Thursday, 9 September 2010

To Friends, to keep in the fear of the Lord.

In every particular, mind that which is pure of God in you,
to guide you up to God, and to keep you in the fear of the Lord,
that you may receive refreshment from God alone in yourselves,
and grow up in the inward man,
nourished and strengthened by that which is immortal.
And delight in that which shows you the deceit of your hearts,
and judges that which is contrary to God,
and be obedient to that which is pure;
so you will see the Lord God present with you, a daily help,
his hand always ordering of you,
and as a shepherd always keeping the dogs from his lambs,
whom he feeds in green pastures, and waters with his heavenly dew of mercy,
who makes them all fruitful.
The cry of want and poverty shall be no more heard in the land of the living,
but joy, gladness, and plenty.
The wearied soul, that has lain in the pit and in the mire,
and lived in the clouds of temptation, and cried out for want of the Lord,
shall cry plentiful redemption, and say, God is our king,
who filled heaven and earth,
and the voice of our king is heard in our land.
So fare you well in the Lord!
And the Lord God Almighty keep you and preserve you in his mighty power.


From Molinos' Spiritual Guide: "The Lord said to a soul, 'This inward way is tread by few; it is so high a grace, that none deserves it; few walk in it, because it is no other than a death of the senses; and few there be that are willing so to die and be annihilated; in which disposition this so sovereign a gift is founded.'"

Doubts

It is easy to sometimes feel sorry for yourself, due to prolonged dryness or due to a failure on your part. Self-pity is damaging to your progress; so no matter how justified you sometimes feel in your self-pity, it is only a disguised doubt of Christ working for you when you can't see the results; doubt the doubt. I used to spend time in self-pity, until he said, "one thing is certain, this has to stop."

Doubts will come. My wife was told by Him when doubts arose to "drop thought." Don't entertain doubts. Don't write doubts down. Don't speak them out loud. Don't tell your fellow seekers your doubts. All of these just strengthen the doubts. He told me, "Eventually the Light will destroy all doubt." A wise man told me, "doubt the doubt." Cast all your cares and worries on Him. Doubt is the opposite of faith, so you can logically destroy doubt by doubting the doubts. Know it is just your mind, which is hostile to God. A wise Easterner wrote, "stop thinking because all thoughts are just worries - the opposite of faith." Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life." George Fox wrote: Doubt not, faint not, question not.

The devil will try to get you to doubt the commands from Christ as really coming from Christ, hoping you will disobey the commands of Christ. Don't. Remember, the devil will not give you commands to depart from evil; that would not serve his purpose. Do not doubt your convictions and understandings of your evil.

George Fox also expressed the challenge throughout the journey to completion of your salvation: to walk the fence between presumption and despair. It is a fine line, one easy to fall off of in either direction. Presumption is to think you have arrived, start teaching without explicit authorization and command, and/or to relax from your persistent seeking. Despair is to believe that you will never make it; it is too hard; you are too wicked; or some other doubt. Either is wrong. When you find yourself falling off on either side, climb back up, and keep walking. Remember, it is God who is running the show; he doesn't fail. And remember, you must persevere by continuing to seek him daily, and with increasing frequency as you are able. Do this, and you will stay walking the fence until you reach home.

Until we can stop thinking, we are told to think on whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

The opposition will tempt you to despair over any mistake you have made. Don't!

The Opposition (testing in the process of purification)

In meditation the Lord's words and visions are always kind, clear, moral, loving, and understandable. He will never make a statement calling for you to try to figure out what he is talking about; his communications are easily understandable. If you get any message that calls for you to figure out anything, it is not from him, (i.e., a message such as: 'there is a big problem between us' does not tell me what the problem is - so if I listen to it, I will become fearful that almost anything could be the big problem - this is not the way the Lord teaches - he is always specific, clear, gentle, and easily understood). His communications come with immediate understanding. He never asks questions, (unless he gives you the answer in the same sentence), because that calls for you to make a conclusion - which could be erroneous. Everything from Him will also be moral as tested with scripture from the Bible. He said, "To know what the Bible says is wrong is worthy, all my great men knew the scriptures." He told me, "If you don't thoroughly understand something, do nothing and wait for clearer understandings;" and don't worry about an unclear message and what it might mean - it is not from the Lord. He also said to me, "only do what I tell you clearly what to do and when to do it."

I don't want to frighten anyone, but after the Lord has prepared you, the enemy will appear. The enemy does not want you to hear from the Lord and will try to confuse you, discourage you, sidetrack you, play to your weaknesses, pretend to be Jesus, quote scripture, and generally be a nuisance to your efforts. The enemy is fallen angels, demons. Later they will subject you to Tribulation. But they are under control by the Spirit of God. Their work is to bring your lusts and pride to the surface so you can choose to avoid evil. It is a tough time of testing, but one whose rewards for completion greatly outweigh the efforts required. Be sober and vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Temptations

From George Fox's Journal:

Temptations grew more and more, and I was tempted almost to give up hope and quit. And when Satan could not succeed against me in that way, he placed traps and lures in front of me to draw me to commit some sin, by which he might take advantage to bring me to depression or defeat. I was about twenty years of age when these exercises came upon me, and for some years I continued in that condition in great trouble, and would have been very glad to get rid of them.

When I was in the deep, under all shut up, I could not believe that I could ever overcome; my troubles, my sorrows, and my temptations were so great, that I often thought I should give up all hope in despair, and it was very tempting.

Still, I was sometimes under great temptations, and my inward sufferings were heavy; but I could find no one to tell about my condition except to the Lord alone, unto whom I cried night and day.

The Lord showed me that the natures of those things which were destructive in the outside world were also within in the hearts and minds of evil men: the natures of dogs, swine, vipers, of Sodom, and Egypt, Pharaoh, Cain, Ishmael, Essau, etc. The natures of these I saw within, though people had been looking without. I cried to the Lord, saying, 'Why should I be in this condition, seeing I was never addicted to commit those evils?' And the Lord answered, ‘It was needful I should have a sense of all conditions, how else should I speak to all conditions?’

Then I could say that I had been in spiritual Babylon, Sodom, Egypt, and the grave; but by the eternal power of God I had come out of it, was brought over it, and by the power of it into the power of Christ.

