The Darkness Comprehended It Not

John 1:5

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Only the Creator can truly comprehend the vastness of creation. His being encompasses infinity, for without Him was not any thing made that was made. From the foundation of the world, He set forth His plan for Jesus Christ to be the express image of the Godhead; the face of God revealed to mankind. When God shows His face, darkness flees and those who follow Truth are drawn to the Light. Soon the Lord Jesus will appear again to mankind, to gather those who belong to the Father and redeem the earth from corruption.

See also The Candle of the LORD; The Promise of His Coming; The Holy Spirit

Related Scriptures: Job 9:1-14; John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-14; Exodus 33:11-23; Titus 2:11-15

Grace Unto the Humble

James 4:6

But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Friendship with the things of the world leads away from the things of God; ultimately it leads to self reliance, pride, and outward rebellion. The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of creation, and His example for mankind is humble submission to the Father. The mysteries of God are written into the world by the Holy Spirit, and humility is the path to His heart and the unraveling of these mysteries in the spirit. Pride turns the mind inward on itself; humility turns it outward toward God.

See also Christ: The Architect of Souls; To Revive the Spirit of the Humble; God Poured Out

Related Scriptures: 2Peter 1:1-11; 1John 2:15-25; Matthew 18:1-11; Mark 4:11-34

The Bride, The Lamb’s Wife

Revelation 21:9-10

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

The Holy City of Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven and inhabited by the raptured saints of God, is the bride of the Lamb. The Holy City Jerusalem is said to be prepared as a bride and adorned for her husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the LORD created the earth to be inhabited by His own selection process, so also at the rapture and the judgment seat of Christ, the Word will have divided amongst those who will be made one flesh with Him. As it is written,

Ephesians 5:31-32

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

See also Inherit My Holy Mountain; Dividing And Divided By the Word; Beth: God’s Cleansing Word

Related Scriptures: Revelation 21:1-27; Isaiah 45:1-25; Ephesians 5:1-33; 2Corinthians 5:1-21

Stammering Lips And Another Tongue

Isaiah 28:11-12

For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

The Holy Spirit manifests in the believer in many ways. He will inspire us to verbalize our own divine prayer language. He enters our hearts to turn them from stone to flesh, and to write all of God’s commandments there.[There are far more than ten of them. We should be very grateful we are justified by faith.] He helps us to pray with confidence when our souls are uncertain or deeply troubled. He teaches us the deeper wisdom of God, drawing us away from the milk to eat the meat. He inspires our hearts and souls to go deeper with the Lord Jesus Christ; to follow Him further into faith. He never talks about Himself, only about the Lord. He energizes our human spirits, and encourages our souls. Listen carefully, and praise the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit! As it is written,

John 14:15-18

If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

See also Latter And Former Rain; The Mystery of the Gospel; The Holy Spirit

Related Scriptures: 1Corinthians 14:1-15; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Romans 8:26-27; 1Corinthians 2:1-16; John 16:7-16; Jude 1:20-25

Broken, And Snared, And Taken

Isaiah 28:13

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

As we continue deeper with the Lord, there will be a process that just does not seem as though it could come from Him, but it does. When we go forward without His prompting, there will be a falling backward; we will be broken, snared, and taken. This is to prevent us from much greater harm, and to build us up on the True Foundation, the Word of God. Like a stonecutter, He will take the edges off that do not fit with the Head of the Corner, and we will be shaped. It is all part of being perfected in the image of Christ, a process that will follow our submission to Him as Lord. As it is written,

Matthew 21:44

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

See also Precept Upon Precept; Fall Upon That Stone;

Related Scriptures: Matthew 21:33-44; Philippians 3:8-15; Hebrews 10:1-25; Psalm 118:1-29; Romans 8:26-31

Smite The Shepherd

Zechariah 13:6-7

And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.

