Garden Ministries

Janet Smith – 11/2/17 ©gardenministries.org

The opened seal of Revelation 6:2 releases a different white horse then the white horse and rider of Revelation 19:11. The Revelation 6:2 horse and rider represent the spirit of antichrist, which began riding as soon as the Acts 2 outpouring of the Holy Spirit birthed the true Church. The Revelation 6:2 seal opened when the true Church was born and has been continually opening [or unfolding] ever since. The Revelation 6:2 white horse riding forth represents the counterfeit, “unholy-spirit of antichrist” who was released and who continues to release itself throughout history until the end of this age. Even on the day that Jesus hung and died on Calvary’s tree, satan’s son of perdition, Judas, also hung and died on a tree.

Ever since the Holy Spirit at Pentecost birthed the true Church, the counterfeit, religious unholy-spirit of antichrist can be more accurately viewed as being in a perpetual “now-but-maturing” mode rather than an all-in-the-future (Futurist) or all-in-the-past (Preterist) view. When the Church was birthed in the Upper Room, the spirit of antichrist shot back and birthed the false church. An unfolding, “now-but-maturing” view of the existence of the spirit of antichrist and how it has manifested throughout history helps us both understand and resolve the “Now” language of 1 John chapters 1, 2, and 4 and the “Future” view of a fully-matured, “man of lawlessness” version of the antichrist as described in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

The Futurist and Preterist views were originally developed by the Catholic Church to counter the Church Reform that began with Martin Luther’s Protestantism. Unfortunately, the Futurist and Preterist views blind the viewer from seeing the existing “Now-and-maturing” nature of the spirit of antichrist.

While not an ‘end-all” perfected view, the Historicist view stands on better ground Biblically. “The historicist system of interpretation understands the book of Revelation as setting forth the major events of Christian history spanning the time of John until the present.” https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/revelation/introduction/historicist-interpretation.html

Important Background on the Roots of Futurism and Preterism:

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther released his 95-theses denouncing among many things, the Catholic churches sale of indulgences and that “Justification is by faith alone!” This began the Protestant Reformation that led the Catholic Church to launch a Counter-Reformation movement to regain ground they lost to the Protestant Reforms.

From 1545-1563, the Catholic Church convened the “Council of Trent” in Italy to form and execute Counter-Reformation strategies in following three categories:

The 3-Fold Counter-Reformation Strategy List:
1.) Open warfare
2.) Intrigue
3.) Theology

Regarding strategy #3: Known for their keen intellectualism, the Jesuit Order (The Society of Jesus) was chosen and commissioned by the Vatican at the Council of Trent to specifically develop counter-theories and theology to take the blame off of the Catholic Church. The Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera from the University of Salamanca in Spain wrote the theology that became known as Futurism:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Ribera
http://amazingdiscoveries.org/RT_encyclopedia_Futurism_Jesuit_Ribera

“In 1590, Ribera published a commentary on the [book of] Revelation as a counter-interpretation to the prevailing view among Protestants which identified the Papacy with the Antichrist. Ribera applied all of Revelation but the earliest chapters to the end time rather than to the history of the church. Antichrist would be a single evil person who would be received by the Jews and would rebuild Jerusalem, abolish Christianity, deny Christ, persecute the Church, and rule the world for three and a half years.” George Eldon Ladd, Blessed Hope, 37-38

This Counter-Reformation, Jesuit-created, Theology is remarkably similar to the view reflected in Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins Christian fiction book series, “Left Behind.”

The Council of Trent’s Counter-Reformation strategy launched a second Jesuit Theology in the opposite direction as Ribera’s. Preterist theology was founded by another commissioned Jesuit priest, Luis del Alcázar in 1614. Alcázar’s view was that “the antichrist was Nero” and that “everything in the Apocalypse, apart from the three final chapters, refers to events that already have come to pass.” Alcázar explained Revelation as being that of the past “by the fall of Jerusalem or by the fall of Pagan Rome in 410 A.D.” The Beasts and The Little Horn, 7. https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Luis_del_Alc%C3%A1zar

On 11/22/2004, TIME Magazine wrote an article countering Left Behind “theology” by referencing a Christian fiction novel entitled, The Last Disciple. This book described the antichrist as someone from the past named Emperor Nero whose servant threatens Christians and forces them to worship the beast—Nero. In contrast to the Futurist’s Left Behind series, The Last Disciple’s “theology” is Preterist and says that the antichrist was Nero and that the time of antichrist has already happened.

That’s why knowing where these views originated is so important. To accomplish their assignment to redirect negative attention off of the Catholic church through counter-reformation theology, the two Jesuits commissioned by the Council of Trent went in two opposite directions and formed two theological half-truth theologies. One (Ribera) said the Book of Revelation was all in the future (Futurism) and the other (Alcázar) said it was all in the past (Preterist). They were both anti-protestant theological views developed with the intent of taking the eyes off of the Roman Catholic Church. Centuries later, these very Counter-Reformation views resurface within the premise of the fictional books, the Left Behind series (Futurism) and The Last Disciple (Preterism).
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Additional considerations:

• The religion of antichrist is the religion of purported half-truths couched with hidden agendas that always point its “believers” back to the created rather than to the Creator.
• If Preterism was developed as the Catholic Church’s Counter-Reformation Theology, is Partial-Preterism then, simply building on the cracked foundation of Preterist theology?
• Understanding the various Millennial views such as the following describe may also prove helpful:

o https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/mill.cfm
o http://www.ihopkc.org.edgesuite.net/platform/IHOP/173/303/20140926_Historic_Premillennialism_and_the_Victorious_Church_TMHE03_study_notes.pdf

Janet Smith – May 18, 2017©gardenministries.org

A person whose mind if fully renewed is a free person. Their spiritual vision is fixed on things above and is no longer veiled by the natural man’s fleshly wants and desires that come from fixations on the things of earth and this present age. (Colossians 3:1-6) The new nature, fully renewed mind is filled with the peaceable wisdom that comes from God (James 1:1-8, 3:17) and cannot be tossed back and forth under the dark influences of middle heaven’s lies that seek to promote fear, doubt, unbelief, and double-mindedness. A person with a Holy Spirit renewed mind feels peacefully stable and is life-giving (versus life-depleting) toward others.

Romans 8:5 (NET version): For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. 6 For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

A shaped outlook means: on who, what, and where do I set my sights? Matthew 6 draws distinctions between seeking natural man’s rewards or eternal ones. The natural man mindset subjects us to fear and worry as we invest time and money into acquiring the things that comfort our flesh but never seem to reach and satisfy the deeper longings of the heart. An eternal mindset realizes that these things of the flesh are a hindrance to the real treasure of the heart. A renewed mind has eternity in view and is free from the hooks and pull of this present age.

Even though we believe in Jesus Christ, without undergoing the process of mind renewal, we are still subject to the negative effects of our unrenewed mind. A mindset based upon this present age and a mindset that focuses on Christ and becoming one with Him in the age to come directly reflects my level of willingness to embrace the painful, humbling process of Spirit-led mind renewal. Spirit-led suffering and obedience, though grievous at the time, is an essential part of mind-renewal and facilitates sonship maturity. We cannot function or dwell in the glory of God with an unrenewed mind.

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the [Greek: “huios” mature] sons of God.

Embracing the sufferings of Christ often means that we are not to seek temporal and material mind-and-body comforts that the present age has to offer. Instead, we are asked to aim much higher and seek the eternal benefits and blessings of becoming one with Jesus Christ. Like Paul, our resolve to “know Christ and Him crucified” will elevate our outlook as we daily yield our fearful, stubborn, greedy and self-centered wills to the Holy Spirit’s challenges to endure hardship for His Namesake. Through His loving discipline, the Holy Spirit is renewing how we view and trust God by teaching us through the Word of God, how to discern what part of our outlook in life is rooted and grounded in truth and what is still based on my self-centered fear and greed. This elevation of outlook is the process and the journey of mind renewal—the path toward literally knowing the truth that sets us free.

Romans 8:12-15 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 8:13 (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die),  but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the [Greek: huios] sons of God. 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:16-25 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 8:17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ) – if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him. 8:18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. 8:19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God who subjected it – in hope 8:21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 8:23 Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. 

To share in Christ’s sufferings and glory means that we have undergone the necessary preparation, especially the renewing of our mind unto transformation. The Spirit of God is transforming us so that we are ready to receive our bridal inheritance and enter the holy city, the New Jerusalem, the city that possesses the glory of God! The process of mind renewal takes faith and patience to complete and can feel grueling at times but just look at the fruit! We are undergoing a metamorphosis—we are being transformed! We are feeling much less fearful and much more hopeful. Our outlook has joyfully discovered the real reason to hope: Jesus Christ wants to marry us! We can finally see and eagerly anticipate what the age to come has to offer—the New Jerusalem, our bridal identity in Christ!

Revelation 21:2, 9-10 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband… 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 10 So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.

Galatians 4:6 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service. 2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

1. What is the Romans 12:2 “world?”
Greek Aioni = Age = a cycle of time.

2. What does it mean to conform to this “cycle of time?”
CONFORM: Greek Suschematizo: means to be identified with, having outward shape following the same pattern/mold. To assume a certain form. To fashion yourself according to the age.

3. Renewal of the mind: Greek Anakainosis: means to “complete a process”—a process that makes the mind fresh and new by God’s power. Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

TRANSFORMED – Greek metamorphóō (“change after being with” and “changing form in keeping with inner reality”) – in other words: transformed after being with; transfigured.

Matthew 17:2 And he [Jesus] was transfigured [Greek: metamorphóō] before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

2 Corinthians 13:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed [Greek: metamorphóō] into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

RENEWING – Greek anakaínōsis (“up, completing a process,” “make fresh, new”) – in other words, a new development; a renewal, achieved by God’s power.

MIND – Greek Noús – the God-given capacity of each person to think (reason); the mind; mental capacity to exercise reflective thinking. For the believer, (noús) is the organ of receiving God’s thoughts, through faith.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 2:16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 2:17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.

When we accurately discern, and do the proper, pleasing, perfect will of God, 1 John 2:17 promises that we will “remain forever” with Him. “Remain” in Gr. = menó means to tarry, not depart, sojourn, stay behind, abide, endure, continue.

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The following is an excerpt from “Our Daily Bread” (https://odb.org/2012/12/03/the-spirit-of-the-age/):

“Ephesians 2:1-2 You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world.

