Revelation 2:18 – 23 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass: 19 I know thy works, and charity and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
What does this woman, Jezebel, represent? She is the female spirit of Satan. While Satan is the wolf of the “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, Jezebel is the promoter of the false sheep. She cloaks evil and deception, and promotes Satan’s chosen idols to the church. She comes as the “spirit of revival”, a “spirit of prophecy”, or as the “spirit of ????” Fill in the blank. She often confirms with signs and wonders that are accompanied by a great feeling of euphoria.
Jezebel courts the hearts and minds of the saints away from the only foundation that is sure: The Rock, Christ Jesus. His word is truth. It does not move like shifting sand. Our desire for him is the motivating force she presumes upon by presenting Christ as the reason behind all of her evil deeds. Jezebel chooses to promote only the most committed hearts to positions of leadership, and only hearts that she knows ultimately belong to Satan. (These are the “seed of Satan”.) Early in their lives she stewards them thru a very severe proving process to give them unquestioned Christian, and leadership qualifications in the eyes of the saints. She blinds them into believing implicitly that Jesus Christ is the driving force behind their lives.
These “seed of Satan” appear to be more spiritual, more mature, more committed than anyone else. They are highly intelligent and have natural leadership skills. They have come down from higher regions to be born on earth in these last days of time. It is very easy to know them. One only needs to listen to the heart of the church. Who, in the church, receives the worship, admiration, and money of the saints as though it is an inherent right of privilege? Who accepts the honor and lip service of the adoring worshippers as part of the natural and acceptable progression of their extraordinary and magnificent lives? Who sells their humility with perfect demeanor and then turns to blush in the glory that is poured out upon them by the adoring seekers. These heavily cloaked idols give assurance of their commitment to Jesus, or to the lost, the sick and suffering, with adept ability. They have mastered the art of manipulating emotion to enhance themselves. They are diverting the saints from the crucified life that Christ called them to, even while they tout the need and value of it. They specialize in good works.
The church has become a cesspool of false doctrines and movements that distract the saints from their ultimate goal, relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Master. Works are promoted much more highly than total dependence on the Master. Self-mastery replaces “Not my will but thine be done”. Everyone is running to and fro in a frenzied lifestyle with little time to sit at the Master’s feet and to know his heart. “Master” becomes a byline, a promotional line to lure the true seeker into the captivity of blindness, rather than true relationship.
Jezebel’s ability to move supernaturally, to confirm with signs and wonders, and with an artificial “holy spirit” mantle of anointing is not even recognized by the saints. They have constantly been reminded to “Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm”. This has become a great propaganda tool used to justify and cover every Idol promoted by Satan in the church. The saints have become so blinded by the great cloud of darkness that has covered the earth that they don’t even perceive that “Satan’s seed” are not anointed by God. Saints have lost the ability to discern between the real and the false.
This scripture was intended to cover those who have truly been chosen by God to fulfill his purposes. They are not generally recognized or promoted in the church. (Not showy enough. Their calling isn’t Charismatic and they don’t evoke worship toward themselves.)
The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus. When one is anointed by the Holy Spirit, his love affair with Jesus oozes from his very pores. He is in the business of selling Jesus, not himself. Christ is not a side note to his ministry. He is his ministry. Christ is not invoked to justify his calling, but because he has been consumed by Him. He no longer walks in a separate identity. Christ is his identity. The idea of receiving honor and lip service from the saints is foreign to him. These are things that are offered unto idols.
The church has been force feeding the saints on lip service, honor and worship to idols. It is time for the veil to be removed. Christ alone will honor His own. In the meantime, there is too much work to be done and too few of “mine anointed” to accomplish it.
