 116:12) I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116:13)
  Although David had been a shepherd of sheep, and a shepherd to the nation of Israel, he knew that he had a Greater Shepherd, the Shepherd of eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Door of Hope
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  In order to enter in through the Door of the new birth in Jesus Christ, one must come through the faith of the Son of God. From the beginning God has unfolded His plan of redemption as a continuous tumbling cloud rolling through the history of mankind. And the Door, the Door of hope, has always been the express image of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. This may sound strange, but it is the indestructibility of the Son of God that gives hope to His own. If the DOOR cannot be removed, then they who enter in cannot be removed. They are secure in the bosom of the Father. Just as Lazarus rested his head on the bosom of the Father, and as John rested his head on the bosom of the Son of God, we have a Door that has been opened by the Son of God, and can only be closed by Him.
  The Door of hope first opened to righteous Abel. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4) Abel was the very first of God’s elect saved out of this evil world, a world of Adam’s sin and death. Abel believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. How do I know this? Hebrews 11:4 calls Abel ‘righteous,’ and the only way to be righteous is to believe God through faith in Jesus Christ, and the result is the ministration of God by grace in imputing righteousness to the one of faith.
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The Door to The Excellent Sacrifice
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   Abel believed that God was able to present a perfect sacrifice for sin, so that the sacrifice that Abel offered was offered through faith. Abel SAW the fulness of time in his faith, and he believed that there would be a MORE excellent sacrifice that God would give for his sin. IN Hebrews 11:4, God calls Abel’s sacrifice ‘a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.’ This is the only time in Old Testament types that an ‘excellent sacrifice’ is mentioned. Why did the Holy Spirit do this? It was to show us through the word ‘excellent’ that there was a sacrifice yet to come, far above the sacrifices of men. For only God could sacrifice Himself as a more excellent sacrifice. The word ‘excellent’ stands out on both Abel’s part and on God’s part through the offering of the one and true Lamb of God. This opened the door of faith and hope to Abel as we see in Hebrews 11:4. This is the only place in the Bible that a more excellent sacrifice was offered by man. For this, in itself, was the first offering by man in the new world, for paradise had been shut off from man. This one offering (in the beginning) signified the one offering of our Lord forever, He has sanctified them who believe on Him, and He has perfected them in His grace to be the very sons of God.
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;Â (Hebrews 10:12)
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)
  In the uniqueness of Abel’s sacrifice we have the first sacrifice by man directed by God. God had given instructions in the way of sacrifice. However, later in the book of Exodus, we find the value and preeminence of the blood, When I see the blood, I will pass over you. (Exodus 12:13) Abel was quite aware of this very thought and concept, for he had faith that God was able to save his soul from the judgment of sin and death. Abel’s sacrifice was looked upon by Abel as a sweet savor to God. In the sweetness was God’s mercy and grace God smelled a sweet savor in Abel’s sacrifice because of the fulfillment yet to come in the fullness of time. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of woman, made under the law. (Galatians 4:4) God also saw the fullness of that sweet savor in the sacrifice of His beloved Son. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)
  As we see the uniqueness of Abel’s sacrifice as the first sacrifice by man, we see the uniqueness of the Lord’s sacrifice as He was a sweet savor in His sacrifice to God. He was the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. In this we see not only the he-goat of sacrifice, but we see the scape goat as well, for we are taught that our sin was laid upon Him, and He paid the price of sin and the judgment of sin on the cross of Calvary. He carried ALL sin into the wilderness, and He finalized the banishment of sin in His death; yet, man does not want to avail himself of this sweet savor of sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember from before the foundations of the world, the Godhead had established an image in His dear Son, and that image was the body that was prepared for the Lord Jesus Christ. He was that express image that created all things by the word of His power. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3) This body, this divine sacrifice for sin was prepared in the determinate counsels of foreknowledge of God. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Hebrews 10:5)
  The Lord Jesus was not a human sacrifice. He was a divine sacrifice apart from sin; yet, He was sacrificed for sin. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:23) For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (Hebrews 9:24) Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; (Hebrews 9:25) For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)
Side Note: These verses in Hebrews 9:23 – 26 lay before us a history of sacrifice. They take us back to the foundation of the world. They take us back to the very first sacrifice which was made by God Himself in the garden for the two trespassers who were guilty and penalized with sin and death. It was through Adam’s disobedience that he brought sin into the world. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) God offered (in the garden) two lambs, one for Adam, and one for Eve. They were covered with the skins of these animals. These coverings would remind them of their trespass against God throughout all the days of their lives. The offering in the garden did not restore Adam or Eve to their former glory. In fact, it was only a covering for their sin. There was no atonement for Adam or for Eve. This was an act of mercy by God in driving them out of the garden and allowing them to live in the flesh for a number of days, but the penalty of sin and death was still upon them.
  Just as God offered the first sacrifice in Jesus Christ, He offered the last sacrifice, and all those sacrifices in between were just shadows of the fullness of time when God would offer His Son for the sin of the world. When Abraham told Isaac that God would offer Himself a sacrifice, it revealed to all believers that it was God in bodily form who laid down His life on Calvary. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8) The manifestation of the fullness of the Godhead bodily gave Himself for the sin of the world. Although God is Spirit, He manifested Himself many times through Scripture in many ways. If God can speak through a burning bush, He is quite capable of manifesting Himself in the flesh as the Son of God. Even now for believers, we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. Is this because the Spirit of His Son is within us? But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9) Also Christ Himself instructed us to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
  In the wisdom of the Spirit of God it is the divine Spirit who took on an image before He began to create the worlds, and this image would contain the fullness of the Godhead bodily: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A few references will help us on this divine subject. The first comes from the manifest image of God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. (John 14:7)
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. (John 14:8)
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? (John 14:9)
  This is a strong reference of the Godhead bodily in Jesus Christ. Now let’s understand the Spirit of truth in Jesus Christ. It is this Spirit of truth who has been sent into the world by the Lord Jesus Himself. One of the divine titles given to this Spirit is the Spirit of Christ that will lead us onto all truth, for grace and truth came BY Jesus Christ, and is still maintained BY Jesus Christ. This Spirit (sent into the world, and in each and every believer) is the Spirit of Christ.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;Â (John 14:16)
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. (John 14:17)
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18)
  John 14:18 many contribute this to the Lord’s resurrection, and being with His disciples. However, remember when He was among them that He stated as documented in the gospel of Luke, 24:39, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. This is before His ascension when He ascended on high.
  It is His Church, and it is His Spirit that is in the Church, and this spiritual dwelling place of the Son of God is WITHIN every believer. The building, the façade, the organization and all the rituals of man have NOTHING to do with the body of Christ. We are a spiritual body separated from the world BY the Spirit of Christ. However, we have a lot of wolves who have put on sheep clothing, but they are not of the body of Christ; yet, they run the outward veneer of the church. They have usurped power from the Spirit of Christ, and what will their end be? It will be the lake of fire with all its torment. If we see, and comprehend this open Door before us, we will see within the express image of God in Jesus Christ that we ourselves have the divine Spirit of Christ within. This in turn allows us to be called sons for we have been adopted by God the Father through Jesus Christ. We are not in a foster home. We ourselves make up the body of Christ. One day when Christ gathers us ALL then we will see the fullness of His divine body. When each and every member reflects His image and His glory. This will be the fullness of the divine body, His Church. Just as He is the fullness of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
  Now let us prepare our minds, our hearts, souls and spirits for what lies ahead. The Father expressed His love for His Son, the voice from heaven proclaimed, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him. The Son, the Lord Jesus, while present on earth expressed His love for the Father as a mutual love.
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5)
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. (John 17:11)
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26)
  And within this love is a divine love in the Father, and a divine love in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father in His love sent the Son of God, which was of the Father and IN the Father’s love He committed unto His Son for His own. The divine love of Father and Son are in combination and unity for those who are born of His Spirit, which is the Spirit of Christ. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon US, that we should be called the sons of God. The Door has been opened by the Doorkeeper in the Sovereign power of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He works continually for those who are under the umbrella of salvation in Jesus Christ. Now, let’s open the Door to the 10th Chapter of the gospel of John. ♦ End of Side Note
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The Door to Truth
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  The Spirit of God begins by echoing the voice of the Savior with, Verily, verily. A very familiar ring of divine truth used often in this gospel of John, and it is only used by the Lord. He has laid claim to the truth by the very existence of this divine expression, Verily, verily. The Holy Spirit has put it into print to draw the reader to the importance of what is to come, a solemn truth that can only come from God.
  Verily, verily, or truly, truly, and in the Old Testament in the book of Psalms, the sum and apex of truth are often expressed as, Amen, Amen. It is the same Spirit in the book of Psalms as in the book of the gospel of John. Verily, verily, or truly, truly, can only be spoken by the Son of God as the Living Word. After the gospel of John, the Spirit of God does not use this phrase again; therefore, we need to pay Ain this 10th Chapter of John to the truth of the Living Word.
