By Carron Lake @ www.thelightoftheword.org
In order to return to The LORD from our path of darkness,
we need The Light of GOD'S Word to acknowledge our sin.
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Like Moses, who came from The Glory of The LORD with his face aglow, carrying GOD'S Covenant of Mercy and Grace in his hands to His people, John with his heart filled with The Covenant of HIS Mercy and Grace for the church, and with The Light of Christ reflecting through him, The Spirit of Christ spoke to the seven churches that walked in darkness of the generations of men. Through him The Word of GOD has spoken to this last generation of men, saying, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 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. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:13-22). |
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With eyes anointed to see, and a heart of gold full of Mercy and Grace of Christ for His church; John testified of Him and said, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:3-10).
If David had denied The Spirit of Truth, Who was speaking to him through His servant Nathan, then he would have remain in darkness until he had acknowledged his sin and repented from it, or he could have died in his sin without receiving GOD'S Mercy and Grace, to remain forever separated from his union with GOD through The Spirit of HIS Son in him. As a king over the people, walking in darkness to his sin, which he thought no one knew, David could have rejected The Spirit of Truth shinning on his path. In his wretchedness and blindness to his condition, he could have caused The Spirit of Christ to suffer by killing His servant Nathan, who was sent of GOD by HIS Word to warn David of the direction he was heading. With The Light of GOD'S Word shinning on his path, David was able to accurately discern the end result of the man in the picture painted in his mind by the prophet Nathan. With the picture fully developed in his mind, to see who the man was that he had condemn to death for the wicked things he had done, David saw that by killing his servant, who was sent to fight the enemy in his name, he was condemning himself to death, as a servant, who served and ruled the people in the Name of Him, Who ruled over him. With the vision of being cut off from The Spirit of The LORD, and from being the servant of The Lord, who was ruling the people in His Name, David repented to GOD and sought for GOD to take not HIS Holy Spirit from him. By acknowledging and condemning the sin, he recognized that he was in danger of losing The Spirit of Life and being desolate of HIS Spirit of Mercy and Grace, Who made His abode in and with him, to rule over His people. After praying to The LORD and repenting of his sin that The LORD might not take HIS Holy Spirit from him, The LORD cleansed David by HIS Grace to proclaim The Spirit of Truth to those, who would receive HIS Word. David testified of The LORD by HIS Word and said, "The eyes of the LORD [are] upon the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their cry. The face of the LORD [is] against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. [The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate" (Psalms 34:15-22). If The Eyes of The LORD are open, and HIS Face is turn to protect the righteous, and to hear them when they call on Him, it is because they look to HIM to Guide them, and listen to HIM by hearing and following HIS Word. But those, who turn a deaf ear to reject HIS Word, and not follow HIS Will by HIS Word, HE will not hear their call when the enemy is allowed to come in and destroy them, and cause them to cry out unto HIM. HE will not hear their call, because they have rejected HIS Covering of Protection by The Gift of HIS Word. It is the work of the enemy to keep the minds and hearts of men and women so occupied with the things of this world, that we see no need for The Gift of GOD by HIS Word. As a result the enemy blinds the minds of men that we might walk in darkness to be desolate and destroyed in a condition of being separated in sin from The Father and HIS Son, and separated from the fellowship of Their Spirit among and with HIS people forever. |
"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. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:3-14).
Notice that if we had been born of Adam with a nature to remain faithful to GOD, trusting in HIS Word, then we would not be to concern about falling away from GOD and HIS Word. But since the enemy was able to deceive Eve, and cause Adam to follow her example in falling away from The Will of GOD, we today are still being influenced by the works of the enemy to both directly and indirectly cause us to fall, or sin against GOD and The Gift of HIS Son. Because of this work of the enemy, we need to be concerned not only when we are led of the enemy to fall away from The Truth, but when we are used of the enemy to cause others to sin against GOD and HIS Word. It is for this reason that Jesus counseled His disciples to be not deceived, because they could deceive others to fall away from The Way of Truth in HIS Word. And because they were watchful in how they represented The Name of Christ to all, they were concerned not to be used of the enemy to deceive those to whom The Lord sent them to present His gospel in His Name.
Paul testified to the church at Corinth and said, "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:1-7).
Notice that there is something about the gospel of Jesus Christ that the enemy does not want man to comprehend. It was in comprehending What GOD has revealed in man that the enemy sought to deceive Adam and Eve to cause our minds to be darken to The Light and Knowledge of The Treasure of GOD'S Word placed in us. To understand this Truth, John's testified of The Word said, "He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure [unto him]. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:31-36).
Notice that if the enemy can get us to doubt The Word, or believe something different from What GOD has revealed to us through and by HIS Word, then according to The Word of GOD through John, those, who believe not The Son of GOD, they shall not see Life, but the wrath of GOD abides on them. As we have studied this topic on the wrath of GOD, we know that HE will not force anyone to repent of their sins against HIM and HIS Word, but HE will seek by HIS Mercy and Grace to reveal HIS Will to us that we might repent from our sins of our own free will. But if we continue grieving HIS Spirit to walk contrary to HIS Will, then we are closing our eyes and ears from hearing His calls, as we continue to walk in the path of darkness that leads to death. It is to this objective that the enemy has sought to cause men to become blind and deaf to hear The Truth and Counsel of GOD'S Word through those, who reflect The Light of HIS Word to those, who walk in darkness to HIS Will, that all, who would not believe on The Son might receive the wrath of GOD in not seeing and receiving Everlasting Life.
John was given a message to the churches that revealed the works of the enemy. He said, "...the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:15-17).
