The Words of my Father

2.23.2026

Restoration and Repentance

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Restoration and Repentance
In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

1/22

We are continuing our message on restoration in reality with some additional thoughts on repentance. It is profitable for us all to reread the rewards or results of repentance found in Deuteronomy 30. We quote only parts of that Chapter below. Please go back and read the entire Chapter.

1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee,
2 And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey His voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
3 That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.
9 And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiced over thy fathers.
Deuteronomy 30:1-3, 9

Please notice the little word, "then," in Verse 3. Little words mean a lot in the Bible. In other words, the blessings, prosperity, etc., spoken of starting in Verse 3 are conditional upon the repentance in Verses 1 and 2. The same is true in the Book of Joel. Exactly in the middle of the Book of Joel (Joel 2:18) is the word "then." This is the only occurrence of the word "then" in Joel. What follows Joel 2:18 is deliverance, blessing, prosperity, etc. What precedes Joel 2:18 is repentance. Please also go back and read again all of Isaiah 58. Those 14 verses in Isaiah 58 contain the word "then" four times. Each time, it describes how the Lord will bless us IF we repent. We suspect that there have been a multitude of people who have said, "Lord if you will just do this for me, then I will ..." In general, those who make such a statement generally do not keep their vow. But AFTER we have accepted the saving grace of our Lord, there is no more place for that kind of statement or vow. At that point it is the Lord who says, "If you repent, then I will ..." Will what? Then the Lord will restore.

Now let us consider the second of the two most important actions on our part before the Lord restores the Church to that which was in the mind of God before the foundation of the world ... namely intercession.

A number of years ago I heard a good brother say, publicly, that he was not called to a ministry of intercession. What he should have said was that he had not yet recognized that call on his life. If you are a member of the body of Christ, you are automatically called to intercession because you are part of the holy, royal priesthood after the order of Melchisedec! Because He ever liveth to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25) we likewise, in identifying with Him in all points, are called to intercession for the lost (who will be found) and those already in the Church.

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. Nehemiah 4:10

The bearers of burdens represent true intercessors, whose strength is decayed. Also, no one can build a wall on rubbish because it has no firm foundation. Such is the condition of far too many churches today.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. 1 Timothy 2:1

Paul tells us that the first priority of a Christian assembly is prayer. He mentions various forms of prayer. Supplication means a petition or request. The Greek word comes from a word which means to beg, as binding oneself. Prayer signifies to pray earnestly. Jesus said to those in the temple,

It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer. Matthew 21:13

In addition, Paul says,

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Timothy 2:8

The word "men" in the above verse is actually the Greek word for males, not the generic word for human beings. Just as the Lord instructed every male to gather the manna each day for himself and his family, here again is an exhortation for men (males) to pray. This does not diminish or de-emphasize the importance and tremendous effect and fruit which springs forth from the prayers of women. For example, in the following verse, the word "man" is the Greek word for human being and thus includes both male and female.

The effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Samuel said that it was a sin against the Lord if he ceased to pray for the people.

23 Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all of your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you. 1 Samuel 12:23-24

Note that Samuel prayed for Saul even after God had rejected him from being king (1 Samuel 15:11). That verse says that Samuel cried unto the Lord all night on behalf of Saul.

To intercede literally means "to come in between." The intercessor is one who comes in between God and man, on behalf of men, frequently those men who deserve His wrath and punishment.

The great Intercessor, of course, was and still is Jesus.

Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12

In effect, when Jesus died on the cross, He was saying, "Let the judgment that is due to the people come upon Me." Then after His death, resurrection, and ascension, we are told,

24 But this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24-25

What a comfort we have to know that Jesus continues to make intercession on our behalf before the throne of the Father! Jesus spent thirty years in relative obscurity, in "normal" family life; three and one-half years in public ministry; and now about two thousand years in intercession, unseen by any natural eye. Do those time frames say anything about the importance of intercession?

Some careful thought will bear witness that the greatest saints were often the greatest intercessors, for they were those who were closest to the heart of God. Some of these great intercessors were Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, and Paul, to name a few.

Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom because his nephew, Lot, was there. Abraham knew that if judgment came upon Sodom, then Lot and his family would be part of the judgment. Abraham kept interceding for Sodom until the Lord promised that He would not destroy it if He found ten righteous persons in the city. I have read that at that point in time, Sodom was a major city with a population of no less than 10,000 people. So for the sake of ten righteous people out of 10,000 persons God was willing to spare the entire city. That is one out of a thousand! Elihu, in the Book of Job records this same proportion.

23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
24 Then He is gracious unto him. And saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. Job 33:23-24

One out of a thousand! That does not seem like a very large percentage ... 0.1% ... or a tenth of a tenth of a tenth. Let us apply this same proportion to the United States. As of 20l1, the population of the United States is very close to 300,000,000 people. Does that mean, if we use the same proportion, that God will spare the United States if He finds 300,000 persons who walk in righteousness? A better question might be, are there 300,000 committed believers in the United States who walk in righteousness? (That does NOT mean those who have their names on a church roster; nor does it mean those who are born-again believers but are doing their own thing.) Do you think that America is in trouble? Is it time for the judgment of God to descend upon our country? Do we need some real intercessors, such as Abraham was in his time?

