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End Time Series 2



Law verses Spirit
This message was preached in Tanzania 2008; but not word for word: it was reworked in a word processor, to make it more understandable, also some sentences were added, and or deleted
God has many things in His word that He wants to tell us; and I am looking forward to all He wants to tell us tonight. Everything that God has in His word that you need; if you will spend the time with Him, you will get it.
God’s people often, when they read the Bible, and in trying to understand the Bible: come up with their own, or some other man’s interpretation, and thus they often have a combination of truth mixed with error: all truth mixed with error is really only, error.
God has written His word in such a way that no matter how much we dig, or try to understand His word on our own, we really cannot understand what He is trying to say; in a number of places in the Bible it tells us that God wants to be our teacher, and He will be our teacher, if we meet the right conditions.
I spent many hours in prayer today, making sure that the things I speak tonight, are the very words of God, especially tailored for you; just as importantly, I wanted the Spirit of God ministering directly to you, and coming from me into you, to meet all your needs; I tell you that until the Spirit of God makes this word real to you, it will not do you much good.
Jesus said in John 7: 17, “You search the scriptures thinking that in them you will have eternal life; but they only speak of me. Some people listen to or preach a sermon thinking, life will come of it; some sing songs thinking it will come that way; some pray a prayer; but life cannot come except only through Jesus Christ, and outside of Christ nothing will produce life: He is the Life.
I pray that everyone who is here tonight will leave having all their needs met; and that none will leave hungry.
Romans 7: 1-3, “Know you not brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For a woman which has a husband, is bound by the law, to her husband, as long as he lives; but if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband: so than if while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulterous; but if her husband be dead, she is no adulterous, though she be married to another man”.
This passage of scripture compares our relationship to the law, (under the law): with the relationship of a woman to her husband. In the Old Testament we had a marriage relationship to the law, and we could no more get out of it, than a woman could get out of her relationship to her husband, unless the law died; but the law cannot die as it comes right out of the heart and nature of God, It can never die.
Romans 7: 4 says “wherefore my brethren, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God”; here we see that because that the law could not die, God provided another way that is, we died in Christ: going to the cross in Him, and our death dissolved our marriage to the law, allowing us to marry Christ; we are now free to obey Jesus Christ.
Romans 7: 5, 6 “When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death; but now that we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held: that we should serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter”.
When we were under the law: we had to do what it said, or face the consequences; but it gave us no power to do it, therefore it only brought forth death. The problem with the law is; that it is always contrasted with the Spirit: we must either walk by law, or walk in the Spirit: we cannot do both.
Walking by law means we must walk in our mind, which still is found in the Old Creation under Adam; but walking in the Spirit, puts us in the New Creation where all the power is. Romans 7: 7-18 I will not quote it here, but it goes through the process of explaining how Sin: (the sinful nature), goes about using the law as a weapon to kill us: sin takes the law, which tells us what is wrong with us, and how we are supposed to live, which our minds are not capable of keeping, and thus killing us: no matter how much you want to do God’s will, no matter how much you try to do God’s will, till you get into the Spirit, you will never succeed.
The problem is not that there is anything a-wrong with the law, but all the problems: are found in us: walking by law requires a mind that is capable of overcoming the flesh; and that will not happen, till our minds are renewed, and brought into the New Creation. The mind would like to do God’s will; but it cannot because of the flesh nature, (sin) which Adam when he sinned, received from Satan, and was passed on to us, it is far more powerful than our minds. The sin nature is totally evil, and it cannot be saved, or brought into the New Creation, it is and can only be crucified on the cross.
Christians tend to approach spiritual problems, in the same way as they approached this worlds problems, before they were saved: they look at sin and say, that is wrong, and so they try to avoid it, only to find that they sin anyway, and they look at the law, and say, that is good, and even delight in it; but try as they might, they cannot do it: so they find themselves doing the opposite of what they had approved of.