  The first time that the Lord Jesus used this combination of Verily, verily is documented in John Chapter 1, verse 51, that shows the divine prerogative of the truth, and the revelation of the truth, by the power of the Spirit of God in revealing the Son of God and His ministry from above, and His servants, the angels. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) It is the first time in Scripture that we have the verbal force of the spiritual concept and truth that a man must be born again. This is emphasized with the word ‘Except’ signaling that the new birth is a divine action of God Himself. This is by no means a natural birth. Adam has no part in this birth. God removes Adam and creates a new creature in Christ who is born of the Spirit of God.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)
  This is such an important act of the Spirit of God, concerning being born again, that the Lord Jesus once again, in verse 5, exercises His right as the Living Word of God with the words, Verily, verily, or truly, truly. You will also find in verse 5 that word of separation: ‘Except‘ is used once again, showing not only the divine right of birth, but the separation of that birth unto God. This is why the Savior finished His statement with the kingdom of God in verse 3 and in verse 5.
  Following the numbers in John 3:3, we have the voice of the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we have in verse 5, what would be the outcome of grace. In verse 6, we see the old flesh (man), but we are not born of flesh and blood, we are born again of the Spirit of God. This of course, takes us back to John Chapter 1, verses12 and 13, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12, 13 should always be linked to John 3:3, for it is the divine power, and the divine proclamation, infused in the words Verily, verily that reveals the heavenly knowledge, and the heavenly truth, and the heavenly thought of the Doorkeeper who has opened the Door to this divine truth. In John Chapter 10, we have the divine Door and the Doorkeeper who also is the beloved Shepherd of the sheep, this is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting because the first verse of John Chapter 10 covers a lot of ground both past, present, and future.
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The Battle Against the Divine Door
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  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) Again, this verse is marked by Verily, verily. The Holy Spirit wants us to pay attention not only to the words, but to the train of thought. Verse 1 begins with opposition to the truth. It reveals those who have not been called of God, those who have usurped the power and authority that should only be given to those who are called of God. There is a contrast given to us immediately in verse 1 in the words, He that entereth not by the door.
  Do you know where the first mention of the word ‘door’ is found in Scripture? The first mention is found in Chapter 4 of the book of Genesis. God the Holy Spirit takes us back to Cain in Genesis 4:7 in order that we should understand what blocked Cain from entering into the door. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7)
  There was a conflict between Cain’s offering and the offering of Abel. God had specifically express to Adam and Eve, in the garden, that the covering for sin had to come through sacrifice. It was the Lord Himself who shed the first blood. Those drops of blood, in the very beginning, were before the Lord’s mind all the way to Calvary when the drops of His blood atoned for the sin of the whole world. What began in a garden, was finished in a garden called Calvary, and perfected in resurrection in a garden. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. (John 19:41) In the first garden mentioned in Scripture, the manifest image of God (who had created Adam in the image of God) took two lambs and shed their blood because Adam had brought sin into the world; since Adam was the Federal Head of the Earth, he consequently bore all the responsibility and blame for bringing sin into the world.
  The lambs within the garden were without blemish within and without. The purity of these animals had to be established in the beginning to foreshadow the purity of the Lord Jesus Christ within and without. God took the skins of the animals that were sacrificed and covered the sinners, however, this did not erase their sin for they had become sin in body, soul, and spirit, to be free from the immediate judgment of God they had to be covered by the skins of animals that had no sin both within and without. Adam and Eve had no part in this sacrifice for it was God Himself who shed the blood of the innocent. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12)
  Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden of plenty into a world of dust, thorns, thistles, sin and death. The skins that covered them covered them from the judgment of God in demanding their death, but it was not divine atonement. If it had been divine atonement they would have been returned to their former glory. This was the mercy of God that would continue on in the history of mankind sparing those who deserve death, but it was not atonement for their sin.
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:19)
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)
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God Shut the Door to the Tree of Life
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  The evidence of atonement was not present, but just the opposite. Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden because in the garden was the tree of life, and they could not be allowed to partake of the tree of life in their present condition. Therefore, God drove them out, and shut the door to mankind by the Cherubims and the flaming sword. This was the first act of mercy by God, for they had died in the spirit to all that was of God. But physical death was also their punishment under the judgment of a righteous God. The two lambs (without blemish) was for mercy and truth, not grace and truth. Grace and truth would come by the second man, the Man from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (1st Corinthians 15:47)
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9)
  In God’s election, God chose Abel to be the first harbinger of faith, and therefore, by faith attain the righteousness of God. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4) Although the Holy Spirit takes us to the book of Hebrews, the Spirit of God knows the entire time line of mankind. He takes us back to Abel and heralds the righteousness of Abel, and since righteousness can only come through grace and truth and the One who holds grace and truth is the Doorkeeper, the Lord Jesus Christ.
  The only life that Adam saw outside of the garden was in Eve because of the promise of God; yet, God saw death because of sin. The products of sin in Adam and in Eve brought forth two sons (Cain and Abel) into a new world . . . . a world of sin and death. Adam and Eve transferred the strain of sin, or the DNA of sin, not only onto Cain and Abel, but to all their offspring. And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: (Genesis 5:4) This meant that both men (Cain and Abel) bore the sin and the penalty of sin which was death upon them. Therefore God acts as the God of grace. He began His election in Abel through faith. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
  The Lord gave the godly provision of sacrifice to both Cain and Abel: that their sacrifices would be a lamb without blemish within and without. Abel was faithful to God’s provision, and we know that it was through faith because of the Spirit’s voice in Hebrews 11:4. However, Cain disobeyed just as Israel later in the history of man disobeyed this provision of God. This will be the history of all of mankind until mankind outside of Christ is no more. Sin never changes. A person who is bound by sin never changes. Only redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ can set a person free from sin and death. As Cain brought the works of his own hands, and in this sense, flaunted his achievements before the face of God, and in his heart said to God ‘Look what I HAVE DONE, isn’t this a marvelous work that I’m offering unto you.’ Here lies the problem. When God said, This is my beloved Son, Hear ye him. Mankind needs to listen. Cain was the first person to try another door and not the door of God.
  Abel, however, brought the firstling of his flock, the first born, and this became the first shadow in this new land of thorns and thistles of the more excellent sacrifice for sin yet to come (in the fullness of time) when God would send forth His Son as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world wearing a crown of thorns on His head symbolizing a world under sin and death. Here in the new world of sin, the door was shut for man, but God opened that door through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Side Note: A personal experience of a door closing. I was speaking in Bermuda on John Chapter 10, and the place was packed with people standing along the sides. The hall had huge heavy handcrafted cedar doors: a double door at the front, one at the back, and one on the side, as it was a typical warm evening, the doors were open. At the close of the message, I reminded all that God was longsuffering to us ward, and as I spoke these words, ‘This could be your final call,’ a fierce powerful wind swept through the hall, and all three doors, at the same moment, slammed shut with such a force it shook the church. This also shook the spirit of man, for all jumped in their seats, and men and women let out a gasp of fright. They had been warned one and all of their final call. Today, as you read this message, always remember with every child of Adam there is a final call. It can be unto salvation, or it can be to close the door to heaven and open the door to hell. Don’t be as Agrippa, when he said to Paul, You have almost persuaded me to be a Christian. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. (Acts 26:18) ♦ End of Side Note.
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The Doorkeeper Opens and Closes the Door
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  The redeemed know who the Door to heaven is, for they hear His voice whether it is through the Word of God or conviction by the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus is the Door to all of God’s blessings. These blessings carry the believer not only into eternity, but the existence throughout eternity without end. The divine Doorkeeper, the Lord Jesus Christ, is not only the one who opens the door, but the Lord Jesus Himself tells us that He is the One who will also shut the door. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (Revelation 3:7) The Lord Jesus has the power of an endless life. He also has the power of death. He has the power of grace and truth, and He has the power of truth in judgment. The first verse of John 10 presents us with the conflict between good and evil, between truth and error, between the sin of man and the goodness of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) Can you see in this verse the root of the conflict between the devil and God?
  In John 8:9 the Holy Spirit presents to us the heart of God in His long suffering to us ward. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. In John Chapter 8, we see forgiveness displayed first with the woman caught in adultery. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (John 8:11) God’s mercy was present in Jesus Christ. Yet, man in his sinful state had no mercy demanding the woman to be stoned. Although they were as guilty as the woman through their own sin and treachery, and convicted of that sin, they removed themselves and went out from the presence of the Lord Jesus from the eldest to the last, as Cain, they went out from the presence of God carrying their burden of sin upon themselves as a yoke of oxen tied in their sin. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. (John 8:9) (The words beginning at the eldest, even unto the last isn’t about age, it is about position — the reference has the word ‘last‘ not ‘youngest‘.) At the close of John Chapter 8, all are united against God as they pick up stones in the attempt to kill the Lord Jesus, but He used His divine power to cloak Himself and slipped through the midst of them; thus, He closed the door upon them. His mercy would not come their way again. From this point in the gospel of John we will only see the enmity and hatred of the Pharisees toward God’s dear Son. The Pharisees were united together to bring about the death of God’s Christ. However, His time had not yet come. The determinate counsels of God were still revealing the wicked hearts of men, so that when the Lord on the cross said, It is finished, it left man without an excuse. In John Chapter 9, we have a war over the soul of one man. This man was born blind, although the door is not mentioned in Chapter 9, it is demonstrated in the Savior’s love for the soul of the man born blind. The Pharisees, once again, were trying desperately to close the door even casting the man out of the temple. Yet, Christ sought him out, and the Lord Jesus presented Himself as the door of hope to the man who was born blind. Christ was calling out His own, and His own knows His voice. The man had nothing to offer, he was poor because of his blindness, he had neither lamb nor bullock, neither two turtle doves, however, he stood in the presence of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Nevertheless, this formerly blind man, as Abel, worshiped the Lord Jesus. Everything that occurred before the 10th Chapter of the gospel of John leads us to the sheep, to the door, to the Shepherd, and to those who steal and rob that which belongs solely to God.
