Moses on The Great Tribulation and the End Time Call of God

 

We do not really know what Moses preached to the Children of Israel when he spoke to the elders in Egypt, but in Exodus 15 we find some interesting things written.  The passage makes it clear that the Israelites knew:

 

1) That they had not only been redeemed by their God but they had been purchased – that they had been the slaves of Pharaoh and they were still not their own but God’s slaves.

 

2) That the fear of the Lord was related not only to their deliverance but to their entering in to the promises that God had given to his seed and we see this in this great fear manifested in passage as:  Praises of fear, Hearing brings fear, Being amazed at God fearful signs and wonders, trembling shall take hold of them, dread shall fall upon them,

 

3) We see the peoples who they are to displace: The people of Palestinia, Edom, Moab, and the Canaanites. 

 

4) We see that this calling of God given to the seed of Abraham is first and foremost a call unto himself. And that all leading, that all guiding and all protective passage that is given to these people is only to bring them to himself, That they might go to dwell forever in His Holy habitation, that they might go to His Holy Sanctuary, that they might be planted in the Holy Mountain of His Inheritance, and of this place it is written “Thy hands have established or created it” 

 

5) We see that the gifts the calling and the habitation to which we are all called is IN HIM and not in the church or any group we can organize, arrange, or construct of earthly materials. It is not any teaching or doctrine that we can organize, arrange or construct it is of his hands alone and we might add it is yet the voice of God; the word that proceedeth that leads guides and brings this people to himself. 

 

For all that is of man leads to men and their glory – and such is the way of death.. 

 

We want to kind of follow these thoughts as being interwoven in the following passages we are going to look at it this study.

Exodus 15:11-18 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestinia. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; (Frozen in fear) till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign forever and ever.
As much as this was the revealed plan of God for the Children of Israel, this same plan is the revealed plan of God for the Ek-Klesia in the end time.  As God opened this up to me last night and laid out these passages to me I felt my spirit tremble. This has been occurring over the last month or so, as God has spoken profound provocative and life changing words concerning His people and the preparation of them for this end-time.

Make no mistake, the coming onslaught spoken of in Matthew 24, the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation upon the whole of the Klesia and the Ek-Klesia is no less than what Moses and Israel faced in the wilderness and upon their entering the Promised Land. The fearsome people, and the giants of their day are the radical Muslims, Mullahs Imam’s, and their hoards of terrorists of our day. The same which have been prophesied shall be given “great power” and “shall devour and stamp and break in pieces the residue” that would be the Klesia and the Ek-Klesia. 

Exodus 19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. Forget all that you have been taught since childhood about God taking the Israelites into the wilderness for 40 years before their entering into the Promised Land. Here we read that within the first 100 days of the Israelites leaving Egypt that God has big plans for the Children of Abraham and wants to bring them into this deep faith based relationship with Him. And as Paul the Apostle later describes God’s plan includes, salvation, water baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then with this power from on high He is going to send then forth into the promised land to dispossess it little by little from the giants and fearsome people, principalities and powers that inhabit it.  We will see more on this in a few verses.

Exodus 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
What God is referencing here is not the plagues signs and wonders that he did in Egypt, but their deliverance from the greatest military of the day with full divisions of chariot mounted archers and soldiers.  Understand that the weapons of Moses and Israel were not carnal as ours are not to be.  Estimates are that Moses led abut 1,000,000 out of Egypt which consisted of Israelites and the mixt multitude.  They had carts, wagons laden with their possessions as well as their flocks, all the people were on foot including their women and their children – so their movement was slow and limited.  And the onslaught of the Egyptian army was so swift that they would be upon them and engulf them in minutes.  Logistically even when God divided the red sea or the gulf between Egypt and Saudi Arabia as so archeologists now believe the ability for the Israelites to move all their people flicks and wagons and carts across a muddy sea bed was impossible even if one takes into account the statement in scripture that the ground became as dry land. What I am suggesting here is that the carts and the wagons were every bit as heavy as the chariots and that the muck and mire would have been enough for the sheep to get stuck, and their children – so that God says they did not walk across the red sea but they crossed it upon eagles wings – he carried them across, so as Christ who was born by angles lest he dash his feet upon a rock walk on water so all of Israel was mad to walk above the ground. And when the Egyptians came with this vast army their chariots and horse sank and stuck in the mud but with a sentence of death for failure they forced their way across until the wheels of their chariots fell off and then the Lord has Moses close the sea upon them and drown them all. So not by might not by power but by the spirit of the Lord the Israelites and Moses had been victorious in their first battle. And of these eagle wings what did God testify that he had brought them unto himself.

And of this Paul declares unto us:
Romans 8:38-40 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, (Pharoah) nor powers, (The Armies of Egypt)  nor things present, (Nor any present circumstances in your life, sickness disease or any other limitations) nor things to come, (the coming great tribulation) Nor height, (Physical Mountains that Christ declared could be moved)  nor depth, (Physical seas that Christ walked on and God parted ) nor any other creature, (Nor any other thing God has created) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And that in that hour God Himself shall bear us upon eagle’s wings as he did the children of Israel in order to bring us unto himself. And therefore by the spirit we can see in these passages in Moses what has been termed the coming end-time revival for the last few hundred years. Only the purpose and meaning of it has been far beyond the carnal comprehension of carnal men. God in scripture again and again has hidden his purposes until the hour of its be revealing. Primarily to prevent men tampering it and corrupting it.         

And in this next passage the Lord has Moses out-line a “new covenant” for the children of Israel. In making “this” new covenant, it did not invalidate the previous covenant, instead this amended it leaving intact what was previously covenanted forever by God and adding or amending some new material to the former covenant .
Exodus 19:5-6 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.
Once again we see that the call is for all believers not a select priesthood to hear the voice of God for themselves, to hear as Moses and Christ did  The word that proceedeth from the mouth of the Father.  So are these kings and priests unto God  to hear also. In the Greek Septuagint beginning in verse 5 and ending with verse 14  the words Laos and Laon are used 6 times and it is translated as the word people but the word is the Greek is Laity  or the common people So in verse 5 God declares this promise and calling not onto a polished professional priesthood but a peculiar laity. And while verse 7 the Lord calls the elders of the people it is in verse 8 the laity whose response the Lord is desirous of. And Lo in verse 9 He comes in a cloud for the Laity to hear and believe forever. And it is the laity in verse 10 and 11 that Moses needs to sanctify (For these know not what they need to do – so God has Moses help prepare them) And in verse 12 during this sanctification the Lord advises the Laity to separate themselves and make a vow, and not to Go near the mountain or touch it at that time.   

