THE PRESENCE OF GOD
#271.0304
scottSTANLEY
(All bracketed [ ] words inserted into the
following scriptures are the author’s paraphrase.)
Concepts for the 144,000
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
Jeremiah 3:19
OPENING REMARKS
As we go through this study together, I pray the Lord give me the words to speak. I pray that your heart be open to receive the truth as it is in Christ, and I pray to be aware of any doctrinal darkness, that we be able to turn completely from any darkness and walk fully in the light God is giving us. For me, I am – in my heart, in my mind – I am addressing the last generation church. I am addressing people who I believe to be either in the 144,000 or capable of being in that place because of the truth that they carry. I know that the things I’m going to share in this study are going to be difficult for some, but I also pray that these concepts… you find them to be terribly exciting. For me, also, the testimony I’m going to give you, if you can receive it and allow the Lord to speak these truths to your heart, you’ll find your place, again, on another plateau of understanding. This time the Lord is revealing to us how to live without sin – how to live without all of this stumbling and falling, all of the things we’ve been going through – because again let me say, if you can receive this truth, the fruit of the Spirit will be a natural outflow of your character, of who you are.
TESTIMONY
A few days ago, the Lord impressed me again – come to my desk, be quiet before Him, seek His face – and He impressed me to allow Him to reveal Himself in a new way. We have been going through a lot of things as a church, as a group – going through these studies, learning new principles – and many questions have come to my mind of how to apply these things to my own heart as I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling – and a lot of questions come to mind. You go back and you listen to the last several studies, and even though the Lord is revealing many things, there are many things left unclear. I found myself in an inward turmoil, just wondering: Well, what is the answer, you know, and sometimes you have to learn to ask the right question, allowing the Lord to reveal what is truth. So being in that state of mind, I knew the Lord was calling me to prayer, and to come and petition Him to answer these questions.
I felt impressed to turn to Ephesians 3, and there is a prayer found in this chapter that I want to read right now. Let me just simply read the whole prayer and then I want to bring you back to my time with the Lord and show you the process the Lord took me through to bring me to this revelation of understanding. Starting at Ephesians 3, verse 14:
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
strengthened with might [that word is actually “power”] by his Spirit in the
inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye [you], being rooted
and grounded in love [or I would say in the love of the Father],
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length,
and depth, and height [of that love];
19 And to know [by means of experience; this word “know” is [1097], and to
know by experience] the love of Christ, which passeth [surpasses] knowledge
[which means it’s more than intellectual], that ye [you] might be filled with
all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us [that energizes us, or
that is working in us],
21 Unto him be glory in the church by [in] Christ Jesus throughout all ages,
world without end. Amen.
I’ve read this prayer for years, and it always seemed to be such an awesome thing because He says, God is able to do over and above anything you can ask or even think, and He says, God’s spirit, giving you power in your inner man. See, many things are found in this prayer and as I prayed this prayer, as I read this and felt impressed to pray it for myself, the Lord began to open it up to me – what some of these things mean. I’ve learned never to say, “This is it, this is as far as it goes,” but what I’m going to share with you, I want to take you further than I personally had ever been in my understanding of this prayer – and I’ll tell you right now, it has literally changed my life. Once again, I can honestly tell you, you’re seeing another man. I am not the same man at the last study, due to the experience God gave me as He answered this prayer for me personally and, I can honestly tell you, I know I am where we all need to be before God. I just simply ask you to humble yourself, to walk with the Lord, and let Him reveal to you what He has to me – and it’s going to take more than just watching a video, or listening to an audio tape.
Let me lay out the principles, let me give you my testimony and you take it to the Lord – that the experience in your heart is the same.
HIS SPIRIT
As I prayed this prayer, this part where He says in verse 16:
Ephesians 3:16
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory [or
“character,” the riches of His character – who He is], to be strengthened
with might [power] by his Spirit in the [your] inner man;
For
We come to the Lord: We’re living in the world, living in darkness – and we
turn around and decide we want to serve God – and we come alive unto God,
and we call that being born again; you have a born again experience. The
problem is, you’re living in confusion and you live according to your own
opinions – even when you pick up the book and start reading it, it’s still
your own interpretation. Another word that defines that is “being in the
earth” or “hell” – “hell” means not to know – you’re in a type of
“hell.” I’m not saying you’re tormented. What I mean is you don’t really know
and understand God – you just simply have made a decision to serve Him, and you
go through this process of learning and growth.
Two words translated “Hell”
[86] Hades
root of [86] = [1] Alpha and
[1492] To Know
Hades literally means “not to know” or
“not to see”
[1067] Geenna
Geenna in the NT comes from
two Hebrew
Words that have been
transliterated
[1516] Ge (valley) and [2011] Henna (or
Hinnom)
meaning Valley of the Son of Hinnom
The Lord has marked it out for us in Revelation – those seven churches.