Isaiah 63:3-6 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: Therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
When we become a “daily sacrifice” on the altar of Christ’s temple, that sacrifice unplugs the power source to the Dark Kingdom. Being a daily sacrifice is not a pretty sight. It does not evoke the worship and admiration of the church. We walk in living death, willingly. We strengthen the arm of our Lord thru death, not the abundance of our amazing gifts and abilities. It is truly Christ alone who is trampling down the evil kingdom of Satan. We just provide the currency thru daily sacrifice, as is ordered by Him. We can’t even master daily sacrifice without getting in the way of His will. He becomes the master of every detail of our lives, and there is nothing withheld from Him.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
It is only through death that we can find the purpose of God for our life. He is a micromanager of His own. How can we be micromanaged by our Master if we have not lost ourselves in Him? Under Christ’s mastery, we become like a well-trained steed in a race. The tiniest tug on the reigns of our hearts and we respond.
At the end of a life of position and honor, one is greatly eulogized. When one of Christ’s daily sacrifices passes away, it is rarely a note of mention. They do not carry an identity separate from Christ. They would not wish to have attention taken from Him. There is only one King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
There is a deeper walk available to the hungry. It can only be found thru death to separate identity from Him. In Christ’s Kingdom, He shoulders everything. We become as little children, happy, at peace in our confidence in His mastery. We learn to trust Him more than we trust ourselves. It is a place of perfect rest.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Revelation 2:23-24 And I will kill her (Jezebel’s) children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
The false doctrine of promotion and worship of men and women is alive and well in the church and has been taken to such excesses that truth is foreign. The shifting sands that prevail when one steps off of the solid rock, Christ Jesus, will carry you away into deception. Every teaching gets out of balance and distorted. Small mentions in the scriptures become vast doctrines of deception when the Rock Christ Jesus is no longer the foundation. His message is very simple.
Luke 9:23-25 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? .
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Worship the Lord
Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Holiness: apartness, sacredness, separateness: **Strong’s 6944).
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Most of us are not able to worship the Father in spirit and in truth because we still dwell in Babylon. The deception of Babylon is so pervasive that we do not even recognize the shallowness of our worship experience.
In Satan’s Kingdom, Babylon, our lives reflect a mixture of good and evil. We approach God by desiring him to come to us in our needy condition and circumstances. We are often the center of our world of thought. We want God to meet us where we are. We expect to fully understand the purpose of our lives and to play an active role in bringing that purpose into fruition. In other words, we expect to co-master our lives along with God. Our “worship” is more about what he can and will do for us rather than about exalting and glorifying the Most High. “I”, “me”, and “us”, are well-worn words. In Babylon, “worship in spirit and in truth” does not happen. Where there is a mixture of identity and spirit there is not perfect truth.
Re 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (*Babylon), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
In the Kingdom of Heaven, Jerusalem, we have lost attachment to the state of our circumstances, our reputations, and our self will, and have presented our lives as living sacrifices to God. He is the center of our focus and desire. We hunger not after the things of this earth, but to become wholly sanctified unto our God in righteousness. We are consumed with the desire to know him, serve him, please him and love him. We willingly suffer loss for him. We do not look to withhold any part of our lives or our possessions from him. We give him total mastery and we trust him more than we trust ourselves. We allow God to take the “me” out of the equation of our lives. When there is no longer any “me”, then we have come out of Babylon and have become separated unto God.
In order for this process to be fulfilled we must walk through an abundance of testing. Because we have been born on earth, into Babylon, Satan feels that he possesses certain legal rights to us. What ties us to Babylon is our identity, or the importance of “me”. The identity dies hard. It has been programmed to believe that it is the master of our pursuit of God. Testing will always challenge our willingness to thoroughly trust God, rather than to lean on our own understanding. We will be required to trust him to direct and master the words that we speak and the actions that we take. When Satan then comes to accuse us of our words and actions, we do not take ownership of them. We trust that the outcome of all that we do and say is mastered by God alone.
There will be many times that we will feel grief over words that we have spoken or things that we have done. The temptation to take responsibility for them will be promoted by Satan’s confirming flood of condemnation and guilt. When we have given the reigns of our volition to Christ and made him Lord and Master of our lives, we do not have the right to question what we have said or done. The appropriate response would have been the word of our testimony: “I do not own myself. Christ is the Master of my life.” These are tests designed to make our “me” take back ownership and responsibility for our lives.
