Saturday 18 February 2012

Revelation 5 - Mitt Jeffords




Revelation 5 Mitt Jeffords     as shared by Annalize Mouton

A Visitation

I was seeking the Lord one morning when the Lord spoke to me and said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and I never change. Even to this day I am the beginning as well as the end, and I always will be". Then the Lord quickened to me that which is written in Revelation 1:10 "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day...". Then the Lord said to me, “All that which John witnessed in the Revelation, he did not see it by vision or by dream, but rather I took him in the spirit to the beginning where he actually witnessed Satan and his angels fall from heaven (Rev.12:7-9). I also took John to the end where he witnessed the great white throne of judgment (Rev.20:11-15)”. Until this moment, I had never really given any consideration as to why it was written that Jesus was the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, but now this was taking on a whole new definition for me.

How can any man comprehend the power of God, a spiritual being who is not limited to the laws of time and space as man is? I have learned that most unbelief is well rooted in man trying to comprehend the spiritual things of God with natural understanding. It can not be done, and this is why the Lord is willing to give any of us the gift of his Spirit so that we might be able to understand and know God. For it is as it is written in I Cor.2:11 “For what man knows the things of man except the spirit of man who is in him? Even so, the things of God no man knows, only the Spirit of the Lord. Now we have not received the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God so that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God”. I then myself experienced a new thing, for after a few thoughts, the Lord allowed for me to quit trying to reason out what had happened to John, and I then believed that it was so. I then realized that the Lord was preparing me for something by revealing unto me how he was the Alpha and the Omega. I then became very excited, realizing that the Lord was about to do a new thing for me.

Then the Lord led me to read all of Revelation 5, when "And I saw, in the right hand of him that sat upon the throne, a book written on both sides, and then sealed with 7 seals. And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" And no man in heaven, nor in the earth, neither was there any under the earth, who was able to open the book, or who was able to look inside. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy "to open and to read the book", neither to look upon it. Then one of the elders said unto me, "Do not weep, for behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the 7 seals upon it. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, having 7 horns, and 7 eyes, which are the 7 spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the 4 beasts and the 24 elders, fell down before the Lamb, everyone having harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song saying, "You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals there-of; for you where slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And you have made us to be kings and priests unto our God; and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels, who were around the throne, and also the beasts and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000, and 1000's and 1000's; and they were saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing...." Wow! Even though I had read this chapter many times before, I had never before realized just how big of a heavenly event this was, seeing that there was at least 10,000,000 heavenly creatures witnessing this event.

The Lord also confirmed for me again that John did not witness this event by vision or dream because one of the 24 elders actually came over to John and spoke to him. All of a sudden, I then felt the presence of the Lord come upon me, and in the quickest of moments, I felt like the heavens just parted for me, and suddenly I found myself at this very same event described in Revelation 5. The Lord then showed me the events that occurred from the time that Jesus was crucified on the cross until he appeared as the Lamb that was slain in Revelation 5. I then perceived that there was a lot more about these events that what I had previously understood; and I also perceived that I was about to learn more about Jesus Christ than what I had previously known.

It was then that the Lord spoke to me and asked, "When did I get the victory?" I thought about this for a moment, and I answered with that which I had always believed saying, "Lord, did you not get the victory when you suffered and died on the cross?" But the Lord then asked me, "Were there not thousands of others that were also crucified on those same Roman crosses; and did they not also suffer greatly before they died also? I then answered, "Yes, Lord, they did". Then the Lord said, "So then, if the victory was gotten through the suffering and the death of the cross, then why did not all of those thousands who suffered and died in like manner also get the victory? Should not they also be worshipped and served as "Lord"?” I then answered very timidly, "Lord, I suppose that the reason that I do not worship them is because they did not die for my sins like you did?" Then the Lord answered and said, "This is truth; for I willingly offered myself up for you so that by my blood your sins could be forgiven, and that you could be sanctified by this truth. I shed my blood so that the guilty blood could be redeemed by with the innocent blood. Surely the new covenant is established in my blood.

Let my blood signify unto you that you have a Lord whose love for you is so great that I willing suffered and die for each one who comes to believe on me. Let my blood always be a sign unto you, a sign that my love and my forgiveness is greater than the sin that dwells in you. When I died on that cross, the veil in the temple then tore completely in two, from top to bottom, signifying the end of the old and the beginning of the new. No longer could the sins of any be atoned for by the blood of bulls and lambs" says the Lord, "but by my blood only. But still, if the victory was not found the in the suffering and shedding of blood on that cross, then where was it? Was not the only victory that was found on the day of my death that which the wicked thought that they had won because they were able to crucify me? Again, the cross is a symbol of the greatness of the love that I have for all sinners, but truly, it is also a symbol of the hatred that the hypocrites and the wicked have towards all things that pertain to God.

Do not forget this truth, the only victory that the cross signifies is that which the hypocrites and the wicked thought that they obtained when they crucified me; for it was here that the heathen of this world united with the religion of the self-righteous to murder the Son of God. Have you not yet perceived that even the people of God found more value in choosing a murderer and a thief unto themselves rather than the Son sent to them from their God? In this is found the enmity that rules over all those who are kept in bondage to the thoughts and desires of the carnal mind; a mind which lusts to hate any thought, or any man, or any doctrine that allows for the God of life to have any reign over it. This is the blindness of this world, the ignorance that keeps those who are carnally minded separated from the life that I created for men to be partakers of. Have I not revealed unto you that my will for you is that you may all be partakers of abundant life? Is it not written that when I rule in your hearts, you will experience a peace and joy that those of this world could not possibly experience?

I have no desire to reign over the lives of men through force, or by intimidation, or by cruelty, or by oppression. In truth, I was crucified because I came into this world to free the minds of men from the misery and oppression that has ruled over them. Do you now see more clearly how that the victory that the world thought that they had won was to rid the world of all of my influences, my ways, and my thoughts? For my Spirit, my ways and my thoughts free the souls of men from the corruption and oppression of worldly governments and false religions. Of course, the victory that these thought they had won, it was only an illusion in their own minds. These are they who are blinded by the darkness, ignorant of how great it is for me to be your God. Let the cross always be a symbol to you, believing in hearts that you truly are the object of all of my love and affection, for all the thoughts that I think towards you, they are thoughts to do you good, to give you abundant life and peace of mind.