A second striking example of an intercessor was Moses. The apostasy of the Israelites who came out of Egypt during the Exodus was so great that only two of those over the age of twenty actually made it into the promised land. But Moses interceded.

31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book, which Thou hast written. Exodus 32:31-32

That is intercession! How many such saints do you think there are in the United States who would sincerely make that same statement? Only the Lord knows, but I would guess not too many! The Lord surely would have destroyed his chosen people had not Moses stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath.

In Verse 31, the people had made gods of gold. Do you think that some believers today have likewise made gods of gold? Money is a HUGE driving force in America, both in the world and in the Church. Almost all of the teaching relating to money that I have heard in person and from the television preachers is WARPED and DISTORTED!

The apostle Paul made the same statement as did Moses.

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Romans 9:1-3

Ezekiel 22 records a different scene. Just as in the time of Abraham and Moses, the sins of God's people are portrayed once more. But this time there was NO intercessor found to stand in the gap.

30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God. Ezekiel 22:30-31

One man ... one intercessor ... could have saved an entire nation, even though every section of society was corrupted (see Ezekiel 22:23-29 for proof of that). Can one man save the United States from the judgment of God?

The same apostasy existed in the time of Isaiah. Please read all of Isaiah 59 to get the complete picture.

And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him. Isaiah 59:16

What an amazing verse! Not one intercessor! Even God Himself wondered that there was no intercessor! Therefore, He sent His Son, Jesus, to be that intercessor. Thank you Lord! Therefore, it is crucial for those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand, to ask the Lord to raise up true intercessors in our midst.

From my somewhat limited experience, I have seen very few saints who even know what intercession is, much less move in that vital ministry. Even the so-called "intercessor conference" that I attended many years gave little sign of genuine intercessors. There is no higher calling than that of an intercessor. Man will not see, recognize, or applaud you, but in the Kingdom of God your life will count for eternity.

What shall we as intercessors pray for? that the spiritual leaders of the Church will return unto the Lord, laying aside all mixture and things that hinder. Scripture is clear that judgment is according to the light that has been given. The greater the light, the more severe the judgment.

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him will be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:48

In all of the history of the human race, there has never been a generation on the face of the earth that has been exposed to greater spiritual light than this generation in the United States. Most believers have heard an enormous amount of good teaching, both through first hand exposure and through books, tapes, and videos. Yet the Church in America has strayed far from what the Lord desires.

Intercessors also need to ask the Lord to open the eyes of each believer in our midst to come and see Jesus, to hear His voice, and to walk in His ways. Ask the Lord to give each member of the local church discernment concerning the body of Christ. Ask the Lord to bring you a true apostle. Ask the Lord to raise up a true prophet(s) in your midst. Then when the Lord grants your request, ask the Lord for His grace to hear, understand, and walk in the higher ways set forth by the true apostles and prophets.

The need for both repentance and intercession is stated very clearly in the Book of Joel. The first half of the Book of Joel reflects the state of the visible Church today.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
18 Then will the LORD be jealous for His land, and pity His people. Joel 2:17-18

Verse 17 speaks of the intercession of the ministers of the Lord, not those who minister to the house (see Ezekiel 44). That has not yet occurred but is in process. Only after that will the Lord restore the Church. That is signified by the first word of Joel 2:18 ... then.

Come quickly Lord Jesus.

The Mercy of God

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

The Mercy of God
In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

Many years ago, my wife and I attended a (mostly) black church in Reston, Virginia. They had a guest preacher that Sunday. He started off by asking everyone how to define "mercy." At that point in time, I had never stopped to think about such a definition. Many believers present offered their thoughts on mercy. I do not remember what that guest preacher said about mercy. However, we present herein some thoughts about the mercy of God for our mutual edification.

Grace and mercy are very closely related. Mercy implies pity or compassion for the ills of others. Everyone has heard the phrase to "throw one's self on the mercy of the court."

Mercy is an act of God; peace is the resulting experience in the heart of man. Grace describes God's attitude toward the law-breaker and the rebel; mercy is His attitude toward those who are in distress. Mercy assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Romans 9:16

22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments. Deuteronomy 5:10

And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. Luke 1:50

And He said [to Moses], I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. Exodus 33:19

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 2 Corinthians 1:3

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. Psalm 31:9

In the order of the manifestation of God's purposes of salvation, grace must go before mercy ... only the forgiven may be blessed. It is no coincidence that in each of the apostolic salutations where these two words occur, grace precedes mercy. In the apostolic greetings to the churches (in every case), only the grace and peace of God is mentioned. But in the five instances where epistles are addressed to individuals, it is always grace, mercy, and peace, and in that order. Each one of us, as individual believers, needs the mercy of God to be extended.

Because God is so merciful to us, as we press on into His kingdom, we should likewise exhibit His mercy.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

Indeed, we reap that which we sow.

Putting Things into Perspective and Order

To understand more fully the mercy of God we first of all need to understand the ark and its contents, the mercy seat, and the cherubims, as described under the Old Covenant.

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Exodus 25:10-22

5 And over it [the ark] the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Hebrews 9:5

In Romans 3:25 we see exactly Who this mercy seat is, "(Christ Jesus) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood." The Greek word used here for "propitiation" is the same Greek word that is used in Hebrews 9:5 which is translated "mercy seat." So Jesus was set forth by God to be our mercy seat. Note that the mercy seat was placed above the ark, which contained the tablets of stone.

