Servias Ministries Blog

Kemper wrote:

In Genesis 1:26 it states; And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that crept upon the earth. Let it be considered, is God mortal or corruptible? No, God is the Existing One, He has no beginning or end and He cannot lie. He is immortal and incorruptible. Was Adam, even before his fall, immortal or incorruptible? No, or else he wouldn’t have fallen and become subject to death and corruption. Did Adam exercise  dominion over the serpent? No, but the image of God would have and not fell from his first estate. So maybe Adam, although created upright, wasn’t the man God was referring to as the “image of God.” At least not yet. For man to be the image of God he would have to become incorruptible and immortal. So even as heaven and earth existed as an image produced from the intent of God before overcoming its formless and void state by His Word, the image that God intends man to become still exists within the foreknowledge of God until the completed work of His Word in man reveals that predetermined image.

The Father’s Word (Jesus) was sent not only to restore man to his Creator but also to wrought within him that image the Father has ordained him to become. God’s Word, functioning as a sword, both severs man’s heart from that which does not conform to such foreknowledge and pierces it for the implanting of the nature of Christ, Who is the express image of God (Hebrews 1:3). For the Word of God is also the incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23) that contains His nature. Even as 2 Peter 1:4 states; Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (God’s Word): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. His Word contains His divine nature and circumcises the heart, removing the lusts of this world and giving us hope of things to come.

God’s Acceptable Will

Creation through Adam was subjected to vanity (Romans 8:20), who being confronted with the tree of knowledge of good and evil was given the command not to eat of it lest he die. This dilemma, presented to Adam by the Almighty, instigated his will and introduced an avenue for either truth or corruption to be conceived. Without the commandment Adam wouldn’t have a free will and without a free will man couldn’t become the image of God. With his will, man became a sovereign steward over his intents, thoughts, words and deeds. Instead of agreeing with the will of God, he chose to pursue the establishment of his own way refusing to obey and conceive the incorruptible seed (God’s Word, the seed to sonship).

This introduction to the commandment, exercising man’s will, was the beginning of what is called God’s “acceptable will.” Although man exercised his will in a manner contrary to the will of God, God honored and allowed it as being acceptable until He could work His perfect will. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly (not by man’s will but God’s), but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope (Romans 8:20). God’s hope and purpose in doing this was for man to overcome sin and death by and through Christ, thus becoming the incorruptible and immortal Image of God.

Paul refers to this purpose in 2Timothy 1:9, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. In Genesis 1:31, God beheld everything that He had made and acknowledged it as very good. Yet, His creation would have to be subjected to a time of proving to become His perfected and incorruptible creation. This period of proving is referred to by Paul in Romans 12:2 as God’s acceptable will; And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The manifestation of God’s creation is His good will, but it must survive His acceptable will before its proven to be His perfect will. God’s good will created man as a living soul. Yet, God’s perfect will is for man to become a begotten son of God, Who is a life giving spirit (1  Corinthians 15:45). During God’s acceptable will, sin and death is to be overcome through Christ and His cross. During this age, God has consented to the will of man and given him over to the pursuit of his own desires. Even as Proverbs 1:31 states, Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. As a result, man experiences afflictions, trials, temptations, and tribulations which are produced by his disobedience to the Truth which is God’s will. Even as the Spirit says in Jeremiah 2:19, Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know  therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

The Fire of Truth

Even while abiding in the obedience to God’s Word we still have loved ones, acquaintances, friends and enemies that continue to stir up the waters of chaos, wherein is found the opportunity to exercise our faith, and mature our Christ-given nature. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7). This agitation is necessary to remove that which doesn’t conform to Christ and to exercise that which does.  The Truth is the standard that remains incorruptible and undefiled.

Like fire, the truth purifies what it touches. For, By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6). For anything to exist it must be tried in the fire of Truth. Man’s way is contrary to the truth and is therefore destroyed upon exposure to it. This visitation with the truth is a cleansing wherein the unlearned fear but the wise embrace. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you (1 Peter 1:12). For, ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). The fiery trial is a result of the visitation the truth has with our deception. Without it there would be no correction.

Kemper wrote:

The Pursuit of Perdition

Man’s unwillingness to acknowledging God as his creator begins the pursuit of his own way. Man’s way is rooted in self-preservation, placing him on a path of destruction. Proverbs 1:29-31states, For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Paul confirms this scripture in Romans 1:26-28; For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.