And we need to note here that with hearing there comes responsibility. And that responsibility is especially upon the one who purports to speak that which proceeds from the mouth of the Father.  The church of this hour at large is deaf – and this deafness the Spirit has indicated is due to fear.  It is an irrational fear that if one “hears the voice of God” they will instead of receiving bread, will receive of the hand of the Father a serpent. It is an irrational fear that if one will is to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit that by God’s hand shall instead be led off into grievous error. And this is an irrational fear that if one would seek God with all their heart , soul mind and strength that they of the hand of God would fall into the hands of the devil.  These things are taught in every quarter in all churches and denominations and on many levels for that last thousand or so years. And any notion of a believer discipling himself to Christ alone and any notion of the Holy Spirit becoming one’s teacher or in an individual believers life taking the roll of guiding them into all truth  -- is treated by all churches and denominations as utter heresy, the kiss of death – and a spiritual suicide from which none return.

And who is presumed to save us from all of that? An educated and polished clergy whose learning comes from the great whore’s cup of abominations which contains 1800 years worth of the filthy and corrupt doctrines and traditions of men. Not to mention that all these learned souls very degrees and titles, are conferred upon them by men -- and not God.

In fundamentalist churches time and again I have heard the exhortation that people need not become too spiritual. You don’t want to pray too much, you don’t want to read the bible too much.  All of this we are told is about some kind of a “balance” in our lives. And I now firmly believe that the unsaid implication in fundamentalist churches is if you do those things too much you might turn Pentecostal.  and there is a vast body of evidence that shows this to be so.

But now look, in Pentecostal, Charismatic and Word of Faith circles there is this same irrational fear that one does not want be too spiritual, one does not want to pray too much that one does not want to read the word too much and there is even a greater phobia (if it were possible) of people hearing the voice of God, and Letting the Holy Spirit be their teacher, and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  And in these churches time and time again I would hear these things preached against and exhorted against.  And I dare say that in my five years in Pinecrest, time and time again faculty members in my hearing would teach preach and exhort students from getting too spiritual, reading the bible too much, praying to much, doing any fasting, hearing the word that proceedeth, having the Holy Spirit teach you and following the guidance of the Spirit. And certain of these faculty members openly ridiculed people who did so, and spoke of them as sources of untold evil in the church; aka deception, confusion, and disunity all of which is actually the Holy Spirit striving against men and stripping off their religious cloak in which they sought to conceal their deafness blindness and nakedness before God, and in which they have also hid that their doctrines and teachings come not from Him but are of men. I now firmly see that all of these Penecostal and Charismatic Preachers and teaches have a vested interest in mediocrity. That is in their flocks ever remaining in the corrupt status quo for fear that if someone might hear what the spirit is saying unto the church that 1) They might be made to explain what they are saying and doing that is in utter contempt of the word of God. 2) That they might be found being blind deaf and naked before God and completely unworthy for any in their flock to obey and follow in place of Christ. The result of which would be people walking away from their churches and ministries.

And there is a vast body of evidence that shows that for quite some time the Holy Ghost has been leading many away from these churches and ministries. Not by the ones and the twos as one might be led to believe, but by the thousands and tens of thousands world wide. And these are walking out of churches denominations and fellowships the world over and reading the word and praying and seeking God alone.

This is not a people backsliding or a people falling away as preachers and teacher would say to strike fear in the heart of their congregants. This is a great spiritual advance where man and woman are becoming the priests of their households.  And many of these also are also turning to the tried and true method from the days of the Apostles on of leaderless house meetings where all are brethren, and all speak what the Lord has given them, and all are edified.

This is the Lord’s doing and it marvelous in our eyes! 

Isaiah 8:7-13 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria,(This is the Antichrist) and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. (This spoken concerning  the Church under Christ not Israel) Associate yourselves, (This association is man-made churches and denominations) O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces;(This is what is prophesied in Daniel) and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, (try to fight this by your might and power, fight this with with political coalitions, fight this by the invoking of law, fight this by marches and civil disobedience) and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, (This is repeated twice because this girding ones self will be the cry of all the corrupt church and denominational leaders – they shall cry out in unity there is strength, and by our binding together in unity we can not be over thrown by any means and by this shall the streets run with blood and ten thousands times ten thousands shall be slaughtered) and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word,(call out scripture, invoke the promises of God to protect you)  and it shall not stand: for God is with us.(God has anointed the fourth beast to destroy and cleanse and spare not – and this is also prophesied in Ezekiel 9:1-6) For the LORD spake thus to me (This is God’s instructions to those that have an ear to hear) with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. (In that day they will preach hellfire and eternal damnation to all that will not join their Confederacy.  Know that all of this flies in the face of God’s call unto us to be a kingdom of priests unto Him alone.)  Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (and so as in the days of Moses God called out to those who have ears to hear to separate themselves unto Him and to sanctify themselves against the third day of his coming so we are called now.)

What is the Fear of the Lord? The Lord spoke in my ear that to fear anyone of anything is to have respect of them above the Lord and that is not the Fear of the Lord. The Fear of the Lord is to not fear anyone or anything that He hath created and therefore it shall not have any power over you.

This departure of people from their meetings to their homes and house meetings in turn has caused great alarm in the denominations, particularly in Fundamentalist and Charismatic circles. Even the word of Faith Movement of Kenneth Hagan has been plagued with this phenomenon. So much so, that they are now openly preaching against any going to independent “unsanctioned” house meetings – they are calling such activities as being “unscriptural” and “a detriment” and “a contagion” to any believers that comes in contact with such that do so.