Every age has its own thoughts, ideas, and values that influence the culture, the “spirit of the age.” It is the kind of growing consensus that morally lulls us to sleep, gradually causing us to accept society’s latest values.

The apostle Paul called this corrupting atmosphere the “course of this world.” Describing the lives of the believers at Ephesus before they encountered Christ, he said that they were “dead in trespasses and sins” and “walked according to the course of this world” (Eph. 2:1-2). This is the world’s peer pressure—a satanically inspired system of values and ideas that cultivates a lifestyle that is independent of God.

Jesus intends for us to live in the world (John 17:15), so worldly influence is nearly impossible to escape. But He’s given us His Word to so permeate our thinking that we don’t have to become conformed to the world’s values (Rom. 12:1-2). Instead, God helps us walk in His light (Eph. 5:8), in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), in love (Eph. 5:2), in truth (3 John 4), and in Christ (Col. 2:6).

As we walk in God’s power and spend time in His Word, He gives us the strength to live according to kingdom values and not the spirit of the age.

Father, You have made us alive in Christ and now we have a new kind of thinking that differs from the world. Teach us Your kingdom’s values that we might learn to walk in love. Amen.” – Daily Bread, 3-12-2012

Janet Smith – 10-9-2017 ©gardenministries.org

The greatest hindrance to prophecy is unbelief and the root cause of unbelief is an unrenewed mind.

Ephesians 4:17-24 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

We do not contain God. God contains us. God’s divine intelligence is founded in His Life and completely trumps our own finite human brain’s abilities to transform. How do we transition from leaning on our own understanding and the “wisdom” of the world and its religious spirit to completely leaning on God’s divine wisdom and understanding? The answer is always the same: by following the way Jesus leaned on His Father—in everyday obedience. The Way to the Father of Truth and Giver of Life is in Christ and Him alone. We are called to restfully abide in the mind of Jesus, the Tree of Life, Who’s fruit produces everlasting Life within us. His Life is our Source of divine intelligence (John 14:6). How do we abide in His mind? In principle, we abide in Him by enduring in our faith in His Word, staying anchored in the hope of His Faithfulness, and pouring ourselves out in love for His Truth. As we practice these principles, we are undergoing the process of mind renewal.

The dark powers that occupy middle heaven (Ephesians 2:2) are resisting and opposing the supernatural of God from being made manifest in the earth. Though these powers have been overcome by our first-fruits Head, Jesus Christ, they are still in the process of being overcome by us, the body of Jesus Christ. We, who are being matured and transformed into Christ’s fullness, are in a war to displace and replace the forces of darkness that currently occupy middle heaven. The main battleground in the war for middle heaven is fought within the human mind. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:10)! If Jesus is not yet Lord in my mind, He is not yet Lord in that area of my sphere of influence. My sphere of influence is where I directly affect and empower middle heaven for God’s sake or for the Devil. I am either empowering my sphere of influence with Faith and Truth or with Doubt and Lies. Without undergoing Christ’s mind renewal process unto Christ’s fullness, my restless, uncrucified mind will constantly attack or defend me and forever subject me to anxious, fearful, man-made solutions to my problems.

As priestly temples unto the living God, we are to daily offer ourselves to Jesus by setting ourselves apart unto Him and inviting Him to come and commune. We perform our daily first-love priestly ministry to God by giving Him first-place love and by showing up! Jesus calls to us every day: Come to Me!

Can we stop and drop all activities and fix our full, non-stop attention upon God for at least ½ hour every day? What if the next time we felt the desire to engage in some form of mindless entertainment or emotional escape, we took at least ½ hour to wait on God instead? And even if He remains silent as we wait, can we rest and just BE with Him without words or can we just praise and thank Him, “for He is good?” By giving Him this daily, disciplined first-love attention, we are picking a fight with our cultural influences and are opposing the spirit of our fallen mind that is under the world’s influence. Don’t be surprised with the mental kickback you get for taking this on! Our mental chatterbox may kick into hyper drive! Peaceful worshipful music during our ½ hour of focused prayer can help calm the back-chatter.

Day after day, even though we may feel completely distracted for the entire ½ hour and feel discouraged because we think nothing is happening, don’t judge it and don’t quit! Keep at it. Something BIG is happening whether we feel it or not! Faithfulness is forged over time. 2 Corinthians 3:16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Verse 14 says that this veil is over our hardened mind. The Greek word for the Ephesians 4:17 “futility” [of the mind] literally means: vanity, emptiness, unreality, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, instability, frailty; false religion. This is how the veil hardens our minds.

But as we keep turning and yielding to the Lord, we can quote this very scripture back to Him and tell Him that His word promises to lift the veil from our mind. The attraction to the world will begin to fade and the desire and hunger for Jesus and His kingdom will increase. By turning to Jesus in this way, we are engaging in a process of laying aside the old man nature (Eph. 4:22), having our mind renewed (Eph. 4:23) and putting on the new man (Eph. 4:24). The hardest part of discipline is the enduring consistency it requires. Hebrews 6:12: We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

We may or may not see instant change, but if we keep waiting on God in focused worship, we will see the fruit of His Life born within us and ripen over time. His Life is our Source for divine intelligence. As we commune with the Holy Spirit and receive impartations of His Life, our mind is renewing and is blooming and casting forth His beautiful image. We are smelling more and more like His fragrant glory!

Galatians 5:16-36: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

The eternal fruits of the Holy Spirit reward us by forever replacing the world’s systems of perceived success that are activated by the deeds of our carnal nature. This mind renewal process will humble every last one of us so that we do not self-evaluate through our exalted mind and compare and judge ourselves with others based on temporal values. The intellectual prowess of fallen humanity is, by its very self-centered carnal nature, a dominating and competitive force that seeks to exalt itself and dominate by idolizing and conforming to something or someone who is valued and perceived as greater but is not the living God. To dominate and subjugate has been Satan’s modus operandi (his “MO”) from the beginning.

The power born from the mental attitude of: “I know better” was first sewn into humanity by the serpent in the garden when he seductively undermined God’s commands with his 1-2-3 punch we call the Cycle of Unbelief:

1.) Doubt God. “Has God said?”
2.) Find your own answer and rely on your own resources. “I know a better wisdom…”
3.) Disobey God’s commands. “Do this and you will know better too.”

Transformation is directly linked to the renewal of the mind. A renewed mind finds rest from anxiety and depression caused by these Cycles of Unbelief and self-reliance. Rest comes when we abide in the perfect, Life-giving will of God. If we turn to Him, and daily offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we can trust Him to extract the fear of growing older, not having enough, and the tyranny of time.

When we seek to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, we are asking God to help us stop turning toward our own ways of thinking and our own sources of comfort. We are asking Him to help us give Him our time in more spiritually productive ways. If God gets what He wants in us, we too will have all that we want!

Yielding our will and turning to God as living sacrifices is a form of humbling ourselves before Him. Humility is the environment in which the Spirit of Prophecy and true unity flourishes. And true unity attracts the Glory! (2 Chronicles 5:11-14)

The following Romans 12 steps will build us up in the Ephesians 4:13 unity of the faith, attain mature stature, and receive Christ’s fullness:

1. Living sacrifice: give our priestly spiritual service of worship by waiting on God every day whether we feel like it or not.

2. Mind renewal: let the Holy Spirit start and continue His work of drawing us out of worldly stimulations and compunctions.

3. Increased faith to prophesy: displace the attraction to proving ourselves to people by replacing it with a desire to be found pleasing to God through faith.

4. Humility: recognize where our aggravated ego is driving us into isolation and self-soothing rituals.

5. Authentic love: let love be without hypocrisy. Speak truth. Say what we mean. Mean what we say, or be quiet.

6. Practice hospitality: get outside of ourselves and contribute to each other’s needs.

Romans 12:1-12: Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Proverbs 3: Wisdom Bestows Well-Being 1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. 13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Janet Smith – 10-8-2017 ©gardenministries.org

Author’s note: fresh revelation from the Word of God is both individual and corporate in its scope of responsibility. Jesus tells us in John 10:27 that “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus tells us to know His voice and listen to His voice and then we will understand the times and know how to follow Him. But learning what is His voice and what is not His voice isn’t always clear cut. And furthermore, when it comes to listening to His voice and receiving prophetic revelation, we often sense an incompleteness. The Bible validates this prophetic incompleteness but promises that one day, we will transition into a completeness that puts away the past incompleteness.1 Corinthians 13:8-10, “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.”

Embracing this state of incompleteness should not stop us from seeking fresh prophetic revelation but should cause us to eagerly pursue prophecy in a “Berean-like” manner (1 Cor. 14:1; Acts 17:11). Ultimately, we can trust that the love of God reveals the Truth of His nature and the Truth of God reveals His loving nature. We can and will always know Him by His fruit.

The purpose and premise of this article is to present and discuss why it is important to know who the 24 elders of Revelation 4:4 are. It is the view of this author that the 24 elders described in Revelation 4 and 5 are not the raptured human church, as many teach, but that the 24 elders are non-human, heavenly beings who serve as counterparts to human overcomers. By counterpart, we are saying that the 24 elders represent a company of holy beings that hold a position and perform a function that corresponds with and is directly linked to their human overcoming counterparts. This article is specifically addressing the relationship between the 24 elders and those overcomers who respond to Christ’s exhortations to the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3.

As counterparts to human overcomers, this non-human company of 24 elders appear to be directly linked to the eternal reward(s) that their human overcomer and bridal counterparts on earth attain. We see this in the white clothes and the crowns that the 24 elders wear and the thrones they sit upon. The 24 elders express their intimate awareness and appreciation of Christ’s victorious and extravagant love as they continually cast their crowns at the feet of the worthy Lamb of God (Revelation 4:9-11, Philippians 2:9-11). The extravagance of the 24 elders’ perfect submission to the Godhead is beautiful.

Knowing who the 24 elders are is a distinction that is connected to a major end-time time-line distinction. Because Revelation 4:4 describes the 24 elders as being in heaven and that Revelation 4:4 happens before the seals (Revelation 6), the trumpets (Revelation 8, 9, and 11), and the bowls (Revelation 15, 16) occur, then many Bible teachers conclude that the church has been “raptured” at the point of Revelation 4 and is not on earth for the 3 ½ years of the Great tribulation.