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The Parable of the Door
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  A parable teaches a moral truth, but in the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, His parables are more than moral truths, they are spiritual doors into the spiritual world of reality. In John Chapter 10 it is The Truth that we are looking at. The first six verses make up a parable which traverses the past, and is true of the present, and will continue in the future to reveal the battle over sin and death, and the conflict between good and evil.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1)
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (John 10:2)
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (John 10:3)
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (John 10:4)
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. (John 10:5)
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. (John 10:6)
  This spiritual parable takes us back in time, to a particular place, and a specific individual. What is the divine message in this parable of the door? It is a message of conflict between the goodness of God and the evil of this world, man and Satan. The Holy Spirit of God leads us back to the first mention of the door in Genesis through His parable in John 10. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7)
  In John Chapter 10, the Lord begins with the error of mankind in his rejection of God’s Door, his denial of the truth, and his deception in attempting to establish his own door to heaven. Religion is the mask of the deceiver. The adversary uses religion to block the door to heaven. In a sense, this first verse of John 10, the Lord takes us back to Cain. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) God told Cain that sin lieth at the door. When we understand sin in its fullness, we see that as long as that sin was before the door, Cain could not enter into the door. Cain’s own actions of sin blocked the door. The heart of Cain was full of enmity and unbelief. The example of Cain is that he was spiritually dead to the things of God, but alive to the things of the world, and to the things of sin and death. Trying to rob God of His promise of His righteous, holy, pure and excellent sacrifice to come in the fullness of time Cain not only was a thief and a robber, but a murderer as well. Refusing to obey God in offering an alternate sacrifice instead of the prescribed and set sacrifice by God was a rebellious act of thievery by Cain. Mankind, because of sin, is continually attempting to close God’s Door to heaven. When God used the word door in Genesis Chapter 4, His foreknowledge was speaking specifically of the door that we have in John Chapter 10. This is difficult to comprehend that as Cain SAW the manifested image of God in Jesus Christ, and as Cain stood in the presence of a holy and righteous God, Cain refused to back away from his rebelliousness. Scripture clearly states that Cain was in the presence of the Lord. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Genesis 4:16)
  In Genesis 4:7 the Holy Spirit of God teaches a spiritual reality in that sin blocks the door. This makes this word door very important; thus, the understanding of sin blocking this door should be revealed to all. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7) As long as sin blocks this door there is no entrance, and there is no salvation.
  Cain and Abel were both given the same instructions by God on how their sacrifices should be offered. (God accepts worship based only on His principles of sacrifice not on our thoughts of how worship should be accepted.) His instructions enabled them to open the door through sacrifice. They had to bring a first born lamb without blemish without and within. Cain brought the works of his own hands. He brought the fruit of the earth that was under a curse. Cain offered a bloodless sacrifice. (This is exactly the same gospel that religious robbers and thieves teach: the gospel of works, the gospel of fruitful giving, the gospel that salvation is not by the blood of Christ, but this gospel is the gospel of the curse.) However, Abel brought a more excellent sacrifice then Cain. God imputed righteousness unto Abel because he obeyed God by faith, and God opened the door to salvation and heaven for the first man of faith.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
 This was a pure sacrifice raised in the presence of God. Abel laid his hands upon the head of the sacrifice and confessed his sins to God, then he took the tool of sin and death and slew the lamb. I’m sure that Abel wept in his heart and soul over his own soul, but recognized that God had provided for him a way of escape from both sin and death. God had opened the door through faith.
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The Door to Heaven
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  This article began with the last mention of door in Scripture, we find that it is the door to heaven, and everything revolves around the Doorkeeper, the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1) In the first mention of the word door, there is a presence of sin. This beginning of sacrifice by Abel was a prefigure to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. In the last mention of the word door sin is banished forever.
Side Note: The Law of Sin and Death. Although the law had not yet been given in the days of Abel, mankind was still under the Law of sin and death.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (Romans 7:21) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (Romans 7:22) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:23)
  We should remember that Abel stood before the God of all creation. God in His foreknowledge knew what was going to take place when He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and gave them the Law and the ordinances of sacrifice. The same mind, the same power, and the same Lord of all that gave Moses the Law and ordinances also gave Moses the complete history of early man in the book of Genesis. Just as prophecy looks into the future, it also in some cases, reminds us of the past. It is not only the verbal record of God, but it is the voice of the Holy Spirit within that lays each page of Scripture one upon another showing us past, present, and future of mankind. ♦ End of Side Note.
  The door was opened to Abel through faith and obedience to that faith, but the door was closed to Cain for he brought his own works. The works of men without God have never been good enough and never will be good enough. What Cain brought to God contained no provision for sin, and what he brought to God could not open the door because it was a crooked key. At one point, both Cain and Abel stood before God as sinners. Yet, Abel through faith obeyed God so that he stood before God as a forgiven sinner.
  The word ‘faith’ has been misused in this world by both the thieves and the robbers of faith. I will tell you a truth. Faith belongs to God and not to man. Just as grace belongs to God and not to man. We could go on further with righteousness, holiness, goodness, etc., etc., for the Lord Jesus is the Author and Finisher of all faith. By being the Author he provides faith to sinful man, by being the Finisher this faith allows man to open the door and enter into not only the presence of God, but to the eternity of God.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
  We must believe the words of Scripture, just as John the Baptist stated, a man can receive nothing except it is given from heaven. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3:27) In Hebrews 11:1, the Holy Spirit teaches us that faith is a substance, a tangible object, and by this description it implies that man can possess this tangible object. It is because of faith that we receive the evidence of things not seen. A whole spiritual world is around us and within there are those who are born of the Spirit. They will never leave this spiritual world for they have been moved from a sinful world into the very presence of the glory of Christ. Faith as a substance, a tangible object, binds us to the Spirit of Christ as sin binds us to the world. Faith binds us to Christ, and to the world to come. We should also consider every good and perfect gift comes from above. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
  In John 10:1, these thieves and robbers had come before in history. We also know that they continued after the crucifixion of Christ. We have many examples in the book of Acts: the death of Stephen, the stoning of Paul, the saints put into prison, and Peter’s marvelous release by the angel of God. It is a wonderful thing to watch how God weaves faith through the book of Acts through many different individuals, yet it is the same faith that opens the door to the presence of the Lord and to heaven itself. Faith is a constant through the Scriptures. It began with the election of Abel, not Adam, nor Cain, but with Abel. The Holy Spirit reminds of this in Hebrews 11:4 and 11:6.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
  When John the Baptist was sent by God, it was to prepare a path for the Redeemer of ALL mankind, which would in turn the Lord Jesus prepared a path to the presence of God. But above all, man must have the faith of the Son of God which is a gift from God. I love to hear people proclaim how grace is a gift of God, which it is, however, they then try to claim faith as something that is within them as some kind of a natural achievement, and it is not, faith MUST be given of God as a gift. The apostle Paul, through the Spirit, in 2nd Thessalonians 3:2 tells us not all men have faith. And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
  When we consider Paul’s references to election, we must also see that this election extends back into the past when Abel was the first elect of God. Yes, God CHOSE Abel. (Swallow this, and don’t spit it out.) It is evident that faith is tied to election, and election is tied to faith. In ALL of Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews, it is BY FAITH, the tangible faith, that moved Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was BY FAITH that Moses (being a proper child of election) forsook Egypt and its worldly glories to suffer with the people of God. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. (Hebrews 11:25) The Holy Spirit opens a thought in Hebrews 11:25, notice that it does not say that Moses suffered with the whole nation of Israel, but the Holy Spirit declared that he suffered with the people of God. This also speaks of election, and thus, it also speaks of the people of faith. In Hebrews 3, we are reminded of those who had not faith, and they perished in the wilderness. So faith is truly a gift of God. What better thing or object, as a gift, is the Son of God from heaven. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above. This divine gift is brought to us from God the Father through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Gift of God. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)
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The Door a Divine Gift
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  The gift of the Lord Jesus Christ is a divine Gift, for He, in His Person is the Door of hope, a sure hope that is anchored IN heaven at the right hand of God. In John Chapter 10, the Lord proclaimed Himself as the Door of eternity. Just as He also referred to Himself as the Light of the world, and as long as He was in the world, He was the Light of the world. When He ascended the last time to God the Father, and took up His position at the right hand of God, a spiritual darkness came over the whole world, and the hearts of ALL of Adam’s descendants was darkened by sin. It was a darkness upon the face of the deep. However, in the absence of the Lord Jesus Christ, God sent the Spirit of Christ back into the world, and the Spirit of Christ said, Let there be Light, and He gave gifts unto men, and He began to form His own body, which is every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Christ lit a path of faith through election.
Side Note: Faith. James gives us the Holy Spirit’s view of faith with its proper definition. These verses may help you understand the article and the gift of faith.
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:3)
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6)
My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. (James 2:1)
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? (James 2:5)
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (James 2:14)
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:17)
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:18)
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20)
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (James 2:22)
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (James 2:24)
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:26)
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:15) ♦ End of Side Note.