The enemy will reason with you to do something wrong, such as "what you really need is more of what you lust after;" some twisted logic, like Jezebel in the Revelation Thyatira church who somehow convinced the other members that adulterous sex with her was good; perhaps some pitiful twisted logic like "cleansing in the church setting" or "transporting to purity or 'healing' through rapturous sex." Or, if you have a lust for alcohol or some drug, you will be tempted to believe that staying high on whatever brings you closer to God. They also use the logic that you need to get really sick of some habit before it can be eliminated; so you need more experience of falling to the habit in order to be able to repent. Don't laugh, we each have our weak points, and the enemy knows them. These are fallen angels. They still have power. They can read minds.* They know what is in your heart by listening to your thoughts. They appeal to your individual lusts and pride. It is your lusts and pride that tempt you, not God allowing you to be tested. They are the agents to bring them to the surface so that you can choose to avoid evil. They will persist in their appeal to your lusts and affections, until you choose without any reservation of your mind to shun evil; this is the test.

*Of the three men who visited Abraham, at least two were angels; the same two men were sent to destroy Sodom. In Job, the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not put forth your hand upon he himself." Satan left and the fire of God fell from heaven, and burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and a great wind from the wilderness struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. Don't underestimate the power of the fallen angels; reading minds is their least capability; yet greater is he [Christ] who is in you, than he who is in the world.

Aside from tempting you to do something wrong, the voices from the other side are different in spirit: they are sarcastic, bitter, condemning, taunting, harsh, leaving you to guess what they are talking about; whereas the Lords' voice is kind, gentle, pure, easily understood, easily accepted, peaceable, complete, morally correct, encouraging - never with even a hint of sarcasm, bitterness, or condemnation - never incomplete leaving you guessing what he wants; instead His words are full of love itself - his spirit of Love - for he is Love. His will always be the same voice too. To distinguish the voice of the Lord vs. the others is to rightly divide the word of Truth.

The other side can intensify sexual feelings to a level you have never experienced in your life, and they do it at a time to tempt you to think you have an overwhelming attraction to some person or that you have an overwhelming need; that should you follow through on your feelings, you would dishonor your body in sin. They can turn up the heat. By even entertaining thoughts of your lust, (they hear your thoughts), or just touching someone, you give license to them to intensify your body sensations; but you don't have to give in to these feelings. They are an associative feeling to trigger the habitual response of the past; but despite these sometimes overwhelming feelings, they can pass too, without falling to temptation. It is hard to resist, but not impossible. As it is written, no temptation will so great that there will not be a way to avoid it.

UNDERSTAND THIS: When you are seeking, and you make a mistake while believing you are doing what God wants you to do, you are automatically forgiven; you made the mistake in faith; it was not intentional; so forget it, and keep going, no matter how horrible it appears. DON'T look back. Christ has you covered. It doesn't count. If you fail, you are not lost - only delayed. Just regret it, feel your weakness/addiction, ask for help, and keep on seeking.

One thing he made very clear to me: "he who practices adultery cannot be my disciple; but I do not judge someone coming out of such a relationship, unless they fail to repent;" so this has to stop before you can make any progress. He is speaking about faithfulness being important in a committed relationship; you cannot be unfaithful to man and faithful to God. When he was on earth; he sent the woman at the well out to preach, knowing she had five previous husbands and was living with a man unmarried. If you are in a successive marriage or you are not married, but living committed to your partner, he does not condemn you, nor disqualify you for receipt of his purifying power. If and when he wants you to change your marital status, he will tell you in no uncertain terms.

They can also control others around you to the point that they are unreasonable beyond your experience, severely tempting you to anger and rage; but remember this is done with the permission of God and is purposed to help you grow in forgiveness and love. They can turn up the heat. When you can accept that the evil done to you by others, is so that you can grow spiritually through forgiving them, you have made a giant step.

As George Fox said, "whatever your are addicted to, the devil will come to you (cloaked in another's person), to offer you whatever you want." People that you haven't heard from in years suddenly show up, offering you renewed friendship, distraction from seeking God, and temptation to your lusts, affections, and addictions.

Recognize, these temptations can help you become strong. Each time you say no, you get stronger. I, and several people I know, can remember when, in a time we did not seek God, we decided to get married and proposed; immediately afterwards, within minutes, beyond strange things happened. I had not seen an old flame for several years, and suddenly she appears in front of me in line to pay the restaurant tab. Another close acquaintance relates how he proposed, and then got into an elevator, where two women suddenly start paying him attention, even rubbing their hands on his chest; when he had never experienced such attention in his lifetime. Both incidents were beyond coincidence. Both designed to strengthen our resolve to get married, at a time when we were most able to resist distractions. So you can look at temptations as either a contribution to your downfall, or a strengthening of your moral fiber- depending on how you respond to them. As the master potter continues to mold the clay - eventually bringing you to Him.

Lust for things, people, and pleasures is an illusion. There is no lasting satisfaction. You get one thing you want, and you immediately start wanting something else. This is earth school - learning the emptiness in lust for possessions, pleasures, power, wealth, etc., until we decide to look beyond the visible for happiness. Perhaps you can relate to the false joy of Christmas - after the presents are opened, after the big dinner, after the music has stopped - how many times have you felt let down, empty, almost desperate for another fix - go for a walk, take a ride, visit somebody, have a drink - anything to fill the void that you can rarely identify? For worldly joy is transitory, while godly joy is permanent. From George Fox's Letter 245.

So every one of you hear his voice that speaks from heaven,
whose voice shakes the earth, and not the earth only, but the heavens also.
The heaven imports joy; so all the false joys,
the lifted-up joys, or exalted joys, and joys in vain glory, and joys in the world,
of any outward thing or creature, and men or women;
his voice that speaks from heaven shakes the earth and the heavens;
and these must be shaken and removed, both the heavens and the earth;
before that appears which can never be shaken,
the noble, royal seed, elect and precious, before the world began.
Being heirs of him, come to inherit him;
in him you shall know that which cannot be shaken,
and there is the true joy, in that which is from everlasting to everlasting,
who is the beginning and ending;
here are not any either lifted up or fallen down to despair.

