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ã 1999, by P. Wells

SWEET MYSTERY OF LOVE

One can understand the love of God the Father better by reading the "Song of Solomon," which is an analogy between a king’s love for a shepherdess and Jehovah’s love for Israel.

However, the shepherdess (Israel), yearned for the love of her youth, and pleaded with the king to allow her to be united with her shepherd boy. This part of the song is an analogy of Israel’s yearning for the Christ or the Anointing of the Holy Spirit that was lost when Adam and Eve fell. Since the fall of man, it has been impossible for man to be reunited with God in Spirit, until Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem us.

"The Song of Solomon explains why God the Father gave His Only Begotten Son, "The Christ" or The Good Shepherd, to His Beloved Bride, His Church, or those faithful believers who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. These believers receive the Spirit of Christ and literally become a part of His Spiritual Body or become one with Him. They are called members of the Body of Christ or His Church. The Church is by analogy called the Bride of Christ and compared to the relationship between an earthly husband and his wife.

In the Old Testament, God called Israel His Bride, but the relationship was by Covenant only and the marriage was never consummated. None of the saints or prophets under the Old Covenant is qualified to receive the Spirit of God living within them. After four thousand years of leading the Israelites by His Spirit and controlling them with fear, as evidence that no man could sincerely deny that God exists, God dissolved the marriage contract with Israel. So that He would be free to take a new "bride," that would include all nations--who would hearken--hear and believe--the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Death of the groom was necessary for God to take a new "bride" who could be faithful, because the Church or members of the body of Christ would have the Spirit of Christ living in them. In order to ensure "her" fidelity, he had to consummate the marriage by giving "her" His own Spirit or the Spirit of Truth, which Adam and Eve had lost. God has promised to restore Israel, because of her extreme suffering for the sake of all men. Israel was led by fear, but all Christians have been given the Spirit of love.

All men have worshipped Satan, believed Satan, and obeyed Satan unto their death (death of their bodies, not their souls), because they did not have the Spirit of God living within them. As a member of the Body of Christ under the new contract (New Covenant or New Testament), all men can share in the sonship of God.

Jesus Christ said that no one is able to come unto the Father but by Him, because no one can claim to be the children of God unless they have received the Holy Spirit or have been born of the Spirit or born of God. The conditions for become a son of God and sharing with Christ in that sonship, is to renounce any allegiance to Satan, confess and repent of one’s sins, and pledge one’s allegiance to Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God.

God cannot and will not share his Spirit with anyone who does less than that. It would be cruel to give eternal life to one that would have to spend all eternity with Satan--totally separated from God. If one unrepentant sinner were permitted to live after the Judgment, then heaven would not be heaven on earth or anywhere else. One sinner could spoil it for the rest of us. God has no choice but to destroy all souls who are not born of the Spirit, and must condemn anyone who is immortal to eternal separation by casting them out of God’s Kingdom as He was forced to do with Adam and Eve.

Matthew 10: 28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: But rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell (Gehenna, the final place of destruction of souls after Judgment Day.)

The Lord has no other choice. Only when God the Father, and God the Son, and God The Holy Spirit, which is the Church, have totally separated themselves from any influence of Satan who is now the god of this world, can there be any peace on the earth. However, anyone can choose Christ and be forgiven and set free from bondage to Satan. Jesus Christ said that he came to save All--not to condemn. No one who sincerely wants to be in the Bride of Christ (a member of Christ’s body) will be rejected if he meets the conditions--confess, repent, and believe that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior.

Do not be deceived by the lies of Satan who accuses God and men all day long. All men shall hear the gospel and be given the opportunity to choose before the end comes. God is just and merciful. God is love. Believe that, and do not delay in making a decision for Christ. Maranatha!

A practicing Christian knows--probably from personal experience--that the wages of sin is separation, sickness, suffering, and ultimate death. He continually testifies how the Lord saved him from all of the above. His testimony is that if the Lord could save a wretch like him, He is willing and able to save anyone and ALL.