What they fail to see is that this in reality is the church going underground, as it was in Russia during communism, as it is in China and that as we enter deeper into this time when the Antichrist and the fourth beast of Daniel shall arise upon the earth that all of the visible Klesia shall be swept away and that only that which is underground shall remain.  

And as we have mentioned on this sight the sign of the Lord as to this shall be that Europe shall be overthrown first my Muslimism.  And I shudder at all those saved and unsaved that shall be lost. It is not a glorious thing; it is a fearful and terrible thing.

These people that are heeding God’s call unto himself in this hour are seeking to enter into and become that kingdom of priests unto God that was supposed to have been the central issue upon which the reformation occurred. But as has been discussed here in numerous articles – this is not at all what really occurred in the 1500’s under Luther Calvin and Simons. There was no real reformation, instead what was handed out was three brands of Roman Catholic Lite that perpetuated the darkness sin and error that had been taught for a millennia.  Instead these reinvented Roman Catholicism in its looks alone, it was a marketing and PR ploy to make it appear cute and fuzzy so it would be more palatable to the coming generations 

 So in the book of Exodus at a point of time about 100 days after the greatest revival that men had ever seen occurred to the Israelites in Egypt, and the Lord brought these people supernaturally unto himself, that neither the antichrist of the day, or his best military divisions that were armed to the teeth could prevent. – The Lord now lays down His demands or we might say the cost of “This Salvation”. And as we see His demands are really not demands at all, but are in fact His desire to fellowship with those that delight in Him as Adam did in the Garden. And for this child-like love, delight and devotion of the man Adam, the Lord had redeemed this people. To which the Lord declared if ye (individually) will obey my voice indeed (truly – with all your heart soul mind and strength) and keep my covenant. . .

We need to pause here for a moment and ask what covenant where they to obey? Realizing that the covenant of Moses had not yet been given -- what covenant was God referring to here? The Covenant of Abraham. – which as we have already mentioned was still in full effect at the time

And what was this Covenant of Abraham? It is a Covenant where God could swear by no greater than himself. So God appeared as a fiery smoking furnace and walked between the blood and parts of the sacrificed animal to seal the covenant between Him and Abraham forever. 

 

Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
This was part of the covenant with Abraham. It was a covenant that required the faith and obedience of its adherents to the words that proceedeth from the mouth of the father as well as an outward sign of circumcision. A covenant that promised to make God a people that were no people, a nation that was no nation, a kingdom that was no kingdom. It was a covenant that promised that one was to come from Abraham’s bowels to bring redemption to the world. It was a covenant that had NO priesthood but that all that were part of it were to be priests unto God. It was a covenant in which ALL could build altars. It was a covenant in which ALL could call upon the name of the Lord. It was a covenant in which ALL could hear the word that proceedeth from the mouth of the Father. It was a covenant in which ALL could have dreams. It was a covenant in which ALL could have visions, and it was a covenant in which ALL could have personal visitations from God.     

 

It was a Covenant that Abraham, Isaac Jacob, Joseph and Job entered in to a large degree and all of their households were blessed for these men’s walk with God and faithfulness. 

 

And from that covenants inception anyone without the outward sign of circumcision was cut off from being the people of the covenant.  And no sooner had God made this covenant with Abraham what did he do?  Did he only circumcise himself since the promise was to him and his seed? No, Abraham immediately went out and preached this message of circumcision from God and circumcised all the gentiles that were in his household, his shepherds, his laborers, his chamberlain that was head of all his business transactions and even his slaves, and he preached won all their hearts to the Lord and then circumcised them all, and all became a part of the household of faith and eventually became part of the blood line of Israel. And from that time forth all children that were born in the seed of faith were children of the circumcision. Any child that was born not of the circumcision was not of the seed of faith and all that had not the circumcision were cut off from the promise and from God.    

 

Now when Moses was born he was circumcised How do we know this, because in Exodus 4:24-25 Moses himself was not circumcised by Zipporah only his son was circumcised. And sometime while he was being raised as the son of pharaoh’s daughter Moses came to realize that he was not an Egyptian. I think we can safely say that Pharaoh’s daughter probably did not teach Moses who his people were, it was probably the fact that he was circumcised and none of her other sons or servants were. And when he sought the meaning of this, he was told that he was a Hebrew and a son of Abraham and probably told of the promises God made to Abraham concerning this people.  

 

And by the fact that Zipporah knew exactly what to do when the angel of the Lord came to kill Moses lends itself to a conclusion that Moses had indeed attempted to have his son circumcised, and had described with some detail how and what was to be done. But over Zipporah’s out spoken objections he had relented.   

 

Exodus 4:24-26 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the (angel of) LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his (Moses’) feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he (The angel of the Lord) let him (Moses) go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
I have recently received some light on this passage in regard to Zipporah’s actions and words.

 

While I was working on some translation work on several passages containing the word “stones” which resulted in the 2 articles written on the Greek word Ek-lektos on this site. During the course of that study I was struck with the cryptic works of Christ in:

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Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

 

The word “Broken” in the Greek is not exactly broken. It is more in the order of shattered and more specifically it is a layered rock as in a slate or a flint being broken into shards. 

Now this distinction may not seem like much but let me take you to the next passage.

 

1 Peter 2:7-9 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling (Pros-Kommatos), and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble (Pros-Kopto) at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

 

The word “stumbling” in the Greek is Pros-Koptos  we are told means: to dash against, or to beat upon (Lest thou dash thy foot against a rock)

Pros means: “the side of”  or “the outer edge”

And Kommatos is actually the word Koptos which means: to cut, to smite, to punish, to vex, or to suffer anguish.

This is not a sidewalk upheaval that one might trip over, or a stone along a dirt trail down to the pond behind farmhouse on which one might stub their toe. 

 

This is a sharp stone shard that not only cuts the object that one cuts but it also cuts the one that wields it to do the cutting.    