Those who hold a Pre-Tribulation Rapture view also note that the church is raptured before the seals, trumpets, and bowls because the church is mentioned 16 times in Revelation chapters 1-3 but not at all beyond that point. But what if the church is no longer mentioned after Revelation 3 because the church age is ending and the kingdom age is beginning? What if after Revelation 3 the age of being a kingdom of priests unto God (in the order of Melchizedek) has begun? (Revelation 1:5-6, 5:10)

Just because there is mystery about who the 24 elders are and about who Melchizedek is doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pursue the unveiling of these mysteries. It just means that we need to pursue the answer through revelation of scripture and be led by the Holy Spirit. We cannot just make mental deductive decisions to gain new spiritual understanding of hidden things.

We need the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to come and unveil His mystery. If we make mental deductions from scripture and use them to form possibilities, we still need the Spirit of Prophecy to unveil and confirm the fullness of that which is considered a mystery. Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to unveil mysteries (Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 3:1-4, 1 Corinthians 2;7). Daniel 2:28 tells us that it is God Who reveals mysteries: However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.

This article deals with these two yet-to-be-revealed Biblical mysteries:

1.) the mystery of who the 24 elders are.
2.) the mystery of who Melchizedek is.

If the 24 elders are not the human-born raptured church, then the Pre-Tribulation view associated with this conclusion has done us a great disservice by under-preparing those who hold this view. That is only one reason why it is important to prophetically seek revelation about the identity of the 24 elders. Because the mystery has not yet been apostolically revealed doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t explore scriptural possibilities.

The author of this article believes that the 24 elders represent a heavenly company of likeness to human beings but not sameness. As heavenly counterparts to human beings, the elders have a human-looking form that figuratively speaks to their direct relationship and connection to humans. [This writer has had a clear, interactive vision of what she believes were several of these elders. In the vision, the elders appeared majestic and human-looking.] They are not from the angelic order but are of a separate class of created holy beings who make up a governing council that is submitted to the eternal, triune Godhead’s Council.

The 24 elders function in powerful governing and advising roles and form council directives in heavenly courtrooms as they sit or stand within direct proximity to the throne of God. These directives are then mainly executed by the angelic realm who are deployed as ministers to the saints. It is possible that the elders also conduct kingdom business on earth as well and may hint to who Melchizedek is. That is something to pray about and ask the Lord to prophetically reveal in the days to come.

Having one or more elders assigned as a counterpart to a human overcomer is definitely an upgrade for the overcomer! This upgrade equips the end-time overcomer to function on a whole new and unprecedented level during the worst and best times in all of human history—the last days!

The author of this article is not the first to view the 24 elders as “counterparts” to the earthly church. Halley’s Bible Handbook 2007 mentions the “counterpart” view as one of a few different existing views of the 24 elders of Revelation 4:4: “Most interpreters consider the 24 elders to represent all of God’s people glorified…Others see the elders as heavenly counterparts of the earthly church. Still other Bible students regard them, like the living creatures … as a distinct class of heavenly beings rather than redeemed human beings, because in the doxologies that follow [i.e. in the heavenly scenes of praise-filled worship such as in Revelation 5 and 19] they [the 24 elders] seem to be separate from, rather than a part of, the multitudes of redeemed saints.”

The white clothes and victor’s crown that the elders wear, along with the thrones they sit upon, and the kingly-priestly “harp and bowl” roles within which they function, all speak to having “shared” rewards for helping the overcomers reach full Ephesians 4:13 sonship maturity and stature in Christ Jesus. What does the Bible say about heaven-and-earth counterpart, shared-reward relationships? The most significant one is that Jesus Himself is the bride’s great reward. He joins Himself to her as His eternal co-heir! We see an example of an elder-human counterpart relationship link in Revelation 5:8 when we are told that the fragrant praises and prayers of the saints are personally held in a bowl by each one of the elders. “When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” This speaks to a direct and intimate association between the 24 elders and the priesthood of praying saints.

We also see an example of an angelic-human counterpart relationship in Revelation 2 and 3. All seven churches have 7 angels directly linked to their particular church. The relationship link is so complete that some interpreters say the “angel” or “messenger” may be a human agent of that church. Perhaps the counterpart relationship is so complete that the distinction is hard to make. And why does John accidentally start to worship the powerful angel in Revelation 19:10? Is there a resounding Christ-likeness upon a vessel that can cause the viewer to think they are seeing Christ? A human vessel filled to the fullness of Christ may shine forth His testimony and radiantly reflect His likeness, but just like the elders who throw themselves down before the throne and worship Jesus, those humans who are so filled with Christ will always point to Jesus as their Source and direct all worship to Him—and Him alone!

Speaking of Revelation 19, we see in this chapter that a vast throng in heaven is greatly rejoicing that God has justly judged the harlot (v.2). The vast multitude is also rejoicing that the bride has made herself ready and that the wedding of the Lamb has finally come (v.7)! Why this passage is interesting when exploring the identity of the 24 elders is the particular distinction they and the 4 living creatures get within this vast throng. Out of all the possible millions or more gathered who are greatly rejoicing, Revelation 19:4 singles out the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures and their response as unique among a vast number gathered, vs. 4 says, The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”

The question to ask is: if the 24 elders are the raptured church, or bride who, in Revelation 19:7, is declared ready to marry Jesus, then why aren’t the 24 elders (in Revelation 19:4) called “the bride” who throws herself down to the ground and worships God? Why are they still called the 24 elders in verse 4? And while we’re at it, let’s look at some more nuances of what scripture tells us about the 24-Elders and consider how viewing the 24-elders as a governing council of heavenly counterparts to human-born overcomers may fit within God’s eternal purposes and our eschatological interpretations of the last days.

Scriptural examples of an overcomer human receiving help, perhaps from a counterpart elder can be found in Revelation 5:1-6 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a lamb standing in the middle of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders.

In this scripture, we see John (who also symbolizes the end-time bride), being encouraged by one of the 24 elders. From his heavenly perspective, the elder’s insight and counsel dramatically comforts John who is being shown the desperate human need for God’s Remedy to open the book that wraps up the end of the age. It is an elder who comes to the comfort and aid of John’s anguish and who points John to the answer: Jesus—the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God!

This article and its author submit to the reader to discern and confirm for themselves as to the substance of the following revelation:

The following are 5 conceptual areas about who the 24-elders are:

1. A heavenly governing council fully submitted to the triune Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. A large group of powerful, created beings who help their human counterpart(s) overcome and who share in their human counterpart(s) eternal rewards.

3. Human-like but not human-same counterparts who reside in heaven and who have interaction with and who interact on behalf of certain humans.

4. Possibly represented in Genesis 14 and Hebrews 5,6,7 and are linked to the kingly high priest Melchizedek character who is considered to be far “greater” in comparison to one of humanity’s greatest, namely Abraham. “Without a beginning of days, mother, or father,” this created kingly high priest has a very mysterious lack of genealogy, something one might expect from non-humans.

5. Somehow assigned and joined to the last-days overcomers to help bring the overcoming bride of Jesus Christ into her state of fully matured, Romans 8:19 sonship identity.

To further expound upon 1-5 above:

1. Governing Council in full submission to the Godhead: the direct proximity of the 24 Elders to the Godhead reveals their position of authority and speaks to their role as a governing council. God upon His throne is surrounded by these 24 Elders and their thrones (Revelation 4:4; 5:6).

2. Shared rewards and corresponding heavenly functions with human counterparts: the thrones that the 24 elders are seated upon symbolize heavenly authority from the place of rest, their white robes symbolize the fullness of Christ now reflected in their garments, their victor’s crowns symbolize the completion of the overcoming process and kingly authority, and their songs and words of praise symbolize the functions of a priestly ministry. These are symbols of shared rewards. The rewards of their human overcomers are represented in heaven through these heavenly counterparts.

3. Human-like but not human-same counterparts: the joining of heaven and earth will see heaven’s created beings come into direct relationship with their earthly counterparts for the sake of governing together during the last days and into the millennium. The Malachi 4:5 principle applies here. The spirit and power of Elijah comes and activates heavenly relationships on earth and goes out to prepare the bride for the coming of the LORD. This joining of heaven-and-earth, or heaven-on-earth also emanates a protective barrier of glory under which Cities and Areas of Refuge function while the LORD’s judgments are poured out elsewhere. Selah.

4. Represented in the Genesis 14 and Hebrews 5, 6, 7 king-priest Melchizedek character: Just as human-born Jesus overcame and became the first-born Son of God in the order of the Melchizedek priesthood, so human “sons of God/bride of Christ,” who have fully matured and are fully transformed into Christ’s likeness through His Word, are becoming priests unto God in the order of Melchizedek. The 24 elders reveal the heavenly representation of this while the Romans 8:19 manifested peacemaker human sons of God reveal earth’s governing representation of this priestly order.

5. Elders receive assignments and are joined to the last-days overcomers: these elders have access to the Isaiah 22:22 keys of David and through the delegated authority of the Lamb, they are assigned to help the last-days overcomers as priestly gates who open and close spiritual doors for supernatural exchanges with these “heavenly keys” until the fullness of time is completed. Once the Romans 8:19 sons of God are fully revealed in Christ’s likeness, they will manifest Jesus in His fullness as peacemakers to the earth during its worst hours of human history. The elders have a direct counterpart role with these transfigured, peacemaker humans during this time. Having an elder assigned to a human overcomer provides a significant upgrade in their overcoming process as they prepare to marry Jesus.

As we transition from church age to kingdom age, the overcoming bride of Jesus Christ must learn how to govern. We will need to learn how to govern with the councils of heaven. Many scriptures point us to the government of God that is coming to earth. We need to unpack these scriptures and learn from all those whom God has equipped to teach us.

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Revelation 21:1-3 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. 2 And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.

Jeremiah’s Prophetic Call to the Nations and His Process of Preparation and Surrender
Janet Smith © gardenministries.org, written March 31, 2014

The Sovereign Lord calls Jeremiah: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Verses 4-5: The Sovereign Lord [as the Word] chooses and declares Jeremiah’s prophetic identity as God’s sovereign vessel.

Verse 6: Jeremiah tells Sovereign God that perhaps He is choosing the wrong guy: “Alas, I can’t speak and I am too young!” So what’s our excuse? “I can’t because …[fill in the blank].”

