June 2000

A prepared people with a holy purpose in God and in His kingdom are seen in the Spirit coming out of the wilderness of this world. As they take their last few steps out of this wilderness, our Father is revealing all that is necessary for them to be changed into His glorious image and likeness. Father's elect sons are being prepared for their transition and transformation! They are going through a process of individual and personal changes that will bring about their manifestation as God's sons and begin the restitution of all things. Although the processings necessary to change us into His likeness are difficult and trying, we are growing by that refining process to higher, spiritual realms in God, resulting in the benefits and blessings of the kingdom of God coming to all the earth. What a wonderful world of kingdom righteousness, peace and joy our Father has planned for all mankind!

Have you ever wondered what is going on now in the heavenly realm of Spirit? I often have! Recently, while waiting on the Lord and communing with Him, the Spirit of the Lord gave me words that described what was taking place in the heavenlies of His Spirit. I was made to realize that an extremely active and positive spirit of excitement and anticipation has come upon all those in that heavenly realm. The entire atmosphere of the heavenlies has changed because of our spiritual growth; it is now one of promises realized, and of hope, joy, expectation and anticipation, for God is now bringing a faithful remnant to the Promised Land of Kingdom Life. A prepared people are growing spiritually out of this realm of death into His kingdom realm of Life abundant. Without exception everyone in that realm of Spirit, from the angels to all the redeemed of earth, are fervently watching and waiting as the faithful remnant are marching to their appointed destiny to become fully manifested sons of their Father.

If we could see how it is now in the heavenlies, we would then see that the whole realm of the heavenlies is astir and alive with hope and expectation. They are passionately encouraging us in the Spirit to go onward and upward in the kingdom of our Father. Heavenly trumpets are now sounding! Those kingdom trumpets are announcing that this is the great Day of our full salvation. A remnant company of saints are marching toward their destiny as fully manifested sons of God. And the entire heavenly realm is observing their progress! With each step forward and upward we take in God, those spirits of the redeemed in the heavenlies of Spirit are rejoicing and praising our glorious and honorable Redeemer for the work of restoration He is now doing in the lives of His elect on earth at this time. They realize that their only hope of deliverance rests with the firstfruit saints on earth, who are climbing upward to their appointed destiny as fully manifested sons of God. Those in the heavenlies fully understand the truth of God, which is, "they without us should not be made perfect" (He. 11:40). They are awaiting our spiritual growth and progress unto full salvation, for they cannot be made perfect without us! Obviously, we are the key to their deliverance and full salvation!

Hearing these encouraging words of Spirit-power coming from the heavenly realm of Spirit reminded me of a vision Father gave me several years ago. In 1966, the Lord called us out of the church system. That was such a new and revolutionary experience for me that I was somewhat fearful of falling into error and deception without the fellowship of those in the church. But the Lord put all my fears to rest by speaking to me regularly and by giving me magnificent visions of His purposes being fulfilled. Those were glorious days of revelation. Today, there is less revelation but more of a KNOWING within of His will and ways. At that time, the Lord spoke to me, saying, "If you ask Me for Bread, I will not give you a stone." With that reassuring word from my Father, I never again doubted Him. Never again did I fear going into deception. His pure Word, given me by His pure Spirit, has been my guidance, my strength and my authority ever since.

It was also during that time of increased spiritual enlightenment that the Lord gave me a vision of His work, as it is both on earth and in the heavenlies of Spirit. I saw that the work of the Lord on earth and the reaction of those in the heavenly realm of Spirit is like being in a giant sports arena or stadium. The work of the Lord on earth was represented as the playing field in a stadium, and the seating stands or the bleachers was the area where all those in the heavenlies observed Father's work on earth. Whenever some spiritual work took place on earth, as seen on the playing field of that massive arena or stadium, all those in the stands, which represented those in the heavenly realm, began to applaud and get very excited.

