August 2000

We are living in an era when God is beginning to restore all things to His elect. This truth should be plain for all to see, whose spiritual eyes and ears have been opened by the Spirit. A new Day has begun in the earth; it is the Day of the reign of Christ in all the earth. It is an era of the ultimate restoration of all things, and it has begun with us. According to the scriptures, there are some things that must have transpired first before this day could come. This day is "the day of Christ;" this also is the day of the Lord, or the day of the reign of Christ in the earth, as we shall see. Paul told us what must take place FIRST before this day could come. He said, "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 opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thess. 2:2-4).

Paul wrote this to the Thessalonians to tell them not to be deceived into thinking that "the day of Christ is (was) at hand" at that time. That Day could not come then, nor could it come any time afterward, until two significant events took place. Paul made it clear that those two events had to take place FIRST before that Day could come. The first event Paul mentioned was "a falling away," and the second event was the revealing of the "man of sin," or "the son of perdition." These two significant events have already taken place, thus preparing the way for "the day of Christ" to come. That "falling away" has already taken place in Christendom, or in the church system, where many people attend supposing they were being protected from error and deception by staying in the churches and fellowships of man.

That the "falling away" has already taken place within the churches and religious systems should be clear to all observant and discerning sons. All those whom God has anointed and called out of the church system should be able to see this very clearly. There has been "a falling away" from the truth of God in the churches and fellowships of today. There has been "a falling away" among them from the life of God. There has been "a falling away" from the will of God. And there has been a general "falling away" from the ways of the Lord throughout all of Christendom. It has been said that the only truth most Christians know for sure now is the truth that Jesus died for them. Everything else they believe and teach is either total error, or is mixed with error. Most programs and services in churches today are designed to satisfy the soul, rather than ministering life to the spiritual man, by the Spirit. We are privileged of our Father to have been called out of it all before that "falling away" took place. And the wise virgins among us will remain free of that bondage, that we might have sufficient oil of the Spirit to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, and do all His will in the earth without man's carnal interference.

The second even that had to take place before the day of Christ could come was the revealing of the "man of sin," or "the son of perdition." The man of sin has been revealed by the holy Spirit as being the carnal, Adamic nature and mind in every one of us. Old Adam within us all is that "man;" he is the "son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." When the blessed holy Spirit reveals the truth of the man of sin to us individually, and that "he" is within us all, we will then also realize that "he" has been sitting in this temple, which we are, showing himself that "he" is God. (Write for the book, "Antichrist In Man," which explains this truth, if you do not yet have it.)

With a revelation of that man being within us all, we will then be able to discern between the voice of the man of sin within us and the still, small Voice of the Spirit of the living God, which also is within us. Then, we will also understand that the two significant events, which Paul predicted must take place before the day of Christ could come, have already occurred, thus signifying that "the day of Christ is at hand." When the Lord called us out of religious Babylon, He was protecting us from that "falling away" and keeping us unto Himself for His holy, kingdom purposes for this great Day.

"The day of Christ," or the day of the Lord, is also the Day of the reign of Christ in the earth. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied of the day of the Lord, when he declared, "For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries" (Jer. 46:10). The New Testament description of the day or age of the reign of Christ in the earth is very similar to Jeremiah's description of the day of the Lord. Paul wrote saying, "For he (Christ) must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet" (1 Co. 15:25). Whether the Lord should "avenge him of (or punish) his adversaries (or enemies)," or "put all enemies (or adversaries) under his feet (to subdue and punish them)," He is doing the same thing. The day of Christ has come! He is reigning over all the earth to avenge Him of His adversaries, or to put all His enemies under His feet.

This Day came "as a thief in the night," and without observation. The reign of Christ shall continue until the old "heavens" have passed away, the "elements," or the present orderly arrangement of things, have melted "with fervent heat," and the earth and its works are "burned up" (2 Pe. 3:10). And when "they" were saying peace and safety, the "sudden destruction" of the Lord's judgments came upon "them," to purge them of their unrighteousness. Furthermore, when "the day of Christ" began, Father's plan for the restoration of all things also began to be fulfilled. What a wonderful Day this is!

