Friday, March 15, 2019

THE REALITY OF CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

My Dear Precious Child,
    After Paul's apologies in his second letter to the church at Corinth for being so stern in his first letter to believers, Paul soothed them with compliments for them about their being letters from Christ to him, not letters written in ink but with the Holy Spirit, and not on stone tablets but on their living hearts.  He gave all praise to Me for doing the good works that had already been done in the lives of the Corinthians.  He reveled in the God-given opportunity for him to have been the administrator of a new covenant, the covenant of the Holy Spirit that brings life, not the one that was written on stone tablets which brought death. (II Corinthians 3:4-7) 
    He called to the attention of the Corinthians the truth that the old laws brought death to people eventually, but first the administration of the old laws was accompanied by a brightness that the Jews could not bear to gaze upon the face of Moses, although that brightness eventually faded when the written laws became ineffective because of their misapplication.  What was meant to identify demonic activity was used by the Pharisees to condemn, judge and administer guilt upon the people which eventually caused their death.  Paul proclaimed that the brightness that accompanies the administration of My Holy Spirit is far greater in brightness and splendor than Moses' face and he assured them that the brightness of My Holy Spirit lasts forever.  (verses 8-11)
    Paul wrote to them about the veil that was over the minds of the Jews, and is still there when the old covenant is read.  It cannot be removed until they individually turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Then he wrote a wonderful revelation.  He said that now in the earth the Lord is the Holy Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom from the works of the devil.  Also, he reminded them that the unveiled faces of loyal believers who walk according to the dictates of Christ and the Holy Spirit reflect My image like mirrors of My brightness as they grow brighter and brighter every day as they turn into the very image that they reflect, that being My image.  Then Paul spoke truth to them, reminding them that that work of perfecting My image in My children is done by My Holy Spirit who lives inside of them in the earth.  (II Corinthians 3:13-18)
    In his defense of himself, Paul said that he and Timothy would never water down the gospel to make it acceptable to anyone like some false prophets had done and they had brought those heresies into their church.  He said that he would never be ashamed of the true gospel.  He wrote that he would never preach anything except Christ and that he and Timothy were merely servants of Christ.  He professed that I am the same God who separated light out of darkness at the beginning and that I had shone into the minds of the believers the same light that radiates the knowledge of My glory, which is the same glory that is on the face of Christ. (II Corinthians 4:5-6)
    Paul wanted the people in the church at Corinth to realize the treasure that they had in their earthen bodies so that it might be clear to everyone that the overwhelming power in them was from Me and not from them.  (II Corinthians 4:7)  He said that even in difficulties, they were never cornered; and even though they saw no immediate answers to their problems, they were never in despair; and even though they were persecuted, they never deserted Me; and even though they were knocked down, they were never killed.  Instead, they always carried in their bodies the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus would always be seen in them.  (II Corinthians 4: 8-12)
    The way to carry the death of Jesus in your body is to put to death the temptations of the devil that come to your own mind, refusing to obey his will, but instead your doing My will in the earth.  Just like the devil was defeated in hell by Jesus Christ, when you cast the demons who tempt you into hell, then the devil is defeated and you shine like the sun in the earth. (Matthew 13:41-43)  
   In trying to strengthen the members of the church at Corinth, Paul impressed upon them that even though their bodies were decaying every day, they were being renewed spiritually every day on the inside by the power of My Holy Spirit.  Paul wrote that his strength came from things that are invisible, not from things that are visible because things visible only last for a while, but the invisible, spiritual things are eternal. (verses 16-19) That grace is the only way the apostles could withstand the persecutions, the harassment and the physical injuries from the hands of the unbelieving Jews is to keep their eyes on the prize of being transformed into the image of Christ who suffered just like the apostles suffered.
    Paul occasionally tried to justify his calling as an apostle although he didn't walk with Jesus Christ when Jesus ministered in the world.  He was called to be an apostle after Jesus was raised from hell and came to heaven to live with Me.  Not only was Paul called to be an apostle but he was called to take salvation to the Gentiles, the unbelieving pagans who only worshiped idols.  His testimony about his conversion was so supernatural that his message of salvation to the Gentiles was readily accepted by them, his message being that I am a living Father who loves them and I am interested in their every day problems. 
    As it was with every one of the first churches that were established after Pentecost when I came to earth to live in My children, Paul and the other apostles' efforts were diligent in trying to keep the believers on the straight and narrow path that leads to life everlasting. (Matthew 7:13-14) The easy path that leads to destruction was offered to them constantly by many false prophets and sinful men.  My apostles wrote many letters to believers trying to lead them back onto the narrow path that leads to life everlasting.
    Nothing has changed.  Their letters are pertinent to your life today, too, because many churches are identical to the ones in Paul's time, leading My children away from the teachings of Christ and into building their own kingdoms on earth instead of allowing My Holy Spirit to establish My kingdom of God in the lives of My children in the earth, a life of joy and peace.  Jesus Christ told you to stay alert constantly.  If you don't, you will be deceived.
    Remember that the Lord in the earth is the Holy Spirit.  Be guided by His words and you will have the righteousness, peace and joy of My kingdom of heaven in your life on earth.  (Romans 14:17)
    Your Father of Truth

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