 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

How is the word of God sharper than any two-edged sword? It is that each word is a razor sharp glass-like stone shard that cuts nor only the object to be cut but the one who wields the shard to cut with it as well. And it cuts asunder soul and Spirit, joints and marrow and is a discerner or the thoughts and intents of the hearts of the hearer and speaker alike.

 

Isaiah 8:14-15 And He (Christ) shall (Not only) be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling (a sharp stone shard that not only cuts the object that one cuts but it also cuts the one that wields it to do the cutting.) and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, (the great falling way) and fall, (perish) and be broken (utterly destroyed), and be snared, and be taken.(taken to prison and tortured and offered slavery for worshipping the beast and his image and recanting Christ. This is also prophesied in Daniel and Revelation) And this is all part of the larger prophecy we already cited, concerning denominational confederations and girding oneself.

Zechariah 12:2-4 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

 

1 Peter 2:7-9 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling,(a sharp stone shard that not only cuts the object that one cuts but it also cuts the one that wields it to do the cutting.) and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble (are cut) at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

 

This cutting of which I have many things that I could say is also called the washing of the water of the word.

 

Exodus 4:24-26 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the (angel of) LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his (Moses’) feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he (The angel of the Lord) let him (Moses) go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

I did a lot of translating of this passage in the Greek and Hebrew which I will forego discussing now. And I did quite a bit of reading as well. And suffice to say that according to Hebrew tradition Moses and Zipporah walking by an inn when the Angel of the Lord appeared and the Angel put a sword to Moses’ throat effectively pinning Moses as he pronounced his sin.  So with Moses unable to save himself Zipporah being filled with fear tossed her son onto a cloth on the ground tore open his clothes and grabbed at some sharp stone shards or stone potshards one the ground along the side of the inn and her hand was all sliced up as she sliced off the foreskin of her son. Thoroughly infuriated and disgusted she cast the bloody foreskin with her bloodied hand at the feet of Moses and the angel and said (KJV) a bloody husband thou art because of the circumcision.   

 

It is interesting to note that Moses was not able to make this sin right himself but he had to have someone else in his behalf perform it. So Moses unbelieving wife had to perform the act. At the appearance of the angel she moved with faith mixed with fear.

 

There is so much that can be said from this passage but we will forego that for the moment and press on to our subject of Moses speaking of the Great tribulation and the end time.

 

Speaking now of the covenant of Abraham we continue.

Hebrews 6:13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

 

Even though Abraham was called the friend of God, and even though Abram had been justified by faith, God did not find in Abraham one that was worthy to stand with him and make the covenant. So God did it by himself.

And likewise when Christ was on earth, He found none worthy to covenant with. Not Peter, not James, not even John the beloved of the Lord.  So Christ could swear by none greater than himself, So Christ did his act on the cross and in the resurrection alone.  The truth of the New Covenant is that Christ covenanted with himself on the behalf of us.

As Paul states our covenant with Christ is better the one God gave unto Moses but this has been the source of quite a bit of confusion in the church of our day. And men in themselves have imagined all sorts of meaning to this apart from scripture and apart from the words of the Apostle.  The New covenant is a better covenant in that Christ once and for all became out peace offering, our burnt offering, our sin offering, and our drink offering. So that we do not have to set up altars and slay animals ourselves for our greater sins and hold evening and morning sacrifices for our daily sins.

But it is much more than that.  For as Christ Himself gives the Holy Ghost them that afar off and to as many as shall receive Him, So also He is our yet our healer. He is yet our shepherd. He is yet deliverer.  Which are all part and parcel of this new and better covenant. But perhaps the greatest of all is the fact that each believer can also partake directly of this covenant at Christ’s very hand as they partake of communion. And this being done the need of professional Levites and Priests to minister unto God was done away with once and for all in Christ. – So that from the least unto the greatest we might all walk with him as kings and priests.  This is what Christ died for and this is what the early church turned away from in favor of the Levitical priesthood that in every church in every quarter to this day.  – And this is the false earthly and corrupt Klesia that God is about to strip away.

 

 

Exodus 19:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever.
Again we see once more that God attaches tremendous importance in each believer individually hearing the voice of God for himself – that they might believe. Hearing the voice of God is not a sign unto unbelievers as much as it is to believers.

Exodus 19:10-11 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
Two years ago when the Lord opened my eyes to this verse I almost jumped out of my seat. I had read the entire bible cover to cover two times and I had read this passage on numerous other occasions but somehow my eyes were withholden and seeing I saw not. And on numerous occasions I had heard this passage read but my ears were holden and hearing I heard not.

Sanctification has almost become a dirty word on the lips of believers in this hour among Fundamentalists, Pentecostals, Charismatics, and even Word of Faith People.

Routinely I hear preachers of all denominations that have been 20, 30, and even 50 years in the way mock the notion of sanctification.

Calvinistic Fundamentalists who teach that we are to wallow in our sin and corruption all our day, never obtaining cleansing from the basic sins which scripture and Paul declare over and over that none shall do such deeds shall enter the kingdom of heaven,  Instead  these rely on the fable of eternal security created by a 6th century Roman Catholic Monk named Augustine’s redefinition of the word Ek-lectos and have staked their souls and all the souls of those on one man’s say so on one single word in the face of all of scripture and all of the words of Christ in the Gospels. And in so doing they teach men that regardless of however sinful and corrupt they are, that Jesus will wink at their sin and iniquity and let them slide. The basis for this winking at blatant damning sin is they say that God calls or chooses whom he will and once called all that they do is ordained of God – and to find fault with them is to find fault with God –so that not even Christ much less God Himself can condemn them. These teach that God can be bound, that God can be rendered powerless and it is done by His spoken word, and His written word – that God can be made and is subservient to that which He speaks and that which is recorded in the bible. Next to the Prosperity Gospel, this is the single most damning Gospel that men and demons have created.

Isaiah 40:12-14 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

Shall a man then bind God? Shall a man trap the Almighty with His own words? Shall a man then constrain God with scripture?

