TWO SIDES OF THE COIN

TWO SIDES OF THE COIN

                Isn’t it interesting that two sides of a coin never get to see each other? They stubbornly and persistently stand back to back always facing in opposite directions. If one side of the coin is seeing the sky, then the other side is seeing the ground. If one side is facing east, then the other side is facing west.

                It is sort of that way with liberals and conservatives. Each side cannot share the other’s perspective, for they see life from totally opposite directions. It is amazing to see the whole world divided in such a way as it is today… and of course it is not just two views, but thousands of views and yet in God’s eyes there are only two. There are those that belong to Him, and those that have chosen the fallen king of this world.

                Like never before in history men and nations are being polarized into opposing camps and they can no more see each other’s perspective than can two sides of a coin share the same view.

                In the midst of this dark and chaotic mess, God’s Word shines like a bright homing beacon. Those who hunger for light and for truth find themselves attracted to this light and they stumble over unseen objects until they finally fall at the foot of the cross. There is an old hymn that captures this picture, saying “At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day.”

                To the world that lays in darkness, this light hurts the eyes. It exposes their ways and they flee, but for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness this light is the light of life.

                When Jesus came to this dark world, there were two opposing groups that could not bear His light. Like two sides of the same coin they stood in opposition about everything. Both liberals and conservatives had finally found one thing in common… for even though the Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed about everything, they finally came into agreement on one thing. Both sides agreed that the Light must be extinguished… Jesus must die.

                I propose that in the final move of God, even though millions may come to the light, both the liberals and the conservatives will finally find something that they agree on. God’s Remnant people must die… after all, they are not of this world. They have died to this kingdom and have been born into another and their light hurts the eyes of those who choose darkness. Light, by its very nature exposes the hidden things that go on in the dark and like roaches, they scatter when the light is turned on.

                The final outpouring of the Holy Spirit that brings in the final harvest will be hated and misunderstood by both sides of the coin. Even within the church we see a growing hatred and distrust of those who truly believe God’s Word, who are truly born again and who operate in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians, having rejected the idea that the powers of Pentecost are still at work in the world, join the great crowd of Christians who are abandoning the fundamentals of the Gospel, finding a new security in the global religion of the Beast.

                If we put two and two together we can see this picture forming in the world. Paul talks about the great falling away from the faith that will make way for the antichrist to arise. (2Thess. 2:4) And since they are falling away, that means that they were once believers, but they have rejected the truth and so they are now joining the ranks of the adversary. We can see this in the many denominations and groups that are willingly joining forces with the Pope of Rome for security and unity. And in spite of his many blasphemous statements that even many Catholics can no longer tolerate, these supposedly fundamentalist leaders press on into the coming kingdom of the antichrist.

                In the end, both groups, liberal and conservative will finally agree on one thing… the Remnant people of God must be killed. Their religious facades and agendas will lie broken and exposed for what they really are… manmade and spiritless.

                Jesus spoke of this phenomenon in Mt. 10: 19-22 and even though this statement has proved true throughout Christian history, it will become a global event here in the end of the age. Jesus said:

                “But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak, for it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

                Right there we can see that Jesus is talking about those who are filled with and who operate in and speak by the Holy Spirit. Therefore they are not of those Christians who have denied the gifts of the Spirit and who teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased after the death of the apostles.

                Then Jesus goes on to say: “And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

                So as we continue to put two and two together, we see in Revelation 13, that the antichrist (The Beast) will be given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. And ALL who dwell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

                What a fearsome scenario this is. It doesn’t much fit with our escapist views of the last days, for we have pictured for ourselves a great and sweeping harvest in which millions will throng to the world’s stadiums and the world’s money will be given to the saints and we will all be swept without harm into the kingdom.

                Revelation 12:17  talks about a “remnant of her seed…” Well, who is that seed?

                Genesis 3:15 sets up this great plot by saying: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

                So we trace this seed down through history and we discover that this seed came to us through Israel. And Paul tells us in Galatians 3:16 saying: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to One,” And to your seed,” That is Christ.”

                So this remnant people will be of the seed of Abraham, for Paul says in Galatians 3:29:

                “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring (seed) and heirs according to promise.”

                Next Romans 11 tells us how this happened. He explains to us that through faith in Israel’s Messiah we have been grafted in and so we became partakers of the rich root of the olive tree”… (that is Israel.)             So now in Revelation 12:17 we see that the dragon ( Satan will be enraged with the woman (Israel) and will go off to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

                This identification of God’s Remnant people is so important that it is repeated again in Revelation 14:12. But as we continue to put two and two together we find in Revelation 19:10 that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.

                Isn’t it interesting today that large portions of the church reject the Holy Spirit as being anything more than a figurehead, a name to be invoked at Baptism or in rituals, but studiously avoided as having any active role in the church or in worship or in the manifestations of His gifts?