You must sicken of failure so much, that entertaining possible failure in your mind becomes sickening; so much so, that your desire to consider evil is overwhelmed by your revulsion to failure. Gradually, over a long time, the associative response turns around from being triggered to participate, to being triggered to flee. This is like gold being refined. It is heated by fire until the dross rises to the top; it is scooped off. It is heated again until more dross rises to the top; it is scooped off..... again, again. Until finally, only pure gold remains. Purification.

When you realize your thoughts are being read, and when you realize you are being watched; it can be a little frightening. You can feel like a goldfish in a bowl, being watched. Christ once told me, "what man fears most is public ridicule." This is what we get: ridicule from a public others don't hear. It is tough. It invades our privacy - our private privacy. It is easy to get resentful. Reason with yourself. Understand it is part of the process. You feel condemned, but Christ does not condemn you; he allows this as part of the purification process. It ultimately results in purification and more trust for Christ. It is humbling. You realize how filthy and insignificant you are. The discipline can become a comfort to you, knowing you are in the pressure cooker, which few are privileged enough to experience. (Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.) Yes, even the pain of the rod and staff can be reassuring. To the hungry, seeking soul, even tribulation can be encouraging: The full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to the hungry [seeking] soul every bitter thing [tribulation and chastening] is sweet. Pro 27:7. He will still give you messages and encouragement during the process so that you will not feel alone and abandoned. Several of the Psalms speak to being surrounded by mighty men, like bees, with burning darts, snares, evil words, etc. See Psalms 17, 23, 25, 31, 35, 38, 43, 44, 56, 64, 66, 71, 86, 88, 118, 120, 139, 141; and Job 16:9-14; which are some of the many that reference these supernatural adversaries.

By your firm and patient endurance you shall attain the true life of your souls. And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that the desolation of it is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Luke 21:19-21 [flee to Christ, the rock, and trust in Him; the scourge will eventually pass].

Deceptions

There are also many voices of deceit to be heard while silent. Some will be voices of your friends and relatives. Some will be your voice. Remember, when they tempted Jesus, they twisted the use of scripture to try to convince him. They will do the same to you, but it won't make sense. If you follow your basic understanding of right and wrong and scriptural definitions of morality, you will do well. A few other points to remember:

1) Jesus does not ask questions; that is the role of the tempter, starting in the garden with Eve when he questioned her, "Has God really said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" George Fox reminded us of this in his Letter 212.

Doubt not, faint not, question not;
for Eve was deceived by the serpent, the questioner;
therefore keep over him in the power of God, and in that is the reigning.
And take not belief from the serpent, nor take meat from him,
but keep your fast from that which is in the fall;
for that brings from the Lord,
to feed upon the accuser and the tempter's food, that feeds unbelief.
And therefore keep your fast to the Lord,
and feed upon that which comes down from above, in which there is life;
and that strengthens the faith which has the victory.

A question calls for a conclusion. Jesus, our Teacher, gives us understandings and commands, not questions without answers.

2) Don't fall for them using your love for Him: "Would you do 'this' for me?" - when 'this' is something that is scripturally wrong. I know someone who had a painful vision of Jesus falling down while carrying the cross, and having great difficulty in trying to get up to keep walking; and then she heard a voice say, "would you do xxx to help me out?" - asking her to do xxx, which was morally wrong. See how far they will go to deceive you? Wrong is wrong. They read her thoughts and knew there was something in her that wanted to do something like that, so they tried to set her up. Remember, Jesus has not gone modern. He does not change with time or as the morals of society change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Wrong is also wrong - yesterday, today, and forever.

3) Common deceptions based on twisting the scriptures are:

■since I have faith in Christ, I am free from the Law of Sin Death, and sin is not charged to me.
■since I am 'saved' by grace, I have the righteousness of Christ, without sin, I am free to live as I please.
■since I have been 'saved,' there is nothing I can do that will remove me from the favor of God.
■since I am 'saved' by grace, any work I do, including repentance, will place me under the Law of Sin and Death.
■since I am in the Light, that is the return of Christ. I made it. There's nothing else to receive, (not true).
■since anything not done in faith is sin, then anything done in faith is not sin.
■since to the pure all things are pure, there really is no evil to the pure - sin is only in the eye of the beholder.
■since love covers a multitude of sins, anything I do with love is not counted as sin.
■since God created everything and said it was good, then any drug that I use is good and is not sin.
Wrong, in all of the above. Anyone who practices sexual immorality, uncleanness, lack of restraint, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, arguments, jealousies, rage, selfishness, divisiveness, envies, murders, drunkenness, revelries [partying], and the like will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Wrong is wrong. When you are truly born of God, you will do none of these deeds of darkness above.

4) They will appeal to your pride by tempting you to teach or preach or witness before you are clearly told what to do and when to do it or before you have the words spoken with aid of the Spirit. Don't! This is the test to see if you, like Nimrod, are going to run ahead of your guide, rather than follow. You don't want to hear him say to you, "who has required this at your hand." Remember only respond to a full command of what to do and when to do it, and of course it has to be morally correct. Until you are authorized, don't even speak the words 'Jesus' or 'God,' (unless you are fellowshipping with others that share the true hope of freedom from sin, purity, entering the kingdom while on earth, and union with God); it is using the Lord's name in vain. Teaching before you are clearly told to teach will halt your progress; that is why all of the many thousands of teachers and preachers, who have been touched by his spirit, never progress to union, and the Kingdom. Anyone who names themselves a 'Christian' without being under Christ's control in speech and actions, is scattering and a stumbling block.

The biggest temptation will be to correct the people of the 'deficit sects' who profess a strong love of God, through faith in the Bible. As George Fox said, "do not try to educate the wise." Christ said, "he did not come to call the righteous, but the sinner." He also said, "if you say you can see, your sin remains." You want to help them see their error; but wait - wait until you have the power of God going in front of you, leading you as to where to go and chaining down your listener so that they have to listen. Some will still reject the truth; but they will have heard your words of truth, clearly spoken from His spirit. From George Fox's Letter 48.