Jeremiah’s first response reveals:
♣ His worldview
♣ His sense of self and his perceived inadequacies: self-invalidation
♣ That he had believed the lies of invalidation that reinforced his own self-invalidation
♣ A propensity to trust his own perceptions of how things work best, hosting a subtle form of “I know better than You God” attitude

Verse 7(a): Sovereign God pushes back on Jeremiah’s pushback and counters the lies of self-invalidation and says: “Do not say, ‘I am too young. Do not be afraid.'” I.e., “Jeremiah! Confront your fears and self-invalidation and do not give way to them!”

Verse 7(b): after commanding Jeremiah to stop being afraid and self-invalidating, Sovereign God lifts Jeremiah out of the valley of shame and self-invalidation by rightly relating to him in the truth of being Lord over Jeremiah’s created purpose: “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” He’s not just being bossy. God is operating in the truth of the relationship as He created it to function and flourish.

Verse 8: Sovereign God comforts Jeremiah and again assures Jeremiah of why He does not need to be afraid. Now Jeremiah can confront his fears because he knows God’s voice, is assured of His presence, and has heard His promise to rescue him in times of trouble: “‘Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.”

Verse 9: Sovereign God releases His impartation (Impartation = God’s Grace + God’s Word): “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put my words in your mouth.'”

Verse 10: Sovereign God releases divine authority to his obedient, surrendered sovereign vessel: “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Throughout the Bible, only those who allowed God’s extremely vigorous purging and pruning process in their lives, and by His grace endured until it was completed in them, were they released to carry God’s divine authority. In the days to come, divine authority will operate through those who have overcome the enemy through complete surrender to Jesus as Lord.

Jeremiah 1:11-12: God’s Quick and Ready Word Requires Quick and Ready Vessels. Sovereign God deepens His fathering relationship through Jeremiah’s training process.

Verse 11: Sovereign God father’s Jeremiah and begins a training conversation that deepens the relationship of trust and releases revelation. “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ ‘I see the branch of an almond tree,’ I replied.”

Verse 12: Like a good Dad, Sovereign God affirms his son Jeremiah for not just seeing a tree but seeing what kind of tree it was. “The Lord said to me, ‘You have seen correctly [i.e., you have seen well!], for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.'”

Once the Holy Spirit’s impartation, revelation, and authority comes, GET GOING BEING YOU!

Jeremiah had a process of trusting God, overcoming the lies of invalidation against his true identity, and learning how to rightly relate to Sovereign God as a sovereign vessel. God refused to let Jeremiah keep his worldview and self-view. He would not validate Jeremiah’s fears but commanded him to “Stop it!”

When that process of building trust was done, it was time for Jeremiah to get going. Just like Jeremiah, our process of building trust and becoming faithful and trustworthy is coming to completion. It is now time to receive the divine impartation, revelation, and authority to go forth as faithful friends of Sovereign God. The Almond Tree’s are the first to bloom in January, and they ripen quickly, some within 21 days. As God’s sovereign Almond Tree vessels, those who are called to the front line, to be God’s First Fruits in His end-time harvesting-of-the- Harvesters move, our trust process is coming to completion. We are either with Him or we have quit. We have either committed our all wholeheartedly to God or we have walked away and justified our fears. For those who have asked to give God everything and have prepared themselves by believing God, they will begin to receive Sovereign God’s impartation, revelation, and authority, and soon embark upon and employ what is described as The Almond Tree Anointing.

The Almond Tree Anointing rests upon a people who know how to respect and respond in full surrender to Sovereign God. They intimately know God’s voice, are quick to obey Him and speak His Word at His command. Their heart before God is to walk out His commands faithfully, even when it is heavy and sorrowful. Psalm 126:5: “They who sew [seeds] in tears will reap in joy.” Hebrews 12:2: “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” Those who are called to be First Fruits are also those whom God is forming as His new wineskin. They have completed the vigorous purging process and intimately know and follow God’s voice, are firmly grounded in His Word, and daily surrender their all (i.e., sew in tears) for Jesus’ sake. The pattern of Jesus is the pattern they follow. They understand that God is not going to repair the old wineskin but that He said in His Word that new wine actually blows up old wineskins. Only a new wineskin will hold the new wine that He is about to pour out. It is the wine described in Joel 2:28- 29. It is the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Joel 2:1-27 describes a change in global events that demands a sober, sorrowful response from His people. As a faithful Father, God has been building the new wineskin in many people who responded to Him with their all and became “wise virgins.”

Satan’s desperate last attempt to subvert his final judgment results in his most horrific “outpouring.” This sets the stage for God’s finest hour as the Holy Spirit comes and fulfills the Joel 2:28 promise and the manifest son’s of God are revealed and the bride of Jesus Christ emerges clothed with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Great truth and light and great darkness and evil will soon flood the earth. The appropriate response from God’s sovereign vessels toward these events is one of great sorrow, as we gaze upon our loving and good God who never intended creation for such evil, and great joy, as we see the bride of Jesus Christ emerge. Like Jeremiah, those with The Almond Tree Anointing will carry both sorrow and joy as they faithfully sew into God’s heart for the nations in the last days.

If you have been crying out for God’s wineskin to be ready for the promised Joel 2:28-29 outpouring, and if you have availed yourself to carry His heart of sorrowful intercession, take heart! The immense harvest of joy is soon at hand and is overflowing with joy-unspeakable and full of glory! The promised BIG of God is about to break open. I Peter 1:8, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”

Prepare yourself: Jeremiah 1:17: “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.”

Last-minute preparation punch list:
1. Confront your fears. God is faithful to squeeze our circumstances so that our fears will surface. The voice of fear can be very convincing, especially if we are used to listening to it. Ask God to shed light on it.

2. Don’t act on invalidating lies. Out of the mouth the heart speaks (Luke 6:45). When our fears surface, so will the pride and the lies that “protect” the fear. No matter how tired and weary we may be, believing lies and succumbing to fear and pride turns us into weak victims rather than overcoming victors.

3. Arise and Stand in the Truth. Ask God to surface any residual fears. Consider that the circumstances that are squeezing you are a part of His answer. Identify and call your runaway imagination that pretends to be “problem-solving” for what it is: FEAR! Resolve to trust God and let His love drive out any last remaining fears. Romans 8: For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

4. Commit to walking out everyday in complete rest and trust. Receive, Believe and Speak the Word God has called you to speak, first for yourselves and then to your harvest field. Receive the grace, believe the Word (completely), TRUST THAT GOD IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS GOOD, and be who God say’s you are.
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Barnes’ Notes (biblehub.com) What seest thou? – If we admit a supernatural element in prophecy, visions would be the most simple means of communication between God and man. A rod of an almond tree – Many translate “a staff of almond wood.” The vision would thus signify that God – like a traveler, staff in hand – was just about to set forth upon His journey of vengeance. But the rendering of the King James Version is supported by Genesis 30:37. The word rendered “almond” comes from a root signifying “to be awake;” and as the almond blossoms in January, it seems to be awake while other trees are still Sleeping, and therefore is a fit emblem of activity.

Jeremiah was not, however, one “dumb before the shearers, and that opened not his mouth” Isaiah 53:7. Of all the prophets there is not one who so frankly lays open to us his brooding melancholy nature. He discloses to us his innermost thoughts. We find him sensitive to a most painful degree, timid, shy, hopeless, desponding, constantly complaining, and dissatisfied with the course of events, with the office which had been thrust upon him, and with the manner of the Divine Providence. Jeremiah was not one whose sanguine temperament made him see the bright side of things, nor did he quickly find peace and happiness in doing his Master’s will. And yet we never find him rebuked, because he was doing his duty to the utmost extent of his powers. Timid in resolve he was unflinching in execution. As fearless when he had to face the whole world as he was dispirited and prone to complaining when alone with God. He is a noble example of the triumph of the moral over the physical nature. His whole strength lay in his determination to do what was right at whatever cost. He made everything yield to whatever his conscience told him he ought to do. Danger, opposition, mockery without; fear, despondency, disappointment within, availed nothing to shake his constant mind. The sense of duty prevailed over every other consideration; and in no saint were the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 better exemplified.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible (biblehub.com) Then said the Lord unto me, thou hast well seen,…. The thing seen is a very proper emblem of what I am about to do, and the quick dispatch that will be made therein: for l will hasten my word to perform it; the words, “shoked ani,” “I will hasten,” or “I am hastening,” are in allusion to “shoked,” the name of the almond tree in Hebrew; which is so called because it is quick and early, and, as it were, hastens to bring forth its flowers, leaves, and fruit; in like manner the Lord says he would hasten to perform what he had said or should say by him concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and the captivity of the people, and every thing else he should give him in commission to say. Jarchi and Abendana make mention of an ancient Midrash, or exposition, to this sense; that from the time of the almond tree’s putting forth, until its fruit is ripe, are one and twenty days (21), according to the number of days which were between the seventeenth of Tammuz, in which the city was broken up, and the ninth of Ab, in which the temple was burnt; but though the almond tree is the first of trees, and is very early in putting forth, yet there is a greater time than this between its putting forth and its fruit being ripe; for Pliny (s) says, that the almond tree first of all flowers in January, and its fruit is ripe in March.

I. Jeremiah 1

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. 12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.” 14 The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.

15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah.

16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made. 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.

18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

We do not value those around us as we should, especially if we are given to seeing more about what is wrong with them then what is right.

We dare not trust the cloud of our fearful suspicions to give us any truthful insights about a person. Rather, we are to humbly submit to Jesus Christ, the Author, Creator, and Finisher of our-faith-and-theirs, and ask Him for His-story in and for them.

ASK JESUS:
What is Your story in this person? What are You writing upon their heart? What do you want to write upon their heart?

THEN ASK JESUS:
How can I be a part of Your story in this person?

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Luke 18:9-14:
Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ 14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Janet Smith – 7-4-17 ©gardenministries.org

There are 7 churches addressed in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. These churches can be divided into 2 sets of 3 churches, plus 1. Set 1: Ephesus-Smyrna-Pergamum. Set 2: Sardis-Philadelphia-Laodicea. Plus 1: Thyatira.