Then the Lord asked me, "If then the victory was not at the cross, then where was it? Was it in the tomb when I arose from the dead?" Seeing that I had erred so with my last answer, I thought the better of it this time, carefully considering what I might say to answer the question that had been asked of me. After I considered it for a time, I then said, "Lord, I know that it is written in I Corinthians 15:26 that "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death"; so I suppose that if you had trumped over all of your other enemies, then the victory would have surely been won when in that tomb when you arose from the dead, seeing that your overcoming of death would have been the last thing that you had need to triumph over. Then the Lord answered me and said, "If the victory was in the resurrection, then why did not the victory go to Lazarus or to Jairus' daughter after they were raised from the dead? Why was not the victory given to the son of the widow whom Elijah brought back to life? If then the resurrection is truly where the victory is found, then why are none of these worshipped as your Lord and Savior?" I then answered, "Because Lord, it is written that you alone should be worshipped”.

Now my curiosity was peaked, and I asked, “Lord, if the victory was not won at the cross or in the tomb, then where was the victory won?" Then the Lord answered and said, "It is true that I overcame death, as well as all of the enemies that oppress my people; for it was with me just as it is with all men, that my fight was not with flesh and blood, but with powers, principalities, rulers of the darkness, as well as with all manner of wicked spirits. I overcame all of the forces and the powers that rule over this present evil world. Surely, each one of these triumphs was a great victory, for in each one of them I overcame an enemy that flesh and blood are powerless to overcome. In each of these triumphs, I experienced a victory that no man before me had ever experienced; but still, the victory was not yet. Yes, it is truth that the last enemy that I overcame of this world was death, and it was this triumph that I experienced complete victory over the principalities, the powers, the rulers of darkness of this world, and all wicked spirits, but still the victory was not yet.

For having overcome the all of the powers of this world, and the death thereof. For having overcome this evil world, I was then found to be without blame and unspotted with the filth of this world; and it was then that I was accounted worthy to appear before my Father’s throne; and being found worthy, I was then able to take the book from my Father that no creature before me, not in heaven, not on the earth, nor beneath the earth, had been found worthy to before me to do; to take the book and to remove the seals from off of the book. It is here that that the victory was won. When I suffered and died on that cross, or when I arose from the dead, did 10,000,000 heavenly creatures fall upon their faces, rejoicing and singing praises saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain?” Do you not think that if the victory had been won at the cross, or in that tomb, that these same heavenly creatures would have rejoiced and praised all those who had previously been raised from the dead as well as unto all of those thousands who had suffered and died on the cross? But who among any of these was found worthy to take the book from my Father and then open the seals thereof?

I alone was found worthy. I alone was found worthy among all the creatures in heaven, among all the creatures on earth, and among all the creatures beneath the earth. I alone overcame the world that is compassed with lies. I alone overcame the worldly man that is perverted through the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of this life. I alone overcame the corrupted judgment of this world. Only I alone was found worthy to stand before the glory of the incorruptible God, and then take the book that was sitting upon his lap. It was I, the Lamb of God, who all of these heavenly creatures bowed before and worshipped, singing, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessings”.

I sat there completely speechless and numb concerning these things that my ears were hearing and my eyes were seeing. Never once in 25 years had I once heard or even considered that the victory was found in the events that are described in Revelation 5. Seeing that I had not once ever considered that this is where the victory was, I then realized that I did not even understand as to why the victory was here, and what was in the book that had been sealed? Then the Lord continued and said, "It was when I was found worthy to take the book and open it that my heavenly Father then gladly gave unto me his prize, his entire heavenly kingdom. Even though do not yet perceive the truth of these things that I am speaking to you, you will shortly", says the Lord. “For I did not win my Father’s kingdom for myself, for why would I win that which I previously had? I won my Father’s kingdom for all those who would come to believe on me, desiring for me to be their Lord, their friend, their king, their brother, and their father. I won my Father’s kingdom for those who allowed for me to reign in their hearts and their minds with peace, and with truth, and with joy, and with wisdom, and with love.

You know that it is written that no eye has seen, nor has any ear heard, and neither has there been any heart that has been able to perceive the things that are of God; for who has seen and heard and understood that these are the things which have prepared for the church, my bride. Now hear and understand; the words that are contained in the book from which I removed the seals from off of, these were the words that reveal Father’s heart unto man. It is because these words were sealed that man was kept in bondage to his own ignorance of God; the ignorance that allowed all the things of darkness to rule and reign over the hearts and minds of all men, keeping the knowledge of God veiled from the eyes and the hearts of man. John wept because he knew that only he who could be found worthy to open the seals of the book would also be he who would receive authority and power to open the eyes and the ears of the faithful to see and hear of the things of God; the things which God has prepared for man from the beginning for all those who would come to love God.

Since the fall of Adam, man has been alienated and separated from the things that God has prepared for his people: the life of God. Are you able to hear and understanding that which I am speaking to you? The life of God is not like any manner of earthy life, and neither is it like the life that is experienced by any of the heavenly creatures; for the life of God is that life which has only been experienced by the Father and the Son. Is it possible for a man to be one with his heavenly Father’s heart and not be in the very likeness of Father’s heart? Is it possible for one to be a son of God and not be completely equal with God? But who can see and hear these words?

In the darkness, man has been kept in bondage to his ignorance of the life of God; that is, he has had eyes to see, but has not been able to see the things of God; he has ears to hear, but he has not been able to understand the truth of the words of God; he has a heart, but he has not been able to perceive the nature of the life of God. For as high as the heavens have been above the earth, so also has the nature of the life of God been above the nature of the life of man. Though you have sought to understand and to know the truth of these things, and though I have allowed for you to taste of the power and the truth of my life, you still have yet to come into the fullness of this truth; the truth that reveals the nature of the life of God.

Even now, your heart has remained veiled and your eyes have scales upon them, keeping hidden the glory of my life from you; but you are drawing closer and closer to the fullness of time when all of these things which are written in the book shall be seen and heard, and then fulfilled. I am now doing a new thing, and all things shall be changed; and my life is that new thing. Remember, until the fullness of time comes, you are still under the blood that I shed upon the cross for you. Let my blood continue to be a witness unto you of the great love that I have for you, as well as a witness of my faithfulness; for I am the faithful and true witness, and I will perform all those things which I am revealing to you. I yearn to fill your heart with words of truth, words of life, and the words of my power. I yearn to fill you with the fullness of me; the fullness of the kingdom that I won for you. As a bride takes the name of her husband, so also do I yearn to give to you my name: my character, my name, and my power and authority. I yearn for your companionship and fellowship. If you can believe, then the zeal of God shall perform all of these promises and words for you.

