scottStanley
(All bracketed [ ] words inserted into the following scriptures are the author’s paraphrase.)

I believe that I am seeing more of a fulfillment of prophecy in the things happening to this movement of people than I've really ever seen before. I'm seeing scriptures fulfilled and it just shows me we are getting very, very close to the end of the earth. It just seems like the road is getting narrower and the truth is getting higher, and more and more people are finding it difficult to hang on. In thinking that through, several months ago the Lord gave us a study in Ezekiel, Chapter 20, showing how God would lead us out of “Egypt.” He brings us out of the world, and because of our idols, He can't take us directly into the Promised Land. There is a “wilderness experience” that we have as Christians, before He actually leads us into the Promised Land of abiding in Jesus Christ – I guess it is that thought that I want to project to you. I want to put on the board a kind of a chain – chain together the events that happen to Christians as they are headed for the Promised Land.

When I give this study, there are certain people in mind – I see their struggles and I can feel for you. I realize that things are not easy, but I think that this study will answer some of the questions that we have, as far as what is happening. I know of people who are even struggling with abiding in Christ – and I know that we understand that principle, but actually to do it and to practice it is something else. I guess that’s really what this study is about, just to kind of look at what has happened and see it in the scriptures – and understand what God is doing with us in our own hearts.

If I were to make a chain to list the chain of events that happen to Christians now – people who believe in God – they believe they want religion in their lives, and the effort is made to come out of Egypt. I know from my own experience and from those around me that the first way we live in coming to know God, is that we begin to walk by faith. I want to put this word on the board, FAITH – but I would like to make the claim that it isn't Jesus' faith that you begin to live by, but your own. We begin to walk according to our own understanding, and that is what is meant in Ezekiel 20 – that you have so many idols that God cannot bring you directly into this land flowing with milk and honey. You are walking by faith all right, but it's your own faith. In the very beginning, we don't really understand to abide in Christ moment by moment by moment.

We've been told the words – that we should let Christ lead us; we're disciples of Christ, and so on – but you're still walking according to your own faith. If you weren't, if people didn't do that, you wouldn't have numerous denominations. That's what each denomination stands for. It's an icon representing the faith of those people sitting in that building – that is what they think the Bible is teaching. It's funny isn't it, that as you walk through your Christian experience, God is leading His children out of the denominations, away from that way of thinking because there isn't a single denomination walking in the faith of Christ – and if we're going to come to that point, we've got to separate from them; come out from among them. So, on the board I have written the word “Faith,” and it represents our faith. The next step, if you're walking according to your own faith – the next thing that you experience is “strength.” But whose strength is it? It's your own strength. You begin to overcome your definition of sin, or as you perceive what God is saying in the Bible, you will read do's and don'ts – and you will begin to keep those things in your own strength. Whether it's peer pressure causing it, or your own convictions, things are done in your own strength. And yes, we can get on our knees and pray and ask God to deliver us and so on, but until you're walking in the Faith of Christ, experiencing HIS LIFE, then it's simply your own faith and your own strength that is happening to you.

The next step that we come to in this wilderness experience of trying to find the Promised Land, hoping that God will lead us there – and He is leading, don't get me wrong; I see the Lord is leading and meeting us where we are. But nevertheless, you're still walking with idols. Your faith leads to your strength in doing what you believe God would have you to do – and the next thing that you enter into, after maybe even years of that, is “suffering.” I want to put this on the board: Faith, Strength and then Suffering – suffering that is caused by your own failures, when you cannot live up to the truth as you understand it – and you begin to experience what Paul has written in Romans 7: “the things I want to do I can't; the things I don't want to do, that's what I'm doing,” and you enter into a suffering, or a facing of your “self,” that you are a sinner. And remember, I'm talking about people who believe in God.

You know, the people of the world will experience something like what we're putting on the board – and it will happen in their lives – God will bring them to a place where they cry out for His help – but right now I'm talking about people who have cried out, and after you believe God is helping you and you come alive in Christ, this is what happens until you learn to abide in Jesus Christ. So you enter into your suffering – your faith in your strength leads to suffering. After the suffering you come to the conclusion of bondage. Let me put this next thing on the board – you recognize that you are still are in bondage and you recognize yourself as a sinner, and in bondage to sin.

Let me tell you: It is at this point that many denominations have twisted the scripture to fit their experience – and they begin to define “grace” and “under the law” and they begin to teach that you're going to be in sin until Jesus comes, and there can't be any victory. It really does amaze me how many Christians fight the truth of having victory in Christ. It just amazes me that a Christian would argue with you that you can overcome sin – they try to convince you that you can't.

