LAST DAYS OF THE CHURCH

Chapter Four

FOUR AREAS OF THE CHURCH

First Four Trumpets : TOUCH FOUR AREAS IN MAN

Overview of the Four Areas

Remember when I spoke earlier of the four areas. These areas can be seen in:
· Four rivers from the one river from Garden of Eden:
· Four directions for the camps on each side of the tabernacle:
· Four pillars into the holy of holies:
· The nature and message of the first four books of Moses:
· The nature and message of the first four books of Jesus:
· The nature and message of the first four books of the Prophets:
· The four faces of the cherubim's:
· The four beast in heaven before the throne of God:
· The Holy City, New Jerusalem is four square and has a great and high wall on each of the four sides:
· The voice that speaks from the: 1st - 4th days of creation, the 1st - 4th church ages, the 1st - 4th seals, the 1st - 4th trumpet, and the 1st - 4th vials:<

The types in these passages will not speak perfectly to an area because there is often an overlapping into the other areas. It is in these 4 areas that God is speaking to our life that will strengthen us and it is the same areas that Satan will attack, to defile us. There is no new doctrine here, but what the Lord is saying in this message is: that the ministry has not been teaching the whole counsel of God as was given to them and secondly, the knowledge of this whole counsel and obedience of his Word, will determine how God will judge you in the last days and how you will be going through the great tribulation.

I have referred to these four areas in this message as:
· The Word of God - to know it, live it and obey it.
· The Outer Man - to crucify it, bury it, keep it under subjection, to live in honor and sanctification and put off the works of the flesh.
· The Inner Man - be born again, put on the new man and its fruit, let it rule the outer man, come unto the fullness of the stature of Christ and putting on the whole armor of God.
· Following the Spirit - the spirit of the Lord to lead and guide us into all truth and from the false.

God's purpose in each of these 4 areas is an anointing that will flow into our life with a message. If we obey that message, it will build a wall of defense against the adversary's attack in that area. If we fail to listen and obey, it will leave us defenseless in that area, which in turn can bring destruction upon the whole body and punishment for disobedience. Imagine a city with four sides, but the people within the city only build walls on few of the sides, but not all four. This will leave that city vulnerable to Satan's attack, though they may be strong in some areas. That is why the obedience in each area, is so important to understand and obey, so we can come to the stature of Jesus Christ and be preserved in these last days of the church.

First we need to realize that it is the desire of God that we become a whole man in Christ and not partial or crippled spiritually in our maturity to the full stature of Jesus Christ. Thus, one cannot build his walk with God concentrating only in one of the four areas: the Word, or the Outer Man, or the Inner Man, or Spirit Leadership and leave the others undone, …and still hope that he will be complete or mature in Christ. It is God's will for us to become a perfect man, in and through him, which we do see happening in the firstfruits saints of God. It is not possible to be complete in Christ, if you have not heard and obeyed the Spirit of God in each of the four areas.

Let's take an overview of what the Lord has said in these four areas so that we might better understand his meaning when he says the church is defiled. That way we will understand what He is saying and to which area is he speaking. We understand that a believer could be strong in one area and weak in another area and could still be overcome.

We could say it another way. We have seen saints strong in the Word, follow after false spirits. We have seen saints strong in the outer man standards and yet inside still have an evil heart that can't forgive others. We have even seen those who are strong in the Spirit and spiritual gifts, but cannot keep the body under subjection.

God's intentions have never been for you to be strong in only one area which means that we only drink from just one of the 4 rivers of his anointing. Remember there is only one river; yet it flows in to four heads or powers according to...

Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

We see this same river in Ezek 47:8-12 and Ps 46:4. From the sanctuary or presence of God, flows a river into; the east country, into the desert, into the sea and into the city of God. These waters bring forth; healing, life, fruit for meat and leaves for medicine. When his life flows in all four of these areas in our life, we will take on the character and nature of Jesus Christ fully. We will spiritually begin to look like Jesus Christ when he walked in the flesh. Let's now take a closer look at what the Lord says of these four battleground areas in our lives.

The Trumpets Touch : The WORD of GOD in our Life

It is God's purpose that we become a habitation for the Word of God. We are to bear it and carry this standard of God as a banner in our life for others to see. No matter what the state or level of growth that we are at. From the Word of God in our life, flows a true worship, true praise and true adoration of God out of our heart, that is not like the music that is coming out of our churches today. This Word of God has been given to us so that we will be able to discern light from darkness, true from false, good from evil and clean from unclean. And this Word will give us the boldness, when the Spirit of the Lord rises up, to be like a lion against the adversary that comes into our life.

He gives us His Word in what we call the Bible. It is our responsibility to know it, incorporate it and live it in our daily life. Only then does the truth of it shine unto others so they might have light. This one commission takes a life time of reading, praying, going to church and obeying the Word as it is revealed to us. As we see in the O.T. God often would bless or afflict his people simply because they did or did not obey His Word, which had been given to them through Moses.

The WORD : Satan Wants to Pervert the Word

The purpose of the adversary in this world is to stop, pervert or hinder this working of the Word of God in our life. So like Balaam did in his time, he knew he couldn't corrupt the Word of God, but if he could cause the people to pervert its meaning or not obey it. Then God according to his own Word would have to deal with their disobedience. This is where he warns us that..

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans,

He then says that if you don't get this straightened out in our life, he will take his light away.

Look at what happens when we lose our love for God and the truth. When we lose our power and authority that comes from obeying the Word of God, the adversary offers us a replacement. Satan's replacement is offered because we either did not obey that which we knew to do or we refused to be a partaker of a specific part of his Word.

Satan then gives us his power which causes us to still roar like a lion, … but now we no longer look like the Lion of God in our life. We handled the Word of God with the carnal mind and with Satan's spirit of revelation thus becoming like the first beast from the sea in Daniel.

Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

That is what the wicked one wants a saint, a ministry or an organization to do. He wants you to quit looking like what God intended you to look like according to His Word and Christ's leadership in your life. Thus we look like a lion without our eagle's wings, and stands up like a man, rather than like Christ and his anointing standing up in our life and in our pulpits.

This becomes an abomination because we are still able to keep going as saints or as ministers without God's anointing. What keeps us going? It is our programs, our knowledge, our fine speeches and our own ability to know how to speak and move a crowd. Many times saints and ministers do not even know the difference anymore because our churches have become so controlled by man. That God is not able to move like he use to in our services.

The WORD : The Meat Offering (the Word's Effect) is Cut Off

Then our lives become just like it said in Joel about the meat offering is cut off. This is not the Word of God that is cut off because we are still preaching the Word. The meat offering is the effect of the Word of God in the saints life, which keeps them hungry and thirsty for righteousness. The ministry is what has brought this about, because they were more concerned in pleasing the people, than they were in pleasing Jesus. They have not kept the church seeking after God nor kept the world out of their churches and filled our churches with a people having a harlot or concubine relationship.

Joe 1:9-12 The meat offering and the drink offering is cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests, the LORD'S ministers, mourn. The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered...

They are vexed as Lot was because of Sodom, but they do not have enough power or enough love for righteousness to leave this place in their life or this church of ungodliness. And that always bring us to the place that we have a…

Re 3:1 … a name that thou livest, and art dead.

A few verses later, he refers to others that are filthy and defiled as compared to those who are clean and white.

Re 3:4 .. which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

The WORD : A Perverting of the Word by Ministers

We see this same spirit working in the church, which God calls the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. Who are they? They are the ministers and organizations who have pushed Christ out of his position of leadership in the body of Christ, having stepped in with their carnal minded leadership. Ministers and organizations have a tendency to dominate the saints' life through preaching, influencing saints because of the anointing and their position. Preaching the Word of God does not put the preacher in this position. It happens when a minister begins to apply his pressure upon the believers. Pressing what he wants to see done, or preaching messages to bring about his desires in the body of believers, the church. What once started out as the preacher trying to help protect the saints from the wiles of the devil, later becomes a doctrine which was never preached nor even insinuated by Jesus or the Apostles. When this happens, that minister has quit being a minister of Christ and has become the minister of the flesh to that congregation.

Paul spoke of this in..
2Co 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

This type of ministry leads to the very fulfilling of the work of Satan thru which the ministry has ridden their white horse conquering God's people.

Re 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

This is what the 1st Trumpet is fighting against as God sends fire and hails stones, burning up the grass and a 1/3 of the trees. All of these having spiritual and natural applications and afflictions as God battles to try bringing the saints and ministers to repentance. God requires repentance for allowing this working of Satan in their lives and ministries, which has defiled them in this area of the Word of God and continually hinders them from coming into perfection.

The Trumpets Touch : THE OUTER MAN'S FLESH

Jesus said in..

Mat 15:18-19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies...

It is God's desire that we keep our fleshly body sanctified from allowing such evil to come out of our hearts. These works of the flesh defile us, causing us to lose our inheritance that is rightfully ours. Paul wrote that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable to him. In Christ it is our natural body which carries the holy vessels of God just like the Kohathites of the priesthood of the O.T. carried the natural vessels. Now when we fulfill this part in our life, it gives us an ear to hear the Lord and the power to war a good warfare so that in the end we will become the sons of God, which is not yet fully manifested.

The Outer Man : Believers are to Put-Off the Works of the Flesh

We are instructed that the true child of God who is following after God's will and His Spirit will put off the works of the flesh.

Ga 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We know these fleshly defilements can keep us from inheriting eternal life; therefore we crucify or mortify the deeds of the body, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of God thru Jesus Christ.

Col 3:6-10 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

Though it is probably the simplest of all the doctrines to understand, it seems to be the hardest for us to fulfill.

Outer Man: False Christians Following the Flesh

We find the Adversary wants to get in the mix, as is said in,

Rev 2:9 … and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

One cannot say that they are a Jew or true Christian when their body portrays and resembles the very works of Satan. This includes such works as following after: …the carnal mind, …the lust of the flesh, …the lust of the eyes and …the pride of life. We will all make mistakes and blunders as a Christian, but a true Christian will repent and does not continue in the ungodly lifestyle of the mistake or blunder. While a non-Christian, a false seed or synagogue of Satan may repent and keep going to church, but still continue in their ungodly lifestyle.

Power has been given to our Adversary to afflict, tempt, try and persecute each of us through the flesh or soul of man. This Adversarial attack is an attempt to take our peace away so that the saints might quit walking in a crucified state in Christ. This temptation is to have us walk again as we did in times past: …in the lust of the flesh, …the lust of the eyes, …the pride of life, …the carnal mind and the ways of the world.

Satan's objective is not always to get us out of church; but rather to simply get us out of fellowship with Jesus Christ. If he can get the saints to flirt with the world, Satan knows that God will punish those that defile the temple of God. It is the adversary's mission to war against the flesh, in whatever manner he chooses. His purpose is to pressure that saint or ministry to give up following Christ's leadership, by giving in to the flesh or letting the flesh rule rather than Christ.

This is what the 2nd trumpet is fighting against. A great mountain burning (troubles, affliction, fire, trials, etc) cast in to the sea and it becomes as blood and 1/3 of the living creatures (saints) that had life, died and 1/3 of ships (ministries) destroyed. God is trying to get the saints and ministers to repent and turn from there wicked and fleshly ways. If they do not repent they will be killed with death and separation from God's presence.

The Trumpets Touch: THE INNER MAN (NEW MAN)

Psa 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom.

INNER MAN : We are in a Spiritual Kingdom

Now we that are of this seed understand that when he started a new order of priesthood after the order of Melchisedec, that he changed the high priest and the other ministers of the priesthood. God also started a new kingdom or nation, in a heavenly city called New Jerusalem, with Jesus sitting on the heavenly throne of David. From this throne Christ is now ruling his people. This nation of people is not in one earthly location anymore or one nation of people. This people cover the whole earth and are of every physical nation.

So that all could see this change in God's order of law, worship and sacrifices. He stopped their Levitical priesthood services, …destroyed their temple, …their vessels and scattered natural Israel.

Now thru faith in Christ, the believers have become the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The church (of both Jews and Gentiles) make up, in a spiritual sense, the 12 tribes of Israel as a body of believers, with a new high priest and priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices, fighting spiritual powers and dominions and taking a spiritual land. We of the New Testament church look into the Old Testament for examples, so we can understand the spiritual Israel (the church) by observing the natural Israel, which was displayed in the Bible.

Some might say that we have spiritualized everything, well yes, we serve a spiritual God, in a spiritual covenant, with spiritual blessings of eternal life and we fight spiritual powers and principalities. We have forsaken the natural order leaving it to Satan; the God of this world, that darkness may use the old natural elements in his kingdom and his worship. We are those who are born again into this heavenly kingdom, and obeying God and following his Spirit that we might remain in this heavenly kingdom.

That does not mean that a child of God cannot also see the natural fulfilling of scriptures as they affect a natural people. But we don't get involved with what; Egypt, Iran, Israel, Russia, China, Gog & Magog are doing, since they do not change what is going on in the kingdom of God. The only one that really needs to be concerned about this entire natural fulfilling of prophecy is those who can only see the natural and are blind to the spiritual things, for this is their world and they have no hope of eternal life in the kingdom of God.

INNER MAN : Strangers Among Us - Law of the Stranger

There are those that feel left out from the ministration of spiritual things, since they have not obtained unto the first resurrection power of Jesus Christ, the baptism of the Holy Ghost in their life. They have not received the spiritual birth into the Israel of God, the heavenly kingdom. Because of this they do not truly participate in all of the spiritual blessings of God, like those that have been baptized into the Body of Christ.

A figure of this relationship is seen in the law of the strangers in the Old Testament. The stranger (one that is not born an Israelite) could submit to God's laws and ordinance and enjoy his benefits. While they could participate in the Feast of Passover, make offerings and sacrifices unto God, they could not eat of holy things of the tabernacle, nor could they come nigh to the sanctuary, nor minister in the sanctuary, nor inherit the land.

There are believers among congregations today, who are not Israelite born or Holy Ghost filled. Yet they have become partakers of God's blessing. They believe and obey the commandments and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ in their life and participate in the Passover (the death of Jesus on the cross). This has given them a place in God's heavenly economy, just like the stranger found its place in the natural Israel. Though they don't participate in the spiritual things of the sanctuary, they still do not resist or fight against of truth of his Spirit.

These blessings upon the "strangers", makes it very uncomfortable for most spirit filled ministers to accept the thought that God has a place for someone in his nation who does not demonstrate a witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Because these have not received the witness of the spirit like others expected of them, some do not want to recognize them as part of the body of believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. These believers who have not obtained the baptism of the Holy Ghost, may never have what we have in our fellowship with Christ, but it is not for us to judge where God places one in the church or that he may even later fill that individual with his Spirit. Being a "stranger", they are not held to the same standard as those that minister in the sanctuary or in the priesthood. Thus we should not count them as abiding in unbelief or doubt; for it is God that gives his Spirit to whom he will. These have a love for God; they do not resist the truth and are willing to fight against God's enemies, just like the Holy Ghost filled person does. Nevertheless, we are all required to obey the same Word of God and follow the rules of cleanliness in our bodies.

Some ministers and saints, because of a lack of understanding, label them as false or walking in unbelief, and try to fight against them. This should not be the case. God has had strangers or non-Israelite born people amongst Israel since they came out of Egypt. By faith some of these strangers have found their way into the lineage of Jesus, into the courts of kings, into the army of David and in like manner many are found working for God today within the church.

In the body of believers there should not be an attitude to try to separate or determine another person place in God's plan. The same gospel should be preached to all, for we do not fully understand the grace of God that has brought us into the body of believers or when he may baptize one with his Spirit.

Some say these "strangers" or non-spirit filled can't see the kingdom of God unless they demonstrate the receiving of the Spirit by speaking in tongues. This should not be said. This is not correct. Do you believe the disciples and 12 apostles that walked with Jesus were blind and could not see the kingdom of God until after the day of Pentecost? Do you believe the disciples comprehended nothing of the kingdom of God until after the day of Pentecost? Do you believe that as Jesus sent them preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick, that they were ignorant of what they were doing till after the day of Pentecost?

Jesus said you can't see the kingdom unless you are born again, and then he said you cannot enter unless you are born of the water and the Spirit. He made this distinction between the born again experience of the Word and the born again experience of the Spirit. John clarifies this for us a little better by showing that each believer comes by water (which is the word) and the blood, and the Spirit bearing witness. When a person hears and receives the Word of God, applies the blood of Jesus to their life and obeys the gospel of salvation, they are able to see the kingdom of God and are no longer bound by the darkness of sin.

1Jo 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

This in no ways changes the doctrine of being born again, of being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues. Truly we know that we are baptized by one Spirit into the Body of Christ, the Israel of God. But let's not forget the law that says to not oppress the stranger, nor should we oppress believers in Jesus, who love him and who love his Word, though they have not received the Spirit. Nevertheless, they do not fight against the Truth which they don't have or even understand. But today we have ministers like those in Paul's time, who were more concerned about justifying themselves after the flesh, through circumcision, than they were about allowing the Word of God to bring forth the maturity in their life of the Son of God.

INNER MAN : We Must be Born Again

The scripture says that,
· We are born again of the incorruptible Word of God, 1 Pet 1:23. ,
· It is this new birth from the Word of God that gives us the ability to see the Kingdom of God that is not made with hands, Jh 3:3-8. ,
· And we know that we have the witness that we are born again because: we walk in righteousness, 1 Jh 2:29,
· We sinneth not, 1 Jh 3:9,
· We overcome the world thru faith, 1 Jh 5:4,
· We love Jesus and one another, 1 Jh 5:1 ,
· We keep ourselves, 1 Jh 5:18,
· We keep his commandments, Jh 14:21-23,

We also look for the witness and confirmation of the appearing of the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, which Jesus said he would send. It is through this new birth experience of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost that lets us enter into the Kingdom of God. We should understand that one cannot be complete in Christ without both witnesses in their life, that of the Word and that of the Spirit. Even as Jesus said in…

Jh 3:5 … Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Look at the best example we have. The Lord Jesus was born of the incorruptible Word of God, but it was not until the Father's witness from heaven at Jordon that the Spirit came upon him. All the time he was a child, could he not see the kingdom of God? He was truly a child of God from the day the Word of God conceived Him in the womb.

The scripture says that we are the tabernacle of God which in Old Testament had the Ark of the Covenant within it. God placed over it the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day for all the world and camp to see. We should be seeking after God's presence and His voice, the Word of God behind the veil, which comes from the Ark of the Covenant. But some are seeking after the sign and witness of his power that is abiding on the outside of the tabernacle which all the world can see. Christ should be our focus and he will demonstrate or witness in our life, as it pleases him to place us in his kingdom.

This new birth or life is like a new born baby or fruit tree, which has just come to birth and begin to grow, being nurtured by God unto maturity. This new child or seedling is nurtured, instructed and shaped by the Holy Ghost husbandman according to the purpose that God has placed in each individual. If this new birth is not hindered it will come into full maturity. It will put on the whole armor of God, acting and bearing completely the fruit and nature of its parent.

Today we see this law in our members of the DNA from our parent's determines who and what we look and act like. But, this is true only if it is not perverted by the world or Satan's devises. Because we come from the root, we are by nature fruitful in God, walking as the sons of God at his right hand in this world. As we manifest his light and life in this world of darkness, the world is condemned because they see his light in us. This life of God in us brings to light, who is the seed of the wicked and who is the seed of the righteous.

The Adversary wants to get in and modify, change, corrupt and pervert the fruit of the son of God in us, changing our spiritual DNA code (the Word of God) in some way so that we do not bear the resemblance of the root (Jesus Christ the firstborn of God), but some other fruit. He uses the life that comes from the root, to bring forth an off-spring of evil or corrupt fruit.

Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death;

We also see from the scripture, that the Devil has no power against the Holy Ghost in our life, but he can change our diet and even starve that new inner man. Thus, the inner man, our spiritual life can never come to its fullest potential, being defrauded of its life

Rev 6:6 A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

INNER MAN : Effect of Corrupt Ministries

Now there is two major ways in which Satan brings about this perverted, hybrid vine in the earth. The first is in..

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

We see this in Peter where he speaks of preachers, because of their coveting after money and possessions have perverted the doctrine and pleased the people rather than God. This brings into the saints' life a worldly, ungodly standard of Christianity. Creating a life which is less then what the scripture teaches us about being clean and holy in body and spirit.

2Pe 2:1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

2Pe 2:14-15 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

INNER MAN : The Danger of Corrupt Organizations

The second way Satan works in this area is in the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.

Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Previously I addressed about the deeds of Nicolaitanes spirit. But let's add a little more here.

Organizations are started because a group of ministers, of a like kind faith or understanding, wants to fellowship with family members they feel comfortable around, based on their doctrinal belief. God did this when he told each tribe to camp and to live together. He instructed them to marry together in order to keep the inheritance in the tribe and not be scattered about.

But God never intended for the tribes or organizations to fight against one another to the point of saying our tribe is of God and your tribe is not because of our standard or doctrine. No, in God's economy, all of the different tribes and the strangers amongst them are to live together with their focus all toward the center of the camp. Their focus was the tabernacle, where God was their head and their leadership. The differences in our character, standard and understanding are part of what God has placed in our life's, so that we are each different in the body. He doesn't have a problem with these differences, ..but man does.

Because of our problem with our differences, ministers unite and take their interpretations of the scriptures: of what is saved or lost, of what is being born again or not, of what is baptized correctly or not, of what is holiness on the outside and what is not. Yes, the root of all this organizational unity may come from the Word of God, but it has been so twisted and perverted that it has become like instruments of cruelty in the hands of Simeon and Levi. The fruit of this is a people who do not live by the Word of God that was preached by Jesus Christ and the Apostles as their standard, but who rather live by the traditions and interpretations of the scriptures of ministers and board members.

God does not build walls between his people, but organizations do. It is at this point when it quits being a good thing and becomes the work of Satan. It is at this point when Jesus Christ quits being the head of that body of believers and man's creed and doctrine takes his place. When Christ quits being the head, that body of believers within the walls of their own sect, no longer measures themselves by the doctrines of Jesus and the Apostles, but rather to the doctrines of the organization.

The best example we will see of this in the Bible is of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which both said they loved God and kept his commandments. But Jesus said they worshipped, but not God. They kept the letter, but not the heart of God's law. They loved the praises of men, but didn't love God. They saw their traditions and interpretations but did not see Jesus fulfill the law in front of them. They were more concerned with the self-righteousness through their laws, then God's righteousness.

Likewise when Jesus sends his two witnesses to the church, these organizations and ministers will reject Jesus again, just like their fathers did 2000 years ago. It makes no difference if there spirit filled or non-spirit filled, because both groups already have their interpretation of how Jesus is to come again and they will fight against anything that doesn't agree with their interpretation; bringing trouble on them and the saints under their leadership.

INNER MAN : Other Dangers to Our Inner Man

A true child of God can put themselves into several dangerous areas. One way is listening to ministers and attending churches that do not believe in receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fight against the manifestation of the Spirit. This kind of people wants his name and word, but doesn't want the Holy Ghost in their life to teach them. A second dangerous area is listening to ministers and attending churches that have gone astray in the scriptures, and are covetous for your money to help build their programs or ministry.

Ministers who:
· Fail to teach saints to use the teachings of Jesus and Apostles as their measure, or
· Fail to teach believers to keep themselves pure and unspotted in body and spirit, or
· Fail to teach following the leadership of Jesus Christ in their life and not mans leadership.
· Then these ministers are either ignorant of God's purposes of the ministry or are false teachers and preachers.

Because of these failures, God will in the last days send an axe to those ministries they have built up, so it will be evident who has been their master. Just as in John the Baptist time, ministries were not seen failing for all to see, but we see God withdrew his life and light from them and left them in darkness, whose end was later to be cast out of the kingdom into darkness away from God's fellowship.

INNER MAN : Satan's Offspring

The effect of this corrupt ministry and doctrines is to take the life of God within us, which at one time was clean and had the wings of an eagle. It had the potential of life, power, revelation and knowledge to overcome the adversary by the Word and Spirit. Although these retain the life of God that was given them, they have become unclean and perverted through this corrupt doctrine, and have become the offspring of Satan and no longer the seed of Christ.

Again Jesus is taken out of his place to sit in the temple of their life and places Satan in that seat or throne. As said the scriptures in…

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

1Co 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

Rev 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

This is the area and purpose of the 3rd trumpet. Our husband Jesus Christ gives these people the test of the Law of Jealousy as it is written in Num 5:12-31. So that they will know if they have been unfaithful to His Word or leadership and have committed spiritual fornication, with another man's ministry or another gospel that was not from Christ. It is God's desire that they repent and cleanse themselves of this corruption before it is too late and must be cast out of the kingdom as God cleanses the kingdom of all the unclean.

Trumpets Touch : THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SPIRIT

The Lord prophesied in…

Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them,

Showing that he was going to put his Spirit within us enabling us to keep and walk in his statutes. Jesus also told them in several passages that he was going to send the Holy Ghost to them after his departure.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Joh 15:26 … he shall testify of me.

We then find him later telling them in…
Lu 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

We see this being fulfilled in the first group of believers in…
Ac 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

God has given us his Spirit for several purposes in our walk here on this earth: …to lead and guide us in the Word or truth, …to glorify and testify of Jesus the Word, …to give us now the earnest of His Spirit.

SPIRIT FOLLOWING : Spirit is to Lead and Guide Us

It is God's purpose to give us what we need to navigate through this life as individuals, rather than as an entire nation at once, like he did in the wilderness. And he shows this in…

Ge 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.

Originally, all men navigated in ancient times, on the seas and dry land, by the light of God which was provided by the sun, moon and stars. During all the centuries these heavenly lights gave their testimony and direction without ever changing.

They are still declaring direction after all these years if one desires to use them. This is what the Holy Ghost is given for. The Spirit of God shows us the truth and reveals the Word of God to us. That truth or revelation never changes; just like the pattern of the constellations in the sky never change. As one gets a better vision or a natural telescope, he can see deeper into the things of God. Although man can see deeper, it never changes the heavenly truths that were first delivered or revealed to you when your eyes were first opened to the kingdom of God.

We see this example in the wilderness, when the Holy Ghost as a pillar of fire and cloud by day lead them and protected them during their journeys. We saw the Holy Ghost operating in the early church as it led them and enable them to testify of Jesus, though he physically was no longer with them. We see this in operation today within those who have received his Spirit in their life. The same Spirit of life is testifying of Jesus that we are born of the incorruptible Word of God and gives us leadership and guidance into the truth. This Spirit brings us comfort or protection in the natural things we face.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT : Satan's Leadership and Guidance

Satan, through the carnal mind and religious systems wants to offer us a strange fire to follow and a voice to misdirect us in our walk with God. When we allow this to happen, he replaces God's leadership with his leadership through the flesh. Let's go back to ancient times. Remember, they navigated by the stars of heaven which is God's lights created to give direction for our life naturally; just as the Holy Ghost is there to give us direction spiritually.

We now get our direction by modern ways using man-made devices. The very thing is also happening spiritually. Satan's desire is to have his ministers show us an easier way, one less stressful, a way or device that works the same in all weather conditions. This is completely un-like the Lord's navigation, for when clouds, storms and cares of life hinder our view of seeing Christ clearly or hearing his voice. Then those that want Christ's leadership in their life will stop, pray and wait until the hindrance is removed and his light is again manifested to you.

We don't have this in operation in saints or the church today as it should be, because of our impatience and the price that is required to pray and seek God until we hear his voice for our life again. So the church depends on the man-made ministries to be God's voice, and light in their life. But God's true voice in your life is the Holy Ghost and the ministry is just to confirm and make sure that you are staying on track and not listening to a wrong voice.

FOLLOWING the SPIRIT : Losing Leadership of Spirit

How do we lose our ability to hear and follow the Holy Ghost leadership in our life? Satan does not have the ability to change the laws and principles of the stars of heaven, nor the light and revelation of the Holy Ghost which God has placed in our life. Therefore, Satan must bring something between me and God's light to take away my vision in God or hinder my ability to hear God's voice. As the scriptures said,

Dan 8:25 … and by peace shall destroy many….

Lu 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Lu 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT: Weakened By Cares of Life

Life in this age that we live in is full of cares, possessions, prosperity, electronic gadgets and media to occupy our minds. So that we as individuals are sometimes more concerned with our: bank account, retirement account, better houses, more lands, better car, better clothing, better furniture or better life. Than we are about, seeking first the kingdom of God, remembering the poor or giving to God's work.

Whereas churches are sometimes more concerned with: ..a bigger building, ..more land, ..more programs, ..raising more money to do a greater work for God, ..better electronics, ..better sound or media devices. Than they are about, hearing from God in the services, helping the poor or mission work.

All this brings clouds of darkness over our lives, like the thorns covering the seed of the Word of God in the parable of the sower. These thorns of darkness choke out our ability to see and hear God's voice. So the carnal mind must find man-made ways to navigate or guide us in our Christian life and understanding the scriptures. Because we don't have time to pray anymore, until the things that hinders our vision is removed and we hear God's voice in our life again.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT: Reduced By Pressures and Afflictions

Another way we might lose our ability to hear and follow the Holy Ghost leadership in our life can be seen in the following passages.

Dan 7:25 … and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws…

Joel 1:4-7 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

Satan will make life hard on you, so that troubles, trials, sickness, heartache, fearfulness, oppression and such like, gets you so deep in the miry clay of your situation, that doubt, discouragement and unbelief gets a stronghold on your life. So you can't feel the Spirit in your personal prayer life at home or at church. The preaching of the Word of God doesn't excite you anymore or maybe you go to church, but no help is found and you are not willing to seek God yourself. Maybe the ministry is not willing to do what it should be doing to bring deliverance in your life. All this brings you into the place where you are more inclined to entertain another voice in your life, because you are not hearing the voice of God through the Holy Ghost for your life.

Thus when we are weak and unable to hear what the Lord has to say in our life, that is when Satan's voice begins talking to us. He gives us spiritual advice and perverted interpretation of the Word of God. As it was at Eve's time…

Ge 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman,

The issue is not just that Satan was perverting the Word God spoken to her, but she entertained the voice and did not resist it with the Word of God. As a consequence, she committed spiritual adultery by accepting Satan's word over God's word. This brought death upon them, so that neither Adam nor Eve ever heard God's voice again after God punished them and put them out of the Garden. This can be done by false teachers that are already following Satan's leadership, or can happen as saints and ministers become so hungry for the Spirit of God, that we fail to try the spirits by the Word. Again we fail to see the truth, whether that voice is leading us to the Word or away from it.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT: Clouded By False Spirits or Voices

Another example of how the light or voice of God's leadership in our life can be taken from us is found in

Re 2:20-24 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death...

This Jezebel represents a church or ministry that is offering to the people an anointing or spirit that is not clean, and with this voice, it offers a perverted doctrine to the people just like the serpent did to Eve. God has warned us of the danger of seeking after direction and guidance from a false anointing that does not agree with the Word of God. There are a lot of ministries out there that have all different levels of skills in presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each voice or ministry must abide in the calling where God has called it.

But if that voice:
·Does not hold to and stand with the doctrine that has been given to us by Jesus and the Apostles, or
·Wants to leave out parts of the scripture because it will offend or hurt some ones feelings, or
·Changes the meaning of the scripture to represent something different and easier to live then how the earlier church lived it, or
·Fights and denies that Jesus Christ is still the same today as he was in time past, or
·Denies that Jesus still heals and fills his people with the Holy Ghost just like in the New Testament.

Then that voice is not a true voice of God, but rather has become a voice of the Serpent.

The effects of all this is that saints have become defiled by following a wrong spirit or voice as it brings false doctrine and teachings into their life. The rain is withheld from their life, causing famine in their soul. Death or separation from God happens and they don't know it. They have become a part of the assembly of Satan and his worshippers and don't know it.

For this is the purpose of the 4th trumpet. It is to cause the people to realize that except they repent and change, then that which has been placed in their life to teach and guide them into the truth, and to help them to navigate on the earth or sea in their life, will be darkened or taken from them. This in turn will let the wicked one come into their life in a greater way, and possibly causing them to lose the promise of eternal life.

Summary

We tried to explain that our victory in the four areas which God flows in our life will determine: the basis of where we are in our maturity in Christ, how each of us is placed in the body and the way we are kept or tried during the coming great tribulation. This is based on if we have allowed the adversary to defile or corrupt the river of life that flows into our life in the following four areas.

1-The Word of God
2-The Outer man
3-The Inner man
4-Following the leadership of God's Spirit in our life.

The objective in this message was not to categorize into these four areas, every thought or scripture in the Bible. The purpose was rather that we might see that God, who has seven spirits and seven eyes, sends to us one river of life that splits into 4 rivers or areas that waters the 3 parts of the church and the strangers. Within the scriptures, the Lord weaves an understanding of how God flows in these areas, how Satan is attacking these areas in our life, and how we can overcome the wicked one.

Blessed is he that has an ear to hear what the spirit has to say to the church.