IT’S ALL GOOD

Greetings everyone. It’s good to be back after so long a period of time. It seems hard to imagine that almost seven years has passed since the Spirit of the Lord (Isa. 61:1), that Spirit of Truth that sets us free (Jn 15:26, Jn 16:13), opened the prison doors of the cage (our carnal mind) and released many of us captives from the bondage of religion. In Biblical terminology, the LORD brought us forth out of Babylon the great and destroyed by the fire of His Spirit all those religious doctrines and precepts of men that so dominated our lives.

As a result of what happened, I now know that Revelation is an experience, a spiritual happening, and not a learned doctrine or something you can acquire knowledge of through scholarly study. Furthermore, there is no way you can give your revelation or your experience to someone else. Though you can tell others what happened and describe what you’ve gone through, those experiences belong solely to you. So then, receiving the spirit of truth, which is the brightness of His coming, becomes a personal matter to each and every individual… in his or her own order.

Let’s go to the first two verses of Revelation 18.

Rev 18:1  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

This is the process of revelation, of enlightenment. An angel is a message, a thought, originating from heaven, the place where God, where the true Light dwells, the inner sanctuary of your heart. When that message comes down from heaven and enters into your mind (the earth), voila, the whole place lights up with the glory of His truth.

Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Babylon the great is fallen indeed… that stronghold of ignorance and traditions of men, that bird-brain cranial cage that harbors foul spirits that stink to high heaven, along with all kinds of unclean, judgmental, and hateful thoughts against others, even against those who merely disagree with our oh-so-religious knowledge of what is good and evil.

But you know what? There is a profound and marvelous wonder to all of this, and it’s all good news. Really it is. Quite frankly I prefer good news over bad news, even though it is bad news that sells. How about you? Hey, if I want bad news all I have to do is turn on the TV or radio, and it really doesn’t matter if it’s the right channel or the left channel, if you know what I mean.

Or I could go to church and receive the bad news of what a sinner I am… and listen to the preacher sell the really, really bad news of how I could be forever Gitmoed by a merciful and loving God; tortured, hot water-boarded in a fiery hell for all of eternity if I don’t get my act together and start towing the religious line, you know… keep the law, put on a smiley face, keep going to church, tithe, and do this but don’t do that, etc.

Am I bashing churches or judging churchgoers? God forbid. For one thing, I no longer believe in coincidences, and to me that means that we all, every single one of us, is right where we are supposed to be in our journey, in our walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

But though we all walk, we are not all at the same place along the path. Some of us are babes just starting out. Some are still captive in Egypt. Some of us are at Passover and though we may have come out of Egypt we might still be wandering in the church wilderness, that dry barren desert replete with biting serpents.

Others have come a little farther and are perhaps at Pentecost and have received the Spirit of Truth. The point is that even as our individual earthly ages are different, so are our individual spiritual days and times different. And it is God who changes our times and seasons according to His will, to every man in his own order.

Dan 2:21  And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

He alone reveals the mysteries of the kingdom to us and He knows what is in the dark corners of our hearts and minds.

Dan 2:22  He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

The good news is that God promises to every one of us that eventually we will all complete the journey He has prepared for us. Though in Adam we all die, we shall all be made alive in Christ. It is just that it’s “every man in his own order (1 Cor. 15:23)”, in His time, our Father’s time, not ours.

To that end, God is not slack in His promises. It is we who are slack in our understanding to know that “to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven (Ecc. 3:1)”. But as Christ says in Acts 1:7, “It is not for you (or me) to know the times or the seasons… which the Father hath put in his own power”.

But this you can know. There will come a time when your old heaven (heart) and your old earth (mind) shall pass away. But of that day and hour knows no man… but the Father (Mat. 13:31-32).

So there you go. That’s certainly good news, isn’t it? And think about it. If that’s the case, and it is, then it’s all good, even that which our carnal minds, you know, that tree of the knowledge of good and evil we’re so eager to eat from, judge as evil.