When we reach the place where our automatic response in the face of any circumstance is “not my will but thine be done”, Satan will lose his right to challenge Christ’s authority over our lives. Then, like Christ, we will be able to say that the prince of this world “hath nothing in me”. John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and HATH NOTHING IN ME.
Then are we truly “found in him”. This begins our life in the Kingdom of Heaven. We have been separated out of Babylon and Christ has become our covering.
Philippians 3:7-9 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be FOUND IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the FAITH OF CHRIST, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Romans 8:34-39 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace SANCTIFY (**Strong’s 6942: to consecrate, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be separate) you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ’s kingdom there is absolute truth. Our spirits live in the waters of his holy presence. “To worship the Father in spirit and in truth” is our natural response. The flow is always there. Psalms 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Psalms 40:2-5 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
*Added by author for clarity
**Strong's Comprehensive Concordance of the Bible
World Bible Publishers, Inc.
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Copyright by Kristine Buss, February 8, 2009
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Most of us are not able to worship the Father in spirit and in truth because we still dwell in Babylon. The deception of Babylon is so pervasive that we do not even recognize the shallowness of our worship experience.
In Satan’s Kingdom, Babylon, our lives reflect a mixture of good and evil. We approach God by desiring him to come to us in our needy condition and circumstances. We are often the center of our world of thought. We want God to meet us where we are. We expect to fully understand the purpose of our lives and to play an active role in bringing that purpose into fruition. In other words, we expect to co-master our lives along with God. Our “worship” is more about what he can and will do for us rather than about exalting and glorifying the Most High. “I”, “me”, and “us”, are well-worn words. In Babylon, “worship in spirit and in truth” does not happen. Where there is a mixture of identity and spirit there is not perfect truth.
Re 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (*Babylon), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
In the Kingdom of Heaven, Jerusalem, we have lost attachment to the state of our circumstances, our reputations, and our self will, and have presented our lives as living sacrifices to God. He is the center of our focus and desire. We hunger not after the things of this earth, but to become wholly sanctified unto our God in righteousness. We are consumed with the desire to know him, serve him, please him and love him. We willingly suffer loss for him. We do not look to withhold any part of our lives or our possessions from him. We give him total mastery and we trust him more than we trust ourselves. We allow God to take the “me” out of the equation of our lives. When there is no longer any “me”, then we have come out of Babylon and have become separated unto God.
In order for this process to be fulfilled we must walk through an abundance of testing. Because we have been born on earth, into Babylon, Satan feels that he possesses certain legal rights to us. What ties us to Babylon is our identity, or the importance of “me”. The identity dies hard. It has been programmed to believe that it is the master of our pursuit of God. Testing will always challenge our willingness to thoroughly trust God, rather than to lean on our own understanding. We will be required to trust him to direct and master the words that we speak and the actions that we take. When Satan then comes to accuse us of our words and actions, we do not take ownership of them. We trust that the outcome of all that we do and say is mastered by God alone.
There will be many times that we will feel grief over words that we have spoken or things that we have done. The temptation to take responsibility for them will be promoted by Satan’s confirming flood of condemnation and guilt. When we have given the reigns of our volition to Christ and made him Lord and Master of our lives, we do not have the right to question what we have said or done. The appropriate response would have been the word of our testimony: “I do not own myself. Christ is the Master of my life.” These are tests designed to make our “me” take back ownership and responsibility for our lives.
When we reach the place where our automatic response in the face of any circumstance is “not my will but thine be done”, Satan will lose his right to challenge Christ’s authority over our lives. Then, like Christ, we will be able to say that the prince of this world “hath nothing in me”. John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and HATH NOTHING IN ME.
Then are we truly “found in him”. This begins our life in the Kingdom of Heaven. We have been separated out of Babylon and Christ has become our covering.
Philippians 3:7-9 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be FOUND IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the FAITH OF CHRIST, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Romans 8:34-39 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace SANCTIFY (**Strong’s 6942: to consecrate, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be separate) you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ’s kingdom there is absolute truth. Our spirits live in the waters of his holy presence. “To worship the Father in spirit and in truth” is our natural response. The flow is always there. Psalms 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Psalms 40:2-5 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
*Added by author for clarity
**Strong's Comprehensive Concordance of the Bible
World Bible Publishers, Inc.