In Romans 1:20 Paul says man is without excuse. The Father with His Word and His Spirit has created heaven and earth with all their host, including man. If man refuses to acknowledge His maker against such obvious evidence there is nothing else available in this physical realm to convert him to pursue the truth.  With each denial of the Spirit’s conviction, man’s heart becomes increasingly hardened to the knowledge of the truth. “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of Truth) shall not be forgiven unto men” (Matthew 12:31).

When the Spirit of truth is rejected by man he is left to rely on the spirit of this world. If the truth is not received the only alternative are lies. This denial of the truth begins the development of the son of perdition. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Love of the Truth

The “love of the truth” is the primary ignition source of spiritual awareness. The love of the truth begins one’s own relationship with the Father, the Origin of Truth. Remember Jesus is the way the TRUTH and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Him. Those that try to develop a relationship with God without first having a love of the truth, rely on other men and institutions to satisfy their sense of fellowship. Man’s religion and traditions provide no life. Institutions such as religion and church traditions are only legitimate if they hold the believer accountable for their own spiritual relationship with Christ Jesus and refrain from being a replacement for such. They should be useful in providing direction to the source without being the source.

The Apostle John put it this way in 1 John 2:27, But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Hear what the Spirit is saying through John. You shall abide in Christ EVEN AS you are taught by the anointing (the Spirit) IN you. If you’re not being taught by the Spirit from within you’re not abiding in Christ. Moreover, in John 16:13, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Men of God can be used as resources of revelation for the body of Christ, but the Holy Spirit is the discerner that bears witness to any truth from such. The love for the truth is the love for the Lord. This is what Jesus recognized in Mary when she had left Martha to serve alone. Martha complained… “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

The truth is the “one thing” Mary chose, the standard by which all things are measured. The truth abides alone. There is no alternative to it and it does not change. Our perception of it might change, but the truth doesn’t. It has no rivals. There is no need to defend it. “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8).

Truth welcomes trials of its integrity and attacks upon its unity, for its desire is to be verified within the heart of those who love it.  The lover of truth is the elect of God, whom is referred to in Matthew 24:24, For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. This reveals that those who are not the elect will be deceived, and if you are not deceived, you are the elect. The lover of truth welcomes alternative perspectives in the hope of verifying what is known and possibly revealing anything amiss. The truth is a standard without which the world will not be judged, condemned or destroyed. Truth must be present for lies to cower and darkness to scatter. Truth is the fire of God, it destroys all that doesn’t correspond to the Word of the Father’s intent.

God’s intent is love, for God is love. To walk in truth one must walk in love. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32).

The acknowledgment of God as creator is the first step in walking in truth. Acknowledging God is referred to as “the fear of the Lord” in scripture. This first step is recorded in Proverbs 9:10, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Unfortunately many have stumbled at this first step and initiated the pursuit of their own way of which leads to destruction. On the other hand, those who acknowledge God have taken their first step in subjecting themselves to the work of the Holy Spirit conforming them to the image the Father intended them to become.

Kemper wrote:

The Trinity of the Godhead

God’s creation introduces this invisible God (Colossians 1:15) to us.  Paul tells us in Romans 1:20; “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” The source of His eternal power is His integrity, and the “Godhead” refers to Jehovah’s intent being manifested through the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As the Father, Jehovah’s intent imagined creation, as the Son (God’s Word) He defined and communicated it, and as the Holy Spirit He glorified His intent by bringing creation into manifestation.

Jehovah expresses Himself as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit within Their three diverse functions. These are referred to in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. There is the gift, administration and the operation but its all done by, through and because of Jehovah’s intent of Love.

The Godhead consisting of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is similar in concept to a thought, word and deed. The Father would be considered the thought, the Son the word and the Spirit the deed. An intent is imagined within a thought and is communicated through its word and is manifested by its deed. Each component, whether its a thought, word or deed, contains the complete intent of the initiator. The deed is the fulfillment of the word which is the description of a thought initiated with an intent. Even so it is with the Godhead. The thought originates from the Father which is defined by the Son and is manifested by the Holy Spirit, all fulfilling God’s intent. In fact, His intent is who He is, God is a Spirit (John 4:24) manifesting Himself in Life, Love and Light.