Those in the heavenly realm acted like enthusiastic fans at a stadium when their team scores. Then I saw myself on that playing field. When I left the church system, or did some other seemingly insignificant, spiritual thing, all those in the stands applauded and shouted their praises to me. While I was struggling within myself to do the will of my Father, which seemed so different from what I had known in the past, the spirits in the heavenly realm encouraged me as I progressed spiritually. Each step I took in God and on that playing field brought the applause and the praises of all those spiritual beings in the stands. I also learned from this vision that the work our Father is doing with His elect here on earth is the greatest work He is doing anywhere. This earth, this world, is the one, great arena in all the universe where Father's work and will must be done and is being done (Mt. 6:10). The heavenly hosts are watching us and applauding us with every step we take forward and upward in the kingdom of our Father.

This vision also reminded me of the vision the Lord gave Elisha when Syria fought against Israel. One night the Syrians surrounded Israel with horses, chariots, and a great host of soldiers. When he arose the next morning, Elisha's servant saw the Syrian host surrounding them and he became very fearful. So he said to Elisha, "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" Elisha replied, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." Elisha saw that a great spiritual host surrounded them, just as they do us. So he prayed that God would open the eyes of his servant that he might see. And when the servant saw clearly in the Spirit, he saw that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Ki. 6:15-17). My beloved Brother and Sister in Christ, be assured of the Lord that a great host of spiritual "angels" surrounds you. As you go about your spiritual work, doing the will of your Father, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, the heavenly hosts are all around you. They are applauding and praising you as you walk out your Father's will here on earth. Father's will is being done in your earth, bringing the benefits of the kingdom of God to the earth all around you!

Let us now be fully assured that we are doing the will of our Father, and we also are receiving His truth. The truth of God that we are receiving is replacing the error of man's carnal doctrines. If only the whole world could hear the truth of God as we know it now instead of the negative, doom and gloom teachings of man that are constantly being fed them by carnal-minded preachers. Recently, while speaking with a friend and longtime neighbor, the subject of religion came up. I am quite sure this good friend and neighbor has been observing our lives, just as your friends and neighbors also may be observing your lives. Eventually the question came up regarding the difference between us and other "religious" people we knew. The first thing we told him was that we were spiritual not religious. But before I could explain to him the difference between our beliefs and our walk with the Lord, compared with those of others who were "religious," the conversation quickly turned to other things.

Later, as I thought about the answer I might have given this friend and neighbor, I realized I could have told him about the wonderful plan our Father has for this world. I also thought that if we could let him know how wonderful this world will become with Christ reigning as Lord and King, and all His sons with Him; he and many others might gladly serve the Lord because they could then love Him for His goodness, grace and mercy, rather than fear Him due to their false opinions of Him as a punishing tyrant and dictatorial despot. No longer would they dread the next horrible, destructive and judgmental thing God was going to do in this world, as the unbelieving and uninformed preachers have told them for years and for centuries would take place; they could then love Him because of His marvelous, redemptive plan for this world and the whole universe, which He is beginning to fulfill now.

What the world of misinformed people needs to hear today is the message of the love of God. People need to know that God loves them! And have you noticed that even secular TV programs are now declaring the message of God's love? People need to hear the truth of God. Well did the Psalmist declare, "All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth" (Ps. 138:4). What a difference we will see in this world when all the people shall truly HEAR the words of His mouth! Rather than the messages of darkness and condemnation that originate from the carnal-minded, religious preachers, all mankind should hear the wonderful truth of God directly from His "mouth."

They should hear the Father of all spirits declare that He has no plan to "rapture" all the professed Christians away to some heaven in the sky. Nor is it His plan to leave the unchurched, the nonreligious, and the so-called "unsaved" multitudes on the earth to suffer through some ill-conceived idea of a "great tribulation." Rather than do any of this religious nonsense conceived in the carnal mind of the leaders of the church system, God is establishing His kingdom with His chosen saints right here on this earth, to ultimately bring His righteousness, peace and joy to all mankind in every area of this troubled world.

