The Tribulum and The Threshing

Overcoming During Times of Agony

Sometimes the battles that we face are so extreme that we would not dare share the details of our battles with others, but we who believe in Christ have the assurance that there is no temptation that will present itself without the Lord Jesus Christ making a way of escape for us, so that we can bear/endure the very temptation that is seeking to bring about our fall.  (1 Corinthians 10: 13)   

Peter teaches believers that there will be fiery trials.  There. Will. Be.  

1 Peter 4: 12

1 Peter 4: 13

Thanks be to the Lord for His Word to guide us during such horrific trials.

We will be tried, and the trials will be fiery.  The intensity of the battle will be so extreme that, within ourselves, we won’t be able to find the answer.  We won’t be able to overcome on our own.  

Satan would have a person stay in this state of mind:  There is no way to overcome.  There is no way I am making it out of this alive.  There is no way I can stop myself.  There is no way…

Be careful that you do not believe Satan’s lies.  There Is A Way.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”   John 14: 6

For the last week or so, the Lord has really sought to teach me about the threshing floor.  He brought me to the Book of Ruth when first introducing me to this concept.  While I read the Book of Ruth, I thought, “What is a threshing floor?”  No sooner did I ask that question in my mind did I move on with my reading and not give it another thought.  But within 24 hours, the Lord very unexpectedly (for I had basically forgotten my question about a threshing floor) led me to this information.  Again, I was not seeking it; He led me to it - as only He can.  

Here are the exact words He led me to:

"Sacrifices or offerings to God are made at the expense of ourselves. It is an expression of depreciation from the created in acknowledgment of the Creator. If there is no personal cost to us in making the offering, it is indeed not a "sacrifice" at all.

David referenced the significance of personal sacrifice in offerings when God commanded him to build an altar on the threshing floor. Araunah offered to give David what was needed for the sacrifice, but he responded, "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing." (II Samuel 24:24a)

The threshing floor is where the wheat was separated from the chaff. After the stalks are threshed, the grain is tossed in the air so that the wind will blow away the chaff.

In the New Testament, our lives are the offerings sacrificed on the altar (Romans 12:1). During the act of praise, we are inviting the breath of God to blow upon us, fanning the flames that burn off the chaff while at the same time bringing life to our spirits. This offering becomes a sweet savour unto the Lord because it is inspired by His Spirit.

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 3:11-12

I’ve pasted the portion of the article that the Lord used to teach me about the threshing floor."                 The entire article can be found here.

The truth of the matter is:

Our walk with Christ WILL involve seasons of intense agony.  

The agony will be so difficult to understand, but those who rely on the Lord through the pain, the confusion, and the pressure will be carried through the trial by Jesus Christ Himself.  He will provide a Godly way of escape.  A Godly Way of Escape.  

Just a few hours ago, I was listening to a preacher talking about a subject matter that did not at first seem to relate at all to the subject of this blog, but while listening to him teach, my mind drifted to a time in my life (2008-09) that was, hands down, the most difficult trial of my life so far.  The battle was one that I have shared with very few people.  It was one that I thought would destroy me and those around me.  Oh, how Satan sought to lead me into lies, deception, psychosis, and sin.  The Lord showed me during that time of anguish to endure IN HIM.  He taught me that He would deliver me safely as long as I kept my eyes on Him.  He proved faithful.  From faith to Faith, I grew.  

As I thought about this time of agony in my life, I recalled how the Lord, a few years ago, showed me that the trial above was a time of tribulation in my life.  The moment I recalled this, the British preacher I was listening to stated the following:

“How can anybody be comfortable if they are going through the big trouble?  Well, that kind of comfort Jesus did not promise us.  He [Jesus] said in the world, you’ll have big trouble, great tribulation, but cheer up.  He [Jesus] said I’m on top of it.  And that’s how we react when big troubles come, and we’re under it.  The word tribulation is a fascinating word.  It’s from the Latin word tribulum, which in turn goes back to  something that is very practical during Jesus’ day.  A tribulum was a big square piece of wood, usually made up of three layers joined together, a heavy block of wood about 5 feet square.  And on the underside were hallows, and into these hallows were four flint stones.  So if you can imagine a heavy block of wood, and on the underside projecting stones, sharp stones stuck into the wood, and this was used for threshing corn, and a donkey would pull it around and round.  And those stones would break up the corn and separate the wheat from the chaff.  That’s what a tribulum is, and that is what tribulation is.   When you feel you are under a heavy load that is tearing your life to pieces, that’s tribulation.”  

