Apocalypse – A Disclosure of Knowledge, part 1

by Rick Sterling

 

My name is Yahweh, I will not yield My glory to another, nor My honor to idols. See how former revelations/declarations have come true. Fresh things I now foretell; before they appear I tell you of them. (Isaiah 42:8-9)

 

The future is hidden to human-kind; which is why there is so much interest in prophecy.  But how does one know which prophets to believe?  We must first look at the record of their exact fulfillments; the best record for a human being is about 80-88%.  Only the true prophets of God have a fulfillment percentage of 100%.  The subject of this article is not a comparison of true and false prophets and their prophecies; it is a sequential expose’ of the past, present, and future revelations from God, which He has given to His prophets/messengers.  The Son of God gave information about the distant future to His own disciples, Matthew and John; and they wrote this information in their accounts.  Matthew wrote the prophecy in his gospel, chapters 24-26, John wrote the Revelation.  Both of these writers also recorded prophetic parables in their accounts.  The Prophet Daniel wrote prophecies concerning the “end of days”, both for the people of Israel and the people of the end.

The children of Israel had been chosen to fulfill a specific mandate, which was the restoration of God’s glory to this earth (See Numbers 14:21).  There were certain requirements that must be accomplished before this could take place.  The mandate of righteousness was expressly stated through the Law (of Moses) and the Judges; and later through the prophets of God.  The account of this mandate is called the Law and the Prophets.  God’s plan was purposed to the children of Israel based upon their performance of the requirements that were detailed in the Law of Moses.  This part of the plan was ignored by Israel, mainly due to the successful efforts of the god/gods of this world.  Through deception and subterfuge, Satan and his evil host had taken the authority to rule the nations from God.  They accomplished this by deceiving the nations (Isa. 14:12-17).  The restoration of the glory of God is the restoration of His authority over the people of His creation.

 

Then Peter went up to Him and said, ‘Lord how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22).

 

There is a specific limit to forgiveness, seventy sevens.  I know that the common interpretation of these verses is that there is no limit to forgiveness, that Jesus was implying that we should forgive as many times as we are asked; but that is not specifically what He said.  If there is no limit to the number of times one should forgive someone when asked, then the mandate for righteousness is a moot point.  God has demonstrated this exact limit of forgiveness with the children of Israel.  The first time Israel reached this limit was when there had been seventy “Sabbath year violations” (see Leviticus 26; Jeremiah 29:10; Daniel 9:2).  Israel violated seventy Sabbath years; therefore they had reached their limit of forgiveness.  Daniel chapter nine contains the second, and last, opportunity for Israel.  The angel Gabriel revealed to Daniel the specific limit to accomplish the mandate given to the children of Israel, that being 70 weeks of years (see Daniel 9:24).  As Israel was nearing this limit God sent prophets to warn them about the events about to take place.  These prophets also revealed the events Israel would experience if they would only change their evil ways, ask for forgiveness (repent), and learn righteousness by making righteousness their only practice.  Sadly, most of the nation ridiculed these prophets of God, refusing to listen to their warnings.  Upon investigation it is evident that every word of these prophecies was fulfilled in detail.

Pride and arrogance always seems to trump the facts in evidence.  The evidence reveals that everything God says will take place, in a given situation, and happens just as He said it would.  The problem for human-kind is they have a distorted understanding of how God interacts with them.  The scribes and Pharisees knew that the prophets of God were right, and that their “fathers” should have listened and obeyed the words of these prophets.  Yet these same prophets had prophesied about the Messiah, the Messiah that these same scribes and Pharisees were plotting to kill.  Why would they condemn their forefathers for the same arrogance they were demonstrating?

 

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees; you hypocrites!  You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, ‘We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day”.  So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began. (Matthew 23:29-32)

 

At one time or another we have all second guessed ourselves; “If I had it to do all over again I would have. . . “; this is called hindsight.  The purpose of prophecy is to give us is the ability to see what we should do before it actually happens, and is behind us; in other words, it allows us the opportunity to see the end from the present.  The evil one knows that all his well laid plans would be fully exposed if human-kind knew the end from the beginning, so he has cleverly co-opted the minds of those for whom these prophecies apply. The proof of this is found in the historical record.  The greatest stumbling block to understanding God’s prophecies are the presence of paradigms based in falsehoods.  Insight based in truth gives us the ability to know and understand these prophecies from God.

The following is a sequential revelation of the prophecies concerning the end of days.  These prophecies speak as the voice of God to the world, a world about to reach the conclusion of its final chapter.

This account starts at the end of previous prophecy.  The children of Israel had, for the last time, rejected their God, His Spirit, and their Messiah.  There were many prophecies foretelling this. Here is one;

 

The Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. (Psalms 118:22).  Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

          “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation/people producing the fruit of it. (Matthew 21:42-43).