You have heard that my word is living and that it is powerful, and though you have tasted of power, you have yet to experience the fullness of this truth yet. Yes, my word has been unto you as the word of correction; as a hammer that has broken your pride into pieces. Yes, my word as been as a sword that has pierced your heart, to reveal to you the hidden things of darkness as well as all of those counsels which are not of me. Yes, my word has been unto you the truth that has revealed unto the lies of Satan, so as to sanctify you. Yes, my word has been given unto you to increase your faith, dissolving your doubts, your fears, as well as all of your unbelief. In these things, you have asked to see and to hear the truth of my words; and I have opened your eyes and your ears to see and hear these truths of my words.

You have witnessed my faithfulness as you have allowed for me to build up your faith so that the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against you, nor have any of the powers of darkness been able to overthrow you. As you have asked to see the truth of my words, you have witnessed me freeing you from the miserable thoughts of the carnal mind; you have seen my power as I have delivered you from your bondage to Satan’s lies that have kept you in bondage to the evil desires of pride, of hatred, of iniquity, of anxiety, of hypocrisy, of all manner of fears, of unbelief, of worry, of your cares of this life, of your rebellion, from your own righteousness, from your own judgments, and your finding fault with others. You have seen how I have sent unto you the truth of my words t deliver you from the deceitfulness of your opinions, which you have used to mask the truth about your ignorance. As you have asked to see these things, I have opened your eyes to see the truth of these things. But why have you not yet asked for me to open your eyes so that you may see the truth about my life?

As you asked of me and you witnessed my word coming to you to teach you all knowledge and give to you all understanding. As you asked to see my words, you have also witnessed my power as my words have brought to nothing your worldly wisdom; the worldly wisdom from which all of your fleshy and evil desires have been birthed. As you have asked of me, you have seen me send to you the truth of my words that have delivered from false doctrines, from the ungodly counsels of men’s interpretations, and from the traditions of men. When you have asked of me, you have even witnessed my power in the word that I have sent to you to destroy the evil works that oppose my will for your life. In your seeking of me, you have seen my faithfulness in the word that I have sent unto you to open your eyes to see spiritual things, to open your ears to hear the truth of my words, and to open your heart so that you might receive the blessings of God. Could I have performed any of these works for you had you not believed the instruction of my words? If you had asked nothing of me, then could I have sent any of words unto you?

All things must be fulfilled just as they are written in my words. I was first necessary for me to prepare your hearts and your minds to receive the glory of my life, for the kingdom of God that is coming unto you. You know that it is written that new wine cannot be poured into an old wineskin, lest it tear and all falls to the ground. Now hear and understand, it is impossible for the natural heart to receive the blessings of my Spirit; my power, my honor, my wisdom, my strength, my love, my riches, and the glory that I have won for you. Yes, in your correction you have been prepared to receive the fullness of my word, the truth about the life of God. In your correction, your eyes have been opened to see much that has been hidden from you, but what your eyes have yet to see is the life of God. It is of these things that no eye has seen, or that any ear has heard, or that any heart has been able to perceive. You have not known of these blessings yet because you have not yet asked to see the truth concerning the life of God; yet, you know that it is written that when I appear unto you, you shall see me as I am, and you shall be changed into my likeness. Now ask for to open your eyes to see the life of God, and then it shall be given unto you according to your belief.

You have not asked to see and hear these things because it was hidden from your heart till this day to ask to know these things; that is, now is the appointed time. Now is time appointed for my people to ask for me to open their eyes so that they may see Father’s heart, the life of God. For this is the day of the fulfilling of all my words and promises; this is the day that your eyes will be opened to see all things, that your ears will be opened to understand all things, and that your heart will be opened to perceive all things. Now are your hearts being prepared to see all things, to receive all things, and to believe all things. Now is the time that your eyes will see and your ears will hear the fullness of those things that have been written of; those very things that many righteous men and prophets have desired to hear and to see; and have not heard not seen. But blessed are your eyes, for they being opened to see these things, and your ears for they are being opened to understand these things.

Even so, my words will always remain sealed to the disobedient because they do not seek me or trust in me, but rather they trust in their own wisdom and they lean to their own understanding for interpretation of my words. The unbelieving will never be to see the truth of my words because they believe that how they see and interpret my words is the truth of what should be believed. How a man sees and interprets my words is how a man sees and interprets me; for I am the word, and my word and I are one. The words that are birthed out of men’s opinions or reasonings pertaining to the things of God, they need not to be veiled because they are words that are powerless to perform or to change anything. Only the truth of my words have power to perform the wonderful works that I send them to perform.

Hear now, and understand; in the presence of my truth, there shall no evil thing dwell. I have spoken in parables, in metaphors, in secrets, in visions, in proverbs, in dreams, and in mysteries to keep my truth hidden from the eyes of the disobedient and unbelieving; lest they also see and hear my words and believe them, thus allowing for them to be made partakers of the life of God. I reward only those who diligently seek after me, who desire to know my truth. Have I not appointed for all to seek and to labor for my kingdom? But where are those who have honored my words, who have believed them to be my truth, and not as words that should be twisted and shaped to conform to the desires of men? It is for this reason that my words have been sealed, to keep the truth hidden from the eyes, the ears, and the hearts of the ungodly and corrupt, lest they should also be made partakers of the inheritance that I won for those who overcome the world through faith in me. When my word is unveiled, it heals your heart and transforms the thoughts of your mind.

When John wept, he was not weeping just for himself, but for all men; for seeing that there was no man in heaven, or on the earth, or beneath the earth that could be found worthy to take the book and remove the seals from off of it, he knew that man would forever continue in bondage to the darkness of his own ignorance, and not be allowed to enter into the kingdom of God. John wept because he knew that as long as the book remained sealed, then the truth about all things that pertain to the life of God would remain hidden from the eyes and the ears of man. You know that it is written that eternal life belongs only to those who know God; for the true knowledge of God is the entrance into the kingdom of God. I am the Word, and the Word is God, and my Father and I are one. I am the truth, and no man can come into my Father’s presence except by me. No man knows the Father except those who I have revealed the truth of my Father unto. Only by the revelation knowledge of my truth shall the darkness of your ignorance perish and Satan’s habitation be destroyed. It is not possible for ignorance to inhabit the place where the knowledge of the truth dwells. Satan cannot dwell in the light of my truth, only in the darkness of man’s ignorance. He that sees the truth of my word sees me. He who sees me also sees my Father. He that see my Father overcomes the world and is made free from all of the powers of darkness.

