HEBREW 6:1

 Hebrews 6:1 contains in only a few words a great message.  “Therefore, let us set aside, without forgetting them, the basic principles or the elementary doctrines of a babe in Christ, and go forward into maturity and not retreat backward into the works of darkness requiring again repentance from those dead works and rebuilding faith to GOD.”   Hebrews 6:2  “these being instructions about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and everlasting judgment. We can do this if GOD permits.” 

In the years since we received the Holy Spirit of the FATHER we have grown in HIS spirit, the Elijah spirit that guides us into all truth. John 16:13  This spirit of the FATHER will restore all things to us, the truth lost to the carnal world.  Matthew 17:11  If this did not take place GOD would destroy the Earth. Malachi 4:6   The first Elijah was the Tishbite, the second Elijah was John the Baptist who prepared a people for the first advent of Christ and the final Elijah to prepare a people for the second advent of Christ.  Neither of the first two Elijah’s restored the truth of GOD to the church over the centuries since it was perverted by Satans  churches.  The first two Elijah’s were empowered by the last Elijah, the spirit of GOD and the last Elijah is the spirit of GOD.  Notice it says, “HE shall restore all things” this means the truth was lost over the centuries since Jesus and the Apostles preached it.  In each generation since in the seven churches listed in Revelation the spirit of this Elijah was working but was not always as successful in all of them.  There have been chosen and elected saints from all the time after Christ in these seven churches.  There has always been a few in every generation because the gates of hell would never prevail over the church. Matthew 16:18  In the end time there will be two churches of GOD coexisting but separated because the Laodiceans have become lukewarm but the Philadelphians are true and faithful to their election.  GOD set an open door before the Philadelphians, a door to truth in doctrines and guidance by the spirit of the FATHER. The only one who can open or close this door is the FATHER.  None of GODS elect saints should become so involved with this world to seek its pleasures or riches as the Laodiceans have but keep themselves unspotted from all this and remain in GOD and Christ.  This is why it is important to listen to Hebrews 6:1-2 and not remain a babe but rather become a mature saint growing in the spirit.  The carnal world teaches a gospel about the person of Jesus but is ignorant of his gospel and part of the proof of that ignorance is their belief that Jesus is GOD, the second person of a trinity.  We saints are not of this world just as Jesus was not of this world.  The Laodiceans knew these things but the allure of the world seduced them and now in order for them to be in the kingdom they must suffer martyrdom.  

Combine this article about growing in the spirit with the previous article about spiritual warfare to acquire a firm grasp of what our spiritual condition should be.  Jesus said, “He who has ears let him hear”, the spirit says to us, “He who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.”  

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

 The scriptures describe our struggles against our sins as warfare. This warfare does not involve fleshly weapons but are of the power of GOD and are capable of destroying sins stronghold over us. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5  The goal is to take captive our evil thoughts and destroying them and all remaining thoughts are obedient to GOD.  

Our warfare is not against the Satanic human puppets of this world but against their puppeteers, the rulers of darkness in this world.  We wrestle against these spiritual forces of wickedness with the spiritual armor of GOD.  This armor is GODS truth, GODS righteousness, the gospel of peace and the gift from GOD of our faith that we can know Satans devices, realize when his evil thoughts come into our minds and extinguish his flaming arrows before we are enticed by them which is sin. We stand our ground with the hope of our salvation promised to us in the word of GOD.    Ephesians 6:10-17  James 1:2-3,12   James 1:13-15   GOD does not tempt us, Satan is the tempter.  Satan knows our weaknesses and GOD uses Satan as a tool to bring out these weaknesses so that we are forced to deal with them using all the weapons of spiritual warfare that our FATHER has given us. GOD ALMIGHTY, is purging our human spirits of sin.  This is the spirits of justified humans being made perfect. Hebrews 12:23 

