Gideon

Agreed! Yet what is facing this earth today is unprecedented. Over-population, pollution, global warming, water shortages, the disappearance of the middle class, lawlessness, moral decay, and as all this is happening, the church, made to be the salt of the earth, its “preservative” so to speak, has lost its way. We are lukewarm, passionless, bored, worldly, and split into 500+ bickering denominations, each convinced their way is THE way. The world looks on, but instead of shouts of “Behold how they love one another!” as they did in the book of Acts, we are views as hypocrites, thinking that because of a one time prayer, we will enjoy eternity in Heaven while they are sent to an eternal hell and yet we both are doing the same things. Jesus told us that there will come a time that people will say exactly what you have said and stop watching, thus ignoring obvious signs that we are indeed close to the end. It is time we awoke to righteousness and realized how far we have drifted. We have a name that we live, but we are for the most part dead. We have a form of godliness, but deny God has the power to make us godly. We draw near him with our lips, but our hearts? They are for the most part entrenched in this world, this life. And yet, in all this, how few see something is seriously wrong. And fewer still will raise their voice in warning. Look, you could be right. Jesus may not return for one hundred years. But regardless, our lives are supposed to shine with His presence, so that others can come to know Him. But that too does not bother us, for we do not think real victory is even attainable so why sweat it? After all, we have GRACE! May God forgive us and shake us awake, whatever it takes to restore us to the truth of who we are and who Jesus is living inside us. Blessings, Gideon

I would like to re-focus here in the point of the OP. We seem to have strayed off track so if we could, I respectfully ask that any side discussions, even though they are profitable, be tabled or brought up in a new OP. Thanks. As to your assertion that because Paul wrote in the present tense, that means he was testifying as to what He himself actually was experiencing as a Christian, I can understand how someone might think that, but this also presents many conflicts that simply cannot be explained. For example, in Romans 7, Paul says that to will is present with him, but how to perform it, he found not. Yet, in his letter to the Phillipians, he says this: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Phillipiams 2:13 Do you see the obvious contradiction? Again, in Romans 7, Paul talks about his flesh, several times, again in the present tense: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:25 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans 7:18 Yet he prefaced these verses with the clear declaration several verses earlier in the same chapter: “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” Romans 7:5 Notice the tenses he uses. Past tense. What he is about to share is what he HAD experienced. Then he confirms it again with an even clearer declaration in chapter 8: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.” Romans 8:8-9 How can Paul say one thing in Romans 7 and disagree with himself twice several verses later? In Romans 7, he talks of being imprisoned to sin and the flesh, and yet in Romans 8, he says that we do not owe the flesh anything. The does not even make sense if chapter 7 was his experience as a follower of Jesus. Are we really to believe Paul was indeed the chief of sinners AFTER his conversion? Really? The same man who kept his body under, the same man who urged us to live holy, sanctified lives could not do so himself? Satan has twisted our understanding of Romans 7 so that, sadly, we can use it for justifying our lack of victory. And by and large, for 1900 years, the church has bought into that lie, because if that was not Paul’s Christian experience, and he really did walk holy before God, then we are in trouble. Why? Because the fact is, we do not know how to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor. We have no clue how. Nor do we know how to run our race as if there is only one prize and we certainly do not know how to walk as sojourners here on earth. And for sure, we do not know how to walk as overcomers, in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. So what have we done? We simply have lowered the standard of what the “normal” Christian life should look like. Go to church, pray, do the best you can, read your Bible, avoid ‘bad’ sins.... but as to walking with victory over sin in our lives? Forget it. Impossible, we say, even though the Word says differently. We have chosen to console ourselves with the lie that we are only human and real holiness is ‘just a goal’. And why do we do that? Because we are convinced that holiness is something WE have to do, once we are saved. And we can’t do it. We are very correct in that assessment, but rather than doing what Paul did in Romans 7, and cry out to our God to deliver us from US, to make us victors, no matter the cost, over our old carnal self-loving nature, we have taken the cop-out road of unbelief. And it has left us lukewarm, passionless and without the ability to truly love as Jesus did. And in all this, we think it is ok...totally normal, nothing to get in a tizzy about. We are wrong. Guys, listen. An obedient heart under the law was required. Do it.... or die. But that is not our covenant. Sadly, we have been convinced that the most grace can do is offer us forgiveness. Heck, as long as you sacrificed an offering of a lamb every year, the old covenant did the very same thing! We have been blinded to the fact that obedience under the new covenant is a PROMISE! Listen: “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:25-27 Glory to God, do we get it? We are not our potter! God is! He is the one who makes us victors! He is the one who changes us to be Christ-like! I have been sharing the HOW. And what I share God promises will work. BUT.... and this cannot be over-emphasized, we will not see the way to victory until our sin becomes exceedingly sinful to us and we hate the old US. Paul escaped the prison of Romans 7 because he saw himself a wretched man and cried out that he could not be holy..... ever.... unless he received a miracle. And he did! It is now our turn to re-discover what the entire church with few exceptions has missed since the book of Acts....how to have our feet planted on the highway of holiness. I promise you. What I am sharing IS coming. And all who love the light, even if it condemns the ground they stand on, WILL come to the light..... and light their lamps! We are about to have our vision restored. We are about to have our minds renewed. We are about to discover what real victory feels like. And as we clothe ourselves with our new natures, natures that God has promised to transform and to be made truly obedient, the shame of our nakedness will disappear, and our boredom and lack of passion for souls will be replaced with excitement, joy and love for the lost.....and each other! I get it that some look at what I share with hesitation. It is currently not taught. It is unfamiliar. So, take it to God in prayer. Look inside your own heart. Do you long to defeat the sins that now defeat you? Or, are you quite content with forgiveness and bus passes to Heaven while the world cascades into madness? The road we have all walked on, wheat and tares together, where a little sin is winked at, is coming to a split, a fork in the road. The thoughts and intents of our hearts will soon be made manifest by what path we choose. It is called the valley of decision, and it is our future, every single one of us. I pray we all make the right choice. The walk God has for us here in this life is glorious, powerful and more than real. And we who love the light will walk in it, sooner or later, and all HIs sheep WILL hear his voice, guaranteed. Live, bones, live. Blessings, Gideon