 

These words from God’s own Son, are woefully telling.  This pronouncement was made after the retelling of a prophecy, given in the form of a parable (see Isaiah 5:1-7 and Matthew 21:33-41).  Compare these with the prophecy in the context of a parable, describing a marriage feast (see my article “The Invitation”).  Both prophecies/parables reveal the two opportunities Israel had to fulfill their God given mandate; they failed on both occasions (Rev. 14:8).  With the second and final rejection of their Messiah/God’s Son (the heir in the parable), the privilege of accomplishing their purpose was permanently taken away from them.  It was made available to those willing to meet the requirements to be included the kingdom of God.  The parable of the “King and His invitation to the marriage feast of His Son” tells of these two rejections by those chosen to attend this wedding.  After the final rejection the invitation was then extended to people of every nation, along with the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God.  The only thing that changed concerning the plan of restoration was the people to whom this opportunity was offered.  It has always been open to anyone willing to abide by the covenant (Ten Commandments, Deut. 4:13) and obey the instructions of God.  The people originally charged with accomplishing this were the children of Israel.  This changed, and God’s word verifies this (Matt. 21:43).  The Third and FinalKingdom appears as a result of the actions of those who have made a firm commitment to the accomplishment this plan for restoration (Dan. 2:44-45). After this FinalKingdom is established a new prophet and prophecy are no longer necessary. All the information needed for the accomplishment of the plan has already been given; specifically the prophecies of Daniel chapters two, seven, eight, ten through twelve; and also in Matthew, the parables and prophecies in chapters thirteen, twenty-four through twenty-six; and the book of the Revelation.

The prophecy of Daniel chapter two is a dream vision given to king Nebuchadnezzar.  It is an over view of the kingdoms of the world to the end of days.  In the end of days, the God in the heavens will see the final accomplishment of His kingdom, when it defeats the kingdom of the world.  How does this happen?  It happens because THIS Kingdom actually learns righteousness in fact, and practices it.  It also calls those who are of the kingdom of the world to join with them in righteousness.  This righteous Kingdom sets itself apart from the world, by following the instructions given by the Son of God and His faithful bondservants.  It is said about them in Revelation 12:17, “These are they that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus”.  The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (see Revelation 19:10).

Let us take a look at facts in evidence at the time Nebuchadnezzar had this dream vision.  God had “divorced” his wife (first Israel, and then Judah) for continued acts of adultery.  According to the Law, a divorce was only allowable for the act of adultery involving one of the parties to the marriage (see Isaiah 50:1, Jeremiah 3:8 and 31:31-32).  The first wave of exiles from Judah had arrived in Babylon; some of the royal families were given tryouts for admission into the council of advisers.  Here begins the account of one of the greatest prophets to have ever lived.  In demonstrating acts of faithfulness to his God, Daniel was given high standing in the court of Nebuchadnezzar.

In Daniel chapter two, it is recorded that king Nebuchadnezzar was thinking about the future, wondering what would become of his kingdom after he died (see Daniel 2:29).  Nebuchadnezzar knew that if he told his dream to his magicians and enchanters, sorcerers and Chaldeans, they would give him an interpretation; but it would be neither true nor valid.  Nebuchadnezzar’s dream/vision concerned the far distant future, the end of days.  It was displayed as a progression of world kingdoms that started with his own, and ended with a mixture of several kingdoms. Some of these kingdoms possessed the strength of iron, some were hard as baked clay; but like baked clay were brittle.  During the time of this mixture of kingdoms the God in the heavens would establish a kingdom that would never be destroyed, nor would it be given to another people.

The elements of this prophecy reveal the final outcome for this world.  Four great kingdoms of the world follow in consecutive order, from Babylon to Media-Persia, then Greece followed by Rome.  Near the end of days there is a mixture of kingdoms, represented by the feet of the great image.  The ten toes of the feet are the last ten kings to rule the kingdoms of the world.  The kingdom that is significantly missing from the image is that of Israel.  The stone that separates itself from the quarry (cut out without human hands) is a totally different group of people than those of any kingdom that has come before them.  Remember the statement the Son of God made to the leaders of the Jews; “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to another people who will produce the fruit of it”. (Matthew 21:43).  Please consider the evidence in this promise to the children of Israel in this statement of what was to be taken away, i.e., the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

The prophecy in Daniel 8:14 reestablishes this Kingdom of Heaven after an extended period of time, namely twenty-three hundred evenings and mornings.