Isaiah 40:21-23 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; (It is He) that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and (It is He that) spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (It is He) That bringeth the princes to nothing; (and it is He that ) he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

And actually this notion of binding and trapping God with scripture is the kernel upon which the entire prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith message is built. Remember when the Scribes and Pharisees attempted to bind Christ with Scripture and they were confounded this is all the more reason why those who have preached these things have inherited the wind rather than the keys of the kingdom they boast possession of.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

An example of what I am speaking of was disclosed last summer by a visiting evangelist during a week long “revival.”  In those meetings this evangelist included a lot of “shop talk” about her ministry, as well as inside stuff on her working with Rodney Howard Brown.  Her purpose was fairly transparent, in that she wanted to wow her former peers. He bragging rights were “Rural Alaskan girl makes good and becomes an internationally renowned Ministry” to which she received her coveted portion of  “ohs” and “ahs.”

In about the third meeting she told a tale that she had been sitting in Rodney Howard Brown’s office, eluding that she was his most trusted subordinate and thus allowed to sit in on private and personal teleconferences. She then proceeded to describe one such event with the evangelist Benny Hinn who according to her “was having big problems in his ministry” and in desperation he sought help and counsel from Rodney Howard Brown. Hinn she began for years had built a ministry of worship and people just sitting in his worship services and receiving healings. And in the context of her message she was preaching that was completely wrong for all Word of Faith students like her know you have to fight for your healings you need to confess profess and demand of God what is yours and have a get in your face attitude in fighting the devil.  So by her account Hinn  at that time had all at once a half dozen to a dozen people all die, of those people that testified they had been healed in his worship service, People that Hinn and his staff had laid hands on, and I believe people that had been prophesied that they were healed and by the sheer number of deaths,.She said that He and his leader ship was shaken and that  there was some talk in the congregation.  The answer they were of course given was a combo Haganism 101 Confession and fighting the devil to maintain that healing.

But there is a lot more to the story of this evangelist and the Word of Faith Church that she was preaching in. The Pastor of this Church and over half the members are bible school graduates from Rhema (For those who many not know that would be Kenneth Hagan’s Bible School). And this Church vigorously preaches the word of faith message and the Prosperity Gospel. The Church is part of a network of Word of Faith Churches and has ties with some of the big names.

The Story here begins with their 5-6 year old grand daughter who attended a huge Hagan-esque church in Texas Pastored by a brother Roberson. This grand daughter came down with a horrible cancer – it was as if she had second head growing out of the side of her head when I saw her she was all skin and bones and frail all her hair was gone from chemo. It broke my heart to see a child like this and the anguish her parents and the Pastor and his wife suffered over this – words can not describe. The situation had gone one for maybe two years. She literally had everyone lay hands on her that could lay hands on her, and she was flown at church expense to revival meetings with evangelists. (It is hard to fault any of this – the parents were desperate) they had her on special 24 hour prayer chains, the parents had tithed and gave and gave and gave to get their little girl a miracle – and this little girl was flown up to this meeting and she was repeatedly prayed for. She had also been prophesied over a number of times and declared that she would have certain ministries and not die. – I believe she died about two months after this meeting. And understand that her parents and the preachers and evangelists had done everything line by line from Kenneth Hagan’s teachings. Believing the healing was owed to them, the parents and their relatives in Texas and in this church in Alaska took it very hard, there was much needless anguish. The family backslid, relatives fell away from Christ – the assistant pastor cried in church he faith was failing and he wanted to backslide. They spoke of these false prophecies and it seemed for a time they might even toss out Hagan’s teaching  

But unfortunately this story is still far from over. For over the past year and a half that I attended this place this Word of Faith pastor in my hearing repeated mocked the notion of people seeking sanctification, he called waiting on the Lord worthless, and lampooned those who would pray for hours at a time. All of which was spoken when he was teaching other Haganite’s notes, books, and tapes. As soon as I arrived in this church it was apparent that there was something seriously wrong with this pastor’s wife. And prior to the evangelist showing up that summer despite what we have already noted this man boasted in church on multiple occasions in my hearing of his spending 8-10 hours at in a single shot per night rebuking the devil and sickness in him and his wife. And I would say that perhaps as much as 20% of his messages from these other peoples notes books and tapes included talking about the devil, all his power all his might all his sickness all his diseases and how we need to fight him every day every hour and every minute. And all during this his wife got sicker and weaker.  All the while over the ensuing months the man refused to humble himself before God and seek His face. Despite what would come out from his own lips as the Spirit of God would come upon him when he preached. Instead he persisted in the manner of the corrupt teaching of Kenneth Hagan praying instead to the devil for 8-10 hours a night.

Well the evangelist also prayed for his wife repeatedly and she danced a victory dance and the evangelist left – I was unable to attend all the meetings. But after ward the Pastor continued with his Haganite methods and the wife got sicker and weaker and sicker and weaker until she would only sit in church for the sermon.

And at that time God spoke to me and told me that his wife had cancer and would surely die.  And that He could not heal the woman because it would be a testament that would be used to reinforce the false and corrupt doctrines that they held above Him and His word. After I left church that day the Lord spoke to me to tell several people at the time that they might bare witness of what He spoke. – I to this day do not know the purpose for this but I did so.

After the grand daughter died I believe the pastor’s wife’s spirit was crushed and she no longer came to meetings because she had become so sick – still there was no word or hint what was ailing her. I believe she was in her late 60’s or early 70’s so it could have been any number of things. Within a month or so of the grand daughter’s death She then had to be removed from this man’s house and to the hospital, and she was given quite a few pints of blood. And at that time they announced for the first time she had cancer.  I also want to relate here that the pastor spoke of his wife on more than one occasion telling him to stop rebuking the devil after several hours and sending him to bed.

And during those last few months they called all the big guns in the Word of Faith Movement and had them prayed for her, she was put in their “Special” 24 hour pray chains one of which we were told had this 100% success rate (I am sure that the family was reliving the grand daughters death every day during this) And it seemed for about a  week that God was going to intervene as she was greatly strengthened and able to sit up.