The ancient holy days of unleavened bread symbolized this process in the physical act of removing yeast or leaven from the Israelites homes. The lesson the Israelites were to learn was that cannot deleaven themselves but in ignorance remained in the unleavened bread of malice and wickedness while casting out the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  1 Corinthians 5:8  Remember, leaven is a symbol for spirit, good or evil.  The saints fulfill these days by casting out Satans leaven , 2 Corinthians 5:7 , and becoming a new lump, that first measure of meal leavened by the woman, Matthew 13:33   

Our trials and tribulations we experience is us fulfilling the symbolism of the days of unleavened bread .  Rather than being depressed or anxious about this we should rejoice as James told us because we know GOD is in us working in us to overcome.  We will contend with sin and engage in spiritual battles the rest of our lives but we know that Jesus Christ has already won the victory for us all.  Satan wants us to grow weary, cause us to doubt and be depressed so that we think , “GOD never chose me look at how I sin, I might as well give up.”  When you begin to have these thoughts remember the things that Jesus said, the Apostles and Lee says, “If GOD is for you, who can be against you ?”  Remember, “HE that began a good work in you is able to COMPLETE IT IN THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS.”  We rejoice in our trials knowing GOD is with us in them and as long as we do not desert the battle and go AWOL we will be victorious.  This too is using the talent given us and not burying it.  “He who is faithful in little is faithful in much.”  

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, hold your head high, you are already called the sons of GOD.  ENDURE TO THE END AND YOU WILL HAVE SALVATION, THE CROWN OF LIFE.

ANOTHER CLOSER LOOK AT SIN

 Sin for carnal people is breaking the Ten Commandments but for the true church of GOD its breaking the two greatest of all commandments Jesus gave of loving GOD and neighbor. Mark 12:31 Romans 13:9   Whatever is not of GODS love is sin.   Anything that an elect of GOD allows or permits themselves to do must be rooted and grounded on these two commandments of love.

  The law of Moses contained other prohibitions that were considered by ancient Israel as sin.  In the new covenant the Apostles wrote a letter to the Gentiles informing them that they were no longer under the yoke of the Ten Commandments or law of Moses. Acts 15:10  Yes, Gentiles just like all people sin and sin is the transgression of the law. Romans 3:9  Circumcision was not required but to do so with spiritual intent was actually a denial of what Jesus accomplished for us as well as efforts to keep the Ten Commandments.  Galatians 5:4  The old covenant, the Ten Commandments could only address outward actions or speech, they could not address our thoughts and intents of the heart/human spirit.  In the new covenant it is the thoughts and intents of the human spirit that GOD will judge us by.  Hebrews 4:12  Proverbs 16:2   Jeremiah 17:10 

Sin we know begins with evil thoughts and intents that defile us and is worthy of death.  Matthew 15:11   Mark 7:20-23   The outward actions or speech is only the effect of how we think.  To grow as an elect of GOD our thoughts must be brought under control but we are not able to do this by our own efforts.  Proverbs 20:9  “Who can say, I have kept my heart (thoughts and intents) , pure; I am clean and without sin ?”  Solomon understood that sin begins in our thoughts and words and our deeds are only a manifestation of our thoughts. King David knew this too. Psalm 10:4 “GOD is not in all his thoughts.”  This agrees with the Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 10:5 “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”  Our minds must be renewed our thinking patterns changed to test and approve what is pleasing  to GOD.  Then there is Jesus as the example, “let this MIND be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 2:5  1 Corinthians 2:16  1 John 2:6 

An example would be the use of alcohol.  Jesus drank wine as did other true Christians and wine was used in the remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus therefore drinking any alcoholic beverage is not a sin.  It is the misuse  of these to the point of drunkenness that is sin by habitual drinking.  The same is true in the use of tobacco. Tobacco use is not a sin but improper use of it is.  It is not showing love to blow smoke in someone’s face or light up in their home and it’s not love to be a drunkard either.  Deliberately offending people is not love therefore it is sin.  Even eating unclean food in the presence of an Orthodox Jew or a new convert should not be done.  In Acts 15:29 was not for the reason Jehovahs Witnesses say but because these things offended others and the Gentiles they were writing to practiced these things. The Gentile practices were of themselves not sin, except for sexual immorality, as long as they did not offend others.  If you want to drink a cup of blood, eat a pork chop, work on the Sabbath day it is not sin, but if you offend someone else by doing so it is sin.  Remember, nothing entering from the outside defiles you, it’s what comes out of you.