To accomplish this, our Father is raising His sons to higher heights in the Spirit; He is "rapturing" us to the higher heavens of His Spirit, where we are reigning with Him. He has raised up an anointed remnant who are "valiant for the truth upon the earth" (Jer. 9:3). And the multitudes of this world do not need to be converted to receive the correct and true vision of the kingdom of God. Father has already planted that vision of a new earth in their spirits; He has already "told" them the truth of His kingdom, by the ministration of His sovereign and omnipotent Spirit. The very "heart" or "seed" of the truth of the kingdom of God is already written on the tables of the hearts of every person, by the work of the Spirit within them.

"There is One More Mountain to Climb"

The Lord spoke these words to me recently as I was contemplating my relationship with Him and my spiritual goal. I then asked Him what that mountain was and what it was called. He gave me to understand that this mountain, which is the mountain all of us shall climb who hope to be transformed, was called "the mount of transfiguration." It is a spiritual mountain that we shall climb or ascend on the way to our transformation, or our change into the image and likeness of Christ. This mountain may also be called Mount Zion, but it will be the most difficult of the spiritual heights we have yet ascended on this journey to our Father's fullness. Yet, we have come this far by grace, and by His grace we shall make it all the way Home!

Now we understand that there is still one more mountain to ascend in our journey to His fullness and our complete and total change. And I am sure most of us know that the word "ascend" simply means to rise spiritually and grow to greater heights in the Spirit. It is what we do when we worship our Father in the Spirit. When we "ascend" in the Spirit, we are focusing our minds on the Lord and are hearing His voice; we are communing with Him, by the Spirit. As we ascend this last mountain in the Spirit, our souls, which include our mind, our will, and our emotions, will be renewed by the Spirit in preparation for our total bodily transformation (Ro. 12:2). This will be the same experience for us that Jesus had on His "mount of transfiguration."

No doubt, we are all familiar with the transformation or transfiguration of Jesus, which, according to most accounts, took place on Mount Hermon. That mountain has since been referred to as "the mount of transfiguration" (Mt. 17:1-2). Although Jesus appeared in His transformed glory then on that literal mountain before three of His disciples, the work of the Spirit to prepare Him for that glorious event took place throughout His earthly journey, just as ours has also. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered, and so also are we. Jesus experienced the wiles of the devil while in the wilderness, just as we also have. Jesus learned to hear His Father's voice at all times, causing Him to do only and always His Father's will. We are also learning to hear our Father's voice, that we might do only and always His perfect will. These and many other examples in the earthly life of Jesus confirm to us the wonderful truth that we are also being prepared to ascend the glorious "mount of transfiguration," just as He did.

Mt. Hermon was a mountain near the northeastern border of Palestine. It is about 9200 feet above sea level, and is one of the tallest mountains in the area. Since the transfiguration of Jesus took place on "an high mountain," Mount Hermon is the most likely mountain of all those in that area where that glorious event could have taken place. Even its original name suggests to us that Mount Hermon was the mountain where Jesus was transfigured or transformed, and where He appeared in His glory. The word "Hermon" from the Hebrew, is taken from a root word meaning to seclude, specifically to devote to religious or spiritual uses. This suggests to us that the Lord reserved and consecrated Mount Hermon for that wonderful, spiritual event, known as "the transfiguration of Jesus."

This truth is confirmed in one of David's prophetic songs. The Psalmist sang of the blessedness of brethren dwelling together in unity. He likened that unity to the anointing of Aaron, which flowed down upon his beard, anointing his entire body and reaching all the way down to the skirts of his garments. It is the blessed unity that God has promised all the sons of God, who are the body of Christ. That anointing was described by David "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even LIFE for evermore" (Ps. 133:3).

The literal, physical Mount Hermon was the mountain that was consecrated for the transfiguration of Jesus; it was the place where the Lord commanded that the blessing of the Life of God should come upon Jesus. Just as the Lord chose Mt. Sinai to give the law to Moses, so also did He choose Mt. Hermon as the place where Jesus would be transfigured or transformed. But the spiritual mountains of Zion represent the consecrated realms where all the called and chosen sons of God shall be transformed, "for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even LIFE for evermore." No longer do we look to a literal mountain to receive the blessings of the Lord! The Lord has chosen Zion to show forth His glory; it is a realm in the Spirit, the realm of His throne and of His reign and dominion.