And again, I charge you all in the presence of the living God,
not to allow your minds to go out to contend
with those who are not of the truth,
in that which is out of the truth,
both of which are to be condemned with the truth.
For the same mind will boast and get up,
which is out of the truth and reaches at things in the comprehension,
though it lives not in it, but is excluded out of the truth, and shall not enter;
but is for condemnation.
And so to you all this is the counsel of the Lord God of power and of peace,
that in peace you may be preserved
to wait for the spirit of grace, and of wisdom, and of understanding.

The world is His garden. He is the one with the plan. Until you are under his total control, you cannot help him, you will only scatter. He has told me: "Let no one think we don't see and hear all." He has all the thoughts, words, and actions of all men in his consciousness. It is his battle. Wait until you are totally trained; then do only what he precisely tells you to do and when to do it.

5) They will also tempt you by hinting at what you should do, tempting you to think it is the Lord testing you to see if you are willing to "step out in faith." You will get requests to do something, which are incomplete, leaving you again to fill in the blanks, trying to figure out exactly what it was you were "told" to do. This is not the way the Lord asks; his requests will be clear as to exactly what to do and exactly when to do it. And if you get instructions to do something that doesn't make good sense to you, don't do it, wait. If it is from the Lord, he will clear it up to where it makes perfect sense; if not, leave it undone, forget about it.

6) You will get countless visions from the other side. The visions come fast as you start falling asleep. Christ's usually do not. Try not to get so comfortable that sleep is easy; but then if you fall asleep, you probably need the sleep. If they can't convince you to follow the vague vision, they will try to keep your brain working analyzing them. Some of your visions will be crude. So the best thing to do is immediately ignore them. If they don't make immediate sense, throw them away; don't spend a second trying to figure them out. WE GET SO PARCHED IN THE DESERT, THAT WE BECOME DESPERATE FOR WATER. DRINK WITH CAUTION, remember Gideon's army, (only drink while keeping alert for the enemy). If you analyze a vision, you are at least wasting time, but the real risk is that you conclude that God wishes you to do something wrong, which of course he never will. The Lord's visions come with immediate understanding, requiring no analysis; they speak directly to a condition in your heart which you immediately understand and know. Ignore written instructions that you "read" in a vision; you cannot hear the spirit of the words when you read them, and this is a way for the enemy to fool you with kind written words which avoid the detection of their sarcastic, harsh, critical, spirits behind the words. Christ's words are always heard with a spirit of love, kindness, gentleness, softness, reassurance, positive, easily understood, easily accepted, never incomplete to leave you guessing, never questioning, and never suddenly contradictory to a string of previous understandings. Immediately ignore written instructions.

Some of your visions or dreams will be showing you what will happen to you in the near future; to show that he, who is speaking to you, is a prophet. But make no effort to fulfill anything you think is going to happen.

Below is a summary of the guidelines on how to not be deceived by the opposition:

1.Ignore all visions without immediate and clear understanding accompanying them. Do not try to guess what they mean.


2.If you get a partial message, do not try to fill in the blanks or complete it to your best guess. If the message is important to you, you will hear it completely later. Do not worry, he will repeat anything that is important.


3.Understand that all spiritual beings, including demons, can read your thoughts. That is how they tailor their temptations to your exact desires. They can hear your reasoning, they can hear your doubts, and then they respond to take advantage of even a tiny doubt in the wall of your determination.


4.Understand that God allows the demons to tempt us into following our own lusts, so that they are brought to the surface, to either deny and grow; or fall to, suffer the pain, and eventually repent - with a loss of time.


5.Do not comply with any instruction that is clearly defined as sin in the Bible. No matter how logical the reasoning to violate the moral laws might be, don't do it. Understand that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever - so godliness is the same, so sin is the same - nothing had changed, as defined in the Bible. Jesus has not gone modern, adjusting morals to conventional thinking. Society changes, Jesus does not. Sin is sin, and he would never lead you into anything that the Bible forbids.


6.Never buy the logic that if you somehow debase yourself, you are demonstrating your humility and willingness to accept a lowly role. The Lord will never request you to debase yourself in some repulsive or immoral act. He will expose your lack of humility, destroy your pride, and bring forth true humility in you; but never through a debasement or immorality.


7.If you receive a change in instructions, which violates your previous understandings, you are to ignore the new instruction; if it is the Lord speaking, he will lead you to understand, step-by-step, why any reversal he makes is totally logical. Until you have been led with the step-by-step reasoning, ignore any command that violates previous commands or understandings.


8.Understand that any instruction you get, which does not make good sense to you, should be ignored.


9.Disregard any vision with a message in writing. The Lord speaks with a discernible voice, or with a knowing of understanding that is immediately perceived - with no communication by writing or words appearing in visions.


10.Disregard any instruction to go somewhere, do something (except repenting), or say something to someone - unless you are told exactly what to do and when to do it. If it is important, it will be made completely clear. Understand, you will be tempted to preach, teach, or witness long before you have been purified - don't fall for it.


11.You will also be tempted to travel, move to a different city, etc. Stay settled. I must have been told a hundred times to move to various cities, or to travel to various cities - never with any clear reasoning why - or never making sense. These temptations are all related to your pride, to make you think you are specially equipped to do something for the Lord, long before you have been purified and have received a major increase in his Spirit.


12.Never comply with any command that requires you to go into debt. Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another. Rom 13:8


13.Ignore any instruction you hear that is harsh, bitter, sarcastic, with crude language, in a joking manner, etc.


14.Apparent miracles, (lying wonders), as discussed in the next section, do not cancel these warnings. They are only designed to confuse you into thinking that God is asking you to do something wrong.


15.When you get a command that makes sense, is moral, understood, perhaps even echoing what you can recall having read in the Bible, this is the time to make every effort to obey to the best of your ability. The opposition will try to make you doubt that you really heard it from God, or that you heard it right. Don't doubt any moral command regarding your conduct and/or conversation, obey it.


16.Do not ask questions, expecting a yes or no answer from God. He does not respond, but the demons love to play this game; or your mind will manufacture an answer. God teaches with understandings; he does not teach with yes or no answers.