Notice that in order to fulfill the will of the enemy, to blind the minds of the people of GOD, and to cause then to turn a deaf ear to The Will of GOD in not walking according to HIS Word, the enemy poured out of his mouth a flood of water to carried away by the flood all, who would keep The Commandments of GOD and hold to The Testimony of Jesus Christ. History has recorded that this has happen over and over again in many generations, and he is still working to blind the minds of men and women to The Truth of GOD'S Word. If we are not keeping GOD'S Commandments and are holding to The Testimony of Jesus Christ, we are already walking contrary to The Will of GOD and HIS Word and are blind to the work of the enemy.
John testified of Jesus, Who spoke to His disciples and said, "In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John 7:37-39)
Notice why The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. The only way for Jesus to be glorified was revealed through John, who testified of Jesus as He prayed to The Father. He said, "...I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them" (John 17:8-10).
Notice that those, who believed on Him received The Testimony of The Father through HIS Son. They are not blind to The Truth of GOD'S Word. If The Spirit of Christ flows like rivers of Living Water through those, who believe on Him, to water the thirsty souls of all, who would believe on Him, then it is the spirit of the enemy, who pours out his spirit through those, who do not believe in keeping The Commandments of GOD, and keep The Testimony of HIS Word. Through them the enemy works to deceive men and women to deny The Way of Truth and to walk not according to GOD and HIS Word. It was through John that The LORD by HIS Word revealed the works of the enemy. John said, "...I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame" (Revelation 16:13-15).
Through Peter, The Word of The LORD said, "...there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Peter 2:1,2).
Notice that the false prophets and teachers, even pastors are blindly and unknowingly working with the enemy to deceive the whole world to walk contrary to The Will of GOD and HIS Word. The enemy has sent then forth unto the kings of the earth to teach and deceive the whole world with his damnable heresies, to cause the whole world to deny The Holy One, Who has bought them with His Own blood. In other words, He the enemy has blinded the minds of men, who minister The Word in Christ Name, to teach and lead men and women to walk contrary to the testimony, which is given of GOD through the prophets, the disciples and ministers, who gave glory to GOD in receiving and believing in HIS Son, Who's Spirit flows The Water of Life through them, to water the souls of all, who are thirsty for HIS Word.
Notice that The LORD has planted in this world True prophets and True teachers, which are planted from The Good Seed of HIS Word into the field of the world, to glorify His Name to both GOD and men. But the enemy has also planted false prophets and false teachers in this world not to do The Will of GOD, but to teach lies to cause the people of GOD to deny and walk contrary to The Way of Truth, to worship and do things according to the enemy and not according to GOD and HIS Word. So how do we know The True from the false, and the false from the True? Many of these prophets, pastors and teachers may be wheat among the tares, not knowing that they have been deceived by the enemy to proclaim his lies, to walk contrary to The Will of GOD and HIS Word. For it is revealed through Peter that many will follow the pernicious, deadly, evil ways of the enemy, and by human reason, they will speak evil of The Way of The Truth. In other words, The Way of Truth does not appear to them to be The True Path to walk, they will therefore reject The Truth.
Through John, The LORD by HIS Word has revealed The Way of Truth to those, who seek to follow according to GOD and HIS Word, and not the ways of the world. He said, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:1-16).
John testified of The Word of GOD and said, "...God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:17-21).
Notice that GOD did not leave David to walk to perdition with the enemy. HE sent Nathan with The Light of HIS Word to shine The Light of HIS Word on his path. David was already on the road to perdition with the enemy, who blinded his mind. If after The Light has come to reveal to him his condition, and he still continue to walk with the enemy on the same path to perdition, then he is condemn, because he knows The Will of GOD by HIS Word. But if he repents to be restored to GOD and HIS Word, then by receiving The Spirit of HIS Word, he will be cleansed by the abiding presence of HIS Word of Mercy and Grace, to walk in His Light and do The Will of GOD by HIS Word.
John testified of The Word through him, and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:24-29).
I pray that you will confirm these claims and allow The Light of Christ in you to expose the darkness of the enemy in our own lives, and to let The Light of GOD’S Word shine through us to minister HIS Word, not only of The Light and Life, but of HIS Mercy and Grace to those, who are in darkness to HIS Word of Truth, while there might still be time to reach our friends and family, with The Light and Truth of GOD’S Word, Whom HE has sent to Glorify HIS NAME in and through us to His Glory. And when He shall come on that glorious Day, all who have chosen to walk with Him day by day, will not be surprised, because He would have prepared our hearts to receive Him in that glorious Day. I hope you also will make it your heart felt desire to walk closer and closer each day with GOD and HIS Word, and with each other. Amen.
Which Way are we walking?
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For many generations, the enemy has been working against GOD and HIS word to cause His people, His abode, which is the body of believers, to walk contrary to The Light of GOD'S Word into darkness thinking that we are walking in fellowship with GOD and HIS Word. We pray to GOD to hear our call, but HE does not seem to hear when we call on HIS NAME. Could The Face of The LORD be turned against those, who call upon HIS NAME? Are we walking contrary to HIS Will against HIS Word? Like Nathan the prophet, who spoke to David and reflected The Light of GOD'S Word on his path, Jesus spoke to His disciples to shared The Light of His message to us in every generation since it was given. Speaking of the signs of the coming of Christ, Matthew said, "...as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
The confession and denial of The Light of GOD'S Word,
which led many to walk in darkness contrary to The Word of GOD.
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Why has GOD shined The Light of HIS Word on our path? Is it to condemn us for walking in error, or is it to lead us to repent from cutting ourselves off forever from HIM and HIS Word? In his letter to Titus, Paul said, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14).