The Apostle Paul listed many things that if practiced would disinherit you from the kingdom of GOD , 1 Corinthians 6:9-10  Ephesians 5:5  Galatians 519-21 and also in Revelation 21:8 and 22:15   There are numerous scriptures by the Apostles that address sinful behavior but we must always remember what the true source of this behavior is, our human spirit.

When king David prayed in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clear heart O GOD.”  He was asking GOD to change his way of thinking so that he would not sin.  David had committed adultery and murder because he LUSTED in his mind for another man’s wife. The sin began there in his mind and his actions were driven by his lust. James 1:13-15  Jesus magnified the law to include the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Isaiah 42:21KJV  The tenth commandment is the only one in the law that could never be punished if broken because no human witness can know the thoughts and intents of another’s mind, but GOD does.  This is why we must partake of the divine nature of GOD as demonstrated to us by Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 1:4  We need more than just immortality we need a complete overhaul of how we think.  In the resurrection we will receive both immortality and impeccability.   GOD will not give everlasting life to sinners.  

While we are yet human we will still sin and to deny this is fooling ourselves and calling GOD a liar. GOD has provided the program of grace to cover these sins that DO NOT LEAD TO DEATH by the sacrifice of Christ. 1 John 5:17  Matthew 12:31-32 

While we wait for our change to come we obey GOD and Christ in all things and overcoming, as much as we are able, some of our sins to bear fruit to GOD.  If we truly yield ourselves to the working of GOD in us progress can be made.  None of us are spiritual giants we will always need grace.  Hebrews 12:1  Hebrews 4:16  Where sin abounds grace abounds much more. 

Thanks be to GOD through our lord and savior Jesus Christ that by abundant grace makes it so that it is no longer I that sin but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:9-25    GOD knows our spirit and that we greatly desire to do HIS will but our flesh wars against our spirit and causes us to go against our own will ,  Matthew 26:41  Psalm 19:13 ,   that wants to do GODS will and GOD sees this, the true thoughts and intents of our spirit, and HE has mercy triumph over judgment and grace abound much more.  

FREE WILL

 Free will is when a sentient being has the ability to make decisions apart from any other influence. The decision made is completely their own. 

In the garden of Eden Adam disobeyed GOD. Adam by his own free will chose to obey Satan rather than GOD. This act invokes a spiritual principle; “whoever you render your self a servant to obey, that is who you will obey.”  Romans 6:16 Adam rendered himself a servant to obey Satan rather than GOD. Adam made a free will decision to do this. 1 Timothy 2:14  The fact that GOD in eternity knew Adam would sin but yet gave Adam this choice is proof of free will. GOD did not force HIS will on Adam.  

When a third of the angels under Satans command rebelled against GOD this too was their choice by free will.  GOD knew in eternity this would happen too.  All of these events would fit in completely with what GOD always knew would happen and GOD also knew that HE could use these events to complete HIS will for humanity.  

There are people that say man has no free will and that GOD forced both angles and Adam to sin and this because GOD wanted to show HIS great power by offering salvation to angels and humanity. They say GOD created evil as well as good.  Well, if you believe that you have been deceived along with anyone else who believes this garbage.  

If what these carnal people say is true it would make GOD the cause of all evil and sin. It would make GOD HIS own worst enemy.  It makes GOD the Devil.  This is spiritually insane thinking.  

