God Chose You On Purpose

If we are truly believers we can walk in the confidence that God created us in true righteousness and holiness. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old thing have passed away and behold all things have become new! What a mavelous truth that God said yes, I chose you!

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“God Chose You On Purpose”

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Ephesians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

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Divine influence to you and oneness from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ! What does it mean to be blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ? The definition has not been left to chance or to a best guess. Here in Ephesians chapter 1 it is spelled out line upon line.

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We must recognize we have been chosen by God! Oh the depth of the choosing! It is hard to fathom but the Father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world! Before the world was framed together, God the Father had you on His mind! This shows the purposeful, intentional, heart of God toward you! This choosing was with intent and purpose! Before the foundation of the world, God’s intended purpose was to make us holy and without blame before Him. We can not leave out the last two words of the phrase holy and without blame “in love”.

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1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

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Here is some of the most powerful verses in scriptures. God the Father sent Jesus that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Many believers walk in sin because of the struggle with their own love toward God; however as John so aptly wrote it is not that we loved God but that He loved us! The believer’s need a full revelation of the love of God toward them! Without the revelation of God’s love coming first we will never fulfill the next verse.

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1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

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God’s love perfected is seen by how we love one another. Us loving one another is the overflow of the depth of the love of God made manifest to us and in us. So many get it backwards and ask God “help me love more”; however if you get a greater revelation of God’s love for you, it will overflow in your love toward the brethren. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son. This is all a part of God’s choosing of us! 'How we love our brother' is but a symptom of the revelation we have of God’s love for us!

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If you hate your brother you need a greater revelation; while we were yet sinner’s Christ died for us! This is the depth of the love of God.

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Ephesians 1:5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

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God predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself! The Father had a desire to be attached to you! His desire was to be your Father and for you to be His son! The line that is too good yet it is so true, according to the good pleasure of His will. What gives the Father pleasure? Making you adopted into His family! God shows off and makes manifest who He is by choosing you, adopting you, and making you accepted in the Beloved! The Father is not willing that any should perish but all to come to repentance!

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

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The Father has reconciled us to Himself! It is the good pleasure of His will to do this!

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Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

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God the Father was pleased to bruise (crush) Jesus! The Father put Jesus to grief and made Jesus' soul an offering for sin. The pleasure of the Father was to bring many sons to glory!

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Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him (the Father), for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain (Jesus) of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

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The crushing of Jesus by the Father makes our reconciling possible! The Father was appeased by the offering Jesus, the Lamb of God, made!

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Ephesians 1:7 In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

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Last week I ministered on Consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of your Confession. I want to take this truth just a little further. We have the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. In the Old Testament the priest would examine the sacrificial offering. It had to be spotless and without blemish. When the Jews came with the sacrifice for sin the priest did not examine the man bringing the offering. The one bringing the sacrifice was in need of atonement. The old is but a picture of the new. Our sacrifice had to be perfect and according to God’s divine influence (the riches of God’s grace) provision was made!

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When you come to the Father the sacrifice needs examining! Be very careful what you offer; it determines your destiny! Know the only reconciling back to God is through the perfect spotless without blemish Lamb.

1 Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

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The Father chose you from the foundation of the world! His plan was to buy you with the most precious price; that was the blood of His only begotten! Oh the depth of the love of the Father toward you that you might be called the children of God! Your faith and hope have to be exclusively in God; that is where the victory is at.

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1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

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Jesus Our High Priest

Consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our confession

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Jesus Our High Priest

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Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

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The command is clear! If we are partakers of the heavenly calling, we are commanded to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ. I write it often but it is ever true; what you think of Jesus Christ determines your eternal destiny! Some have said that the day of there being apostles is over; however what can not be denied is the office of apostle continues on with Jesus Christ. Jesus has brought the good news of redemption. Jesus is identified as the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Salvation is based upon the confession that Jesus is the Christ! Any other teaching is heresy! Jesus is indeed the sent one and the only one who is every believer’s High Priest!