Mount Hermon also was the source of the Jordan River. All the rivers and streams on earth begin in higher elevations, such as in mountains. From those various higher sources on earth, all the rivers and streams then flow down and out to the oceans. (See Ecc. 1:7, the sun, the winds, and the waters, each have their appointed "circuits" in the earth.) The water from the oceans is drawn up into the clouds by the sun. That water is then carried by those clouds over dry land to be released as rain. Some of that rain waters the soil, or is used for other purposes; the rest of that water runs down to the valleys, filling the rivers and streams. God also wisely sends some of the water to the earth as snow in the mountains, which then melts in warmer weather, providing necessary water for the lower valleys during the hot and dry summer season. This "circuit" of water continues to supply the necessary water each season of each year for the earth and all its inhabitants. And this is the earth with the curse still on it! Yet, our Father has a wonderful plan to remove the curse from the earth, restore it all, and recreate it into something far more glorious.

It becomes increasingly clear that our Father sovereignly chose Mount Hermon and set that mountain apart, according to the meaning of its name, for a wise and glorious purpose. That mountain was chosen of God, in the first place, to be the source of the Jordan River. Then, our Father, also for a very wise and sovereign purpose, chose Mount Hermon as the place where Jesus was to be transfigured before three of His disciples. As the source of the Jordan River, including all that the Jordan once represented to us, Mount Hermon has been seen in a rather negative light.

The name Jordan, from the original Hebrew, means a descender. That original Hebrew word is taken from another, meaning to descend, to bring down, to cast down, or to fall down, and also to go downward to a lower region, or to go downward to the enemy. Jordan is symbolic of death, which is the great enemy of all mankind and the whole creation. It is the great enemy that all mankind has faced when their term here in this earthly realm is finished. And that powerful adversary of death will be the last enemy to be put under the feet of this Christ-body. Death shall surely be conquered by the might and power of the reign of Christ (1 Cor. 15:25-26).

The part of us that seeks for and responds to sin and death is the carnal, Adamic mind and nature that is in all of us. The prophetic word of the Lord refers to this Adamic monster within us all as "behemoth," meaning, a water ox or hippopotamus, as "leviathan," which is a crocodile or other large sea monster, and as "the dragon that is in the sea" (see Ps. 74:12-14, Is. 27:1, Da. 7:3, & Rev. 13:1). And the sea represents all mankind (Is. 57:20). The actions of this "behemoth," or the Adamic beast in the sea of man, are described this way in the book of Job: "Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth" (Job 40:15, 23). In this prophetic passage, the Jordan River is linked with the Adamic man's attempt to defy death. We can therefore see from this that the destiny of man is uniquely and prophetically tied to death, which is typically represented by the Jordan River.

Mount Hermon is the source of the Jordan River in the natural. As we consider these two places, we shall see that there are prophetic parallels, both in the natural and the spiritual. The Jordan River, which originated at Mount Hermon, spiritually and prophetically represents death. But Jesus was transfigured on Mount Hermon to illustrate the blessed truth that the source of the Jordan has been cleansed and redeemed by the death and Life of Jesus Christ. As a result of the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Hermon, the Jordan River now represents a new life. This was prophetically foretold when John baptized many believers in the Jordan. All who were baptized of John in the Jordan River were symbolically burying the old man that they might arise from that "death" to live a new life in Christ (Ro. 6:4). Being more mature spiritually, we now fully understand that God never does anything without a reason or a sovereign purpose.

All that Father has done in the earth was done with a distinct, sovereign purpose in mind. I firmly believe one of Father's purposes in showing forth the Life of Christ that day on Mount Hermon, or on "the mount of transfiguration," was to illustrate the great truth that the process of death, as symbolized by the Jordan River, has been reversed in Christ. The Jordan River, once typically known as the river of death flowing from Mount Hermon, is transformed at its source, to become Life to all. This is to be seen only typically and spiritually, not literally. Everything about the spiritual symbolism of the Jordan River and Mount Hermon, or "the mount of transfiguration," illustrates the reversal of sin and death, and our return to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ (see De. 30:1-3, 8, Ps. 90:3, Is. 10:21-22, 35:10, 51:11, Jer. 31:7-14, Hos. 3:5, 6:1). How wisely Father illustrated His redemptive truths and purposes, through His grand design in all of nature, for our understanding and experience!