But it's when you reach this place of “bondage” that finally, by God's grace, you will be convinced that not only are you in bondage, but you need God's help – I could put bondage plus brokenness, if I wanted to. When I first gave this message, instead of “brokenness,” I put being moldable (malleable) – you come to that place now where you're open to the voice of God. What I'm simply putting down here is what is described in Deuteronomy 8 also, where the Lord says: I humbled you to bring you to the place where you realize that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. That is the point He is trying to bring the Christian to and I think that, in this movement; this is what is happening. We're recognizing that, in the past, we walked by our own faith, our own strength, entered into suffering, recognized the bondage, and came to the place where we were in the mindset of recognizing our bondage but open to God – brokenness before God; being moldable before God.

Now, I didn't just come up with this chain of events – what I have written on the board is scriptural. I would like to share with you where to find this. Before I do, I want to ask you to turn to Revelation chapter 10. In Revelation 10, this is something that we have read many, many times in the past and I want to go over it again lightly just to make a certain point, something that God has never revealed to me, it never hit me what He was saying in this book, in this chapter. In Revelation 10 it begins with another mighty angel coming down from the heavens, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow is upon his head, his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. In the past we have recognized this as the Son of God, as Jesus. In the past scriptures, there has only been one angel or one messenger in a cloud - in Exodus - and we recognize that as the messenger of the Lord, or the Son of God.

In Revelation 10, if you'll notice, the rainbow is upon his head - that is the everlasting covenant, and he is clothed with a cloud. The Son of God is clothed with a cloud. And in Job chapters 36 & 37 clouds are defined spiritually as the people of God, or someone carrying the water of God, carrying the message. Here the son of God is clothed with a cloud and if a cloud represents a person, for Christ to be clothed in the cloud shows Christ in their heart. In other words, in Revelation chapter 10, you are seeing a movement of people led by God. It isn't just a fluke, it isn't just them doing it, but Christ is leading a group of people. To understand more in depth of Revelation 10, we have past studies on tapes on this where we show what it means -- his face is like the sun, and so on. We can prove beyond a doubt that this is Christ – I would rather say it is Christ in His people.

Now what people is it? In verse 2:

Revelation 10:2

² And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

Now the little book, in so far as I have always understood this, represents the book of Daniel. Why would I say Daniel? I want to turn to Daniel chapter 12, and in Daniel 12, Daniel is told in verse 9:

Daniel 12:9

⁹ And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

That the words of the book that he is given here, his prophecies are not going to be understood until the time of the end -- and in verse 4 of Daniel 12:

Daniel 12 4

⁴ But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: ...

In Revelation 10, that is a picture of Christ in a movement of people carrying the book and the book is opened. In other words, they began to have an understanding of the prophecies in Daniel. I can look back in church history and I can see who that was. I can see in the 1800's a group of people who were understanding the book of Daniel and coming to some conclusions about the prophecies in that book.

This is just simple church history. But if you'll notice in Revelation 10 2, the feet are on the earth and sea. That shows me a literalism. That shows me that when I go back and read the people who were given these prophecies and coming to an understanding, that they had one foot on the earth and one foot on the sea according to the scriptures. This movement of people was led by God for sure, but they were reading these things in a literal way -- and as we read Revelation, chapter 10, let’s just keep reading this, verse 3:

Revelation 10:3

³ And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth [roars]: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

Now, the only sound a cloud makes is thunder – that's it – showing the cloud or the people, this
movement responding to what God was teaching them. But notice what this says.

Revelation 10:4

⁴ And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices [and seven is just spiritual perfection, not “literal,” but “spiritual”], I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not [don’t write them].

John was not permitted to put that in the scriptures, in his prophecy of revelation. He wasn't going to allow John to write the literal meaning of those things. But look at what he says – verse 5:

Revelation 10:5

⁵ And the angel
which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

Now stop a minute. What is in his hand? It's the book. He has the little book in his hand and he lifts his hand to heaven. Now somehow I think the Lord is telling us that the hand with the book was lifted up into the heavens. Another way of saying it is: the Savior, in opening the book, lifts it up for a heavenly understanding, a spiritual understanding, you see? Verse 5:.

