Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Matthew 19:16

The man came to the Master, asking for Eternal life.  Jesus, the truth, never told any lies, or exaggerated anything, but told Him the honest answer.  He had to sell everything.

We know, of course, the Teacher never was interested in our possessions, per se, but rather, our hearts.  Obviously, the man had issues in his heart, for he valued the treasures of this world above that of the world.  But, these were Jesus’ words, that the man might be perfect.

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Sitting outside a local church, my heart is given to wonder, to probing…

The same people go in, depending on the denomination, with the same bondage a, the same types of meetings, and the same level of emptiness, depending on the “brand”. And, I think to myself, where is the hunger? Where is the need to touch the Lord? To sense His presence and be consumed in His goodness?

I wonder, some, have we thought God right out of the church? Have we settled for less than what He has offered, and I so, why?

I refuse to think that he Gospel age had something we do not. I refuse to believe that some special grace is waiting yet to be released, so that we can be with Him. For 2,000 years, it is finished, and God has given all He needs to and It has been ours since then, to whomever would believe

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I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Luke 13:5

Take an apple, cut it open, and put it on the counter.  Leave it there, say, for a week, or a month, and you will notice something. The apple is no longer the apple you left it as, but it is now destroyed.  Further, there is no repairing that apple to it’s original golden deliciousness.  It is now, if you leave it long enough, brown slime, and food for the bees.

This world, like that apple, is broken like that apple.  And, in fact, it was God that broke it for His own justice at the beginning, when the man fell.

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In the substance of your being do I exist.  In the evidence of who you are, invisible, Eternal, do I find my place.

In the intimate places of my heart, in the secret places of your chambers, you abide, and make me real.

There is no reality found within this life, and there is no truth within its shadows.  The reality, the real, is only you.

 Indeed, the fountain of life is with you. In your light we see light.

Psalm 36:9

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Imagine for a moment that the church made a shift, that it turned a corner, and that instead of holiness being a marginal topic, one that is sometimes talked about, but seldom embraced, imagine that it was suddenly the norm for Christians again to expect holiness in their meetings, in their ministers, and in their people’s daily lives.

What if there was a dramatic shift in the body, only possible by God, of course, so that the whole of mainstream Christianity was revitalized, revived even, so that we had a living, active knowledge of God on a personal basis from God teaching us Himself? Read more…

I just love teaching. Oh, my. I–I–I think it’s wonderful. It gives the basis and settles the church.
And in preaching, now, there’s some people that are preachers. They can pick up the Word with inspiration, and sway It out there in places. That’s watering the Seeds that the teacher has taught. See? Now, you got to put some Seed in first, and then water It. And the watering comes from the preaching of the Word.
There’s a great vast difference between a teacher and a preacher. See? It’s two different gifts of the Spirit altogether, two different gifts. And I humbly say this, but I haven’t a gift of either.

But mine, as of usual, is praying for the sick. That’s what the Lord called me to do. And then, in this time it gives a relaxation of my mind to study on something different, not having Divine healing services, just–just teaching the Word. And oh, we get along pretty good here. We… I remember, you put up with me for a long time, about twelve years around here, on it.

–William Branham, The Seven Church Ages (54-0512 p16-19)

The Bible is clear when it comes to judging the motives of one’s heart out of our own fleshly, soulish pride.

 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Luke 6:37

Unless by the Spirit the Lord reveals the heart of another, the fate of another, or the motives, we must not give way to soulish judgment, wisdom of the flesh, or the like.

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For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Romans 8:14

The ground floor of the church building is the life of the Spirit, that is, being led by Him.

There is no other life, no other functional place of ministry than to be spiritually minded, and any ministry that occurs outside of that will only reproduce after its own kind.  Any other form of church is a hollow, man-made shell, with no lasting fruit nor legacy.

Jesus came and demonstrated the first spirit-led life.  He was cut off from this Earth through the waters of baptism, lived apart and separated in the Spirit realm of the Holy Ghost, and only after His death was he granted brothers.

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Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Isaiah 42:1-6

The eyes of the Lord are perfect, they are whole.  The knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ was perfect upon the Earth.  While it may not need to be said, while he walked upon the Earth, He only walked in perfection while in His flesh.

Consider the woman caught in adultery.  No doubt, she had many sins in her life other than the adultery.  Assuredly, there were underlying factors to this, this led to that, which led to that, which always occurs when someone eventually commits adultery.  It never comes out of thin air, but there is usually a host of other problems that leads one down the wrong road. But, Jesus barely addressed the issue directly, only to tell her to sin no more, lest something worse happen.

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Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

John 5:33-35

Light reveals.  Light illuminates.  Light is righteousness, and darkness is evil.

In all places, the true light that gives light to every man, Jesus Christ, is always a portrait of illumination, but also of righteousness.  It is the voice of Him who is above, who is true light, the Father of Lights.

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For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

The issue of the ages is a sin issue.

It has never been an issue of the knowledge of good versus evil, for that is God’s domain, and we were told to steer clear of it, but it has always been about sin.

From the beginning, it has always been about Life in Obedience.

The law was added due to the increase of transgressions.  God’s standard of right has never changed, but it was added.  It was God’s perfect righteousness.

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