A practicing Christian never misses an opportunity to give his testimony, because he believes God’s Word, that the saints overcome Satan by their testimony and the blood of Jesus. They do not overcome the enemy by self-righteously accusing others and "preaching" to them. Putting a guilt-trip on others is aiding and abetting the enemy as he gleefully adds one more fool to his list, who is convinced by false teachings that he is too wicked to be forgiven.

A practicing Christian never fails to share his blessings with anyone and everyone who crosses his path, whether they are material or spiritual. He is not a bookkeeper who keeps track of who owes him for favors rendered. He loves, gives, serves, and forgives without hesitation or any expectations or being repaid. He knows God shall take care of his needs and desires without fail, if he does his part.

A practicing Christian does not seek to lock sinners away in prison, but to save them from bondage and imprisonment, by telling them of the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy. He tells all he meets to confess and repent of their sins, and that Jesus Christ has the power by His Holy Spirit to set all men free from enslavement to all sinful practices and addictions.

A practicing Christian knows that Christianity is not a negative-- "taste not, touch not, handle not" --religion based on the doctrines of men which punishes the body with a "no pain-no gain" philosophy. Rather, he takes positive action to spend his energies in constructive service--building, cleaning, planting, and relieving suffering by providing for the needs of those who cannot repay him.

The practicing Christian knows that bodily exercise profits a man little, I Timothy 4: 7-8, whether for physical strength or some spiritual exercise (Yogi, for example). He also knows that mercy is better than sacrifice, Matthew 12: 7. He knows that these are the messages in God’s Word, which a practicing Christian observes to fatten his soul, and he keeps his body lean by doing constructive physical labor to relieve the poor and needy.

A practicing Christian knows that sacrifice without love leaves one empty, lonely, bitter, bored, and subject to temptation, but giving, caring, and sharing in love is a fulfilling, satisfying, and joyful experience which leaves no room for sinful thoughts--much less sinful behavior.

A practicing Christian does not need to make requests of God in prayer, but only to pray for guidance as to how he can best use his talents to serve the Lord. In this respect, he never stops praying, and is usually praying on the run. He knows he just barely has time or energy to keep up with all that the Lord has for him to do! He certainly has no time for jealousy, envy, vengeance, or protecting his injured pride. But best of all, he knows that the Lord will provide for all his needs without his asking.

A practicing Christian does not waste his time on passive rituals and meaningless theological arguments, but knows all Christians (both male and female) are instructed to study the word of God at home, taught by their "husband’s" Holy Spirit, given by Him, their Lord Jesus Christ.

(A mystery is revealed in Ephesians 5: 22-33, which explains all passages discussing the relationship of husbands and wives, as an analogy for what the relationship of Christ is to his Church, or His Bride, made up of all Christians--men, women and children.) Jesus made it very clear in Galatians 3: 28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond (slave) nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

He might as well as have said that we are all equal in Christ Jesus, because that is what He meant. I believe that this verse is totally ignored by well over half of all alleged practicing Christians, but understanding that verse would help to put to rest many of the hypocritical theologies that exist in some circles.

Incidentally, did any of Cain’s descendants survive the flood? Does anyone on earth have the mark of Cain, if they did not? Think! Are women and men both able to approach God the Father directly for guidance?

Who is the "husband" of women who is qualified to teach them? What does it mean when Paul says that a "wife" be taught at home by her own "husband?" Who is the "husband" of all Christians--both men and women--who make up the Church? Is any man in the flesh qualified to teach another?"

Finally, a practicing Christian is not concerned about obeying The Ten Commandments, per se, as the hypocrites and the legalistic Pharisees are, because he knows that love fulfills the whole law, and he knows how to love. The practicing Christian knows that love is an action that is daily doing unto others, as he would have them do unto him. Can anyone break God’s law or man’s law, if he is truly concerned about the welfare of all other men, women, and children?