17.Understand, that whatever you are addicted to, someone will show up to offer you more. Do not think that God is rewarding you with a vacation from righteousness, it is just a temptation to be denied. You can be walking and find something that you have been addicted to, literally lying in your path - don't take this as a gift from God - it is only a temptation to be denied, thus making you stronger. From Molinos, Spiritual Guide:

You are to know then, that temptation is your great happiness; so that the more it surrounds you, the more you ought to rejoice in peace, instead of being sad, and thank God for the favor. He does favor you. In all those temptations, and odious thoughts, the remedy that works, is to despise them with a stayed neglect, because nothing more afflicts the proud devil, than to see that he is slighted and despised, as are all things else that he suggests to us. And therefore you are to tarry with him, as one that perceives him not, and to possess yourself in your peace without fretting, and without multiplying reasons and answers; seeing nothing is more dangerous than to contest in reasons with him who is ready to deceive you.

The saints in arriving at holiness, passed through this doleful valley of temptations; and the greater saints they were, the greater temptations with which they grappled. No, after the saints have attained to holiness and perfection, the Lord allows them to be tempted with brisk temptations, that their crown may be the greater, and that the spirit of vainglory may be checked, or else hindered from entering in them, keeping them in that manner secure, humble, and concerned of their condition.

Don't let yourself get angry at the opposition; that is what the devil wants. For when you get angry, you have fallen to his ways. Rather than anger, your greatest weapon is to totally ignore them, which they hate, for it makes them ineffective.

Lying Wonders

Be aware, later as you get closer, you will be subjected to many "lying wonders;" 2Th 2:9 These are supernatural "signs" to deceive you to believe they are from God. This is scriptural. They are to test you to see if you are committed to the truth. Don't consider the below signs an exhaustive list; as Molinos says: "the devils, like cruel executioners, have a thousand ways to torment the soul and body, the whole man being crucified within and without."

a) expect supernatural occurrences of noises, popping sounds, visions, flashing electrical lights, etc.
(visions can be writings and pictures on the carpets, visions on a wall, they can distort your eyes to see visions in nature,
some can have visions of demons taunting you, even ridiculing your faith - if not visually, definitely by voice)

b) expect their application of bodily sensations: heat, cold, freezing, skin burning, pain, pricks, water, fire, darts, vibrations, crawlings on you, sudden ringing in the ears, heart skips, heart racing up to 200 beats per minute for days, sneezing, internal blows like a slide hammer. These can be felt on any part(s) of the body, often the private parts. "Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Ephesians 6:16

c) early on in your meditations you will feel a strange pressure, which feels like a tug-of-war in and around your head. This is just the opposition's way of trying to distract your silence and focus on your hope for change. You can minimize this pressure by: 1) bowing your head, and 2) with your hands in the classic prayer clasp or meeting, bring them to touch your chin, lips, or tip of your nose.

Suffering - Tribulation (later in the disciplining process, and the hardest part of the cross!)

When he deems you ready, you enter tribulation. This is part of the cross, to destroy the sinful nature within you through suffering.
This produces patience, forgiveness, faith, long-suffering, trust, humility, and even hope; for even pain can be reassuring of his love:
"Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.

But narrow is the gate and compressed is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Mat 7:14 (Tribulation and suffering is the pressure; as you approach the gate, the pressure intensifies).

Therefore, since Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind because he who has suffered in the flesh is finished with sin, so that you should not live the rest of your time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 1 Pet 4:1-2. Tribulation is not a hard day at the office, a car wreck, a death in the family, a divorce, or some natural difficulty; it is unmistakably, supernaturally imposed.

For this suffering to be effective, you must realize three things:

1) It is supernaturally imposed. It is not some natural disease. It cannot be cured. It cannot be stopped by anything you do.
2) Despite the afflictions to your body, no harm will result - except to your selfish spiritual nature.
3) It is pleasing to God for you to undergo suffering because you are laying down your life for him - the one true sacrifice.

I realize this is extremely strange and foreign to most readers. But remember, Jesus said to Peter: Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you all, that he may sift you like grain. They were all turned over to Satan for testing. Satan will be allowed to test and sift you, (a slow process), as well as inflict suffering upon you to test, try, and develop love within you. When you can suffer with faith that the suffering is your cross, but nowhere as painful as the cross of Jesus, then your pain is far, far less.

The same sufferings are being experienced by all your brothers in the world. 1 Pet 5:9. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom 8:18. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 1:27

Fear none of those things which you shall suffer; behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. Rev 2:10

God is frequently accused of creating evil by creating the devil. Here is what George Fox says from his Journal:

The Ranters pleaded that God had made the devil. I denied it, and told them, 'I had come into the power of God, the seed Christ, which was before the devil was, and bruises his head; and he became a devil by going out of truth; and so became a murderer and a destroyer. So I showed them, that God did not make him a devil; for God is a God of truth, and made all things good, and blessed them; but God did not bless the devil. And the devil is bad and was a liar and a murderer from the beginning, and spoke from himself, and not from God.'

The devil rebelled against God. My wife had a vision as to what happened afterwards. Jesus was standing in front of Satan. Jesus held out his hand, full of dust and said, "Do you see this dust Satan? I am going to make this dust greater than you, and there is nothing you can do about it." The dust is us. He formed man from the earth. He thwarts Satan's efforts to defeat us by using his evil to produce good; to produce sons of God who are greater than the very powerful fallen archangel Satan. You are now entering the process by which evil is used to produce a son of God, made from dust, but cloned with the Spirit of Jesus.

In Acts 14:22-23, Paul was strengthening the souls of the disciples and warning and exhorting them to stand firm in the faith; saying that it is through many trials and tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. From where do you think these tribulations will come? Not from our fellow man, at least not in this era of religious tolerance. The tribulation has to be supernatural; various sufferings and hardships poured on you from above. These are the troubles of the seven seals, (see footnote to Rev 5:1). See the Tribulation Scripture References, to understand further how tribulation is part of the cross to be experienced by every generation.

Remember Jesus said:

Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.
Two women will be grinding together; one will be taken and the other left.
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.'
And in response they said to him, "Where, Lord?"' And he said to them,
"Wherever the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together. Luke 17:33-37

So, don't panic and run, trying to save your life. Trust in God. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him; but the Father scourges any son he accepts, because it is necessary for purification. And He uses the vultures or eagles, heavenly vultures, fallen angels, demons, to do it.