It was here, from above the mercy seat that God spoke to Moses (Numbers 7:89). This is where the blood of the slain bullock was sprinkled as atonement for the sin of the nation (Leviticus 16:14-16). Under the Old Covenant (Mosaic) God accepted the blood of a sinless animal as atonement for sin, but this was only a shadow of the sinless blood of Christ which would be for us a propitiation.

The high priest could never enter the Most Holy Place without the blood. So we see that the voice of God from off the mercy seat was only heard through blood atonement. God has nothing to say to man apart from Jesus Christ and His redeeming blood. It was the blood that changed the Throne of judgment into a Throne of grace. It is through faith in the blood that Jesus becomes our propitiation ... our mercy seat (Romans 3:25). The word "propitiation" means "to appease, placate, or make satisfied."

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

God is a holy God, full of righteousness and judgment. This is the picture of God that we see in the law. When Israel broke the law, they stirred up the wrath of God. Divine wrath is the holiness of God in action against sin. Sin must be judged; the demands of a holy God must be appeased. God's holiness and righteousness must be vindicated. The wages of sin is death. The blood which was sprinkled on the mercy seat testified that a death had taken place. The judgment of God had been executed; hence God's wrath had been appeased. His righteousness was vindicated and now God's mercy can flow.

As we stand sprinkled in the blood of Christ, God can be merciful, just and the justifier of all who believe or have faith in the blood (Romans 3:20-27). Now we can stand with the publican who prayed in the temple, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:9-14), or as the literal suggests, "God be mercy-seated to me a sinner." The blood shed at the brazen altar (a type of the cross) is brought to the ark and mercy seat (the throne of God) and God is propitiated (or satisfied).

To remove the blood-stained mercy seat, as did the curious Israelites (1 Samuel 6:19-20), is to expose and to bring into operation the ministration of death as seen in the 10 commandments. In order to look upon the tables of stone, which had no life in them, one had to remove or put aside the blood. If we reiect the blood, we fall to the level of the law, which can only bring death to fallen man. In Christ alone can life be found (Romans 10:4). It is important to note also that this structure is called a mercy SEAT.

This was the one and only seat in the whole of the tabernacle. It was called a seat, and yet no man ever sat upon this seat. The author of Hebrews clearly identifies the truth set forth here (Hebrews 10:11-12). The fact that Jesus sat down is significant of His finished work (Isaiah 16:5 and John 19:30). Christ presented His own blood at the throne of God, and having done so, He sat down. He is now seated as our heavenly High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, on a throne of pure gold, a seat for Deity, even the eternal Son of God.

There remains at least one more significance to the verses quoted above in Exodus 25.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Exodus 25:22

The Lord told Moses that "in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee" (Exodus 25:21). Further, the mercy seat was put above the ark. But above the mercy seat, between the two cherubims, was the place that the Lord told Moses that He would commune with him. Who or what are the two cherubims? Or who or what do they represent? We present here our understanding at this point in time.

From Exodus 25:18-20, above, note that the mercy seat and the two cherubims were one piece. We have already seen that the mercy seat represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the two cherubim must represent God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Who else, in addition to the Lord Jesus, is Deity and one with the Lord? Not angels and certainly not any human being or created being. We also know that God is Spirit (John 4:24). Therefore the place that the Lord communes with His chosen people is in the realm of the Spirit. For confirmation of the above, consider:

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Psalm 80:1

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. Psalm 99:1

To complete the symbology, the ark symbolizes the Body of Christ, those who have been saved by grace and in whose hearts the Lord has written His testimony. The ark was made of shittim wood, from the acacia tree. Wood represents humanity. But the wood was overlaid with pure gold. So when God looks at the ark, He sees the gold which overlays the wood, not the wood. Above the ark was the mercy seat (of pure gold), which symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church ... those saved by grace. Note that the covering of those within the ark is NOT another member of the ark. Our covering is the Mercy Seat, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This truth is also stated in Isaiah 22:8-11.

Perhaps now we can understand more fully why Paul's priority task was to preach Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 2:2, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 6:14). Every believer must be thoroughly grounded into the centrality, supremacy, and pre-eminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. No real believer would ever question that statement, but it must be much more than a doctrinal agreement. Oh, how we need the mercy of God.

Restoration

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

7/22
In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message we shared about the Tabernacle of Moses as a type of the true restoration that is in process today. In this message we want to share some thoughts about restoration in reality.

As we stated in our first two messages on restoration, the majority of the Church in America today is in bondage to many foul spirits and does not know it.

20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:20-21

Let us note in Verse 29 that it is the Lord who gives us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Bread and water is the food of prisoners ... those who are in captivity ... in bondage. But God offers a way of deliverance! Where there is no way, Jesus is THE Way! From Verse 21 we see that we must walk by faith. There is a stirring in the mulberry bushes! God will have His way, despite all of the failures of men! But we must distinguish between commandments of the Lord under the New Covenant and the customs and traditions of men. More on that later.