 

The first replied, ‘Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings have gone by; then the sanctuary shall have its rights restored. (Daniel 8:14)

 

All restoration prophecy that occurs during the function of the restoration calendar is counted in day years (see rule 4 at spiritoftruthministry.net/STM).  It is also clear that this time period was not 24 hour days.  This is because the two animals, the ram and the ‘he goat’, represent the same two kingdoms as the silver and bronze, parts of the great image, in the dream/vision of Nebuchadnezzar.  Significantly, there is also an ‘end of days’ reference included.  This clearly is describing a period of time that takes two-thousand three hundred years to complete.  The restoration of the sanctuary operates on behalf of the Kingdom of the Heavens.  This prophecy was fulfilled in the year 1844 CE, when the ten bridesmaids went out to meet the Bridegroom; but the Bridegroom does not come (see Matthew 25:1-13).  Note: that the Son of God calls these “bridesmaids” the Kingdom of the Heavens.  This 1844 CE date also fits the time requirement in both the Dan. 2 and the Dan. 8:14 prophecy, as this is during the time represented by the feet of the great image.  Daniel chapter nine contains important information to support this evidence.

 

‘Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city, for putting an end to transgression, for placing the seals on sin, for expiating crime, for introducing everlasting integrity, for setting the seal on vision and on prophecy, for anointing the Holy of Holies. (Daniel 9:24)

 

Daniel showed genuine concern for his people and their holy city, for good reason.  Daniel knew there had been no real change in the character of the people since the beginning of the exile.  He treasured the prophecy given to Jeremiah concerning the length of time the exile in Babylon would last, namely seventy years.  He prayed that God would forgive His chosen people and remember the promise He gave to Jeremiah.  God told Daniel that He would definitely keep His promise to allow the exiles to go home and rebuild.  They had a predetermined length of time in which to accomplish the requirements issued in the prophecy. God revealed to Daniel that there would be four-hundred and ninety years (490), set aside out of the twenty-three hundred years (Dan. 8:14) for this purpose. This was given to “Daniel’s people” and “holy city”, specifically to accomplish the requirements for God to restore His glory to the whole world.  It was in the middle of the seventieth week that the Son of God took this Kingdom of the Heavens away from the Jews, holding it in reserve until the end of the twenty-three hundred years.

When the Messiah explained the meaning of the “Stone” prophecy to the “builders” (the scribes and religious leaders), He described the end of one stone structure and the beginning of a whole new stone structure.  The capstone/keystone is the last stone place, and when it is put in place the structure is complete.  The Messiah was represented by this final/last stone.  The builders recognized that this stone would not “fit” in their house, because they had not constructed the house according to the plans laid out by God; therefore they rejected this Capstone based upon their understanding/paradigm.

The chief cornerstone is the first stone laid in a new construction/house.  The difference in this process is obvious.  God had commissioned the children of Israel to construct a house (metaphorically), and had supplied the blueprint to follow to accomplish this.  Prompted by the great deceiver, these builders had changed the blueprints to fit their own idea of how their house should be built, which reflected their own purposes (Jer. 8:8); therefore when the Capstone arrived it would not fit.  The Capstone was not what the changed blueprint described; therefore the builders had to reject it as a fraud.  After Jesus took the Kingdom from Israel, the Capstone then became the chief cornerstone of a whole new house. There is an important point in this understanding; with the placing of the perfect Cornerstone, the rest of the stones in the building will match the perfect pattern of the first Stone.  The builder, who has the responsibility for accomplishing this, is the Father Himself.

 

John 15:1-3 ‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that bears no fruit He cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes to make it bear even more. You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you. Make your home in Me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me.

 

This testimony of Jesus confirms this change in responsibility.  The prophet Isaiah reported that God had planted the vineyard and hired others to tend the vine.  Now the vine is Jesus, and the One who bears the responsibility for maintaining it is the Father.

The instructions for the operation of the vineyard and the completion of the house have all been given, and are available for all who commit to seeing this plan through.  There is only one house, with one foundation; the foundation “Stone” is the Son of God.  There is only one vine, the Son of God; and the branches are all in Him, the true vine.  Anyone who preaches/teaches that there are two houses, or that branches can be grafted onto the vine, is a liar. Doing this is an attempt to change the blueprint for the completion of the house or the vineyard.  According to the words of Jesus there is only ONE way unto salvation; there is not one salvation for Jews and another for Gentiles.  There is only one house, which is built upon one foundation.  There is one vine with branches that are growing from it, there are not multiple vines from which to choose how to be saved.  If any branch is cut off it will never be grafted back in to the vine.  Any branch from another vine will never be grafted into the true Vine.  Branches are cutoff or pruned; no branches are ever grafted in!

It was with a mighty hand that God separated Israel from the world, when He led them out of Egypt.  At the end of days no hand separates the stone from out of the quarry.  This brings us to a prophecy recorded by Matthew that answers the questions of the disciples of Jesus about the end of the age.