There are many errors and misunderstandings regarding the reign of Christ and the kingdom of God. It has long been believed that God would first change the world to make it a more righteous and peaceful world, and then He would be able to reign over all the earth. Some may also believe that as soon as the reign of Christ begins, the whole world would become righteous and peaceful as if overnight. But neither of these ideas are in harmony with the truth of God. Contrary to the theories of man, the reign of Christ begins for the sole purpose of subduing all the enemies of Christ and His kingdom, and putting them all under His feet. Paul declared, "He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet" (1 Co. 15:25). Christ is reigning, possibly for a thousand years or more (2 Pet. 3:8), to defeat all His enemies! He never planned to subdue His enemies and then reign. That was man's theory! Christ is reigning now for the sole purpose of subduing His enemies and putting them all under His feet!

Many have also erroneously believed that if there was violence or other manifestations of evil in the land, Christ could not be reigning. That idea also is the result of the carnal thinking of man. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God as being a "net," when He said, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of EVERY KIND (including the good and the bad): Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world (age): the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Mt. 13:47-50).

The end of the church age has already come and the kingdom net has been cast into the great sea of man throughout all the earth. Everything in the earth, whether good or evil, was brought into that kingdom net. All of it had to be brought into the kingdom net, or under the dominion of Christ the King, so His angels or messengers could separate them one from the other. The bad part of man that is in the kingdom net, which is the Adamic nature and mind in all of us, shall be severed from the just person that we are and then cast into a furnace of fire, which is the fiery presence of the Lord (He. 12:29), where it/he shall be burned. And as the process of separating and burning old Adam takes place, there will indeed be "wailing and gnashing of teeth." The good part of us, which is the spiritual man that we are, will be gathered and kept as the seed of all mankind to be sown in the kingdom of our Father. Can we not see from this that the kingdom of God, in its beginning, takes within its net, or within its dominion or sphere of influence, all things, including the good and the bad?

All that takes place today, whether good or bad, and whether we like it or not, is all taking place under the dominion of the kingdom of our Father, and as a direct result of the reign of Christ in the earth. Christ is reigning now! A new Light is shining in the earth; it is the Light of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords! And that Christ-Light is exposing all the darkness, reproving it, and bringing it all to judgment. Paul knew very well how bad things can get when we see all the darkness that is in man. He warned us, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest IS LIGHT" (Eph. 5:11-13).

Paul is telling us here that the Light, which is Christ, is that power of God and His kingdom that exposes and manifests the darkness, showing it to be all that it is. Only the true, pure Light can manifest or reveal the darkness! When we see gross darkness and man's evil deeds being exposed and revealed, as they are today, we should rejoice, for the Light of Christ is shining more intensely in all the earth. The increase in the number and degree of sin and evil brings forth a greater manifestation of the grace of God. Thus Paul wrote, "where sin abounded, GRACE did MUCH MORE abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ro. 5:20-21).

Christ is reigning now, by His grace, in all the earth! The Light and the Glory of His throne are exposing, revealing, manifesting, and reproving the darkness and its deeds, to bring it all to judgment. Nothing else but pure Light, which is the Light of Christ, can expose and manifest the darkness in the world and in the hearts of mankind. For years and ages past, the darkness in man was hidden, as a deep, dark secret. It was all hidden in the depths of man's carnal soul, and then was expressed and manifested at times. But today, a new Light is shining everywhere in the earth, and that glorious Light is exposing and revealing the darkness, as well as all the deeds done in that darkness, to bring it all to judgment. "Grace (is) reign(ing) through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen!

Jesus spoke of this time and warned the disciples of the doctrines of the Pharisees, which is the same as the present doctrines of Christendom. He said, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in the closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops" (Lu. 12:1-3, see also 1 Cor. 4:5 & Ecc. 12:13-14 ). Leaven is similar to yeast in bread dough. As yeast leavens or influences the whole lump of bread dough, changing its chemical structure, so also do the doctrines of the pharisees change the truth of God into a hypocritical word or message, thus removing its life-changing power and ability. The truth of God, if received in its pure, simple, spirit form, will change the life of the believer. But when it is mixed with the leaven of the Pharisees, that pure truth then becomes a powerless, hypocritical mixture that changes no one.

There are multitudes of God's people who have "the message." They think because they have the message that they have arrived. But the message they have is mixed with the leaven of the Pharisees, or of the religious systems of man, making that message ineffective, powerless and benign. The leaven of the Pharisees is that weak, insipid, anything-goes attitude that negates the power of the Word, transforming that anointed Word into a mere message to be heard. The message that many hear never gets to the part of their spirit and soul that translates that anointed Word into positive action, which will lead them to do all the will of the Father. They hear the anointed Word of the Lord calling them to leave the corrupt church system, or some other anointed Word calling for decisive and obedient action, but then they allow that Word to be mixed with the leaven of the Pharisees, thus bringing forth nothing more than an empty, weak and powerless message.