Historically, ever since the "dark ages," which lasted 1000 years, God has gradually been using chosen vessels to light the fires of revival. If we think about all of the major revivals in history, the last revival of any significance began about 60 years ago with what some have called the "charismatic" movement. The New Testament house church in Northern Virginia that we were part of from the late 1960's until the early 1980's was part of that. But historically almost every revival started by God through a few good men quickly started downhill as man tried to take control of what God wanted to do. But God is on the verge of one final restoration! The Lord Jesus Christ is searching for a people in the earth today ... a people to complete the work of restoration of His glorious Church! Whenever God desires to restore the Church, the eyes of the Lord begin to search the earth for a suitable vessel. The suitable vessel is always a man (or men) whose heart longs for the fulfillment of God's purposes upon the earth.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

What happens as God ushers in more revelation about Himself and His word and brings the Church, through human vessels, closer to full restoration to what was always in His heart and mind before the foundation of the earth? It is a scriptural and historical fact that each major step of restoration is accompanied by more persecution, more misunderstandings, more confusion, division, riots and revolution, wars and rumors of wars, torture, and many other problems. Further, the persecuted in one generation or move of God eventually become the persecutors of a future generation. The Roman Catholics persecuted the Lutherans, the Lutherans persecuted the Anabaptists, the Anabaptists persecuted the Puritans, the Puritans persecuted the Wesleyan churches; many denominations, as well as the Roman Catholics persecuted those who were baptized with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. History is on the verge of repeating itself! Who will (or perhaps we should say have) the charismatics persecute? The overcomers, those chosen vessels who have been selected to usher in the final restoration of truth. Yes, there will be an end to the process! The last-day remnant, which I believe is in the earth right now.

Around 1972, Ken Bennett, a solid man of God, began to see, with his natural eyes, "spiritual rain." At one point he told me that he had seen that spiritual rain for 75 consecutive days. When my wife and I stayed with them at a beach house in South Carolina in the late summer of 2002, both of us also saw that spiritual rain. We know that there were at least a handful of other believers who saw that same spiritual rain. Only the Lord knows how many others around the world saw the spiritual rain. It looked exactly like a gentle, slow drizzle or mist of rain, except that no water ever hit the ground. It was easier to see on a clear day. I now believe that was the beginning of God's restoration of the spiritual golden pot that had manna. In the past few years, we have experienced a further acceleration of revelation coming down from above. I have talked with a few believers who have told me the same thing has been happening with them.

Now we must remember that Aaron's rod that budded was laid up before the ark of Testimony some 20 years AFTER the golden pot that had manna. That means that the Lord will bring true prophetic revelation to the Church before raising up and manifesting true apostolic authority in the earth. We are convinced that prophetic revelation is beginning to come forth now, but to a much greater degree than what we have seen in previous years. Undoubtedly those who will receive such anointing are even now in the earth, being prepared for their ministry in these end times.

However, there will be one final removal of these two items from the ark ... namely when Jesus returns to the earth at His second coming. And yes, despite some claims to the contrary, Jesus Himself will return to the earth. When that happens, there will no longer be a need for apostolic authority through men or for raining down revelation from heaven. When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away (1 Corinthians 13:10). That will leave only the Word of God in the ark for eternity. The trumpet is sounding! The trumpet no longer is giving an uncertain sound (1 Corinthians 14:8). It is time to prepare ourselves for the battle! I don't know about you, but I would like to be on this earth when all of these things shortly come to pass!

Based on the light we have received from the Holy Spirit concerning scripture, as well as some understanding of the ways of God, plus our own personal experience, we believe that the following steps are important (but not all-inclusive) on our part to prepare for the realization of the mind of God concerning the restoration of the Church. God always requires something from us. Our God is not a God of cheap grace (grace that does not cost us anything). He requires a step of faith on our part. He requires us to agree with His Word and to take certain actions on our part in response to His Word.

At the top of our action list is repentance! Repentance is not just for those who do not know the Lord. It applies to all of us today. To repent means to turn around, to change one's mind, to go in a different direction, to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition. Repentance is the first principle of the doctrine of Christ. The first word of the kingdom is repent.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works. Hebrews 6:1

Let us remember that the verse above is written to Christians, not heathens. Dead works are works of the flesh. We must repent from anything that is not led by the Spirit. If we cannot get through that first principle, there is no reason to try going any further.

Come and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. Hosea 6:1

That verse in Hosea is current events. Why has the Lord smitten us? because we have strayed from Him and His ways. The prerequisite for healing is to return unto the Lord.

The first message preached by Jesus was, "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The first message preached by John the Baptist was, "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The major word spoken in the first half of the book of Joel is repentance. The message preached by all of the prophets was "repentance."

True repentance does not consist of superficial words or thoughts that are "short lived." Shallow, sentimental tears will not suffice. A mere admission of guilt will not solve the problem. Neither will an outward performance of ritual satisfy the demands of a holy God. Unfortunately, this is why many of us go around the same mountain for years and are never able to walk in the victory which is found in Christ. Something must happen in the heart which will reflect itself in the way of life. John the Baptist put it correctly when he told the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to his baptism:

7 O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. Matthew 3:7-8

True repentance requires our ability to sense the grief of the Lord as a result of our own ungodly thoughts, words, or actions. If we really love the Lord, we don't want to HURT or GRIEVE HIM. So often, we superficially repent because our words or actions backfired on us or we have harmed another person or persons. However, our grieving the Lord must affect us deeply and supercedes all other reactions which lead us to repentance.

Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Romans 2:4

When our heart is broken because we let the Lord down, only then can we earnestly hate our "sinful nature" and desire only to please the Lord. At this point, we are able to turn in the direction of the Holy Spirit and be "born" into the victory which is in Christ. This may be a long process and painful to the flesh, but the Lord is able to complete that which He has begun.

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

These principles apply also on a corporate level as the Lord allows us to see an aspect of the state of His Body, the true Church, that grieves the Lord. Weeping, travail, and intercession should spring forth as we identify with the wrong in our midst and cry out to the Lord for mercy, healing, and restoration.

Repentance is NOT a popular word! We believers like the "good" part, but we don't care too much for the suffering, travail, denying of one's self, etc., that must precede that "good" part.

Let us consider Job. The Lord was proud of Job, when He said,

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Job 1:6-8

After 40 more chapters of carnal reasoning between Job and his three "friends," the Lord gave Job a revelation, such that Job said,

5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6

Now let us look at Isaiah, Chapter 6.

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.

When a word is repeated three times in the same verse, we best take notice, because that emphasizes the great importance of that word. It indicates a state of completion or absoluteness. For example, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts" in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8; "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord" in Jeremiah 22:29; "I will overturn, overturn, overturn" of Ezekiel 21:27; "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord" of Jeremiah 7:4. I am not aware of any other such repetition, but there could be more.

We should note that the only such repetition in both the Old and New Testaments is "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts." That is the only characteristic of God that is repeated three times in succession. His holiness is so far beyond human thought that a super-superlative has to be used to express it. If you and I want to sense the manifest presence of the Lord and bathe in His Light and Glory, we must first receive a revelation from the Lord of His holiness.

Job 11:7, "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?"

Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Ephesians 1:16-17, "Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:"

Continuing in Isaiah, Chapter 6,

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

If the posts of the door move at a voice, that is a sign of great power. I have experienced two times in my life when the room I was in was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

The word "undone" can be translated as "lost" or "cut off." But there is NOTHING in the previous five chapters of Isaiah that indicates that Isaiah had done anything wrong or said anything wrong. Isaiah saw that his very being was unclean, in comparison to the Lord. We need to be quick repenters, like David. Many believers might say, "repent? of what?" Perhaps for starters, we could repent of any self-seeking attitude. We must repent of any sin that we are aware of in our life; and repent of any and all fleshy desires, such as self-pity or ANY needs of self.

We must repent from our two-way thinking and life style, with one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world. Repent of any obsession to fulfill some lower-level goal. Repent of any attitude that falls short of, "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God." Repent because of our human nature.

Back to Isaiah, Chapter 6,

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

One word of caution ... there is a price to be paid for saying, "Here am I, Lord, send me." That price is the same price that Paul and many others paid. It costs our self life.

9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

The Lord has always had a remnant. His remnant today is largely hidden but soon will be made manifest. Lord, bring forth your elect, your Bride. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

The Mercy of God

Grace Before Mercy

Grace and mercy are very closely related but they are not the same. Grace describes God's attitude toward the law-breaker and the rebel.

"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Mercy is His attitude toward those who are in distress. Mercy assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it. Mercy implies pity or compassion for the ills of others.

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. Psalm 31:9

And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. Luke 1:50

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments. Deuteronomy 5:10

22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Grace must go before mercy ... Each one of us, as an individual believer, needs the mercy of God to be extended. That includes you and me.

The Mercy Seat

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Exodus 25:17-22

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

As we stand sprinkled in the blood of Christ, God can be merciful, just and the justifier of all who believe or have faith in the blood (Romans 3:20-27). Now we can stand with the publican who prayed in the temple, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:9-14), or as the literal suggests, "God be mercy-seated to me a sinner." The blood shed at the brazen altar (a type of the cross) is brought to the ark and mercy seat (the throne of God) and God is propitiated (or satisfied).

The mercy seat was the one and only seat in the whole of the tabernacle. It was called a seat, and yet no man ever sat upon this seat (Hebrews 10:11-12). The fact that Jesus sat down is significant of His finished work (Isaiah 16:5 and John 19:30). Christ presented His own blood at the throne of God, and having done so, He sat down. He is now seated as our heavenly High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, on a throne of pure gold, a seat for Deity, even the eternal Son of God.

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Exodus 25:22

The Two Cherubims

The Lord told Moses that "in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee" (Exodus 25:21). Further, the mercy seat was put above the ark. But above the mercy seat, between the two cherubims, was the place that the Lord told Moses that He would commune with him. Who or what are the two cherubims? Or who or what do they represent? We present here our understanding at this point in time.

From Exodus 25:18-20, note that the mercy seat and the two cherubims were one piece. We have already seen that the mercy seat represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the two cherubim must represent God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Who else, in addition to the Lord Jesus, is Deity and one with the Lord? Not angels and certainly not any human being or created being. We also know that God is Spirit (John 4:24). Therefore the place that the Lord communes with His chosen people is in the realm of the Spirit.

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Psalm 80:1

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. Psalm 99:1

Our Humanity: Overlaid With Pure Gold

The ark symbolizes the Body of Christ, those who have been saved by grace and in whose hearts the Lord has written His testimony. The ark was made of shittim wood, from the acacia tree. Wood represents humanity. But the wood was overlaid with pure gold. So when God looks at the ark, He sees the gold which overlays the wood, not the wood. Above the ark was the mercy seat (of pure gold), which symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church ... those saved by grace. Note that the covering of those within the ark is NOT another member of the ark. Our covering is the Mercy Seat, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Because God is so merciful to us, as we press on into His kingdom we should likewise exhibit His mercy. Indeed, we reap that which we sow.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

Blessings to you all!