I do not want you to think I was cold and heartless for I would have liked very much to have seen her healed. But the Lord hand clearly spoken, and to be honest I wondered if something had changed and possibly he or she had repented. (Hezekiah being an example of this in scripture) – and once again there was some indication that they were laying aside at least some of their doctrines. But all of that was short lived and after a brief respite her health took a plunge and regardless of the blood transfusions she received after that it was all down hill.

Desperate they brought in several healing ministries from the Word of Faith denomination the church is a member of. I guess about half a dozen flew up to Fairbanks, Alaska to pray for this woman and they went in unto her they laid hands on her they prophesied and cried out and I presume they all rebuked the devil like the prophets of Baal they stayed up day and night with her. Church members that had witnessed all of this then came into church and pronounced that she had been healed. They pronounced that God has spoken that God said that: “she would not die but live.” And they rejoiced and jumped around that Sunday  – but within seven days of all of that she perished in her sin and corruption according to the word of the Lord.     

That was almost a year ago and the members of the church are far from being over her death or the granddaughter’s. And ever Sunday added now to the notes books and tapes the pastor now preaches his dead wife. But even with all of this these people have not repented, they still hold to their false teachings, the false prophesies given while both people were yet alive, they do not take into account that all the backsliding occurred because these people were founded on the sand of men’s words instead of being founded on Christ alone. Sadly these people have not and will not repented one iota, and if the truth be known today they adhere even more steadfastly to these teachings and doctrines – and I can even say why. They are now doing it for the memory of the dead grandchild and the dead Pastor’s wife.  

So why have I said all this? Because in the books, the tapes, and on their televised meetings this ugly, powerless, bankrupt side of the Word of Faith message and the Prosperity Gospel that is never shown, much less spoken of.  From Benny Hinn that is cited as the most successful healing ministry of our day, to Kenneth Hagan Ministries, Kenneth Copeland, Rodney Howard Brown, and all their clones the story is the same everywhere. Despite all that is preached, confessed, professed, rebuked, and bought off with tithes and offerings, their churches are filled with the sick, the weak, the poor, and the death. And because of this preaching these are afraid to speak for fear of being told they have not faith, they have yet not given enough tithes and offerings, or disfellowshipped from the movement’s success oriented beautiful people because they are losers.   

Two days ago I was speaking with a member of this church and he recounted the evangelist’s story about Benny Hinn and all the deaths that had occurred in his ministry – and he started reciting the Hagan-esque drivel she hat cited as the reason why and I stopped this man mid-sentence as both he and I had sat in the same meeting and we had both heard the identical testimony.  I will add that this man is not a Haganite. He was saved in the early 1970’s in a Pentecostal church before Hagan came into prominence and before the prosperity Gospel was preached, and he also back in those days attended Christ for the Nations Bible School with his wife

I said I hate to do this, but I need to ask you a pointed question where in the gospels or the book of Acts did Christ or the Apostles ever tell someone they had confess, profess or rebuke the devil so the could hold their healings?

The man bristled and halted and started and halted

I apologized once more out of politeness and then began to speak the following:

It is commonly taught today that we have all truth, and that we with all our tapes books and commentaries are on equal footing with Christ and the Apostles, but you know that that is not at all the case. So much of what we believe today was not taught even 50 and 100 years ago and people were healed and touched by God back then more so than they are today, and 50 and 100 years ago nobody worried about keeping and holding their healings. What we now have in the church bears little resemblance to what we read of in the Gospels and the book of Acts.

In the book of Acts we come to a most amazing and revealing passage concerning Paul the Apostle preaching to the Bereans. And of these people we are told that they were more honorable than the rest that Paul had preached to, because when he spoke they pulled out their Old Testaments and sought out his words to see if they were so. And understand from this passage that these Bereans summarily rejected anything that Paul said that could not be found and verified in the Old Testament. And I repeat that this practice was called honorable. The question then comes what ministry or preacher today would consider this practice honorable in any way shape or form? Much less what preacher or teacher today would preach or teach any doctrine of message based on the words of the Law and the Prophets? I dare say that if I were to go in any church today and say brother I’m going to review all you preach in the Old Testament and anything I can’t find I’m going to reject. Far from commending me that preacher or teacher would call me a heretic. That preacher or teacher would tell me I was being divisive, and that teacher or preacher would then promptly shun me and throw me out of their fellowship. So first off we have a notable problem in that we do not use the bible of Paul the Apostle and Jesus Christ and we do not understand the relationship between the so called Old Testament and the so called New Testament.

Second off when we read the Gospels we see that Christ Himself taught the 11 disciples for 3.5 years. And by any standards all these men’s teaching along with all they saw is far superior to what we are taught. Now if these 11 men were taught  by Christ himself under the “best  possible circumstances,” and they not only heard and saw but they also operated in some notable gifts of the Spirit as well. How is it in their testimonies that they tell us over and over and over that during that time they were filled with carnality and fleshly desires. How is it that we are told that they were not yet “Converted”?  And yet when we take a long hard look at the practices and behaviors of our supposedly enlighted and highly spiritual church of this hour it more closely resembles the carnal disciples of the first 3.5 years rather than the Apostles of the book of Acts?

But this is not the only thing we have to examine in this regard in the word of God. We also have the book of 1 Corinthians that describes in some detail the Church in Corinth and their spiritual or rather they unflattering unspiritual state. Here we have a church supposedly on-line for at least 10 years before Paul writes this letter to them. All of who we can safely assume were saved, all of whom we can safely assumed were baptized in water, all of whom we can safely assumed were baptized in the Spirit, all of whom we are told excelled in all spiritual gifts (and we no not.) – all of whom were taught by the likes of Paul Apollos and Peter again under the best possible circumstances (which if we can be bluntly honest we do not have either) and yet in 1 Corinthians chapters 2 -3 Paul sternly rebukes them as being earthly, carnal, Spiritually immature, and babes – in a negative sense – in other words they are filled with corruption and darkness. He also tells them because of their darkness being light, their love of the things of this world ect. that  they could not hear the word that proceedeth from the Father. And not only that but Paul tells them because of this worldliness and corruption working in them body soul and spirit they were unable to spiritually discern the true meat of the word from scripture because they were have been rendered blind deaf and naked. So that Seeing they see not, hearing they hear not, lest at any time they be converted.
If you have read much in these studies you will see with intimate detail and great clarity that the Lord has revealed this same thing in the lives of the 12 disciples as well –unto the day of their conversion.