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1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

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Jesus is the one Mediator between God and man and there is no other. Yes, this includes Him being our High priest and our Apostle! Jesus is the heralding voice we must hear!

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Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

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The voice of Jesus always has an eternal ring to it! God speaks through Jesus; what a great word He speaks as our High priest and Apostle. Jesus Himself purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of the Father.

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Hebrews 3:2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

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Many do not understand the household they belong to. Moses was faithful as a servant; Jesus was faithful as a Son over His own house. This is the household we belong to if we hold fast to the end!

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Jesus our High Priest has done great things! Those who have been made sons in the house have been set free from sin.

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John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

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Our High Priest has made us sons and because we belong to the house we are free indeed!

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1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

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Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession! If we do sin we need to run to Jesus Christ Himself as our Advocate before God the Father! Our hope at salvation is Jesus as the propitiation (The means by which the sins of the world were punished or atoned for)! Our continuing hope in salvation is Jesus our propitiation! The wrath of God was appeased by the sacrifice of Jesus; you can say Jesus is both the High Priest and the Lamb in making atonement for our sin.

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Romans 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord! So many have not valued Jesus our High Priest. Therefore they have been unable to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive unto God! How many believers see themselves free from sin? Let us consider our High Priest further!

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Hebrews 7:11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

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A changing of the priesthood made necessary a change of the law!

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Hebrews 7:18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

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The law exposes sin and makes sin exceedingly sinful; however we needed a covenant that could bring life. It is the covenant that bring a better hope through which we draw near to God!

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Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

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Our High Priest has become the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Yes, Jesus came with the power of an endless life! Jesus is truly the way the truth and the life!

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Hebrews 7:20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The LORD has sworn And will not relent, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek'"), 22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

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Jesus Himself is the surety of a better covenant! Consider Him the perfect High Priest!

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Hebrews 7:23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. :25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;

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As a perfect Priest, He is able to save to the uttermost. Jesus is and ever will be our interceding High Priest. Notice Jesus is separate from sinners but looks good on the believers. The King James says in 26 Our High Priest becomes us. Down south you will hear the ladies say that dress really becomes you! Jesus our High Priest looks good on us. Let us consider further the Apostle and High Priest of our confession!

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Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight; 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul , became a minister.

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We have peace through the blood of His cross. Hold on to the confession of your faith! Jesus will indeed present you to God the Father holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight! What a promise but don’t miss the if! Let us look to the Author and Finisher of our Faith. Jesus alone is our Apostle and High Priest of our confession of our faith!

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The question begs to be asked what does it mean to continue in the faith; how does one continue to hold on to the confession of their faith? Let the Word bring definition to where the object of your faith should rest!

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1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

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The object of your faith must ever be in our High Priest Jesus Christ!

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1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

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Jesus our High priest is the means of our atonement and the way of our salvation. True biblical faith is the object of your faith in the crucified one and the completed work of the cross. Keep on believing!

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1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

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Jesus entered into the presence of the Father on our behalf; God is expecting us to show up in His throne-room.

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Jesus our Lamb, High Priest, Apostle, Shepherd, Overseer, Advocate, Forerunner, and our soon coming King! Consider Him!

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The Pursuit For The Presence of God

The Pursuit For the Presence of God! Many say they want to walk in God's presence; however we can not walk in His presence fully until we have come to walk in God's prescribed order.

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“The Pursuit For The Presence of God”

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1 Chronicles 13:1 Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you, and if it is of the LORD our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us; 3 "and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul." 4 Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

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God had anointed David as king of Israel and it was in David’s heart and the peoples heart to pursue God. The Ark was where the presence of God dwelt. What a noble pursuit! It is time to inquire of God.

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1 Chronicles 13:7 So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. 8 Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. 9 And when they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 11 And David became angry because of the Lord's outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called Perez Uzza to this day.