The gift of the Holy Spirit testifies of the Son who said, “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26). The administration of the Son reveals the Father; “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him” (John 14:7). The operation of it all originates from the Father, who is the husbandman, of which the fruit returns to in thanksgiving; And when all things shall be subdued unto him (the Son), then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). Though the Son submits to the Father (for the Son is of the Father) He is the fullness of the Father being saturated with His nature. The nature is the intent of Jehovah expressed through the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Therein creation was made by God from that which existed not, until it existed as an image or thought of His intent. Then it was formed by His Word and manifested by His Spirit fulfilling His purpose.

Seven Amazing Days

According to Genesis, creation was completed within seven days. This timeframe seems so ridiculous and contrary to our current radiocarbon dating it requires an explanation. Thankfully scripture has not forsaken us, but has provided clues of such; In Genesis 1:3-5 it states, And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The first day God did not established light, but RATHER God’s creation of light established the first day. For the light came into being before it was called a Day. In Ephesians 5:13 Paul tells us; “for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.” Therefore the manifestation of God’s spoken intent is light and “God called the light Day.” So no matter how long it took for His Word to become manifest as a physical expression of His intent, that manifestation was regarded as a day.  Even if each one of those seven manifestations (seven days) took only a few hours, or a thousand years or even millions of years, it doesn’t matter. What matters is God called each of those manifestations a “day” because the manifestation of God’s intent is light and God called the light day.  So then, the “day” was the manifestation of God’s spoken intent rather than the period of time it took for it to manifest. Moreover the sun, moon and the stars which were created to measure time were made on the fourth day. The universe can be trillions of years old, but in God’s mind it took seven days to create because there was seven manifestations pertaining to creation.

Acknowledging Truth

Regardless of these explanations, the fact is, creation exists. It is a work of God. Jesus said in John 14:11, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” Creation is God introducing Himself to us. Therefore creation, being the work of the Father through His Son Jesus Christ and brought into manifestation by the power of the Holy Spirit, testifies of the glory of the Godhead.  When Moses asked to see the glory of God, God showed him His backside. This was the LORD revealing Himself to Moses in creation.  For God was showing Moses His past accomplishments which were the seven days of creation. Moses recorded this revelation in Genesis for us to read that we might participate in the same fellowship the Father had with him (1 John 1:3).

The existence of creation is undeniable evidence of our Creator.  Creation is sustained by it’s acknowledgement of God and His Word.  As Hebrews 1:3 plainly affirms Christ is “upholding all things by the word of his power.” Creation was not self-created and the universe is not God. If that was so, it would not have a beginning nor a creator.  Such an idea denies the very source of life that sustains it, which is God and His intent.

The only member of this harmonious existence, called creation, that is gullible enough to attempt to establish such a claim is man. Man who was entrusted with the stewardship of the earth has subjected it to corruption because of such a mindset. What God has created He blessed and when man chose to function outside of God’s principles he wandered outside of that blessing and into something that is unsustainable. This failure to conform to the truth leaves outer darkness, chaos and nonexistence as the only alternatives. The Apostle Paul gives a short summary of man’s denial of his Creator in Romans 1:18-25;

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

My friend Kemper wrote:

Our experience with God begins with Him revealing to us some fundamental truths as an anchor to our understanding. God’s intent is for us to know Him that we may have a relationship with Him and with each other. John wrote of this in 1 John 1:3-4, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. With this in mind God begins His fellowship with us by recording in Genesis 1:1; In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The creation of heaven and earth was not only created in the beginning, the creation of heaven and earth was the beginning. Since there was a beginning, there must have been an initiator of it. Therefore, verse one of Genesis tributes that initiator as God who created creation.

As Genesis continues it appears that verse two should have preceded verse one for it states; And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. It is hard to imagine that the Lord would be the origin for such chaos. Yet it plainly says that God created the heaven and earth which was formless and void. However, it should be concluded that creation was created and existed as a thought or imagination of God’s intent and remained formless and void until God formed it with His words and filled it with His purpose. Creation was created and complete within the Almighty God before he spoke His word.