We will find that as the wheat and tares are separated in the great coming awakening, that in truth, OSAS was actually very true. But here is the catch. Right now, we are in the period where we are told to make our calling and election sure. As much as people say with great conviction “I KNOW that I am saved”, none of us really know. No one. Do we think those who were told to “Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity” on the day of judgment knew they were lost? No. The. Words of Jesus stunned them to the core. They were shocked, then terrified, for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the loving God without a life that has backed it up. Oh, they were without a doubt religious. They were church goers. They believed in miracles and casting out demons. But... they had never truly been saved. They were still the ones running their lives. They wanted Jesus as their savior, just not as their Lord. So how are we to know that we know Him, that we are genuinely saved? Our goal is to do those things that please Him, to let Him rule over us, and reign in our lives. We want to obey Him, to love Him with our whole hearts, and we long to have His love so well up inside us that we actually do love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And this next one is important. We endure to the end. We may be like the good seed that sprouted by we let the cares of this life choke life out of us. We may be like the seed that fell on hard ground. Again, it was good seed. It sprouted, but we thought we had secured our eternity, which to us was all that mattered, and when there was a cost to be paid for following Him, we simply would not pay it. What we call getting saved has been assimed to be a one time experience. We have been taught that once that happens, Heaven is guaranteed to be our home, and we ignore all the verses and warnings that clearly tell us otherwise. So is there no security for us right now, as believers? For goodness sake, no. If we have made a conscious choice to follow Him, to lose our life to find His in us, to dig deep to make sure we are on firm foundation, to crown Him both savior and Lord in our life, and continue such an amazingly wonderful walk all the way home, we prove to have always been His sons and daughters. And if that is not YET us, as the awakening happens, we will choose to light our lamps and BE light. There is one more thing. As long as we are still thinking we are in our old nature, and we are trying to one degree or another to improve ourselves to be “better Christians”, we are open to temptation to stray. Those in the flesh, the old nature, cannot please Him, nor can they be changed into His image from glory to glory. But praise God, once we put off our old nature, because we truly hate that part of us that likes a little sin, we find that security envelopes us like a warm blanket. It is here where God tells us that He will ‘cause us’ to obey Him, to abide in Him, to endure to the end. Then we have real security. So....back to my very unlike-me comment on 0SAS. Jesus said all who love the light will come to the light. He said “My sheep hear my voice, and another they will not follow.” What now, in human terms, looks like we have free will to follow or to stray, well, in Heaven it looks completely different. He sees the one who has strayed , quit chuch, got into serious sin....but he does love the light. He just can’t find his way home. Praise God for His mercy! We are promised that Jesus will leave the ninety and nine and bring back such a one, carrying him on His broad and strong shoulders. in the end, when we look back, the elect were always the elect. Through ups and downs, and perhaps years of straying, there was a love deep inside for goodness to win, especially in their own heart. And the tares? They were always tares. They may be drug addicts, just as the wheat can be. They may be famous preachers or men seen as very pious. But they refused to let Christ reign over them. They liked the forgiveness, but found making Him Lord was “too extreme”. They may appear to be good on the outside, but inside, they simply did not want to relinquish their free will and be kept from evil by the power of God. Right now, we are all growing together. A lot of tares are in the church. And whether we want to acknowledge it or not, there is a lot of wheat scattered outside church walls. And when the cry goes forth, as it is beginning to, that the master comets, many in church will no doubt continue their church activities, but like Lot’s wife, their heart is in this world, not the next. Savorless salt. Conversely, many in the world, who have fled the church scene or avoided it altogether for they could not stomach the shallowness and hypocrisy of what we have presented as Christianity, will be swept up into THE church as the awakening progresses. What is coming is going to be a worldwide phenomenon. ALL who love the light will come to see Jesus as the Light of the world. Muslims, Hindus, and multitudes of all religions or none at all will be found by the Lord and swept up into eternity. How glorious these next few years will be...... IF we are the elect and want more than anything else to let Him rule over us and keep us from evil. Blessings, Gideon

I am not sure exactly what he taught. I do think that some think it is an ‘experience’ and one needs some earth shattering happening in order to start. That is simply not the case. Although one may feel joy, or a sense of relief, or a myriad of other emotions, none are the sign you have entered in. You simply accept the two things Paul says we are to know in Romans 6 and make them YOUR truth by a conscious choice. This is a walk, not an experience. Our faith needs feet! I reminds me of the lame man at the pool, waiting for the angel to sit the waters and yet with no one fast enough to get him wet first, lol. Here the God of He universe stood before him and he needed ‘an experimce’. Jesus simply asked him if he would be made whole. Simple. Answer yes! If we are His, we already are dead. We do not become dead when we believe. We can believe because we have already died! I think many in the past have either walked in this, or gotten near to it. Watchman Nee, Andrew Murray, Hannah Whitall Smith, John Wesley. But there will be no denominational boundaries here. This truth will cut across denominations to any and all who simply love the light, and hate the darkness, even if it is in them! But I have not read much of any except Andrew Murray. What I share here I have had no one teach me except God. I just wish I had not been such a remedial saint and a slow learner. It took a long time for me to break, but when I did, wow, what a change it has been ....and continues to be! Blessings, Gids