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The ark of God is being moved to the city of David ! The ark is loaded onto a cart not just any cart a new cart! The singing the music of all the beautiful instruments. What a beautiful day, the presence of God is on the way! But… something unexpected happen the new cart being pulled by the oxen was about to dump the ark of the covenant to the ground. Uzza was driving the cart and seeing this event about to unfold reached out his hand to steady the ark. God’s anger being aroused, struck Uzza dead.

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How could something with such great intention and with such a great noble cause turn out so wrong? Have you ever asked God, "Why God why?" "What's going on God? You know I am pursuing your presence." That is what David asked!

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1 Chronicles 13: 12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How can I bring the ark of God to me?" 13 So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David , but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.

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David is now asking the right question however he still is not inquiring of God. David with his noble intentions asked the people around him and sought their advice. One of last times the ark was moved, it was moved by the enemies of Israel . They put the ark on a new cart and sent it back to Israel because it was bringing a plague into their land.

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In pursuit of God’s presence, we can not pursue God the way the world does! No matter how noble and wonderful it sounds we must pursue His presence in God’s prescribed order! How is it we pursue God by our own methods and then get mad at God because things are not working out the way we expected?

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Proof positive God was not the problem, where the ark ended up was a blessed placed. When the attempt to bring the presence of God into king David’s city failed, Obed-Edom was blessed because the ark was turned aside into his house. Where the presence of the Lord is there is always blessing. God’s presence is a place of joy, peace, strength, and righteousness.

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1 Chronicles 15:1 David built houses for himself in the City of David ; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it.

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Three months later we find king David making preparation for the ark of God to come to his home. People of God, if we want to dwell in the fullness of God’s presence we must prepare our hearts. God no longer dwells in an ark but now has made His people the tabernacle of God! We must prepare our hearts in pursuit of His presence.

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The noble desire to walk in His presence is not enough. Going through some religious rituals is not going to do it. Only following God’s designed order will bring the fullness of joy God’s presence brings.

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Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

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If we are going to prepare our hearts we need to awake! Awake to His righteousness, and awake to His divine influence. It is time for the church to arise and understand the will of the Lord. It is time for the church not to be drunk with wine. Not just physical but the wine of self pleasure and pursuits outside the designed plan of God. Is your life filled with dissipation? Dissipation is living and pursuing life and things that have no eternal value. The church is drunk indeed on self pursuit we need to come back to God’s prescribed order! It is time to be filled with the Spirit of God. The command from Ephesians 5:18 is be filled with the Spirit. What a revelation we have been commanded to be filled. Too many Christians are saying “God fill me, God fill me.” Is it ironic God is speaking “Be filled with the Spirit. Your pursuit determines if you are filled. Is our heart beat to do the will of God the Father? It is time for us to prepare our hearts and lay aside that which is getting in the way of the move of God. It may be that our doing is not sinful; what if our doing is not the will of God for us?

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1 Chronicles 15:2 Then David said, "No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever." 3 And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem , to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it.

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The world’s way of touching God was to allow the beast to carry the presence of God. God’s way is for God chosen people to carry the ark in to it’s rightful place.

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1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

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We are the chosen, the royal priesthood, special people that belong to God. We are the ones who have been called to declare His praises! The church needs to awaken to the truth we are dead to sin and alive unto God. We have not seen ourselves as the chosen ones or as His own special people. We have looked at things after the flesh; arise and in view of God mercy be the living sacrifice He has called you to be. Be the bearer of His Spirit.

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God has called you to minister before the Lord forever! Self pursuit and pursuit of God can not go hand in hand. You have been chosen, if you truly are in the faith, to minister before the Lord God Almighty forever. Your pursuit determines your destiny.

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1 Chronicles 15:12 He said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13 "For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order." 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel . 15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

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When God’s prescribed order of victory is followed there is truly victory over sin! Under the covenant of the Levitical priesthood there was a sanctifying of themselves. Under Christ Priesthood there is a sanctifying that only comes by the way of the cross! There is no other way into His presence.