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Copyright by Kristine Buss, February 8, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Falsely Accused
Luke 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
FALSELY ACCUSED, A MAN WITHOUT SIN WAS CONDEMNED TO DIE.
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Jesus spoke these words of compassion while he was hanging on a cross of shame, humiliation and pain. The Son of God had been taunted, mocked and spat upon, yet he chose to forgive.
I have often pondered the seeming contradiction between Jesus’s response to his accusers in death, and the condemning words he spoke to the “religious establishment” in Mathew 23.
Matthew 23:13-33 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.…… 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity………..33 YE SERPENTS, YE GENERATION OF VIPERS, HOW CAN YE ESCAPE THE DAMNATION OF HELL?
I used to struggle with the viciousness of those words. I could not comprehend that my wonderful God of love, my Savior, was so “politically incorrect”. That was before I understood the reality of the war being waged between Satan’s evil spirit kingdom (serpents and vipers), and Christ’s kingdom of love and righteousness. Humanity has been victimized in the conflict. Jesus’s prayer on the cross was for humanity. He understood the deception and evil influences of Satan’s spirit kingdom that are being forced upon mankind.
Christ’s description of the Scribes and Pharisees in Mathew 23 shows that they were given over to evil. There is a difference between evil influence, which all humanity is forced to endure when they are born on earth, and willing submission to evil domination. When evil is a choice, one loses his identity. He becomes possessed by Satan and controlled by evil spirits. Jesus spoke to the serpents and vipers that controlled the Scribes and Pharisees. That is why there were no soft edges on his words.
When someone wounds, offends, or falsely accuses us, it is impossible for us to discern whether his actions are a result of evil by choice, or an inadvertent response to Satan’s deception and evil influence upon his life. We are all victims of spiritual blindness. We “see through a glass darkly” because Satan has been the covering, or ruling spirit over this world. Because of this blindness, our heart response to those who offend us must be “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” It is never the wrong response because it is not our place to judge the motivation of someone's heart.
Satan has deceived men into seeing one another as adversaries, rather than victims of blindness and deception. In truth, it is Satan and Christ who are adversaries. Most men, if given a clear choice, would prefer to walk in love and righteousness rather than hatred and evil. We have become so blinded by deception and evil influence that we find ourselves acting on behalf of evil rather than in opposition to it.
There are men and women who are evil. They have chosen evil over good. They are possessed by Satan and are used as instruments to promote evil. These are enemies of God, and he will bring them to destruction.
If our heart’s desire is to be filled with righteousness and to promote Christ’s Kingdom here on earth, the first step that we must take is to forgive those who trespass against us.
Pr 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Copyright by Kristine Buss, January 8, 2009. All Rights Reserved.
FALSELY ACCUSED, A MAN WITHOUT SIN WAS CONDEMNED TO DIE.
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Jesus spoke these words of compassion while he was hanging on a cross of shame, humiliation and pain. The Son of God had been taunted, mocked and spat upon, yet he chose to forgive.
I have often pondered the seeming contradiction between Jesus’s response to his accusers in death, and the condemning words he spoke to the “religious establishment” in Mathew 23.
Matthew 23:13-33 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.…… 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity………..33 YE SERPENTS, YE GENERATION OF VIPERS, HOW CAN YE ESCAPE THE DAMNATION OF HELL?
I used to struggle with the viciousness of those words. I could not comprehend that my wonderful God of love, my Savior, was so “politically incorrect”. That was before I understood the reality of the war being waged between Satan’s evil spirit kingdom (serpents and vipers), and Christ’s kingdom of love and righteousness. Humanity has been victimized in the conflict. Jesus’s prayer on the cross was for humanity. He understood the deception and evil influences of Satan’s spirit kingdom that are being forced upon mankind.