Perhaps the prophet Isaiah had the leaven of the Pharisees in mind when he prophesied. "Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs (for deliverance); so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world (which is the sinful, Adamic man) fallen" (Is. 26:17-18). If we hear the Word of the Lord expressing our Father's will, but do nothing to obey it or fulfill it, that word then becomes as empty, powerless and ineffective as a pregnant woman who has aborted her baby. For this reason, Jesus said, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Every step we take in obedience to our Father and His anointed Word will first be challenged by "the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

Paul warned us, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." The hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the unfruitful works of darkness must be reproved. And there is no one else on this earth now to reprove those elements of darkness but you and me. We reprove those things by taking a stand against them! We reprove the darkness and the leaven of man's hypocrisy by hearing the pure Word of the Lord and then doing it without reservation. And if we fail to do the will of our Father in these small and simple things, how can we ever expect to reign with Him?

The reign of Christ in the earth is bringing darkness and the deeds done in that darkness to a manifestation. How should we act and react to the present manifestation of darkness everywhere in the earth? Men's hearts are failing them for fear of that which is coming on the earth, the powers of the heavens are being shaken, and the Son of man is seen coming in clouds of Spirit with power and great glory. Jesus told us how we should act when these things begin to take place. He said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Lu. 21:26-28). Our redemption draweth nigh! Can you believe it? God is bringing an end to all sin and darkness by exposing it, revealing it, reproving it, and bringing it all to judgment.

Our redemption draweth nigh! This tells us that the darkness is coming to an end; we shall ultimately be transformed in our bodies, and true righteousness and peace shall eventually reign everywhere. And that is the truth! It may not all take place next month, next year, or even in the next decade or more. But all Father's prophetic word shall be fulfilled in every detail, in the way He has revealed that it should take place, and in His time, whatever space of "time" exists between this present evening time and the dawning of the new morning in Father's time. God is in control! He is Lord of all, and His kingdom is progressing and increasing with the increase of God (Is. 9:7). The carnal mind rejects it; the world will never understand it; and most Christians will not believe it, because of the gross darkness in their souls and spirits. But all who hope to be transformed will believe it and accept it, for their loving Father prepared them for this great Day!

The Restoration of All Things, Beginning With the Elect

The Lord began to fulfill His plan of restoration with us, for we are His elect and chosen ones, the firstfruits of all His creatures (Ja. 1:18). It is written of us, "These are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb" (Rev. 14:4). Notice the qualifications given for this company of the elect, who are the remnant of the body of Christ. They follow the Lord wherever He goes in their spiritual journey. They were redeemed, ransomed or purchased out from among mankind by their Father as the firstfruits of all the rest of mankind, and for His holy purposes in redemption.

James wrote, "Of his own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:18). The word "firstfruits" is taken from a Greek word meaning "a beginning of sacrifice" (from Strong's). And that is what we are. We are a sacrifice to God, the beginning of a greater sacrifice to come, when all mankind shall be fully surrendered as a sacrifice to Him. Our will is yielded to His perfect will and His eternal purpose has become our purpose. We are as a freewill offering unto God at this "evening time" in the eternal purposes of our Father.

The prophet Daniel was touched by Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, "about the time of the evening oblation," which is the time of the evening sacrifice (Da. 9:23). Even so have we been touched by the Lord and designated as the sacrifice unto God at the evening time of this new Day. And now we are the firstfruits, or the sacrificial offering, given or offered for the salvation of all mankind at this evening time in Father's purposes. We are that holy people, that prepared people, who "shall be (and are) willing in the day of thy (kingdom) power" (Ps. 110:3).

The prophet Isaiah revealed the same truth using a different illustration. The words of the prophet, as given in the King James Version, tell of destruction coming on the earth, which leaves nothing standing anywhere. According to the natural understanding of that prophecy, even the tenth, or the tithe, if it were left in the land, would also be destroyed. But the spiritual intent and purpose of this prophecy is very different from the strictly natural or literal interpretation. Most who attempt to interpret prophecies such as this follow the strict, literal, or letter of the word interpretation, without regard for the spiritual intent and purpose to be seen in the spirit of the word. And we all know there is a vast difference between the letter of the word and the spirit of the word interpretation of scripture. The leaders of religious Babylon brought much confusion into the interpretation of God's word with their limited, carnal, letter of the word understanding.