We are told by Christ and the Apostles to submit our will to GOD. James 4:7  Hebrews 12:9  Ephesians 4:27  Jesus submitted his will to GOD.  Jesus said, “not my will but your will be done.”  Jesus had his own will but submitted it to his GOD. We must do the same.  How then can we do this if we have no free will to submit ?  Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil and the desires (will) of your father you will do.”  They rendered themselves servants of the Devil.  All unconverted humanity does this. 

 The Ten Commandments gave all humanity a choice again, to obey GOD or the Devil but even for people that tried to keep them were condemned to death by them because no one can keep them.  The lesson of these Ten Commandments has never been learned by humanity except for GODS elect saints. GOD forces no one to do anything with respect to salvation but has forced certain carnal people to do things HE wanted them to do, like hardening Pharos heart or inspiring the high priest when Jesus was crucified to say, “Consider that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish.” John 11:49-52  and there are other examples.  

The Almighty GOD is love and is a righteous GOD and never tempts anyone to sin.  James 2:13. The tempter is Satan and Satan is not some imaginary spirit, he is very real and wanders about seeking whom he may devour.  

It is impossible for anyone to escape doing the will of the Devil unless GOD gives you HIS spirit.  Acts 26:15-18   Then by GODS spirit we are given both the will and the ability to do GODS will.  Philippians 2:13  2 Corinthians 3:5  1 Corinthians 12:6  We surrender our will to GOD just as Jesus did and all the works of righteousness and love are done in us by GOD. 

 So you see, we have free will, we can choose but not all people choose to follow Jesus, like the rich young ruler. GOD elects, selects, calls and chooses only people who will repent and submit their wills to HIM.  This is why so many have been called but very very few are chosen.  

WE MUST BE CHANGED

Job 14:14 “If someone dies will they live again ?  All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes.” 

1 Corinthians 15:52  “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.”

 What is this change that Job and Paul wrote about ? 

According to the scriptures the elect saints, weather dead or alive, will experience a dual change of body and spirit when Jesus returns.  

Our current physical body of flesh and blood Paul plainly says cannot inherit the kingdom of GOD.  1 Corinthians 15:50  It is our human spirit that is made perfect, the spirits of just men.  Hebrews 12:23  There is indeed a physical body and a spirit body.  1 Corinthians 15:44   With respect to salvation the physical body of flesh is useless and of no value.  John 6:63   If this physical body is destroyed GOD has already prepared a spirit body for us.  2 Corinthians 5:1   1 Peter 1:3-4  We will not be glorified flesh as Anthony Buzzard and the Jehovahs Witnesses teach.  So then, our new body will be composed totally of spirit and this is what makes us immortal.  What many do not understand is that a human being is a spirit in a temporary body of flesh. Our spirit is the real us, the breath of life from GOD. Job 32:8   All of our intelligence and memories are in our spirit not our fleshly brain that will turn to dust.  Our human spirit is what imparts life to our fleshly body and is able to keep us alive only temporarily and so just as appointed to us we die.  Hebrews 9:27  All human beings are composed of only two parts; body and spirit, and these two parts when joined together are a soul but when this temporary union is broken this is death, the first death, that if not for what GOD did through Jesus would have been everlasting death. GOD through Jesus provides two resurrections, first and second separated by 1,000 years of time.  The elect in the first and all others in the second.  

So then, the elect will become immortal spirit beings in the first resurrection but the problem of our character that as human was still influenced by sin till the day we died and also must undergo change.  This requires the seal of GOD in the forehead or the mind/spirit of the elect. Jesus was, while in his mother’s womb, sealed by his FATHER.  Psalm 22:10. This seal is why Jesus could not sin and was as righteous as his GOD.  John 6:27  This word “seal”  in Strongs concordance is G4972 meaning; to stamp with signet ring for security or preservation, to keep secret, to attest.  Jesus was sealed in the very character of GOD.  Hebrews 1:3  This is what must happen to us too.  Revelation 7:3   Ezekiel 9:4-6   Revelation 9:4   Revelation 22:4   Ephesians 1:13   2 Corinthians 1:22    We elect saints will be sealed in righteousness and GODLY love just as the man messiah Jesus was, then we when are called and chosen were given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of this everlasting life of righteousness and love.  Ephesians 1:13-14  Being given the Holy Spirit at conversion is our guarantee of this promised inheritance in GODS kingdom as an immortal and impeccable spirit being. 