Christ’s description of the Scribes and Pharisees in Mathew 23 shows that they were given over to evil. There is a difference between evil influence, which all humanity is forced to endure when they are born on earth, and willing submission to evil domination. When evil is a choice, one loses his identity. He becomes possessed by Satan and controlled by evil spirits. Jesus spoke to the serpents and vipers that controlled the Scribes and Pharisees. That is why there were no soft edges on his words.
When someone wounds, offends, or falsely accuses us, it is impossible for us to discern whether his actions are a result of evil by choice, or an inadvertent response to Satan’s deception and evil influence upon his life. We are all victims of spiritual blindness. We “see through a glass darkly” because Satan has been the covering, or ruling spirit over this world. Because of this blindness, our heart response to those who offend us must be “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” It is never the wrong response because it is not our place to judge the motivation of someone's heart.
Satan has deceived men into seeing one another as adversaries, rather than victims of blindness and deception. In truth, it is Satan and Christ who are adversaries. Most men, if given a clear choice, would prefer to walk in love and righteousness rather than hatred and evil. We have become so blinded by deception and evil influence that we find ourselves acting on behalf of evil rather than in opposition to it.
There are men and women who are evil. They have chosen evil over good. They are possessed by Satan and are used as instruments to promote evil. These are enemies of God, and he will bring them to destruction.
If our heart’s desire is to be filled with righteousness and to promote Christ’s Kingdom here on earth, the first step that we must take is to forgive those who trespass against us.
Pr 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Copyright by Kristine Buss, January 8, 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Truth Trumps Deception
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2
In a world where the prevailing consciousness is being manipulated by Satan, it is impossible to find clarity apart from total dependence on God. It is easy for us to adopt the opinions and doctrines of man. When we do, we are approved and accepted into the pack. This provides a social comfort zone. Unfortunately, the pack represents the blind leading the blind.
Daniel 8:12 And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
Satan has a host set at war against truth, and against our ability to worship God in Spirit and in truth. The war is for the hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits of God’s people. The seduction is powerful. The deception is so pervasive that most saints would go to war to defend it.
There are many casualties in this war. Our spirits become swamped by the flood of Satan’s evil consciousness. We lose our spiritual equilibrium and our rock of foundation. We falter under the weight of deception. Satan’s lies are confirmed as truth, and Christ’s love suffers the assault of the “accuser of the brethren.”
After we have fallen under the veil of deception, our hearts are overwhelmed and violated by Satan. We become broken and confused. This is the fruit of Satan’s kingdom. His battle plan is to steal, kill and destroy.
Jesus Christ came that we might have “life more abundantly.” The kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy ghost.”
How do we move from “my heart is overwhelmed” to a state of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy ghost?” There is only one power that trumps the power of deception. It is truth, the word of God; “the sword of the spirit.” Ephesians 6:17
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
When we speak truth, we are wielding a sword against deception. Jesus came to earth as the word of God. He is the manifestation of the Father that we must have access to in order to escape Satan’s evil captivity.
Psalm 61:2 …When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: Thy word is truth.
When we find ourselves confused, broken, overwhelmed, hopeless, or feel betrayed by God, the source is Satan and his evil deception. When we begin to wield the sword of the spirit, or the word of truth, deception is destroyed. This is not an easy thing to do when we are overpowered by evil. The enemy stifles our motivation, and even our ability to remember what we must do to be free.
Speaking words of truth is like sending light into a dark room. It takes the weapons of our enemy, which are empowered by deception, and melts them away.
We need to decree who Jesus Christ is, and the authority and power that he walks in. We need to confirm our redemption from sin through the blood of his sacrifice for us. We need to affirm our submission to the Lord Jesus Christ and his absolute mastery over our lives. We must confess our dependence on him and recognize that apart from him we can do nothing.
Another great exercise in speaking the word of truth is to read the Psalms aloud.
In the face of truth, deception is destroyed and we are set free. This is an absolute.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
Copyright by Kristine Buss, June 28, 2008, All Rights Reserved
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Identity
The 1st Dimension, or physical earth, is unique. God gave 1st Dimension plants and animals memory banks that enable them to evolve, and adapt to a changing environment. It was never God’s plan for his children to be born onto 1st Dimension earth. The Satan-induced fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (in the 2nd heaven), into flesh bodies (1st Dimension), produced separation from God’s consciousness.