Centrality, Supremacy, Preeminence and Sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

Last time we were here, shared about the spiritual excellence of 3; primarily from Colossians 1:27-28. This weekend we want to share with you some thoughts about:

Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.
We also hope to share some thoughts about worship, which is the chief duty of man.

Centrality, Supremacy, Preeminence and Sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ
In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

2 Timothy 3:1-5

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

"Perilous" means "hard, difficult, grievous, rugged, furious, or ferocious."
The only other time this Greek word is used is in Matthew 8:28, where it is translated as "exceeding fierce," to describe two who were possessed with devils.

These Verses unfortunately speak of Christians who have succumbed to their carnal lusts. They are lovers of their own selves; they cater to the popular "me-centered" theology. They may love God but they love pleasures more than God. They have a form of godliness in that they go to "church" every week and outwardly appear to be good Christian folk; but they deny or do not allow the power of the Holy Spirit to crucify their flesh.

Time is later than we think! Yet a little while and the door (to the kingdom of God) will be shut. Five foolish virgins (who also represent born-again believers) will not be allowed to enter (the kingdom of God). Our God, Who is love, and Who is full of grace and mercy, is also our God of judgment.

Jeremiah 8:7 "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the LORD."

"Knoweth" and "know" are figures of speech which convey the sense of acting on the knowledge. Charismatic and Spirit-filled believers today have plenty of knowledge, but do we act on that knowledge? God's people did not act on that knowledge in the time of Noah; Lot; Isaiah; Jeremiah; when Jesus walked the face of the earth in the church; at Corinth; in what is called the Dark Ages; and they do not today! Human nature has never changed and never will. But even the stork, the turtle, and the crane act on their knowledge.

In the beginning, God. At the end, God. He is the Alpha and the Omega. Everything in between the beginning and end is also God! He has always had His Master Plan for everything in between the beginning and the end. We can read about His Master Plan in the Bible. But He has hidden most of the spiritual significance of that Master Plan from the natural eyes, the natural ears, and the natural understanding ... from the natural mind.

The centrality, supremacy, and preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ must be of highest emphasis for us as believers. No one who calls himself a Christian or believer in Christ would ever dispute this fact. This topic could easily occupy volumes of books.

We also believe that it will take an eternity for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us everything about the Lord. He is to be supreme and of utmost centrality in heaven and earth and what is under the earth ... in the whole universe, whatever that may contain.

His centrality, supremacy, and preeminence is the Master Key to all of Scripture. One of the many, truly amazing verses in the Bible is in Luke 24, when Jesus, after His resurrection, spoke with the two men on the road to Emmaus.

Luke 24:27 "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself."

Therefore, whenever we read the written Word of God, we should always ask the question, "What do these verses have to do with Christ?" That is the starting point in understanding the Word of God.

The Bible is the most accurate history Book; also prophetic over all of time; but above all of that, it speaks of Christ. The amazing grace of God is that Christ, in all of His greatness, is given to us (Isaiah 9:6-7)!

One of the 5 major passages of Scripture which point to the centrality, supremacy, and preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ is Colossians 1. Four other such passages are John 1, Ephesians 1, Philippians 2, and Hebrews 1. When we read the Verses from Colossians 1, we should emphasize all of the many references to Him, His, and He, all of which refer to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:9-23

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Verses 12-14. For us, for you and me, that which was in the mind and heart of God from before the foundation of the world has its beginning in the receiving of Christ by faith into the heart of the individual believer. But that is not the end ... that is only the beginning!

What is the point in my salvation? Not my satisfaction, not my gratification, not for my benefit, not for my pleasure, not for my comfort, not my salvation as the end in itself, but the revelation of Jesus Christ, the realization of His centrality, His supremacy, and His preeminence according to the desire of the Father.

Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

Verse 18, "that in all things He might have the preeminence." In ALL things! All means ALL! Everything for us as believers depends upon that inward revelation of Jesus Christ in our hearts. Verse 19, "for it pleased the Father that in Him (in Christ) should all fullness dwell." Are we "saved" to please ourselves or to please the Father?

Note the "If" in Verse 23.

One of our most treasured Verses in the Bible is Colossians 1:27: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." That, as in Verses 22 and 23 of Colossians 1, is what has always been in the heart of God from before the foundation of the world.

The reason that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary was not simply that we might be "saved" and go to heaven one day. It is the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ to present a holy, unblameable, unreprovable, fully mature, without spot or wrinkle, glorious body of Christ to the Father, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15). Paul said,

Galatians 1:15-16

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

"When it pleased God!" Everything must be for His pleasure, not ours. When Paul said that God "separated him from his mother's womb," he was not speaking about natural childbirth. What was his mother's womb? the Jews' religion (see Galatians 1:13-14).

In like manner, we must be separated from our natural, man-made religion; but separated unto the gospel of God (Romans 1:1).

Our mother's womb is anything that is a product of our natural mind or body.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?"