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The Key to the Door
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  In Revelation Chapter 3, verse 7, it is written, And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;. In the Lord’s address to us He states that He has the key of David. This is the tangible reality of faith and this is the key. Faith is the key that was given to David from above. The throne sitter in heaven is the One who gave this key to David.
  The door was opened with the key of the cross. It was opened in the words, It is finished. We have, as Christians, endured this world for over two thousand years since the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been mocked, and we have been criticized by the lies of thieves and the robbers. Whenever a servant of God (with the gift of Christ) is brought into the world by the new birth, the world and its thieves, robbers, and liars deny the servant of God, just as they denied the Lord. The thief is a person of opportunity. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) When no one is looking, the thief steals the goods, he has a kingdom of his own, all the empty houses are just waiting there for him to come and steal to his heart’s contentment; however, the thief does not like confrontation because he is a coward at heart. The thief or thieves within the church are the ones who steal the word of God and replace it with the words of men. These words are from their father the devil for they are bound to him and not to Christ.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (2nd Corinthians 11:13) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2nd Corinthians 11:14) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2nd Corinthians 11:15)
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2nd Timothy 3:1)
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2nd Timothy 3:2)
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (2nd Timothy 3:3)
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (2nd Timothy 3:4)
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2nd Timothy 3:5)
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (2nd Timothy 3:6)
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2nd Timothy 3:7)
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (2nd Timothy 3:8)
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (2nd Timothy 3:9)
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
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The Crooked Key to the Divine Door
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  The thief (within the church) wants to steal what belongs to the sons of God. The first thing that he wants to steal is their title, as the Pharisees denied the Son of God, and His title as the Son of God, so also today, the thief wants to deny the title of the sons of God. Sonship is very important, for God declared that it was His beloved Son that He sent into the world: who was and is the Creator of all things, and He has inherited all things. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:2)
  On the side of inheritance, we are brought into a relationship of sons in the eyes of God the Father. How did we acquire this position? God confirmed it by adoption through the Testator of the New Covenant, signed in His own blood. It is the will of the Son of God that His children should be glorified with Him. (John 17) God confirmed our adoption in Galatians Chapter 4: 4 – 7.
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5)
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)
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. (Romans 8:15)
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:Â (Romans 8:16)
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1st John 3:1) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1st John 3:2) And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1st John 3:3)
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:Â (Hebrews 12:5)
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Hebrews 12:6)
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (Hebrews 12:7)
  Week after week thieves and robbers in the professing church deny our sonship, denies our faith, and denies our Savior. They climb up into pulpits and attempt to deceive even the very elect. They do not understand the power of God, the power of Jesus Christ. The power of Jesus Christ gives every new born babe an intuition in the Spirit of Christ to discern what is true by the Word of God. Even the fragile babe in Christ has a thirst for the Word of God. This is not a natural thirst. It is a supernatural thirst given by the Spirit of Christ, and with this thirst discernment of the truth is also given by the Spirit of Christ by the Word of God. The Spirit of Christ proclaims the truth WITHIN His elect, and they hear His voice, and they follow Him. It is the same voice of His Spirit that declares to the believer to come out from the presence of the thief, and from his lies, and from his deceptions.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2nd Corinthians 6:14)
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (2nd Corinthians 6:15)
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2nd Corinthians 6:16)
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (2nd Corinthians 6:17)
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2nd Corinthians 6:18)
  Defilement is the standard message of all churches in our age of corruption forgetting that the believer is the temple of God. Whenever the world, the flesh, and the devil (who have been allowed to come in among the sons of God) meet the sons of God, it is the corrupters who become dominant and preeminent; thus, the Lord Jesus Christ and the sons of God become insignificant and inferior.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.(Revelation 18:4)
  . . . . come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. This, of course, is both said of both the world, and of the false church that continually uses the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in blasphemy to try to deceive even the very elect. Remember in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ in Revelation 2:13 it is AMONG the CHURCH of Pergamos where Satan placed his seat of authority, and it was there that Satan dwelt, and it was there among you that faithful Antipas was murdered by his brethren, and among his brethren. As faithful Abel was murdered by his brother, so too, in like manner Antipas was also murdered among his brethren. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. (Revelation 2:13)
  In our age, this false church receives its power and position from the world, and from Satan, not from the Son of God. In Revelation 13:2 we see the most wicked man, the Beast, whose number is 6 – 6 – 6. He is the trinity of evil with himself, Satan, and the false prophet. It is a land of idolatry for he builds an image as Nebuchadnezzar unto himself, and as the church of today, he receives his power, and his seat of authority from the old serpent, the devil, Satan himself.
  The pulpits of the world are full of the ministers of Satan attempting to steal what belongs to the children of God — our very inheritance. First, the thieves and robbers attempt to steal our title as sons of God. Secondly, these thieves and robbers desire to steal ALL the blessings that we have in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, these thieves and robbers are obsessed with stealing the Word of God. These treacherous thieves and robbers want to steal our eternal security which is founded IN Jesus Christ, and revealed to us in the Word of God. They want to steal our faith in Jesus Christ. They wish to take-away grace, and preach a gospel of works, as Cain. In order to steal our fellowship one to another they have brought Adam into the church to divide the sons of God through their claims that ALL are welcomed to worship, and that ALL can worship together. How can unbelievers worship a God that they do not believe in?
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
  Thieves and robbers not only attack Christians, but their attacks are aimed to bring God and His Christ down. In attacking God’s children, they attack God and rob from God.
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6) Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? (Malachi 3:7) Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me . . . (Malachi 3:8)
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)
  Although Malachi was writing through the Holy Spirit to the children of Israel, under a different covenant, he was writing BY the Spirit of God and these principles to Israel ALSO apply to ALL of mankind throughout history. Today, there are multitudes who rob God in their unbelief.
  The concept that believers and unbelievers can fellowship under the banner of being a form of gospel outreach, or even a form of unification of churchgoers is a lie from the pit of hell, and the author of this lie is Satan. God showed us the danger of this very act in Genesis Chapter 6. In the book of Job, it is the sons of God who are gathered together. The children of men are not included in this scene of worship in the book of Job. Even in the New Testament the apostle Paul told the Corinthians, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2nd Corinthians 6:14) Yet, these liars, thieves and robbers use a crooked key to open their own doors to their own churches to all; consequently they refuse to acknowledge the difference between worship, fellowship and outreach, and they also reject that there is a difference between the sons of God and the children of men. How can light have fellowship with darkness? God divided the light from the darkness in the very beginning. As an example, light cannot abide with darkness, and darkness cannot abide with light.
  Denying gifts is another way that thieves and robbers break into the worship center of believers. The only gifts that thieves and robbers approve are only those that they institute among themselves. But the Word of God is clear.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
 These thieves and robbers have no conscience in what they do, or in what they say as they twist the Word of God to accomplish their own dark goals, just as Cain did. What God establishes in the beginning in the book of Genesis flows throughout the entire Bible, and God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the very center from ‘in the beginning’ to the very end of Scripture in Revelation 22:21, when the Holy Spirit says, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
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The Divine Door and the False Door
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  From the very beginning there has been both a crooked key and a false door used in an attempt to enter a divine door. Let me verify this: that a new born babe in Christ is called by a divine call. He is an elect of God, he has been given a divine faith through divine grace, by a divine Savior, and he has become a supernatural child of God in Jesus Christ whereby he stands before God as a son, a completely supernatural standing that Adam could never have. The children of God not only have a divine Doorkeeper in Christ Jesus, but they also have a divine Door in Christ Jesus. This divine Door can only be opened into eternity by a Straight and true Key which is faith of and in Jesus Christ. He is the straight and true Key, but the thief and robber will try to steal this from you, and for more than two thousand years they have been very successful in doing so.
  Ever since the beginning of spiritual thievery in the book of Genesis Chapter 3, it is still evident in our age through religious corruption and spiritual money-laundering. In the book of Acts, Chapter 5, Ananias and his wife Sapphira attempted to steal what belonged to God, and they forfeited their lives. In a sense, Ananias, with Sapphira are the Adam and Eve of the New Testament, God judged them, and they were carried out and buried. They used a crooked key to gain entrance into the throne room of God.
  In Adam we had a father of the earth who had given his soul, spirit and heart to the works of the devil. But now, the new birth brought forth a new creation completely separated from Adam and the devil. We have a divine Father in heaven who deals with us as sons because the Son of His love took sin upon Himself, and went INTO death, and destroyed death for us so that we (through divine love) are called ‘the sons of God.’ The thief will tell you that he has the gift of the Spirit, however, his gift does not reflect the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gift of the thief is a gift of Satan, a gift of lies, and ultimately a gift of death. As a child of God, we must trust the Lord Jesus and Him only for instruction, and knowledge from the Word of God to discern between good and evil, between gift and lies, between a crooked key and a straight key.