To help us understand the spiritual intent and purpose of this prophecy, or the spirit of the word, I will quote it, inserting Strong's interpretation of some words that may be difficult to understand. Thus, we read, "But yet in it shall be a tenth (which is the tithe of the whole), and it (we) shall return (to the Lord), and shall be eaten (or consumed by fire): as a teil (or a strong) tree, and as an oak (another strong tree), whose substance (something stationary, as a monumental stone or the stock of a tree, something like a pillar with substance) is in them (us), when they cast (or send forth their seed as leaves): so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof" (Is. 6:13). What a wonderful prophecy of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus! We are considered by our Father to be the tithe or the tenth of the whole world of mankind.

Our Father called us and chose us as the tithe of all mankind before the foundation of the world. Then He gave us His Spirit and called us to return to Him in fullness. When we returned to the Lord, we were consumed by the holy fires of His presence. We are seen coming out of the fires of His consuming presence with the spiritual strength of a teil or an oak tree. His fiery presence made us strong, so that now we have the strength of a tree or a monumental stone, and have become a pillar in the house of the Lord. We were made strong in God, so that nothing can move us or separate us from the love of God.

Rather than being moved, we move circumstances and others by our spiritual strength, according to the will of our Father. When we cast our seed as a tree does at harvest time, that seed will bring forth after its kind. The resulting "trees" or people will be as strong as Christ, the original "Tree." Eventually, all people shall become as spiritually strong as we are. I believe this is what Isaiah's prophecy tells us when it is interpreted with the Spirit of wisdom from the mind of Christ. This is a description of the remnant saints of the Lord who have come to do all the holy will of their Father in this new Day!

The Lord called us and chose us as His elect, that we might become a firstfruits of His creatures. The calling and the choosing is all of God! We had nothing to do with our Father's call upon our lives. He called us by His grace, and not because we chose it, deserved it, or earned it. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (or sons) by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Eph. 1:4-6).

Our Father predestinated us to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to Himself. This means the Lord chose us as His own, and then made us His tithe or His firstfruits, according to His eternal purpose, which He purposed for us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And because He chose us as the firstfruits of all His creatures, God must fully deliver us and restore us before or ahead of any others, for we are the means of bringing restoration to the whole fallen realm of man. Not until we are fully delivered, saved and restored can the creation be restored, for we are the firstfruits of them all.

Paul wrote to Timothy, explaining more about this truth, when he wrote, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to HIS OWN PURPOSE and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim. 1:9). I trust the Lord has given you ears to "hear" what the Spirit is saying here! Our high calling according to God's purpose and grace was given to us in Christ before the world began. I believe this tells us that when we were a spirit somewhere in the vast sphere of God's Spirit in the beginning, before the world began, God placed our high calling in Christ. Our high calling was in Christ before the world began! He chose us as His own then! When our spirits were made one with God's Spirit, we then received our high calling. Our high calling was already in Christ! But when the holy Spirit quickened us and made us alive to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we then received that high calling, and became aware of our Father's plan and purpose for our lives. Thus, our Father called us according to His own purpose and grace before the world began.

We were not saved either by chance, by choice, or by accident! There are no mistakes in God! Neither are there accidents, chances, or man's choices in God! God will have all men to be saved, not by their choice, or by chance, or by accident, but only according to His sovereign purpose in grace and in His own good time (1 Co. 15:23)! We were not saved by chance, but by His sovereign PURPOSE! And so it will be with all the rest of mankind! All that our Father does in the earth is done strictly according to His purpose, and not by choice, or by chance, or as the result of a mistake or an accident. God planned your salvation and mine before the world began, by His purpose and grace, according to the good pleasure of His will, and not because we made certain choices. The holy Spirit drew us to the Father at His appointed time and according to His own purpose, which He purposed in Christ before the world began.