But as you go through this process, He brings you a message that Jesus
literally is His Son, born in eternity past, and that Jesus is the Creator –
and the Lord sets that straight in your thinking. Then He brings you to the
place where He gives you the abiding truth and helps you understand what
it means to hear the voice of God. The “mystery of God” is no longer a
mystery. I’ve got to say before I go on, remember in Colossians where he talks
about the “mystery of God”? Let me just read this, because I may need to touch
on this – I want this concept in your thinking; I want to refresh you concerning
this concept. In Colossians 1:26, he says:
Colossians 1:26-27
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now
is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Let me tell you quickly, the “mystery of God” that the world does not understand is that God is speaking to them through their conscience, and trying to lead those who are honest in heart – and the “riches of the glory of the mystery” is Christ in you. You see, the Lord is speaking to the world, trying to bring them to Himself. But it’s only when you are told “this is God” – and then you begin to start listening and recognizing this is the “new covenant,” – He’s speaking through my conscience, He’s leading me. It’s only then that the riches of the mystery can be realized – the “riches of the mystery” is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
When God brings you this truth of abiding and listening to the voice, and learning to live and be directed by “the Spirit” – when that becomes a reality to you, you have entered into the “Promised Land.” Jesus Christ pictured that in His life, showed us that symbol when He was raised from the dead. When that man came out of the grave, in His mind, He possessed a completed perfection – He had entered the Promised Land, you see, what God had promised Him. So you have a born again experience, but you live in a state of confusion until the Lord brings you to the Promised Land, and He says, Listen to my Son. This is My Son, hear Him – remember on the Mount of Transfiguration, This is my Son, hear Him. Those are two doctrines that need to be understood as seen in the seven churches; you come to the place – this is my Son, Thyatira, hear Him.
So here we are – we’ve decided we want to serve God, and we’re walking in confusion. We’re then brought to the abiding truth, and His resurrection is a picture of our resurrection and coming alive unto God in a new and living way. Now just follow this through: After you’re listening, after you’re developing this hearing ear and you learn to let the Lord lead through the conscience, and He begins to reveal to you doctrinal truth (He straightens out the doctrinal confusion) so that He can show you that you have a sin nature, you have iniquity – all of this time God is leading you, and you’re listening and being led of His Spirit, but you personally do not understand His love. When you do, when He reveals that love to you, the first thing He does is show you “the lie” from the womb – feeling of no value, that being given you by the mother – and you “ascend” then out of the lie. It’s at this point, if you go back and read Acts, read what happened here, He comes out of the grave – for forty days He teaches the disciples, for forty days. Go back and read the end of Luke, and you’ll discover the scriptures say that “He opened their minds to the meaning of the scripture.”
What do you think He told them during that forty days? Don’t you think He was expressing to them why He had died? Here’s what the scriptures mean, this is what had to happen, this is why it had to happen. During those forty days He reveals to you the why of it, and then He ascends – which is the picture of you ascending out of the lie. Then go back and read what the disciples did – they remained in the temple, praising and blessing God for ten days, and then Holy Spirit came on them as a picture of you ascending out of the lie – ten days, that “ten” being that listening to God, learning to hear Him, letting Him bring you to another stage of completeness, so that you now know by means of experience His love, and you now possess “Holy Spirit” for the first time.
What we thought when we read this book, and said: Oh yeah, I believe
Jesus died. Well, the Holy Spirit then comes and gets in me, see, that is
folly; that is not true. His Spirit is in you, His mind is in you; Christ is in
you – by means of “faith.” “Faith” is what God teaches you and you accept,
and that’s in this prayer we just prayed in Ephesians (and we will come back to
it, but my point is – back to the prayer): When God’s Spirit is in you and you
possess “Holy Spirit,” and you know His love, there is now “power” in
your inner man – you now possess power in the inner man. Remember what
Christ said, that the promise of My Father: “When Holy Spirit comes upon you,
you’ll receive power from on high.” God’s power is in knowledge –
knowledge you gain by experience, and there’s nothing more powerful than knowing
God’s love! There’s nothing more powerful than knowing the love of God that
will change you forever, and we’re going to touch on that in this prayer,
because you see, as we read this prayer, Paul says, “That you might know the
length, and breadth, and depth and height of that love.”
Now let’s go back to this prayer, and I want you to read this again – verse 16:
Ephesians 3:16-17
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory [see, that He would grant you], to be strengthened with might [power] by his Spirit [or His understanding being] in the [your] inner man [That you would possess His understanding of how He feels and thinks about you];
17 [So] That Christ [Christ’s understanding or Christ’s mind] may
dwell in your hearts by faith [by means of what God is teaching you – faith];
that ye [you], being rooted and grounded in love [in the love of the Father…
I just wrote in my bible “love of the Father”],
“…being rooted and grounded” – what were you rooted in? The lie – that was your
foundation – the lie. Now you’re rooted in His love, see? When His
Spirit is in your inner man, you’re now rooted and grounded in that love.
BREADTH, LENGTH, DEPTH, HEIGHT
Ephesians 3:18
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints [What I’m getting ready to read to you is what all saints are going to grasp] what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height [of that love];
Testimony: The Lord impressed me to pray this prayer concerning myself – for myself, pray this prayer – and I did. Within minutes He began to reveal to me the length and breadth, and depth and height of His love for me – What I want to share with you will change you forever.
The last few years, as I watched the news, I have seen these kids (young girls) kidnapped and found murdered, and raped and tortured – and you know, when this happens in the news, sometimes they key on a family, on a certain girl – and this may go on for weeks (you’ll see them in the news for weeks). And you’ll see the parents interviewed, and the mother is making a plea, pleading for the kidnapper to bring my daughter back, she’s only this age and she’s helpless, and show mercy – and you know, you see the father brought to tears… and my heart always goes out to these people. Then it causes me to go look out the window and – where’s mine? – make sure I know where they are.