  The Lord Jesus who is the Living Word, and if you can bear it, He is also the written Word of God. He manifested Himself in this Word in the beginning. It was God in Jesus Christ who described to us His Spirit, His Person, His deity, and His creatorial power . . . . In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) It was God who revealed Himself in the beginning just as He revealed Himself when He came down from heaven to be the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. If we allow the world to deny our eternal sonship then they are denying the finished work of Christ. They have put themselves in the category of Hebrews Chapter 10, verse 29. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29)
  Lets examine the first time . . . . well it is the ONLY time that the phrase ‘sons of God’ is mentioned in the gospels, and what the thief attempts to accomplish. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13) The thief removes the word ‘sons’ and inserts the word ‘children.’ He steals our inheritance because our inheritance is in our sonship. The thief takes this one verse, that the Holy Spirit has put forth to prove our sonship, to deny the very Word of God. Simply put together John 1:12 and 13, and you will see that together they refer to the Supernatural. It is NOT about translation, or the Greek language, it is ABOUT the divine act of God that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are transformed into a new creature, and in this position, God the Father sees them as sons. If you think that these men who change words, and omit words have more intellectual power then the Spirit of God then believe the thief, and his lies, and deny the Spirit of God.
Side Note: Why are there many different Bible translations, or many Bible revisions, or over simplified writings advertised as a Bible? Whenever you are faced with a change of words, no matter how small and insignificant the change may seem, or even what appears to be a minor omission, then ask these questions, Does this change affect or alter how the glory of God is seen? Does this word change remove or deny the understanding of who Jesus Christ is? Does the omission of a word lower or deny Christ’s perfection in His Person, and in His redemptive work? Does this word change or omission remove or invalidate something from our inheritance in Christ? Changing words, or word substitution, or word omission is just one example of how thieves and robbers operate. ♦ End of Side Note.
  Nevertheless, the elect of God have been elected, they have been chosen before the foundations of the earth, and they are safe in the bosom of the Father. Thieves and robbers have made many attempts( more than two thousand plus) years to steal the Word of God. Even in the Old Testament you have many false prophets stealing the Word of God.
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. (Jeremiah 23:31) Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:32) Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. (Jeremiah 23:33) (Also read Deuteronomy 18:20; Jeremiah 14:14-15)
  The thief is also very subtle. He likes to steal when no one is looking. He picks up the object and pretends that he is examining it and when no one is looking he slips it into his pocket. In the children of Adam, we have an empty house, no one is home because Adam is dead in trespasses and sin. It is easy, therefore, for a thief to steal the Word of God from an empty person, for an empty person never possessed it in the beginning. In the parable of the sower, Adam hears the Word of God, however, the thief comes and steals the Word of God, and the only thing left for Adam is eternal darkness and the wailing and gnashing of teeth. As the sons of God, we are left here on earth to testify of our great and wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are here to stand up for His kingdom by declaring the Word of God. We are here, as Noah, to preach righteousness to a world of lost sinners. We are also here to stand up for what belongs to our King. If the children of God do not stand up for what is theirs, and for what belongs to their King, then the devil and his thieves will take ALL hope away from the children of Adam. You have heard many people who have no life in their eyes say, Once saved, always saved. Isn’t that cute? However, I’m asking you, Can you back up this saying? Can you, as a professing Christian, give a reason for your faith? Can you explain and back up your eternal security in Jesus Christ? Can you correctly defend this phrase, Once saved, always saved? Can you, through the Word of God, trace the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the entire Bible? Yes, once saved, always saved. (It is much more than a cute phrase, it is a hill to plant your feet on.) Have you been taken aside by the Lord Himself and taught the Scriptures from Moses and the prophets, and the Psalms, and the entire New Testament things concerning, and showing forth, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? It is only the Word of God that puts to flight the army of Satan. When you are assaulted by one of these thieves, these churchaholics, the simplest defense is the Son of God Himself. Don’t try to change them, or woo them with any intellectual power, but simply cast yourself on the Lord Jesus and declare His name, and His Person, His faith, and His salvation. A case for justice is usually the best defense and to defend the cross, one must call the chief witness, which is the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ.
  John Chapter 1, verses 12 and 13, they must be overlaid with John 3:3 and John 3:5 in the Supernatural. In John 1, we have the very absence of man in Adam, we have a transformation to the sons of God. In verse 13, God the Holy Spirit makes a profound declaration by casting off man, casting off blood, casting off flesh, and gives us ‘It is God’ once again as the Creator that those who declare sonship are a new creation in Jesus Christ, and Adam has nothing to do with it.
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The Divine Door and the Straight Key
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  If you follow the history of thieves throughout the Word of God you will discover that there have been many past thieves, just as there are many thieves in the present, and there will be more yet to come in the future. The thief is extremely subtle. Allow me to change the word ‘sons‘ to the word ‘children,’ how does this simple change affect us? Children can be either male or female, but in the old world only the male or the first born son was granted the right of heirship. Everything was established through sonship: property, financial wealth, authority in estate decisions, all was based on sonship. The Spirit of God is quite specific when He is dealing with who we are. In the book of Galatians we are neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;Â (Galatians 4:1)
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. (Galatians 4:2)
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:Â (Galatians 4:3)
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5)
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)
  The professing church has abandoned the doctrine of sonship of every believer. These verses from the book of Galatians reveal to us a garden of fruit for the sons of God. Our sonship in Christ is one of the very things that is bestowed upon us when we are saved by grace through faith. In Galatians 4:3, the Spirit of Christ is speaking of our past in Adam, and therefore, He uses the word ‘children’ and relates it to our past bondage in Adam. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: (Galatians 4:3) In Galatians 4:4 we are changed, now we have sonship beginning with God’s only begotten Son. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4) In Galatians 4:5, we have received the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ. And this is by the divine decree of the Spirit of Christ, God’s beloved Son. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5) In Galatians 4:6, now we have an eternal Father in heaven. We are brought under the umbrella of the bosom of the Father, for His love of His only begotten Son is transmitted THROUGH His Son to a love beyond love to all the redeemed. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6) So now, we can cry, Abba Father. This is a position closer then any human relationship, and father in Adam. In Galatians 4:7 as servants now we are sons. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7) The word ‘servant’ is applied to all of God’s sons. For as the Lord Jesus would glorify the Father, so it is within us, by the Spirit of Christ, to glorify both the Son of God, and God the Father. Although we are waiting for our transformation into the image of God’s dear Son, on earth, we are seen as servants; in heaven we are seen as sons, and our sonship is grounded by love of the Father.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1st John 3:1)
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1st John 3:2)
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1st John 3:3)
  In the New Testament, or new covenant, Christ has brought us (as believers) into His Father’s realm, as the Father has loved us BEFORE He gave us to Christ.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:29)
  In 1st John, we see what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. He has placed His love WITHIN us and UPON us. In John Chapter 10, it is both the Son and the Father who love their sheep, and this love binds them to the heart of God. No person, neither any being, nor any preacher can pluck us out of the Father’s hand or deny our sonship. In Galatians 4:7, the Spirit of Christ uses the title of the Christ of God. (Read Luke 9:20, He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.) This brings to us His anointing as the Holy One of God, the Messiah, the King Eternal seated upon His eternal throne of righteousness. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8) We are, as believers, eternally joined to His throne, and to His righteousness for we are not only sons, but joint-heirs with Christ.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:Â (Romans 8:16)
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17))
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19)
  As the world, and the perverted church, attempt to strip the Son of God of His deity, of His creatorial power, and of the power of an endless life, they would like to have a robot that they could dictate their spiritual well being to; however, God created us IN Jesus Christ IN our new birth FAR ABOVE the intelligence of AI and of Adam’s race. As sons, we KNOW, we FEEL, and through the eyes of faith, we SEE the unseen. Our faith is tangible, and it has availed us through the knowledge of the Word of God of both the seen and the unseen. We are not born of blood, nor the will of the flesh (in Adam) nor the will of man in sin, but we are born of God. John 1:13 we have a divine birth from above, we are no longer citizens of this world, but we are citizens of heaven and of the kingdom of God. Adam is excluded from our life. He is cast off, and a new man is born: a heavenly man, a son through adoption. Our adoption was signed and sealed at the cross of Christ in His precious blood. The Lord Jesus is the Author of the divine testament, He is the CENTER of this testament in His blood, and He is the Divine Straight Key.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (Romans 9:15)
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Romans 9:16)
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. (Romans 9:17)
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. (Romans 9:18)
  If one remembers Moses receiving the Old Testament Laws and ordinances, they were ALL sealed with blood. However, this New Testament, wherein we are brought into the presence of God as sons, is sealed and ratified by His own blood. The testament is sealed by the death of the Testator. In the Scriptures, from Genesis through to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we have ONE object before us: the Testator and His decrees in the past is the Testator fulfilling the past on Calvary’s cross, and signing past, present, and future in His precious blood. This is by the One who has the power of an endless life. By going into death, He destroyed it, and took its power away to bring grace unto mankind. He has power over death, and His resurrection confirmed His covenant or testament that He has made with us, the sons of God. We are His people, His body, His nation, His realm, we belong to Him as heirs and as sons. We are sons of His blood for He loved us unto death, and He lives in the power of an endless life. Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.(Hebrews 7:16)
  In the book of Hebrews, Chapter 1, verse 2, we have a very important point. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. This is what Hebrews 1:2 declares: that in these last days, God has spoken unto us BY His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, that He was made HEIR BEFORE He made the worlds. The Holy Spirit of God not only declares Him Heir, but as the CREATOR of all things. As Heir, the testament that He fulfilled by dying on the cross was written and sealed by the ring of the King BEFORE the foundations of the world, and the seal of the testament was loosed at the Lord’s death upon the cross. The Almighty God has revealed all these things to us through His Holy, Holy, Holy Word in both the Old Testament and in the New Testament. The Testator rose from the dead, and therefore, decreed life eternal in Himself. He has given to the sons of God HIS eternal life through the power of His death, His shed blood, and His resurrection from the dead.