I hope that you see that our entrance into the kingdom is as spirit and not flesh and that our thinking is sealed in GODLY righteousness and GODLY love.  This will be the fulfillment of, “Let us make man after our image and according to our likeness.”  Eye has not seen ear has not heard.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FIRST CENTURY CHURCH AND THE CHURCH TODAY

 In the first century AD things were vastly different from what they are today.  The first century church had true men of GOD; Apostles, Bishops, Pastors, elders and prophets that were preaching the true gospel without much competition and converts came out of only one deception, Judaism.  There were many miracles and speaking in tongues was common.  Today we have no human ministry, the miracles have decreased in number, converts come from all nations and there are over 50,000 deceptions in the false churches.  This was a big change. In the first century the Apostles preached the gospel first to the Jews . On Pentecost the Jews heard the gospel preached by Peter. Jewish converts came out of the shadow of the law they were keeping when the light of Christ and the gospel was preached to them. The Jews had this advantage because they had the oracles of GOD. Later the Gentiles of that day while not observing the law were familiar with Jewish traditions and rituals because they lived together in the same general area. Upon hearing the gospel they had only very basic knowledge that would lead them to being baptized.  Today we have been deluged with thousands of deceptions and have no Holy Spirit led leadership. It became necessary under these conditions that GOD had to give HIS spirit first that would then lead out of deception and then to baptism. The only way out of deception was met with far more difficult circumstances than it was in the first century.  Times changed and methods changed in order to meet these difficult conditions.  

Today we do not have true Holy Spirit led men preaching the gospel to the world but we do have 50,000 false churches and not just preaching to Jews only but to people of all ethnicities.  The true gospel was perverted by ungodly men that brought in damnable heresies and the methods of conversion and baptism would by necessity be reversed from what they were in the first century. Today the Holy Spirit must be given first as the teacher and guide to us to come out of deception and to realize that the baptism we had in the false church we were in was just as false as the church.  This is the Cornelius conversion that I wrote about in the article on this blog.  If you admit you were deceived by the church you were in then what good was their baptism ?  The Holy Spirit doesn’t lead you into lies. You did not receive the spirit of GOD by their baptism that led you into deception in the first place.  This contributing of your receiving the Holy Spirit to your baptism in a false church is a post hoc fallacy a misattribution. You assume a fake baptism led to your receiving the Holy Spirit. You are calling evil good when you do this. To deny the Cornelius conversion is to call good evil.  Look at what a tangled web has been woven concerning the truth of GOD today compared to the first century.  By comparison we are in a hopeless mess only GOD can get us out of.  Almost every thing the false churches preach is a lie and there are numerous lies.  Today is vastly different and far more difficult than simply coming out of Judaism.   GOD will go to the uttermost to save HIS elect saints even if it means reversing the order of baptism and receiving the spirit to receiving the spirit and being baptized. 

AN ARTICLE FROM BAPTISM

 Not long ago the Ten Commandments asked if he could put an article on my blog.  Well, I couldn’t very well say no after all it’s the Ten Commandments.  You just don’t turn a request like that down.  You can read what the Ten Commandments had to say in his article from the menu.  Well wouldn’t you know after the Ten Commandments was published I heard from Baptism and he too wants to put an article on the blog because he says that he has a similar problem being misunderstood as the Ten Commandments does.  Again, I couldn’t say no, so below is an article from Baptism.