Although we have spoken of a natural river, the Jordan River, we are all aware that there is a greater, more significant river that manifests or shows forth the Life of God. It is a spiritual river with a spiritual purpose, which is to transform all who partake of the waters of that River (Jo. 4:10, 14, 7:38-39). That River of Life has nothing to do with natural rivers and streams, for its source is the great God of heaven and earth. That River, as most of us know, is a flowing River of Life that is within us. That Divine River within us can never be corrupted, diluted, polluted, or diverted to another lesser purpose. It is a River of Life within us, which has as its holy and designated purpose, the power and ability to transform all who will drink of His constant, vital and endless supply of the waters of Life. And all the rivers on earth do not have the transforming power of that River that is within us. Hallelujah!

Our real concern now is with the spiritual aspect of Jesus' transfiguration. We have seen the spiritual truth of that which is natural. Let us now consider the greater spiritual truth of Jesus' transfiguration as it applies to us today. First comes the natural, "and afterward that which is spiritual" (1 Cor. 15:46). Matthew's account of this event reads as follows, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light" (Mt. 17:1-2). The word "transfigured," comes from the Greek word, "metamorphoo," and refers to His transformation or to His metamorphosis. The "transfiguration" of Jesus was a complete metamorphosis from one bodily form to another. That event illustrated Jesus' complete change from His old, flesh and blood body of this earth, to His new, heavenly body of resurrection Life and glory. It is a similar transformation or metamorphosis that we shall also experience on our "mount of transfiguration," in Father's appointed time and according to His sovereign purpose!

This wonderful event on the mount of transfiguration took place "after six days." This speaks to us of the wonderful and glorious new Day in which we now live. Prophetically, the six thousand-year days since Adam have ended! The Church age is over and so also are man's religious, church-oriented works! This is the Day when man's works must end, for all those works are now to be judged in the fiery oven of the presence of the Lord (He. 12:29, 1 Co. 3:13-15). We are no longer in "the end times," nor are we still in "the last days!" We are in the beginning of a new Day or age, which is the last day in the purposes of God for this world. The six days of man's religious labors have ended, and we are now in the beginning of the seventh day, which is the evening time of the wonderful Sabbath Day of the kingdom of God on earth. As the number seven indicates fullness, so have we arrived at the seventh day in God's economy, which is the Lord's Day of fullness and completeness. And although this is the seventh day since Adam, this also is the third day since Christ!

Then "AFTER SIX DAYS Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart." All these details were given to us by Matthew, as he was anointed and inspired of the holy Spirit, to show us the example or the pattern of Father's spiritual dealings with His chosen sons. As Jesus manifested His sonship "after six days," even so shall our sonship be fulfilled "after six days," or on the seventh day or age. And just as Jesus took three of His disciples "up into an high mountain apart," so also are we called of our Father to ascend our spiritual "mount of transfiguration" apart, or alone and in private, separated from those of other callings, that we might be transformed by seeing Him in the Spirit.

All who are familiar with mountain heights will know there are fewer trees the higher you climb a literal mountain. So also are there fewer spiritual people the higher you climb up the spiritual Mt. Zion, the glorious mountain of God. Very few Christians have an appetite for the deeper things of God and of His kingdom. You will not find them in the higher, spiritual realms of the kingdom of God. Their calling is to remain, either at Passover, or at the Pentecostal realm of meetings, preaching and teaching, and the manifestation of the gifts. Many are content with the milk of the word fed to them by those whose only calling is to minister to the house. But we have a higher calling in God, with a higher spiritual goal, according to Father's plan for us.