As I watched these news presentations and began to feel for the parent, of course, I imagined what that would be like – to lose your child that way. I told people, some people, that if this ever happened to me, you would be hard pressed to keep me from going in that jail and taking these men and killing them with my bare hands, if that happened to my daughter. Why? When I think of these kids – I have two daughters, of course, now they’re 7 and 5 – but I look at the sweet innocence they possess. Their little minds, when they think as deep as they can and as hard as they can, to me it looks so shallow; they’re so vulnerable; they’re so trusting; they’re so needful of Mom and Dad. They’re so sweet and precious, and you know, you know what I’m saying. You people that have children and you’ve raised these kids – and you’ve heard them say things that seem to be so silly, but you realize that’s where their little minds are – that’s how they think. When I imagine someone coming in and taking advantage of that vulnerability, when I imagine an adult doing that to any child, I can’t understand how they could do that. But then, when I think of someone doing it to my child, there is a rage that swells up inside of me that actually, you know, you could kill, you could move a mountain; you could pick up a car, you could do… this anger that comes up inside to think you would do that to someone like this – someone as sweet and precious as this.
Well, you see that is the length and breadth and depth and height of God’s love for you! You already possess the knowledge of that love in your heart, you know, because you already experience that love toward someone else or have had someone love you like that. That experience of love that I’m talking about is how the Father loved His Son and, because the Son was the price paid, that’s how much God loves you. Think about it: That is how much God loves you – if you can imagine that rage that happens inside because this person has been abused, this person … this is injustice. Well, Jesus Christ was a totally innocent man – He literally was the Son of God. Our heavenly Father loved that man – that was His Son – and when humanity moved on the Son and did what they did, you did not see a rage from God, see? Again, I’m back to my two children – there’s a rage if someone does this to them, if they take a life. But what if one of my children killed the other? The rage isn’t there… I don’t have the rage. I have sorrow, and I might be angry, and I’m upset, but I don’t have a rage to go out there and kill the daughter who… see, it isn’t there. If one kills the other, I still love the one that’s living, even though she did something horrific – and God’s rage was not manifest toward humanity. It’s this action that proves to you how much He loves you – and you already know by means of experience that love – you already know it.
LOVE OF CHRIST
Now notice, in this next verse, in Ephesians 3, not only is it the love of the Father, but in the next verse, He says – verse 19:
Ephesians 3:19
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth [surpasses] knowledge …
See… the love of the Father and the love of Christ are two different things. The Father’s love was to give you all that He had in the possession of His Son. But Jesus didn’t have a son – He gave you His life; that was all He had – He gave you His life. In fact, on the cross, when He became sin, He was giving up His God – and I pray to touch on that when we get toward the end of this study – all that meant anything to Him, He let go of it. Now, before I get into how you apply this and how it changes you and what happened to me, let me tell you why death… why did the Son have to die? Consider this: Death is the most powerful, permanent thing the world understands. Somebody would rather owe you a million dollars than have to die. That’s why all of these movies now…when you look at these movies, it always involves death, and now it isn’t just the death of a person – the whole city is going to be wiped out, or the whole world will die in germ warfare, or whatever it is. It’s always “death,” because that is how the world… that is the one thing they don’t understand. They invent things, trying to say: Well, when you die you don’t die, you go live somewhere else… see, death is the most horrific thing – it’s final.
If you’re willing to die for somebody, that’s ultimate in the world’s mind, and God met us where we were. So death is the greatest thing, it’s the biggest payment. OK, What about My only begotten Son? Let Him die. More than that, We’ll let you put Him to death. More than that, We’re going to let Him be a perfectly righteous man. He’s My only begotten Son. You put Him to death, and you’ll see there is not a rage in My heart, because I love you this much. And see, for the Son, His love for you was: I want you to know the love of My Father so much, I’m going to give My body a sacrifice. I’m going to let you put Me to death. I’m sacrificing My life, so that it will give My Father the opportunity to show His love, and you’ll be convinced that My Father loves you. I possess this love. I know My Father even as He knows Me, and I know this love – and I want you to know it so bad, I’ll go through this ordeal so you can learn it. That’s the difference between the love of the Father and the love of the Son.
IN HIS PRESENCE
I’m in prayer and the Lord reveals to me the love of the Father – the length and breadth, and depth and height – because of my love for my own children, and that created in me such… listen, I’m going to even use the word “pity” toward God. Suddenly, that was just pitiful, that He would have to do that to convince me. My heart broke and I’m sitting in my chair, and I just began to weep, and as that thought really sunk in, my body literally shook from the weeping I was going through. This isn’t something that was just an intellectual thing – God moved on me and helped me see this – that is why the effect was the way it was. After I finished this crying spell, and I come back and I see “and the love of Christ”… and the Lord shows me that the Son of God wanted me so badly to know this love, that He gave His body a sacrifice. Well, that moved me and I broke down all over again, and I’m sitting here crying and it happens all over again – just like it did when I looked at the love of my Father.
So I have these two crying spells, this ordeal I go through, and I finally… I’m wiping my eyes, I lift my head, open my eyes, and at that instant, I knew I was in the presence of God. How did I know it? By means of my daughters, again. Listen, my two daughters are never out of my sight or my wife’s. If I can’t literally see them, I know where they are; I know who they’re with. They’re never out of my care, and the Father showed me we are never out of His – and that awareness, just like I am with my children, He is toward me. Suddenly, I knew I was in His presence. Listen, I’ve always been in His presence, I just wasn’t aware of it. When I became aware of it, it has changed me and made me a different man, I pray, for eternity.