But there is more in I Corinthians that is far stronger in testimony to the Corinthians corrupted state which at the time they seemed to show little evidence of coming out of. And I will confess that I have read and heard this next passage hundreds of times since I believed and have never understood the significance of it because my eyes and ears were holden.

In the last few days the Lord opened up 1 Corinthians 10. In most Protestant churches this is the text they read regarding communion and they steadfastly do not believe the words they read or else great fear would strike their hears when they partake. Concerning these Corinthians in this case now taking communion nothing has changed in their carnal corrupt and blind state. These men are all saved, baptized in water, baptized in the Holy Ghost, excelling in all gifts. But due to their state of filth, and darkness, and yet having a heart of stone, Paul tells us that these people “Many of them were eating and drinking damnation to themselves.” And for that reason Paul declares “Many of them were weak sick and dead in that church.” -- None of which can or would change this in the Church of Corinth one iota by any amount of their confession and profession of all the promises of God, or rebuking the devil. In other words the Corinthians were perishing in the wilderness and not entering into the promise and the bleached bones of their dead was a witness against them of their sins and corruption. This is undeniable truth – it is not debatable, or a matter of interpretation.

Look now at the words of Paul to the Corinthians as he plainly tells the Corinthian Church that despite all their self deluded confession, profession, and their Herculean exercise of believing that they that they were walking in the light as He is in the light, that they are not. And no amount of any of these things could cure their wound. Paul bluntly tells them that in reality the entirety of the Corinthian Church was walking in darkness following after the footsteps of the corrupt children of Israel in the wilderness.(and the Lord has spoken in my ear that these judgments all occurred while they yet walked in His blessing the manna yet fell, the water yet flowed out of the rock, God was manifest with the could by day and the pillar of fire at night, the 70 elders yet prophesied, there shoes and clothes wore not out. And this has been a point of utter confusion for the last 100 or so years. That if someone is seemingly “blessed” with a ministry of Gift how could they possibly have such greivieous sin to then fall under the “curse” or “judgment” of God? 

Romans 11:21-23 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. The meaning of these words are more than the “cutting off” This passage warns that we as “New covenant” believers are as susceptible to all the sicknesses and diseases and whatever else that allowed to fall upon the children of Israel under the “Old Covenant” – and this is despite whatever you have been taught about the “New Covenant” and so called “New Covenant teaching.” 

This is also the lesson of the shards of the Gospel cutting those that would handle them, Not only judging and cutting those that are their hearers and lancing from their souls and bodies sickness and disease. But these shards are sharper than any two-edged sword in judging and cutting the sin in he who seek to speak or invoke them as well.

So I dare say that those who confess and Profess all of these promised confess and profess to themselves damnation and the judgments of God because of their unbelief and disobedience to those commandments attached to those “promises” much in the same manner that the Corinthians were eating and drinking damnation to themselves – resulting in weakness sickness and death.

And Paul says that for this cause the Corinthians were also partaking of the judgments of God that fell upon the Children of Israel.
1 Corinthians 10:1-12 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
By definition the Word of Faith Movement is a movement that teaches our “Standing in Christ” as its cornerstone. A standing that they know nothing of, nor do they walk therein because they know Him not, nor do they walk with Him.

This standing in Christ is not automatic as is taught in the Calvinistic doctrine of Hagan which has leavened the whole loaf. But this standing in Christ is based fully upon our relationship with Christ and Him alone. And as we enter into deep repentance and become converted we thereby enter into this standing or as it is called elsewhere the promise.  And upon entering in to this we have no need to confess or profess these things as we are already walking in the light with Him.

This bears repeating: the Corinthians self-induced blindness and deafness that was made manifest in their not hearing the word that proceedeth, in their not discerning their true spiritual meat in the law and the prophets also caused them to be unable to spiritually discern the Lord’s body. – which in turn has caused the wrath, anger, or judgment of God to fall upon this Church in the manifestation of physical weakness physical sicknesses and physical death among its membership.

All of which we see in every quarter of the church today, and even in the churches of the Word of Faith Movement despite the lies and propaganda that they publicly proclaim to their own damnation and the damnation of all that would partake of their cup and walk in their footsteps.

And I confess here before God and men that in times past I believed and preached these same things – and I would assume that had the prosperity Gospel been taught when I was a child I would have preached and taught that as well.  And I confess before God and men that from 1972 – 2004 I walked in darkness as a believer that I was blind deaf and naked before God.  And while I am not ready to tell you of my conversion never the less what God has done for the last  two years has been breath taking to put it mildly.

And I will confess that in many ways I have been and still am under the stroke of God. In physical sickness and infirmities, in my wife abandoning me and my children, and then divorcing us, and in my separation all that I once knew. But that is all changing and in all of this I have found a delight in Him, a peace and a knowing that I am firmly in His hands that I have never known. I have come to the stark realization that these things have come upon me because of my sin and my unrighteousness, and that because God is Holy and Just He must do so if I ever might become Holy as He is Holy. So I myself am under the gun. I myself die daily but not in the same sense that Paul spoke. My earthly house crumbleeth. Yet in all this I clearly see the Goodness and the Love of God. And if I perish, I perish.  For I know that all that has come upon me is the justice and the righteousness of God.  And I know also that God owes me nothing, – but if it pleases Him He will deliver me from the mouth of the lion and set me upon The Rock. But if I go into corruption, I will die confessing that God is true and just and all my love is due Him.       

I repeat that we are not on equal footing with the Apostles that heard and say Christ, nor are we on equal footing with the Church at Corinth that were hand taught by Paul Peter and Apollos. But what we see abundant evidence that the church today is on par with the corrupt and carnal believers in church of Corinth. And looking up to what was discussed in Benny Hinn, and those of the Word of Faith Moment if they would stand still and admit what is festering among their most faithful and ardent followers

I then said that after the 3.5 years the Apostles all had a life-changing event. And in the church of Corinth after 10 years in the best of all circumstances it appears that none of these people had come into any such event in their lives and so they were weak sick and dying.