It is our Father's plan and purpose that we should not only be separated from those of other callings in our spiritual journey to His fullness, but also that we should climb the highest spiritual heights accessible to any one who is in Christ. We have certainly had a long and hard journey thus far. This last mountain may undoubtedly be higher and more difficult than others were on this journey; but the strength and leadership of our Captain, along with our greater maturity and past experiences in God, will make it easier for us to climb it.

"Give me This Mountain"

These daring words of challenge, determination and purpose were spoken by Caleb to Joshua when sections of the promised land were finally being allocated to the rightful heirs in Israel. You may remember that Caleb and Joshua were two men among twelve who were sent by Moses forty-five years earlier to search out the land of promise to see if it was a good land, one they could possess. Most of those spies came back with a very negative report. They told the people that they could not possess their promised land, because there were giants in the land who were much stronger than they were. Only Caleb and Joshua came back with a good report, declaring that they were well able to possess that new land. But the people rebelled and Israel did not possess their promised land at that time. Because Caleb and Joshua came back with a favorable report, Moses promised them that they would live to see the promised land and would also inherit a portion of it in due time. Moses said of Caleb at that time, "he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, because he hath wholly followed the Lord" (De. 1:36).

Years later, Israel began to possess their promised land of Canaan by driving out their enemies. Joshua assigned portions of that land to the different tribes and to those who were promised an inheritance there. Caleb then went to Joshua and said, "Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old."

"As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. NOW THEREFORE GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel" (Josh. 14:6-14).

Caleb and Joshua are types of the Lord's elect of this hour! As those two men lived to both see and inherit their promised land, so also are we called of our Father to see and inherit our greater and more glorious Promised Land. And as the lives of Caleb and Joshua spanned both the old and the new generations of their people, even so are we called of our Father to serve as a bridge between the last generation of the church age and the new generation who shall inherit the kingdom with us. Of course, our promised land is different from Caleb and Joshua's. Our promised land today is the "land" of the kingdom of God, which includes our full, bodily transformation on our "mount of transfiguration." It is the inheritance we shall receive when we have driven out our enemies and have taken this last spiritual mountain as our possession or our inheritance. Like Caleb, we may boldly and confidently say as he did when he stood before his promised land, "now therefore give me this mountain!"

As we read about Caleb and Joshua in scripture, we see that there is one outstanding characteristic about these two men of God that we should emulate. This outstanding characteristic is mentioned no less than five times in the Bible, which is that they "wholly followed the Lord" (see Num. 32:12, Deu. 1:36, Josh. 14:8, 9 & 14). For those who are called and chosen of their Father to ascend this last mountain, which is our "mount of transfiguration," it is no problem at all for them to wholly follow the Lord. They have wholly followed the Lord up to this point in their lives by leaving all that was of the old, church order of the past. And they are now prepared to continue to wholly follow the Lord as they ascend this last spiritual mountain. When they say, "now therefore give me this mountain," they mean it with every fiber of their being. They have never wavered from pursuing the goal of that vision! They have a spiritual record of wholly following the Lord in the past, and they will continue to do so in the future. They are not following man or his systems, they are following the Lord!

From the words of Caleb, we can understand what it means to wholly follow the Lord. He told how his brethren who went with him and Joshua to spy out the land came back with a negative report. They did not have the faith to believe all that God had declared about that new land and their ability to possess it. Caleb described their lack of faith and vision this way: "Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God." What does it mean to wholly follow the Lord? It means that our spirits are enlightened with the Light of Christ, so that our darkened souls are also enlightened with His Light, making it possible for us to see the new land of our inheritance, with the assurance that we are well able to possess it.

Caleb not only wholly followed the Lord, but he also "had another spirit with him" (Num. 14:24). We also have another "spirit" within us, one that is not at all like the spirit of unbelief that is within most Christians. The ten unbelievers and rebels who accompanied Caleb and Joshua when they spied out the land had no hope within them that they could ever inherit that new land. All they could see were the giants in the land. Their worldly view of things in the natural destroyed their faith and prevented them from wholly following the Lord, causing them to see only darkness everywhere (see Is. 8:22).