Something From Nothing

Although creation was formless and void and not yet manifested in a physical state, it was considered created. This principle of creation is important to understand. By faith, creation came into existence as an imagination of God’s intent and by faith He was inspired to speak it into the manifestation of a physical state with His word. The Apostle Paul in Romans 4:17 records that God, “calleth those things which be not as though they were.” This means that creation was created out of nothing, because that is what “be not” is. God spoke into existence that which did not exist. If creation wasn’t  created from nothing it would not have a beginning, nor would it be considered created, but rather invented (or altered) from an existing substance.

Creation remained hidden within God until He revealed it by His word. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (Hebrews 11:3). So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). God declared “that which was not” into existence, manifesting His intended design by His word, being empowered with the integrity of His nature. God, who cannot lie, spoke the truth, but truth is only truth because God spoke it. Even as Proverbs 16:10 states; “A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.”

The existence of the truth is founded on the integrity of God. Therefore creation’s physical existence is solely founded on its adherence to His word of truth. There is no other principle available for it to be upheld. Genesis 1:2 continues, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. The “face of the waters” which the Spirit of God moved upon, was the surface of God’s deep well of wisdom from which were drawn His creative word. We find in Proverbs 18:4; The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook, also in Proverbs 20:5; Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. Even as man is affirmed to have such a well, so does God whose likeness he was made. The Holy Spirit moved upon the face of these deep waters of God’s wisdom and brought forth His instruction and counsel in words that illustrated God’s purpose. These words framed the world creating elements and principles for it to abide by.

God’s Word Is His Son

God’s Word, being full of His intent, was begotten of the Father in the person of His Son, whom John tributes the creation of all things; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3). Ephesians 3:9 also confirms that God created all things by Jesus Christ. The Son, which is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18), has the same intent as His Father. For He was abiding within the Father before creation’s conception and was entrusted with its formation upon being sent of His Father. This intent of the Father is His Life and His intent abides within His Son (the Word of God). When man corresponds to the Father’s intent he enters into eternal life. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:11). For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). The Father has life in Himself because He is “life,” the “I am that I am,” with no beginning and no end. He exists and therefore that which He creates exists. His life is in His Word which sustains those that obey and abide in it. Outside of His Word is not life but death, for there is no source of sustenance outside of God and His plan.

— To be continued —

James wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 4:

6  But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”

7   So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.

8   Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].

9   Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom.

10  Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].  AMPL

When we finally come to the realization that the only one we can totally trust with our life and future is Our Heavenly Father, we will draw closer to HIM and submit to HIS Ways.  Until then, we will be unable to fill the void in our hearts and will attempt to fill it with all the wrong things.  More money, houses, cars, technology, and other “toys” will not fulfill our quest for Love and peace in our lives.  Those without Love and peace will try to force their path on us in an attempt to validate their own direction.  The final result is that both parties walk in misery together.

As we draw closer to FATHER, the world’s priorities fall away into oblivion.  A sure sign of drawing close to FATHER is realized when our priorities begin to change.  It is written by THE SPIRIT in Ecclesiastes chapter 2:

1  I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure and gratification; so enjoy yourself and have a good time.” But behold, this too was vanity (futility, meaninglessness).

2  I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

3  I explored with my mind how to gratify myself with wine while [at the same time] having my mind remain steady and guide me wisely; and how to take control of foolishness, until I could see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

4  I made great works: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

5  I made gardens and orchards for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

6  I made pools of water for myself from which to water the forest and make the trees bud.

7  I bought male and female slaves and had slaves born in my house. I also possessed herds and flocks larger than any who preceded me in Jerusalem.

8  Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male singers and female singers, and the delights and pleasures of men— many concubines.

9  So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

10  Whatever my eyes looked at with desire I did not refuse them. I did not withhold from my heart any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor; and this was my reward for all my labor.

11  Then I considered all which my hands had done and labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and chasing after the wind and there was no profit (nothing of lasting value) under the sun.

Solomon was the epitome of one who had everything the world had to offer yet in the end, it was all vanity and of no lasting profit.  Only a close relationship with FATHER is everlasting and we should never lose that focus as we walk out each day.  The trappings of the world will end up chasing the wind into nothingness.  Love is never-ending.