As explained above, at the end of the 2300 years the sanctuary in the heavens was properly restored.  The sanctuary functions on behalf of the Kingdom of the Heavens; therefore, if there is no Kingdom of the Heavens on earth the sanctuary does not function.  From the time that the kingdom was taken away from the children of Israel to the formation of the ThirdKingdom of the Heavens, the whole world was under the authority of the ruler of this world.  The Woman (see Revelation 12) represents the Holy Spirit, which the Son of God promised to send when He returned to His Father.  Her time in the wilderness is the time before the separating out of the Kingdom of the Heavens; the final Kingdom which WILL accomplish all of the requirements for righteousness.  The truth necessary for the Kingdom of the Heavens to use in this tasking was preserved during this time, just as is stated in the prophecy of Revelation 12.  The parable/prophecy of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-30) is a true statement confirming that the truth will be protected by allowing the lies (tares) to coexist in the same place (field).

How this protection of the truth was worked out is brilliant, and could only have come from the mind of God. Most “believers” maintain the understanding that the testimony of Jesus applies only to Jews, and the testimony of Saul/Paul applies only to the gentiles (and any Jew who would also believe it).  According to Paul, and these Christians, salvation for the Jews is accomplished through works of the Law, yet for gentiles salvation is a gift given according to faith through grace, and not through works of the Law (which, as was pointed out, is for the Jews).  Therefore, there are TWO forms of salvation available; one for the Jew, and one for the Gentile. It is in this way that the true testimony of Jesus was distorted by the great deceiver, thus causing a different gospel to be preached to the world, and a different building to be constructed.  The testimony of Jesus is protected from alterations simply by the fact that no ‘born again’ Christian would believe that this ‘different’ plan of salvation, that was taught by Jesus to His own disciples, applies to them; they believe that it only applies to Jews (Gal. 1:8-9).  The knowledge that the Kingdom of God has already been taken away from the Jews (which Paul did not believe) is proof that this teaching of separate plans for salvation cannot possibly be true.

Between the years 1813-1844 CE there was a great awakening among Christians.  A movement began through the efforts of William Miller, and others, that would become known as Millerites/Adventists and eventually organized as the Seventh-day Adventist church.  The main theme of their message was the return of the Bridegroom, which they believed would occur in the year 1843 CE.  That year came with high expectation, and ended with great disappointment.  A brief rejuvenation occurred because of “new light”, but ended with an even greater disappointment; the Bridegroom did not return.  Prophecy revealed this great disappointment; but although this movement was founded and built upon prophecy, this particular prophecy was never correctly understood.

 

Matthew 25:1,5 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten bridesmaids, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the Bridegroom.  Now while the Bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.

 

The first line of this text confirms the fact that this group that went out to meet the Bridegroom is the Kingdom of the Heavens.  The understanding that the

Sanctuary in Heaven functions only when there is a Kingdom of the Heavens present on earth presents with it a new understanding that we see in the fulfillment of the prophecy of the 2300 years.  This new understanding is also seen in the fulfillment of the prophecy of the ten bridesmaids; the prophecy of the delaying of the expected Bridegroom, and the bridesmaids falling asleep.  These bridesmaids were not the Bride, as they had originally thought. These bridesmaids were not taken out of the world “with a mighty hand”; no, they separated themselves from the world through their study of the prophecies in the Scriptures.  Unfortunately they have not finished their work, because they have an incomplete understanding of the truth.  The great deceiver wasted no time in taking control of this group, insuring that they would remain asleep forever.  He knows that there will be someone that will come in the “spirit and power of Elijah” just prior to the end, and the Faithful and Wise Bondservant will restore all things.  He will prepare his fellow bondservants (144,000).  They will then awaken the sleeping Kingdom of the Heavens.  Together they will prepare the bride of the Lamb, during the great tribulation.

 

To be continued

 

How to Find the Narrow Gate

‘Enter by the narrow gate since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; But it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13,14)

 

I have had many discussions on the subject of salvation, one thing puzzles me, the number of people who believe they have found, and entered, the narrow gate. When asked, most will agree that all of Christianity has found the “narrow way” and are now waiting for the return of Christ.

 

Correct information is vital for anyone who hopes to find the narrow gate.  Keep in mind that this world is enveloped in a spiritual darkness, so it is essential to find the spiritual light.  Feeling your way around in the darkness is futile, it is impossible to actually touch objects in the spiritual realm while living in the physical realm.  Information which describes how this narrow gate is found in the spiritual realm is based in the words of truth spoken by the Son of God; so first a decision must be made, which words are His and which are not.  Many believe that the Bible is the true word of God, that every word in the Bible was spoken directly to those who wrote them down.  What they refuse to see are the facts in this matter.  The Bible contains the words of God, but it is not the word of God from cover to cover.  Many will refuse to acknowledge this. They presume upon God to reward their great faith in His “holy word”.  The Law and Prophets (Old Testament) are the words of God.  God spoke to Moses at Mt.Sinai, giving him the Law (first five books).  I am sure from time to time that scribes updated information, such as place names and keeping the grammatical structure current.  One would think that God would take great care to insure that His spoken word was not changed by the scribes, who make copies of these texts through the years.