The other day, just yesterday, I’m sitting in the living room, I’m talking on the phone and I go sit over in the corner and, as I’m talking on the phone, one of my daughters runs in and she doesn’t see me there, and she picks up this little doll and starts talking to the doll in baby talk, in patting it and in treating it this way—you know, a particular way, like a “mommy.” And she turns and sees me sitting there, and her whole countenance changed when she saw me. She looked like she was a little embarrassed for acting this way… see, not knowing I was there, she was doing one thing, but when she was aware of my presence, it totally changed and, low and behold, here came the next one. She didn’t see me either, and she’s doing her thing, and I expected for the daughter who knew I was there to go like this… it didn’t happen, but I expected her to point and say, “Look, there’s Dad; look, Dad’s sitting over there.” But my other daughter, she turned and the same thing happened when she saw me — she gets this big smile and now she knows Daddy’s watching. Listen, when they’re outside in the front yard, or out in the back yard, Mommy and Daddy are looking out the window – we’re watching. They’re never out of our sight, even if they know it or not – and that’s the way you are with God!
Think of the things you do – imagine yourself standing before the throne of God,
and see if you can continue in that same attitude or doing that same thing.
Listen, there are things you do right now that if
There are a couple of mistakes I have made doctrinally over the years that I want to address in this study. Listen, there’s been more than a couple over the years… there’s a couple I want to address here. One of them is what is stated in John 7. I want to read this because the Lord brought the reality, the truth of this to my heart. In John 7, let me start reading in verse 37:
John 7:37-39
37 In the last day [days], that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth [believes] on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
receive: for the Holy Ghost [Spirit] was not yet given [for the Holy
Spirit was not yet]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
King James put that word “given” in there… the “Holy Spirit was not yet.”
Notice what he says: “This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on
him should receive…” When it says “Holy Spirit was not yet” it doesn’t
mean “in Him” – it means “in us,” because it took His death and resurrection
before we could understand the love of God. Jesus Christ possessed “Holy
Spirit” – He knew the love of His Father; He knew God even as God knew Him –
that’s what He states in John 10. He knew the Father, even as the Father knew
Him – He possessed “Holy Spirit” – we didn’t, and it took His death and
resurrection to bring us to the place where we could possess it. That is one
error I feel like I’ve been making over the years. There’s another one I want
to touch on later in this study, but another thing is in Revelation 7, this
scripture – verse 15:
Revelation 7:15
Read these two texts with me: Look at the gospel of John, chapter 16, verse 32
– He says:
John 16:32
32 Behold, the hour cometh [comes], yea, is now come, that ye [you] shall be
scattered, every man to his own, and shall [and you’ll] leave me alone: and yet
I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
John 8:29
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath [has] not left me alone; for
I do always those things that please him.
See, I used to read that and think: Well, because He does everything right,
the Father is with Him – it’s the opposite. Because the Father is with Him,
He always does everything right, see? We experience that ourselves, I’m telling
you, in our own life – when other people are present, we’re different. Well,
when you can become aware of the presence of God, you’ll never be the same
again, but only He can bring you that, and it has to be your faith or
remember, faith comes by hearing – it has to be what God teaches you,
hearing the word of God. So, if you can let that become a part of who you are,
you’ll never be the same.
Please understand again, that is how Jesus kept from sinning – that is
how the 144,000… they’ll enter into that and they will never sin again. You
see, what you’re experiencing is the power of truth, the power of
possessing Holy Spirit and what I’m sharing with you today is another
plateau of understanding to bring us to a completed perfection. Live in this
presence of God. Develop it, just like you used to develop a hearing ear –
develop the presence of God. What I’m talking about is over and above abiding in
Christ – what I’m talking about is living without sin in the presence of
God starting now. Do you know what this is? This is eternal life!
This is not in confusion, in death, in that grave, surrounded by
“earth.” This is eternal life! Remember John 17:3? This is life eternal,
that they might know you the only true and living God and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent. That’s eternal life – to know Him and the length and
breadth and depth and height of His love – you possess that already in your
heart. You already know what that is, now let Him apply that as His attitude
toward you… wake up in His presence and let everything you do have that aroma,
that flavor that God is with me, I am His child.
A BROTHER IN NEED
1 John, chapter 3, there are a few things that come out of this, and I want to bring out as much as I can in this study. I want to cover the other mistake I feel like I have made in these studies that I’ve been sending out. To do so, 1 John, chapter 3 – verse 1:
1 John 3:1-2
1 Behold [or look, see], what manner of love the Father hath [has]
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not [the world does not know us by means of experience], because it
knew him not [because it didn’t know Him, it doesn’t know Him by experience].
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth [does] not yet appear what we
shall be [In other words, in John’s day he is saying that this finished, this
completed perfection, we don’t see it yet in the church]: but we know that, when
he shall appear [when he appears], we shall [we’re going to] be like him; for we
shall [we’ll] see him as he is.
So, in essence, what John is saying is: Right now we don’t see Him as He is.
Right now it doesn’t appear what we’ll be; we do know when He does come
the second time, we’re going to be like Him, because we’ll see Him as He is.