Each of the 2 sets has 1 church in the middle that stands out from the other 2 on each side. In both sets, we find 2 churches that are fully overcoming evil and are sandwiched between 2 other churches that are missing the mark. In the Revelation 2 – Set 1, the fully overcoming Smyrna church sits between the Ephesus and Pergamum churches. In the Revelation 3 – Set 2, the fully overcoming Philadelphia church sits between Sardis and Laodicea. And finally, sandwiched between the two sets of 3 churches is yet another church that is drastically missing the mark; the 7th church of Thyatira. This 7th church, sandwiched between sets 1 and 2, hosts an abundance of interesting revelations however, this article focuses mainly on the 2nd set of 3 churches found in Revelation 3—especially the Church of Sardis. [Note: this might be a good time to scroll to the end and read Revelation 3 included in this article.]

In an effort to avoid the crucified-with-Christ, death-to-self path of God-assigned deeds that mark and define the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the Sardis church creates their own list of do-good deeds. Still using scripture-based principles, the focus is changed from developing an intimate relationship with the Person of Jesus to joining feel-good programs that elevate and stimulate the human soul but deny the wonderful work of the cross upon the human’s born-again spirit. The attraction to this soul-stimulating “life-like” looking church means that a person can be entertained by the program, agree to a portion of do-gooding from the substitute Sardis church list of deeds, and still be considered a successful Christian by the church without ever really getting to intimately know the Person of Jesus, who all the programs are supposedly drawing from! This program-based Sardis church becomes renown and draws quite a crowd.

It seems that the Sardis church did not like the price that their God-given deeds would cost them and developed their own “work-around” way of doing self-made “good deeds” for God through their church programs. Rather than joining the Person of Jesus Christ, who daily calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him, the Sardis church targets the pleasure-center of the soul with entertaining programs that make a person feel alive in their souls but do little to transform and mature them. It is not the stimulation of a self-centered soul that changes us to be more like Christ, it is the death of that soul-life and the resurrection of the Christ-life within that changes us into Christ’s new-man image. The death to soul-life means we deny stimulations and the elevation of our old-man nature, not indulge them. Programs that stimulate the soul but do not lead the person into a deeper walk with Jesus Christ will not grow that person up.

Minus a few folks in the Sardis church, who keep God’s original instructions, Revelation 3:2 tells us that the bulk of the Sardis church is completely missing the mark and with little left to draw from, the Sardis church is close to being declared uselessly dead. Even under their own Sardis church roof, sits a sign of their departure from their God-given deeds. Those few folks who did not soil their garments and are holding fast to their original instructions from Christ serve as a direct confrontation to rest of the Sardis church that it is quite possible to fully follow God’s list of deeds without substitution.

Substituting programs for the Person, doesn’t work because God knows and remembers the deeds He has assigned us to complete while we are here on earth. He also knows when we are making up our own substitute list of deeds, thinking that He will still approve of our substitutes. God is not obligated to take responsibility for anything He does not Author. Not only are the Sardis church programs declared “dead,” the people in this system are in grave danger of completely missing Jesus when He comes and even worse, not even realize that they missed Him! Why? Because they did not do the work of God’s deeds that are specifically designed to lead them into an intimate knowing of Jesus.

A good example of a Sardis church candidate can be found in the New Testament story of the rich young man. Having already gained many possessions, this hard-working, wealthy young man wanted more. He wanted to gain the ultimate prize of eternal life. He asked Jesus how to get it and then asked for the checklist of deeds he must do to get credentialed for it. Jesus quickly points out that it is a Person he seeks, not a ‘do-good’ list, and then emphasizes His point by painting the picture as “entering into life” through that Person rather than “performing a checklist and getting credentialed.”

Finally, Jesus leads the ambitious young man toward the final nail in the coffin in their conversation when He touches the temporal pleasure center of the young man and reveals where his body and soul are attached and stuck to the pleasures found in his temporal life. Jesus knew what was in his heart and knew what it would take for this young man to become free from these hindrances and fully enter into God’s Life. He gave the man his God-deeds list and described his cross to bear and the man walked away from it. He did not want to give up his way OF life in order to enter into God’s way TO Life.

Matthew 19:16-22 (NET version) Now someone came up to him [Jesus] and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”17 He [Jesus] said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Revelation 3:2 commands the Sardis church to “wake up!” and “strengthen what little remains!” If the Sardis church would let go of the soul-life-based programs and focus on intimately knowing the Person of Jesus and return to the original God-deeds designed specifically to lead them to Christ, they would not only receive the ultimate reward of recognizing Jesus when He comes, they would also receive the rewards described in Revelation 3:5-6. For all eternity, their pure white clothes will represent faithfulness and their name, forever written in the Book of Life and spoken of by Jesus Himself, will be declared before the Father and His angels. Can we see a little better now what our soul-stimulating, avoid-the-cross-life church programs are costing us?

In direct contrast to the Sardis church, the church of Laodicea seems to redefine Biblical Christianity altogether and virtually grows their own “bible.” Drawing from numerous religions and humanistic resources, the church of Laodicea’s aggregate, lukewarm religion of organized unbelief stimulates the human soul experience through its own set of programs that temporarily release a false sense of contentment that deceives it members into thinking that they need nothing more or different, when in Truth, they are considered by God as poor, blind, and naked—and worse, they are completely clueless to their impoverished spiritual state.

Sandwiched between the soul-life-seeking churches of Sardis and Laodicea is the Spirit-Life-seeking Philadelphia church. The fully overcoming Philadelphia church is evidence that there is no way around the enduring experience of being crucified with Christ and that there is no other gospel but that of the 66-books of the Bible. All 66-books of the Bible point to the Person of Jesus Christ and continually provoke the reader to intimately know Him and to know Him crucified and resurrected. In direct contrast to the churches of Sardis and Laodicea, the Philadelphia church stays directly connected to their Holy Spirit-led instructions and though graced with “little strength,” they hold fast to the Truth of their identity in Christ and faithfully keep His Word until they are fully transformed into Christ’s likeness by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ at work within them.

The remarkable God-like character within this last-days Philadelphia church is directly rewarded with an intimate, Christ-Life fullness that, like an uncapped wellspring, supernaturally exudes Life from within during the time of earth’s greatest shakings. Transfigured into Christ’s image and raptured by His Presence, the Philadelphia church is residing within middle-heaven and is going to or has already entered the descending city of New Jerusalem. This Philadelphia church serves King Jesus as witnesses who come and go in their secured and transfigured state throughout the earth. They are fully empowered to deal with and confront the unleashed evil that comes upon the earth in the last days and bring about the will of Father on earth just as it is in heaven.

When the religion of the antichrist fully emerges from the serpent’s Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and its evil fruit fully matures, we will see the final unrepentant, counterfeit version of the 7th church of Thyatira emerge. The serpent’s final harlot-religious system will offer a spiritual experience created through a fusion of flesh-and-soul stimulants and demonic affliction that will elevate these two human drives to levels never yet humanly experienced. The devil’s harlot religion will fully embrace and promote all forms of sexual immorality and create worship centers for the god of the stomach and the god of image. Various cocktailed stimulants will be quickly offered to anyone who is even remotely curious. Upon perceiving any interest whatsoever, the harlot is instantly ready to custom-mix and serve up stimulants for all who so much as show even a little interest.

These chemical and digital stimulants are designed to activate and stimulate all human senses and be ingested through any and every human body-and-soul orifice: the eyes (visual mediums), ears (music/words/sounds), mouth (food, drink), nose (scents), blood (injections), and private parts (sexuality, excrement, fluids of all sorts). The human who indulges the harlot’s stimulants instantly develops intense craving-and-consuming cycles. And each cycle awakens the need for more than before. The short, ecstatic experiences target the pleasure center of the human soul and quickly turns into the next level of the addiction-compulsion cycle that can and will never will satisfy its consumer. It is exclusively designed to drive the user into more and more consumption until finally, complete insanity is threatened. Once this stage is reached, a final false remedy to the distress of looming insanity is offered.

To avoid insanity, the person if offered and can choose to take the serpent’s mark upon their forehead or wrist and is told that they will finally find “lasting peace.” This is a lie and the mark of the serpent should never be taken, no matter what they are told they will get from it. Instead of getting respite from the threat of insanity, by taking the mark, those who take the serpent’s seal or mark upon their forehead or wrist are sealing their eternal doom.

When we see the big picture behind all of these spiritual and human progressions—either toward or away from Jesus—can we better understand why Jesus is asking us now, while it is still light, to embrace the cross and through His redemptive transformations, get our soul’s vulnerabilities as far away from the serpent’s reach as Christ is leading us? We are being offered the Life of Christ for all of eternity now. As devoted, first-love believers in Jesus Christ and through the path of dying to self and all our soulish compulsions, the resurrection power of Jesus Christ is transforming us from the inside-out. We can look forward to the ever-increasing and lasting fruits of the Holy Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

If we are not purposing to move in first-love devotion toward Jesus and believing in and obeying His Word—the Bible, rest assured that there is no neutral. If we are not moving toward Jesus, we are moving away from Him and we growing the nasty fruits of the flesh which are: “… obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things (Galatians 5:19-21).”

As we choose to respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading, we are being progressively pulled out of these insatiable, soul-based, old-man, flesh-and-soul cravings, and are entering the peace-giving, peace-keeping Life of the Spirit while advancing the kingdom of God on the earth. This wholehearted response to Jesus is setting us free to become fully clothed in Christ’s fullness and protected from what is coming. Sealed with God’s name and His city, the last days Christ-filled overcomers will advance the kingdom of heaven on earth and be empowered to directly confront the harlot religion and the systems of the antichrist until God’s final judgments are released and the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and His Bride begins!

—————-

Scripture: REVELATION 3 – NET Version
To the Church in Sardis
3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following:

“This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. 2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you. 4 But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia
3:7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following:

“This is the solemn pronouncement of the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors no one can shut, and shuts doors no one can open: 8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) I know that you have little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name. 9 Listen! I am going to make those people from the synagogue of Satan – who say they are Jews yet are not, but are lying – Look, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my admonition to endure steadfastly, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown. 12 The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well. 13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea
3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following:

“This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! 19 All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! 20 Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me. 21 I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Revelation 17:1-5 The Harlot: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. 5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”

Janet Smith – 6-7-17 ©gardenministries.org

Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Somewhere along the way, I had lost hope! I could better grasp the importance of faith and love but hope seemed more conceptual. I noticed that some bitterness had creeped into my heart and was creating problems toward God and my loved ones. I struggled for a while to overcome the bitterness but could not seem to get to the root of it until finally, it became clear through a prophetic word from a brother in Christ.