I can understand why you may see it that way. But in truth, the scriptures foretell exactly what I have shared. I was a student of eschatological events for years during my struggling time, and instinctively knew that there had to be a final event that would awaken the church. In 1986, I received something from God, a paper I wrote entitled Repentance-Only Hope for a Sleeping Bride. I knew we were missing something.....something huge. All I had to do was read the book of Acts, and the promises our Lord had made to us, to know how far we had slipped into compromise and Laodecian lukewarmness. But I had no idea as to the solution. None. But when God met me that night and changed everything for me, He has opened up the verses I have shared and have slowly come to understand how they fit together. The parable of the 10 virgins and Ezekiel 36 and 37 are key to understanding much of what I share. It is not that God has spoken to me audibly.what I see as our future. But he has inwardly confirmed to me what I share, again and again. Is that prophecy? I am not sure but do not think it fits the definition. I certainly am not setting any dates. I just know in my spirit that what I have been given to share is imminent. When I was finally desperate enough and hated my old nature and the sins I could not free myself from, and God appeared to me, I gladly, willingly, put on my new man. And when I did, something happened. My mind began to be renewed, just as foretold in scripture. I cannot explain it well, but heavenly mindedness is simply seeing things without blinders on that is our old nature. It is not thinking about Heaven, it is thinking with a truly born again mind, as an eternal being, not one who lives seventy years. Likewise for any crazy enough to step out of the boat and walk on the water to the Lord. Brother, I so understand how people can have an issue with what I am sharing. I get it. All of normal Christendom is saying one thing, and here is one lone voice (though I am sure there are others) sharing something radically different. I wish I was more skilled at explaining it, but what am I to do? I know it is truth, and I am trusting that His sheeep WILL hear Hos voice, and if not now, then eventually. I care about one thing....for weary, overcome saints, tired of failure, tired of being bored and unimpassioned, find the rest that remains for the people of God. We are told to struggle to enter that rest. Isn’t that strange? Why is a struggle involved if we are trying to rest? Because He that enters his rest ceases from his own labors, even as God did from His. And to finally come to the conclusion we cannot love God or man as we are called without new natures.... well, that is the struggle. Ahhh, there is the crux of the hinderance. We believe we are saved and nothing we can do will get us there. God’s grace alone can do it. Amen? But we are not only called to be justified, but sanctified as well, and there we hit a wall. We are told, “Be Ye holy, as I am holy,”, but that presents a problem. We don’t know how. So we have come up with a unique solution. We have lowered the standard because we do not see how it is possible. So we have concluded. “It’s not”. It eases our guilt but not our situation. And just as the scriptures foretell, in these last days, a standard will be lovted up. Holiness unto the Lord. And praise God, though we do not deserve it, we are the beneficiaries. . God is slowly awakening us to the truth. He did not exaggerate when He said He would set us free indeed. He really meant what He said when He told us that our shields of faith would actually work. When we are assailed by temptation, not only does He always make a way of escape, soon we will actually want to find it...and when we do, then He will cause us to take it! Glory to God. Each one reading these words will have to decide for themselves as to whether or not a new nature really is out there for each of us, with God patiently waiting until us put them on. They are our wedding garments. They are the clothes we are urged to put on so that the shame of our nakedness doth not appear. He had been with us. We have been healed, but only slightly. We say ‘peace, peace’, but inside we feel anything but. In our prayer closets, He seems distant and silent, and yet in truth, He longs to wrap His arms around us, and really be closer than a brother. When we say “Where are you Lord, He immediately wants to say “Here I am!”. He wants to be IN us, living our life with us, through us. That is why we are told “Nothing profits but a new creature.” But something is hindering this from happening. Unbelief. We think our forgiveness is all grace, but that the Christian walk is then put on our shoulders, and is our responsibility. So we try, and fail, to rein in our old nature. We try to discipline it, chasten it, re-train it, starve it, pray for it to behave, and all to no avail. Yet it never dawns on us that the second half of our salvation is just like the first....received by faith. Can grace be THAT good? Oh, yes. YES!! Like the Israelites, we have escaped Egypt, but are stuck wandering in circles in the wilderness, never realizing that it is our unbelief that is stopping God from causing us to walk as victors, not victims. Hearts are growing faint, and weary saints everywhere are wondering if this is all there is. There is. And it is coming for us, and will overtake us, if only we cry out and tell our wonderful Lord we need it lest we die. He will not disappoint. That is simply impossible. Blessings to you, and so sorry for this extra long read. I pray it is worth it. Blessings, Gideon

Sooooo, is that a good thing? LOL? Your use of the term “prophet” makes me a bit nervous. God has never told me anything as to a title. I am much more comfortable being viewed as a watchman”, or “messenger”. But with that said, I cannot deny what God revealed to me, or what it has accomplished in my life. And it it can set me free from a very rebellious and cantankerous flesh, then the worst here should take note and find great hope. What was your opinion of what I actually shared and did it line up with what He is teaching you doctrinally? Gids

May I interject here? I mean no offense here. Is what you just said working? It is truth, yes, but is it actually working in our lives? Are we overcoming? Or are we still for some reason not gaining real palpable victory over the world, the flesh and the devil? What good is it to be theoretically overcomers if it is not translating into real life? Something is hindering the truth from becoming OUR truth. What Is it? It is quite simple. We have yet to come into agreement with our God, and thus, find it near impossible to walk together, with is abiding in the vine, walking totally in the Spirit. I love that word yet. He said “You are dead and your life is hid we Christ in God.” He. has clearly told us that nothing profits but a new creature. He tells us we are not in the flesh and owe it nothing. Yet here we remain, trying to kill, or at least tie up as best we can, our old nature so it will stop sinning. It is already dead, but we have not seen that our lack of faith in this truth has allowed Satan to beat our heads in to this very day. We are told that in the final days, God’s people will overcome, truly gain complete victory over satan in their walks, when they combine the blood of the lamb with the words of their testimony. And that, dear brother, is what God is beginning to awaken us to. Glory to God, we are about to rise up and live victoriously and joyfully. What will soon overtake every true child of God, well, our eyes have not ever seen and it will be beyond what we now can even imagine. REAL Christianity, with all children of God walking in REAL victory. And those in the world, who have long ridiculed us for our passionless, lukewarm hypocrisy, will exclaim “Look, that which bore only briars and thorns has become again like the garden of Eden! “Glory to God, we will be a part of that!! Blessings, Gideon