So it’s this last generation church that will see Him as He is – not
as He was, or what He’ll be like… as He is, right now – to see
Him as He is, will help us be like Him. Let’s keep reading this:
1 John 3:3-4
3 And every man that hath [has] this hope in him purifieth [purifies] himself,
even as he [Jesus] is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth [commits] sin transgresseth also the law [commits
lawlessness]: for sin is the transgression of the law [for sin is lawlessness].
Now, before I read this chapter, let’s define “sin” quickly: “Sin” is
lawlessness. “Sin” isn’t the transgression of the law, “sin” is
lawlessness. “Law” – take it back to the Old Testament is teaching,
torah – teaching. “Sin” is to be without the teaching – when God
gives you His teaching, when He impresses your heart, that’s called “grace.”
“Sin” is to resist God’s grace. Verse 5:
1 John 3:5-9
5 And ye [you] know that he was manifested [the Son of God was
manifested] to take away our sins [our resistance of God’s grace]; and in him is
no sin [in Him there is no resistance].
6 Whosoever abideth [abides] in him sinneth not [doesn’t resist]: whosoever
sinneth [is resisting] hath [has] not seen him, neither known him [whosoever is
resisting has not seen Him as the Son, and doesn’t know Him by means of
experience].
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth [is doing]
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth [commits] sin [or, resisting God’s impressions] is
of the devil [diablos – the inward adversity to God’s love]; for the
devil sinneth from the beginning [for diablos resisted from the
beginning]. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil [your resistance – of diablos].
9 Whosoever is born of God doth [does] not commit sin [resist]; for his seed
remaineth [abides] in him: and he cannot sin [resist], because he is born [has
been born] of God.
Think it through... Think it through – everything you do is in the presence of
God. How’s that going to change you tomorrow?
1 John 3:10-16
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil [diablos]:
whosoever doeth [does] not [do] righteousness is not of God, neither he that
loveth [loves] not his brother. [Now follow this reasoning as he brings this
out, because I want to point something out to you.]
11 For this is the message that ye [you] heard from the beginning, that we
should love one another.
12 Not as [like] Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And
wherefore slew he him [Why did he slay him]? Because his own works were evil,
and his brother's [were] righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate [hates]you.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death [He that loves not his
brother is abiding in death].
15 Whosoever hateth [hates] his brother is a murderer: and ye [you] know that no
murderer hath [has] eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby [By this] perceive [King James put “perceive” – it’s [1097] – you know
by experience] we the love of God [By this, know we by experience the
love… now notice “of God” is not there. Hereby, perceive we, or know by
experience the love], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to
lay down our lives for the brethren.
Now when I first read that verse, it was like it seemed so shallow to me, but
what happens to me when you say: He laid down His life, so should we lay down
our lives for the brethren – but then it’s his definition – verse 17:
1 John 3:17
17 But whoso hath [has] this world's good, and seeth [sees] his brother have
need, and shutteth [shuts] up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him [how does the love of God abide in him]?
Now that seemed shallow to me, because in my mind, I thought, Well, if I see
my brother needs food and I have food, if I don’t give it to him, I don’t
possess God’s love. See, when he says, “this worlds good” (“this world’s
good,” if you possess this world’s good) and that is where my mind went. But
the Lord showed me in looking at the love of Christ, again, this man so badly
wanted you to know of this love and possess this love, and let God love you. He
wanted you so badly to do that, that He gave Himself a sacrifice to help us see
our resistance to God and how that was killing us, that we might see the
love of God. And because He laid down His life for us, so ought we to lay
down our lives for the brethren.
I know this includes if you have worldly “things” – money, food, whatever it is
– that you need to help your brother and sister. I know it means that, and one
thing that leaped out at me is the fact that if God is telling me to do this,
that I know this is what He’s doing with me. In other words, if He is telling
me to help my brother if I have what my brother needs, then God is helping me –
I’m His son. If He’s going to command you and I to do it, He definitely is
fulfilling the same thing toward us – and He owns the cattle on a thousand
hills, literally and spiritually. God possesses the riches of this universe,
literally and spiritually, and when He sees us have need, He’s going to take
care of us. And going through the tax ordeal I’ve been going through, that gave
me a peace to realize, Well I know I’m His son and He’s taking care of me
and, if He’s going to command me to do this, well, I know He’s going to do this
with me. But it goes deeper than that because if you’ll look at, for
instance, Ephesians
Ephesians 1:21
21 Far above all principality, and power [authority], and might [power], and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come:
Is there another world to come? Yes – Hebrews 6, verse 4:
Hebrews 6:4-5
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of
the heavenly gift [Holy Spirit], and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost
[Spirit],
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Is there a world to come? Yes. What is the “power” of the world to come? You
see, we talk about possessing the worldly good and having what this world
needs, but there is a world to come, and you can possess the power of the
world to come right now. The “power of the world to come” is the
experience of knowing the love of our heavenly Father toward us, individually –
that is the “power of the world to come.” When you think of this next life,
and entering into this next life, this next world – the power of it is the
love of God. Think about it. You see, the power of the world to come is
the love of God – that is what we possess! That is what Christ possessed, and
He saw His brother have need, and the question to you and I is: If Christ
was willing to lay down His life that we might possess the love of God, are we
willing to lay down ours, that our husband, wife, children, people we work with,
people in our neighborhood – that they might see the love of God? To what
extent are you willing to go? How badly do you want the world to possess God’s
love? If you even have it yourself – do you have it? Can you pass it on? How
are you going to do it? Well, Jesus Christ was asked to give His life a
sacrifice that the world could see manifest the love of the Father. What is He
asking us to do?