I had been (and am still in) a very long season of enduring and waiting for God to fulfill His confirmed word in some significant areas of life. I knew the words to be true and had not lost faith in them, but somewhere in my process of enduring, and the many disappointments that come through broken or lost relationships, I had lost HOPE. And the loss of HOPE doesn’t fall into neutral territory. When I lost hope, cynicism and criticism replaced it. Cynicism and criticism are fruits of bitterness and come from and feed on a spirit of rejection. This sense of feeling unwanted and rejected had replaced some of my ability to feel loved and accepted by God and by others and was creating blinders of self-protection based in fear and pride.

A prophetic Voice came to our town and prophesied the word of the Lord over me, reminding me of the truth of God’s call to me—that I was called as a vessel of God’s 1 Corinthians 13 FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE and was called to be poured out to others as such. This is a truth of my life that I had lost touch with and it broke me to hear it again. I could see my wounds of rejection and loss of hope—that God’s love would be poured into and out of my heart on the level I so desperately needed and wanted for myself and for others.

Without this hope, I had become cynical. I could see how my cynical heart had become prone to criticism—pointing out what’s wrong and trying to fix that instead of pointing out what’s right and believing that! This kind of “fixing” is from a religious spirit of control. In this vein, it’s easier to see “what’s wrong” than it is to see “what’s right.” And focusing on fixing darkness doesn’t work. It is a personally subjective perception and is based in performance-based striving instead of being born from the conviction of the Holy Spirit of Truth that bears Life and Hope in the vessel.

I repented and purposed to fix my gaze directly upon Jesus [again], seeking His Truth about myself and others—especially when we are not believing it very well—as the way toward freedom and breakthrough. Like this prophetic man modeled for me, I can better see and call out the truth of God about others—and stop getting distracted by or fixated on the lies and the bad behavior that believing the lies is creating!

Psalm 119:116 Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

Hebrews 6:18…so that we who have found refuge in [Jesus] may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Psalm 27:13-14 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience the LORD’s favor in the land of the living? Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Janet Smith ©12-15-2016 gardenministries.org

The commendations and rebukes to the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 deal largely with how those churches either overcame or fell prey to Satan’s religious spirit; the spirit of antichrist. We can extrapolate the characteristics of the counterfeit satanic religious spirit from the rebukes and the commendations within the 7 letters and with those extrapolations, better understand what we are asked to overcome.

Keep in mind that Satan’s religious spirit can only counterfeit truth. Whatever the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ brings forth from the realm of mystery and reveals of His omnipotent and almighty, 7-fold nature, Satan immediately seeks to counterfeit. His one-trick-pony game plan is always the same: to present a counterfeit form of religion and seduce his followers to worship him instead of Jesus.

By the time of the Last Days, the religious evil spirit of antichrist will have developed or “matured” to being as close to bridal Christianity as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil can possibly counterfeit. At the same time, Jesus, the Tree of Life, is moving to bring His soon-to-be-wedded bride into full pure-and-spotless maturity through the inward working of the Holy Spirit.

For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the unveiling revelation of Jesus Christ in the Last Days will automatically expose and confront the 7-fold manifestations of the counterfeit satanic religious spirit of antichrist. The bride of Jesus Christ will accurately discern the spirit of antichrist and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, assertively resist Satan’s religious spirit. While greater vision and possession by the Truth of Jesus Christ comes to the bride, there comes a coinciding blindness and increased darkness to those who reject Jesus and who turn to the religion of the antichrist.

The satanic religious spirit of antichrist cannot emulate any bit of the inward truth of and intimacy with Jesus Christ, nor can he steal the riches of Christ’s glory. The spirit of antichrist can only mimic the outward manifestations and try to “look like” the real through outward means, which require materialistic wealth, mental brainwashing, fear, and demonic seduction to hook and draw converts and worshippers. This is why God is dealing so particularly with His people as He draws us heavenward and asking the bride to release any attachments to the bondages of world systems.

The religious spirit of antichrist will create dynamic illusions by closely counterfeiting the outward manifestations of the Holy Spirit-filled, lovesick bride of Jesus Christ who is performing many signs and wonders as Jesus harvests His end-time family for Father. The coinciding, fully matured counterfeit religious spirit will seek to harvest its own worshipers through false signs and wonders. The spirit of antichrist even tries to go after “the elect.” Mark 13:22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

But God always uses the enemy against himself. If a believer wholeheartedly follows God, obeys His Word, and loves not their life unto death (Revelation 12:11), they will overcome the religious spirit of antichrist and receive the bridal rewards listed in the 7 letters to the churches. The very attempts of Satan to hijack the emerging signs-and-wonders, lovesick bride of Jesus Christ will be the very thing that helps the bride mature until the fullness of Christ within her is complete and poured out from within—the ready bride!

Overcoming the religious spirit of antichrist’s delusions seems like it should be a pretty straight-forward process but many find overcoming very challenging. This is because walking out the truths of the 7 letters and becoming one with Jesus is Satan’s greatest threat and thus, he most vehemently seeks to oppose any would-be-bride-to-Jesus. Dealing with deliverance from the religious spirit of antichrist can be one of the most challenging battles ever fought by those who seek bridal union with Jesus Christ. The religious spirit of the spirit of antichrist is the one of the worst kinds of evil to overcome because its uniquely designed counterfeit nature especially appeals to humanity’s carnal nature that quite frankly, does not want the crucified-with-Christ path toward bridal union.

The Holy Spirit groans and labors within us, purposing to lead us into full maturity in Christ. As we obey and hold fast the Biblically-sound Word of the Lord through the pushes, the pulls, and the swirls of the smoggy religious spirit’s veil, if we faint not, we will breakthrough unto Christ’s fullness. While we contend with, repent of, and resist giving ourselves over to the easy-out compromises of the religious spirit of antichrist, we can completely trust that God is fully able to lead us, even when we are blind and the slope feels so slippery. In fact, God promises to lead us when we are blinded and debilitated but are still actively choosing to turn to Him and cry out for help!

Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Jude 1:25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—1 Corinthians 1:8 He will sustain you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the end, the real bride of Jesus Christ will completely differ from antichrist’s counterfeit religion because of her true, intimate love (John 13:35) for Jesus and for Father’s family. Signs and wonders aside, the bride of Jesus Christ will overcome simply because she intimately loves Jesus and her testimony fully reflects that she walks out Who she follows and what she believes about Him. There will be no denying who the bride of Jesus Christ follows! The Lamb of God is roaring through her faith-filled heart of true love.

Jesus promises to marry His fully transformed, Holy Spirit-filled bride who cries out to Him, “Come!” And when the Spirit and bride say in union, “Come!” it is because the Holy Spirit bears witness that the Bride is truly ready! She has responded to Christ’s preparations and obeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading until she is fully free from the world, the flesh, and the devil’s hold. She laid it all down for the sake of knowing her Bridegroom Jesus! In all truth, the ready bride can now say, “I am ready to become the wife of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:7 For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Because of its slippery, insidious nature, most people don’t even realize how they have been regularly exposed to and influenced by Satan’s many-faceted religious spirit. The attacks of the religious spirit can be experienced so personally and subjectively that the person doesn’t even realize that they are being attacked. Jesus, who is all Truth, seeks to lead us back to Himself as the Truth. By declaring what is the Truth about Himself, He is also either directly rebuking or making implications of the counterfeit. The extrapolations, or “Counterfeit Offerings” are this articles attempt to see between the lines of the commendations and rebukes to the 7 churches, to discover the unspoken or implied nuances, and directly expose many of the ever-evolving manifestations of Satan’s religious spirit. We may not have realized just how much the religious spirit has proliferated and “matured.”

Now it’s time to find and discuss the following “Counterfeit Offerings of the 7-Fold Satanic Religious Spirit of Antichrist.” The first bullet point serves as a main headline issue that provokes either the commendation or the rebuke. Other reasons may appear within each letter but the first headline bullet point seems to be more foundational and is thus highlighted as a major driving force behind the rest of the letter. Certainly there is overlap and one can even see how the problems in one church lead to the problems in another church and have a cause-and-effect cycle. The 7 churches together provide the whole picture of all that is asked by Jesus to overcome. It’s helpful to have a Bible nearby to read each church letter as you read the following counterfeit offerings of the 7-fold satanic religious spirit of antichrist.

The Counterfeit Offerings of the 7-Fold Satanic Religious Spirit of Antichrist

EPHESUS: Revelation 2:1-7 (Ephesus: meaning of name = “permitted”)
The Church Called to Lay the Foundation of Apostolic First Love Relationship with Jesus

The counterfeit:

• False apostles

• Having suffered many-a self-centered disappointment, the person who at first, gave their emotionally open-hearted “First Love” to Jesus is no longer willing to endure until the end and seeks a reason to leave the grueling process of believing the pure Word of God. The religious spirit offers a more convenient counterfeit.

• The satanic religious spirit offers self-love in lieu of First Love and provides a conduit of “worship” through human intellectualism and cultural camaraderie. Books are written that undermine the Bible’s ultimate apostolic authority and new rules are set for societal acceptance and performance (in which hypocrisy begins to flourish).

• Intellectualism becomes the human’s “higher power.” Based on what is deemed good and reasonable for humanity to coexist, a logic-and-reason-based, code of conduct is formed that is expressed through the social network of cultural camaraderie. Compliance to this hefty list of do’s-and-don’ts is enforced through cultural acceptance and praise or rejection and disapproval. This spoken and unspoken cultural code of conduct replaces the need to develop a vulnerably intimate, First-Love relationship with Jesus.

• Commitment to the current code of conduct is the duty that has replaced any need for extravagant faith and heartfelt, enduring obedience to Jesus Christ. Self-love, coupled with intellectualism, bypasses the need for great faith and as such, offers a closed-heart alternative that is more dependent upon human performance than upon God. Such self-love performs for “love” from a duty bound sense of obligation having given up on any hope for a fully transformed heart.

• Human intellectualism (i.e. “earthly wisdom”) “protects” the human heart from the Holy Spirit’s messy, awkward, convicting process and offers a form of acting like the person loves Jesus without the hard work.

• The elevation of rationalization and intellectualism over faith and trust allows the religious spirit to reject any need to “remember, repent, and return” to an open-hearted, hope-filled, love-sick first estate when a person may have first encountered the love of Jesus and accepted Him into their heart.