Good words and much truth here. Thank you. Gids

Hi again, my dear brother. I will be glad to share what I think. Right now, the wheat and the tares grow together. This is not referring to the church and the world. It is rather what we now call “church”. It is the virgins without oil in the church, mixed in with the vistgins with oil. And right now, all of us are growing together and all are asleep and none have yet lit their lamps. An awakening is happening, and it has started. All will awaken. Not all will respond. Some will hear that they can escape Romans 7 and the sins that so easily beset them by putting off their old nature, reckoning themselves dead to sin and alive unto Him, and willingly light their lamps, believing that they are new creatures with no obligation to walk any longer in the flesh. This will be the latter rain that has been foretold. And praise God, as amazing as the church in the book of Acts was, we will be more so. The true church will be prepared as a glorious bride to meet her bridegroom. The tares will hear this same message and because they really have no hunger for righteousness, but only for eternal life, they will cling to their belief that no one can be freed from the grip of their flesh, and remain right where they are. These will be the ones at the end occupied with things of this life, so God will take away that which was given to them and give it to those in the world who love the light but who never fit into our “religious” form of Christianity. This will be the great falling away we have been told will happen in the last days. But notice. The movement will be the true church rising up out of slumber and putting on their armor and hoisting their sword and shield and becoming pure. We will be the ones moving closer to our Father as He fills us. The tares, by remaining right where they are, content but without godliness, will in essence fall away by....not moving at all. They will continue with their religious duties, lukewarm and lifeless, while the church itself, because it loves the light, will become light. Personally, I do not think our religious system can hold what God is fixing to do. There is simply too much for many to lose by “coming out from among them and being separate.” The system we have created does not have the ability to stretch into its new true form. Time will tell if I am right here, but however God does it, it will be GLORIOUS. The tares, who were never saved or part of the elect, will be those who say “Lord, Lord, have we not.....?” on that final day, only to hear those dreads words “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” We are about to learn the secret of walking Holy .... and wholly.....before our God. It is called the Highway of Holiness, where it is not the strong, or the charismatic, or the rich, or the educated who can walk there. Who will walk there? Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness who have been convinced that the only way they can do so is to be given brand new natures that God can CAUSE to become really obedient children. Blessings, Gideon

What you are saying is that holiness is not even important as it is impossible anyway, right? If this were the case, God is going to owe Ananias and Saphira a huge apology. Listen. They sold property and gave most of it to the church. They did keep some back because it was their right to do so. Their sin? Lying to look better to others! That’s it! And......it cost them their lives. There is a lesson there IF we have ears to hear. Blessings, Gids

Time is Running Short- Are We Ready for What is Coming Next? Brothers and sisters, most of you know me and know my message. I have laid my cards on the table and not held back. I have shown why I feel we pale in comparison to the saints of old. I pray some have ears to hear. Is it any wonder that even late in the 1st century, God was urging us to contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints? What do we not believe that they did? Here is the answer. That we are dead to sin, dead to this world, dead to self and our life is hid with Christ in God. We have been fed a lie that all we have to do is believe Jesus died for our sins. And praise God, He did. But that is the beginning of our walk of faith, not the end of it. We have an entire good fight of faith to wage. We have the world, the flesh and the devil to overcome by faith. And we must start now to wage it, for the evil day is far nearer than we could ever imagine. It will spring like a trap, and many will simply be unprepared, even with Jesus warning us to watch so that we are not robbed by the enemy of our souls. God once said: "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness." Ezekiel 33:31 Are we so blinded by our American dream of nice houses, nice cars, cruises (Christian cruises. of course), and lavish church buildings that we cannot see how far we are from the heart of God? How are we not like those who hold men's persons in admiration because of advantage? How are we not the same as those who tell the poor among us "God bless you, be warmed and filled" and yet do not help them in their need? Guys, I will tell you, we are not unlike them art all. We ARE them. I love His church, I truly do, but I hate what we have become. We have been led far, far from life, and yet we defend it like it is exactly what God wants. The world calls us hypocrites, yet we cannot see it. I suspect though that deep in our hearts, the wheat knows something is amiss. The tares just get offended as if they are fine. I know my words are hard. I wish there were another way to awaken us as we continue to refuse to acknowledge that our hearts are our own and God gets not only 10% of our income but also 10% of our hearts. Our treasure is here, not in heaven. Heck, even if all our works are burnt up, we still get heaven. What kind of mind things that way? I will tell you. A Laodecian mind. A deceived mind. A mind far from the mind of the God we serve. I share this message again and again not to anger, nor to judge. I do it to warn the hard hearted, and I do it to encourage those weighed down by sin that there really is freedom awaiting them, and how to gain it. I do it in love. He knows my heart. God is not mocked and every evil thought we have, our deepest secret sins, our shallow Christian lives, will come to the surface on the final day, if heart repentance is not part of that equation. Better they come up now, rather than then. It is not too late to repent of our worldliness, our self-ruled lives, while amazingly, we try to put a Christian spin on it to make our shallowness acceptable....even commendable. He loves us, but he will spew us out of His mouth lest we get on our knees and seek Him for Him, not for the "benefits" our shallow Christianity gives us where we get to have our bus tickets punched and to heaven and still get to run our own lives, and hold onto our autonomy. That is not Christianity. That is deception pure and simple. God loves us, and in that love, He warns us. He will not be mocked. He wants ALL of our hearts. Not 10%. He wants to rule and reign over us, not to lord it over us as a tyrant, but to love and protect us, to change us, to free us from the flesh we have so taken for granted as the best we can do. It is not. May God open our eyes and see how very far we are from real obedience, real holiness, real peace. He pleads with us: "Only acknowledge your iniquities, that your hearts are far from me." It is not as if Jesus has not warned us of this grave danger. We have simply ignored His very clear worlds. Do we remember what He has said? How dwells the love of God in you? Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and not do those things I have commanded you? Have I not told you to love not the world, nor the things in it? Have I not warned you about trying to have your treasure here and in eternity as well? Have I not clearly said that the love of money and the things it can buy is NOT from me and that the covetous will not inherit the kingdom of God? What more can I do to awaken you from your fleshly stupor without being direct? I love you. I want good for you, not evil, but your sins have separated you from me and repentance is far, far from your heart. Flee your flesh, reckon it dead, put it off, for in it you cannot please me, and I cannot draw you close to fill you with myself and transform you into my image. Every promise I have made to you is yours.... IF you will willingly acknowledge your old nature cannot, will not, does not want to truly obey me in all things. Your flesh is what stands between you and I, and if you will acknowledge this truth, and cry out to me with all your heart for me to come in and change you and set you free indeed, where sin is no longer your master. I will... I WILL do it. May God awaken us to what we are missing....new natures that He promises He will cause to obey Him. Does it sound like a pipe dream, or perhaps too good to be true? It is not at all, for Is that not just like our God? It is indeed. Blessings, Gideon