Sisters and brothers in Christ, as Paul urged disciples to continue in the faith, I echo his words.  We are called to endure times of tremendous agony.  On our own, we will be crushed and shredded under the weight of the tribulum, but by faith in Christ, we can overcome and enter the Kingdom of God!  Glory!

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

The Table

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

Those who place their trust in the Lord can rest in the promise of this verse.  A table is prepared for a believer.  This table is a feast table.  On it, the believer will be fed and will be made full.  Jesus said,  "I am the bread of life."  And Jesus said, "He that believeth on me shall never thirst."  John 6:35

We do not read in this verse that the Shepherd will prepare this table in a secluded little corner where only the sounds of a peaceful summer day can be heard.  In fact, this verse follows a verse that describes walking through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23: 4). 

The table is prepared in the very presence of the believer's enemies - mine enemies. 

1) We are not promised that there won't be any enemies.
2)  We are not promised that they will be removed in order for us to sup at the Lord's table.  Was not Judas present at the feast table?
3)  We are not promised that there won't be any injuries in the presence of the enemies.

Historically, shepherds would have used oil as a salve to pour on and to heal the wounds/injuries of the very sheep they watched over.

1)  We are promised that, especially when the enemy surrounds a believer, the Shepherd will provide.
2)  We are promised that His provision, during perhaps the most difficult leg of the journey, will be more than enough.  My cup runneth over.

Yesterday, the Lord saw fit to allow me to speak the above words to a group of individuals.  Oh, how the enemy made his appearance.  And, as a result, my flesh wanted to address the enemy, but the Lord reminded me that the enemy isn't the one I must keep my eyes on.  A servant won't accomplish that which his master commands if the servant is too easily distracted.  (Oh, how He has sought to teach me this.)

As I spoke the words detailed above, literally as I spoke them, the enemy was silenced and somber.  It was a remarkable moment to witness.  A believer will not use fleshly force against the enemy.  A believer will not use hurtful words against the enemy.  A believer will not raise a fleshly weapon when the enemy encompasses the believer.  A believer only needs to be led of the Holy Spirit during such cases.

When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.  Isaiah 59:19

After being led of the Spirit, the Lord sought to confirm His Spirit's presence almost two hours later.  Not searching for a confirmation, nor knowing the individual who spoke the words, neither did the individual know me, but these words were shared with me. 

"God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, so that we feast upon that table.  We are empowered to overcome the adversity and struggles which we go through here in time.  God always gives us exactly what we have need of when we have need of it.  Because He's infinite.  He's divine.  He's immutable.  He's unchangeable.  He's irrevocable.  He is our Lord.  He is our Saviour.  He's our Redeemer."

Love

Acts 27
Paul, being a prisoner, sought to save the lives of those with him - including those who held him captive.  

They did not heed his warning:  "And [Paul] said unto them, 'Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, also of our lives.'  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul."  Acts 27: 10-11

Yet - Paul still cared for the ones who did not heed his warning, even his captors. And he still sought to minister to them and bring them peace:  "But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, 'Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, 'Fear not, Paul:  thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.'" Acts 27: 21-26

Those on the ship did not heed Paul's warning originally and instead, chose to sail even though warned by him not to do so.  

Did Paul say, "You get what you deserve to them" ?

 No, he extended love and peace to them instead. 

A few verses later, those on the ship are in danger of being plundered to death against rocks.  Does Paul want to see those who did not heed his original warning die?  No - instead he seeks to keep them safe from the sure death that would result outside of the ship:  "And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurions and to the soldiers: 

 "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved."  Acts 27: 30-31

Glory to God, they listened and remained in the ship where they were kept safe and kept alive. 