Revelation 10:5

⁵ And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven [the heavens],

Now it doesn't say: “he lifted up the book,” it says: “he lifted up his hand.” But if you back up a few verses, the book is in his hand – and he lifts it up to the heavens, and we know the story from here on out. When he spiritualizes this book, or lifts it up to the heavens, gives it a spiritual meaning, an heavenly understanding, John is told to go take the book, now, from him, eat it. It's going to make your belly bitter, but in your mouth, it will be sweet as honey. And he is told to take the little book now, it has been lifted into the heavens, it has spiritual meaning to it and you have got to prophesy again.

You've got to give this prophecy again before many peoples, nations, tongues and kings, after it has been lifted up to the heavens. Now what does he mean that it is going to be sweet in your mouth like honey, but bitter in your belly? Well, your “belly,” of course, is your mind, and your “mouth” is what passes through, going to the belly; it's where the food passes through. It's sweet to your understanding, but when it gets to your belly, and begins to be broken down and assimilated into who you are, it is a bitter thing to have to face. It's sweet to understand it but it is a bitter thing to experience.

Now that in a nutshell is what I think is happening to people with the abiding – that it’s a sweet truth, but when you begin to face the abiding message, day by day by day, and you come to your Savior, and you have to die to self, it becomes a bitter experience to you. It's sweet to understand but when it enters into you and begins to be assimilated into your person, it becomes bitter. The point is, the book of Daniel, if we're accurate about how we're interpreting Revelation 10, that book of Daniel should be lifted up to the heavens at the time of the end, understood in a higher way. Now, why say all that.

Below is the Christian experience:

Your faith
Your strength
Your suffering
Your bondage
Your bondage coupled with brokenness

I told you that the above was scriptural. I didn’t just make that up or put that chain together. Let me ask you the spiritual symbol, the symbol for faith. That symbol for faith, we know, is gold. What about strength? Job 22:25 talks about the strength of silver and I guess all of you by now have figured out where we’re going with this -- but we have gold and silver -- suffering is brass. What about bondage? Psalm 107, let me read this for you.

Psalm 107:10

¹⁰ Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Bondage is seen in iron – and you can couple that with Psalms 105 18. It states:

Psalm 105:18

¹⁸ Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron

[his soul came into iron – that’s what’s in your margin.]:

His soul came into iron. You know, when you see a prisoner being led away – it’s iron – they have him chained in iron. Of course, below that we have got bondage and brokenness and that is iron mixed with clay. The reason I have it like this is because clay, if it's without water – is brittle. If it has water it is moldable and shapeable – and I haven't concluded yet how to look at this in Daniel, chapter 2. As we look at the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron and the iron mixed with clay, as I look at a Christian, he finally has to come to the point where he is in bondage and if I look at him without water, he's brittle, with water he's moldable. Either way, that stone is going to hit him at that point and destroy the idols, the image in his head, and set him free. The stone will become a great mountain. But let’s turn back to Daniel 2, and in Daniel chapter 2, where this vision is given, I want you to see something.

Daniel 2:28

²⁸ But there is a God in heaven that revealeth [reveals] secrets, and maketh [makes] known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be [where?] in the latter days. ... [Now notice verse 30]

Daniel 2:30

³⁰ But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou [you] mightest [might] know [look at it again] the thoughts of thy [your] heart.

This man was the king of BABYLON, the king of Babylon. He was ruling over Babylon, hence the gold, the silver, leading to brass, and iron and then finally iron mixed with clay. When you first come to the Lord, I don't care who you are, what denomination you belong to, you still walk by your faith. That is how you have learned to live your life and you pick up that Bible and off you go, reading it and coming to some conclusions without ever allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to lead you fully. It is impossible for Him to lead you fully because you still don't understand the principle of “self death.” And that is what he has got to lead you to. And you are sitting on your own throne, in confusion, not recognizing the confusion you're in. You realize you don't know it all but you still think you know something. You're still living and breathing and the king of Babylon is on his throne and Daniel says, let me show you the latter days, what is in your heart.

Now why the latter days? – because this message of abiding in Jesus Christ was given to the first century church. Catholicism took that truth and destroyed it. That was just one of the truths. But Satan did away with the abiding truth. And God has been reforming his church, trying to bring them out of Catholicism, and I could say, get Catholicism out of them, but bringing them out of Catholicism -- and in the last days remember the remnant church, Revelation 12-17, the last day church keep God's commandments and the testimony of Jesus. Remember Revelation 14-12, here is the patience of the saints; they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. That's abiding. He is describing the abiding message.