Jesus said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." And then He added this very significant word, "and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jo. 6:44, see also Jo. 14:6). Our salvation began with God, it was and is being sustained by God, and will be fully completed by Him! What a difference between the truth of Jesus' words and the errors of the religious systems of man. The church system would have us believe that all mankind can and will be saved if we will preach the Gospel to them. If only they had enough money, they tell us, then they could reach the whole world for Christ. But that is simply not the truth! Jesus said no such thing, nor is it written that way anywhere in the scriptures! Money is not a problem with God. If this was the time for the whole world to be saved, it would be done! It is as simple as that! Father's only purpose during the past and present has been and is to take out of the nations a people, a remnant, or a firstfruits, for His name (see Acts 15:14). The salvation of the rest of the people of the world will take place later!

I have seen that there are those in the churches of today, whom I call pseudo-Christians. They do not seem to have a genuine experience with the Lord. The only reason can be that the holy Spirit did not draw them to Christ! They went through the motions of being saved, that they might be freed from the judgment of hell-fire and damnation, due to man's erroneous teachings, and not because the Father drew them. They may be tares in the kingdom of heaven! God is not obligated to raise them up at this last day. But He is obligated to raise us up at this last day, for the Spirit of our Father drew us to Christ, that we might be fully saved, in spirit, soul and body. The Lord, whom we lovingly serve and obey, is the Alpha and the Omega in our personal lives. He is the same also in the lives and in the affairs of all men and all things everywhere else. God is sovereign! He manifested His sovereignty when He saved us! Everything else that took place and is taking place in our lives was and is being done by His sovereign purpose and grace, and according to the good pleasure of His perfect will. Amen!

By observing the Lord's careful and diligent preparation in our lives, we can see that Father has begun the restoration of all things, and that He began it with us. When the Lord called us out of the church system, He began a process of restoration in our lives. He replaced the errors of religious Babylon, which we brought with us when we left, with the precious truth of His pure word. This has been quite a learning experience for us. The tests and trials we endured prepared the "soil" of our souls to receive His truth and then walk it out. And in receiving the pure truth of the kingdom, we grew spiritually to become more like Christ. As we continue to receive the Truth, which Christ is, we shall grow spiritually until we are just like Him.

It may have been difficult for us to realize that not all we believed when we left the church system was the truth of God. But as we took one step at a time in our spiritual growth, by the leading of His Spirit, much of the errors of man that was in our hearts and minds were replaced with the truth of God. This shows us that the Lord has begun to restore all things, and that He began that process with us. As the Lord's firstfruits, Father must begin that process of restoration in our lives by restoring His truth and His life to us, by His Spirit. Then, when our Father has completed His wonderful work of restoration in our lives, He will eventually begin to restore everything else, according to the prophetic promises of His immutable word. Whatever our loving and merciful Father has determined to do with all mankind and with the whole world, He must first do it in us, with us and for us, that we might be those ministers of reconciliation, who shall bring forth the salvation of the rest of the world. This is what it means for us to be a firstfruits of His creation!

This truth was written by Paul to the Corinthians. "And all things are of God, who hath (first) reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and (then) hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit (which means, or in this manner), that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Co. 5:18-19). Paul is telling us here that in order to save the whole world of mankind and reconcile them all to God, He first determined to call out a people, who are His elect, His remnant, or His firstfruits. Then He would fully deliver them, reconcile them, and commit to them the ministry or the word of reconciliation. Only the fully delivered and reconciled saints in Christ can reconcile others! Only a free person can set other captives free! A slave most certainly cannot free another slave, neither can someone in prison free another prisoner! It is impossible for bound and imprisoned people to free anyone else! This is especially true in the kingdom of our Father!

Whenever the Lord begins to set His people free, there are always those less mature believers who will find carnal reasons why they should stay in bondage. When the Lord began calling His elect out of the church system in the great outpouring that began in 1948, and freeing them/us completely of its many bondages, errors, deceptions, and limitations, there were those who rose up in the flesh to question God. So also are there those today who would question the wisdom of God when He calls His chosen ones to leave religious Babylon. Such immature believers have not yet received a revelation from God of the deceptive power and influence of the corrupt church system, which was created by the carnal, Adamic man of the flesh.

God would have us to be free of the flesh, and of all the bondages and everything else that is not of Him! Some would even try to tell us that the Lord sent them back into the corrupt church system to free others. But that is far from the truth of God. The enemy of your soul and mine does not want any of us to be free! Our chief enemy, who is the instigator of all evil and darkness, rejoices to see God's people in the deceptive darkness and bondage of the church system. But God's will is being done and shall continue to be done, for He is setting His elect and chosen ones free! And "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (Jo. 8:36).