When we were born again: our spirits were transferred from the Old Creation, through the cross, into the New Creation; however our spirits are very small at this point, and must be fed, and caused to grow; as they grow, and we walk in it, and the Holy Spirit, we will more and more people will learn to overcome, what they could not overcome before. Christians all over the world have things that they would like to overcome; but they are unsuccessful, because they try to do it through the law, with their minds, and will power; it seems every Christian has to go through this till they learn that, only by walking in the Spirit, can they overcome.
1 Corinthians 6: 17 says, “He that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit”; that our spirit became one with the Holy Spirit, just as a man becomes one with a woman: the new birth puts our spirit in the New Creation, with the Holy Spirit, and gives it the same nature.
In your mind and will, you cannot find enough power to overcome sin, sickness, and disease; but the power is found already in your spirit, (in the New Creation); nothing in the Old Creation can ever overcome our problems, we must do all those things from the New Creation: this is the problem with the law: we must do all things by walking in the Spirit. Romans 8: 14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God”.
Galatians 5: 16 says, “Walk in the Spirit: and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh”; until a person learns to walk in the Spirit, they may struggle 30, 40, or even 50 years with problems, and never overcome them, not even to the day they die: your mind and will must first go through the cross, then they will have the power to overcome.
Colossians 3: 9, 10 Say, “You have put off the old man with his deeds: and put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge, after the image of Him that created him”. This is referring to the day we were born again: that these things were done in our spirits; before we were born again, all we had was found in Adam, and was under the Old Creation; but we were born again, and now our spirits are in the New Creation, having been renewed after the image of Him that created him.
Matthew 10: 38 “He that takes not his cross, nor follows me, is not worthy of me”; A person who takes up his cross is, taking what is his in the Old Creation, and little by little putting it into the New Creation, through the process of death and resurrection.
Our spirits are born into the New Creation, and they no longer want anything in the Old Creation: thus John says 1 John 3: 9 “Whosoever is born of God, does not commit sin, for His (God’s) seed remains in him, and he cannot sin; because he is born of God”; this is only speaking of the part of us that is born of God: our spirits that are created after the image of Him that that created him. Satan tempts us, and we often sin; but it comes only from our minds and will, which are still in the Old Creation, nothing in the New Creation, even wants anything Satan has to offer it, as it only has God’s nature, which cannot be tempted: every seed brings forth after its own kind; God’s seed brings forth God’s nature.
Ephesians 4: 22-24 says, “Put off concerning the former conversation, the old man: which is corrupt according the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and put on the new man which after God, is created in righteousness, and true holiness”. In these verses: we can see that our old man has a sinful nature, and is corrupt, the deceitful lusts in the old man causes many who think they are on the right way to be deceived: not really knowing where they are going, even Christians walking in the old man: are on a road to destruction, and Paul commands them to get off that road. Christians, while their spirits are in the new creation, and one with God; yet as they walk in the flesh, it is taking them on a road to destruction.
The Old Creation is very deceitful, a person that works from it, will often think they are alright, they may be very active in church, and doing very many seemingly good things; people looking at their lives may find nothing wrong; their lives may be like the most beautiful wooden furniture, but it will burn in the day of fire, as hot as the works of harlots and thieves. People who operate in the Old Creation are proud, and seem to benefit from the praise of men: they cannot believe the words of Jesus; because they receive honor from people instead of from God alone: John 5: 44, “How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only”.
Many from world, as well as the church, think it will be so great to spread their thoughts and teachings around, when they themselves cannot overcome sin, sickness, or disease: they may be spreading abroad the best that the Old Creation has to offer; but it will not stand in the day of fire: it will only burn like everything else.
This passage of scripture in Ephesians is not referring to where we came to when we were born again; but to where we should be walking now; this passage is speaking about the process of, the renewing of our minds, and it is the ongoing everyday process of the saving of our souls; it also is about, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus.
Paul says here that our new man is created in righteousness, and true holiness; the same thing John says that, He that is Born of God cannot sin; John also says, “This is the victory that overcomes the world: even our faith” 1 John 5: 4; this faith comes out of our spirits, as our mind cannot come up with the faith to overcome the world; it has to come from one born of God.