Those who see me, they see that my word is living; they see that my word is truth; they see that my word is powerful, always able to accomplish the purpose that I send it to perform. Those who see me, they see that my word is able to change the desires of the heart as well as transform the thoughts of the mind. Those who see me, they see that my word is able to give life to the dead, purging their consciousness from all dead works. By my word do the fruits of life spring forth in the hearts of the barren. My word brings love to the hopeless. My word heals you of all of your sins. My word makes all things new. My word is able to perform all those things that are impossible for any man to do for himself. By the word that proceeds forth out of my mouth are my people sanctified, made holy, and justified. My word destroys all that profanes, all that corrupts, and all that defiles. By my word, the hidden things of darkness and the secret counsels of the heart are manifest. By my word, your sins are forgiven, never able to come into my mind again. All of the blessings that I desire to give unto you, as well as all of my promises that I desire to perform for you, they can only come to you through my word. John wept because he thought there was none worthy open the seals off the blessings of my word.

Until this time, you have asked, and I have shown unto you the words whereby you have become crucified unto this world; the world that consists of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Just as it is written, you must first be a partaker of my sufferings before you are prepared and ready to be a partaker of my resurrection. The victory has been won, the seals have been opened, and the words have been unveiled, but who will ask for me to open their eyes so that they may see the words that written in the book? Who will ask to see the words of life that give life? Who will ask to see me? Who will ask to see the heavenly Father? Who will ask to see the goodness, the desires, and the love that is in Father’s heart? Who will ask to see the life of God? Because of the great love that I have for all, I came into this world and overcame all the evil that is of this world; I overcame all and I won the kingdom of God just for you; but who will believe to ask to see glory of that which has been won for you? You do not have because you have not asked.

Do not be deceived, for I am not like unto man; as your understanding of the things of God are on earth, the true understanding of the things of God goes beyond the boundaries of heaven and earth. You have seen according to your earthy senses, I see all things. The life that you know, it has an end, while my life is without beginning or end. Your belief is limited, my belief is limitless, making it easy to do all things. You love only those who love you; I unconditionally love all men. As your love is on earth, my love goes far beyond the limitations of man’s love. All of your thoughts are vanity while all of my thoughts give life. You judge others while I judge no man. You wonder what meekness really is while I am the very substance of meekness. The glory of man is as the grass that perishes, while my glory is everlasting. Can you perceive the truth of these things that I am speaking to you?

Have you asked for me to open your eyes to see any of these spiritual truths, that the life of God is not in any form like unto the life of man? I have given unto the kingdom of God that I won for you, but why have you not asked for me to open your eyes to see the kingdom that is within you, seeing that this is the prize of the victory that was won for you? Those who ask not for me to open their eyes, shall they not remain captive to the blindness of their ignorance? Until there came one who could preach the truth of the words of God, then there would have been no man who could have been made freed from the powers of death and hell; for until the appointed time, death and hell had the victory over all flesh. Do you perceive that I, having come into this world in the likeness of sinful flesh, was also under the same sentence of sin and death just as all men are?

Hear, and understand. I came in the likeness of sinful flesh for two purposes. First, so that in the sight of all men, my heavenly might show the greatness of his power and his love working in me, a man whose habitation, was a weak earthy vessel. For to overcome the world and gain the victory, it was first necessary for I to come in the likeness of sinful flesh, subject to the same desires, the same wills, and the same pleasures that all men are subject to. I did not overcome any of these things through any wisdom or power of myself but rather it was through faith in my Father's power, and belief in his great love for me that I overcame all things. Though sinned dwelled in me, it was powerless to stand against the love that my Father had for me. By the greatness of my Father's love, I was able to receive of all of my Father's goodness, all of his power, and all of his Spirit, even though sin also dwelled in the same fleshy vessel. As it was with me, so also is it now, that all those who overcome the world, they will do so through their faith in my power and their belief of my love and mercy.

Secondly, I came in the likeness of sinful flesh to trick Satan; for had I not come in the likeness of sinful flesh, I would not have had the sentence of death upon me as all men do. Without the sentence of death upon me, then I would not have been able to gain entrance into hell, that which had the victory over all men before me. Had I not been able to enter into hell, then I would not have been able to preach the words of life that were given to me when I appeared before my Father as the Lamb who was slain. Without this gospel, the words of truth, the saints of old would have continued in their captivity in the land beneath. After I died on the cross, I ascended into heaven as the Lamb of God that was slain. Then being found worthy to take the book and remove the seals thereof, I then received authority and power to ascend into hell beneath, and then I preached the words of life to those saints who were held captive to death and hell. By my words, the souls of the saints of old were all saved from eternal damnation. Then on the third day, I not only arose from the dead, but so also all of those saints who believed on me; for I am the resurrection and the life", says the Lord.

It was then that I also appeared before my disciples for a time, and I opened their minds to understand the truth of my words which had been hidden from their eyes; for having gained the victory, I then gave unto them the words of life; the words that had been veiled from their eyes. Then on the day of Pentecost, I once again returned to my people as that Spirit of truth, the power of God that frees you from all of your bondages and reveals the heavenly Father to those who desire to see him. Then my disciples began to preach the gospel, the words of truth that are always accompanied with my power; and they became witnesses before all men of the desire that I have to save all.

Yes, you have perverted my words with your natural understanding and with your worldly wisdom, but do not be afraid; for as my Father taught me, worked in me, and saved me, even though I was compassed with sinful flesh, so also will I do the same for you; for I have received from my Father this power and authority. Do you believe that I am able to give unto you a new heart and a new mind; a heart and a mind where the Spirit of life is law that is written therein? Will trust me and follow me? Will you humble your hearts and ask for me to show unto you the Spirit of life? Again, you have seen my words that have destroyed or brought to nothing the old kingdoms, the old principalities, the old powers, the old ways, the old laws, as well as the strongholds of old, but will you begin to ask for me to open your eyes so that you may behold the new thing? Do you not desire to see the glory of the living God filling your temple? The kingdom of God is coming. The glory of God is coming. A new heaven and a new earth is coming. Life is coming to swallow up death. All things are going to be made new.