Only free and fully reconciled believers and followers of Christ can free others! To reconcile means to change. Since it is the Lord who is reconciling us and changing us, we then realize that we are being changed into His image and likeness. If some refuse to be changed and desire to return to the old system with its carnality, deceptions and bondages, it is obvious that they require a further work of cleansing and deliverance in their lives that can only be done in the churches and fellowships of man. Not until they are fully delivered and reconciled to God can believers be used of the Father to set others free!

Only those who are fully reconciled to God shall be able to reconcile the multitudes to God! This is the plan and purpose of God. It is the holy will of our Father that is clearly stated in the written word of God for all who have ears to hear and eyes to see! This is our Father's plan, which is also clearly "written" and engraved upon the hearts and lives of the chosen saints of the Lord. In spite of all the carnal reasonings of man, our Father has an elect remnant who are being set free of all bondages! As the firstfruits of the creation, their spiritual walk in the freedom, victory, and liberty of Christ is and shall be the model for the rest of the multitudes of the world.

The Apostle Paul, who was the great spiritual leader of the early church, told us clearly what the plan of God was. Our Father is first calling His elect and chosen ones out of the bondage of the church systems of man, and eventually out of all other bondages, by His Spirit. Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jo. 8:32, see also 1 Co. 7:22-23, 9:19, Ga. 4:26, 31 & 5:1). And He also is fully reconciling them to Himself. Then, when Father has fully delivered and reconciled His chosen elect, He will commit to them the anointed and powerful word and ministry of reconciliation. Their ministry and message will be, "we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20). Their message will be an anointed word of authority and power, which will be the voice of the Spirit calling the people of the nations Home. And when the multitudes are called to come Home by the Lord's fully prepared and anointed messengers of reconciliation, those multitudes will have no other choice but to go Home to Father's House! Blessed be the Name of the Lord Who always does all things well!

The word "restore" is used many more times in the Old Testament than it is in the New. To restore was our Father's expressed purpose in the law. If a man in Israel of old stole a sheep or an oxen and either killed it or sold it, he was told to restore it to the original owner fivefold. But if the thief kept the animal after stealing it, he was to restore it double to the original owner (see Ex. 22:1, 4, Lev. 6:4-5, 24:21 & 25:27-28). By this, we can see the importance of restoration in the purposes of our Father. Restoration also is a vital part of the kingdom of God. We may be absolutely certain that if our loving and merciful Father has tested and tried us throughout our wilderness journey in this life, He also has purposed that we shall be fully restored and rewarded abundantly for the sufferings we endured according to His will and purpose. He will restore to us much more than we ever might have lost throughout our journey in this life.

At times, when the trials of life become more difficult, we would join the Psalmist in praying, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation" (Ps. 51:12). When our trials become more severe and intense, our joy is diminished and sorrow and dejection may at times replace the joy we once had. True joy, the joy of His salvation, is of the Spirit, while sorrow, dejection and depression are all of the soulish realm. Our spirits can be joyful in the Lord, even though we may be going through the most difficult of trials. But like David, there are those times when the soul is overwhelmed because of the lack of the joy of His salvation, and we surrender to the influence and power of the soul. But to know that God is a God of restoration encourages us to expect Him to restore His joy to us again. Our Father dwells in the high and holy place, "to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Is. 57:15). And when our Father restores and revives us, He does it richly and abundantly; He restores to us much more than we think we might have lost.

Not only is restoration our Lord's expressed purpose in the law, but it runs as a thread of purpose throughout the messages of the prophets. The prophet Isaiah foretold of restoration in the kingdom of God. He declared that "the faithful city (has) become a harlot," and murderers now lodge in it. "Thy princes (our governmental leaders) are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them" (Is. 1:21-23). It is at this time of moral decline and spiritual apostasy that our Father takes over and controls things in a greater way!

Our Father intervenes in the affairs of man at a time when there no longer seems to be any hope of restoration. So what does our Father do about it? He brings forth the greater power and authority of His reign in the earth! Thus, the prophet prophesied, "Therefore (or because of your moral decline and spiritual apostasy) saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies" (Is. 1:24). No matter what it looks like now, or how bad it appears, God is still the God of restoration, and He reigns everywhere and in every situation!