On physical earth, the memory bank of man is the subconscious mind. It operates separately from the conscious mind. It records life’s experiences, and our responses to them, to help protect us from making the same mistakes again and again. We learn to avoid certain consequences. In this way, our past helps determine our future. As we mature, our lives become a series of preconditioned responses that help to steer our course and determine who we will become. This undercover person begins growing as soon as we are born. It is our earthly “identity.”
Satan views the subconscious mind as one of his most powerful weapons in his attempt to “steal, and to kill and to destroy” the people of earth. Satan’s most powerful weapon is the conscious mind, or carnal reasoning mind. (The conscious mind is readily accessible to Satan’s consciousness. This gives him a distinct advantage to influence and deceive.)
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
If it were not for the marvelous love and grace of God, all of mankind would be lost. The deck was stacked against us when Satan fell into iniquity and became God’s enemy.
Satan manipulates God’s system of evolution to his advantage. By influencing the conscious mind of man, he leads him into sin and error. He promotes violence, and physical, emotional and mental abuse. The result is pain and suffering, emotional stress, mental and physical disorders. All of these are recorded by the subconscious mind, which preconditions future responses and actions.
As this memory bank fills up, the identity grows and becomes a greater force in determining the person we will become. Its weight of influence overwhelms and colors our understanding. The veil of its deception blinds us.
Until we are born again into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, our conscious mind and our subconscious mind, or identity, are the tools we use to guide us in the exercise of free will. This all changes when we are born of the Spirit. When our own personal spirit temples become filled with the Holy Spirit, we take on an influential partner in our quest for righteousness.
As we learn to die to the influence of the conscious and subconscious minds, and attune our hearts to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we become homing pigeons, with God as our home.
The spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, dissolves the veil of blinding deception that holds us captive. The light of God is increased in our lives, and the darkness of Satan is decreased.
Identity is incompatible with righteousness. That is why John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Apart from our right to choose his will, when we truly give our hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, we abandon our right to free will. Identity is all about the exercise of free will. It has mastered, by experience, the art of living and has no intention of yielding its power to another boss.
Matthew 18:3 … Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The memory bank of a little child is not very full. The identity has not been completely formed. The predisposition to self-mastery, in the very young, is weak. He is totally dependent on his parents to satisfy every need, and to provide guidance and protection for his life.
When we enter the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must revert to a state of pre-identity. This is very difficult. The identity is a formidable opponent and is not a willing martyr in our quest for righteousness. If the battle against identity were left up to us, we would lose. Identity does not know how to fight identity. We are totally dependent upon the Lord Jesus Christ to fight the battle for us.
Our assignment is to recognize our total dependence on him, and to throw ourselves upon his mercy. If we ask with a sincere heart, the Lord Jesus will answer our prayer for deliverance from earthly identity. If we are unable to ask with a sincere heart, then we must first beseech the Lord to purify our heart, so that we can pray with sincerity. He is our only hope for deliverance. He is the ultimate Master.
The Master will guide us through confession of sin, repentance, and application of the blood of Jesus. He will sanctify and cleanse us “with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:26*) This process is repeated over and over again, as the work of purification from sin and identity is accomplished.
Our true identity, which is our identity in God, cannot be fully experienced until we have been released from the bondage of the subconscious mind.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
We must cease being masters of our own lives. We cannot see clearly to make correct decisions. We are blinded by the veil of identity and by Satan’s consciousness. Nothing is as it appears. Only Christ is untainted by the evil darkness of
Parting with self-mastery requires many leaps of faith, but the reward of “His Kingdom come and His will be done” in your life is wonderful. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32
For the
Copyright by Kristine Buss, June 23, 2008, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins Part 1
Matthew 25:1-2 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
The first question we want answered when reading the above scriptures is, “Why are the ten referred to as virgins?”