But here’s something I’ve noticed a great deal of lately. Many people I meet in business, along with a number of my friends and relatives, are quick to express the fears and anxieties they harbor because of all the uncertainties and things they see happening in the world around them, including but not limited to the volatile economic and political landscapes here at home. When these subjects come up, some of them truly become livid and start cursing bankers and especially politicians because they judge them to be their evil adversaries. But worse than that, they then go and wish evil upon them. So much for love your enemies.

But I understand exactly where they are coming from. I have to admit that little more than seven years ago I was totally obsessed with world events and zealously looked for the antichrist to literally and visibly appear on the scene and portray himself to be Jesus Christ, only to be followed by the literal and visible return of the real Jesus Christ. I even had a current events section on The King’s Chapel website and daily posted a Biblical analysis of the news, at least what I believed at the time to be Biblical analysis.

I also know full well that with the same mind-set I had back then I would now be losing sleep and pulling my hair out (what’s left of it), over today’s events and what is happening in our nation. There’s no doubt that today I would have Biblical prophecy on proverbial steroids with a defacto antichrist all but here and standing in our midst.

But thank God He caused a change of season in my life and the end of days. The old earth age (my old earth age) was upon me and my world was about to become tohu va bohu, for which I certainly take no credit whatsoever. How could I, the fact is I didn’t even see it coming. It is true, no man knows that hour or day. But as a result I now view everything in a totally different light.

Oh, I still listen to the news and keep up with what is happening in the world; it’s just that I don’t lose sleep over it anymore. That is in large part because now I am able see the good that comes out of the things I use to judge as bad, knowing that for light to shine forth out of darkness, there must first be darkness. All things, not just some, work together for good to them that love God. Come to think of it, if you didn’t have the left, how would you know the right?

So, let’s take an historical example. Imagine if you lived in one of America’s thirteen colonies in 1775 under the tyranny of England’s King George III. You can read the sordid details of how oppressive he was in the Declaration of Independence. The question is, what do you suppose your opinion and attitude would be toward this tyrannical king? Perhaps it would be about the same as I hear said about certain leaders today, some even wishing evil upon old George.

But looking back at the results of history, would it be a stretch to say we Americans should thank God for the tyranny of His servant King George III for being the pain in the @$$, I mean, for being so instrumental in inducing the great labor pains that preceded the birth of a new nation under God, the United States of America?

I mean, how can there be victory without an opponent or an adversary? Think about it. What would George Washington’s legacy be without King George? Did God not use both George’s mightily to His purpose?

Here is another question. Would you have cursed Pharaoh for his oppression of Israel and for not letting God’s people go? Was it the devil that hardened Pharaoh’s heart, or was it God, who had a great purpose for doing do?

Exo 10:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

And how about the following verse where God calls the world ruling tyrant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, His servant.

Jer 27:6  And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

You know the great thing about tyrants, if we can see, is that they give us a great visual of the man of sin, that vain narcissistic world ruler, that son of perdition who claims he is God, that wicked one (your carnal mind), who sits upon the throne of our heart. As it is written in Romans 8:7, the carnal mind is enmity against God.

The fact is, you must first see that world ruling tyrant, that abomination of desolation standing in the holy place where he ought not, sitting in temple of God (which temple you are), because until you see him there will be no renaissance in your life, no gathering back to Christ as Paul states it in 2 Thes. 2. Meanwhile, Christians go about busily looking for devil without, while the real enemy, their carnal mind, is within them, dictatorially ruling their lives.

But Lance, we are rapidly losing our freedom and liberty through tyranny. Aren’t you concerned? Of course, I say. But let’s talk about the profound and marvelous wonder to all of this that I spoke of earlier.

You see, there is simply no way one can be released from bondage unless he or she is first IN bondage. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, such is the prerequisite for “salvation” too. One cannot be “saved” from anything unless he or she is first in a position to be saved! Nor can one can be lifted up out of a pit, raised up from the depths of hell, unless that one is first “down” in the pit. Think about it. How could Christ rise, lest he first descend? And so it is with each and every one of us. We cannot be set free, unless we aren’t free! We cannot be healed unless we are first sick (Mat. 9:11, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.). And we cannot be resurrected, raised to LIFE, unless we are first DEAD! That’s right! Death (to be carnally minded is death) is a prerequisite for resurrection to LIFE (to be spiritually minded is life and peace).

