In the first church in Revelation chapter two, Jesus said if you don’t go back to your first love and the works you did in the first love, that He will come and take one of the seven candlesticks away from you, which is the Spirit of Love. With that understanding, we know that the only place you can learn to truly love is from God. You can’t learn to love each other; you have to love God and then fellowship in that love with one another. It’s not possible for you to fall into pure love with someone else but the fellowship of love that both of you learn from God is where true joy and oneness is. Ephesians is a book that teaches how to become one in spirit. It comes about by love. So therefore to love someone is to first learn how to love God. If you are in love with God out of law, you’re still dead, because law is cold. Law is not safe. Law can be perverted, it can be altered to suit your own desires. Law in itself brings death. So when we begin to love God, in this first love, He takes us out of the world of self. It says in Ephesians 2:1, And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; He has quickened you, or taken you out of trespasses and sins. Now, what’s a trespass? Being someplace you’re not supposed to be. If there is a no trespassing sign, that means you have no business being there. So God sees when you try to own something that isn’t yours, you’re trespassing. When a man tries to be something God never called him to be, and he’s doing it, he’s trespassing. When a woman tries to do what she was not commissioned to do, she’s trespassing. Now, when we come to the Lord, we feel His love, and He saves us from control and manipulation. We come to Him and it’s such an awesome feeling for all of those things to be lifted off of us. As we go along in our relationship with God, He wants to draw us closer to Him. What takes place when He draws you closer? You open your heart wider. As you open your heart wider, what’s in your heart is what will come out. So when you open your heart, you see, through the seven eyes of God, that in your love there is wickedness. God then takes you by His grace and helps you remove the areas of wickedness that are in your heart so you can love more purely. As you go along, the first time or two it’s not so bad, but after a while you get to a place where you don’t want to give up your wickedness any more. So you begin to push God away from even the areas that He loved you in, because He’s getting too close to the pain that’s in your heart. And you end up losing your first love because you don’t want to give up and move on with God. You don’t know what’s ahead, or what is going to happen to you if you give everything up to Him. So when a young couple starts dating, and one opens their heart a little bit, and the other opens their heart a little bit, they begin to see who each other really is. They may say, “Yuck. I didn’t know that was there. I didn’t know you were that way.” But it doesn’t work to try to change the other person. They must go before God to be cleansed and healed individually, and let God do the dealings with others. When both of them are doing that, they come back together in a whole new love affair with God to share with each other and there is great joy again. And then you go to the next level, and you start digging out some more junk, each one. But if one doesn’t see the issues that are in them, only in their partner, and if the partner changes but they do not, then their wickedness owns you. It makes the person who changes draw back and run away. “I’m not going to have myself owned by you. I am owned by God, and you are trespassing.” A trespasser wants to own what is not theirs. So as a result, for those who don’t want to move on with God and want to stay in their trespasses, I have very little fellowship with them. If I did they would want to own me. And I don’t let anybody own me, because I’m owned by the Father. So we go from hurt to hurt and we don’t deal with the wickedness that has been exposed in us, and think it’s just someone else’s issues. People don’t want to be owned. The souls belong to God. The difference between good fruit and bad fruit is this; the good fruit, God owns your spouse’s soul, but in bad fruit, each other owns the other one’s soul. So there is a fight. Then there is a compromise. “Let’s compromise. Let’s just serve the devil together. You own me, I own you, and we’ll fight and see who wins. Some I’ll win and some I’ll lose. Let it be.” How important is it to have that first love with God? The difference is your life in God. If you marry someone that is not evenly yoked with you, you will live in hell all the days of your life, because you will have to fight not only the world, but your partner who wants to own you. If you have to spend all of your time fighting someone owning your soul, you have no ability to love. Once someone owns somebody and is full of fear, the only way to get free is by the power of God. There is no other way of doing it. You can’t give it up otherwise. So the book of Ephesians helps people who were owning each other to come out of ownership and to become one through Jesus Christ our Lord. There are two ways of loving. One is loving so you can increase the other person, and the other is to love that person to bring increase yourself. That’s all there is. You’re either increasing that person or you’re increasing yourself. True love is without transgression and without sin. So it says in Ephesians, you’ve been quickened or removed from the worldly love to a heavenly love. You were dead in your trespasses. Do you know what that means? It means that you’re not saved. When you own someone’s soul you’re not saved. If you are in trespasses, in an unlawful place, you’re not saved, because you’re dead. Verse 2, Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. That’s what the world does. They live in trespasses and sins. Those who are disobedient to God live in a world where the prince, which is satan, the power of the air, operates. How do you operate out of the powers of the air? By using witchcraft. Witchcraft is using the powers of the air of the world. When you are in the world and you are vexed, it’s because the powers of the air of this world are there trying to persuade you to be disobedient to God and to be taken in with the love of