This brings me to something I put on a tape, two or three tapes ago, I can’t
remember which one it was, but I was talking about Christ in Gethsemane.
This is another mistake that I made, and I want to rectify this, but maybe build
on it. I’m not sure how much of a mistake this is, but I have felt impressed to
reconsider this. Christ in
So then, what was happening to Him in
Now when I think of me being in that place, that’s a tough thing – to allow these people to have authority over you. Listen, there are people in my life that, if you gave them authority over me, I would be dead – that’s the God’s truth of it – I would be a dead man. “To give them authority for the rest of the night and all day tomorrow, let them do what they want, because I’m going to use that and let the world see how much I love them. Let these people who are your enemy, let them have their way with you,” – and for Christ to say: “The spirit is willing but, in My flesh, this is a hard thing to do.” For me to just make a statement, “Well, He didn’t want to die for people,” see, His spirit was willing. He loved God and He wanted us to know that love, but to put Him in that circumstance, He had to deal with the flesh, and I know God was not laying my sin on Him in that garden, because He had not made up His mind to go through with it yet. So whatever it was the Father was going to do – it hadn’t begun yet.
Another thing is, according to Leviticus, the bullock dies in the garden.
It’s the Lamb that dies on the cross – the bullock dies in the
garden. So here we have a resistance being seen in the Savior – “Father take
this cup, You can do all things.” I hear Him saying: “Father, there’s a
million ways for you to show the world how much you love them. Why do I have to
do this?” And again, when you go back to “death” and you recognize this is
what the world understands, is death, see that’s ultimate – that He had to
die. In the spirit He was willing but, in the flesh, there was a weakness
there which – when He overcame it and made that decision to do it – He became
the Lamb of God, and when He walked out of that garden, He was the Lamb of God.
But also, listen, when I look at
Another aspect of it is, according to Isaiah 53, the Son of God would be beaten, would be tormented; the Son of God would go through a physical abuse but, in Isaiah 53:10 He would become our problem – He would become what humanity’s problem is – He would become sin. He would become the old man. What does that mean, “to become sin”? He was “made to be sin that we might be made the righteousness of God,” but what does it mean, “to be made sin”? Now, I say this is in Isaiah 53… I say that because the Son of God was aware of Isaiah 53 and, in the garden of Gethsemane, He knew what was coming down the pike if He decided to do this – if He followed through with this, He would become sin: hence, the crown of thorns sticking in His head, the nakedness, hanging on that cross, His enemy having total dominion over Him – the enemy being “sin” – but the outward enemy, see… All of these symbols were a picture of what was happening inwardly … and the wrath of God on Him.
WRATH OF GOD
Now I want you to stop right here for a minute, and I want you to recognize something concerning the “wrath” of God. When I think of my life, growing in sin, growing in the degradation of life, and coming on my knees before God and saying, “save me,” I can look back at all of those years that I lived in the sin I was in, and I can’t think of a time that I experienced God’s wrath. And I’ve got to say, if you’re in a place that you think God will not destroy, He’s never destroyed, He will not destroy – part of the reason that we believe that, that we want to go that direction, is because we’ve never experienced it ourselves. It isn’t in us – when I consider my past life, it isn’t there. I can’t think of a day that I had God’s wrath on me – I can’t think of a day. Now when I think of my life and I think of God, the words that come to my mind are longsuffering, merciful, see, graceful toward me, gentle toward me. “Wrath” isn’t there… it just isn’t there.
Yet, let me show you a scripture in Romans, chapter one, that we need to consider, because if you see Jesus in Gethsemane, knowing He’s going to become sin and knowing He’s going to experience wrath, the wrath of God – Romans chapter one, I want to begin reading at verse 18:
Romans 1:18
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven…
Now, He isn’t saying “will be,” it is. Paul is going to describe for you God’s wrath toward the sinner, and I want you to catch this.
Romans 1:18
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, [King James put] who hold the truth in unrighteousness [that word is “restrain.” They restrain the truth in unrighteousness];
And let me say this: At this point, we’re not talking about unborn children or
aborted kids, or the crack baby in
Romans 1:18
19 [His wrath is revealed] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [has shown] it unto them.
Talking about the conscience – they are denying their own conscience and he, for me, sums it up in verse 32 when he says:
Romans 1:32
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Two things about that verse, see: They know and get this, these people know the judgment of God. This word “judgment” – “judgment” means decisions made, determinations. These people know the determination of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death; these people know that in their heart, God had shown it to them – and yet, they still do what they do. This is who we’re talking about now, this group of people.