First, recognize that they are restrained by the Spirit of God. They are not going to really hurt you or do anything totally bizarre; I know this to be absolutely true from experience. The angel of the LORD encamps round about those who fear him, and deliverers them. Psalm 34:7 And greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world.

Aside from our documentation, there are others who have trod this path and documented it. Miguel de Molinos (1640-1697), a Spanish priest who practiced inward silence to union with the Lord, who came to Rome where he secured the support of the Pope and a large following, later condemned by the Roman Inquisition and tortured to death, left his account (click) for your assurance. He was a also a major contributor to the Guide to True Peace, on this web site. The Book of Job also documents his persecutions and is available with commentary for you to read and take comfort.

First, Before Suffering: They will try to get you to do something wrong; such as something you just thought about, by giving you a "sign" at the exact same time. They want you to think it is God giving you a sign to do something wrong. Don't fall for it. Wrong is wrong and is never of God. When they give up on that, knowing that you recognize the sign to be from them, they will use the same sign to judge your every thought and condemn you every time you have a bad thought, by their signs, (usually something done to your body or popping noises). Or, they will use a "sign" to try to inhibit you from doing something right; they lie, and switch around, just to keep you confused; so you just have to ignore them. Scripturally, this is the "accuser of the brethren." Rev. 12:10 Don't get resentful. Any anger or resentment will just slow you down. Remember God does not condemn you for these thoughts; he knows you will have them until you are finished. Even if you repeatedly get angry at God, he understands and forgives you, providing you keep regretting it too. And he is the one in charge of your progress, so trust Him to continue his peace, mercy, and grace to you; he never withdraws it. Be happy you have arrived where few have gone before you. This monitoring of your thoughts and condemnation will continue for a long time; but do not be discouraged, they will eventually disappear. The sooner you can ignore them, the sooner they will withdraw from you, at least temporarily.

After you identify one type of sign as evil, a new type of sign is tried to deceive you, and then another, etc. Compared to the miracles of God, these are cheap tricks. Don't fall for them. Ignore them. This is hard because you are so famished for God, and you will want so badly to believe that these "signs and wonders" come from God. He doesn't communicate that way. It is your pride that is working against you here; your pride wants to believe God has finally started doing miracles for your benefit and wants to rush to comply with the instructions, hints, or associations accompanying them.

Next, Suffering: When these supernatural signs become painful, and they will, sooner or later, rejoice that you have been worthy of discipline and persecution, for you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ:

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice, since you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, so that when his glory is revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-13. The same sufferings are being experienced by all your brothers in the world. 1 Pet 5:9.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. Rom 8:18.

My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into many trials of any sort or into various temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4.

This will be a shock. Even having read this beforehand, it will be a shock. You will be angry, full of doubts, desperate to get away, perhaps bitter. There is no place to go. They will follow you wherever you go. You will think you are being punished for something you have done wrong. You will not be able to imagine that God is allowing you to be subjected to this. But, in the end, you have to trust God. You have to remember that he is the one in charge, not you.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mat 5:10

After the suffering started, during my "quiet sessions," I had terrible thoughts and words that went through my head. Thoughts as bad as you can imagine. It is easy to get bitter. Sometimes it was so painful to realize that kind of stuff was in me, that I was in deep agony. Recognize, there is a war going on inside of you. The Spirit of Christ is warring against your spirit, the spirit of Satan. This spirit within you will eventually be slain by Christ at his return to you, but until then, this spirit will probably curse and find fault with God. It will feel like you are the one thinking these thoughts; it will be very distressing; you will feel like you are unforgivable. You may want to fall on your sword to remove the dishonor or contemplate suicide; this won't help the Lord - he has brought you this far, let him finish the job. The fact that you find it distressing is proof that you don't will these thoughts; they are part of the war - nation against nation. Keep regretting your condition and know that Christ does not condemn you for this; he will win the war; the war is his. He told me there is no evil that has not already been in front of his hands and face. Remember his blood has paid for your pitiful state, and he will redeem you in the end. I doubt you could make the many and grievous mistakes I have made while seeking. But, He always forgave me, always encouraged me, and always gave me more. In time, grace destroyed the vast, vast majority of those thoughts in my head; but this called for, and worked to, patience.

When so many disciples deserted Christ after he said that to have eternal life, they must eat his flesh and drink his blood; the Lord asked the twelve, "Will you also leave me?" To which, Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God." That is the question: you have committed yourself to God and arrived at suffering; where else is there to go? Back to your old life of sins and pleasures? Back to the godless deficit sects? No, by now that is a horrible thought. So, you buckle up (gird up your loins) and press on to the high calling of God with trust and faith that he knows what he is doing, even if you don't fully understand it. This is the cross. It is tough; but compared to his cross, it is a picnic.

A man must first be broken by God, before he is honored. It is only when a person is besieged by a supernatural enemy, sent by God, which he is helpless to fight against, that the person discovers how he is so easily resentful, angry, impatient, doubtful [loss of faith], and profane. Under the pressure of the adversaries, a man discovers what a low, selfish, angry beast he really is. It is a necessary humbling process. It is a necessary suffering. A man must see over a significant period of time how low he is, how selfish he is, how profane he is, how evil he is — and he must learn this so that he never forgets it. A man must be humbled, and it is impossible for a man to voluntarily humble himself; any such voluntary attempts to humble one's self only increases a man's pride. Only the hand of God can truly humble a man. His only hope has to rest in God's mercy; there can be no other escape. His only objective must become to be rid of his selfish, cursing, profane, hating, resentful self; so when it is finally taken away, he hates evil so much, that he would never even consider drifting back into selfish behaviors again. A man must be broken by God: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17 ; and then he accepts him: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives[of sin], and recovery of sight to the blind, to deliver [free] those who are oppressed [in slavery to sin]. Luke 4:18, Isa 61:1.