We are all going through a maturing process in order that each of us may also be a light unto the world.  FATHER will continue to minister to us by HIS SPIRIT until HIS Presence is fully illuminated within us and then we will be without blemish.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Ephesians chapter 4:

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Are we to sit around being silent when doctrines, trickery, craftiness, or deceitful plotting attempts to derail us?  No, we are to speak the Truth in Love.  We must walk in Love and we must know the Truth in order to handle those people who would try to toss us around like children in order to satisfy their own agendas.  The Truth is what sets us free from such deceit and trickery.  We must not allow ourselves to live in constant turmoil due to the acts and words of others.  If we do not address those attempts to control us, we will become exhausted by our attempt to tread water while their agenda continues to negatively impact our growth.

It is our responsibility to identify those who would try to stunt our growth, for we are individually accountable to FATHER for our actions or lack thereof.  These challenges will come as we go through the maturing process thus we must prepare ourselves for such events where others will try to control and manipulate us.  Otherwise, we will continue to be in bondage to their agenda.  Paul continues by THE SPIRIT and describes those who would confront us:

17  So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls],

18  for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart.

19  And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].  AMPL

Unbelievers live according to the futility of their minds and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls.  They are desperate to rise up to a “counterfeit” god-like existence, separate from the true and living LORD GOD ALMIGHTY but are unable to fulfill that void.  We must not succumb to their attempts to subjugate us to their futility.  Our silence will not set them free, only the Truth spoken in Love will pierce their souls.

The Beloved Disciple wrote in The Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 18:

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.

23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorceries all the nations were deceived.”

Brother Eby also wrote:

             It is significant to note that in all the previous 65 books of the Bible the words “sorcerer,” “sorcery,” and “sorceries” are translated from words denoting magic, witchcraft, or wizardry which were arts as ancient and established in human civilization as have been the true workings of God.  As far back as the time of Moses and the kingdom of Egypt we see the experts in the magic arts were able to keep up with the supernatural workings of the Lord before the Pharaoh — rather convincingly up to a point.  Of course, as with all counterfeits, they inevitably are exposed sooner or later.  Though some are outright frauds, fakes, and phonies, with others their power is often very real — divination through the assistance of evil spirits, black magic, enchantment, witchcraft.

Only in the book of Revelation does the reference to magic arts or sorcery take on an entirely new meaning!  The word used throughout the book of Revelation is an altogether different Greek word than is used anywhere else in scripture.  In Revelation 21:8 it is pharmakeus and in Revelation 22:15 it becomes pharmakos.  Then in Revelation 9:21 and here in our text the word is pharmakeia.  Obviously the prefix “pharma” reveals that the meaning of the word has something to do with drugs, as in the words “pharmaceutical,” “pharmacy,” and “pharmacist.”  No other place in scripture, but in the book of Revelation, is the idea of “sorcery” associated with drugs!  The three Greek words listed above are simply different forms of the same word denoting drugs and druggists.  It identifies deadly poisons and those who either make or sell those deadly poisons.  That is just what the words mean, nothing else.  In the Greek language a Pharmacist is, therefore, a Sorcerer, a maker or a dealer, a vendor or a user of deadly poisons sometimes administered as medicines.  Legal or illegal, in many cases they destroy the brain and other vital organs and systems, madden the user, and weaken and ruin the spirits, souls, and bodies of the countless millions who use them.  If you doubt that practically all drugs are dangerous, deadly poisons that are, even at best, destructive to human life, just listen to the plethora of warnings and side effects at the end of most pharmaceutical ads on television!  Oftentimes more seconds are spent on the warnings and side effects of the drug than on the actual promotional and beneficent content of the ad!   That is the actual meaning of the words “Sorcerers” and “sorceries” in the book of Revelation.  As a matter of scholarship it cannot be contested.

             The purpose of this message is not to attack drugs, medicines, or pharmacists.  Let us keep our minds in the Spirit!  Again I remind every reader of these lines that the Revelation is a spiritual book, and its realities are spiritual realities!  No one knew better than the beloved John what, in its spiritual meaning, “drugs” signifies!  The message is clear — it signifies the doctrines and teachings of religious Babylon which dull the spiritual senses  of the Lord’s people and are destructive to true spiritual life, giving them a false hope, a mis-directed goal, and causing them to live by religious superstitions, myths, traditions, legends, and folklore.  Doctrines about the power of the devil, financial prosperity, the rapture, so-called end-time events, the antichrist, the great tribulation, a mansion over the hilltop, along with holidays, rituals, ceremonies, sacraments, and a hundred more delusions drug God’s people into a spiritually hallucinogenic state.  They live in a false, starry-eyed fairy-world of soulical imaginations which they suppose to be spiritual realities!  Pleasure!  Fun!  Thrills!  Excitement! are the result of a cunning spirit that saturates the church systems as they run after the “high” of soulical programs, concerts, fleshly manifestations, emotionally stirring singing, entertaining preaching — the same as any drug user in the world.  God says that all nations are deceived by the “sorceries” or the “spiritual drugging” of Mystery Babylon! 