It’s interesting, for some of you out there who don’t know God will do that, you’re denying your own heart because you know that He has, you know that He is, and you know that He will. But let’s keep reading this. I want you to see what His wrath is – verse 20:
Romans 1:20
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead [divinity]; so that they are without excuse:
These people have no excuse because God has shown it unto them. Now notice:
Romans 1:21-23
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God [they didn’t glorify Him as God], neither were [they were not] thankful; but [they] became vain in their imaginations [imaginings], and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And [they] changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
See, this is what they did when they rejected the impression of the heart – he’s talking about the wrath of God is revealed from heaven – why? Because they’ve restrained the truth – what truth? What God has impressed them with – now here is the wrath, verse 24:
Romans 1:24
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Look at verse 28:
Romans 1:28
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, …
What is His “wrath”? It’s when He gives you up. According to this
scripture, God’s wrath is revealed from heaven – it’s when He
gives them up. You think He won’t give them up? Then you’re not standing on a
solid foundation. According to this, He has, He is and He will – and Christ in
Now listen, my children – they’re playing outside – they don’t know I’m looking
out the window. They don’t know I’m watching them. They don’t know the plans I
have for them in the future, they’re just simply living. For them to not be in
my presence then, means I have to do something, I
have to turn from the window, I have to let them just go to
hell…. go do what they want to do. See, I have to do that and for Jesus
Christ in the garden to know I’m going to be made sin – that means I will not
be in God’s presence, and He is the one who will do it. Woody pointed out
something to me: When Christ is on the cross and He says: “I thirst,” that
isn’t literal, it’s spiritual. That’s because His Father had separated,
and then we know He separated when He said: “Why hast thou forsaken Me?” He
wasn’t in the presence of God. He was being treated as a sinner so that we
could come along and look at the cross, and see the problem – the “crown of
thorns” (I’m full of iniquity, it pricks me constantly), the “nakedness”
(I’m just being who I want to be; I’m not covered with God’s thought at all,
with His righteousness), see – crown of thorns, nakedness, the land is dark,
and I don’t have God. That is my problem and Jesus portrayed that – and
being in
Another thing I want to point out: If you’ll look at Luke, turn to Luke, chapter 16, there is a parable found in Luke 16, concerning the rich man and Lazarus. I want to begin reading at verse 19:
Luke 16:19-24
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [rich in his own understanding]
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels [messengers] into Abraham's bosom [or, the abiding truth, the messengers of God. God sends you a messenger; they carry you into the abiding truth]: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell [or the grave, or surrounded by nothing but the “earth” – his own understanding] he lift up his eyes [he lifted up the eyes of his understanding], being in torments, and seeth [he saw] Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water [that he may dip his faith in God’s understanding – in water], and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
What flame? Before we go on – what “flame”? The flame that burns within the human heart – that fiery spirit. Remember in James, and I don’t want to get too far off here from where we’re going with this, but remember in James – let me read James 3, verse 6:
James 3:6
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth [defiles] the whole body, and setteth [sets] on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
“Hell” here is “geenna” – the
Here in Luke, the “rich man” is in “hell” – this word “hell” means not
knowing and he’s in torment, and he wants the understanding he sees that
Lazarus has, the abider, and you’ve got to see what Abraham says to this man.
Notice this, verse 25:
Luke 16:25-26
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou [you] in thy [your] lifetime receivedst thy [received your] good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art [you’re] tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence [here] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence [there].
What’s the “great gulf”? It’s the mind, the abyss of the mind. Notice he tells the rich man: “yours is fixed.” Why? This was something I asked the Lord, “Father I know it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) I know that we are judged according to what we’ve done in our bodies, whether it be good or bad.” Let me just simply read this so I can make this point, in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 10:
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; [so] that every
one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath [has]done,
whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
“Knowing the terror of the Lord” … we’re going to receive a reward according to what we’ve done, whether it be good or bad. “Knowing the terror of the Lord, we’re persuading you; we’re trying to persuade you – the great gulf fixed.” Death, as I’ve pointed out in this study, according to this world, is the most ultimate thing – and if a person is willing to face death, even to the point of death, without crying out for God, their mind is fixed, they will not change; they will not change. Do not lie to yourself. Do not think people are going to come out of these graves and cry out, “Oh God, now I’m sorry…” and He’s just going to forgive them all. Their mind is fixed.
When you don’t know what’s around the corner – that is what you fear. You fear what you don’t know. That is why people fear death, because they don’t know, but when they face that fear and you give them life again – when once you have faced it, it isn’t so scary anymore. They’re not afraid of death after the resurrection; they have faced it, and they faced it without God. The scriptures point out something Christ taught, in that He said: “This gulf is fixed, so that I cannot come to you. And those who would cannot come to Me.” It cannot be, and if you believe otherwise, it is error.
What is that going to do? How is that going to affect your life, your character for eternity? What is that going to do? I’ve got to read one more thing – this is found in Hebrews 12, starting at verse 14:
Hebrews 12:14-17
14 Follow peace with all men [or, with all], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as [like] Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye [you] know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Now, when it says “he found no place of repentance,” does that mean he wasn’t repenting? No, he was repenting. Who was unrepentant toward him? Isaac – read it again:
17 For ye [you] know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance [in the heart of his father], though he sought it carefully with tears.
Whoever it was that wrote the book of Hebrews, I believe it was Paul, but whoever it was, the Lord moved this person to go back and take a story of Isaac and Esau and apply that situation to God and the lost sinner – not simply the lost sinner – the rejecter of His grace, these who reject the birthright. Now, had I simply told you, Well look at Isaac and the way he rejected Esau, see, this is what God will do – I’m sure the argument would have been, Well, Isaac was a man; God is not a man – He will not do that. But yet the writer of Hebrews does that very thing... He shows you, this is a picture of God and a person who rejects His grace – though they seek it carefully with tears, they’ll find no place of repentance in the heart of God. Why? Because the great gulf is fixed. If they’re seeking repentance, it’s for all the wrong reasons. If they cry out to God, listen, do you think “every knee will bow”? You better believe it! Every knee is going to bow, but God’s church will bow the knee in a different motive than the lost. The motive is totally different, and it’s the motive that sanctifies the action. The great gulf is fixed, they find no place for repentance.