 

“How dare you say: We are wise and we possess the Law of God? But look how it has been falsified by the lying pen of the scribes! (Jeremiah 8:8)

 

 

The above text states that God is angry with the scribes who have had the audacity to change His words in the Law.  So here is the question; how does one prove the belief that God has protected the Bible from errors, or even outright lies, if He Himself is angry about how His words have been changed in the Law?  God did not give us the Bible; it is a compilation, which has been canonized by man.  God did not give the first “Bible” to His disciples.  He gave them His testimony, His own words, and then commissioned them to go and proclaim His words to the world (see Matthew 28:19-21). It is only by these words that we are able to find the small gate, and see the narrow way.

At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So He called a little child to Him and set the child in front of them. Then He said, ‘ I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-4)

 

At that time Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth for hiding these things from the learned and the cleaver and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. (Matthew 11:25-27)

 

These wide and narrow roads do not exist in the physical realm; you could spend your life searching the earth for the narrow gate, and you would never find it, because it only exists in the spiritual realm.  The narrow gate and the wide way are a spiritual reality.  The only way we may interact in the spiritual realm is through our consciousness-awareness.  As we dwell and interact in the physical realm with our physical body, so to do we dwell and interact in the spiritual realm with our mind; this is why it is so important that our mind is in harmony with God, who dwells in the spiritual realm.  The evil one has mastered (overcome, deceived) the whole world by manipulating the truth in the spiritual realm, then crossing this reality over into the physical realm. He maintains this carefully crafted realism through his agents.  These agents are very important to maintaining this reality, for if at any time their cover is blown, the whole spurious reality would be in danger of being exposed for the sham that it is.  The great deceiver has mastered the art of distorting the truth; he does this by using the truth to his advantage.  For instance, consider all the similarities in the various religious practices, similarities in “holy books”, and religious “scripture”. These similarities make the truth of none effect. How does one differentiate that which is truth from that which is a lie, when these spiritual writings are so similar in their paradigms?  The great deceiver uses mediums, prophets/seers, messengers, pastors, religious academics, evangelists, teachers, and anyone he chooses to affect and maintain his fraud on humankind; and most of those he uses have no idea they are being used by him.  The evil one has deceived the whole world (Isa. 14:12-17). He has done so by keeping the world in darkness, so they are unable to see their perilous condition.  The whole world (including the Christian world) is on the wide road, and in the end will arrive at their chosen destination, eternal death.  This is not where God wants His people to end. Therefore He sent His Son into the darkness of the wide road, to tell those on this road (who dwell in darkness) how to find the narrow gate – and follow the hard road that leads to the kingdom of God and eternal life.  The road is hard because the world hates those who expose this deception, and the sham of their reality.  Those who find the narrow gate and complete the hard road will bring about the end of the world.  Those who remain on the wide road will finally reach their destination.  The Son of God not only gave us the instructions on finding the narrow gate and following the hard road, He demonstrated what we must do to accomplish this, by doing it himself; therefore, what we must do is follow Him by example.

 

‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21)

 

The message to the assembly in Laodicea is timely and pertinent, and it is happening right now and will soon see fulfillment.  The Son of God promises a great reward to those who follow His example, who overcome in the same way He overcame. These people will be granted the same reward He received.  Those who complete all the requirements for righteousness, as demonstrated by their older Brother, will sit on the throne of God beside Him!

 

To transition from the wide road to the narrow gate requires all to become as a little child; not physically, but spiritually.  All who wish to enter by the narrow gate must confess their sin; that is, everything concerning their religious beliefs and practices, because it is this that has kept them on the wide road.  How will you find the narrow gate (remember this is spiritual not physical in nature)?

 

Jesus replied: I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God; what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit, Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’  (John 3:5-8)

 

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus how to find the narrow gate; a person must be born from above.  That which is born from below is physical, tangible, and it fades away.  That which is born from above is spiritual; its substance is knowledge, which lasts forever.  The only way to enter this realm is through your mind.  Become as a little child, spiritually – then learn from your spiritual Mother, Father, and Brother, just as you would from your physical family.

 

All who wish to enter the kingdom of God must change their present condition. It does not matter what or how you believe about your spiritual reality right now; you must completely cast it off if you wish to find the narrow gate.  Sanctify your mind with the words of the testimony of the Son of God, and when your mind is sanctified your whole body with be clothed with righteousness. If you clean the inside, the outside will become clean also; when the mind is sanctified, so too the heart.