Ask for me to open your eyes to see me; to show you things that have been hidden from the sight of your eyes and from the hearing in your ears. Ask for me to show the things that my love won for you. I am not coming in a manner that natural man will be able to see, but in the manner that you will surely know. Believe on me, and I will perform all of my words and all of my promises. Ask of me and I will change your heart and your mind, making them both beautiful in my sight and in your sight", says the Lord.

When the Lord finished speaking these words to me, he instantly took me in the Spirit to the very moment that the events of Revelation 5 were unfolding. I suddenly found myself among 10,000,000 heavenly creatures, and for a moment that was quite overwhelming. I then became aware that we were all like standing as if we were all in a very large and tall circular stadium, but there was no physical stadium. I felt as though I was positioned about half way up the stadium, but it was as if my consciousness I was sitting on the very front row. The first thing that I really became aware of was the electricity and/or the excitement that was in every creature that was there. The most excitement that I had personally ever experienced until this moment was before a college football game between instate rivals. But the electricity and the excitement that was at those games was no where near the electricity/excitement that I found myself in the midst of. Not only was the excitement level much, much higher in those around me, but I was in the midst of 10,000,000 creatures who were all excited and joyous. Each one was intensely focused, as I presently understand it, on “the greatest event that will ever happen throughout all of eternity”.

I then saw the heavenly Father sitting on his throne, but for some strange reason, no one, including myself seem to be putting any attention on him at all, but rather on the floor that was just before his throne; for just in front of his throne was a circular area that was only about 10 feet in diameter. Can you imagine the drama of seeing all of these creatures pressed in and ascending up as far as my eyes could see; and all there eyes were focused on that space before the throne of God? It is not possible to describe the drama that I felt that was unfolding before me, knowing that at any moment, all of us who were there, were about to witness an event that no creature in heaven, nor any creature on the earth, and that no creature beneath the earth, had ever been found worthy to do, to take this book from off of the Almighty God’s lap, and to remove the seals that had been put upon it by the power of God.

Then, without me even realizing, the Lamb who was slain, suddenly appeared before the throne of God. It is not possible for me to describe to you what I actually saw before me; for Jesus appeared in this moment as though he had just died on the cross in the previous moment; certainly before Mary even had a chance to clean up his dead body. It was at first strange for me to see Jesus to appear before his holy Father in this manner, seeing I was not expecting for him to appear naked, filthy dirty, bloodied from head to toe, and greatly wounded from the scourging, the beating, and the crucifixion that he had had just gone through. My first thought when I saw Jesus appear before his heavenly in this fashion was how man, in his ignorance of God, believes that he must clean himself before he can come before God. If Jesus had physically appeared before a group of humans in this manner, every man would have gasped in shock at his appearance and/or would have been surprised to even see Jesus appear in such a manner. Yet, there was not one gasp or look of surprise on the Father’s face or on any one of these 10,000,000; for everyone was still filled with only excitement and joy. I felt as though I was the only creature there that was even aware of the outward appearance of Jesus’ body.

Again, it is hard for one to imagine the drama that was playing our before my very eyes, not only seeing Jesus but also observing the faces of 10,000,000 creatures who had been waiting and waiting to see that which they have never before witnessed. But then I saw that which I will never forget, the most incredible thing of all, and it took place the moment that Jesus walked over to stand before his heavenly Father; for the love, the joy, the compassion, and the thankfulness that was in the heavenly Father's face as he gazed upon the face of his Son was indescribable; and the same love and joy was in the Son's face as he looked to his Father. Even though I heard no audible words spoken between the two, I was sure that Jesus said, “We did it”. I then remember how the Jesus had told me previously that he overcame all things through his faith in the power of God and his belief in his Father’s love. The love that I witnessed between Father and Son cannot be described. Then it was over for me, and I returned from being in the Spirit.

As I sat down and tried to write these things which I had seen and heard, I felt that the Spirit of the Lord directed me to use that which I have never been familiar with; to write and describe these events as though I had actually been in a fairy tale. Well, I never recall my mother, or anyone else, reading a fairy tale to me; and the only ones that I knew were the Disney versions of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, which I saw when I was a kid. The Lord then confirmed for me to write in this manner when he then spoke to me and said, “Of all the stories that have been written of on this earth, is it just the fairy tales that have endings which all wish that they could be partakers of? Is it not these stories that end with the words, “And they lived happily together everlasting”? Do you not think that those who allow for me to rescue them, that we shall not live happily together forever and ever? Do you think that any fairy tale can have an ending/beginning like the one that I desire for you to have, seeing that my ending/beginning far exceeds anything that any man could even image in his thoughts? Write these things that you have seen and heard as though it was the greatest story ever told; for my story is fiction to those who do not believe, but for those who will believe, they will experience that which far exceeds anything that they could have hoped for”.

I think that most people are like I am, in that the only time that we have ever really heard of a prince coming to the rescue of his beloved princess was when she had taken captive or was in distress; and all of these types of stories seem to be either a fictional story, or a fable, or in our imaginations; for I certainly cannot remember any fairy tale story that was true because in this life, everyone dies. I know that at sometime or another, if not many times, we have all been in some circumstances or situations in which that some prince or superhero would come to our rescue. I may not completely understand all that which I witnessed of Revelation 5, but after seeing the love that I saw beaming out of the face of God and the face of his Son, I am now persuaded that we have a Lord who will go to any lengths to deliver us, or save us, out of any distress or trouble that may come upon us. Surely, at one time or another, have we not all had the desire to be either the prince or the princess in these fables?

As I was thinking on how many times that I have desired for someone to come and rescue me in the time of my trouble, I then remembered that which was written in Psalm 107:13 "Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of all of their distresses". I then realized that this is no fable at all, but that we truly have a prince or a superhero that is willing to rescue us out of his love for each one of us. Does not the prince love his princess so much that he is more than willing to battle dragons and witches, as well as all of the powers of darkness, to rescue his love from her peril? Is it not written in Ephesians 6:10 “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of “his might”…for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities, against rulers of darkness and wicked spirits in high places”? But who is engaged in such battles where he or she is only relying on the strength and the power of the Lord to save and deliver them; seeing that he alone has already triumphed over all of the very enemies?

