Free Will
A couple of days ago I wrote just a little about the specific plans Jesus is executing right now. He is allowing free will to bloom and blossom on earth in a unique way...not only for evil, but for good, as well. We can choose to ignore Jesus, but we can choose to love Him back. The door stands open to a full and exciting relationship with Him, like the relationships He had with John, and Peter, and Paul:
John 13:21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
Those who pressed into Jesus (John and Peter were right next to Him) knew what He was doing. They understood things that other disciples, those right in the room of the last supper, did not. Proximity to Jesus matters, and it is up to us to decide how close to Jesus we want to come.
This is the glorious truth about free will: eventually, we get what we want! If you want evil, to disagree with God, eventually it will blossom in your life in full...but if you want Jesus, if you want to agree with God, eventually IT will blossom in your life in glorious fullness! The process takes time and intention, either way.
God, in His mercy, is patient with rebellion, giving time for us to change our mind about our choices to disagree with Him, but He is also patient with our agreement...testing our desire for agreement with Him. Do we really want Him...to set our heart and our hope upon Him... even if it looks like it will cost us some of this world?
The end of the age, or the time leading up to Jesus' bringing heaven to earth with Him, is a time of extremes. Jesus used the parable of the wheat and the tares to describing how purity and evil with both mature together...they will each blossom and produce the fruit that is at the heart of each decision.
In our generation, evil will blossom. This maturing of rebellion will result in the one-world antichrist government economic and religious system (the harlot system). This is the false bride. It will pull many nominal believers out of every religion (including Christians) and into a man-based solution to the world's problems.
But purity, or agreement with God, will also blossom! The result is the true Bride, the pure and spotless Church in agreement with God, bringing in the great harvest.
In Isaiah 43, Isaiah prophesied about the Bride and hinted at what she would go through...trouble, a flood of resistance. But Isaiah also said the Bride would walk in victory through it all! For thousands of years, this time has been described throughout the Bible. Every place the Bride is described, victory by God's hand is guaranteed!
Isaiah 43: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
Isaiah 43 is really worth studying for our generation. Not only does it describe the Bride as part of the branch of Israel, it also describes Israel itself (Jacob) resisting God until the end when He saves them for the sake of His own name.
These are the three main spiritual dynamics that are blossoming right now: the false bride is maturing in evil, the Pure and Spotless Bride is starting to realize there is a wedding to prepare for, and God's people Jacob, who God will join to the Bride, are under intense pressure. This is the beginning, these dynamic tensions will continue to grow more and more intense until Jesus returns.
Until then, the real Bride has much to do. The resistance to the Bride is going to increase, as will evil, but we know the outcome, the Bride will be victorious over evil. This is the question of the day: where will we stand as Jesus allows the heat and pressure to increase?
Will we be like the other disciples in the upper room, not knowing what is happening right at the table they were invited to? Or will we be like John and Peter, pressing in close to Jesus. Giving up everything else to be near Him. Seeing fully what Jesus' plans are, being in agreement with Him, and then leading the way as the Bride gets ready to take her victorious place?!
This time really matters. What we do with it really matters. We can use our free will to reach for God or to reach for the world. Either way, we reach with our intentions and our words.
We reach for God like a tree reaches for light. Our words are the leaves. "God, give me more hunger and thirst for you." "God, give me more insight into your plans for me and those around me". "God, fascinate me with Jesus and His plans". Just like a tree, the more I reach for God with my words and my intentions, the more my roots grow deep, drawing on the hidden water for strength. Immovable in the shaking and the wind of this season. God has promised victory to the end for those who would use their free will to draw near to Him!
Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 41:11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.
This is the beginning of the "Great and Terrible" Day of the Lord. For the Bride, those who rely fully on the groom and His plans, it will certainly be great. For the false bride, those who trust in other men and what man can do, it will certainly be terrible.
Joel 2:11 The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
"For His camp is very great!". What a picture!
John 13:21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
Those who pressed into Jesus (John and Peter were right next to Him) knew what He was doing. They understood things that other disciples, those right in the room of the last supper, did not. Proximity to Jesus matters, and it is up to us to decide how close to Jesus we want to come.
This is the glorious truth about free will: eventually, we get what we want! If you want evil, to disagree with God, eventually it will blossom in your life in full...but if you want Jesus, if you want to agree with God, eventually IT will blossom in your life in glorious fullness! The process takes time and intention, either way.
God, in His mercy, is patient with rebellion, giving time for us to change our mind about our choices to disagree with Him, but He is also patient with our agreement...testing our desire for agreement with Him. Do we really want Him...to set our heart and our hope upon Him... even if it looks like it will cost us some of this world?
The end of the age, or the time leading up to Jesus' bringing heaven to earth with Him, is a time of extremes. Jesus used the parable of the wheat and the tares to describing how purity and evil with both mature together...they will each blossom and produce the fruit that is at the heart of each decision.
In our generation, evil will blossom. This maturing of rebellion will result in the one-world antichrist government economic and religious system (the harlot system). This is the false bride. It will pull many nominal believers out of every religion (including Christians) and into a man-based solution to the world's problems.
But purity, or agreement with God, will also blossom! The result is the true Bride, the pure and spotless Church in agreement with God, bringing in the great harvest.
In Isaiah 43, Isaiah prophesied about the Bride and hinted at what she would go through...trouble, a flood of resistance. But Isaiah also said the Bride would walk in victory through it all! For thousands of years, this time has been described throughout the Bible. Every place the Bride is described, victory by God's hand is guaranteed!
Isaiah 43: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
Isaiah 43 is really worth studying for our generation. Not only does it describe the Bride as part of the branch of Israel, it also describes Israel itself (Jacob) resisting God until the end when He saves them for the sake of His own name.
These are the three main spiritual dynamics that are blossoming right now: the false bride is maturing in evil, the Pure and Spotless Bride is starting to realize there is a wedding to prepare for, and God's people Jacob, who God will join to the Bride, are under intense pressure. This is the beginning, these dynamic tensions will continue to grow more and more intense until Jesus returns.
Until then, the real Bride has much to do. The resistance to the Bride is going to increase, as will evil, but we know the outcome, the Bride will be victorious over evil. This is the question of the day: where will we stand as Jesus allows the heat and pressure to increase?
Will we be like the other disciples in the upper room, not knowing what is happening right at the table they were invited to? Or will we be like John and Peter, pressing in close to Jesus. Giving up everything else to be near Him. Seeing fully what Jesus' plans are, being in agreement with Him, and then leading the way as the Bride gets ready to take her victorious place?!
This time really matters. What we do with it really matters. We can use our free will to reach for God or to reach for the world. Either way, we reach with our intentions and our words.
We reach for God like a tree reaches for light. Our words are the leaves. "God, give me more hunger and thirst for you." "God, give me more insight into your plans for me and those around me". "God, fascinate me with Jesus and His plans". Just like a tree, the more I reach for God with my words and my intentions, the more my roots grow deep, drawing on the hidden water for strength. Immovable in the shaking and the wind of this season. God has promised victory to the end for those who would use their free will to draw near to Him!
Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 41:11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.
This is the beginning of the "Great and Terrible" Day of the Lord. For the Bride, those who rely fully on the groom and His plans, it will certainly be great. For the false bride, those who trust in other men and what man can do, it will certainly be terrible.
Joel 2:11 The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
"For His camp is very great!". What a picture!
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