Oh, how the Lord is showing me the power of His Love IN us.  We, because of His love within us (believers), will warn others of the dangers of abandoning the only Ship that can save us.  

His Love within us will not be driven by pride or condescension, but instead will be driven by a great Love from the Creator Himself to point others to safety.  

• It is the kind of  Love that wants to encourage others to choose life when the devil breathes thoughts of suicide in a person's heart. 

• It is the kind of Love that prays silently for others not to be ensnared by the devil's lies when he whispers to them that sin is permissible. 

•  It is the kind of Love that weeps for the division on the "boat".  

• It is the kind of Love that will endure the rejection of man if it means one will be saved.

• It is the kind of Love that will not relent in this battle against the liar, the thief, the murderer - Satan.  

• It is the kind of Love that comes only from, in, & through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great I Am.    

Charity (Love)
1 Corinthians 13:
⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
⁸ Charity never faileth:

May we keep our eyes on Him and continue to minister even when rejected. 

 Love endures all things.

Ears to Hear

 Below, I've shared a Sister In Christ's Recent Blog (http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com).  May it bless the readers.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

"But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:26-27

I remember a minister once saying that to "hear Jesus' voice" meant to heed the Gospel and come to salvation.  While the Scriptures are certainly an example of God speaking to us, Jesus does literally have a voice (Genesis 3:8). He is alive. He speaks.  He even sings (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Romans 15:9; Hebrews 2:12).

Tell people - even professing believers - that you hear God's voice and they are likely to think you are a looney toon.  Why? Because people don't really believe.   They use a reference to God as a way to validate their own desires.  To such persons, anything which confirms what I want or what I think becomes the voice of God.  The concept of God literally speaking is foreign - and probably frightening - to them.  If it is not real for them, then they assume it is not real for you either.

Because there are many voices in this world, it is very important that we are able to recognize His voice for ourselves.  Consider Saul on the road to Damascus.

"And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me." Acts 22:6-9

The text says that Saul could hear the voice of Jesus, but those with him heard not.  Saul knew this was the voice of the Lord, but he was perplexed by the accusation.  He was starting to realize that he may not fully know the God he sought to serve.  It had to be revealed to Him that Jesus is Lord.  Yet, look at the following:

"And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man." Acts 9:7

The above text says that Saul's companions did hear the voice.  So, which is it?  The difference lies in the word "hear".  It is not just about sound perception, but the ability to understand the meaning of what is heard.

akouō - Greek word meaning to have the ability to hear; to comprehend or learn by hearing.

Those with Saul heard the voice, but were lost as to the meaning of what was said.  They had ears to hear, but heard not (in terms of understanding).  This is the same word Jesus uses when He says that His sheep "hear" His voice.  It speaks not only to the ability to detect that Jesus is speaking, but being able to properly understand what He is saying (II Timothy 2:15).

Saul was a Pharisee of Pharisees (Philippians 3:4-6).  In going on his mission, he would have only taken those on whom he felt he could depend; such was his way (Acts 15:36-40).  Yet, no matter how religious they may have been, Jesus was not calling them (they could not hear); He was only calling Saul.  You too might be among people who seem to be believers, yet Jesus is just calling you (I Samuel 3:3-10).  You must be willing to go on in Christ, not being distracted or hindered by those who are not going where you are.

"And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." Luke 8:10

The verses in John 10:26-27 give us insight into hearing [understanding] God's words: Hearing is the result of believing, and believing is evidenced by obedience.  If you believe, then you will obey; as such, you will hear (rightfully divide) God's words.  There is a power acting upon faith which enables us to hear (understand) Jesus; that power is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey God (Acts 5:32).  Further, the Holy Spirit is the One designated to lead us into all truth (John 16:13).  Apart from the operation of the Holy Spirit in your life, all you will be left with is lies.

This explains how people can claim to represent the Lord, yet advocate that which is contrary to God. It is no great mystery; they are being inspired by another spirit and it causes them to preach another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4). The missing piece is their will.  They refuse to submit their will to God's, so they live in disobedience to Him.  By default then, they will never have a full revelation of the truth of His words.

"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. 