I was now beginning to perceive that what the Lord had spoken to me, as well as all that which I had just witnessed, it was somehow a great love story that I just could not grasp the depth of; a story about the love that Father/Jesus had for his church was far greater than any love that even existed in these fairy tales about princes and princesses. For in these stories, you find a Prince madly in love with a princess; so in love that he would do anything to rescue or save her. But these princes only had love for one woman, while Jesus had this love for all men, and none of them, not one, had any love at all for him. How can we understand such a great love? In truth, is not the real prince the Prince of Peace? Is not the love of his life, the object of all of his affection, his bride the church? Is this then not a love story that not only crosses the boundaries of earth and heaven, but across all of eternity?

So in truth, has not our Lord, the Prince of Peace, then set out to do whatever it takes to win his bride back from all the powers of darkness, the lies that have held her captive and tormented her life? Has she not been in great distress because of her bondage to the flesh? So when the Prince considers the journey and the ordeal that lays before him, is not the length that he is willing to go for his bride then measured by the greatness of the love that he has for her? Recognizing that if he is going to rescue his bride, and win her love, then it is going to be necessary for him to first disguise himself just gain entrance to her; appearing just as all those who are around her? Just like the prince in the fairy tales, there is no distance nor any obstacle that he even considers to be so great that he is not willing to travel or endure; caring not how many dragons, or how many wicked spirits, or how many evil powers, or ungodly principalities, or how many rulers of the darkness that he may encounter and engage along the way; for because of the passion of love that burns in his heart, he is more than willing to take on all comers, for the love, and for the sake of his beloved bride. Yes, the prince in the fables, he is also willing to fight dragons and travel distant lands for his love, but this is where the fable ends, and the true story continues on.

In the fairy tale, the princess, the damsel in distress, is always waiting to be rescued by her beloved prince. But in truth, most of the church is not waiting to be rescued by her Prince because she is not even aware as to what she needs to be rescued from. For the princess has been deceived and brainwashed, believing that the lies of her captor are the truth. The Prince knows that when his love sees him, that she will not find anything about him that will attract her to him. In fact, he knows that it is going to be quite different to the fairy tale; for his love is going to despise him, reject him, ignore him, persecute him, and possibly even hate him. The Prince knows that his princess has no love for him in her heart, nor does she trust any of his promises, and neither does she even believe any of the words that he has spoken to her. Nevertheless, for the great love that the Prince has for his bride, he is not only willing travel distant lands, battle all the forces of darkness, but he is also willing to suffer rejection and scorn from the hand of his very bride that loves so much. He even knows that when he manifest his name and his power before her, that this will still not be enough to win her heart. Yet, he is still willing to exhaust all that is at his disposal to win her love. Because the Prince of Darkness has seduced her into believing that the Prince is her enemy, she rejects the courtship of the Prince's love, but she does indeed begin to persecute him and mock him. Then, by reason of the Prince of darkness’ lies, her prince is slain by her own hand; and even as it was then, so also is it even now.

In all of his pursuit to win his bride, the Prince himself had faced many temptations; temptations in which it would have been easy to turn his love away from his bride, as well as from away from his Father the King, who was in heaven. But when the Father had seen how his Son was treated and all that had happened to his Son, in his attempt to win the heart of his love, he then sent forth of his own power, and he brought forth his Son the Prince before him. And when the King examined the Prince, he saw before him one who had been rejected, one who had been ridiculed and mocked, one who had been shamed, one who had suffered greatly, and one who was so grieved in his heart that it passed the point of unthinkable agony; all for the sake of his beloved bride. The King saw his Son as a Lamb who had been despitefully slain at the hands of his beloved. This is he who was willing to give up all of the kingdom and the glory that he had, and then come into this world in the likeness of sinful flesh, just to have the opportunity to win his beloved’s heart.

And when the Son stood before his heavenly Father, clothed in the garments of rejection and scorn that were patterned in blood and filth, he said unto his Father the King, "Father, be merciful, for she has been deceived and she is not aware of any of those things which she has done. Forgive her and have mercy on her, for she is still the love of my heart". When the King heard these words and remembered all that his Son the Prince had battled against, all that he had endured, all that he had journeyed through, all that he had suffered, and all that he had overcome in his attempt to win the heart of his beloved, at whose very hand he was even slain by, the King then said, "My heart greatly rejoices, for the love that is in your heart towards your bride has been proven to be sure; seeing that no amount of rejection, or scorn, or shame, or threats, or sufferings, or persecution, or beatings, or cursing, and not even death itself has been able to cause you to waver in your love towards your bride. Therefore, he who is standing before me is without any fault, or any spot, and neither is there any blame in his heart; for his love towards his bride is pure. Can there be any greater love that one can have for another than the love that is willing to endure all things, bear all things, suffer all things, and lose all as this love that my Son has for his bride?"

Then the King removed his hand from off of the book, and said to his Son, "You are worthy to take this book and to lose the seals from off it. For in this book are the words of life; words that have the power to win your bride’s heart; words that have power to redeem the heart of your beloved from the lies that she has been seduced to believe. These are the words of truth that will win the heart of your bride unto you. These are my words, and they are powerful and living words, and they shall break into pieces the lies that your bride has been held captive to believe. These are the words of life that will free your bride from all of her captivity to death". Then all the host of heaven fell upon their faces and worshipped the Lamb, for by his great love, he had been found worthy to win that which no man had ever won before, the power and the kingdom to win the hearts and the minds of man; the beloved of God.. And they sung a new song, a song that could not have been sung before, saying, "Worthy is the Lamb who took the book and opened the seals thereof".

Then the Lamb who was slain took the book and opened it, and all of words of the glory of God, and the power of God, and of the very life of God, they came forth from out of the book, entering into the Lamb who was slain; and the word that had been flesh then became words of Father’s heart, full of truth, and power, and love, and grace, and life. Then all the heavenly creatures continued bowed before the Lamb, praising God and glorifying his Son, saying, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive the kingdom with all it's glory, and wisdom, and power, and strength, and honor." It was not the cross that gave the Prince the victory, and neither was it the resurrection in that tomb that gave him the victory, but rather it was the great love that was in his heart for his beloved that gained him the victory; for if it had not been for the greatness of his love, he could never have endured and triumphed over all that he encountered.