 

So Jesus spoke to them again; I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through Me will be safe; he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.

 

We are not what we see when we look in the mirror. What we see is a reflection of our physical self, our body.  Who we really are is found inside, and is a manifestation of our consciousness-awareness.  Consciousness-awareness is our awareness of our existence in this life-reality.  On the sixth day of creation God made physical bodies of the people of the earth, in THEIR image and after THEIR likeness.  However, these bodies were unable to think, move, and interact, until God started the physiological processes that sustain and maintain life and consciousness.  That which began these physiological processes is described as the ‘breath-of-life’ from God.  When God “breathed” the breath-of-life into the bodies of earthly human-kind, they became conscious and aware of their surroundings, and of themselves.  They were then able to use their bodies to interact with their surroundings, and with their fellow human beings.  God did not program their minds with the knowledge they would need to live with and interact with the other human beings; nor, were they programmed with the knowledge they needed to sustain themselves on this world.  God sent them teachers/shepherds/watchers (as they have been variously known as) with the purpose of teaching human-kind all of the information and knowledge they would need to live on this earth.  With the information obtained from these heavenly beings, human-kind would be able to grow crops, build cities, travel to other areas, use math, algebra, and physics, to learn about their world and the universe in which they lived.  These teachers allowed their high standing among human-kind to affect their thoughts, ultimately devising a plan to take control of this world for themselves; they made themselves the gods whom the people of earth eventually came to worship. This was the pavement that began the wide road to destruction.  This is the why there is evidence of “ancient aliens” in the ancient past.  The story goes that these heavenly beings came down to the earth to save their own planet from certain destruction, and for this they needed gold, and they found it here.  So the lie started and has been growing and expanding ever since.  The only way to put an end to this lie is for human-kind to wake-up and learn from the only true God. The only way they can do this by studying the truth that the True God has given through His prophets and messengers.  The Law and prophets is confirmed and patented through the testimony of Jesus; therefore, those who enter the narrow gate do so by learning the testimony of Jesus.  Those who are born of the Spirit of Truth have these two qualities: they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12:17).

 

It is now your decision, whether to remain as you are or become as little children.  The only way to find the narrow gate and take the hard way is to completely change your current spiritual condition and be born from above.

 

Rick Sterling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Reason

by Rick Sterling

            The world is changing right before our eyes, and evil is gaining strength and influence.  The darkness is spreading across the earth, and few are aware of the gathering gloom.  Life goes on, children go to school, adults go to work, and families live out their lives as they have done for years.  The evil one prepares for war; his minions work in the darkness to carry out his will.  Some say he got a raw deal; he has been misrepresented, unfairly typecast as the villain, when all he has ever done is helped mankind see, and realize, their true potential.  God, he says, is the one who wants to prevent the acquisition and growth of knowledge.  He presents as evidence the tree of learning the knowledge of good and evil.  Only those who are not mastered by his words, not flattered by his compliments, not deceived by his lying tongue, will know the real truth.  It is only these few that will know that everything he says is a lie.  His lies are not only believable, but are preferred over truth.  Believers see no need to investigate the sources, facts, and evidence.  The sincere but ill advised believers think that all one truly needs to believe is that the Bible is the inerrant word of God; therefore there is no need for further investigation.

For thousands of years, God has waited for someone, anyone, to recognize the darkness and those that are living in it.  God has presented the truth in evidence before the court of world opinion, truth that is ignored, rejected, and ridiculed.  Those in the darkness believe with all their heart that they live in the light.  How is it possible for billions of people to be wrong?  The darkness is succeeding in its purpose; the whole world pays homage to it.  God sent His Son into the darkness to expose its heart, He did this by testifying to the truth.  By the light of His testimony he has condemned the darkness and all who knowingly and willingly choose to believe in it.  His testimony has been ignored, only to be replaced by a simpler, smoother, more inclusive gospel, the gospel of Saul/Paul.

I ask myself why, why do I continue hammering away at the darkness in an effort to expose it?  The answer; I continue because I love God, and want Him to have the victory He has waited for so long to accomplish.  Some may think that I am misguided in this. I do not have a degree in religion or theology; I don’t know Hebrew or Greek, so how am I qualified to represent the truth!  I love God, I believe what He says and I share His words with others.  I follow the way He has defined by word and example; that is all He has asked from anyone.  The Son of God said “follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Righteousness is the requirement for service in the kingdom of God.  The way to righteousness is not shut to those who are willing to participate in the sanctification process, which leads to holiness, which is a sacred state of being.  Holy means ‘set apart by God, for God’.  Inclusion in the group called “holy people”, simply means that all who are in this group are holy in fact.  Consecration to God is not bestowed as a gift; it is accomplished through a well defined process. During the sanctification process, it is mandatory to share with others the knowledge and understanding you gaining.  All who have made the commitment to learn the testimony of Jesus and keep His commandments, are His disciples.  The “great commission” (Matthew 28:18-20) given to the eleven, before their Master went to rejoin His Father in the heavens, applies to those who have answered the call to be “fishers of men”.