Matthew 16:16-18
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

"This rock" is the inward revelation of Who Christ is. Upon "this rock" the Lord is building His church, not my church, not your church, and not your pastor's church. This inward revelation of the Christ is only the beginning, not the end. Paul prayed earnestly

Ephesians 1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:"

In both Matthew 16:17 and in Ephesians 1:17 God the Father gives the inward revelation of the Christ.

It is no coincidence that the last Book in the Bible is called "Revelation." For the inward revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is given to us by God the Father, is our beginning. I can give no man this inward revelation of Christ; you can give no man this inward revelation of Christ; your pastor can give no man this inward revelation of Christ. Only the Father can give us the inward revelation of Christ. And upon that inward revelation of Christ, the Lord is building His church. He is bringing many sons to glory. What a marvelous, amazing work is in progress!

Unless our hearts have been stirred by the Holy Spirit to desire to please the Lord in all things, to glorify the Father, then we can never complete our mission here on earth. The condition of our hearts is critical! There is no room in the heart of the true believer for "what do I get?" or how does this help me? Like the early believers as recorded in Acts, we must be gladly willing to lay down our lives for His sake. For He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Anytime that our words and our understanding of the Godhead does not emphasize these things, we had best take notice. God is not a servant, to do our bidding. Far too much of our prayers are filled up with instructions to God and lists of "I wants." Our loving Father gives us what we need, not what we want.

Jesus also is not a sibling; He is not "our big brother." This sort of understanding or expression, as it approaches its full end, will poison any believer's relationship with the Lord.

Equality with God is not a thing to be grasped at. Jesus is Lord. For all His various titles and roles, we cannot treat Him at the same time as both brother and Lord. One or the other must be more real.

Suppose you go to court and you happen to know the judge personally; let's say his name is Tom. You would never dare to call him Tom in court; you must call him "your honor." How would you address the president of the U.S.? would you call him Barrack or Mr. President? How about the queen of England? If anyone ever had any reason to call Jesus "brother" it would have been James and Jude. They were natural brothers to the Lord Jesus as well as spiritual heirs of the Father. Yet in Scripture they dared only to refer to themselves as servants to their Lord Jesus Christ. They never referred to Jesus as brother, no, not once. If anyone treats Jesus as a brother, what right or understanding do we have that those apostles and teachers did not have?

Even Joseph's brethren understood the place of his lordship in Egypt. Joseph was their brother, yes ... but he was their lord more and to be treated as such. Because Joseph was lord, he could call for and treat his brethren as brethren, for that they were. But at the same time, because Joseph was lord, his brothers had to consider him wholly as lord ... regardless of their natural relationship to him. His Lordship cannot be compromised nor diluted. The Lord is Lord and no other facet of His nature will ever compete with or divert from this pillar of truth.

Doctrines abound which exalt the working of our faith as high as the faith of the Son of God. Seeking equality with Him exalts our ability and actions rather than His sovereignty and sufficiency. The end result of these false doctrines is all the same. The all abounding Lordship of Jesus will never be seen by anyone who is so concerned with human beings and natural relationships.

Perhaps every believer has heard the phrase, "He is so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good." In reality, unless we are heavenly minded then we will be no earthly good. May the centrality, supremacy, and preeminence of His Lordship be made so real and fixed within our hearts (not simply our minds) that it may withstand all of the attack and compromise which is directed against it in these last days ... perilous times indeed.

Make no mistake ... it is God who does all things by His Spirit.

Some examples of the sovereignty of God:

1 Corinthians 3:6-7
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

The word "sovereignty" does not appear in the Bible; neither does the word "sovereign." However, make no mistake, God is Sovereign! And every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scripturally, historically, and experientially, God can (and does) save people all by Himself! He can (and does) heal people all by Himself!

The Lord sovereignly closed the mouths of the lions when Daniel was thrown into the lions' den. The Lord sovereignly did not allow the 3 Hebrews to be burned when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. The Lord sovereignly caused the flood in the time of Noah. The Lord sovereignly created the heavens and the earth, everything in it, and man.

Ephesians 1:11 "He works all things after the counsel of His own will:"

God can do all things! He is all seeing, all knowing or omniscient, all powerful or omnipotent, and omnipresent. He lives in eternity. Despite all of the failures of man, God will have that which he purposed before the foundation of the world! The sovereignty of God does not do away with the responsibility of man. The two must work together for we are co-laborers with Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9 "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."

Many long years ago, about 3 hours after I had shared with a small group of believers about the sovereignty of God, the Lord taught me about the relationship of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of us as believers ...

God is certainly moving today in a sovereign way. But it is largely a hidden work, in the hearts of a faithful remnant, who are being purified by fire in the wilderness ... in the desert - outside the camp. That remnant is called overcomers.

The real key is the Lord Himself. It is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can do anything. We cannot even take our next breath, except by the grace of God. All we really can do is to cry out to the Lord, Help, Lord!

Isaiah 43:1-2, 7

Verse 1: But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.

These words of the Lord through the vessel of Isaiah are certainly most positive and encouraging. But to whom is the Lord speaking here? If we take the verse literally, the Lord is speaking to Jacob and/or Israel. But Jacob had died almost 1000 years earlier, so it is not likely that the Lord is speaking to Jacob. Further, Isaiah's ministry never was to Israel, the Northern kingdom. So the Lord was not speaking to the natural Israel of that day. Could it be that this is a prophetic word that has no time or cultural limits? Could this be a word for believers today? YES! It is a prophetic word for all (former) Jews and Gentiles throughout all ages of time who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Could it also be a word for the natural Israel of today? Not very likely, at least not for the nation as a whole. The Lord does not redeem those who consistently reject Him. To believe otherwise gets you very quickly into the heresy of ultimate reconciliation.