And this grace of God you talk about, does it teach us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we are to love soberly, righteously and justly in this present age? If it does not, and has instead been redefined to mean “God will wink at our sins because of our one time prayer, even if now we have no desire to be freed from the grip of our fleshly nature”, then it is time to re-examine our heart motives. God knows what really is important to us, and in the end, it is those who love the light and who want more than anything to walk in that light so that they can please their Heavenly Father who will be justified and sanctified. Blessings, Gideon

If what you say is true, why would we be told that He is able to keep us from falling? Why would He tell us that He will cause us to will AND to do of His good pleasure? Why would we be told our shields of faith will quench ALL the fiery arrows of Satan, if in truth, that is not even remotely true? Why would God promise us that He will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist it, and will make a way of escape so that we can go through it unscathed, if in fact, it is either not true, or we don’t take the way of escape because of rebellion? Why would John write to us so that we sin not, and then follow that up with telling us that if we abide in Him, we will not sin.p? Why would Jesus promise us He would make us free indeed and then define that freedom as not committing sins, if it were really not possible? What purpose is the grace of God that teaches us to live soberly, righteously and justly, if it is beyond our ability to do so? Why are we told to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor if in truth, it is impossible? Why are we promised that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh? I applaud any why say to these things “Let God be true and every man a liar”, even if by doing so, it puts them under the judgment of God. I am convinced in the coming days, God will move mountains to insure that every true heart that hungers and thirsts after righteousness WILL be filled. But to those who have no hunger for such a walk pleasing God, where our thoughts and actions are actually transformed by the master potter, where our heart really is pure and our conscience spotless, deception will increase more and more. God looks at the thoughts and intents of each of our hearts. If we sin willfully and hide behind our mantra “We are only human, and after all, no one is perfect” so we can continue in using the blood to forgive us but with no desire to actually be cleansed of our sins, the danger of such a mindset is beyond extreme. Willful sin is a death sentence, and when we finally accept that, God will begin to move and show us how even to be freed fron the grip of sins we battle against but constantly lose to. But no eyes will be opened to those who have no hunger for walking in holiness before him all the days of our lives. We are now entering into the valley of decision, and each of us, by our actions, will choose who we are going to serve. We will either choose to remain in our fleshly lower nature and end up deceived, or, we will cry out to God to set us free indeed just as He promised to do, and He will not disappoint us. He will do exactly as He has promised...CAUSE US to walk as obedient children. And those who love the light will rejoice to see this fulfilled. Blessings, Gideon

Brother, the cheapening of God’s grace is exactly what has plagued our modern take on the Christian gospel. It is what the Bible terms ‘turning the grace of God into lasciviousness.... license to sin freely without guilt. Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic Church over one main error that had taken root in the Catholic Churches at the time. It was the selling of indulgences. These were pre-paid get out of having to go to confession cards, and the church found that they could make a huge amount of money thru their selling them. So if one wanted to kick up their heels, they simply purchased, for a healthy price, an indulgence, and supposedly all was then good between God and them. Sounds disgusting to us as ‘enlightened’ Christians today, right? Well, think about it. When someone is involved in willful sin, where they clearly know it’s wrong, and yet there is no battle going on in their heart, they are doing far, far worse than the indulgence crowd. How is that, you ask? You see, when a man, a follower of the Lord, chooses to sin despite his knowledge that his action put Jesus on the cross, and despite ignoring the discipline of the Holy. Spirit, instead of having to pay for his sin himself with a purchased indulgence, he tells God “Just put it on Jesus’ tab!” Listen.. Willful sin is a revealing of the intent of our heart. If a man persists here, he will not find heaven to be his eternal abode. God has warned us clearly. Willful sinning is spitting in the eye of God, telling Him we love Him and want His forgiveness, but also want His grace to make our willing sins that cost Jesus the pain and humiliation of the cross to make it all okay. Deception lies here, and unless repentance comes, that heart will be hardened to the point that nothing more can be done to rescue it. It is not too late, but the hour is getting shorter. All sin is not willful sin. Willful sin is the ultimate cheapened of God’s grace. Paul in Romans 7 was not a willful sinner. He was a prisoner of sin, and longed to be free from its grip but did not know how to get free. A battle raged in his heart and mind, and no matter how he struggled against it, he lost the battle. His will was overridden by his flesh. As he said “ To will is present with me, but how to do it, I find not” Praise God though, if we will but put off that old nature by faith, to our amazement we will find that God causes us to will AND TO DO of His good pleasure. There is a place in God where we truly have no more consciousness of sins. That should be like a drink of cool water to our parched souls if we struggle with guilt and temptation in the desert of Satan’s withering attacks and accusations. So.... does it? Blessings, Gideon

