(Web Blog)

THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF CHRIST

MARCH 6, 2012

Today we are treated with a message from Mary Aarrestad in Federal Way, Washington. Mary & Ozzie are our spiritual parents (at least one set of them), they are actually more than "spiritual parents," we adopted each other long ago. They have been a part of our life and ministry for many years; we have traveled together and ministered together. When we lived in Washington, barely a week went by that we were not in each others home eating, singing, worshiping, sharing, interceding, and prophesying the word of the Lord. Be encouraged by this comforting word the Father has given Mary of His abiding presence.

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Lately, the importance of the Christ abiding in the members of His Body has been made more real to me. There is no substitute for Him. In John 14 the disciples were very troubled because Jesus said, "I go away to prepare a place for you, but I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." The disciples could not understand. Jesus went on to say (Vs. 10 & 12) "Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME, HE DOETH THE WORKS. He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO, BECAUSE I GO TO THE FATHER." These greater works shall come forth as the Christ is dwelling in His people. Then Christ (The Anointed One) will not only be in Jesus (for we are to know no man after the flesh (2 Cor. 5:16), but in the many members of Christ's Body, manifesting His glory. Vs. 13. "And whatsoever you shall ask in my name (in my nature) that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. V. 16. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER. Vs. 17. Even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him no, neither knoweth Him: BUT YE KNOW HIM, FOR HE DWELLETH WITH YOU, AND SHALL BE IN YOU. Vs. 20. At that Day (that Day is NOW FOR US) ye shall know that I AM IN MY FATHER, AND YOU IN ME, AND I IN YOU. Vs. 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you ALL THINGS, AND BRING ALL THINGS TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE WHATSOEVER I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU." The Father sent the Holy Ghost, His Spirit, on the Day of Pentecost. This is the second coming of The Christ.

In John 17 (Jesus' intercessory prayer is tremendous and is for us today.)Vs. 5. He prayed "O, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self WITH THE GLORY WHICH I HAD WITH THEE BEFORE THE WORLD WAS." This scripture brings to mind Eph.1:4. "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.' Our Father HAS RESTORED US TO THIS ONENESS IN CHRIST--His inheritance in the saints. Eph. 2:6. And "He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." These "heavenly places" are not places beyond the blue, somewhere in the atmosphere, but this is a heavenly realm "God's called-out ones" have and are entering into NOW RIGHT HERE ON EARTH.

Jesus said further in John 17:15, "I pray NOT that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil", and also, Vs. 21. "That they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT THOU HAST SENT ME".

This is still the cry of the Father's heart today within those whom He has called. Even as Hannah cried and prayed to bring forth a "Man Child" year after year, we cry out within our souls to bring forth The Christ in a many member body (His Body) here on earth. Hannah's husband, Elkanah, gave to Peninnah and to her sons and daughters portions, but unto Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved her, BUT THE LORD HAD SHUT UP HER WOMB. This was not enough for Hannah for she continued to weep and fast that she might bring forth a man child. So, it is today, the woman (the Church), is not concentrating on gifts and ministries, signs and wonders (although these things will follow them that believe), but they are concentrating on bringing forth THE CHRIST, FOR THE LORD IS OPENING HER WOMB.

The time is at hand when the sons of God are being manifested to the world. The Lord is preparing an army--like Gideon's army. He is calling a chosen few who are not fearful or afraid. and who are drinking living waters from their hand (the 5-fold ministry within them) and are obedient to the voice of the Lord. They are alert and watchful, taking heed to themselves so that the enemy (the carnal mind) does not come upon them unawares. They have a LIGHT in their earthen vessels, and the glory and LIGHT OF GOD shall shine forth from within His people as they are BROKEN before Him. The trumpets are sounding forth through prophecy and the ministry of the Word, and the cries of victory in God's people are being heard by the enemy. OLD THINGS, OLD THOUGHTS, ARE PASSING AWAY, AND ALL THINGS ARE BECOMING NEW. It is truly a great Day of preparation and change for God's people and waiting on Him. "Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (without the cutting of time) at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

I would like to quote some from John Lewis' book "Secrets of the Cherubims" p. 50. "The Spirit of God only acknowledges the sacrifice of your lesser life, coupled with thanksgiving, not that of animals' blood and religious works. Jerusalem, Rome, Mecca nor any other physical location can take priority when one really understands worship in Spirit and Truth.

The Glory is seen as coming from the East, there is the prospect toward the East. This is the direction of wisdom, revelation knowledge, and enlightenment. This is the first phase of your initiation into the mysteries of God, as the sunlight comes in to dispel the darkness of sin and ignorance. Because you have not used your eyes to see on this dimension, the Light may cause temporary blindness. However, once the initial shock is over the scales will fall from your eyes, and that which is truly real will become clear

The challenges, which are encountered in this direction, can be easily overcome with an attitude of Thanksgiving. Your joyful attitude will produce the strength and authority that lies deep within the heart. The secret of a successful new life lies in your ability to walk in resurrection life. This is the hidden life not seen by mortal eye, nor recognized by religion. It is the relationship with the 'I AM'. Out of this relationship comes the REST."