the world. The love affair of the world brings death and takes you into transgressions and sin. Even though you’ve been taken away from that through salvation, it has to be removed from the heart at some point. Some of the desires of the world will leave in the first love. You’ll feel that burning sensation and some of it goes. Some of it comes back because we never truly let it go. It was burned up but you can go back and pick it up anywhere in the world. That’s what happens for those who are disobedient. So for those parents with children, to not discipline them to be obedient is teaching them it’s ok to walk in the powers of the air and fellowship with death. Scripture says that in the last days the prince of the power of the air is going to be very vicious because he knows his time is short. Well I want to tell you the devil and the powers of the air are increasingly vicious today. There is no love in satan for me. He’s laboring to destroy me in every way he can. Ephesians 2:3, Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Paul sees those who are in trespasses and sin as children of wrath from God. God is angry at those who are disobedient. We have conversations with ourselves about our lusts of the flesh and about fulfilling the desires of the flesh, which is disobedience. How do we have a conversation about the desires of the flesh? We sit there and think, I’m going to do these things, and I’m going to find favor with that person, and I’m going to get to the place where I own that person. If I do these things I’ll convince them. You have conversations with your lusts to get what you want. As a result of that, you are preying upon someone who is looking for someone to really love them in a safe way. Verse 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. So God is rich in mercy. Now if you learn to be rich in mercy and grace, you will no longer look at yourself. It will turn to loving someone else and they will feel your rich love, mercy and grace. They find it’s safe to open their heart and receive from you that they might love and be healed. We’re supposed to be like Jesus who is full of the richness of His great love, that He learned from His Father. That’s a key to power of the kingdom of God. How does that work? Because God is rich in love and He pours out His riches, His wealth, which is His love. It’s not dollar bills. It’s not cold hard cash. But the love of God, when it comes to you, is a fire that burns the lust of your flesh and the desires of this world. It begins to burn them away, and as long as you let it burn it will keep burning. He’s a consuming fire. He consumes the corruption that is in you. Now, you learn how to love by receiving and feeling what that love did for you. It opened my heart to love and when I opened my heart and I saw the wickedness of who I am, I began to change because I want the love that comes from Him. But if you are in trespasses, wanting to trespass, wanting to own, wanting something for yourself, you don’t see your issues. You only see the other person’s issues. You take on the attitude, “You change so I can have what I want.” Sorry. I’m not for sale. I’m already purchased by God. And you will never own me. And yet, the church today says you cannot divorce because God says don’t do it. And I say, don’t do it either, unless, there is one little scripture in Matthew 19:9 that says, except for fornication. What is fornication? Someone that is coming to own your soul for themselves. Verse 5, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;). So you can’t get rid of your sins and trespasses, you have to go to the grave and die to them, and when you die, God says, Now I’ll quicken you. Until that seed is placed in the ground it cannot produce fruit. But if it goes into the ground and gives itself up so that it will never be a kernel again. He raises it up and you’ll be prosperous with many kernels to give to someone else. Have you ever seen a kernel of corn eat itself? No, it’s raised for someone else. Every seed is raised for someone else and in the fruit is a seed. And that death not only brings life to you, but it is then a labor to help others also come into that same place of death and resurrection. So in verse 6 then, And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: He’s raising my wife and I up together, because she’s in love with God and I’m in love with God, and so together we are being raised up in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Verse 7, That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. The riches of His grace is His love for us, by opening all that He has for our pleasure in Him. Verse 8, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. If He doesn’t quicken the seed, it rots and it’s gone. It perishes. So if Jesus came down and quickened you, when you die to that thing, He takes you out of that place into heavenly places and if you’re in heavenly places, truly there, you can’t keep sinning. That’s what John was talking about in 1 John. It isn’t that I confess my sins every day. No, the old man has died and we take on the new love. Verse 9, Not of works, lest any man should boast. You aren’t saved because of what you did, other than die, so that you can boast, I’m where I’m at because I was willing to die and I wanted Him. And He is the One that changes us. Verse 10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. I’ve been created to do good works. Those works are not self-centered, they are to help someone become prosperous physically and spiritually. That’s what I’ve been created to do. Not everybody wants it. Not everybody will accept your advice. But for those who do, if it comes from God, it will bless them in doing it. But if it looks like a pig, it smells like a pig and it acts like a pig, it’s probably a pig. So if it feels like you’re trying to own me, it’s probably a bad tree. But if two people want to grow up together in Christ Jesus and become one, that’s a different story. The scary part is one can quit and then you’ll live in hell the rest of the time. It’s better for you to get to know God, and the other to get to know God, and then come together and we will continue to walk and help each other and bring healing to each other, and be able to open the heart, see what’s in the heart, expose it, get rid of it, and go