Is that your takeaway from the OP? Then I have failed miserably in getting my point across. Let me ask you a question if I may. If one willfully sins, is it possible to be freed totally from these in this life? Let’s say for the sake of discussion that the bad thoughts we have are indeed our thoughts, not originating with satan’s temptation. In any case, they would not be willful sins, would they? If those are the only sins we commit, I would say we do well, agreed? Ok, are there more in our lives. Do we do things we know are wrong and displeasing to God and battle against them, but with more failure than success? And going deeper, do we commit sins that we KNOw are wrong, but we like them, and yet despite that, we proceed onward in committing them? If so, we need to realize we are willfully sinning, and this is far different than bad thoughts we would rather not have, or even sins we want to stop but cannot. If that last category is us, we need to fall on our faces and beg God to set us free from committing them, for they reveal our heart intents. Modern Christianity has taken a stance that no one can stop sinning, but if our definition lumps together Romans 7 sins where there is a great fight within us, along with willful sins that we choose to do, counting on God’s forgiveness afterward, our folly will soon be revealed. Great danger lies here. In my eleven years of sharing the message God gave me to share, I have found a pattern where often, those who seem to have the biggest problem with the truth that God can and will keep us from falling into sin and cause us to walk in obedience use things like “thought sins” as proof that there is no freedom in this life, when in reality they want all sins lumped together, including willful ones. Please understand, and I mean this with an honest heart, I am not aiming this at you, for I truly do not know you. So let’s do this. Here is a more clear question. Can God keep us from falling into WILLFUL sin? That is a good starting point. Also, do we believe that there remains no more sacrifice for sin to the willful sinner, for it puts God to an open shame? Brother, it is one thing to battle evil thoughts. I can get that. It is another to give in to sins that we battle against, like the ones mentioned in Romans 7. Finally, we need to realize there is a third category, willful sins, and Satan has convinced many that sin is impossible to get freed from, including willful sin, and has totally detached the extreme danger and deception rhat lies there. The message of our new nature and our need to put it on by faith is that God can and will cause us to will AND to do of His good pleasure. But in order to put on our new natures, we must hate our old ones and long to be free of them. Those who do will find the rest that remains for the people of God. But those who have no desire for real freedom from giving into temptation will find at some point that they have made a huge mistake with eternal consequences. Blessings, Gideon P.S. I worry that this last post will seem accusatory, and that is not my intent at all. I apologize in advance if it does.

Everything That Can Be Shaken Is About to Be Jesus told us that in the end, there will be those that will build houses with little or no real bedrock foundations. From outward appearances, they will look identical to the houses built on firm ones, but the difference is everything. Why? Because houses built on foundations that go down to bedrock can weather storms. Houses that are not will succumb to external pressures, and fall when the rubber meets the road. We are entering a new period of time. All things are about to be fulfilled, and many of us will see this with our own eyes, Every sign points to the all encompassing shaking to come. In Noah's day, the gathering black clouds gave ample warning that something was about to break loose, yet most went on as if all would remain just as it had always been. Shortly thereafter, when the rain finally began to fall, men simply assumed it was simply another shower. But this time, this time it was different. The rain would not stop. Not until it accomplished that which it was meant to accomplish... separate the evil from the good, the truly saved from the lost. Light and darkness will finally be separated. The wheat and the tares will no longer be allowed to grow together. Dear friends, we are living in a shaky house of cards in the world today. Every single sign that Jesus told us to watch for so that that day does not come upon us unaware is happening right before our eyes. So are we those who are His, found digging deep, watching unto prayer, examining ourselves whether the bedrock we are building upon is Him in us, or are we walking as foolish virgins, walking still in OUR lives, clutching our bus pass to Heaven, thinking because of our one time prayer, nothing more is required and all is well? How I wish I could share nothing but great uplifting words, for there are indeed many that should put eternal smiles on our faces. But the truth is, we have been led into a place where the many warnings given to us by Christ, by Peter, by Paul, by James, are falling on deaf ears, aren't they? Just like in the days of Noah, we too have been lulled into a false sense of security. We do not have ears to hear what God is telling us. We do not have eyes to see what is clearly in front of us. We are sojourner here, not citizens of this world, yet we act as though such a mentality is religious extremism, even cultish. We plug our ears because we so want things to continue as they always have. But they will not. Jesus said that He would do a quick work on the earth. The house of cards, once even one is pulled out, will come down, and nothing will stop it. We so want to continue in a Christianity where there is no cost. We are told it is free, and it is..... to those who let go of all their own pearls and take up the cross and follow Him. May God awaken us to the seriousness of our situation. Just like those who though Noah simply deranged and misled, we too are going about our own lives, pursuing our dreams, never considering that the black clouds on the horizon will soon begin to rain down upon us. I do not espouse any position on a pre-trib rapture, but far too many have been taught that we can eat, drink and be merry, just as those in the world do, with no reason to stop and look at the truth that we are lulewarm, with just enough of the live vaccine to innoculate us from becoming real disciples. Jesus told us that in the end, the call will go forth.... The master cometh! Yet what will His own people do? Will they heed the call, fall to their knees, and seek God with ALL their hearts to change them, free them, and use them? Or will they begin to make excuses as to why they cannot come at the moment for other things are of more importance? And what did the master then do? Did He reason that these who had been forgiven were off the hook, and that nothing they did was of any real consequence, or was He angry? An angry God? Wroth with those He had delivered? Yes. Some will cry "Heresy!" But none can deny the clearness of the message of that parable from the mouth of Jesus himself. Here is what the master then did. He ordered His messengers to leave His stubborn servants to their folly, and to instead take the message of the coming wedding feast to the poor, the halt, the lame, the blind, for His house WILL be full. I pray you believe these words. This is not written to fill any with fear, or to drive a wedge between them and their Lord. The warning given here is given in love and deep concern. We have been led into a false sense of security, all of us, and with me at the head of the list. We have all succumbed to the lie that we can sin, even willfully, with no eternal consequences, where repentance is nice but not necessary, where we can continue to sow to our flesh and live for us, with no real heart for the task God has entrusted to us. The lie is even now being exposed. The drops of dark rain are beginning to fall, the fabric of our day to day lives is about to be torn in ways that we cannot yet even conceive, and God is beginning to awaken us to the narrow but wonderful path that will lead to life. He is opening our eyes to the truth of who we are.....new creatures, a people truly derived from the old fleshly nature that cannot......will not… bow the knee to God in every area of our lives. Up until now, our hearts have not been able to grasp the power hidden in that truth. The full power of real grace cannot be received by hearts quite content with hearts content with half surrendered hearts. We are now entering the valley of decision, where we will either make our tree good or make our tree evil. The separation is even now beginning. No more can we excuse walking as carnal Christians, forgiven but unchanged, with no desire to walk as living sacrifices. No more can we ignore the truth that if we love our lives, we will lose them. We have scoffed at His words that we must hate OUR lives or lose them, but the days of scoffing are ending. The shaking of all shadings is soon to begin. Do we long for God to give us new natures, with hearts filled with real agape love that does not wilt when it is to returned with venom, or are we content with assurances that we are positionally free, positionally holy so why sweat it? Are we desperately hungry for abiding in Him where we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, bringing dishonor to His name, or are we quite happy with things just as they are, where we have little or no desire to be able to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor so that Jesus is glorified in us? It is not too late. We can awake and light our lamps when the cost is presented to us, or we can simply shut out these disturbing words, attributing them to the enemy, and go back to more church services interspersed with six days of living for us, as the world continues mocking us for our hypocrisy? Listen. God knows we have all been led into barren pasture that will not bring spiritual health, and yes, our God will give us ample opportunity to repent, to cry out with all of our hearts. But I would be a liar if I neglected to warn all of us that we also need to be aware that God will one day close the door on those refusing Him that calls us. The wedding feast will begin for those who heeded His words, but know this. Our God will not always strive with us. At some point, our decision will be made, and choosing to not make a choice will actually reveal our choice. We cannot continue sitting on the fence as we have always done. At some point, when the doors are closed, never more to open, instead of celebrations and tears of joy, there will be heard weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Judgment wil begin at the house of God, not with those doing things in the dark in the world, for to whom much is given, much is required. Not popular theology, for to our deceived ears that smacks of legalism and working for our salvation. But you see, we are talking yielded mess here, mixed with faith..... not works. May that fate be far from any here. May we all discover that God's promises to us that He will change us, free us, and save us from our old nature are yea and amen, but only if we truly want Him to. Be blessed, and may any fear arising from these hard-to-hear words bear eternal fruit, as fear gives way to joy unspeakable and full of glory. Blessings, Gideon