  When the Lord defeated sin and death, and cast Adam out, He brought life from above for those who the Father had given Him, and they could not be plucked out of His hand, or out of the Father’s hand. We are kept by the power of the Lord Jesus in the power of His endless life. We have an inheritance WITH Christ in the kingdom of God. A heavenly kingdom not made with hands. In John 3:3, the Lord reveals to man (in the person of Nicodemus) that a man MUST be born again. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. He emphasized this fact by preceding it with, Verily, verily, or truly, truly, so we should pay attention to this new revelation to mankind in the Word of truth. The Lord was proclaiming that man was not good enough or pure enough to enter into heaven (into the kingdom of God) except He be born again from above. So what is man in his natural state? As a child of Adam mankind has enmity in his heart against God because of sin and death. Man has no hope on earth. His only hope comes from above. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. In the new birth there is no Adam. In this new birth it is ALL of God. In verse 4, which speaks of the earth, Nicodemus is a man of the earth, and he puts up an argument for Adam. How can a man be born twice, can he enter into his mother’s womb a second time, and be born? Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (John 3:4) This shows the blindness of all mankind in Adam. In verse 5 of John Chapter 3, the Lord once again, leads of with Verily, verily, or truly, truly. You can even say, this is a FACT of divine truth, a man MUST be born again. This completely shuts the door on Adam, and mankind born of woman for now in the new birth a man MUST be born of water and of the Spirit. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) We also see the purpose of the new birth. Unless a man is born again, in verse 3, he cannot see the kingdom of God, and in verse 5, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. This is not the kingdom of Israel. This is not the kingdom of the world, this is the eternal kingdom of God that existed BEFORE the foundations of the world. This kingdom is hid from the children of Adam. It is the spiritual world to those who are born of the Spirit. Adam not only brought sin into the world, but he lost all the given traits of his creation. His heart was changed, his spirit was gone, and another spirit took its place, his soul was emptied of all that belonged to God, and within the realm of sin there was an enmity against his very Creator. Adam, through sin, would now and forever try to usurp the place of his Creator, and this has progressed through man’s history.
  Man wants to be god so much, that he will kill his brother. He will destroy nations. He will murder multitudes by stealth, and deception. In our age of AI (Artificial Intelligence), man is building robots to resemble his own image. Man is creating soulless robots to reflect his own image, an image of sin and degradation. But mankind believes that achieving lordship and control over his mechanical creation will somehow allow man the title of ‘god.’ (Controlling humanity is very tenuous, but man erroneously believes that controlling a mechanical robotic man is more sustainable.) Watch out humanity . . . . look what Adam has done, being the creation of God, when he became sin, man became evil, and his history shows a path of this evil. You better beware of AI, because a mechanical man without a soul only reflects the soullessness of those behind AI.
  Adam was destroyed on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the spiritual world was opened, as a door, to those who are born again. But man likes to divide, he likes to divide the Son of God, he likes to divide the kingdom of God, and he likes to divide the Godhead bodily. Man’s work of deception, which he has learned from the devil, is further advanced when unity is broken between the Father, Son and Spirit, then the kingdom of God becomes divided into pieces of shattered clay. This is what has been done for the past two thousand years plus, dividing God, dividing Christ, dividing the kingdom of God. Instead of ONE WHOLE, mankind has made many intricate parts.
  This is how man creates his own philosophies, and his own deceptive wisdom. He receives his wisdom from the serpent, and the serpent, the devil, is the great divider. We see the beginning of the division in Isaiah 14, and we see the completion of the division on earth in Genesis Chapter 3. Man is so lifted up, he thinks that he has the right to divide Christ into MANY approved parts. This is the foolishness of mankind, all this division is to break the unity of believers in an attempt to break the faith of the very elect, which is impossible. God has not only given us the gift of new birth, but an unspeakable gift of unity in the blood of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God echoes the voice of Paul within us, Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36)
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (Romans 8:38)
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
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The Glory and Beauty of The Divine Door
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  In Revelation Chapter 1, we see the Lord Jesus walking amongst the seven golden candlesticks. The number seven finalizes the entire Church, everyone born of the Spirit of Christ. It is not only finality BUT it is PERFECTION. As Christ, the Divine Door, walks through the seven candlesticks He looks upon His creation, the Church, and He sees it with all the goodness of God. The brilliancy of their lights reflect off His golden breastplate, and this reflection reveals His righteousness, and the righteousness that He has imputed to His new creation, His Church. Within the breastplate is written all the names of those who are born again into the body of Christ. These seven golden candlesticks reflect the Spirit of grace through the excellent oil, and the light of His pure and righteous grace in the seven Spirits of God. The golden breastplate covers a heart of righteousness, and seals the entire work of redemption through Jesus Christ. We are displayed in God’s love from the very heart of God. In the Old Testament, Aaron, the high priest, wore a breastplate with twelve glorious stones. Each stone represented a tribe of Israel, and each stone represented EVERY individual within that tribe; thus, through the high priest they gained a representation before an Almighty God. As Aaron entered into the Tabernacle to the Holy place, the Lampstand with its seven branches gave out a light that reflected off the breastplate, and each precious stone glowed with the glory of God. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1st Peter 2:5) (Lively stones, brilliant stones, that show forth the brightness of His glory.)
  Looking on the breastplate of the high priest from right to left, the first stone in the first row was a jasper, and in the fourth row (the last row) the last stone was a sardine. These two stones contained the whole in that the first and the last stone sheltered and harbored all the stones between them; this also reveals the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Through the polished and radiant stones in His breastplate we have the brightness of His Person and of His throne. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1st Peter 2:6)
  The Holy Spirit of God carries this thought further into the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3) In this verse, we again see the jasper and the sardine stone. Keep in mind that in the book of Exodus, these stones were the first and the last on the breastplate, and in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the One who sits upon the throne is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. All of God’s glory is contained within these two stones, but there is more because the jasper stone was the stone of the tribe of Judah, and Judah was given the preeminent place on the breastplate.
Side Note: The Jasper Stone. There is much more to understand about the jasper stone in the spiritual realm, for instance, in Chapter 21 in the book of the Revelation, verse 6, once again we have the Alpha and the Omega, and the beginning and the end. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6) In the foundation of the wall of the City the first foundation stone is a jasper stone. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. (Revelation 21:18) And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald. (Revelation 21:19) The following verse connects the jasper stone as representing Christ being The Jasper Stone. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3) Not only is Christ the very Center of the Word of God, but He is ALL in ALL. Click here to read more about the Jasper Stone. ♦ End of Side Note.
Side Note: The order of camp movement. Whenever Israel broke camp during their wilderness journey, the order to march was very specific: Judah’s standard went first (from the East side) with the tribes of Issachar and Zebulon. The second group that followed Judah’s standard was Reuben’s standard with the tribes of Simeon and Gad. The third group to follow was the Levites with the Tabernacle and the articles of the Tabernacle, and this would be Levi and Kohathites. Then the rest of the tribes followed. When they went to war, Judah was the first tribe to always lead. The only time that this set formation of movement changed was when the nation crossed over the river Jordan. First to enter the waters of Jordan were the priests bearing the ark of the covenant with the complete nation following in their path. ♦End of Side Note.
  The first stone on the breastplate gives the tribe of Judah preeminence over all the tribes of Israel. The son of David, who was from the tribe of Judah, is mentioned first in the genealogy of the book of Matthew. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1) In David, we have the future glorified King, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in Matthew 1:1, we see a double fulfillment by the Son of God, His heirship as both King of Israel, and King of heaven. In Abraham, we have all the promises of God in the Seed of Abraham, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16). We see all the promises of God given to Abraham met and completed in Jesus Christ. As we leave this world we enter into the realm of heaven, and there on the throne, we see the One who has the preeminence over all things. We see on the throne, the eternal power of God in the Throne Sitter who is described as the glory of the jasper stone, Judah, and the sardine stone, the completion of all things. The three titles found in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ that show His completeness through all time and through eternity, these three titles are the circumference of who He is as The Ancient of Days, Jesus Christ the Savior of Man, and the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, however, the three titles that are monumental are: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and the first and the last.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:8)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 22:13)
  In the book of Exodus He is the jasper and the sardine stone. He is the first and He is the last. In the book of the Revelation the Holy Spirit of God continues this theme as He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, He is the beginning and the end of ALL things. These titles found in the book of the Revelation encompass the whole of the Godhead bodily. These titles encompass His plan and His purpose through the history of mankind. These titles show us His complete control over all things. Even on the cross, redemption was not complete until the Lord Himself proclaimed, It is finished.