In Revelation 17:1, the bible refers to Satan as “…the great whore that sitteth upon many waters (people.)” In Revelation 17:5 he is called the “Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.” The great city
The spirit of Jezebel (Satan as the whore, the great deceiver) is referred to in the second chapter of the Book of Revelation. This chapter contains Christ’s message to the
We understand that those, in the church, who are seduced into partaking of Satan’s deception, cannot be called virgins. Those who teach and prophesy from the consciousness of Satan, or from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, “know the depths of Satan as they speak.” The confusion lies in the fact that a large percentage of the teachings of Jezebel sound “good”. The varying dosage of “evil” that is a part of Jezebel’s teaching brings deception and perverts the understanding.
The power of the spirit that Satan uses to seduce the saints is intoxicating. They are driven to willingly believe the deception because it “feels” right. There is a supernatural element to deception that disarms the saints and makes them even more vulnerable to deception. This is the slippery slope into “captivity”. Much of the church is in captivity. They have been drugged and disarmed. This does not mean that they have lost their salvation. It means they are polluted and need purifying.
The 10 virgins which Jesus refers to in the parable of Matthew 25 do not fall into this category. They are called virgins because they do not partake of Satan’s consciousness, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They have come out of
How can we know if we are still in spiritual captivity? In Matthew 10:37-39, Jesus said, 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
When we are born on this earth, we are born into Satan’s consciousness. Satan teaches us that we are the center of our own universe. Everything is perceived from the “me” perspective. In order to enter into the
Galations 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This simple understanding is the foundation that is required for life in His kingdom. Until “He” has increased, and we have decreased to the level of “me” no longer kicking and screaming for significance and satisfaction, we can be certain that we are still in need of purification.
Jesus Christ is the door into the
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
We gain access to unveiled truth by partaking of the Tree of Life, rather than the mixture of good and evil that Satan’s kingdom offers us. It is the journey from “I am the master of my life” to “Jesus alone is the Master of my life” that removes Satan’s ability to deceive.
Freedom from self-will equates to freedom from Jezebel’s ability to hold us in deception. When we no longer partake of Satan’s consciousness, we become “virgins” as referred to in Matthew 25:1-2. The “me” does not like being cut off from Satan’s affirmation, but the spirit loves the comfort of living in God’s Kingdom.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Note: Understanding the meaning of “virgins” helps us to understand end-time prophecy in Revelation 14:4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. … More to come on this in the future.
Copyright by Kristine Buss, May 29, 2008, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Who Masters Your Life?
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 Christ taught us to pray this prayer. It is important to understand what we are praying for. We must understand the difference between living under the law in Satan’s Kingdom, and living by faith in the
The fall of Adam and Eve removed them from God’s Kingdom. God could no longer be their Tree of Life. His life force, which is eternal, had to be withdrawn as they partook of Satan’s evil consciousness, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
This is where the law became necessary. …for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20 NAS Satan’s consciousness brought a mixture of good and evil. The law draws a line between the two and exposes sin.
We who are born into sin (born of water) are unable to walk in righteousness. At our best, all of our righteousness is as filthy rags.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6 We must be born again (born of the spirit).
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
Satan’s Kingdom and the law teach us self-mastery. Some of the leaders in the church (scribes and Pharisees) make men responsible for their own righteousness. They teach us to live by the letter of the law.
But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13. NAS
And (Jesus) said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
To become as little children means that we cannot enforce our knowledge or our understanding on our own lives or the lives of others. There is only one Master in God’s Kingdom. We relinquish all rights to self-mastery in order that we might gain Christ. He leads us through faith. We simply “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” Rev. 14:4. Even “following the Lamb” is by His spirit and not by any mastery of our own.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
Only Jesus can guide us safely into His Kingdom and train us to live by the leading of His spirit. When we walk in the realm of the reasoning mind, Satan’s consciousness has access to deceive. The blind lead the blind.
We are able to enter into the
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Romans 8:1-3
Parting with self-mastery requires many leaps of faith, but the reward of “His Kingdom come and His will be done” in your life is wonderful. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32
For the
Copyright by Kristine Buss, May 27, 2008, All Rights Reserved
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