Would you mind clarifying what exactly is cheapening God’s grace? I want to make sure I am understanding you correctly. Thanks so much. Gids

What we often have failed to realize is that the strength of sin is the law. And we are under the authority of the law as long as we live, correct? So does this mean we have to physically die in order to ever walk holy before the Lord? No. But we do have to die, and praise God, that is why we died with Christ. The old US is dead. Listen. We were not meant to spend our entire Christian walk trying to die to self. I say “trying to die to self” because most believe actually getting to that place is impossible. We gauge success as becoming 80% spiritual and 20% carnal. We think really spiritual people may perhaps get to 90%. But that is not what the Bible tells us. We are either servants to sin or servant to righteousness. A tree cannot bear both good and bad fruit. And Christ never tells us to grow less and less bad fruits and more and more good ones. Our job is not to bear fruit at all. Our job is to make our tree good. The question is HOW? The answer is by the reckoning of faith, believing that Christ has truly made us new creatures and that sin no longer is our master. We are told we are not in the flesh any longer but in the Spirit and that we owe the flesh NOTHING. Will we believe it? Those desperate to get free from sin’s grip will, and to their amazement, God will bring such a walk about. Glory to God! Blessings, Gideon

I agree that what God tells us to do is simple, and not rocket science. But for something so simple, what we have as a result is badly amiss. The Church was birthed in love, joy and passion for souls, but now has eroded into 500+ denominations all thinking they have THE correct understanding. The world marveled at the early church saying “Behold how they love one another!”. But if we are honest, today, they marvel at our hypocrisy and religious shallowness. Whatever we think the answer is obviously is not working. Will Jesus start the church off in a blaze of glory and a purity so great that caused Ananias and Saphira to lose their lives only to have to rescue us hanging on by our fingertips, with sins big and small ensnaring us, and the world pretty much where our real heart is? No, brother. No. We are about to be awakened to the HOW of holiness and those who love the light will light their lamps as new creatures. Those content to remain just sinners saved by grace, but with no heart to ever actually get free of sin’s grip will find deception ever-increasing. May that not be any here. Blessings, . Gideon

If I am a willing participant when that thought comes into my head, then I agree. But if we have put on our new man, we indeed have the mind of Christ. Fleeting thoughts, temptations to sin, come at us like arrows. If they are sin, and originate from us, we are not new creatures at all. But if we disown the thoughts, hold up our shields of faith and see God quench that arrow to where it does not affect us, have we sinned? Not at all. According to what you are espousing, we can never walk with clean consciences. Truly walking in the Spirit is impossible for our own thoughts condemn us. But in Hebrews we read clearly that once we are cleansed, we are to have no more consciousness of sins. Sadly, the end result of what you say is the best we can do is a Christianity that cannot set one free indeed at all. Jesus, in referring to that freedom made it clear that it is freedom from committing sins. So if a fleeting thought is in itself a sin, we are committing sin by having that thought and we never enter the rest. As well, if you are correct, it is actually impossible to bring every thought into captivity to thexLordship of Christ. Holiness is impossible, pureness of heart is a pipe dream and all Satan has to do is throw a bad thought at us and we are always in a state of repent, believe, repent, believe. That is not what God has promised us. Here is an important question. If we were presented with a way to walk above sin, would we even want it? I think many would rather it stay just like it is because we still have our free will intact so if we choose to sin a little bit, well hey, it is really no different from the thought so why not really do it? God is slowly opening our eyes to the truth. He tells us we can possess our vessels in sanctification and honor. The real issue is not the mechanism as to how this can be accomplished. The real issue is.... do we really want true heart purity? Blessings, Gideon