Jacob in Scripture represents the natural man, perhaps even the morally good, religious man, who unfortunately has no personal relationship with the Lord. Israel speaks of the redeemed man, the spiritual man, the man (or woman, of course) who has been born again and baptized in the Holy Ghost, i.e., equipped with the necessary weapons for the journey and ministry on this earth. This is called justification in the Bible. There are dozens of scriptures which bear record of this truth. Jacob is created but Israel is formed. The Lord "formeth the spirit of man within him" (Zechariah 12:1).

Please note that the Lord says that He has redeemed (spiritual) Israel. That is past tense, not future tense. It does not say, "I will redeem thee." Paul uses the same past tense when he says,

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. Ephesians 1:4

How can these things be? We do not know. It is a mystery. But God lives in eternity. We live in time.

Verse 2: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

First of all, note that this verse applies to Israel, not Jacob. The Bible calls this process sanctification. It is true that God arranges all of our circumstances, our environment, etc., in order to bring us from Jacob to Israel. However, Isaiah 43 does not address that time period. This verse describes what happens after we become part of Israel.

Please note that the verse says "WHEN," not "if." In other words this is a promise. After Israel, the spiritual man, has been formed and equipped, we are PROMISED to go through trials, tribulations, sufferings, rejections, persecutions, etc. That is part of God's plan and has a Godly purpose. A few appropriate scriptures are:

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Philippians 1:29

We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22

More importantly, note that when we walk through the fire ... when we submit ourselves to the dealings of the Holy Ghost, that the Lord promises to be with us.

Jesus said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).

Verse 7: Even every one that is called by My name: For I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea I have made him.

Who is "even every one that is called by my name"? You and me ... believers throughout every age. Verse 1 and 7 cannot refer to Jesus because Jesus was not created. He was with God in the beginning before the world was or ere man ever existed.

Here we see three action verbs, compared to only two in Verse 1, above. The one that has been added is the word "made." The "making" part is as a result of Verses 2-6. We can speak of the "making" as the "walking out process" called "sanctification." This is what Paul refers to when he says,

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12

In what is called the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), note that the prodigal son was still a son. He is symbolic of a carnal Christian ... one who refused (at first) to submit to the dealings of the Holy Spirit in his life ... one who did not like the process of "making."

In verse 12, this prodigal son says "give me," symbolic of the selfish, carnal attitude. BUT, the grace and mercy and love of God was at work in his life, and God arranged for hard times to come upon him, such that this son repented and returned unto his father. Then he said, in verse 19, "make me." He was ready to be made into the vessel that God intended for him to become. He was ready to walk through the rivers and through the fire.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

Perhaps an even more startling statement in John 8:31 is that Jesus spoke to those Jews which believed on Him. Just a few verses later in John 8, Jesus tells those same Jews (who believed on Him) that they were of their father the devil (John 8:44). Jesus says, in John 8:31-42, that just because those Jews were the natural descendants of Abraham does NOT mean they are the true children of Abraham.

Ephesians 4:4-6
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

We believers try to change those verses to read MY body, MY hope, MY faith, and MY baptism, yet it is all His. Most doctrinal errors arise when we try to interpret Scripture from our perspective, as it relates to us, independent of Jesus

Philippians 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Haggai 2:6-9
6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

Verse 6 announces the coming day of God's judgment on the nations, which spoke of the fall of Persia to Alexander the Great, but Hebrews 12:25-29 relates this verse to the judgment of the nations at the second coming (parousia) of Christ. In Haggai 2:7, it seems clear that just as God filled the tabernacle and Solomon's temple, so He will fill this new temple, which is spiritual and eternal. When Christ came to the earthly temple, God's presence was evident as never before.

John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

Haggai 2:8 on the surface seems like a rather strange interjection because Haggai 2:7 and Haggai 2:9 both speak of the glory of God. Consider two possible reasons for this somewhat strange-sounding interjection. It is certainly true that God provided for Solomon's temple and for Zerubbabel's temple. It is also true that too many modern-day ministers, either knowingly or unknowingly, look at natural silver and gold as being "theirs" and not "His."

However, we believe that the interjection in Haggai 2:8 does not speak of either of those two possibilities. "Silver" in the Bible speaks of the Lord's redemptive ministry and power or His atonement. "Gold" speaks of His Divine glory and nature, or His Deity. Therefore, everything from our redemption to partaking of His glory is caused by and comes from the Lord - man has no part in any of that. All we can do is accept, by His grace, that which Christ has done for us and continues to do for us.

Everywhere in between the beginning and the end, God.

Further, God even arranges all of our circumstances to help us to cry out to Him. bring about great persecution and tribulation among His people, just as He did in Acts 8. That will leave the Church no alternative except to cry out from the depths of our being unto Him. How much better will it be to fall on that Stone now, rather than let It fall on us later.

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Luke 20:18

May the word and call of the Lord in this hour burn within the very depths of our hearts.