When we open our hearts to those closest to us in the sincere love of God, we are wide open to the possibility of wounding. Inevitably the wounding comes. This is God presenting us with an opportunity to become like Christ. It is up to us what we do with this opportunity: either we can let it scatter us, or we can stand strong in intercessory prayer and be perfected in the image of Christ. When we purpose to follow Him, He will continue to present the tests until we pass, and greater challenges when we respond appropriately. That's right, prayer and fasting do not change Him: that is how He transforms us into His image. As it is written,

Romans 8:29

For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

See also Watch Ye Therefore; He Magnified His Word; Building Spiritual Houses

Related Scriptures: 1John 3:16-24; Isaiah 53:1-12; Hebrews 7:13-28; Romans 8:28-39

The Third Part Through The Fire

Zechariah 13:8-9

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

The landscape of the human heart is cluttered with the cumulative effects of iniquity, transgression, and sin. Before the Lord fulfills His Word to restore hearts of flesh to us, He pulls up the stones and prepares the soil. The remainder is passed through the fire to be purified and sanctified to the Lord. The LORD, He is our God! Call on His name in the midst of the fire, as it is written,

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

See also Search The Heart; Make Up the Hedge; Living Stones

Related Scriptures: Exodus 34:1-17 (KJV); Exodus 34:1-17; John 16:7-11; Matthew 3:11-12; 1Corinthians 1:1-9; Psalm 18:1-50

Philip Opened His Mouth

Acts 8:32-33

The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

The Lord opened not His mouth in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, and the inward witness of the Holy Spirit would move upon the hearts of men after His resurrection.

Acts 8:34

And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

The prophets foretold of the redemption of mankind by the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, who remained dumb before His shearer. The gift of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit is the bold witness that caused Philip to become the mouth of the Lord.

Acts 8:35

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Jesus Christ will not keep silence much longer. As it is written,

Revelation 19:15-16

And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

See also The Two Anointed Ones; From the Four Winds; God Poured Out

Related Scriptures: Acts 8:1-40; Hebrews 9:1-28; Revelation 19:5-16

A Rod of an Almond Tree

Jeremiah 1:11

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

The almond tree bears the earliest spring blossoms, and the rod described here is the earliest green shoot. What this generation witnessed in 1948 with the rebirth of Israel was the "rod of an almond tree": the earliest blossoms of the performance of God's plan for the regathering of Israel prior to the Tribulation. When the former and latter rains begin to pour out on God's planting, we will witness His intention as He hastens His word to perform it once again. Before this generation passes away He will be sanctified in Israel, and His heartfelt desire for all mankind to be saved will manifest before all the nations. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. As it is written,

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

See also The Tower of Salvation; He Has Given the Former Rain Moderately; Perfect Law of Liberty

Related Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:1-19; Matthew 24:32-51; Ezekiel 28:22-26; Isaiah 61:1-11

The Testimony of Jesus

Revelation 19:10-11

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.

The testimony of Jesus is our receipt of the promises of God, which are in Him yes, and in Him Amen. Through our testimony the Holy Spirit releases instruction, encouragement, and comfort to the saints on earth. We can receive His promises now: health and healing, soul restoration, dominion, continuous and continual blessing. Through the manifestation of these things the heavens are opened to us on earth, and we work the works of Him Who sent us in righteousness. As we do so the Lord Jesus, Faithful and True, will judge and make war on our behalf even now, until such time as the Scripture is fulfilled and He returns to redeem the earth.

See also Scepter of Righteousness; Christ: The Breastplate of Righteousness; Targeting Our Weapons

Related Scriptures: 2Corinthians 1:12-24; 1Corinthians 14:1-40; John 6:28-50; Philippians 3:8-15; Micah 4:1-13

They Held Their Peace

Luke 20:26

And they could not take hold of His words before the people: and they marvelled at His answer, and held their peace.