Perhaps that will help shed some light on the verse I alluded to earlier:

1 Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Am I saying “all” were made to die so “all” could be made alive? Well, isn’t that what it says? Or does it say in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall only some be made alive? The rest will be fried in hell forever and ever.

Once again, you cannot come out of darkness into the marvelous light (of truth) unless you are first IN the dark (in ignorance), even as you cannot be awakened unless you are first asleep. To that end God created the darkness so that He could command the light to shine out of it! Are you with me?

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Look at this way. There has to be darkness in your world. Darkness must first cover the face of the deep (your heart) before He can command “Let there be light”!

2 Co 4:6  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.

And so if there is to be a Revelation, a Lord’s Day, a Dayspring on High; if God is going to someday awaken His children at the dawning of a new day, they would necessarily have to first be asleep, wouldn’t they? So… He causes a deep sleep to fall upon adam (us).

Gen 2:21  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept:

Let consider the following verses from Isaiah chapter 29.

Isa 29:9  Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

The LORD uses the religious wine from the golden cup of Babylon (confusion) to produce spiritual drunkenness. Although this allegorically speaks about us individually concerning our personal inner world, we can even see with our flesh eyes that the whole world without abounds in religious confusion, yes, even the Christian “religion” abounds in such confusion.

Jer 51:7  Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Madness (self pride), religious confusion, doctrines of men, are all you’ll ever get from the carnal mind because it cannot comprehend the light. Why not? Because “the natural (carnal, flesh) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness (incomprehensible) unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Co 2:14)”.

By the way, speaking of drunkenness, literally, did you know that no one has ever recovered from alcoholism who wasn’t first an alcoholic? Am I being overly simplistic here? The point is that no one can come out of Babylon (Rev. 18:4) unless he or she is first IN Babylon. And as a former churchoholic I give my personal testimony that this is true indeed.

Back to God’s sleeping beauties in Isaiah 29.

Isa 29:10  For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

He did what? He poured out upon us the spirit of deep sleep? Well, the good news is that the same One who puts you to sleep and tucks you in this earth-bed and covers you up shall also awaken you.

Isa 29:11  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

Most people look at this as speaking about the Bible. I did so for most of life, until the water was turned to wine. So now I see these verses speak of you and me and to you and me. You see, we are the “books”, the living epistles that the Spirit of the living God writes in… yes, even while we He has poured out a deep sleep over us and closed our spiritual eyes.

2Co 3:3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

We are living epistles. We are the books. It is our hearts that are hard-bound, sealed with those seven seals, and so it is we are the books that He will open and unseal… and He is the ONLY ONE who can. Christ alone can open (rent) the veil that is placed before the holy of holies, the inner sanctuary of our hearts, and reveal Himself to us. The good news is that He is opening many books this day. A Renaissance of God’s people is happening now. There’s a great awakening taking place today.

Isa 29:12  And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

There is such a lack of understanding of how God works both in us and among us. While we are in a deep sleep we ourselves have no conscience clue of the writing, and most of our church leaders are blind as well, though they think they are not.

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

This is the perfect description of religion and churchianity. When asked why they go to church, most people tell me they go to worship God and to seek fellowship. I know, I did and said the same thing for most of my life. We go and sing and recite canned prayers and listen to the precepts of men, the traditional teachings of Main Stream Christianity devised by the wisdom of great scholarly men credentialed by other great scholarly men.

But the good news is to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven, and in the final analysis, when the day breaks and we are awakened, God will have done a marvelous work and performed a wonder in each of us. For when Christ reveals Himself, when the True Light shines, all the accumulated scholarly wisdom of men, all the great knowledge and light we thought we possessed, will be paled into insignificance by the brightness of the knowledge of God.

Isa 29:14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

And then shall they sing the Song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Is that good news, or what?

The following counsel is a fitting conclusion.

1Th 5:15-18  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Amen to that.