As we stated on pages two and three, whether the Lord should "avenge me of mine enemies," or "put all enemies under his feet," He is doing the same thing. He is establishing the greater power of His reign over all the earth to avenge Him of His adversaries, or to put all His enemies under His feet. But to restore all things and make everything right in this world, the Lord has an established order that He will follow to fulfill that plan of restoration. The prophet continues, "And I will turn my hand upon thee (Israel), and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin" (Is. 1:25). Tin is an element that is mixed with another metal to make an alloy. Like "dross" tin creates a mixture; here it refers to the mixture of flesh and spirit within us. In order to restore all things, God begins with us, by removing that which represents "dross" and "tin" within us. That which makes this mixture in us must be removed, and it is being removed by the Lord in the fiery oven of His consuming presence. God is changing us by removing the elements within us that made us the mixture that we are.

This is done in our lives to mold us into the image and likeness of Christ, our elder Brother, and to restore us to the fullness of the glory of Christ. By this molding process, the Lord is fulfilling His prophetic word, which is "to restore the preserved of Israel (that's us): I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Is. 49:6). Here again, the truth of the firstfruits, which we are, is revealed and declared. As the firstfruits of all mankind, we are also "the preserved of Israel." We are being restored now before, or in advance of, all others. We are becoming the Light of Christ, which shall be given of our Father to all the nations of the world, to be His "salvation unto the end of the earth."

As far as the Lord and His truth is concerned, His plan of restoration includes even the years or the time we spent enduring the tests and trials of this life. Joel prophesied, saying, "And I will restore to you THE YEARS that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25). There may certainly be other interpretations of this prophecy, but when we look at our experiences in the wilderness of this world, it seems as if the Lord has turned loose a great army of destroying insects with which to process us. Where did that "army" come from? God sent them! Everything from destroying "locusts" to consuming "palmerworms" seemed to attack us with desperate and hungry urgency. Through it all, we may feel scattered and peeled, or robbed and spoiled; but the result will be a people in His image and likeness. Our Father will even restore to us the years we spent in this wilderness. It is interesting also that the word "restore" here is taken from the Hebrew word "shalam," which is the root of the word "shalowm," that is translated peace. It means to be completed and safe in body, mind or estate, and then to reciprocate that spirit of restoration to others. And that is what we shall be and do!

When we have been purged and purified in the fires of the presence of the Lord, the next phase of God's word shall be fulfilled. "I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed" (Is. 1:26-28). The "judges" the Lord restores, according to the original meaning, are those who judge or pronounce sentence, and who also govern. And the "counsellors" are those who advise and resolve problems; they may be kingdom peace makers. All these are kings and priests in the kingdom of their Father.

Therefore, when the Lord restores judges and counsellors to His people, He is restoring to us the throne of the kingdom of God. He is establishing the greater reign of Christ the King in the earth. He is also making us kings and priests with Him in the kingdom of our Father. By the reign of Christ the King, and His co-kings with Him, we shall be called, "The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness." Those who expect Christ to reign on a literal throne in Jerusalem, or in any other literal city of this world, will be disappointed. God has made Jerusalem and Mount Zion spiritual realms, with spiritual people dwelling in its hallowed "mansions" and "sitting" on His spiritual throne in the highest of the heavens, or in the Spirit.

Those redeemed and fully restored saints reign from His spiritual throne in that spiritual city, which is the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, which is above and is the mother of us all. The transgressors and the sinners among them, which are the works of the flesh as well as the carnal nature and mind within us all, shall be destroyed, freeing us of all sin and iniquity and eventually delivering all mankind as well. Then, we shall live and reign with Christ throughout the age until every enemy is subdued and put under our feet, and Christ is Lord of all in every area of His vast and glorious universe.

The whole creation is groaning and travailing together, waiting for that manifestation of the kingdom of God, which will be the manifestation of the sons of God. And we will not disappoint them! Then, the kingdom of God shall be in full manifestation. The prophetic word of the Lord shall be fulfilled, which says, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them (us); and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall SEE the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you.

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay (within us), shall be grass with reeds and rushes (or, that which sustains and gives instead of that which takes and destroys). And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

"No loin shall be there, nor any ravenous beast (such as the one within us now) shall go up thereon, it (the sinful Adamic nature within us) shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35.)

This last verse of a poem, titled "Today" by Angela Morgan, tells how we all may feel as this new, kingdom Day unfolds and progresses:

Crave but to have in it a part.

Give thanks and clasp thy heritage

TO BE ALIVE IN SUCH AN AGE!

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