Hi there, I am Baptism and just like my friend the Ten Commandments I have some things that I need to address.  There are those who say that I am no longer required, some others say I am just a sprinkling on the head, then some say you must be totally immersed in water and lastly there are those who use me on infants. 

Well, you will find no evidence in scripture that says I am no longer required, it’s just the opposite. Jesus commanded me for believers.  Mark 16:16  Matthew 28:19   1 Peter 3:21  John 3:5  I hope these scriptures will convince you.

It didn’t matter what the circumstances were, I was always practiced by the Apostles and by the way, I am in the name of Jesus only.  That verse, Matthew 28:19 was altered by pagans.  Did the FATHER die for you, are you baptized into the FATHERS death ?  Don’t you know the Holy Spirit IS the FATHER ?  Think about it …..would the Apostle Matthew, who knew GOD is the Holy Spirit write, “in the name of the FATHER, and of the Son and of the FATHER” ?   Besides this the Apostles never used the formula when doing me.

For those of you that think I am just a sprinkle on the head scripture confirms that I am by total immersion in water.  Acts 8:39  Come on, even John the Baptist was called the immerser. Those of you that say I am done by total immersion in water are correct, nuff said.   Now, using me on infants is a no no.  An infant cannot make the conscious decision to accept Jesus and this custom is wrong. It’s done to prevent babies from going to hell in case they die which is another big lie.  You see no example of infant me in the scriptures.  

Look, I am to be performed when GOD calls and chooses you and this was the way the Apostles preached.  Today, in the true church of GOD, there is no formal human leadership, GOD removed them because they all became Satans tools for deception.  The true church of GOD is scattered to the four winds and extremely few in number.  Let me be clear, there is no human ministry today and hasn’t been one since the Apostle John died.  What this means is that GOD must now give you His Holy Spirit first to come to realize that you were in an organization that only imitates me, it’s not the real me.  These false churches see how I was used in the salvation process and try to copy me but everything they teach and believe is false and is evidence that their copy of me is not me, the real and true Baptism.  These people with a fake me are wet sinners because they never had the one true me. Ephesians 4:4. When a person is brought into a false church they submit to their false copy of me as a commitment to the belief system of that false church.  Well, their copy is not me because it is a commitment based on lies like the trinity, Binitarianism,  glorified flesh, that Jesus was capable of sin, immortal soul, that Jesus was the angel Michael, that some saints can’t partake of the bread and wine or keeping the Ten Commandments as explained in the article by the Ten Commandments. Lies are not used to lead you to me, the truth only leads you to me.   Just as you have messed up the real and true reason why GOD gave you the Ten Commandments you have messed me up, Baptism.   Today, if GOD wants you in HIS true church HE will give you a portion of HIS spirit so that you can see that   you made a commitment by a false me, a false baptism, into a false church . Then you come out of that false church and then you do me and afterwards you will grow in the spirit just as any babe in Christ would. This is not being re-baptized , it’s the real me for the very first time.  You can’t think that the fake me that you did in the fake church you were in is the real me. It is being obedient to Jesus to have me done to you regardless of the fact that you were given the Holy Spirit before me.  

Actually I read Lees article about the Cornelius Christian and that is what led me to want to write this article.  Before Cornelius the rule was get baptized then receive the Holy Spirit. This thing with Cornelius was an exception to the rule in order to prove to the Apostles that GOD was now offering salvation to the Gentiles.  Today this exception is now the rule and everyone is a Cornelius Christian.  This by no means does away with me, I still must be done.   Peter said, “can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have ?” Acts 10:47   

If Jesus commanded you to climb up a tree and then jump you must obey him.  Well, Jesus did command you to be baptized regardless if you have the Holy Spirit before or after.  

I do hope that you will see the tremendous value of me and in obedience to Jesus submit to me. You will not regret it.   Thanks to Lee and to all you readers for taking the time to hear me out.