on. The only way you can open your heart is if the one you’re fellowshipping with is safe. Otherwise you’re in trouble. It’s quite a responsibility for the brotherhood. We are created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. He’s ordained the things for us to walk in before we were even on the earth. I know that’s true. I know I’m walking an ordained way of what He called me long before I was here. And I’m thankful that the Spirit of the Lord is with me to show me what was ordained to me. Verse 11-12, Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: The commonwealth is the wealth of God’s people that is common to God’s people. Commonwealth means when you are created in Christ Jesus, there is a commonness of wealth that you will share like everyone else if you allow that work to be done. It’s not partial, it’s common to all those who are in the kingdom of God. So if being in the commonwealth is common to all, if it isn’t on you, then red flags are raised when you say that God speaks to you. If that commonwealth isn’t on you, I’m saying, where is it? Where is your wealth in heaven? Where is your wealth to be seated in heavenly places? You say you’re there, where is it? I want to see the commonwealth of Israel on you. That’s what the world will see. They’ll see the commonwealth of Israel on you; that is, the refined that you become so that the world is safe with you because you’re not trying to own them or take from them. But rather teach them how to receive and live in that commonwealth. And strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope. The commonwealth is walking in the covenants that are promised to you. In those promises is great wealth. If you want to be disobedient, you won’t walk in the wealth common to people who are in God’s kingdom. All of God’s children will be wealthy, not in the things of this world, but in eternity where it counts, where the mold and mildew and dust won’t affect your wealth. If you’re not walking in the commonwealth of Israel you’re not going to have the covenants of promise. You’re not going to have any hope. You’re not going to have God, and walk in His glory. Verse 13, But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. So if you feel like you’re a long ways from Jesus, you need to be made nigh, or close to Him, by the forgiveness of sins, which is the blood of Jesus. You want to be close to Him? Take the blood of Jesus and ask God to forgive you of your sins and trespasses and He will be close to you. That’s what it says. Verse 14, For he is our peace. The only way I can have peace is for the enemy to be destroyed. So, when He comes near us, He will destroy our enemies and we command our enemies then to go. He destroys them first by exposing them, and you seeing them, and He’ll give you the power to dismiss them. When I say He’ll give you power to dismiss them, it doesn’t mean you just say, “Go in Jesus’ name” and that’s it. No there is a labor and that labor makes you strong to stay in that place and position of authority that you don’t give up. He is our peace, who hath made both one. So if He is a long way away from you, and your sins and transgressions are forgiven, He’ll come near to you. Then peace comes on you and when His peace comes on you, you become one with Him. So that if I would marry a woman who had the same peace of God on her, when we come together we can be one in Him. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; He’s broken down the wall of self-centeredness, what we want, and our self-protection because we can’t trust. If we become one in heart and spirit then we can pull the walls down and have fellowship. Verse 15, Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. So when we pray for peace, we must first come to Him and make peace with God. What I have laid out up to this point is the process of making peace with God. Verse 16, And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Reconciliation in today’s world is, you give in a little and I’ll give in a little and we’ll both live for hell. True reconciliation is we come to the place where as a new man we’ve made peace with God, torn down the walls of self-centeredness, let Him come in and create in us a clean heart. Psalm 51 says, Create in me a clean heart, O God. That’s what He’s creating. He wants to create in you a clean heart. And when two come together with clean hearts they have peace and can enjoy the victories and fellowship together with Him. That’s what brings us into oneness. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, You die, and I die, and we learn to love by the grace and mercy of God. We learn how to function in that love, so that while you’re doing your thing and getting rid of your junk, I’m patiently there helping you, waiting for you to have that done, and when it happens to me, my partner does the same thing for me. So, that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. The enemies are slain when we come together in oneness in Him. Verse 17, And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. To them that were; they’re not now. You need to get back to the first love of peace with God. Verse 18, For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. You have access to the Father by the Spirit of the Father, but I have the same access if I will activate it and use it. Verse 19, Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Fellowcitizens: I’m in the commonwealth of the kingdom of God, because I have oneness in the body, with Christ Jesus, and you do to. We are one in God and we are fellowcitizens with the saints. Saints are the ones who have gone through the process of being purified. Verse 20-21, And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: The building is framed correctly together and it’s growing up into a holy temple of the Lord. Verse 22, In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. It’s a place now of habitation. If all would be one in this body, and everyone is laboring to get rid of their transgressions and sin, we would all be one with a love that we have learned from God the Father. Therefore we will become one with each other. If everyone had the same pure love, the same understanding, the same way of God, then there would be unity of the brethren. ![]()
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