There is not a minister or preacher today in the church that has had this life changing conversion of the Apostles come upon them. Not Benny Hinn, not Kenneth Copeland, not Kenneth Hagan or any name that you can name. Not one of them have ever spoken to a life altering experience in Christ 5,10 20 30 40 years into their ministry.

Exodus 21:2-6 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
This passage of scripture alludes to this conversion experience of the Apostles. An experience that occurs apparently to but a few after they have been saved, baptized in water, baptized in the Spirit, and have excelled in what they have been given by their Lord. 

Note here that everything that was given him by His Master during those 7 years is yet his Master’s, even this slave’s wife and the children that are born. This is all part of what we typically perceive as our calling and ministry. And as a slave of your master you may have had and this increase and fruit thereof, but all this belongs to the Lord and not to the slave. – Ye are not your own.  Ye have been bought with a price, And let no man say, I have made this, I have created this with my own power the power of my hands the power of my mind the power of my wisdom is to deny the Lord for you created all this with what He has given you. In this spiritual event at the posts of His Master’s door – they has first occurred a sanctification process over those 7 years and this process has brought the one that was bought with a price to a realization that he or she is not their own,  that they are empty and bankrupt in and of themselves, and it is an acknowledgement a profession that is given before men and God that they indeed are salves, that they are indeed are deaf blind and naked before the master, and that all they have or ever thought that they had is not their own but their masters, and it is most of all the expression of their love with all their heart mind soul and strength of their Master,  their delight in their Master a delight that has grown and lit their hearts during those seven years so much so that they desire him more than “freedom” (all things are lawful) their delight is to ever be with him and to serve him. – What minister or preacher today being 10,20,30,40, or by reason of strength 50 years in the way has spoken of coming into this life changing experience, entering into sanctification, and has shown forth the fruits thereof even the witness of the Father?

So we have identified the disease but can we identify the cure? We have come to the realization that the Apostles words are true and that the church has been wandering in the wilderness of sin not for 40 years or 80 years as the Israelites did, but the church has wandered in this wilderness for almost 2000 years. And generation after generation has been found wanting before the Lord and generation after generation has been rejected and God has not allowed them to enter into the promise. And the generation that I am of has also so been judged of God, found wanting and rejected so that they might not enter in either.

The question is not the problem, but the cure.  Though I must confess that seeing the problem, and understanding the who, what, where, and how of it, has been a lifelong event for me. Seeing the cure has taken a lot less time.

And actually it is written right in the passage of 1 Corinthians 11 after Paul speaks of the weakness sickness and death that have come into this church.

1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Again, the meaning and import of these words were obscured by the Calvinistic lens that has come upon the entire church long before Hagan began to preach and teach. The meaning of Paul’s words was that judging ourselves and entering into deep repentance so that we might be Holy as He is Holy will prevent, end and remove these judgments and curses from falling upon us. 

Calvinism is diametrically opposed to any examination of self, any deep repentance, any prolonged time spent in prayer or waiting on God. Calvinism is religion without the Holy Ghost; Calvinism is Christianity without ever coming to an intimate knowledge of Christ; Calvinism is forgiveness without repentance; Calvinism is salvation without regeneration; and Calvinism is heaven without hell for all of its adherents.  

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting (our) holiness in fear of God.

In the context of what has been written I now see that in this passage beyond speaking of the power of the fear of God is Paul acknowledging that the Corinthians came into great repentance and at the very least lifted the wrath and judgments of God from their church and there is a strong possibility that “many” in this church due to this prayer repentance and entering into sanctification were able to enter into the conversion experience of the Apostles. This will have to be prayed upon and meditated on more to draw a conclusive answer but regardless this passage refers directly to the charges and problems Paul laid out to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians.. And by Paul’s exuberant words we can say that no small thing was accomplished with their prayers, deep repentance and sanctification.  
2 Corinthians 7:9-11
 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but (I do greatly rejoice) that ye sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made sorry after a Godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold (in) this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things, ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Look at this Paul is speaking about a prolonged period of repentance. A Godly sorrow, a Godly repentance – This period of repentance that was accomplished over weeks if not months accomplished great things in these people’s lives.

 

1) WHAT CAREFULNESS IT WROUGHT IN YOU.

I have seen growing among the people of God a haughtiness, and a lightness, concerning the Lord and the things of God. Today many things that are said in “jest” in meetings by parishioners and preachers alike  -- none dare spoke in the early 70’s. Everything today is laced with levity. We joke of salvation, we joke of heaven, We joke of scripture, we joke of Christ and the Father, and we joke of the Holy Ghost. The first symptoms of this was carnal believers seeking to justify their worldly lifestyle by saying: I think God has a sense of humor; therefore I can mock God, and the things of God, and I can mock that which is Holy and treat it with contempt and scorn.

2) WHAT CLEARING OF YOURSELVES IT WROUGHT IN YOU,

Not too long ago, 100 years ago to be more precise the fundamentalist church taught what they called “The Second Definite work of Grace.” The first definite work being salvation, and the second was called sanctification. So that after one repented and came to Christ one would over time discover a lack and then they would begin to seek God with great earnest, spending weeks if not months repenting and seeking inner cleansing and then when this event would occur in the life of an individual no one needed to say they had been touched by God, it was manifest to all around them. The sad fact is that the salvation that is preached today does not clear anyone of anything. The church is filled with believers that do every sin known to man. Christ is put to an open shame every day of the week by preachers and parishioners alike.

 

3) WHAT FEAR IT WROUGHT IN YOU

Paul is praising these believers that through this prolonged repentance, and prolonged crying out to God for forgiveness, for cleansing, for sanctification that a substantial change was wrought in their beings. Paul is saying that though this repentance that the fear of God was awakened in them. And Paul is really excited about this change of the addition of the fear of God in their lives.