Now follow this, listen to this: If you can’t see that God rejects these people – that is going to prepare your heart for something that is not like God. You’re developing a character unlike that of God. You do not have the name of God in your forehead – how can you have? That is not like Him. Here we see, we’ve seen the apostles say: “Knowing the terror of the Lord” – God’s wrath is revealed from heaven already when He lets these people go, when He gives them up.
2 Thessalonians, chapter one, is key concerning what we’ve been talking about – verse 7:
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [or, the angel of His power],
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ [It doesn’t just simply mean people who don’t know Him, but people who don’t know Him because they don’t want to know Him – they’ve restrained the truth in unrighteousness]:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Punishment everlasting from the presence of the Lord – and consider His church being in His presence. These people’s punishment is away from His presence – to not be allowed in His presence for all eternity. It is an eternal judgment, to never be allowed in the presence of God. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven – eternal destruction, away from the presence of God. Christ in Gethsemane, knowing that He would not be in the presence of God – the struggle the man went through – and I’ve got to say this: Only for a few days, for me, have I been living in this awareness of God’s presence, but I know Christ was there His entire life, from eternity past, and as a man – He lived in the presence of God. And to tell Him, to threaten Him that this will not be a reality, I know, was some of the pressure the man was feeling. I pray again, I pray for a deeper revelation of that.
Before I close, I’ve got to make a statement: We’ve been discussing the wicked
and this fire that rages within the human heart. I believe that “fire within
the human heart” is what the scriptures declare to be the lake of fire.
I don’t believe this lake of fire is God’s fire. God’s fire falls from heaven,
but I know there were six things put in the lake of fire: the beast, false
prophet, satan, death and hell and anyone not found written in the book of life
– six things are cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation
You see, that same principle applies. We talked about the mystery of God – the “mystery of God” is Him speaking to the human heart, and when you wake up to the fact that it is God, then the “riches of the glory of it” is Christ in you, the hope of glory. See, He’s always been in you, trying to speak, trying to get your attention – but when you know that truth, now you’re in Christ. It’s the same thing with the “lake of fire” – these people are always in that burning spirit, that consuming spirit, and the Lord… it says He puts them in there. He shows you this is where you are, this is where you’ve been. It’s the same thing as He puts your sin into the depth of the sea. He doesn’t put it in there – He shows you this is where it’s always been – the sin in your life is come from this lie, from the sea, from this understanding, you see. To be put in the lake of fire is simply to be made aware that you’re living in this state of thinking.
Now I believe it’s in Isaiah, chapter 30, that the Lord makes this statement:
Isaiah 30:33
33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath [has] made it deep and large: the pile thereof [of it] is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
Tophet, in Jeremiah 7:31 – let me turn over there:
Jeremiah 7:31
31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
See, “geenna” is the
Isaiah 30:33
33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king [I could say the king of pride] it is prepared; he hath [has] made it deep and large: the pile thereof [of it] is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it [kindles it].
The tongue is a fire, but it is set on fire by geenna – what sets geenna on fire? The breath of the Lord. What does he mean? When the Lord brings you a truth and you fight against it, and you want to prove it wrong – and that fire within rages up, and you try to consume everyone around you with the fire of your own spirit. What ignited that? The Lord brought you a truth; the Lord wanted you to see truth. He was bringing you something to help you – He was bringing you love, and you rejected His love and gave back something ungodly as you resisted the Spirit of God, it created the fire within, which sets on fire the tongue, which devours and destroys. You see, to be put in the lake of fire is simply to be shown that this is where you’ve been living, this is where you’ve been – that anyone not found written in the book is given that understanding. “Death” and “hell” are put in that understanding; “Satan,” that he is in that understanding, see? The “beast,” the “false prophet,” those things are in that understanding – they live and exist in that fire and, for the wicked who face death without acknowledging God, they face their biggest fear, their most ultimate challenge, and they still don’t need God.
The gulf is fixed; the gulf is fixed – they will not, they cannot come to God, and He cannot get to them – and that is scriptural. And let your conscience… I appeal to your conscience, that you let your conscience be your guide and you ask yourself, according to the scriptures and the Spirit of God which works in us, how do you perceive the character of God? Because there is a time when He gives up and that is an expression of His wrath, and that is what Christ endured on that cross, and that is the conclusion of the third angels message… which I want to finish, I want to conclude by reading it – Revelation, chapter 14, verse 6:
Revelation 14:6-12
6 And I saw another angel [messenger] fly [flying] in the midst of heaven [God’s understanding], having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come [is now, it is come now]: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel [messenger], saying,
9 And the third angel [“three” for completeness] followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast [that inward “beast”] and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels [messengers], and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever [ascends up into the age of the ages]: and they have no rest day nor [or] night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth [receives] the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus [the understanding Christ possesses – the faith of Christ, Holy Spirit].
I want to tell you right now, knowing God’s love and living in His presence is
where He would have us all to be – to be in His presence. Picture
yourself in the presence of God, reading these scriptures we’ve read, and
telling Him you don’t believe this is right, that He really isn’t like this.
Picture yourself, in fact, enter into His presence and you ask Him yourself,
“Father, what is the truth?” and have an open heart, and let Him be your
guide. There is no other way.