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 

 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken." Ezekiel 22:25-28

Religious people are quick to label anyone a man or woman of God.  Yet, such a designation is not to be thrown around casually.  It is not a matter of being polite, respectful, or even giving someone the benefit of the doubt.  It is about being truthful.  If someone misrepresents God, it is because they do not belong to Him; they do not believe.  Rather, they are using the name of the Lord to rape and pillage the people for their own selfish gain.  We must take this responsibility seriously.

Whether Jesus is speaking to us audibly or speaking to our spirit, we must to be able to hear His voice.  We cannot rely on others to be the standard; we need to know Him for ourselves.

"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:5-7

Additional Resources:

Correctly Hearing the Voice of God

Calling Evil Good

8 Ways People Can Deceive Themselves

Budding

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Peter 3:18 KJV

The budding doesn’t occur all at once.  

    bud - a compact knoblike growth on a plant that develops into a leaf, flower, or shoot.

This phrase was spoken to me in a dream days ago.  There is a process of maturation (perfecting) required with the development of each bud.  Those who abide IN Christ will personally witness the gradual blossoming of fruit, made possible only by the Vine of Christ;  all that a believer needs for eternal life is found IN Christ Jesus.  And to that I say, GLORY!  Outside of that Life Giving Vine, we are destined to wither away and perish.  Inside the Vine of Christ, branches that bear fruit are purged (to cleanse and prune) in order to bring forth more fruit and more budding from and for that branch. John 15:2 The branch is a believer.

This process is not a work that the branch (a believer) can perform him or herself.  In fact, it is not our work at all.  May we never believe that our work/effort earns us salvation.  He does not call believers to “work” their way to eternal life in order to earn it, but He does call us to obey Him during the perfecting & developing process that can only be found IN and THROUGH Christ. This maturing (perfecting) is a process that will be finished by Christ in those who obey the Lord.

Galatians 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

We are told in Galatians that the two, the flesh and the Spirit, are contrary to one another.  The two war against one another.  Satan makes every attempt to accommodate the flesh, and the Lord, through His Spirit, will provide a way of escaping the practice of sin.  This escape is made available to those who follow the Spirit of Truth.  

John 16:  12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

We, believers, are not made perfect (fully matured) all at once.  In all honesty, we just could not bear the full revelation of Truth all at once in our lives.  

John 16:  12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Applying this to my own life and walk with the Lord, I can distinctly look back over my life in Christ and see where the Holy Spirit has gradually brought me into His Truth in specific areas, some of which I have shared on this blog.  Before the Spirit’s revelation and leading, I had believed differently on certain subjects.  Thanks be to the Lord for His faithfulness to reveal His Truth to those who are IN Him.  As a believer journeys through this life, the Holy Spirit will guide those in Christ to all truth.  We can fully count on that fact.  To that, I again, say, “Thank You, Lord!”

But even when the Spirit of God reveals Truth to us, we are left with a choice: 

Will we obey the prompting of the Spirit and follow in obedience?  Such obedience may require the believer to repent for a wrong that has been practiced (an error or sin).  

Or

Will the believer choose to continue sowing to the flesh because the Truth revealed by the Holy Spirit calls for a difficult change of heart on the believer’s part?  

One choice reaps life, and the other reaps death.    

On several different occasions recently, the Lord has been linking specific symbols of the Bible together.  Through dreams, while at a funeral, while listening to scripture being sung, through an email daily devotion, He has linked His Truth to His Word in a masterful way. And the Truth that unfolded before me leaves me in awe of Him.  

This blog will be longer than normal, but this is needful.

Believers are formed into “golden candlesticks” .  .  .  but this does not magically happen all at once; it is a process.  The process is not as simple as pouring molten gold into a mold.  Believers are not a one-step mold of gold, but instead an intricately formed beaten piece of gold.  By using the candlestick in Numbers 8, the Lord remarkably parallels a believer’s life to that of a beaten golden candlestick.  Like only He can, the dream He spoke to me several days ago --The budding doesn’t occur all at once-- also directly relates to that golden candlestick.   

Numbers 8:4 - "And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.”

        The word flowers above is the same Hebrew word used for blossom and bud.

The budding doesn’t occur all at once.