  The titles in Revelation (not names, but titles) show us the beauty of holiness, the shimmering rays and glory of the breastplate, and the righteousness of God in ALL His dealings with mankind. Just as Judah was given the preeminence in the nation of Israel, even Jerusalem (within Judah) was set aside for God’s plan and purpose. From the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ the plan and purpose of God was the suffering of the cross, and the fulfillment of His plan of redemption through His Son, His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. As Judah was the first to fight because of the position in the nation of Israel so the Lion out of the tribe of Judah was the first to fight for the souls of man against an adversary who had more power and more knowledge and more evil then any man on this earth. Satan would go face to face with Christ on the cross with his weapons of sin and death, and the Lord Jesus would destroy them both and send Satan cowering into his own darkness. Evil was turned back when the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for His sheep upon the cross of Calvary. Judah was the first just as the Lord Jesus is the Alpha. Judah, however, never took complete possession of his inheritance. Thanks be unto God that the Lord Jesus finished His work and took possession of ALL that belongs to Him. This makes Him the first and the last. Because of the prophetic time left in the calendar of mankind, man fails to see the very end at Calvary, and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord proclaimed, It is finished, meaning what I have written, I have written, what I have written will be fulfilled in its entirety to the very end, for Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
  In the book of the Revelation Chapter 4, the jasper (the beginning), the sardine (the end) encompasses the One who is the Ancient of Days, and the Throne Sitter. In Revelation Chapter 4, the power, the infinite power does not come from the throne, it comes from the Throne Sitter Himself basking in the full glory of His own righteousness. There has never been a throne sitter as the One in Revelation Chapter 4 who, for His kingdom, took the mantel of flesh and went into the realm of mankind, and laid down His life as the good Shepherd for His sheep.
  Since we are beholding the Throne Sitter in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it is interesting to see that we have a witness of all three covenants given to mankind.
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (Revelation 4:2)
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3)
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Revelation 4:4)
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
  In the rainbow around the throne, we have the first covenant given to Noah as he embraced the new world; God declared His first covenant was with mankind. This is the rainbow round about the throne.
  Through the mention of the jasper and the sardine stone we are drawn back to the covenant given to Israel in the beginning and the end. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3) But what about the last covenant, where is the witness of the New Testament? Ask any saint before this throne and the Throne Sitter, and they will tell you that they are the witnesses of the New Covenant, the New Testament in Jesus Christ.
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Revelation 4:4)
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;Â (Revelation 5:11) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)
  Let’s summarize the things that we have just seen with the eyes of the Spirit of God. We have the continuation of the beginning of the creation of God that the Alpha was the Creator, and this was Jesus Christ, the Throne Sitter in Revelation Chapter 4. He is the Omega, the finality of the determinate counsels and foreknowledge of God. He has completed ALL things in both the natural and the spiritual realms. He is the Creator and the Finisher, the Beginning and the End. He is the circumference of eternity, and He is the beauty of holiness upon His throne. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 7:26 that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is made higher than the heavens. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
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The Door is Slowly. . . . Slowly . . . . Closing
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  The testament or covenant that we embrace today is an umbrella of past, present, and future, ALL is in the finished work of Christ. There is no greater ending in ALL of history in the physical or in the spiritual world then the very words of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary . . . . it is finished. The finality of these words is monumental in the history of mankind. The only one qualified to utter these words would be the very Creator Himself, as He uttered, It is finished. All of heaven thundered, and the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom, darkness fled away, and the work of redemption was finished. We see the wonder of this finished work in 1st Corinthians 15:44 – 49; 2nd Corinthians 5:17 – 19.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1st Corinthians 15:44)
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1st Corinthians 15:45)
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1st Corinthians 15:46)
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (1st Corinthians 15:47)
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (1st Corinthians 15: 48)
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1st Corinthians 15:49)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2nd Corinthians 5:17) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2nd Corinthians 5:18) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2nd Corinthians 5:19)
  In 1st Corinthians 15 because of the words, It is finished, we, as believers, are taken from the natural world, and transformed into the spiritual world. We are taken from the earthy and are made heavenly in Christ Jesus our Lord. In 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5, we are translated from one dominion to another. We were children of wrath, but now we are children of God. We are a new creation, a new creature in Christ. What does this mean? It means our old man in Adam was totally destroyed at the cross. He was vaporized in sin and death by the second man, Jesus Christ, the man of heaven, not of this earth. Adam is no more. There is no way back to Adam, or to sin and death. We have been miraculously, by the miracle of God’s grace, set free in Jesus Christ. Christ has ended ALL that was against us. However, the average pulpit preacher is not declaring these wonderful truths brought forth in the Word of God to the children of God, the sons of God, in their Savior Jesus Christ. The problem in the current professing church is that there are too many men (in Adam) both ruling and possessing the pulpits of this world. They want to resurrect Adam, they want to resurrect sin and death, they have no faith in the finished work of Christ. Many in the congregations, and in the pulpit are ignorant of what took place on the cross by the Son of God. They haven’t a clue what a true believer is; therefore, let us tell them. I was crucified with Him, I was buried with Him, and I was raised in newness of life with Him. Sin and death (in Adam) was totally destroyed within me, and God will remember my sin and trespasses no more. I have been translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. I have become a spiritual son to the Almighty God through Jesus Christ. I have been embraced completely by the love of the Father, the love of the Son, and the love of the Holy Spirit. I have been embraced by the love of the Godhead bodily. For the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me. It was not Adam, or Adamic flesh, for Adam only gave me sin and death with NO door of hope. Christ being made in the likeness of sinful flesh (NOT the flesh of Adam, or the flesh of Adam’s descendants) was brought forth from heaven with HOLY flesh. This holy flesh was the manifest image of God with NO, and I said NO taint of Adam or sin. Sin had to be placed ON Him not IN Him. He (the Lord Jesus) was ALWAYS the divine Man in heaven, and was sent by the Father from heaven into the world. If He were human in any way, if He had any taint of the children of Adam, there would be NO . . . . I said . . . NO. . . . ATONEMENT. The atonement was a divine act of God. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. The divine image of God, the Creator of ALL things went to the cross and gave Himself as a ransom for sin. Such a great Savior, such a great God, no mortal can show forth His glory for He Himself must reveal it to man.
  The religious world desires an inferior Creator. They hunger for an inferior Savior whose Lordship, Sonship, and Heirship could be controlled by man’s religion, and not by the mighty power of God. WHY? Because man wants to feel comfortable with a savior who will wink at the sin of man. They want a savior who will recognize and condone man’s rationalization. Have you ever asked yourself why the world wants to make the Lord Jesus a mere man, as every man, or have you ever asked yourself why religion does the very same thing in various degrees? Is it such a bad thing to have a Savior who is GOD OVER ALL, who has the power of eternity in His very words, who is God Almighty upon His throne and who is in complete charge and control of all mankind? I prefer GOD over the so-called gods of the world and religion.
  I previously mentioned that Adam, sin and death were vaporized at the cross. God did not only atone for the sins of the whole world, but destroyed SIN ITSELF. When Adam partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, his DNA was changed by sin; consequently Christ created a new race of people. He creates a new man in Himself. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus, through faith, according to the Holy Spirit have passed from death to life, and have a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a process that a believer goes through: first, the believer becomes one of God’s elect, as Abel. This does not change the believer’s standing in Adam; however, the Holy Spirit troubles the heart, soul, and spirit drawing the believer to the Person of Christ. Then the Spirit of Christ begins the work of repentance and belief simultaneously giving them faith from heaven which in turn leads them to grace. The work of the Holy Spirit may take years trying the heart, soul and spirit of the elect until the day, the hour, the minute, and the second of salvation through Jesus Christ, This is all according to Psalm 139. Thou hast searched me, and known me. (Psalm 139:1)
  Man cannot accept the foreknowledge of God in the individual life of man. Yet, God has searched every person and He has known every person; past, present, and future, He searched Cain, and knew Cain before Cain was born. He searched Abel and knew Abel before Abel was born.
<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>>O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. (Psalm 139:1)
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (Psalm 139:14)
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (Psalm 139:15)
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16)
  These few verses from Psalm 139 need to be read with an intent heart, soul, and spirit. Everyone has to reconcile these verses with themselves. To those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, this IS the foreknowledge of God concerning your existence and life. To say that God knew me before ever I was is hard for man to accept, and yet, the believer falls down on their knees and thanks the Almighty that they have a God who foreknew them, and loved them, and gave Himself for them. Thou hast searched me, and known me is both past, present, and future, and this is just the beginning of Psalm 139. For Psalm 139 takes my soul into the lower parts of the earth before ever I was when the Almighty knew me. Such words and thoughts could never have come from the minds of men. For mankind will never admit to such an Almighty God, and he will never admit that this Almighty God is the Lord Jesus Christ. How can the small mind and intellect of Adam receive that Jesus Christ is the FULLNESS of the GODHEAD BODILY: Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:Â (Ephesians 2:12)Â And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;Â (Colossians 2:13)
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;Â (Ephesians 2:1)Â Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:Â (Ephesians 2:2)
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (Colossians 1:21) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (Colossians 1:22)Â
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, (Ephesians 4:17) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (Ephesians 4:18) Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (Ephesians 4:19)
  In the dominion of Adam (or mankind) there is NO HOPE. They are dead to God. The Holy Spirit makes us understand this that they walk in darkness by the power of the prince of the air. It is about time that someone calls them the children of the devil. This is the world’s populace outside of Christ. You are among the enemies of Christ, and your enemies, every day and hour of your life. However, although you were dead, Christ came with life for in Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of man. It is NOT Adam who leads you in the direction of God. It is God who reached out and quickened you because you were dead. You could do nothing for yourself, and all humanity could do nothing for you. You were dead. You were just as passing dust that is blown by an evil wind. Your heart was darkened, and your mind was enmity against God. You don’t believe this? Then cross the above verses out of your Bible. I will inform you that God gave you His Word to be believed, not only verbally, but also by precept. You don’t have a choice because you were dead in trespasses and sin. It is God who has quickened you, and given you immortality in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ who has reconciled us to God not Adam nor the children of men. It is one divine Man who came down from heaven to reconcile us to God, and this is Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (Colossians 1:15)
  How hopeless was our plight and our standing before God? We were without God in this world. A world alienated from God. Adam wasn’t concerned about our soul. He is the one who put us in this plight. It is not by one country, or by one society, or even by one religion, it is by one man SIN ENTERED into the world and death by sin. Therefore, death has passed upon all man because of sin. Visit the cemetery, begin at one grave and ask the question of the person who is buried there, you will not get an answer because he is dead. Can you, a child of Adam, give him life? No. This is your position outside of Christ. You are dead outside of Christ, and God is not listening unless He is the One who draws you to the truth because a dead man cannot respond. Only God can quicken the dead. This combination in these verses closes the door to all of Adam’s children. If God had not begun His election in Abel we would not have had any hope in this world because it is election and faith that lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ. God has quickened us and placed us under His perfect will, and under His perfect righteousness.