By no other means could his bride be freed from her captivity except by his love and his Father’s power. By no other means could she have escaped the terrible end that was awaiting her except by his love and his Father’s power. By no other means could her heart be won except by his love and his Father’s power. If it were not for his love, there would never have been any hope to escape the miseries of this present evil world. And then the Prince, as the Spirit of the Lord, returned and entered into the hearts and the minds of all those who were Jerusalem waiting on him, just as he has been doing for 2000 years since, entering into the hearts and the minds of those who would receive him and believe on him, to win their hearts and their minds with the blessings of abundant life. When he wins her heart, she will no longer have any love for this present evil world, nor will she have any affection or desire to believe the seducing lies that are therein.

It was not until she fully learned and understood all that her Prince is willing to do for her before she allowed for heart to be won; but she now believes with all of her heart that she is truly the object of all of the Prince's affection. She is the beloved, the bride who has continued faithful to her Prince, trusting on him, that through his love and great power, she shall be delivered; she shall be redeemed; she shall be healed; she shall be taught all truth; she shall be forgiven; she shall be changed; and she shall receive the kingdom that her Prince won for her. For he has come to rescue her from death with the words of life. She now eagerly awaits for her Prince to come to rescue and redeem her.

Now, the Prince is about to return again to the world that rejected and slew him; and he will surely return riding on a white horse. He is coming for his bride; she who allowed her heart to be won by his love. He is going to receive his bride unto himself, the love of his life. He is going to have a sword in his hand, and with the word of truth proceeding forth out of his mouth, he is going to destroy all of the lies that Satan has deceived her with. He is going to avenge his bride, destroying all lying words, all false doctrines, and all of the laws of man that have kept her in bondage. He is going to destroy all spirits and all the rulers of this present evil world who have tormented her. He is going to destroy all powers, all principalities, all darkness, all lies, and even death itself, so that he might save his bride. He is coming to her rescue. Then shall there be a great celebration feast in her honor; a feast so great that no man could ever imagine the likes thereof. Then the Prince is going to give unto his bride all that he had won for her; his kingdom, his power, his riches, his wisdom, his strength, his honor, his life, his glory, his blessings, and his name. He has become to her the Prince who truly rides in on a white horse to save her. Then she shall receive the reward she has desired to have; a happy ending/beginning with the love of her life. To those who are of this world, who do not believe, eternal life is nothing more than a fable that ends before it ever begins; but to those who do believe, it is "The beginning that never has an end".

It was then that the Spirit ceased speaking, and I sat in my seat simply overwhelmed and dazed at all that the Lord had just spoken to me. I am a 57 year old contractor, and I do not write or read love stories; so it was quite a new experience for me to write these words, and I sure hope that I have written and testified of that which I experienced so that it is encouraging and edifying to the faith of all who read these words. I myself felt like I had entered into a realm that I had never had any perception of before; for truly, my understanding of the scriptures could have never revealed such an incredible story. When the Lord said in Jeremiah 33:3 "Call upon me and I will show you great and mighty things that you do not know"; I had no idea that the Lord was going to show me anything such as that which I just finished testifying of.

Surely, I knew and I believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, as well as for all men, but the reality of what he had done had never really entered my heart until I witnessed these things. I then wept at this reality as his love entered into my heart. He did all these things just to win the opportunity to win my love, as well as the love of all men. I knew from this moment that I would never be the same again, nor would I ever look at my brethren, or any man as I had before; for Jesus had done all of these things for all men. Sadly, it will only become effectual for those who come to know and to believe on him. With one story, my whole perception of who Jesus Christ was/is has changed; for where is religion in this story?

I have come to know the truth of that which Paul spoke of in Ephesians 3:17-19 “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. There is no height, or depth, or width, or length that can be used to measure the love of God; for how can that, the love of God, which has no boundaries or limits be measured? I have seen sin in my own heart that increased so greatly that at one time I thought that it could exceed the love that God had for me. But the Lord proved to me that it was nothing but a lie when he reminded me of that which is written, “that when sin abounds, his grace abounds more”. I was/am a sinner; and I had great pleasure in doing those things that were natural to my flesh and that seemed right in my own eyes; but the Lord won my heart when I proved his love, and saw him open the windows of heaven for me.

As I continued to meditate on these things, the Lord again spoke to me and said, "I have given my all for you, but are you willing to give your all for me?" I answered, "Yes, Lord. What I have, I freely offer unto you, for I know that what I give unto you, I am going to receive you in return for it. Take all of my life, Lord, so that I might receive all of your life. Amen". At that moment, I became greatly humbled, and ashamed, for I saw clearly that I had been his love that had not trusted him, nor believed his words. I also felt compelled to bow my knee and acknowledge, "Truly Lord, my thoughts are not your thoughts, and neither is my heart your heart. Forgive me, Lord. But Lord, I offer you my thoughts and my heart so that I might receive your thoughts and your heart”.

I thought that I had a great desire to know the truth before, but that desire now paled in comparison to the desire that is now in my heart; for I now know that Jesus is that Spirit of truth that reveals all things unto them who seek for him. I do not know what awaits me, but whatever comes upon me in my walk, I know that the Lord is going to be there with/in me; for he went through so much just to gain the right to win my heart to not be with me in the trials, the temptations, the afflictions, the troubles, and the powers of darkness that I may encounter on my journey with him. I am now willing to let him have mine, regardless of what mine may consist of, so that I might receive his love.

Not long after the Lord revealed these things to me, the spirit of the Lord entered my mind and I understood why the scriptures were filled with so many parables, mysteries, metaphors, proverbs, allegories, and secrets. Simply put, this is how all of the scriptures appear when the word of God is sealed, when our eyes are blinded and we try use our own understanding to interpret these words with. Jesus told his disciples that it was given unto them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and all they had to do was to ask the Lord to open their eyes to see the truth of his words; and it would be done.

When man looks at these scriptures through the eyes of his own natural understanding, it is not possible for him see anything other than parables, or mysteries, or secrets; powerless and lifeless words. But it is not so with those who continually ask for the spiritual understanding and knowledge so that they may “see” the truth of God’s word. I was considering this truth one day when the Lord spoke to me and said, "I did not come to change the law, but I came to change your understanding of my laws. You cannot understand my truth until you can see my words. Is it not written that when one turns to Christ, then shall the veil be removed from his mind and his heart? If you believe that I am the Christ, then turn me I will open your eyes to see the truth of my words”.