Do you realize that God looks on the thoughts and intents of our heart? How could Jesus tell us to go and sin no more, if it were simply impossible? Why would John tell us: Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 1 John 3:6 Why would he repeat it again? Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9 Do you remember what Paul told us in Romans 7? Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:20 As old natured people, there was no separation between my fleshly nature and my fleshly body. If I sinned, I was a willing accomplice. But praise God, if we are hit with a list full thought, we reject it quickly, because that is no longer us! Our body has yet to be redeemed, but our nature? NOW we are the children of light! Satan will still try to get us to bite and believe our old nature is not dead at all, and his proof is that we are still able to be tempted. But temptation is not sin, as our dear sister has pointed out. What a joy it is to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. No more guilt. No more giving in to the temptation. We take the way of escape.... every time.... because we ARE light in the Lord. We have made our tree good... by an act of desperate but very effective faith. Our old nature is dead, and when we believe that, we will experience the mother of all paradigm shifts. Heavenly mindedness! Blessings, Gideon

Do you remember whatPaul said in Romans 8? We we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in us. He also clearly tells us that we owe the flesh NOTHING. If what you say is true, then that statement cannot be. We still have fleshly bodies, yes, but our natures are new. And once we put on our new nature by faith and believe, truly believe that our old nature is dead, we will see our minds renewed. So when we see a beautiful woman, we admire God’s ability to create beauty, ans see her soul, not het body. Can this be? Yes, and as a former porn addict, I can attest to it being true. In my own strength, I would fail every time, but praise God, as I have become more and more established in the faith as to who I am, God has given me victory whereas before there was nothing but defeat. Total victory. Blessings, Gideon

As I have already mentioned, this statement is true of every single person walking in their old fleshly nature. But if we have put off the old man, with his deeds, and have put on our new man which is created in righteousness, we are clad in armor to protect us from all Satan hurls at us. What good is armor if a traitor lies within. What good is it to live in a walled and fortified city if the person minding the gate is a traitor? The walls can be forty feet thick and one hundred feet tall and they offer no protection at all if the traitor opens the gate when the enemy comes attacking. We have the mind of Christ. Our job is to believe it. I can tell you from practical experience that once I finally got this concept, my mind had peace. Once I recognized a thought as satan’s temptation, I stood against it, disowned it, and walked on in victory. Exactly how do we walk by faith in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil if our minds are filled with evil thoughts. It is simply an impossibility. That, dear brother, is not victory. Far better to say as Paul did when he cried out to God “Who will set me free from the body of this death? “ than to give into the belief that sin is inevitable and undefeatable and never enter into the rest of God He has paid the price to give us. Far too many are telling God “I have need of nothing” when Satan still rules over them in one regard or another. That was the answer the Laodecian gave. God told them otherwise. What did James tell those who were double minded? Cleaned you hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. If it were not possible,why say such a thing? But it IS possible. It is promised! Blessings, Gideon

In that day, we will indeed get new bodies, but our spirits are new now. Our job is to believe that and let that pure core of who we are grow outward unto fruitfulness. Listen to what Paul said: ”I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ who now live the in me.” So, is Christ good in me? In you? Of course He is. Our job is to believe it. And as we fight that good fight of faith, fruits, characteristics of Christ living in us, come to the surface. In Ezekiel 36, God tells us of His coming new covenant, and then tells us that He will cause us (His exact words) to obey Him. Finally, He says this: ”I shall yet be inquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them.” My dear brother in Christ, as we are awakened in these last days, our inquiring begins, and praise God, He shall not disappoint us! We are about to be made prepared as the bride for her bridegroom, with pure hearts and pure minds. With man it is impossible, but with God, it is not only possible. It is guaranteed!

And if we are talking about the old nature, you are spot on correct. But we are told that we can bring every thought not the obedience of Christ. Why? Because as new creatures, we are told we have the mind of Christ. Our good fight of faith is to renew our minds. If we are double minded, we have no confidence in God to keep us from falling into sin. We cannot serve both God and evil. And if that bothers us because we find ourselves trapped in Romans 7 and no one is telling us HOW to become FREE INDEED, then it behooves us to fall on our faces and cry out to Him fro the answer as to how to walk in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives. Your mentioning that you will take Jesus as a higher authority is commendable. But shall we not actually use the entire words God has given us? Did He tell us that our shields of faith would quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy? Did He not promise in every temptation that He would make a way of escape? Is He not the God who can cause us to will AND to do of His good pleasure? Are we not told to “purify your minds, ye double minded”? Have we not been delivered from the power of darkness? By faith, are we not to walk in total victory over the world, the flesh and the devil? How can we obey Him if actual obedience is impossible? Not knowing how to gain victory in one’s thought life is one thing. But resting content there when evil thoughts assail us and we accept them as ours and label them in as “unavoidable” because we are still just sinners saved by grace is dangerous ground indeed. We WERE those thing. We ARE no longer. We are new creatures and can stare down the devil in every single temptation. I pray we all hear. The grace we have been taught is incomplete. It can forgive but we have been taught it has no power to actually cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness. Real grace teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we are to live soberly, righteously and justly in the present age.” That is what God has for each one of us, from the weakest to the strongest.... and in that order. Our problem has been a heart hunger issue. Even if we now believe it is impossible, the real question is... do we WANT to be free? If we do, in these last days, God is going to move mountains to get to us and show us the HOW of holiness. All who truly love the light will be shown how to light their lamps. But if we are content with just forgiveness but have no real hunger to get freed from vile thoughts and unloving actions, we need to realize no change will ever come until we cry out for it. And if we dig in our heels and say forgiveness is enough, then that which we think we have will eventually be taken away from us and given to another. My prayer is that none here are found in that group on that day, when God examines the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Blessings, Gideon