They were like many Christians today who are so filled with darkness, fear, and unbelief that they feared the worst would happen when the year 1999 turned over to 2000. Just the simple changing of the years to a new century caused great fear and anxiety among most Christians, because of the doom and gloom teachings of some preachers and TV evangelists. Y2K fears were rampant, especially among Christians who should have known better! Like Caleb and Joshua's "friends," the darkness within them was too great! They could not see the mighty hosts of God encamped all around the earth, keeping it and protecting it from ruin, and for the realization of the great, kingdom purposes of our Father. The unbelief of those in Caleb's generation caused the death of that entire generation in the wilderness, just as unbelief in the hearts of people today is preventing them from seeing the kingdom. Many Christians today continue to live in darkness, fear, and torment. But we will remain free of the tormenting fear and darkness of man by wholly following Christ, Who is our Savior, Lord, and King!

It is also written of Caleb that "he stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Num. 13:30). When Caleb "stilled the people," he was being a peacemaker among them. He silenced the doomsayers among them and established kingdom peace in their midst by declaring the pure word of the Lord. And this is what we must do also! The mass confusion of the many voices of religious Babylon has brought chaos, fear, disruption, and disorder among all the people. There is a famine for the pure word of the Lord in the hearts of the multitudes. But our Father is raising up a holy and righteous, Melchisedec priesthood who shall be peacemakers in the earth. And they shall declare or manifest the pure word of the kingdom of their Father.

May the Lord give us all a true vision of His kingdom and of His purposes regarding that Kingdom. A true vision of the kingdom of God will be similar to the vision Elisha had when he saw the mountain around him filled with the heavenly hosts (see 2 Ki. 6:15-17 and page three). The prophet Zechariah also received a similar vision of the four spirits of the heavens, which were standing before the Lord of all the earth (see Zech. 6:5). Such true, spiritual visions, given us by the Spirit, will show us that our Father has not abandoned this earth to the enemies of darkness, death and evil (Rev. 18:1)! Rather, He has a plan that is working now, by which this world shall fully become the "land" of the kingdom of God. This earth is our inheritance (Ps. 37:11, Mt. 5:5); it shall soon be fully under the dominion of Christ and His sons (Da. 2:44, 7:18, 22, 2 Pe. 3:13-14, Rev. 5:10). And God is preserving the earth unto the appointed hour of its full restoration.

The Psalmist stated clearly, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein" (Ps. 24:1). Our Father formed this earth and made it to be inhabited (see Is. 45:11-12, 18). He created man upon it, not to be destroyed by sin and death, but to be fully redeemed and restored by the triumphant and victorious reign of Christ the King. This world and everyone and everything in it and of it is destined to become the fullness of the kingdom of God, by the omnipotent power of the reign of Christ. It is also our Father's declared purpose and intention to cause this earth to be overwhelmed and overpowered by His dominion; then it will be filled and covered with the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Is. 11:9, Hab. 2:14). And all who are wholly following the Lord are partners with Him in fulfilling His vision of the kingdom of God!

When the twelve returned from inspecting their promised land, Joshua and Caleb gave their report to the people. As you read this positive statement by Caleb and Joshua about their land of promise, which we are quoting here, consider that the enemies we now face are sin and death. Then apply what is said here to our land of promise, which is the fullness of the kingdom of God, including our complete bodily transformation and the end of sin and death. "The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people (or the enemies) of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not" (Num. 14:7-9).

Wonderful promises abound to those who will endure to the end. These promises are not to be fulfilled by any of the old, church-order methods, such as fasting and praying for it, or prophesying our victory over those enemies, and most certainly not by naming it and claiming it. Our Father will bring us into the good land of the kingdom of God, "if the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us." The Lord requires very little of us, only that we "rebel not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people (or the enemies) of the land." Our Father also wants us to know the condition of the inhabitants of this earthly "land." He wants us to know, without a doubt, that all the evil enemies in this earthly land, especially including sin and death, "are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and THE LORD IS WITH US: FEAR THEM NOT."