It has been more than two-thousand years since the testimony of Jesus was given, so how do we know that the accounts of record are what He actually said?  God will never require of you something that is impossible to do.  In The Revelation we are told that those at the end of days will have the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12:17). We know also that this same testimony was the reason that John was on the isle of Patmos (Revelation 1:9).  It is also known that God’s words are not given “special” protection by God to insure that they are never changed (Jeremiah 8:8, 9).  God has informed us of the method by which He has preserved the truth; He has allowed lies to coexist with the truth until the end of days.  The parable of the wheat and tares describes how the “good” seed is left undisturbed by presence of the “bad” seeds.  The “good” seed represents the testimony of the Son of Man (see Matthew 13:18-23 and 36-43).  The “bad” seed represents the lying testimony of the evil one.  God has also given the chosen and faithful bondservants reassurance regarding the preservation of the truth (see Revelation 12:6, 14-16).  The Woman seen in Revelation 12 represents the Holy Spirit, who was sent here by the Father to continue the work of His Son (see John 16:4-15).  Clearly, the Son of God knew that His eleven disciples would not be the ones who would finish the work, as evidenced by His prayer in John 17 (see John 17:20-21).  He also made certain that the words they heard Him say would not be lost to them over time (see John 14:26).

Few of those that self-claim to be apostles, prophets, or messengers of God, are being truthful (Matt. 25: 4-5, 11).  The evil one has enjoyed certain undeniable success in winning over or co-opting these charlatans, who are now in a position to be widely accepted by gullible people merely on the strength of these claims.  The Son of God came to earth with the true words of life, given to Him by His Father, so it was not necessary for any additions to be given to those words at a later time.  ALL the information necessary for sanctification was given to us by the Son of the Living God, Jesus.  The eleven disciples were charged in the Great Commission with the responsibility of teaching the nations (Gentiles) the truth about salvation, just as they heard it from their Master, face to face and in the flesh.  Anyone that claims to have been personally called by God after Jesus ascended to His Father, who then claim to have been given a particular message by an angel or even Jesus Christ in dreams or visions, which does not keep within completely and perfectly within the boundaries of the testimony of Jesus, are liars (see second John).  All associates of these liars cannot be trusted either.

 

Revelation 2:2 (JB) I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. I know you cannot stand wicked men, and how you tested the imposters who called themselves apostles and proved they were liars.

 

A true apostle/prophet is validated by the message he/she proclaims.  If the message is in complete agreement with the testimony of Jesus (as He gave it to His own eyewitness disciples), then they are validated and verified as being a true apostle or prophet.  If their message varies in the least particular from this standard, then they are liars.  So investigating the testimony of all who claim to be apostles or prophets of Jesus is not an impossible task, neither is it optional.

I have had many discussions with people about topics from prophecy to salvation, and it is my observation that most people trust in their church to insure their salvation, because they belief in all sincerity that God will save them because He loves them unconditionally.  These people have been taught from the pulpit that salvation is a free gift to those whom God loves and who believe in Him; it is their assurance of eternal life.  This is a lie constructed and propagated by the Great Deceiver, and is proclaimed by his chosen apostle Saul/Paul.

If you are to ever find the truth about your own salvation you must ask the following question of the person (living or dead) that presents ANY concept of how salvation works, and then you must be humble enough to answer it truthfully; does this teaching on salvation stay within the boundaries of what the Son of God taught? If Jesus (Himself) did not teach it, then it is a lie, and should not be believed.

 

Matthew 5:17-19 (JB) ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

What does Saul/Paul teach?

 

Romans 3:28 (JB)  Since, as we see it, a man is justified by faith and not by doing something the Law tells him to do.

 

In Romans 9:32, 33 Paul says the Ten Commandments are a stumbling stone; a stone that causes one to stumble, placed in your way by God.  Paul actually accuses God of deliberately placing a stumbling stone in Israel, the Ten Commandments. Read the second commandment, does it sound like God expects Israel to obey these commandments?

 

Deuteronomy 5:10 (JB) but I show kindness to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.

 

Deuteronomy 8:1 ‘All the commandments I enjoin on you today you must keep and observe so that you may live and increase in numbers and enter into the land that Yahweh promised on oath to your fathers, and make it your own.