In 11 Corinthians 5: 17,”If any man be in Christ: he is a new Creature, (New Creation): old things have passed away, behold all things are become new”; it must be noted that this is only referring to the part of man that has been born again (recreated); that has gone through the cross, and entered into the New Creation: it is not referring to what is not yet born again: our souls and bodies.
The only way to put on the new man; is to meet with Jesus everyday; preferably early in the morning: you will find no matter how much you may try; you will not be able to put off the old man, except through intimate contact with Jesus Christ. I find people who listen to talk radio; watch television, and other negative things all day long, and cannot seem to overcome hardly anything: you will never overcome till you learn to put on Christ (the New Man) all day long: you are what you put into yourself.
The person who only does a thing because he is supposed to, or because it is the law, is only moving under the Old Creation, and is not preparing for the day of fire: standing or raising your hands in church because you are supposed to is not worship; but when you are standing and raising your hands on the inside, and it causes you to do it on the outside, that is what God loves, and it will help you to prepare for the day of fire.
11Corinthians 3: 18 says “We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”; this refers to times of intimate contact with the Lord. Romans 12: 2 says, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed: by the renewing of your mind”; there we see the ongoing process that we must go through to get off the broad road to destruction, under the old man, and getting on the narrow road to life, in the new man: this is also referring to: taking up our crosses to follow Jesus, as that is the only way we can enter into the New Creation: our minds must be transformed, and our wills must be conformed to God’s will.
The work of entering the New Creation that has already been accomplished in our spirit; is now being accomplished in our souls, (if we take up our crosses); and will be accomplished in the resurrection, for our bodies, and all these things prepare us for the great trouble of destruction that is about to come upon this earth: the recession we are now going through is but a warning shot from God to the church, you had better watch and pray and prepare: Luke 21: 36 “Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and stand before the Son of Man”.
There are many lost people around us that need Jesus, and they have no chance to come to Jesus unless someone leads them to Jesus. When today’s Christians lead a person to Jesus, they usually lead them into a life that is far below God’s standard; let us bring ourselves, and those we win to the Lord, up to God’s standard. People usually teach you to set achievable goals; but notice Jesus always set the highest goals before His followers: God, Himself, and perfection.
Jesus wants you to get alone with Him: learn of Him, receive His Love, His Mercy, His Grace, His Compassion, His peace, His Joy, His Gentleness, His Kindness, and whatever you, and the people you meet need, as those are the things that the lost are looking for, and will transform their lives.
11 Thessalonians 2: 3-4 says, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God, sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”: Paul is revealing in this chapter about the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God claiming to be God: much of what goes on in church today is not of God, but the man of sin, but that day will declare it. Most are preachers spend their time telling their church what they should or should not be doing, and are keeping their people in the Old Creation, thinking that is God; but it is more likely the man of sin, who is pretending to be God, trying to keep them in the Old Creation: so they will not be prepared for the Day of Fire.
11 Thessalonians 2: 7, “He that now hinders will hinder till he be taken out of the way”; the Holy Spirit is preventing the lust and the passions of the wicked from burning out of control, till God can mark His committed people in their foreheads; (Revelation 7: 1-3), so that He will, have a people who can stand, in that day, so His own Kingdom, is not destroyed with the wicked.
Malachi 4: 1 says, “The day comes that shall burn as an oven and all the proud, yes, all that do wickedly, shall be stubble, and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord God”; notice, he did not say that those that are not born again, but those who are proud and wicked. Christians read a verse like this, and in their mind they substitute not born again for the wicked; and born again for the righteous; but God’s judgment is not according to whether you are born again or not; but according to your works.
It is very important that we do not change the Word of God in our minds, as that will prevent us from knowing the truth, and then we will not know what we need to know, to prepare for that day; if you are lost in the woods, but you are miss-reading the instructions for getting out, and cannot find your way out; you may not be doing it on purpose and have an excuse, but you will still be just as lost as if you did it on purpose.