• Tolerant acceptance of nicolaitan practices are normalized. Nicolaitan in Greek means, “dominate the laity,” (Nico: dominiate, Laitan: laity). In this religious practice, rules replace relationship. The “all-knowing” Church leadership presumes to be intellectually and spiritually better qualified to “hear from God” for the lay people then the lay people can hear from God for themselves. In this vein of the religious spirit. nicolaitan priests and elders create systems of religion that promote dependence on the church, its institutional rules, and its “inspired” human leadership instead of teaching people how to develop a personal and direct relationship with Jesus Christ.

• False apostles create doctrines and teachings that lead people away from cultivating a passionate, First Love relationship with Jesus. True apostles lead people to or back to a First Love relationship with Jesus Christ.

SMYRNA: Revelation 2:8-11 (Smyrna: meaning of name = “myrrh.” Myrrh was presented to Jesus at his birth, and, mixed with wine, presented to him on the cross. It was also a part of his body’s preparation for burial)
The Church Called to Sacrificially Love Jesus—Even Unto Death

The counterfeit:

• False sacrifice

• False humility gives a look of being pious without paying the actual price Jesus is asking. Afflicted by a fear of man and fear of suffering, but still wanting to look spiritually profound, the religious spirit offers alternative forms of suffering but produces no Holy Spirit fruit or greater intimacy with Jesus.

• Cain offered his sacrifice to God from a self-righteous religious spirit. The prophet Abel knew God and what kind of sacrifice would please Him: a lamb.

• A person may refuse to enter into the sufferings that Jesus is actually asking of them and instead, inflicts suffering on themselves in order to get attention or to prove a point.

• If asked by Jesus as a sacrifice of love, to be stripped of all worldly and natural dignities and fleshly comforts and become poor to become rich in Christ, religious excuses for keeping their “stuff” abound.

• The religious spirit rejects the Galatians 2:20 crucified-with-Christ path toward freedom.

PERGAMUM: Revelation 2:12-17 (Pergamum/Pergamos: meaning of name = height elevation)
The Church Called to Receive Christ’s Two-Edged Word that Separates Out and Sanctifies True Identity

The counterfeit:

• False identity

• Instead of engaging in the Holy Spirit’s work that separates us unto Himself and out from the world, the flesh, and the devil, religious spirited “church” people opt to use their spiritual gifts from God to accumulate wealth by merchandising their giftings and by using their gifts to manipulate people for their own selfish gain. Example: the prosperity “faith” gospel. If I have been entrusted with much, could Jesus just as easily ask me to give it all away and I would immediately and gladly obey Him?

• Unwilling to confront and oust those who will not repent from using their spiritual gifts from God to merchandise and manipulate people for their own selfish gain.

• Tolerant acceptance of nicolaitan practices where church leadership presumes to be better qualified to “hear from God” for the lay people and thus, nicolaitan’s subject lay people to the institutional rules of the church or denomination by elevating the rules above developing their own personally intimate relationship with Jesus as Lord. The institutional church is presented as the “Lord” rather than Jesus Christ Himself. Example: “Rules your way to righteousness” over-involved, rule-enforcing leadership replaces the need to learn how to hear from Jesus for yourself and directly respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

THYATIRA: Revelation 2:18-29 (Thyatira: meaning of name = “odor of affliction”)
The Church Called to Pursue Fullness and Bridal Intimacy with Christ and Represent Him in Leadership

The counterfeit:

• False prophets

• People who have the gift of prophecy but use it to “prophesy” from their own delusion in order to tickle the ear of their followers. These followers (and their leaders) want to be spiritually absolved and accepted by the church even though they are unapologetically practicing idolatry, indulging in immoral behavior, and making money to support their compromised lifestyle. They are told to seek the church for forgiveness instead of going directly to Jesus. The person is not asked or empowered to “go and sin no more.”

• Avoiding the struggle of full repentance and cleansing, the religious spirit excuses people from needing to seek the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their life. False prophets refuse to correct or exhort to believe God’s inspired scriptures, embrace the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and receive His empowerment to repent from of immoral and idolatrous lifestyle.

• False prophets tell people what they want to hear but will not also tell them what they may need to hear.

• Presumption of leadership while refusing to embrace the cost of becoming a leader, which includes being willing to lose all for the sake of Christ.

• Presumption to speak the “word of the Lord” without accountability to the Holy Spirit. Refusal to look at the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s fruit which either validates or invalidates the Prophet’s message and his or her fruit-bearing relationships with Jesus and His body.

SARDIS: Revelation 3:1-6 (Sardis: meaning of the name = “Red Ones”)
The Church Called to Become Fully Conformed to Christ’s Image and Be Alive and Awake to the Times

The counterfeit:

• False image

• The church that puts on a great show and looks alive but does not cultivate a personal and corporate intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and thus, produces no lasting fruits of the Holy Spirit. The self-centered-image church is all about achieving excellent performance that looks good to themselves (and to the world).

• Being so busy with looking good on the outside, the inside work of embracing and developing a crucified-with-Christ life is neglected, thwarting the maturing process in which the spiritual ability to discern the times and seasons of God is developed. The religious spirit keeps this church asleep and dead to the life of God.

• The church that says, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name…” And He replies, “Depart from Me. I never knew you.”

PHILADEPHIA: Revelation 3:7-13 (Philadelphia: meaning of the name = “Brotherly Love”)
The Church Called to Obey God’s Word to “Endure” Until The Fullness of Jesus Comes and Transforms

The counterfeit:

• False grace

• Using God’s grace to stay stuck in sin and immature instead of using God’s grace to press in, believe, and endure until the Ephesians 4:13 indwelling of Jesus Christ’s full measure is reached. The religious spirit rejects the need for entering into the Father’s love that James 1:4 describes as perseverance unto maturity.

• Spiritual warfare is not taken seriously and the Word of God is not viewed as a weapon of warfare. In fact, by invoking “false grace” as coverage enough in all areas of need, the religious spirit creates passivity.

• The religious spirit of antichrist undermines the literalness and effectiveness of Scripture and thus, denies the need to use the Scriptures as a weapon against Satan and his forces of darkness.

• Learning about God and building a knowledge base about Him is considered “spiritual growth,” instead of getting to intimately know and love Jesus personally.

• Following the Holy Spirit’s leading and holding an uncompromising belief in His Word is conceptually accepted but having a personalized relationship with the Holy Spirit and the Word is “unbalanced.”

• Teaching does not need to have an accompanying action plan to walk out what is being learned. Information for the sake of information about God’s truth is enough. Application of the truth unto full obedience is too much and unnecessary.

• False grace teachings promote God’s “grace” as an excuse to stay broken instead of engaging in the process of believing that God’s grace is given to every believer to undergo the process of being fully transformed and conformed into the image of Christ, going from (2 Corinthians 3:18) glory to glory, in Jesus’ (John 1:16) grace upon grace to get there.

• False humility and false grace “believes” that God’s ok with us staying in our human brokenness as long as we just keep asking for forgiveness and act empathetically and compassionately toward the other broken people, expecting them to do the same for us while no one presses in for transformation and fullness of Christ.

• Because of God’s “grace,” endurance is unnecessary. We don’t need to develop great faith because the journey of developing intimacy with Jesus by sharing in His sufferings is too extreme and there isn’t enough provision to go the distance. Being crucified-with-Christ asks too much and gives too little, too late.

• False grace does not mature the believer or develop the Holy Spirit’s gift of discernment between the Spirit and Soul. The satanic religious spirit can only access and falsely “inspire” the human soul. Such “inspiration” sounds and feels very spiritual but is really only reaching and tickling the soul, not the spirit. Soul inspirations can only inspire the ambitions of the soul and serve only to perpetuate self-love.

LAODICEA: Revelation 3:14-22 (Laodicea: meaning of name = Justice of the People)
The Church Called to Exemplify the Justice of God Through His Chosen People

The counterfeit:

• False “Holy” Spirit

• Rich in material goods and steeped in entitlement, there is no need for conviction of truth or for the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to bring a believer into maturity by developing an intimate love relationship with Jesus and which necessarily includes embracing some level of suffering.

• Invalidation and rejection of the crucified-with-Christ lifestyle through an unwillingness to be asked to “lose it all for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:8) or “sell everything and give it to the poor.” (Mark 19:21)

• Overly sensitive, refined, and easily offended, people fastidiously groom and perfect their outside world with the hope that it will change their heart (but cannot). They settle for an outward “looks good” self-image, while ignoring and rejecting the rebukes and discipline of the Holy Spirit Who alone can change a human heart and Who alone can fill and transform from the inside-out.

• Believe that there are many religious paths to God. Lukewarm “Christians” will falsely accuse and label those who believe that Jesus is the only way, calling them: “haters,” “right-wing,” or “extremists.”

• The squeaky-wheel “voice” of the religious spirit of antichrist bully’s those who differ from their belief.

• An affluent church member can purchase spiritual status and buy their way into church leadership.

• The look of outward success is spiritualized to mean that they have attained God’s approval in spite of moral, social, and spiritually compromised lifestyles that do not seek to fully align with Scriptural truths.

• Social justice worldview seeks to replace the need for the Holy Spirit and instead, through self-earned “righteousness” and good works, one can commend oneself as “self-righteous” and thereby alleviate the burden of the Holy Spirit’s conviction, the guilt of sin, and forego any need for forgiveness and repentance.

Janet Weaver Smith ©gardenministries.org July 7, 2016

Unbelief is when a human being actively refuses to take personal responsibility for God’s generous provisions, made on their behalf, and look into whether or not, what God has said and done is true and believable—or not. God is continually reaching out to humanity through His written and spoken word(s) and actions. He is not willing that any human being should perish but that all human beings come to the saving knowledge of God’s gracious provisions through Jesus Christ.

Humanity must choose whether or not they will respond to what God has said and done on their behalf. Refusing to respond may appear to be neutral but it is not. The choice to ignore is the choice to reject God’s loving provisions for forgiveness, salvation, and transformation. Ignoring God is unbelief in God. This applies to Christians and non-Christians alike. Christians and non-Christians can choose to stop or never start responding to God.

Ephesians 4:17-25 Therefore, I tell you and insist on in the Lord not to live any longer like the gentiles live, thinking worthless thoughts [in the futility of their mind] 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint. 20However, that is not the way you came to know the Messiah. 21Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus.

22Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires, 23to be renewed in your mental attitude, 24and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God’s image in righteousness and true holiness. 25Therefore, stripping off falsehood, “let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor,” for we belong to one another.

Satan and his dark workings as the “god of this world” capitalizes upon a human’s refusal to respond and blinds the minds of those who do not believe (2 Cor. 4:4). This blinding occurs to Christian and non-Christian alike. A Christian who remains in their unbelief and refuses to respond to God’s great invitations for transformation is one who is replacing the real with the counterfeit and is choosing a “form of godliness” but denying the Holy Spirit’s push to be transformed into the image of God through faith and active loving obedience. A fake Christian has no follow-through. They are pretending to believe.

2 Corinthians 2:3-4, 16-17 So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying. 4In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God. 16But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are becoming more like him with ever-increasing glory by the Lord’s Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:1-13 (ISV) You must realize, however, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unfeeling, uncooperative, slanderous, degenerate, brutal, hateful of what is good, 4traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 5They will hold to an outward form of godliness but deny its power. Stay away from such people. 6For some of these men go into homes and deceive foolish women who are burdened with sins and swayed by all kinds of desires. 7These women are always studying but are never able to arrive at a full knowledge of the truth. 8Just as Jannesmen, their stupidity will be plain to everyone.

8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and their faith is a counterfeit. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those two men, their stupidity will be plain to everyone…

2 Timothy 3:14-17 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and found to be true, because you know from whom you learned it. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to give you the wisdom you need for salvation through faith in the Messiah Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good action.

So what are we choosing when we refuse to respond to God’s truths through faith-filled acts of obedience? We are choosing to believe lies. Ironically, when we choose to believe lies, there are perceived “pro’s and con’s” that our state of unbelief provides. Unbelief excuses us from taking responsibility to respond openly, honestly, and continually, until we break through to greater peace and intimacy in the relationship. Unbelief “lets us off the hook” to respond to love. If I don’t want to believe that I am loved or if I mistrust the motives of those who extend love toward me, I can reject or respond on my terms and conditions and thus, control what I give and get from people based on my needs more than anyone else’s.

Romans 12 directly confronts this type of self-protective, self-centered approach to relationship(s). Take for example Romans 12:9-11 (ISV), Your love must be without hypocrisy (i.e., say one thing do another). Abhor what is evil (hypocrisy is evil); cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to each other with mutual affection. Excel at showing respect for each other. 11Never be lazy in showing such devotion. Be on fire with the Spirit.

What are we agreeing with when we choose to believe God’s love and respond to His directives and commands? We are choosing to agree with the Truth that sets us free to trust and let the love of God in to both comfort and correct us as we ask Him to transform us into His sacrificially loving nature. From this intimately transformative interchange, God’s blessings pour out and empower us to continue on our path toward Christ’s fullness. Because God’s sacrificial nature is unchangeable and His love unconditional, every human being is without excuse for not responding.

Once we do respond and say yes to God’s dealings with our misaligned souls, His blessings and benefits come to strengthen us in our faith, hope, and loving obedience. Responding to God will grow us up into maturity. His eternal intent for all who love Him is to take us step by step, from glory to glory, into His transformative Presence until we are fully changed to be like Him. Thank God for His great gift of love! As we yield, bow, and turn our hearts and minds to Him, over and over again, the veil of unbelief will be peeled off of us, our spiritual eyes will open, our heart’s awakened, and the Spirit of Liberty will find a resting place in us—His very temple and treasured possession.

John 14:21-24 The person who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I, too, will love him and reveal myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) asked him, “Lord, how is it that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. Then my Father will love him, and we will go to him and make our home within him. 24The one who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The words that you’re hearing me say are not mine, but come from the Father who sent me.

To “keep” God’s word means that not only do we say that we believe what God says in His word about Himself and about his beloved humanity is true, we also take responsibility to continually apply the correlating action steps that our faith in God requires—action steps like loving God wholeheartedly and turning to Him as our First Love and loving and forgiving others as He loves and forgives.

Bottom line is this: Do we love Jesus Christ with our whole heart, soul, and mind or not? Our actions will always speak louder than our words. We are only fooling ourselves when we let ourselves off the hook from acting on what we believe. Most everyone else can see our hypocrisy—even other hypocrites!

Unbelief is a state of mind especially targeted by the spirit of antichrist—the god of this world. Whether or not a person confesses to be of the Christian faith or not, anyone who refuses to walk out what they believe is a hypocrite and is actively engaged in a state of unbelief. If as a Christian, I say that I believe in Jesus Christ and then refuse to respond to the Holy Spirit when He comes and offers me the next steps of obedience that draw me closer to Him, I am acting in unbelief. If I will not surrender the mental process of my mind to God’s leadership and actively seek to know and obey His will for my life, I am just putting on a Christian front and my spiritual house is being built on a sandy foundation that will crumble and fall at the first sign of trouble.

People who habitually process all of life intellectually and who intellectualize their feelings are prone toward thinking that they must always know better than anyone who differs from them on most, if not all matters. Intellectualism is the worship of the mind. This form of idolatry is highly competitive. We seek and value all time and approval from those we perceive to (possibly) be smarter than us and conversely, we duck and avoid any and all confrontational naysayer who we deem as less advanced than we are about this or that area of expertise. The game is to always know better and better than everyone else so one day we can stand on the top of the heap and wag our all-knowing tongue at everyone else and self-righteously declare, “I told you so.” Or better yet! Find a group who thinks just like we do so as a team, we can all say, “Too bad. So sad! I told you so!”

The problem with depending upon intellectualism as superior to First Love for Jesus, is that human intellect was corrupted in the fall and no amount of self-serving will ever keep the human intellect from being deceived. The human intellect is already deceived and only Jesus can bring us into our Creator’s truth and keep us from being deceived. Intellectualism is a perceived “safe harbor” in which “addicts” obsessively try to “figure out” how to prevent or escape pain. Bright-minded souls seeks a safe haven through the gateway of an overly active, open mind and a mistrusting, closed heart.

These folks are especially prone to the deceptive nature and words of the spirit of antichrist because they are trusting in the mind’s ability to discern what is true and right, above or instead of, relying on the Holy Spirit through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. This is where deception takes its greatest advantage of humanity. The fallen human mind is already prone to deception and without the revelation of the Holy Spirit, the fallen human mind is not capable of distinguishing and discerning all of what is actually evil.

1 Corinthians 2:13-16 (ISV) We don’t speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people. 14A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can’t understand them because they are spiritually evaluated. 15The spiritual person evaluates everything but is subject to no one else’s evaluation. 16For “Who has known the mind of the Lord so that he can advise him?”
However, we have the mind of the Messiah.

To the degree that Jesus is LORD in my life is to the degree that I will, by His Spirit, be able to test and discern the spirit in another person as to whether Jesus is LORD in their heart. If Jesus is not Savior and LORD in my heart, I cannot discern spiritual matters or whether Jesus is LORD in someone else’s heart. It is the Spirit of the LORD Jesus within me that is “greater than he that is of the world,” not my intellectual prowess.

A Biblical example of natural man, logic-and-reason-based unbelief is revealed in Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Stunned by an unexpected supernatural visitation from Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, Zechariah’s knee-jerk reaction to all the supernatural-ness is to voice his natural-minded fear, doubt, and unbelief—as if it held any water compared to what was going on all around him!

While Zechariah’s unbelief did not cost him the promise of a son, he did not get to fully celebrate the joy of this miraculous event during the conception and gestation of his son John because his unbelief cost him his very speaking voice for 9+ months!

Luke 1:11-20 (ISV) An angel of the Lord appeared to him [Zechariah], standing at the right side of the incense altar. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled, and fear overwhelmed him. 13But the angel told him, “Stop being afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14You will have great joy, and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15because he will be great in the Lord’s presence. He will never drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16He will bring many of Israel’s descendants back to the Lord their God. 17He is the one who will go before the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, and to prepare the people to be ready for the Lord.”

18Then Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this, since I am an old man, and my wife is getting older?” 19The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. I have been sent to speak to you and to announce this good news to you. 20But because you did not believe my announcement, which will be fulfilled at its proper time, you will become silent and unable to speak until the day this happens.”

Here is a short list of heart-and-mind attitude’s that make us vulnerable to antichrist’s deceptive doctrines: Unbelief. Empty words. No response. Hypocrisy. Logic-and-reason-based decision-making. Rejection of and refusing to let both sides of God’s love apply to our life. Listening to people’s meaningless words that feed the intellect and kill the Spirit through doubt and unbelief.

Attention all smart people! The smartest thing a person could ever choose is to love and obey the One Who created them and desires them to be a part of His eternal family. To become a part of God’s family, we must learn to think like Jesus thinks and be conformed into His nature. This happens as we value His love in all of its forms: the comfort of receiving a truth-in-love rebuke, the discipline of learning follow-through and consistency, strength that comes from enduring hardship and persevering in faith through painful circumstances.

Ephesians 5:6 (ISV) Do not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God becomes angry with those who disobey.

The Spirit of Jesus Christ is first and foremost Love in nature and requires faith-in-action to enter into. We must respond when God speaks to us. We cannot expect to grow if we shut down and harden our hearts every time we hear something difficult that disrupts us. Each time we refuse to respond, we are telling God that we are in charge—not Him and we are making the road to real relationship with Him all the more difficult. This unbelief also increases our vulnerability to the deceptions of the spirit of antichrist because intellectualism is the road that the spirit of antichrist travels upon the most successfully. The mysteries hidden in Christ Jesus are hidden from worldly-wise intellectuals. This was true in Jesus time and it is still true today.

Luke 10:21-22 (ISV) At that moment, the Holy Spirit made Jesus extremely joyful, so Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this is what was pleasing to you. 22All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and the person to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (ISV) Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? God has turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense, hasn’t he? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe through the nonsense of our preaching. 22Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach the Messiah crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25For God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ISV) Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed. 28And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something, 29so that no one may boast in God’s presence. 30It is because of God that you are in union with the Messiah Jesus, who for us has become wisdom from God, as well as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 31There- fore, as it is written, “The person who boasts must boast in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:6-9 (ISV) However, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene. 7Instead, we speak about God’s wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began for our glory. 8None of the rulers of this world understood it, because if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”

1 Corinthians 4:7 (ISV) For who makes you superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not receive it?