 

The covenant, upon which the kingdom of God is established and functions is the Ten Commandments.  When the kingdom of God has finally completed their appointed work, the seventh trumpet will sound announcing this accomplishment.  When this takes place the temple in the heavens is opened and the Ark of His covenant is seen by all of humanity.  The most sacred text, the Ten Commandments, stands as a testimony to the truth.  The Revelation describes the two lasting characteristics of those who are the last offspring to be born of the Holy Spirit; those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, the Son of God.  Do your own research, check the facts, see if the words of those who claim to be apostles match the testimony of the Son of God.

My hope is to awaken people from this drug induced coma; a sleep brought on by the drug of faith, and when combined with amazing grace it gives a false sense of security,  peace, and assurance of salvation.  God great desire is to be known by His people.  Only by learning the truth are we able to know God.  We must humble ourselves and become as little children before we are able to begin this process of learning the truth.

 

Matthew 18:2-4 (NASB) And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you (are turned) and become like children you shall not enter the kingdom of the heavens. Whoever then humbles himself as this child he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.”

 

If you are ready to make a commitment to obey God and become a member of His kingdom, these are the steps He has given for us to accomplish in order to enter the kingdom of God.

 

1. Wake up from this sleep that the evil one has brought upon the whole world. Recognize that we are in a spiritual darkness of night, and must follow the light of truth to the spiritual light of day.

2. Humble ourselves and become teachable, as teachable as little children; only then will we be able to take our first steps to the kingdom of light.

3. The curriculum has been established by God and revealed through His messengers, preserved in the Law and Prophets, and the testimony of Jesus.  The testimony of Jesus must come from those who actually heard His words with their own ears, and wrote down what they heard and saw. This disqualifies Luke’s and Saul/Paul’s accounts.

4. Water cleansing (baptism) cleanses the flesh.

5. Fire cleansing (sanctification/consecration) cleanses the consciousness/soul. Just as with every other element of the spiritual process and understanding, this is not a literal fire, it is a spiritual fire. The water cleansing is literal and cleanses the substance; the fire is spiritual and cleanses the soul.  Matthew 3:11-12 (JB) I baptize you in water for repentance, but the One who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Everything and everyone on this earth will experience these two cleansings.  For the unrighteous this means eternal death; but for the righteous it means eternal life; for death is ultimately, and completely, consumed by fire, in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

6. All who are on their way to the kingdom of God must help others to wake up by sharing with them the truth they themselves have learned and are learning.

7. All must keep the covenant (Ten Commandments) and hold to the testimony of the Son of God (Revelation 12:17).

8. Pray for strength to overcome the evil one, to resist temptations and reveal deceptions.

9. Have reverence for that which is sacred.

10. Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

There are three separate parts in the time of judgment.  The first is the preparation of those who will be the 144,000, and ends when their Master comes like a thief in the night.  Note this coming takes place during the time of spiritual darkness.  They are sealed and go to awaken the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; Revelation 3:7-13; 7:1-3; 14:1-5).  After this the censer is cast down and the seven angels prepare to blow their trumpets.  During the time of the successive blowing of the seven trumpets, the judgment of the nations takes place (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 7:9-14; 11:2; 14:6-7; 15; 2-4).  The 144,000 are the priests.  The bridesmaids are the kingdom of the heavens, and the five wise represent those who will enter the kingdom of God.  The third group is not a symbolic representation; it is literally every one alive at the time of the end.  In Revelation chapter seven these people are denoted as a multitude that no one is able to count. God does not limit this group to any specific number, so no one can say that God has predetermined the number of those who will not worship the beast or his image or receive his mark.  God desires to save every one of those who were created in their image and after their likeness.

 

The Reason

          Our God is waiting at the door with words of truth, and He is asking you to let Him come in.  He is patiently waiting for you to open the door and invite Him in.  His words are different than those that you are used to hearing, because they are not lies.  The lies in our hearts are the reason He is outside the door.  The Heisenberg Principle in the physical universe says that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. This is also true for truth and lies; they cannot cohabitate the same spiritual dwelling place, just as light and darkness do not exist together.  No one should be embarrassed about their current condition, because everyone that lives in the kingdom of the world has (by definition) made darkness their dwelling.  Only those who refuse to wake up to the fact they believe, practice, and worship lies will, in the end, be ashamed and embarrassed.  All who continue in darkness will ultimately be consumed by fire; that is the second death.

The responsibility for your eternal life or eternal death rests with you; the decisions you make will determine your eternal outcome.  Our accountability also extends to those around us, as well. It is what we choose to do with our knowledge and understanding that will be adjudicated by the heavenly court; therefore, we must first realize that we are in darkness and then begin the sanctification process, in order to be able to help others find their way to salvation. Doing this is the mark of true humility, and true sacrifice.

 

Matthew 15:13-14 (JB) He replied, ‘Any plant my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them alone. They are blind men leading blind men; and if one blind man leads another, both will fall into a pit.’

 

Open your eyes and see the true light.  Follow the true light to eternal life.

 

Rick Sterling