Many Theologians today try to separate the judgment of the just from the judgment of the unjust; but it is not done in any nation on earth, and neither will God: the same fire that judges the wicked purifies the just. We either judge ourselves now (1 Corinthians 11: 32), or God will judge us with the wicked; however what condemns the wicked, will only purify the just.
When the day of fire comes: it will determine whether we are walking in the Old or New Creation. All those who are walking in the Spirit: are walking in the New Creation; and all who are walking after the flesh: are walking in the Old Creation, and will burn as an oven. The fires of judgment have been burning ever since the fall of man; but the restrainer has kept it from going out of control 11 Thessalonians 2: 7.
Every now and then, we see a little example of the day of fire in serial killers and rapist: Men like Ted Bundy, Hitler, Stalin, and many others: in the day of fire such men will be everywhere: even in soldiers and policemen, so that lawlessness will abound, then Christians will cry out to Jesus, to let them into the New Creation, but their works never came into union with Jesus, their own lusts and passions: will burn out of control. In Love Jesus is sending the day of fire, to burn up the works of carnal Christians, because He wants them with Him; but the fires of purification must burn up all their works first, and then they will be saved so as by fire.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11: 31, 32, “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged; but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned, with the world”; Paul plainly is telling the carnal Christians at Corinth, that they must prepare for the day of fire: The fires of judgment were burning at Corinth, and the only way to put them out, was to judge themselves: (Walk in the Spirit, take up your cross and follow Jesus, be transformed by the renewing of your mind).
Malachi 4: 2 says, “But unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings”; there is no way that a man can come into contact with Jesus (everyday), without receiving healing: spirit, soul, and body; healing is found only in the New Creation, except when God occasionally gives a gift of healing; but those gifts will not work in the judgment: gifts of healing only work on occasion; but in the New Creation, healing always works.
Sin, sickness, and disease; cannot exist in the New Creation: when I start to get a sore throat or fever, I know it is time I get into the Spirit quick, where it cannot survive: I know that is always telling me, “Get back in the Spirit, fight, and defeat that thing”.
Malachi 4: 3 says, “And you shall tread down the wicked; and they shall ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of Hosts. Some other verses that say the same thing psalm 149: 6-9; Revelation 2: 21; 11 Corinthians 10: 6. I don’t think God is telling us that, we will trample people; but the evil spirits that are motivating them; but I await further revelation on this.
Malachi 3: 1-6 says, “The Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold He shall come, says the Lord of Hosts; but who shall abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appears? For He is like refiner’s fire, and fuller’s soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in the former years. I will come near unto you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the strangers in his right, and fear not me, says the Lord of Hosts. I am the Lord, I change not, and therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed”: here we see that same fire that destroys the wicked purifies the righteous.
It says in verses 1 that Jesus will come to His temple suddenly: to those who in obedience have made themselves a habitation for the Lord: that operated in the New Creation, Jesus will come suddenly, and the virgins that are ready will go in, and Jesus will do the final preparations and purifications, and they shall serve God in purity; but the wicked will now burn as an oven, as well as the virgins that are not ready.
1 Corinthians 3: 11-15, we have a New Testament passage that says the same thing: verse 11 says, the only foundation that can be laid is Jesus: speaking of our new birth experience, but we must build a house on this foundation, and verses 12 says we can build with materials that will withstand fire, or with materials that will not; it says that the day of fire will try our work, and reveal what kind of materials we used: if our house stands we will be rewarded; but if it burns we will be saved so as by fire.
James tells us of the unjust rich man: James 5: 3, “your gold and silver is cankered; the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire”; Solomon says in proverbs 9: 18 of the harlot; that her guests are in the depths, of hell; and in Proverbs 6: 27, it is like taking fire in your bosom; also Habakkuk 2: 5 type’s alcohol as a fire: these and other verses in the Bible tell us that strong desires are what hell fire is made of.