When Christ called believers to carry their crosses daily, He foretold of the tremendous suffering that would be required.  There are many facets to the process of carrying the cross and suffering affliction. There is persecution from others who surround us, but what about the persecution from within? The flesh does not always easily surrender its pleasures or its carnal “truths”  for the cause of Christ without a fight.

Wrestling Our Own Flesh

I am in awe of the way the Lord teaches His people.  May the Lord help us to have ears to hear when He speaks and when He teaches.  The candlestick made of beaten gold in the Old Testament must be directly paralleled to the golden candlestick in Revelation chapter 2.  The two are directly related to one another.  Both represent the same concept ----->  the body of believers and the process of sanctification that leads to eternal life with our great Savior, Jesus.

Numbers 8:4 - "And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.”

The word beaten sounds brutal.  Forceful blows occur repeatedly when something is being beaten into a specific shape or form (candlestick).  Intense heat is often needed to hammer the piece into the proper form.

Hit after Hit.

Strike after strike.

Blow after blow.  

Nothing about being “beaten”, be it a candlestick or a person, sounds quiet. Can you hear the hammer making contact with the metal? . . . Strike after strike . . .

Gold is the most malleable (pliable/ workable/ able to be shaped through hammering) of all metals.  Isn’t it proper that the Lord uses the concept of gold to help believers understand His work within us. The hammering is not silent.  

Blow after blow.  Blow after blow. The pliable gold metal is beaten into its proper shape.  Believers are beaten/hammered so that Christ can be formed in us.  

The buds - which are a part of the candlestick - are shaped by the beating. In Numbers 8 above, the flowers on the candlestick are briefly described, but in Exodus 25, the Lord provides a closer look at this candlestick:

31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

34 And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

The Hebrew word for the candlestick described above is menowrah.  The word is pronounced /menorah/.  

Can you see this candlestick?  Do you see what it is?  Can we read this description of the candlestick with the branches, the knops, the buds, and the flowers without thinking of John 15 - the Vine, the branches, the fruit? 

Do we see the striking similarity between the hammering needed to “beat” the gold into the proper shape of the candlestick to that of the purging spoken of in John 15? Without the purging of fruit bearing branches, the growth of the branch will be stunted, and continued growth of the branch won't occur.  

If there is no hammering, then the candlestick will not be formed.  As violent as the process is, a thing of beauty is being made.  

forge - make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it.

As the candlestick is made of beaten gold and the branches in the vine are purged in order to bring more growth, the final result is perfection and great beauty.  A final product that pleases the One who forged the gold metal, the One who purged the branch.

Yet, this is not the only possible outcome.   There is a warning given to the golden candlestick, as well as to the branch, and both pertain to being obedient to the Spirit of God.  Both the golden candlestick and the branches on the vine represent believers.

Revelation 2:  

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

In these verses, the Spirit is directly addressing the church of Ephesus.  Jesus reveals in John 16: 13 that one role of the Spirit is to lead the believer into all truth.  The Spirit has revealed an area of sin in this church.  The Spirit calls the Ephesus church to repent.  This church has left its first love. ( Matthew 24:12 - And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.)  Can we read the choice given to the church at Ephesus?  Will they follow the leading of the Spirit? Life.  Or will they choose to follow the flesh? Death.

Without repentance, there is a negative consequence:  “I . . . will remove thy candlestick.”  This candlestick of beaten gold has been given a choice.  When the Spirit visits a believer and shows the believer an error in his or her life, the believer is being called to repentance by the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit is clear above; UNrepentant sin will result in the candlestick (believer) being removed.  

In the first few chapters alone, the Spirit expressly calls the churches in Revelation to heed the warning of the Spirit.  Sometimes the Spirit calls a particular church to overcome and to continue being faithful; at other times, the Spirit speaks strong warnings to particular churches.  Each time, the following words are used:

Revelation 2:7

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches

Revelation 2:11

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches

Revelation 2:17

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches

Revelation 2:29

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:6

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:13

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:22

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Spirit reveals Truth and commandments of the Lord to a believer and calls a believer to repentance.  Those who are obedient are forgiven and washed clean.  (1 John 1:9).