             The people are drugged to sleep by the word of Babylon simply because the true word and the true ministries of God ARE FOUND AND HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN HER!  They have nothing of life to offer, no reality to meet your deepest need, so they give you a drugged  word to induce either a deep spiritual stupor or a fleshly, emotional high which keeps you ignorant of the real, eternal values.  You are so drugged out of your mind that you’re not aware of the lack, of what’s missing.  It’s a numbing effect, you’re in a hypnotic trance, an illusory world of imagination, unreality, and make-believe, as they “soothsay” you, casting over you their spell, bringing you under their control so that you listen to their voice and blindly obey.    

             There are not many people who are sufficiently awake to believe it, but at this very moment hundreds of millions of church goers of every sect and creed are walking and talking and acting under the delusions of Babylon’s drugs.  They are filled with false doctrines, false hopes, false expectations, false understandings, false interpretations, false forms of  worship, and though they profess to be Christians, they would not know the real Christ if they met Him on the street.  They are so “high” on their mixed potion that they giddily imagine that they are going to be caught up in the sky where they will sit on a cloud with Jesus eating pork chops, or some such foolishness,  at the marriage supper of the Lamb, while the inhabitants of earth suffer the excruciating pangs of “great tribulation” under the rule of a superman dictator called “the Antichrist.”

– End Quote –

In the mid-1970’s FATHER told me to start playing bass guitar in the small church we were attending.  I told HIM that I no longer had a guitar since I sold it immediately after I was baptized in The Holy Spirit six years prior… it represented my former life.  I had played in a somewhat successful rock band and quit once I was baptized for my nature had changed and I totally lost interest.  At any rate, I told the pastor what FATHER said to me and we privately prayed that FATHER would provide.  Forty-five minutes later, a man approached the pastor and said, “GOD told me to give this church my bass guitar, do you need one?”  I began playing the next Sunday.

A group from that congregation expanded to a location about 25 miles away and we were led to go with them.  I continued playing.  FATHER anointed me to give messages in Tongues to that congregation and I faithfully submitted to HIS anointing.  We received hundreds of messages in Tongues and interpretation over the years I attended.  All were timely and appropriate.  This ended when FATHER instructed me to depart on August 31st, 1996.  I had received the revelation of “the Sons of GOD” and had shared with those who had ears to hear in my young married couples Sunday school class, but the pastor was not on board.  He did not want his control challenged or diluted by others with revelation.  He ultimately left the ministry and sold the building.  After 20 years, I was released from playing bass guitar in “church” services.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in The Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 18:

22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.

23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

Brother Eby wrote:

             Two thousand years ago the firstborn Son of God declared, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Mat. 11:13 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”).  God spoke to an age through the law and the prophets who gave the word of God to Israel until John the Baptist came on the scene preaching repentance and the kingdom of God.  This means that the prophets and the law revealed God’s will for that age and were in effect until John showed up in the wilderness and began his ministry.  The Lord ended the previous age by removing His blessing, presence, and authority from that previous order, and then spoke a new order into existence purely by His word.  And by a similar unrecognized word of authority, Father shall conclude this age of the perfection of the bride of the Lamb, and the formation of His body of sons, and inaugurate the new age of the manifestation of the sons of God on earth (Rom. 8:18-30). 

When the Lord changed the order two thousand years ago, did He send a mighty cataclysmic upheaval and judgment to instantly eliminate the Old Covenant priesthood, laws, rituals, sacrifices, feast days, synagogues, temple, and religious forms?  Did He quickly move to completely wipe them out and abolish it all from the face of the earth?  No — not at all!  Remnants of the old Jewish order remain in the earth to this day as an abiding and unimpeachable testimony to the blindness and emptiness of unanointed, uninspired, unspiritual religion!  God removed every vestige and particle of His presence, unction, power, activity, and glory from that passing order and there is no spiritual or religious death more stark, barren, grim, empty, and desolate in any religious system of earth today than in Judaism!  Ichabod — the glory has departed!