Andrew and Phillip came to Jesus saying "the Greeks desired to see him." In John 12:23 & 24 Jesus said, "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit." He was speaking of His soon death, resurrection, and ascension. Also, His return on the Day of Pentecost when His Spirit (the promised Comforter) filled the 120 and the house where they were sitting and thousands received the Christ into their lives. NOW, it is not one man, Christ Jesus, but there are many manifesting Christ, the Anointed One. Now, you are the BODY OF CHRIST.

Joel 2:25 & 36. "The Lord has given the former rain moderately (Pentecost), and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil." The Lord is now bringing forth "the former and the latter rain in the first month". (It will be an outpouring of God's Spirit such as never been seen before). "And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you". Truly, God is restoring all that was lost due to Adam and Eve's transgression.

"It is Christ in you, the hope of glory". As we put off the old man, and put on the new man, we ascend in Christ more and more into the heavenlies, and He is descending more and more into us. Higher and higher we ascend with Him to greater heavenly realms until we are completely one in Christ in God (as Jesus prayed in John 17);"that mortality might be swallowed up of life"(2 Cor. 5:3).

I Thes.4:26 & 17. "For the Lord Himself (head and body) is descending from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel (speaking forth the Word with authority and power), and with the trump of God (for the trumpets are sounding with a greater force), and the dead in Christ are rising out of their unconscious state, and we which are alive and remain (abiding in Christ) shall be "caught up" together with them in the clouds (the presence and glory of God in His people) to meet the Lord in the air (the realm of the Spirit) and so shall we ever be with the Lord." The Greek word for "caught up" is "harpazo" (Strong's #726). It is the same word used when Phillip was "caught away" to Azotus (Acts 8:39) and when Paul was "caught up" to the 3rd heaven (11 Cor.12:2). Neither Phillip nor Paul left the planet. Likewise, the manifested Sons of God will be "caught up" and transported by God's Spirit as some have experienced in this Day of our Lord. The Greek word "harpazo" means to seize, take by force, to take for Oneself, i.e., to prefer.

( John 1:48-51). Phillip brought Nathanael to Jesus. Because Nathanael believed when Jesus said he saw him under the fig tree; Jesus said, "thou shalt see greater things than these. Hereafter, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels (messengers, spirits) of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." That Day is upon us, and the angels, the Spirit of God, is ascending within His people as well as descending upon them. The power of the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus is lifting them up out of their natural state into greater heavenlies as He continues to descend upon them. Nathanael is surely witnessing this day.

The other day as we were reading in II Sam. 6, about David's attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant back into the City of David, that the oxen stumbled as they brought the Ark on a new cart. Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the Ark, and God smote him there for his error. David was displeased, and I felt sorry for Uzzah, as well, until I was made to realize why God was displeased. In Joshua 3:3 it states "When ye see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the PRIESTS, THE LEVITES , BEARING IT, then ye shall remove from your place and go after it." No one was to bear the Ark of the Covenant except the Levites (the priests). I Peter 2:9 states that you are a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. Nothing can take the place of the anointing, THE CHRIST, (of which the Ark is a type). Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever. The called-out and chosen ones are the PRIESTS TODAY WHO CARRY THE ARK, THE CHRIST WHO IS THE ANOINTED ONE, WITHIN THEM. That is the inward man. There is no other way acceptable to God for He cannot accept any substitute. Anything of man endeavoring to help God, or bring up the Christ, the anointing, will only bring destruction and death.

I Peter 1:18. "For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers: But, with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." There is nothing you can organize to bring up the anointing, the presence of God. Nothing YOU can do to BRING THE PRESENCE OF GOD INTO YOUR MIDST. FOR HE DWELLS WITHIN YOU--not in manmade programs, nor in buildings made with hands. Many have put their hand on THE ARK, but they have died.

We must lay aside every desire of our own presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service (spiritual worship). And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind (soul) that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:l & 2). When we have been tested and tried, AND ALL THAT IS NOT OF GOD HAS BEEN BURNT UP, and like Isaac, when we come down the mountain, we will be Christ. There is a people who are ascending up the hill of the Lord. They are ascending up to heaven in a cloud (Rev. 11:12 & Isa. 60:8), and THEY ARE GROWING UP INTO CHRIST IN ALL THINGS WHO IS THE HEAD. (Eph. 4:15).

(I John 2:27). "But, the anointing which you have received of Him ABIDETH IN YOU, and you need not that any man teach you: but, as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, YE SHALL ABIDE IN HIM.'

(Eph. 4:22-32). "That you put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for WE ARE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Amen!

Mary Aarrestad

Contact Mary & Ozzie at: 1929farmers@gmail.com

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