                And yet, Joel tells us that in the last days God is going to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh and this will result in the gifts of the Spirit being manifested and we shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has been poured out upon us and we shall be His witnesses. Acts1:8

                Likewise it is very sobering to realize that most of the church has also abandoned not only the Spirit of prophecy, but prophecy as well… and because they no longer study Bible prophecy, they have become blinded to the monumental events that are taking place in the world today. And when the unmitigated power of the Holy Spirit is poured out upon God’s Remnant people… the deluded world will think they are doing God a favor in snuffing them out.

                We must be in a constant state of aligning and realigning our lives with Scripture. As prophetic events unfold our understanding of these events keeps on being refined and corrected and our hearts likewise continually focus on the one Seed and upon His Word, for His Word is not some dusty book dug out from some archive or other.

                “The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

                Well, how does a dead book do that? How does it judge between our soul and our spirit? The answer is that the Bible is not a dead book, for the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Word is still alive in us and causing His Word to activate His Spirit in our lives. The Word is literally washing and regenerating us. It is cleansing our temples even as Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem.

                You see that in the sanctuary God has shown us what man really is:  We are a tri-part being made up of body, soul and spirit. When Adam sinned, his spirit died and so Adam and the rest of humanity were left to be controlled by their soul and their body. This is a bad arrangement that always ends up in sin and violence and war and every other horrible thing that we see in this world. But this is also why we must have much more than an intellectual relationship with Jesus. The intellect comes from the soul, but God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth. Our relationship with Jesus is spirit to Spirit and even thou we do not ignore our intellectual understanding of the Word, we also understand that it is those who are led by the Spirit of God that are the sons of God.

                Jesus came to breathe the life of His Spirit into us so that we would once again become spirit controlled beings. So the Bible, having also been infused with the living Spirit of God, is able to discern between our soul and our spirit and the big question for every so called Christian is this: ”Are we now being led by the Spirit or are we still being controlled by the soul and the flesh?

                Redemption is all about man being restored to a Spirit filled spirit being, that lives in a body, with a soul  that has determined by God’s grace to live by His spirit rather than by His flesh. This is why Romans 8 is such a kingpin in scripture. There we find out that it is only those that are led by the Spirit of God that are actually true Christians, for as Romans 8:14 tells us: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” And 1 Cor. 6:19 informs us that our body has become a temple of the Holy Spirit.

                So we can conclude that a true Christian is one in whom his spirit has been made alive by the Spirit of God so that now he lives by that spirit and not by His flesh. He is a new spirit led Spirit filled creature… a new species… a redeemed creature that once again houses a living spirit that is empowered by the Spirit of God and as such, the living Word of God actually imparts life to Him and works as a sort of self-correcting software to make sure that the connection remains pure and undefiled.

                How many Christians are actually living in this state where an active interplay is going on between soul and spirit, the living Word and the Holy Spirit so that the person is growing up into the image of Christ? How many are being daily transformed by the renewing of their minds in Christ Jesus. How many are actually engaged in this ongoing transformation into His image from glory to glory? Is there any fit substitute for this living relationship through the Holy Spirit? Will a set of doctrines, or traditions or creeds be able to replace what is the true new birth?

                How many understand that it is by the Word, as enlightened and made alive by the Holy Spirit, and prayer that we are being prepared to enter within the veil into the very presence of God? How many of us actually dwell in this secret place of the Most High. How many of us have actually come out of Egypt to feed on nothing but the Manna and to drink only from the Rock?

                Those who are learning to live by the Spirit, are the sons and daughters of God in the making and the closer we come to His image the more the world, both liberals and conservatives who agree on almost nothing will final agree on one issue. The Remnant must be killed.

                Everyone whose name has not been written in the Lamb’s book of life from the foundation of the world will worship the Beast and being inspired by the dragon they will go off to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep the commandments of God. The Remnant does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and they hold to the testimony of Jesus and they live by the Holy Spirit and they are growing daily in their understanding of prophecy for the Spirit that indwells them is the Spirit of prophecy.

                And what is the purpose of it all?

                For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30.

                Don’t lose sight of your high calling today my friends. And don’t be surprised if the whole world turns against you. They rejected Jesus… they will also reject those who are being made into His image.

                Neither should we hide our light under a bushel, for in “Christ we are the light of the world. Even though we may draw the hatred of the world to us, we will also draw many hungry and thirsty souls to the foot of the cross where they too can find the light. It is Christ in us that will draw them… for the darker the darkness of the world becomes the brighter will be the light in those who have become temples of the Holy Spirit.

                Jesus demonstrated for us that neither being a liberal or a conservative, Pharisee or Sadducee was what He was looking for, but those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth… for He came into this world to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire.