Friday, May 12, 2017
What does it mean to be Spirit-led? If you ask ten Christians you’ll likely get as many different answers. Yet, there’s only one answer. First, let’s clarify that we’re talking about the Spirit of Jesus, who Jesus said, “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Jesus said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). If Jesus is the truth and His Spirit guides us into all truth, then Jesus is Lord.
To be Spirit-led, then, is to speak forth the truth that comes from Jesus and to believe in and prepare in, “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9) who said, “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Being Spirit-led NEVER silences the truth of Jesus.
But be on guard for the duplicity that was at work during Jesus’ earthly ministry and remains entrenched in much of the church today. Jesus said, “why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Truly, today, while many call Jesus “Lord”, they SELECTIVELY SILENCE what He taught because it doesn’t suit the carnal mind of flesh.
Further, there will NEVER be disagreement between the witness of Jesus Christ and that of His Holy Spirit. But in order to protect church tradition(s) many try to separate what Christ taught from the Spirit’s apostolic teaching. But that only leads to unbelief, heresy and even apostasy.
Christ did not speak one message to national Jews of His day and His apostles then teach a different message to the nations. What Jesus taught national Israel He clearly commanded to be preached to all the nations of the world, clearly affirmed in His great commission wherein Jesus commanded, “teaching them [all nations] all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20).
Thus, “All Scripture is given by inspiration [the Spirit] of God, [whether red letter or not] and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). If you want to be equipped for every good work you must receive Jesus and His Spirit as indivisible.
The spiritual flesh is not good, it pursues things of the flesh called the carnal mind. And God said, “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7–8).
The Spirit convicts man’s unbelieving spirit that wrestles against what Christ taught. The Spirit convicts carnal thoughts opposing Christ. For example, salvation cannot be earned but is a free gift and faith-based through the work of Christ at Calvary. Yet, tragically, in the church, many minds are seared in unbelief of selective teachings of Christ that do not suit the carnal mind.
Note this battle of the carnal mind. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his own cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37–38). In other words, true salvation faith in Jesus will love and honor Jesus Christ and His Word above, before and ahead of parents, children, countrymen, and nation, else, he, “is not worthy of Me”.
Just as Christ, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2) purchased our salvation, so too must all who claim faith in Christ take up their own cross, loving Christ and His Word more than familial relations, and certainly more than worldly offerings, and like Jesus, despise the shame of that difficulty, though heaped upon us even by familial relatives, and especially by the world, for the glory set before us of eternal life!
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5). Many prefer their children above God; many prefer their nation above God; and many prefer traditions above God’s Word.
Let’s apply being Spirit-led to the end-times. Since Jesus never taught a pre-trib rapture, but taught the exact opposite, the post-trib resurrection rapture, confirmed by His Spirit, His truths make the pre-trib rapture a carnal teaching of the flesh, a carnal desire boldly opposed to Jesus.
But, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). If you believe the pre-trib rapture, that belief is not Spirit-led but comes from the devil, because neither Jesus nor His Spirit taught heresy. John Darby (1800–1882) and ministers of the pre-trib rapture tradition and all who believe it, lie against Christ and hold to Satan’s lie, “has God indeed said?”
Your Word, Lord Jesus, stretched out the heavens: Your Word, Lord Jesus laid the foundations of the earth: and Your Word, Lord Jesus, established the truth that Your saints will be raised up in the resurrection rapture, “at the last day” (John 6:40), “at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51–52), “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31). And woe to him who rejects Your truth.
Your Word, Lord Jesus, for the times of the end is righteous and true, and may the pride of man who exalts his word above Your Word for the times of the end be brought low in humility and repentance before his heart becomes offended at having preferred and loved Satan’s carnal lie.
This is no small matter, because if we don’t get the end-time truths right and prepare according to the truth-teachings of Jesus, we, of our own choosing invite deceptions and sins of unbelief, walking according to the carnal mind of flesh, and as such, “cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8).
Yes, we Christians are, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13), but our “looking” must be through the lens of truth given by Jesus. In Christ we are not free to seize upon that which opposes His teachings, then expect God to spare us from the tribulation calamities for which one’s unbelief did nothing to prepare.
How utterly Western. No thanks to false prophets, pastors, teachers and leaders, American Christianity has been largely reduced to having our faith like our fast-food burgers, our way, desiring the Christian faith unto eternal life based on the carnality of the mind of flesh.
God has lovingly given us many truths for the times of the end which most of the church refuses to teach. Many pastors and leaders prefer tradition(s) and manufactured worship of glitz, glitter, fake smoke, coffee bars and light shows, rather than feeding and preparing their flocks in Jesus’ end-time truths, which silence of will create offense in the unprepared and anesthetized church.
And sadly, since most people in the church think they are already being taught whole truth, they make no effort whatsoever to investigate end-time events that will literally ravage the church and shake unsuspecting and unprepared believers to their spiritual core. You have the total freedom to believe Jesus or not, but as for me and my house, we will believe the Lord Jesus Christ!
The time is soon coming when many in the church will be so overcome with offense at their pastors and teachers who refused to teach whole truths in order to protect church tradition that countless numbers will depart from the faith betraying one another. That’s not my assumption, but the promise of God. The question is, are you prepared for what’s, “coming on the earth”?
Jesus said of the end-times: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26 KJV). Have you considered from God’s Word what those things are, “coming on the earth”?
If you ask most people in the church to describe the days of Noah, they’ll mention the great flood, but be quick to remind you that God will never again destroy the earth with a flood. They miss the more relevant end-time truth that in Noah’s day fallen angels came down and corrupted human DNA through relations with women giving birth to non-redeemable beings. And Jesus said, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37).
For lack of Spirit-led teaching, most of today’s church cannot discern the days of Noah, nor do they care. And not getting fed at church, many pursue other ministries who also tickle the ears, who refuse to preach Jesus’ truth of the end-times. But nonetheless, the days of Noah are near!
Are you prepared in, “looking after those things which are coming on the earth”? Believing the testimony of Jesus is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge of the truth is where preparation begins. The world is running amuck with transhumanism which is the days of Noah.
Ancient spirits of the offspring of non-redeemable giants of Noah’s day are now returning for the end-times in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise, seeking host bodies, bodies that are now being created by wicked science through the manipulation of genetic codes and DNA that produce chimera. It is no longer science fiction that man can now reproduce such non-redeemable beings.
Remember what God said when Nimrod built the Tower of Babel: “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (Gen. 11:6). This evil world has come full circle. The world once again has one language via instantaneous computerized translation. The world is one, and it’s aggressively pursuing the One World Order, and it’s ready for its one leader–the Antichrist.
We are literally on the cusp of the floodgates of hell opening as Satan knows his time is short. He will use every evil depravity he’s used since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden. And you need to be wise to what’s, “coming on the earth”, because it will cause many hearts to fail them from fear. Believing and preparing in, “the testimony of Jesus Christ” is being Spirit-led.
Marlin J. Yoder