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Hebrews 10:9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

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Here in this passage is found the truth of sanctification for the believer. It is by the will of God the Father that we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all! God's prescribed order for victory is found exclusively in by faith in the atoning work that Jesus Christ performed at the cross. When one tries to get into God’s presence by any other means then the sanctifying work of Christ Jesus, they have put the presence of God on a cart powered the beast of self works trying to bring in the presence of God. This will not bring us victory and in the end can cause death. Much like Uzza!

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Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

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It is out of order to depend upon ourselves to make ourselves worthy of His presence. It is one Man’s obedience that make us righteous. That would be the obedience of the man Christ Jesus! Surrendering to faith in Jesus Christ and the work of the cross will allow us to be filled with the Spirit and do the works that God has called us to do before the foundation of the world. This is the proper order to come into His presence.

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1 Chronicles 15:25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. 26 And so it was, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bulls and seven rams. 27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the music master with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps.

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Just as God helped the children of Israel when they came into proper order, God is waiting for us to come into proper order to allow us to walk in the fullness of His presence. However don’t be surprised at opposition to surrendering to God’s prescribed order of victory and walking in the full liberty of His presence.

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1 Chronicles 15:29 And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart.

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Hear His Voice

Hear the voice of God and live!

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“The Voice of God”

1 Kings 13:1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.'" 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out." 4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel , that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." 8 But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 9 "For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.'" 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel .

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Jeroboam was the 1^st king of Israel after the kingdom was divided; however I want to focus on the unnamed prophet who clearly heard the voice of God! The man of God heard the voice of God and responded obediently. He preached the judgment of God and God kept him form the anger of the wicked king!

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It is easy to be obedient to God’s word when we know the enemy of God is trying to get us to walk in disobedience! The prophet rejected the wicked king’s offer of great reward because he was not removed from the word that God had spoken!

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1 Kings 13:14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah ?" And he said, "I am." 15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." 16 And he said, "I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 "For I have been told by the word of the LORD, 'You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.'" 18 He said to him, "I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (He was lying to him.) 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

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The prophet of God had delivered the message of God and was heading out of town being obedient to the words that God had spoken. However another prophet came to him and spoke a word that directly opposed the original word God has spoken. The young unnamed prophet was fooled by the old prophet and was talked out of obeying the voice of God.

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When God speaks don’t let religion or a supposed man of God talk you out of what you know God has directly spoken to you! A man declaring what “God has spoken” should be a voice of confirmation of what God speaks. The voice of God is greater than the voice of man! Oh that we would hear and obey the voice of God and not be moved from it. There is a great temptation to be lead away from the voice of God by religious spirits. Someone wanting to get in the middle of what God is doing may have a skewed view of what God is actually speaking. Be careful of where you are hearing from!

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1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

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Elijah found God in a still small voice. It was not in the wind rain or earthquake but it was the still small voice.

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20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22 'but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'" 23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse.

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The young prophet was truly a prophet but was moved by a strange voice and he was moved from the direct command of God. It cost him his life. Strange enough all that the young prophet had prophesied to the wicked king still came to pass. It was nearly 700 years later a young king by the name of Josiah burned the false alters and the bones of the false priest.

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It is still time for the children of God to come to the one true alter found in Jesus Christ the Lamb of God! All false alters should be brought down and destroyed. Victory over sin is now exclusively found in the power of the cross and His resurrection power!

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John 10:1 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

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Jesus is the exclusive voice we are called to hear!

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John 10:16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

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You are the other sheep that Jesus has laid down His life for! His sheep hear his voice. Some claim to be the sheep of Jesus with out hearing and following His voice. If you hear His voice and obey you are His sheep.

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John 10:26 "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 "I and My Father are one."

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Those who are truly Jesus’ sheep hear and follow His voice! If you have not been following Jesus it is because you need a true salvation! Jesus said it so well! Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest! Hear His voice and live!

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