When I look back at this movement that brought us the definition of the sanctuary in Daniel 8, and Daniel 9, I can look back and see, yes, they were led of God, but yes, their feet were on the earth. And God has lifted that book into the heavens, and he wants us to see something more than just pointing the finger at the Catholic Church, or Medo-Persia.

There's something more to the scriptures than that. And we've got to face what is in our own hearts, and it hurts! That's what I'm headed for, by God's grace, in this study to help us see the pain that some of us are facing and what is going to have to happen for us to make it. I'll tell you, the road is getting narrower and people are falling off the path, and we knew it was going to happen. I just pray that ... you know, it breaks my heart every time I see it happen. I’ll tell you, we need a deeper, more meaningful definition of these things. There is a stone that is going to be cut out without hands. Let’s talk about that. We know in Daniel chapter 2 that this is what takes place in verse 35:

Daniel 2:35

³⁵ Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors [That's all of your idols crashing down and being destroyed]; and the wind [or the spirit] carried them away, [so] that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Now he says in verse 34: “it was a stone cut out without hands, without your own works.” This stone, in other words, is a gift of God. What is the stone? Well, I’m sure all of us understand that. If you’ll look at Isaiah 28-16, this little scripture song that we sing:

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, [it is] a tried stone, a precious corner stone, ...

Notice who lays it – God does. It comes to you without your own works, cut out without hands. It's the stone of Jesus Christ, a sure foundation.

Isaiah 28:16

¹⁶ ... he that believeth [believes] shall not make haste [or run into sin hastily].

Now there's something I want to add to this. If you’ll turn over to Matthew 16, Jesus describes and discusses the stone in Matthew 16, when he asks Peter: “Who do ye say that I, the son of man, am?” In Matthew 16 16, Peter said: “you are the Christ.” What if I re-worded that, what if I translated that – “you are the anointed one, you are the son of the living God.” Now there is the stone but now look at what Jesus says to him.

Matthew 16:17

¹⁷ ... Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona [son of Jona]: for flesh and blood hath [has] not revealed it unto thee [you], but my Father which is in heaven [has revealed this unto you].

He just told Peter: “You understand that I am the anointed one through hearing my Father speak to your conscience. You're abiding.” That is the gospel that Jesus came to proclaim, the preaching of hearing, the gospel of hearing, the logos of hearing. Now notice what he says in verse 18:

Matthew 16:18

¹⁸ ... That thou art [you are] Peter, and upon this rock I will [I’m going to] build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Now if you think that because you understand Jesus is the son of God, that Satan doesn't have a chance against you, think again. Because over the years we have been proclaiming that fact – born in eternity, the son of God, and it hasn't set one of you free from sin. What is it that sets you free from sin? – The fact that you recognize Jesus as the anointed one, the son of the living God. You can't leave out the anointed one, because when you face the fact that He is the anointed one, you begin to come into the understanding that He did not overcome sin in and of Himself – His Father through Him – overcame sin. And this is what he states, if you’ll look at John 14 with me – in John 14:10:

John 14:10

¹⁰ 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 [that’s dwelling] in me, he doeth [he’s doing] the works.

Now what did he just say? He says that the works He's doing and the words He is speaking is proof that God is in Him. You see folks, Jesus Christ was a man, He was a human being, in the likeness of sinful flesh. And yes, in his mind, He carried a load more knowledge and information than we have.

But that isn't how He overcame sin. He overcame sin by allowing the will and the life of God to flow through Him. And that's what He is saying: “believe me at least for the works you are seeing. I'm a man just like you are, but I'm not sinning. Can't you see that God is working through me, at least believe I'm the son of God because of the works I'm doing.” Now look at the next part of this:

John 14:11

¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. [You see?]

1² Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on [believes into] me, the works that I do shall he do also;

Now stop a minute. Matthew 16 He says: “On this rock I'm building my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” In John 14, He says: “Greater works will you do if you believe into the anointed one.” You see, that principle, that He is “the anointed one,” the Son of God, that is the rock God is building His church on. You can believe Jesus was born in eternity and never overcome sin in your life. But when you understand He is the anointed one, bringing the life of God and you understand to open your heart and let that life flow through you, the gates of hell, the fortresses, the strongholds that Satan has on you, cannot prevail against that man as He brings God into your very being. You see, it isn't simply the fact He's the son of God. It's the fact He's anointed with the mind of the living God. It is the mind of God that brings divinity into Jesus the man, and ultimately into the remnant church, giving you divine nature.