And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Isaiah 65:9)
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11:5) And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:6) What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (Romans 11:7)
  In Isaiah 65, we have an example given to us to reveal one of God’s precepts. We have the example of a seed, and this seed is of the elect. This was one of the works of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11:5)
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:Â (Romans 9:27).
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Romans 9:8)
  These verses from the book of Romans reveal to us that it is God who has chosen His people whether it be in the Old Testament, or in the New Testament. This is all contained in God’s determinate counsels and foreknowledge before the world was. The key of David is God’s beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When you read Psalm 2 pay attention to what the Lord says especially after verse 6, the Lord Jesus is sat on His throne on the holy hill of Zion. What takes place after this? He puts ALL in subjection to Himself. Does man have a choice? No. In fact, a wise man will kiss the Son lest the Son be angry and he perish from the way. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are they that put their trust in him.
  Verse 12 of Psalm 2 ends with the hope of the redeemed. This is true from the beginning. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. When He brings all into subjection, there will be no will of man, or better phrased, no disobedience of man. Just as the Lord delights to do the will of God, He will bring ALL under the mighty power of His right hand. His divine scepter of righteousness will judge the world. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8)
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. . . . Slowly . . . . Slowly the Door Closes
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  Let us return to the gospel of John Chapter 10, verse 1. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. This door is just as much the eternal Door in Jesus Christ, which we have quoted by Christ in verse 9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9) The Lord Jesus identifies the door in the first person, I am the door, that He Himself is the Door. He has opened the door from the inside. It could not be opened by man from the outside. The Lord Jesus Himself had to bring us to God. He opened the door. This was not by the will of man, nor by the will of the flesh, but by the will of God. The door was locked at the east side of Eden, the garden was enclosed, and man could not enter in. God placed Cherubims and a flaming sword, and there was no way back for Adam, nor any way back for mankind through Adam.
  After Adam brought sin into the world, God gave Adam and Eve, and Satan, the first prophetic word. This prophecy concerning the seed of the woman was fulfilled in the fullness of time in Jesus Christ. Here are the main verses that connect the seed of the woman with the Seed which was Christ.
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:Â (Genesis 3:14) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
  From the beginning in the foreknowledge of God, Christ was that Seed from the beginning, and to assume that God did not have an eternal plan before creation denies His very Being as the Almighty God. The very Scriptures prove all His attributes and foreknowledge is displayed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament through the prophets, through the apostles, and through His Son Jesus Christ. The prophecies that have been fulfilled are too many to recollect at this point, however, if you want to spend some time studying prophecies that were fulfilled when the Lord Jesus was crucified it will prove the foreknowledge of God and the surety of the prophetic Scriptures. All the prophetic Scriptures pertaining to our time have been fulfilled up to this time, and further prophetic Scriptures will yet be fulfilled in the future. The security of the Old and all the fulfilled prophecies in the Old testament, and those fulfilled in the New Testament prove to us that what is left of prophecy in the future will yet be fulfilled.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:7) All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:8)
And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:Â (Mark 13:5)
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Mark 13:6)
And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. (Mark 13:7)
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)
But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. (Mark 13:9)
And the gospel must first be published among all nations. (Mark 13:10)
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13:11)
Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. (Mark 13:12)
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Mark 13:13)
  A bit of contemporary history will show the accuracy of Scripture. The Lord Jesus declared that there will be wars and rumors of wars in the last days. I was born before the end of WWII, and since my birth there has been wars, and rumors of wars even nuclear disasters, and yet, this is not the end. But the history of WWII should give all men sober thoughts when they consider the men of their own governments. In Germany Satan found a pawn in Adolph Hitler, this one man moved Germany into utter destruction, however, his fever of evil spread through the German people. He captivated them with his quest for power. The lust for power was the very seed and root of Lucifer’s fall. Hitler was able to unite the people to evil and the destruction of other lands. We should never forget how many souls perished on both sides of this war. We should not be complacent in these memories, for we see, today, that evil is an addiction when it is delivered by a charismatic host of Satan. Germany had been a willing people in the hands of Satan in WWI under Kaiser Wilhelm II, then at the loss of WWI Satan was not done. Out of failure and ruin, Satan raised up Hitler and threw the world into the chaos of WWII. This would not have been possible unless mankind was willing to follow this evil seed. After WWII we have seen nothing but war, and the rumors of a nuclear holocaust. This alone should cause us to study the Scriptures for the Lord declared there would be nation against nation, and war upon war, and wars that never seem to end. Today as I write, we are a nation in great conflict . . . . we are a nation that has not only lost its sanity, but has also lost its soul.
  The forces of evil (as unseen flowing magma) are about to spill over the top revealing Satan’s calculated earth shattering eruption. All government agencies in Washington lusts for the blood of its own people (and I will write ALL — leaving out none) have turned against America. When evil men fail to govern in a just way, they always rely on war to bail them out of their own failures. They wave the flag to stir up patriotism, and patriotism blinds the eyes of the people to the evil of their own government. War requires more lives, more pain, and more blood. Lawmakers (the lawbreakers) are never satisfied by the blood sacrifices of those who have to fight the wars created by lawmakers. From righteous Abel to the present age, mankind has been a murderer as his father the devil who was a murderer from the beginning. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
  But the end is not yet. There is more to come. Yes, dear reader, there is more to come. In our own country, and in other countries, evil has taken control as never before. This evil will not be satisfied until they take Old Glory down and burn the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
  Here is another reflection of warning through the past Germany of Hitler. Many years ago, the Bible was banned from their satanic schools, they threw out God to raise their children in the image of Satan. After banning the Word of God from the minds of the children they began to strip the knowledge of the word of God from public property. The Ten Commandments and other Scriptures were removed from public building. The fires of hatred and ignorance against God and His Word swept through a nation engulfed by a force so evil that the nation itself was almost swept away forever. Since humanity refuses to accept that Satan exists, they cannot understand that they are used as pawns in his battle plan.
  The Bible that we cherish has been under attack by an evil world, evil religion, and the satanic representatives of Christ who have stolen the majority of the pulpits of this world. You say, How can these things happen? It is easy. Look what has happened over the last year and a half. People have been ordered to lock themselves in their own homes. Their own homes have become their own prison. It is amazing how easy it has been to imprison people, and to remove individual rights.
  Government has been tampering with the health of its citizens for a long time. The medical abuse of citizens has not been a secret. From President Grant’s eradication policy against native Americans, to the bay of San Francisco’s flu release into the city of San Francisco, to the Tuskegee syphilis study of black men and their families, to the various plagues and influenza strains deliberately set loose in hotels, and into subway systems . . . . all of these events and more have all been documented. Beyond government approved germ warfare, we have also been victims of other forms of germ warfare from pharmaceutical corporations to agricultural companies. All of these illegal activities have made its victims more pliable to accept any narrative that leads to the mark of the Beast. How easy will it be to take and conform to the mark of the Beast. All this that we see today is just a prelude of that mark of the man of sin.
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The Beginning of Sorrow is at the Door
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  The beginning of sorrows is on the threshold knocking at the door. Read very carefully and slowly Revelation Chapter 6. You will see that today we have the roots of this time taking hold of this world. When the Lamb breaks the seal of the book in Revelation, Chapter 6, the days of sorrows and trouble will begin. These sorrows will take mankind to his lowest estate, He will perform and act like the beast that he is. Mankind will experience world wide trouble and sorrows. There will be total upheaval. Even the very creation will be against man. The creation has moaned and groaned enough because of man, and creation itself will rebel against mankind at the hand of God. The beginning of sorrows that the Lord spoke of, will begin when the Lamb of God breaks the seal of the book. The one who suffered at the hands of evil men, yet, He shed His blood for ALL is seen in Revelation Chapter 6 as THAT LAMB of God. Now it is His turn to unloose the powers of God against man.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (Revelation 6:1)
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Revelation 6:4)
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. (Revelation 6:6) And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (Revelation 6:7)Â
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (Revelation 6:16) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:17)
  Now the flood is coming . . . . the flood of evil. We are standing at the brink of a swollen river about to overflow its banks with the wrath of God. But the Door of heaven is still open. It was opened by the Lord Jesus who IS THE DOOR. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) There are many voices in the world, but only ONE voice from heaven. Listen to THAT voice, and open the door while it is the day of salvation because this could be your FINAL CALL.
Amen.
© Copyright 2021, Michael Haigh
This article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJV)