April 2002

Work, Work, Work

Part Sixty

THE HARVEST HAS BEGUN!!

[QQ]

“Death and Life are in the power of the tongue; and
they shall eat the fruit of the one they love!”(Pr 18:21)

(37)

                The Spirit of the Lord rejoices in His Kingdom to see His FIRSTFRUITS being birthed in the hearts of His people all around the world! This company of overcomers have paid the price of “ABIDING” in His Vine, and now they are receiving the Prize of bearing the Fruit of His Spirit in their lives! Jesus said in Rev 2:7, “He that has an (open, spiritual) ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, ‘ I will let him that overcomes eat of the Tree of life that stands in the midst of the Paradise of God!” What and where is this Paradise? There are many answers to that question; first, that Paradise is not a physical place, but a state of being! It is a spiritual condition where a soul is set free from the constraints of the flesh! Years ago the Lord gave me the music for Ps 142:7 and my heart thrills every time our fellowship sings its words:

“BRING MY SOUL OUT OF PRISON
THAT I MAY PRAISE THY NAME!”

                In what “prison” are men’s souls languishing? Let us ask long-suffering Job who says, “My soul is weary of this life! I will speak openly of my complaint and bitterness of heart to God, ‘Don’t condemn me, tell me why you contend with me...You have clothed me with skin and flesh; and *fenced me with bones and sinews” (Jb 10:9)...“I cry out, ‘I am being wronged!’ but I am not heard. I cry aloud but there is no Judgment! He has fenced up my way so I cannot pass; and He set darkness in my paths! He has stripped my glory (of Anointing) and taken my crown (of life) from my head (“The Head of every man is Christ!”1 Co 11:3)! He’s destroyed me on every side, and I am gone! He’s uprooted my hope as a tree! He has kindled His wrath against me; and now He counts me as one of His enemies!” (“The carnal (flesh) mind is the enemy of God!” Ro 8:7)

*FENCED (Heb 7753) is defined: “TO ENTWINE, HEDGE UP; ALSO TO SHUT IN (FOR FORMATION, PROTECTION AND RESTRAINT!”

Ro 11:32 says, “God has SHUT UP (concluded, imprisoned) ALL men IN UNBELIEF, so He could demonstrate His Mercy toward ALL men!”

Speaking of Himself, Jesus Christ declares in Rev 3:7, “He that has the Key of David (lit. Love) is He that opens and no man can shut; and He SHUTS AND NO MAN CAN OPEN!”

                Job was referring to his NATURAL MAN OF FLESH fashioned from the dust of the earth which is the first Adamic estate shared by all in whom the WORD OF CREATION is imprisoned! That Word, by which all life was spoken into being, chose to “Taste death for all men” (Heb 2:9) and buried Himself in an earthen grave of humanity! God tells His people, “Let this Mind of God be in you which was also in Christ Jesus! For even thought that Mind was in the form of God and did not consider it robbery to be equal with God (for indeed, it was God), made Himself to be of no reputation by taking on the form of a servant and being made in the likeness of (all) men! Then being fashioned as a man, He humbled Himself to be obedient even unto the death of the cross!” (Php 2:5-8)
Jesus offers Paradise to all who praise the Lord; but Ps 115:17 says, “In death no one can praise the Lord!” Ro 8:6 adds, “To be carnally (flesh) minded is death!” While men’s souls are held captive in the PRISON OF UNBELIEF, the only “god” they can see to praise is “self-will”! And men do this with a passion! So much so, if you threaten the inviability of their “FREE WILL” they will “go ballistic” (as kids say)! It is inconceivable to the natural man that his self-will is not a sovereign, autonomous estate! He believes he can fashion his own “paradise” right here on earth with enough providence (or luck) prosperity, prestige, power, possessions, and human relationships!
                But true Paradise means to be “DELIVERED FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH”(Ro 7:24) [and that death is our own terrible carnal-mindedness)! Furthermore, true Paradise means to be “DELIVERED FROM THE BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION (carnal-mindedness) INTO THE GLORIOUS FREEDOM OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD (Christ-mindedness)!” (Ro 8:20) And that can only be done when “THIS CORRUPTION (flesh) PUTS ON INCORRUPTION (Christ); AND THIS MORTAL (flesh) PUTS ON IMMORTALITY (Christ); so what is written is fulfilled - DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY!” (1 Cor 15:54) That Victory is the Edenic state of every believer when “The Daystar (God’s Saving Anointing) arises in his heart!” (2 Pet 1:19)

[TO BE CONTINUED]