In the day of fire: when the wicked are running everywhere, raping, stealing, killing, and doing every evil known to man, till all the evil is burned out of the Christians, who did not judge themselves, that is not the way I want to be saved, and than going to heaven with no house to live in, but it certainly is better than going to hell; but I will never go that route.
Matthew 7: 24-27, “Whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock: the rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded on a rock. Every man that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it”.
Jesus describes this man who built his house on the Rock: as one who does and teaches what Jesus says: his house will survive even the great flood of tribulation that is coming on this earth; but the one that does not do it, but teaches against it: his house will be destroyed by the tribulation.
John 15: 1-7 says “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bear more fruit. Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; neither can you, except you abide in me; I am the vine and you are the branches; he that abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you”. How many ways does God have to use to get us to understand the judgment?
Illustrations often break down if you carry them too far: the branches (people) themselves are not burned up, but rather the works: if you dwell in the Old Creation: you are not abiding in Christ, and your works will burn; but as you dwell in the New Creation you will bear much fruit.
In verse 7, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you”; Jesus is revealing that in the New Creation of which He is the head: it contains all power for healing, for overcoming sin, sickness, disease, poverty, and in fact all that we need to do His work is found there. In the New Creation we are in perfect union with Jesus: our will; and God’s will are the same: we can ask what we will; so set your will aside; get in the Spirit; conform your will to God’s will, and ask big. We must spend much time with Jesus: getting to know Him; coming into union with Him; conforming unto His will; coming into the New Creation; and carrying His message to the world.
We were buried with Jesus in baptism: do not resurrect that Old Creation: by going after earthly things, cars, houses, clothes, money, and etcetera; but enter the New Creation, and spread that gospel to the world. I don’t know who owns that big empty field near here, but believe for a big piece of land like that, build a big church on it, and go out and win as much of Maswa, Tanzania to the Lord as you can; bring them into your church; teach them how to live in the Spirit. If you believe this word from Jesus; then get into God’s will, and get this gospel out, and get these people living for Jesus. I can assure you that it is God’s will, to get as many saved, and living for Jesus in this city as you can.
Wherever we get people living in the Spirit; that is a place that will be an oasis in the day of fire: a refuge from the burning; many places of refuge will be needed, where people can go to get help in that day.
You must understand that, it is of utmost importance that you meet with Jesus: that you abide in Him; that you learn of Him; that you keep entering into the New Creation; that you do and teach the very words of Jesus without compromise; that you build with materials that will withstand fire; for God is looking for just such a people, as they will be the only ones standing in that day, and in the New Creation, all your needs and others needs, will be met.
11 Corinthians 5: 10, 11, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ: that every man may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether it is good or bad; knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men”: the judgment seat is either now, or the day of the Lord: it is our choice.
The churches all over America are rejecting the teachings of Jesus, for their own teachings, if a man teaches what Jesus said, he is not welcome in their pulpit; but they only put people in the pulpit who agree with them, just as the Pharisees of old; if you don’t play their game, then you are not a team player: the churches in America think they are on the narrow road to life; when they are really on the broad road to destruction; it doesn’t seem to occur to them; no matter how good a team player you are in the Old Creation: it is only going to get burned anyway.
Revelation 2: 20-22, “You suffer that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols, I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not; I will cast into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds”; the church in Thyatira had the spirit of Jezebel operating in it, as many churches have today: the Jezebel spirit does not need a physical idol or adultery to do its dirty work today; all it needs is a person who takes God’s place of authority, a little of the world, and doing everything in the Old Creation, and it will have succeeded in getting them cast into the tribulation.
Revelation 3: 10, “Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will also keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth”; here we see the church of Philadelphia though quite weak yet just because they kept Christ’s word of patience it was enough to spare them from the great temptation that will try all the earth.
To sum it up: it is not casting out demons, healing the sick, or any other good work but entering into union with Jesus (the New Creation) that prepares you for that day.

Frank Overholt
http://www.thetrueword.us
frank@thetrueword.com

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