We have the assurance of the word and the indwelling Christ, that we are the House of the Lord. That where we are there He is also. Christ in us is our hope of glory. The true church has the reigning Lord. He is Lord over His house, the body of believers that He is head over and united with. Only the husband is head of the woman’s body³ as proclaimed by Paul when he said "two shall be one flesh"⁴, speaking of Christ and the church. When we purified ourselves to become a new creation "which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"⁵, we were able to receive the spirit of Jesus as husband (Lord) and the Christ within. This infilling joy is the anointed marriage that will lead us to the wedding supper with the consuming fire. Paul said "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused [ALIFO in the Greek which means ‘anointed union’] you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."⁶

    "Our Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth."⁷ "For our God is a consuming fire."⁸ But only the holy can see, for "without holiness no man shall see the Lord."⁹

    God has established a highway in the wilderness "and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."¹⁰ Jesus won’t be a lion on this highway. His coming is with "all his saints", his redeemed army of His glory.¹¹

    Jesus, our redeemer, "gave himself a ransom for all."¹² "For ye are the temples of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."¹³ "Having therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."¹⁴

    As we learn to walk in holiness with the Lord, we are washed by the water of His word, among those led by the spirit. We suffer with Him making our captain perfect by cleansing ourselves so to present the reigning king as our Lord. "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."¹⁵ "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."¹⁶ All his saints can only mean the full church, the past, the present and the future. As we increase, He increases.

    "God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."¹⁷

    The early church walked in holiness with God, obeying the doctrines that were given them to have power over death, hell and the grave; proclaiming victory in Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. But slowly the carnal mind of the systems of religion (the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) corrupted the doctrines that were to be obeyed. The church changed the doctrine of baptism, they changed the doctrine of the name of Jesus, they changed the doctrine of one God, they corrupted the doctrine of the Lord’s appearing, they created a doctrine of born again, they instituted a doctrine of communion of natural bread, they tarnished the authority of the apostles and prophets, that pastors, assumed through the vanity of their minds, that this authority was no longer relevant. Many declare grace when it suits them and the law when it suits them. They want grace to cover their sin while they quote Malachi to fill their pockets. These that use the truth unrighteously will have their reward. There is no Levitical priesthood under grace, there is no Levitical storehouse which at one time was one twelfth of the people. Our high priest is of the order of Melchisidec. We are instructed to give to the poor (Galatians 2:10), and pay a tribute to whom tribute is due (Romans 13:7). The tithing under the curse of the law was nailed to the cross as our redeemer redeemed us. The churches that teach the law selectively to suit their religious expansion, think that their bigger buildings and larger crowds are their insurance into the highway of holiness. As the church is judged, and it is being judged, they will have their reward. Many have created their own forms of righteousness, but not according to the word. Paul warned that the "spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving to them which believe and know the truth."¹⁸

    Many won’t recognize the Lamb’s marriage with their doctrines, evidently declaring the children of Jesus to be bastards. They point their fingers at the Catholic church declaring their priests to be in error, while they spiritually are worse. Many receive fables gladly, but choose to ignore godliness (Holiness). "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."¹⁹ "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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."²⁰ "And giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."²¹

    As we walk forth with the Lord from service to service, we notice that many of the crowds have thinned down, as far as the regulars are measured. Special singing or some offering out of the norm may draw a larger crowd, but on the whole the numbers have diminished. Holiness is not a popular theme. Only a handful see Jesus in the fire! Many ‘would be Elijahs’ are crying "restore", but the vision of restoration can only be seen with holiness. And the Spirit of holiness is warning ‘to repent for the way of the Lord must be made straight.’ The reigning Lord is revealing Himself in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that obey not the gospel that He died for. The fables that many have used to convince their minds to grow wings are being consumed by this unquenchable fire. Those that are walking through the fire without being burnt are stretching forth a hand, even as Moses with the voice of the latter sign stretched for the hand cleansed of the leprosy of sin.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear

1 Psalm 96:9-10

2 Psalm 93:4-5

3 Ephesians 5:23

4 Ephesians 5:31

5 Ephesians 4:24

6 II Corinthians 11:2

7 Psalm 97:1-5

8 Hebrews 12:29

9 Hebrews 12:14

10 Isaiah 35:8-10

11 see Zechariah 14:5, I Thessalonians 3:13, and

Psalm 149:9

12 I Timothy 2:6

13 II Corinthians 6:16-18

14 II Corinthians 7:1

15 I Thessalonians 4:7

16 I Thessalonains 3:12-13

17 Romans 6:17-22

18 I Timothy 4:1-3

19 I Timothy 6:3-12

20 II Timothy 4:3-4

21 Titus 1:14-16

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