Many have tried since the birth of the Son of man to pick apart His words, and thereby to seize Him in attempts to undermine the truth before the people. Inevitably everyone will stand before God, silent and alone, marveling and in awe at the simplicity of His Truth and the righteousness of His judgment. To those who strive to manipulate His Word, the Word will judge them and grind them to powder, as Jesus Christ passes through their midst untouched. His desire is for mercy to triumph over judgment, but this can only happen after we submit to His Word.

See also Mercy Rejoices Against Judgment; Out Of the Iron Furnace; Miry Clay

Related Scriptures: Luke 20:1-26; 2Corinthians 5:1-21; Revelation 20:10-15; James 2:1-13

He Will Heal Us

Hosea 6:1

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.

The LORD corrects according to His ways of judgment: righteously, and always on the side of His truth. There are no grey areas with God, only unbelief by men. Consider this: if one ignores God’s law of gravity and steps off a cliff, there are consequences. So when this passage describes tearing and smiting, this is His faithfulness to His judgment. When it describes healing and binding up of wounds, it is His abundant mercy when we return to Him.

See also Clouds and Thick Darkness; Depart From Evil; Pray For the Peace/Prayer for Israel in time of trouble

Related Scriptures: Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 19:1-25; Romans 3:1-31; Psalm 119:9-16

Freely Given To Us

1 Corinthians 2:12

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

What has God freely given to mankind? He has generously provided every good and perfect gift, which included His original creation before the fall of Adam and Eve. Even in the current corrupted state, the earth still sustains our lives in fulfillment of His promise to restore all things. This subjection to bondage will soon be delivered into the glory of perfect liberty. The Lord has set the events in motion that will soon lead to full restitution, culminating with the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. The establishment of the millennial reign of the Messiah will usher in the flow of a river of peace that will flood the earth with righteousness and true holiness. As it is written,

Habakkuk 2:14

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

See also Latter and Former Rain; All Shall Know Him; Elijah and Restoration

Related Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Acts 3:1-26, Habakkuk 2:1-20, Job 38:1-41; Romans 8:1-39

The Mystery of the Gospel

Ephesians 6:18-20

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

By praying in the Spirit we can truly access the throne of God, where Jesus sits at His right hand interceding for the saints. His intercessory ministry began at the cross, and will conclude with the eternal defeat of all forms of rebellion against God. Like the first coming, He will be preceded by the spirit and power of Elijah, already rising up in the saints who are boldly crying out for repentance. When He returns, the full mystery of the gospel will be revealed in the heavens with Him, as He catches up His saints. Then Elijah himself will preach the gospel with boldness again to the Jews in the streets of Jerusalem. When Christ sets foot on the Mount of Olives His everlasting kingdom will come to the earth.

See also The Two Anointed Ones; In Power and In the Holy Ghost; God Poured Out

Related Scriptures: Hebrews 12:2; Romans 8:26-27; Revelation 20:1-15; Matthew 11:1-30; Malachi 4:5-6; Zechariah 14:1-11

Christ: The Breastplate of Righteousness

Ephesians 6:14-15

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

The truth that sets mankind free is that Christ was made sin for us. He knew no sin, yet He took it upon Himself in order to liberate man from his sinful fallen nature, and reestablish the covering of righteousness with which God endued Adam. We can rest in the peace of God wearing the breastplate of righteousness. When we dwell in Christ we have put on the Lord in our spirits, and this realization protects the very core of our being. Thereby are we made the righteousness of God in the gospel of Christ, and filled with His glory the way He intended.

See also The Refuge of Lies; Laborers Into His Harvest; Beth: God’s Cleansing Word

Related Scriptures: 2Corinthians 5:1-21; Genesis 1:26-31; Philippians 4:4-9; Romans 13:10-14; Proverbs 4:20-27; 1Corinthians 1:18-31

The Fruit of the Lips: Peace

Isaiah 57:18-19

I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

The LORD sees the iniquities of the human heart, and every aspect of transgression and sin that is conceived in the heart is laid open before Him. He set out to make mankind in His own image, and He will perform it. It is the express will of God to remove all iniquity and heal us of its effects. When we repent and receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts, the healing can begin, by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. Then, by placing His Word in our mouths, peace will begin to flood our souls and the healing becomes progressive. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life: and He is restoration in our souls that leads to eternal right relationship. Glory to God!