            When Father changes the order in this day, replacing the old church order with His manifest sons, kings and priests after the Order of Melchizedek, will He then immediately eliminate and obliterate off the face of the earth the old Catholic order, the Baptist order, the Methodist order, the Lutheran order, the Episcopalian order, the Presbyterian order, the Mennonite order, the Pentecostal order, the Charismatic order, the Word of Faith order, and all the other church orders of man?  Not by any means!  They will perish in due time, sinking into the sea of oblivion, but first He will simply remove what is left of His blessing, presence, anointing, working, and authority from that order! 

It will be just as the heavenly messenger announced to John: “Rejoice over her (Babylon), ye heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her…and the voice of harpers and musicians (spiritual praise and worship), and the voice of pipers (prophecy and prophets), and trumpeters (announcers of new truths and purposes in God), SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE; and no craftsman (spiritual ministry), of what ever craft (gifting, ministry) he be, SHALL BE FOUND ANY MORE IN THEE;  and the sound of a millstone (grinding flour for bread — the living word of God) SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE; and the  light of a candle (the little light left in Babylon) SHALL SHINE NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE; and the voice of the Bridegroom (Christ the Head) and of the bride (the true church, God’s remnant) SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE…” 

-End Quote-

In looking back to the time when FATHER separated my wife and I from the “previous order”, she was the first to sense the emptiness associated with being “unanointed, uninspired, and unspiritual”.  Her sensitive spirit has always been a barometer for us.  I was getting frustrated because we had experienced FATHER’S blessing, presence, and authority in the meetings of the 70’s and early 80’s.  Finally, FATHER spoke to me to depart and we were at peace in our departure.  Later, HE revealed the “why” of our departure of which I am grateful.

Selah!

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Romans chapter 12:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Renewing our mind takes time and commitment.  We must purpose to gain understanding when we read The Word and seek out the various facets contained in each topic given to us for instruction.  In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus likened The Word to a seed:

23 “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Contained in this parable is an unqualified expectation of producing good fruit, but the key to this fruit is understanding.  Understanding The Word causes our thinking to change and that is the transformation we should be seeking.  If you casually pursue The Word, your transformation will take longer and you will simply produce less good fruit.  If you maintain a consistent, daily focus on renewing your mind, you will reap a greater harvest.

I believe that if a person spends more time in the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant, their thinking will move toward the attributes associated with the Law and that will be the fruit produced in their lives.  They will be more legalistic and be “conditional works” oriented.  They must go out and do things in order to get FATHER to respond.  On the other hand, Agape Love initiates actions to benefit mankind and we see this in John chapter 3 when the Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT:

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Did the Sadducees and the Pharisees pray for this to occur?  No, they didn’t even recognize Our Lord and Savior when He was standing in their midst.  FATHER initiated the act of Love in spite of the blindness of those who were teaching the masses.  Jesus began planting The Word in the earth and those seeds continue to this day, producing good fruit in spite of all the attempts to remove It by the enemy of Christ.

I believe these daily writing are to assist us in the transformation of our minds.  I also believe that the best writings are those which have the Divine Intent of Love as the motivation.  Otherwise, the legalistic aspects of the Old Testament will tend to creep in and promote faith and works without the intent of Love.  Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Galatians chapter 5:

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

The bondage of the Law required circumcision to be acceptable, but  Christ removed the yoke of bondage.  Paul further states:

5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

You can either be law-oriented or Love-oriented, but it will be determined by where you place your emphasis and what teachers you listen to in your pursuit of renewing your mind.  I choose to renew my mind in the areas associated with Agape Love.  Love contains the greatest power to transform.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Hebrews chapter 10:

24  and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds,

25 not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

I encourage us all to do at least three acts of good deeds each day, no matter how small.  These deeds should be motivated by Agape Love and are meant to be a blessing to the recipient and with no conditions attached.  Those who took my journaling serious could add those three or more acts to their daily journal.

James wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 2:

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does It profit?

17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Faith worketh by Love and if we don’t have works to confirm our faith, then is our Love truly genuine?  It is all about intent.  If this encouragement spreads, before long we could see division turn into fellowship.