I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual sacrifice and worship Rom 12:1

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. 2 Timothy 2:12

Indeed, all who are determined to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12

For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom the father does not chasten? But if you are without chastisement [correcting rebuke], of which all must share, then you are illegitimate, and not sons. Heb 12:6-8

In 1 Peter 1:5-7 Peter says: [you] who are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a time, if necessary, you may have to suffer griefs through many trials, so that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might result in praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

But if any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time has come that judgment must begin with the household of God. And if it first begins with us, what will the end be of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if the righteous can barely be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners? Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:16-19

"Tribulation is a great treasure, by which God honors those that are his, in this life. Therefore evil men are necessary for those that are good; and so are the Devils themselves, which by afflicting us try to ruin us, but instead of doing us harm, they do us the greatest good imaginable. There must be tribulation to make a man's life acceptable to God; without it, it is like the body without the soul, the soul without grace, the earth without the sun. With the wind of tribulation God separates, in the floor of the soul, the chaff from the corn. Those souls are to be pitied, who cannot find in their hearts to believe, that tribulation and suffering is their greatest blessing." (from Miguel de Molinos)

For more scriptures, documenting how Tribulation applies to the cross for all generations, see Tribulation Scripture References.

Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are tried by it. Heb 12:11

By your producing of much fruit, my Father is honored and glorified, and you show that you are truly my disciples [true followers]. John 15:8
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. Gal 5:22-23

The fiery darts are annoying, but not severe pain. The darts have hit my wife and me for years, sometimes when thinking something wrong, but not always limited to that: sometimes just to aggravate us.

My intense suffering lasted several months. No one could see what was going on. It was private. I could still function in life while it was happening. It was very, very annoying; not severe pain, but constant and very depressing. I was afflicted in my private parts, which I later learned was a common experience of David and referenced by Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Lamentations. But I was shocked; I didn't understand or expect it. Instead of rejoicing, I thought I had been betrayed; I couldn't have reacted worse. But, you will do better. Forewarned is forearmed; expect to suffer. Rejoice that you are worthy to suffer. It is necessary for purification and the development of faith, patience, long-suffering, and love. Condemnation with slight, but still annoying pain lasted several years.

Their whole purpose is to purify you, show you your weaknesses, and to test you to see if you are committed to the truth. When the Lord trusts you, he will give you more of his Holy Spirit. (See Faith and Freedom for the joy of what happens as you wait for union). This persecution can come to a climax of intense suffering and testing to see if you are really committed to not pursuing evil. But we all have to be tested. Peter was tested. You will be tested. I was tested without much knowledge, and I failed; but because I stupidly believed I was doing the will of God, I was forgiven. And eventually, I was tested again. The last time I passed; for in the way of holiness even fools shall not err and go astray. Isa 35:8. He gifted me enough of his Spirit to construct this web site under his supervision; he is using my failures to help you, and I feel the great honor and privilege to do so. You can read the details of all my failures in the record of my spiritual journey.

Every caution I have given you is the result of my learning them by at least partial failure. Despite me falling for far too many tricks of the devil, Christ never failed me; I kept coming back, and he stayed with me. The Lord will never leave you, if you stay committed to him. Even if you wander off, like a lost sheep, the good Shepard will come and get you and carry you back to be with Him. Read the full Molinos book for additional comfort.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.These sufferings are the hardest part of the cross, but again, your rod and your staff comfort me.

Be strong and of good courage; fear not, nor be afraid of them for it is the LORD your God, who goes with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you. Deut 31:6

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." Isaiah 59:1

Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. Isa 41:10

The Interim Reward

Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with its passions and desires [lusts and affections]. Gal 5:24

Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with him, that our body of sin might be destroyed, so that we would not serve sin any longer. Rom 6:6

When you have suffered awhile in crucifixion and pass the test(s), Christ will give you more of his Spirit, Oh! Joyous day! That we, who first trusted in Christ, should be to the praise of his glory. In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation; in whom after you believed, you were also sealed with the holy Spirit of promise. Eph 1:12-13; assuming you have actually heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. Eph 4:21. Here is where we hear the good news of our salvation to come and receive the Holy Spirit of promise. And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph 4:30. Who has also sealed us, and given us the earnest [down payment] of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor 1:22. Remember! The Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey him. Acts 5:32

You will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt. After the intensive testing, He told me the good news, "there is an open door placed before you that no one can shut." The world will look different to you. You will see Christ in all things. Everything will be beautiful. You will see Christ in all people. You will want to love everyone as you love Christ. Because of this love received, you will no longer fear God, only fear disappointing him. Such love has no fear, but perfect love casts out all fear, because fear is the dread of punishment. He who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18. You have complete trust and faith in God to bring you to union with Him in his Kingdom. See Faith and Christian Freedom for more on how your life changes. Your faith will be sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. This understanding gives you peace. You will be tempted to think you have it all. The opposition can create a fake Kingdom; all lights are golden; everything looks clean and bright through this golden filter; you are surrounded by a counterfeit field that seems to help your physical efforts; it went away when I stopped noticing it, but only after he kindly told me, "it is just another lying wonder." The demons will deceptively congratulate you for having entered the Kingdom. But at this point, you are not in the kingdom; you are still in the same dimension; you still see the world, just slightly differently.

The great bulk of your suffering is done, but you will have short bursts of the same to keep you on track and to be reminded of the consequences of departing.

There is much more, and you must dwell in the Light even more while continuing to give at every opportunity, exhibiting your love in giving to others through your powerful increased faith. Don't worry, you will have the inclination - just go with it. Keep seeking. The Lord told us, "many are so happy to arrive at this state; they think how wonderful everything is, and relax. Many die here." Don't. Follow orders. Keep oil in your lamps; abide in the light. You are 90% there. It is no longer you who sin, but the sin that remains in you, and it will decrease daily. He will pull away from you for periods of dryness. This dryness teaches us to walk in love, faith, and truth. His Spirit never leaves us, but his words of comfort do, for a little while; this lets us walk without holding his hand and tests us to see if we will stay faithful, stay foreign to our previous life of lusts and affections, and keep striving forcefully to enter the Kingdom. Remember, until you have literally run into his arms, you have not received the pearl of great price. Even though the open door has been placed before us that no one can shut, it is still up to us to keep striving to go through the door into the Kingdom.

But, at this stage you are definitely being led by the Spirit, telling you what to do and when to do it; this makes you a son of God who will live forever. And you now have both assurances of salvation: 1) through the aid of the Spirit, having been putting to death the sinful nature, and 2) having finished the great bulk of suffering, discipline, and scourging by God. So you have great peace, knowing the completion of your salvation is assured with the arrival of the Kingdom.