Again, it isn't simply: “He was born in eternity and the trinity isn't true--now that I know that I'm going to heaven.” Wrong – you understand He's the anointed one, that you have the mind of Christ who has the mind of God, friend, you're not going to heaven, you're there. You're in heaven, if you can be in that place. Now He says in Matthew 16: “The gates of hell will not prevail against it.” In verse 19:

Matthew 16:19

¹⁹ And I will give unto thee [you] the keys of the kingdom of heaven:...

You see? That's what you get in abiding. You can couple that with 1 John chapter 2 where he states:

“You know all things, you have an anointing and you know all things. You have no need that any man teach you anymore how to live. Jesus Christ is going to teach you. This anointing you've received” --

He gives you the keys to the kingdom of heaven and whatever is bound on earth is bound in heaven. Whatever is destroyed on earth is destroyed in the heavens. You see, you are walking in a committed life, with Jesus Christ guiding you moment by moment. Pray without ceasing. Live in this abiding place and let him live through you and the gates of hell that have  vercome you, all of your life, will stop. They cannot prevail against Jesus Christ as He brings God to you.

Now back to Daniel 2 and that is the stone cut out without hands that smites that image in your heart. In the latter days it will smite that image when you come to the point of recognizing your bondage coupled with the clay (whether you look at it as brittle or having some water where it can be shaped). The point is, when you reach that point, you are no longer walking in your own faith and strength, you've passed through the suffering of recognizing your sin and struggling to overcome, and finally coming to the place of the iron. I am in bondage – and you are now standing before God in bondage willing to be broken and He will send the stone cut out of the mountain without hands to smite those idols and destroy them. That stone will become a great mountain – a mountain is a kingdom. It will become a great kingdom in you, and you are now in the kingdom of the Son of God.

Now I thought that was interesting to see how the Lord had brought that out, but I thought, well, this is happening to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Let's go back and read about the king of Babylon.

Next chapter, in Daniel chapter 3, and by the way, remember that we can look at this book spiritually, because Jesus has lifted it up to the heavens. You know, I was lying in bed one night, I think it was around midnight when I got up, and when the Lord hit me with this understanding of Revelation 10, and I had to get up and go read Daniel right then, and put it in the heavens, in a higher way. Right off the bat, in chapter one you see where Daniel refuses the kings meat and wine – he refuses the understanding of the king of Babylon. That's the first lesson we need to learn, isn't it? Not to follow self, recognize – you know, you're in confusion. You don't just give your heart to Jesus Christ, and bang, you understand everything in the Bible. You've got a lot of baggage you're carrying and you don't want to eat that meat and drink that wine, you see. That's the first lesson he tells you in Daniel chapter 1. Daniel 2, he lays out the whole system of events that takes place in a believer and what is going to have to happen before He can move in their life to set them free from sin. Well, in Daniel chapter 3, we have the story of Nebuchadnezzar building a golden image. And you know, he told people to bow to his golden image. Gold is a symbol of faith – bow to my understanding.

Is that not what we do when we first come to the Lord? I know good and well that's what I did. That as I read the scriptures, I couldn't understand why other people didn't see it the way I did. And if they didn't bow or submit to my understanding of that, I threw them into a furnace of fire. Now, in past studies we have seen that fire is a consuming spirit. If it is the spirit of God, it consumes sin in your life. But if it is coming out of a human being like us, it consumes other people. It's a fire out of our
mouths to consume – and this is what you see in Nebuchadnezzar. He had the image of gold, walking in his own erstanding, walking in his own faith, and he consumed those who would not bow to his golden image. And like I say, there isn't a single Christian I know of that isn't in that place, that hasn't been in that place at least one time in their life. "This is what the Bible says, that's the way I see it, and if you don't bow, I'll separate." You see what I mean? That's how you wind up in a denomination to begin with.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that, it's just what happens to us. And God has got to lead us through that and lead us out of it, but thank God that those people that we consume in the fire, the Lord Jesus Christ can still stand with them and save them through the fires that we set.
That's what happens in Daniel 3.

But let’s go to Daniel 4. Daniel Chapter 4 is extremely revealing – and I'm hoping that you have read this and you’re familiar with what is in these chapters. Nebuchadnezzar has another dream, and I guess we need to take the time to read this and I pray as we read this, you get into the heavens with it. In Daniel 4, I want to start reading at verse 10.

Daniel 4:10-12

¹⁰ Thus were the visions of mine [my] head in my bed [while I was sleeping]; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof [of it] was great.

^{11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof [of it] reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof [of it] to the end of all the earth:}

¹² The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.