Those who do not repent and do not cease from that sin (we can’t do it without the Spirit) are not forgiven, for the Word says “Repent and believe.”  The word repent occurs first.  Not repenting and being led into all Truth by the Spirit then becomes willful sinning because the Spirit has already revealed the error to the person.  This is spoken against very specifically in Hebrews 10:29+ and Hebrews 6.  Do we not believe that this is part of the Holy Spirit’s role.  

       

Titus 2:  

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

There are certain sins that we very obviously know are wrong and realize we should not practice those sins.  However, there are other sins that we are ignorant of because we have, by repeatedly committing those sins, conditioned ourselves to believe our sinful actions are acceptable.  Perhaps we have even justified the action(s).  

A loving God will not allow those sins to go unidentified.  

This is where, using His perfect timing, the Holy Spirit will bring conviction for a sin -- perhaps even a subtle sin that has been practiced for years, yet He chooses to bring it into the light at a very specific time.  The Spirit attempts to prune the believer and purge the believer of this particular sin in order to bring about more growth and of course, more fruit.  See Hebrews 12.  

Once the Spirit places the finger of Truth on the sin or error, the individual has a choice to either obey the Spirit’s leading into all truth on the matter (repent and turn away from the error), or the individual can disregard the Spirit.  Have we not seen this happen?    Some attempt to convince themselves that the Spirit of God wasn’t calling the person to repentance.  Some seek to justify the action or thought.  Recently, the Lord sought to reveal an error I had been committing for years.  The Spirit used one recent event to bring that error to light. I can now (after repentance) look back and see the number of times I erred in this area -- all the while in the past, I attempted to justify my reaction in such cases.  Pride was at the core of the error and so was fear (the fear of “What will others think?” if I don’t react a certain way.)  

When the Spirit of the Lord is calling a person to repentance, Satan has a tendency to send delusion and supporters of the sin to that person in order to prevent repentance.  That is why when we are confused and not sure what step to take next, we must “try the spirits.”  We must stay in prayer, fast, and read the Word of God (The Holy Bible) during times of tremendous battles/testings and confusion.  

Most recently, I battled great confusion and spent a tremendous amount of time trying the spirits, all the while dying to my flesh and the desires (pride and fear) of my flesh.  My prayer during much of that anguished time was “Lord, help me to accept Your Truth and prepare me to hear it. Let my heart hear and accept Your FULL Truth on this matter.  Get me there, Lord.  Get me there, Lord.”  

I am telling you that I can now look back over those several days of agony and say that I can see how the Lord fed me with manna - piece by piece at the designated time.  In dreams.  During times of Prayer.  In encounters with others. His Spirit absolutely brought me to His full Truth on the matter.  First, the desires of my flesh had to die.  In fact, with prayer, He gave me the Power I needed to die to the flesh, for we know the Lord successful crucified the flesh.  He gives those who follow Him (obedient to Him) the Power to also conquer our flesh.  Hallelujah!

What is the message of this blog?

• When the Spirit of the Lord calls you to have ears to hear and makes you aware of an error in your life, give heed to the Spirit.  The flesh will likely rise up for battle, but through prayer and surrender to the Lord's will, a person can come to true repentance and walk in the Truth due to the Spirit's leading.  

• Although great anguish is often involved when we are being called to repentance, receive each blow of the hammer with joy.  Receive each snip of the pruning shears with meekness, knowing that the Lord is creating a masterpiece IN you.  

• Let us not look the other way when we read in the Word that unrepentance, which is disobedience, will result in the candlestick being removed and the unfruitful branch being cast into the fire.  We cannot afford to place our hands over our ears when the Spirit is prompting us to seek Him further on a matter in our lives and in our hearts.  

• Take heart - the Lord does not wave a magic wand of perfection all at one time when we begin following Him.  As we journey with the Lord, His Spirit will guide a believer into all truth gradually.  His timing will be perfect; we need only hear and obey.  

The budding doesn't occur all at once.

He does the work within us; He simply calls us to humbly fall before Him in obedience.  

What a blessed Savior He is.  What hope He offers to those who believe in Him.