See also The Lord and Harpazo; The Spirit Shall Lift Up A Standard; Daleth: Quickened By God’s Word

Related Scriptures: Hebrews 4:11-16; Psalm 107:1-43; Psalm 41:1-13; Psalm 23:1-6

The Souls Which God Has Made

Isaiah 57:16-17

For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid Me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.

If not for the covenant God made with Noah the world would perish, along with every soul that God has ever made. If not for His purposeful intention to save mankind through the unveiling of Jesus Christ, every spirit would fail before the blast furnace of His wrath, in righteous judgment of iniquity. In His everlasting mercy God planned the eternal sacrifice of the Lamb from before time had a name, and has performed His Word not to contend with man forever, to fulfill His Seed and make mankind in His image for endless time in fellowship with Him. If He had not given the Lamb from the foundation of the world; if He had not hidden His face from the apostasy of mankind, He would have been honor bound by His own Word to judge and destroy creation. It is only by His Son, soon to be revealed in the heavens, that we, the redeemed, will stand before Him in glory.

See also By Him All Things Consist; Philip Opened His Mouth; God Poured Out

Related Scriptures: Genesis 6:1-8; Revelation 6:1-17; Hebrews 4:1-16; Isaiah 53:1-12; Genesis 3:15

Christ: The Architect of Souls

1Corinthians 3:10

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Christ is the foundation of all creation, and the chief cornerstone. Every stone that is laid in a foundation must line up with the chief cornerstone in order to be effective. Those that do not are removed and replaced with others that will. The restoration of one’s soul depends entirely on receiving the engrafted, incorruptible Word of God and lining one’s thoughts up with the Chief Corner Stone. Thereby we become living stones, and letters written by God to mankind. As it is written,

2Co 3:2-3

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

See also The Mystery of Iniquity; Search the Heart; Building Spiritual Houses

Related Scriptures: 1Peter 1:1-25; 1Peter 2:1-10; Luke 20:9-20; Psalm 23:1-6; 2Corinthians 3:1-6

Walking Through the Fire

Isaiah 43:2

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

When you walk more deeply with God, the storms can begin to rage more fiercely. The waters of trouble will rise up like rivers. The flames will be heated up seven times more. Yet God has instructed us to trust and not fear; He has promised to manifest Himself in a glorious way in the midst of every trial. In quietness and confidence, we can WALK through the fire, and the flames will not even touch us. He goes out before us, and He is our rear guard.

See also The Nature of Works Will Be Manifest; God Will Separate His Harvest; What Is the Chaff to the Wheat

Related Scriptures: Daniel 3:16-30; Genesis 15:1-6; Isaiah 52:1-15; Isaiah 30:1-15

They Shall Say, “Peace and Safety”

Daniel 11:24

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

As the end of the age approaches, the level of deception will increase. The world cries out for "peace" at any cost; for political correctness. Tolerance of evil is just ignorance and will never lead to peace. Jesus spoke of a whole different meaning of peace. The peace He referred to is a level of provision from God that supplies deliverance from oppression, preserves purity of heart and soul, brings healing to the body, and wholeness to the spirit. When the Antichrist projects his wicked devices against the strongholds of God, the people of God will not be deceived. The sudden destruction that swallows the fallen world will pass by like the death angel, leaving the remnant to inherit the peace that Christ will establish during the Millennium.

See also The Earth Shall Be Filled; Warn Every One; Miry Clay

Related Scriptures: Matthew 24:1-51; John 14:26-31; 1Thessalonians 5:1-28; Exodus 12:21-23