Then the Lord confirmed this for me when the Holy Spirit quickened again to me that passage which was written in II Corinthians 3:14-17 "But their minds were blinded, for until this day the same veil remains untaken away in the reading of the old testament, which veil is done away in Christ. For even until this day, when Moses is read, the same veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to Christ, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". How can any man even understand his captivity if he does not understand his liberty? Does not the rescued princess receive liberty from her captivity? The victory has been won, the seals have been removed, but who will ask the Prince to open their eyes so that they may see that which Jesus has won for them, the kingdom and the life of God that that has been hidden from their eyes; for it is in the opening of the eyes that our Prince rescues us from the blindness of darkness.

Have you seen God? Have you seen the life of God? Have you seen the love that he has for you? The victory has been won, and the seals have been removed and the heart of God is ready to be revealed to all those who know him. Do you know his meekness of the care that he has for you? What is that you are waiting on to be rescued from, that which surrounds you or that which compasses your heart? He is coming. Many who are called will not be ready, having no oil in them, but the chosen will be ready, having seen those things that have been unsealed.

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”.

Matthew 11:27 “….And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and he whom the Son reveals the Father to”.

Matthew 22:14 “For many are called but only a few are chosen”

Acts 22:14 “The God of our Fathers has chosen you that you should know his will, and that you would see the just One, and that you should hear his voice”.

I John 3:6 “…whosever sins has “not seen him”, nor known him”

III John 11 “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God, but he that does evil “has not seen God”.

2 comments:

Daniel Yordy said...

Chris,

In reading through this piece, I witnessed to some of the things said; there is much truth here. However, I went away from it with a troubled sense in my spirit. Typically, when I don’t agree with certain things, I ignore them. God did not place me on this earth to “set anyone straight.” More than that, it would be utter presumption to set myself up as one who “knows the truth” above others.

The problem is that as time went on, the troubled sense in my spirit grew. Thus, I am compelled to share out of the questions arising in my heart.

To both Moses and Joshua, the Lord said, “The land the soles of your feet tread upon is yours.”

We understand this metaphor to mean that the extent to which we know the fullness of Christ in this life – that extent of His fullness is ours. I could surmise that there is someone in the body of Christ whose knowledge of the life of Christ inside of him is less than mine. But when I hear that person speak – he is speaking out of Christ as he knows Him. I many know Him more deeply than what is being spoken, but that does not mean that the one speaking does not also know some measure of Christ.

We possess only that land upon which we have tread. We know Christ at the level at which we know Him. That sounds apparent, but it is a truth most Christians miss.

This is one of the burdens that the elect bear quietly in their hearts. They know Him; they see Him as He really is. Yet they cannot share their knowledge of Christ outwardly, because those who know less of Him cannot hear beyond what they know. Knowledge of God comes only by the treading of our feet – from the inside out.

It is always a mistake to imagine that my present knowledge of God is clear and precise – that I know Him truly as He is. Those who are big on “Biblicism” often are caught in that mistake. They imagine that a knowledge of Biblical descriptions of God is a knowledge of God.

Most “descriptions of God” in the Bible are exactly as God said to Moses, “You shall see My backside, but My Face you shall not see.” Thus there is a great tendency to take the pictures and descriptions of God’s backside and use those things to define Him. But the backside of God is all most people can know, yet God fills the Bible with His backside.

Then comes the gospel, and the writer of Hebrews says, “God used to speak to us through (His backside), but now He speaks through His Son who is His express image.”

I share this so far to lay a background for why I am troubled in spirit after reading this account.

While reading this account I see a Jesus I once knew. When I knew Him thus, it was He whom I knew. Yet I do not know Him thus now.

And here is the problem. The brother has placed his own knowledge of Christ in an “ex-cathedra” framework. By “ex-cathedra” I mean this. Since the Lord Jesus caught him up into the heavens and told him all sorts of specific things, that means that it must be Jesus as He really is. Thus – He has spoken, and we all better bring our knowledge of Him under this pronunciation of truth.

No.

God speaks through men. Men are limited and finite; their knowledge of God is limited entirely to their knowledge of God. They cannot speak out of what they do not know.

Daniel Yordy said...

The Jesus who speaks through this brother is limited and confined to the Jesus He knows. In other words, the Jesus speaking is Jesus known and defined by this brother’s limited knowledge of God. Thus we see in it some elements of Christ as He really is, some pointing towards Christ as He is, and a whole lot of the backside of God imposed upon the definitions of Jesus.

In other words, here is the progression of my thoughts. When I read that the Lord caught this brother up into the Spirit and spoke to him, I am impressed. I believe in such experiences. I don’t have them, but I know that many do.

Yet I must pause, because in the past I always miss-defined such experiences. I always imagined that such an experience meant this brother must be closer to God than I. I always imagined that it means this or that person has an “in” with God, has a gifting from God, has an anointing that God has not deigned to grant to me, thus I must see this “speaking” as above my lowly and “at-arm’s-length” (apparently) knowledge of God that God deliberately limits me to.

That describes how I once understood outward anointings and giftings. I do not see them that way anymore.

So, as I read, even though I believe in and am impressed by such experiences with God, I must weigh everything against the revelation of Jesus Christ inside of me.

And that is why my heart weeps the more I read. This is not the Jesus I know.

Please understand; I do not presume to say that it is not the Lord speaking through this brother. The Lord bears our infirmities and shows Himself even through our limitations.

This Jesus does not know that He lives in utter union with me. This Jesus does not know that He took me into Himself from Gethsemane on and carried me inside Himself all through that passage. This Jesus does not know that God reveals Himself through weakness, bearing even His enemies inside Himself, arising from death into life and ascending on high. This Jesus does not know that man is God revealed; that God is known as He really is only through a man laying down His life for His friends.

I could go on and on.

Now, obviously, the Lord Jesus knows these things; it is the brother speaking who does not. The problem is that he does not understand that his sharing of Christ is limited and restricted entirely by his present knowledge of God. He does not understand that he is speaking of the backside of God, that is, God as He is known by men and angels, mixed all up with tiny bit of the Face of God, that is, the revelation of Jesus Christ – we who are just like Him.

I am not suggesting that it was “wrong” to post this article; it most certainly was not. We are drawing near to know the Lord and one thought sparks another. I know the Lord wanted me to express the weeping of my heart into words.

And for any brethren reading this response, do not think my words are a “debate.” Life cannot be debated; He can only be known, intimately and inside of you.

In Him, Daniel Yordy