He is so busy caring, sharing, giving serving, and testifying as to the forgiveness and mercy of God, so that it would be impossible for him to find time or energy to break God’s laws or man’s. Anyone who loves others as he loves himself cannot do anything to cause pain, grief, or loss to another. If men do nothing more than to obey The Ten Commandments, they cannot be saved, because the law was not able to save any man. Read the third chapter of Galatians for understanding of that statement.

If you are a practicing Christian, you probably have the stripes to prove it, but the blessings far outweigh the barbs and darts that Satan has tossed your way in an attempt to discourage your walk with the Lord. Take my word for it. If you are a practicing Christian, eternal bliss is just around the next corner. You may very well live to see the Second Coming of Our Lord. Maranatha! Read the Word. Do not take my word for it.

I explained earlier that the word, "Gehenna" (translated as "hell"), is the place of final destruction of souls after the judgment. It is mentioned only three times in the New Testament and not at all in the Old Testament. All the other references translated as "hell" in the Word of God do not refer to "Gehenna." But to the waiting place of the dead, "Hades" (Greek) in the New Testament, or to the grave where the body is placed when it dies, which is "sheol" in Hebrew and mentioned only in the Old Testament. Because of the misleading translations of "sheol" and "Hades" as "hell," men believe these terms also refer to an everlasting place of torment.

The Catholics base their idea of Purgatory on the meaning of the Greek term for Hades. This idea is supported by the true account of Lazarus and the rich man, Luke 16: 20-25, which is obviously not a parable. They also believe that one can pray for these souls to be saved, if that "soul" has not committed a sin "unto death." See I John

5: 16-17 concerning the sin that can not be forgiven.

Arrogant Protestants should not reject all that Catholics have taught, and remember that it was the faithful monks who preserved the Word of God until the sixteenth century. They were not altogether wrong and were led by the Holy Spirit even though they erred, just as many charismatic Christians who are led by the Holy Spirit have also erred. Men have their own ideas and tend to think they know the mind of God, when they really have not heard from Him on each and every particular subject. Even Paul admitted that he "thought" he had the mind of God in one instance, and we should take note of that!

Hades in the Greek refers to a two-part waiting place of the dead, which refers to souls without bodies. One part is Paradise, and the other part is Tartarus.

As I said before, a practicing Christian, above all other things, seeks to be taught at home in a secret closet by his/her husband, Jesus Christ, and be meek, which means teachable--not weak.

Don’t you wish that you were a practicing Christian at all times? I certainly do, but I would be a liar, if I claimed to be what I am still struggling to be. At least, I have a fair idea of what the Lord expects of me from His teaching and His Word (Both Logos and Rhema), and that is what I have been called to share as my testimony.

The above song is not only the description of a wife’s relationship with her husband, but it is a metaphor, suggesting the kind of relationship that Christians have with Our Lord. This is a mystery: Christians, or true believers, that have received the Holy Spirit and have been born of God, make up the TRUE CHURCH.

It is these members of the Body of Christ--regardless of any denominational affiliation--which make up the TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST. That is why--as members of Christ’s Spiritual Body--true Christians are called the "Bride of Christ" and they are compared to an earthly bride who becomes one with her earthly husband in a physical union. It also explains why God hates adultery so much, because infidelity in an earthly marriage is in the same category as infidelity on the part of men who fraternize with the enemy, Satan, believe his lies, and worship idols and follow after false teachers and false prophets. Just as an earthly husband is jealous of losing his bride to an adulterous relationship, so is God jealous of losing His favorite creation, man, to an idolatrous relationship. Men and women who cannot be faithful to their earthly companions whom they know and say they love, cannot possibly be faithful to the Lord whom they have not seen and cannot know without His Holy Spirit.

Those who are true Christians and faithful to God have this promise: The bride of Christ will rule with Him and on Judgment Day, they will judge the world, even the angels, when the Lord returns, taking His place as the rightful heir to the throne of God. Those who do not accept Jesus Christ, as Lord of their lives, will be separated from God forever, as sin cannot co-exist with Godliness.

Anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as the Lord of his/her life, and seeks to do His will can become a member of His Body or a member of the True Church. But becoming a joint-heir with Christ is not automatic. To become a joint-heir with Christ, one must choose, or he/she automatically remains a slave of Satan who is his father--not God.

All of us are creations of God but sonship is bestowed only on true believers that receive eternal life. No other options are open to men. They either choose to serve God or they will be servants of Satan, and no one can serve both God and Satan. Furthermore, one does not recognize a true Christian by his works alone, or his denominational affiliation, or by his so-called church attendance. The Word of God states that we all recognize Christians by their love, or the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Christians are known by their willingness to give, serve, forgive, and love their fellowmen sacrificially--even as Christ sacrificed Himself. He voluntarily came into the world so that we would know Him and know how to receive His Spiritual Body, which He has so generously agreed to share with us because He loves us so much.

How can anyone reject such a gift? Why would anyone want to believe a deceiving, conniving, traitorous, snake-in-the-grass whose only goal is to destroy us all, because he knows that we are the Lord’s most precious possession. It would be extremely heartless and cruel of the Lord to share His spirit--which bestows eternal life--with anyone who is not willing to give up his sinful nature and accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Master. Those who do not receive eternal life will be destroyed.

Scripture tells us that we should not fear him (Satan) who can only destroy our bodies, but we should fear God the Father who can destroy both our body and soul. The unbeliever will not suffer eternal torment, but he will not enjoy eternal life either. Those who believed and received eternal life, and then defected or turned back to Satan will suffer the same fate as Satan himself, and will be cast into outer darkness, totally separated from God throughout all eternity.

Woe unto those believers who are seduced by Satan into following after false religions, worshipping false prophets, and believing another gospel than the one taught by our Lord Jesus Christ who came to save--not to condemn--ALL MEN.

BE ASSURED: A merciful God cannot give His Holy Spirit to anyone who does not sincerely want to give up his sinful nature, and no one can receive unless they believe the Father concerning the salvation that is in His Son. No one can come unto the Father but by His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. No one can become a member of Christ’s Body, which is His True Church, unless they accept Him as his Lord and Master..

See Matthew 15: 16-20, "And Jesus said, are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things that proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

I was grief-stricken over what I had heard about a movie called, The Last Temptation of Christ." I was heartsick and asked the Lord, "What is happening, Lord? I do not understand. What on earth is going on?"

The Lord answered "Bull-dung!"

I was shocked and a little frightened. Trembling, I asked, "Lord, is that you?"

He answered, "Animal excrements are not evil to me. Animal feces do not corrupt men. I created all animals and the biological life cycles of the earth. The excrement of animals is simply fertilizer for plants in that life cycle--no more.

"However, in the minds of men, bull dung (King James word for bull s---), is filth. Therefore, when I want men to know what is filthy to me, I express my opinion in language men understand. ‘Bull dung’ are the most ‘cleansing’ words in the English language, because they are used by men to expose lying, deceiving, guile, duplicity, chicanery, corruption in high places, treachery, fraud, swindling, racketeering, politicking, scheming, and extortion. And most despicable of all, false teachers that use my name in vain for the sake of vanity and to pursue personal gain. The filth from men’s hearts is that which is filth to me."

Actually, the Lord did not say "Bull-dung." "Dung" is the word found in the King James Version of the Bible, which means exactly the same thing as the word Jesus really used. I just did not want to offend all those "pure hearts" out there by repeating it exactly as I understand President Truman used the term.

At a gathering at the White House of many dignitaries, President Truman did not believe what one man was trying to persuade him to believe, and he snorted, "Horse manure."

The first lady, Bess Truman, was chatting with a friend nearby, who overheard the Presidents outspoken opinion. She advised the first lady that she should ask the president to use language more in keeping with the dignity of his office. Bess responded, "It took me twenty years to persuade him to say "horse manure!"

The same ones who object to "such rude language" are often the hypocrites who practice the above-mentioned filthy practices that Jesus regards as "unspeakable."

(The Lord Speaks)