This is the time that the Teacher within destroys your carnal mind; the fretful, worrying, doubting, faithless mind. And as this mind is destroyed, he builds your and faith and trust, which results in great peace; a peace beyond understanding. But this is not the final reward. He is preparing you to survive the next step.

And if the righteous can barely be saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners? 1 Pet 4:18

The Kingdom, the Return of Christ, and Salvation's Completion

Now of the times and the dates, brothers, you do not need me to write you.
For you know perfectly that "the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night" [unexpectedly].
For when they are saying, "Peace and safety;" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they will not escape.
But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you like a thief.
You are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 1 Thes 5:1-5

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Rev 8:1

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he will reign forever and ever." Rev. 11:15

And the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done." Rev 16:17

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. Jer 30:7

Yes, Christ is able to deliver out of the six troubles,
and the seventh trouble, the perfection of trouble; he who is the perfection itself,
so he is the deliverer and mediator, and the intercessor,
who makes peace between you and God. G.F Letter 279.

And the Lord has promised to deliver his people in the six troubles,
yes, in the seventh, the perfection of troubles;
and therefore do not think time long, and your sufferings long,
for the Lord will lay no more upon you but what you are able to bear;
yes, upon his faithful people. G. F Letter 367.

This is what Christ came to preach: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Look at all his parables. Most deal with the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the hidden pearl; not hidden in the scriptures, but hidden in understanding as to what it meant. Before Christ is revealed, the man of sin is revealed, showing you all manner of evil on the earth; this is the abomination of desolation, standing in the your heart's temple, where it should not. But this is end of your fleshly self, as Christ then comes and slays this residual spirit of Satan within you by the brightness of his coming, by his breath, and the splendor of his coming, by his crushing the head of Satan under your heel. The final judgment. The true baptism of the Holy Spirit: into the death of Christ. The sharing of his death. Jesus is resurrected in you to be your true Lord. 2 Cor4:14,Col2:11-12,3:1, Eph 2:6, Rom 8:11.

From George Fox's Journal:

You must have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings; 1 Pet 4:12-13
if you will reign with him, you must suffer with him; 2 Tim 2:12
if you will live with him, you must die with him; 2 Tim 2:11
and if you die with him, you must be buried with him, Rom 6:4
and being buried with him in the true baptism, you also rise with him. Col 2:11-12

George Fox from the Cambridge Journal:

If you wait in what is pure in you, you will find and see, because God has given you a measure of his spirit, by which you can comprehend things and see the deceits. Now when the mind goes forth from that pure measure, which lets you see deceits, the simplicity is ensnared, and God is not in your thoughts any more; instead, the son of perdition in you sits in the temple of God, where he ought not to sit. With the birth of the Lord [in you], this son of perdition is discovered, and with the brightness of the Lord's coming [in you], he is consumed; that man of sin is revealed [in you], and so shall you witness the scriptures fulfilled. But you must wait in that which is pure, which will show you when your mind departs into disobedience, setting up Baal's priests (outward) before God, and that brings a distraction in the mind where there is a halting between two (you and God); for all of the troubles are outside in the world, but Christ said that "in me you shall have perfect peace." Wait in Christ and mind him in yourself, (there is where you wait for his appearing). Keep focused inward, (stay seeking Christ within yourself), and do not follow the cries of lo Christ is here and lo Christ is there to distract you to outward seeking, you will have peace in a short time. You will later witness Christ, who is the substance of the prophets and apostles. The scriptures are shown to you within you (by Christ) to guide you to the Father, the Lord God of heaven and earth. By waiting for the Spirit of the Lord within you to guide your mind, you will find your strength renewed daily by the one Spirit that gave forth the scriptures. There is no confusion, but instead perfect peace. This Spirit baptizes into the one body, and this Spirit is the unity of the saints, who though absent in body, yet are present in Spirit, all being made to drink into one Spirit. This Spirit circumcises and puts off the body of sin from you, and you are sanctified through your obedience to the Spirit. You will come to witness the scriptures pure and clear, as they are without any mixture [of man's interpretations], as holy men possessed them and gave them forth. So holy men possess them and give them forth again and witness them again.


This is the appearance of Christ to you bringing his Kingdom and salvation. This is to see your savior, to see God. This results in Jesus resurrected in you, (by today's terminology, a spiritual cloning), and having His glorious Kingdom established in your heart. The world as you see it ends. It is gone. You will not see it again. You step into another dimension, and walk by the Light of God, not the sun or the moon. This is He and the Father with you in fellowship. You are not only restored to image of God, as were originally Adam and Eve, but you are elevated beyond their state, beyond temptation. We sit down in Christ to enter the rest; to enter the rest from fighting our enemies, like Israel entered the rest after they had purged their land of the surrounding peoples, only our enemies are spiritual: lust, rage, selfishness, envy, greed, covetousness, jealousy, lying, cheating, stealing, sexual immorality, profane language, and evil thoughts, etc. Salvation is to be delivered from sin and be protected from evil, sanctified from our enemies of sin; never to fall to temptation again.

That he would grant to us,
that being delivered out of the hand of our enemies we might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Luke 1:74-5

You will enter the rest, to cease from your own labors, to walk in the spirit, under the power and promptings of the Father, through Christ, with whom you have joined in union; the pure church, sanctified, washed by the water of the word, at the wedding supper. This is to have Christ as your King forever. This is to be a priest to God forever and being next to Him as you worship Him. This is to worship Him in spirit and truth. This is to love God and be loved by Him. This is to be translated into paradise, while still residing on the earth - step into another dimension of sight, awareness, and consciousness. Being sanctified, separated, protected. This is everlasting peace and joy. This is the prize of the creation; you are God's crowning glory. This is the ultimate step in the creation. This is why the world was created. This is the purpose of life. This is more than you ever hoped for, and you will be overwhelmed with still more. This is overcoming evil. This is winning the war. This is becoming one with Christ and the Father. This is becoming his agent on earth, a soldier under direct command from Him, and with Him and His power leading you. This is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. You have lost your life and found LIFE.

Who has delivered us from the power of darkness,
and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Col 1:13

2000 years ago, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you,
there are some standing here, who shall not taste death,
until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Matt. 16:27-8, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:26-7

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