When Caleb said, "now therefore give me this mountain," he was saying that he was tired of walking the old, worn out paths of the past. His vision was of the true, promised inheritance that was his, and of higher and better things in God. There came a time when the Lord spoke to Israel, telling them, "ye have compassed this mountain long enough" (De. 2:3). It was time for them to move on beyond the old paths of the past. It was time for them to climb another mountain, thus continuing their onward march to their new land. Caleb had lived without his rightful inheritance long enough. The Spirit within him assured Caleb that the time had come for him to possess his inheritance. So he went to Joshua and asked for his inheritance.

Some of us also now realize that we have compassed that old mountain of pentecostal and church order long enough. It is time for us to move on! Our Father is giving us new marching orders for this new Day! And like Caleb, we will remain strong in God and in the power of His might. Caleb's strength was the same at eighty-five years of age as it was at forty. Our strength in God is not only as it was forty-five years ago, it is much greater. He who is within us has grown and increased to become greater and more powerful. We will not fear the enemy, for the Christ within us is much greater and more powerful than he that is in the world.

From the scriptures, we can see that God has "mountains" for all of us to climb, according to His calling and purpose for each of us. When Moses' journey in this life was coming to an end, the Lord told him to climb Mount Nebo to view the promised land. Because Moses trespassed against the Lord at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, and did not sanctify the Lord alone in the midst of the people, the Lord told him he would die on Mount Nebo (see Deut. 32:49-52). He could see the new land, but was not allowed to enter it or to partake of its goodly benefits. Moses thus represents all those believers who are not called to be among the first to inherit the Life of our new Promised Land of the Kingdom of God. There are many in Christendom who have been ascending and who shall continue to ascend the typical Mount Nebo, as Moses did, to receive all that that mountain represents. But the time has come for a holy remnant to break the tradition of the past and ascend another mountain, which is our glorious "mount of transfiguration!"

We have a higher calling in God! It is a high calling in God that we have been given by the Spirit. And this high calling in God shall bring us to another mountain, which is "the mount of transfiguration." As we stand at this most significant era of transition between the end of the old age and the beginning of the new, our Father has called us to ascend this new mountain; it is a mountain that few have ever climbed before. As we catch a fleeting glimpse of this mount of transfiguration, and have reckoned the cost involved, along with the blessings and benefits to be given to the whole creation, we will then cry out to our Father "now therefore give me this mountain!" Of course, I can't speak for you, but for me, the prize to be gained is far more glorious than any earthly sufferings could ever be! And I desire that mountain and its great glory more than anything in this present "life," which really is the realm of the first death.

By the Spirit, I sense that it was our mount of transfiguration the Lord had mind when He said, "And IN THIS MOUNTAIN shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined. And he will destroy IN THIS MOUNTAIN the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death IN VICTORY; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off ALL faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that (this) day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For IN THIS MOUNTAIN shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab (typical of the carnal nature in all mankind) shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill" (Is. 25:6-10).

I also wonder if it could have been our mount of transfiguration to which Jesus referred, when He said, "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say UNTO THIS MOUNTAIN, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mk. 11:22-24).

All the enemies and obstacles that we shall confront on our ascent up our mount of transfiguration are already defeated. We simply need to stake our claim on that mountain, recognizing that all the enemies that exist there must be displaced, and the new land possessed by saints of this high calling. Our prayer now is, "Father, thy kingdom come, thy will be done." We know assuredly that it is Father's will that His chosen remnant must possess that new land. The Lord delights in us, for we are doing His will. He will give it to us as our inheritance.

After Israel passed through the Red Sea on dry ground, they sang a prophetic song of victory to the Lord. And that prophetic song also applies to the Lord's elect and chosen ones of this new Day: "Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever" (Ex. 15:17-18). The Lord's inheritance and ours also, as well as His sanctuary, are not places anywhere in the universe. His inheritance and ours, and His sanctuary, is in the heavenlies of His Spirit. Therefore, we may rightfully and justifiably claim this ancient promise as ours! Long before we were born, our Father knew us and ordained that we should be His manifest sons. Then He predestined us to inherit the fullness of His kingdom! And the great Day has come when we are beginning to possess that kingdom "land," with its wonderful blessings and benefits for all!

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