Are you receiving the latter rain? It is falling now! | Part B

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

Such tremendous spiritual gifts, however, bring with them tremendous spiritual responsibility. Yes, to share with others what has been learned, but also to continue in the path of seeking ever-increasing light. For far too long have the Christian churches been content with the light they already have. The Roman Catholic Church, the oldest of the organized denominations, boasts of it’s aged traditions and bases many of its doctrines on nothing other than the “teachings of the church fathers.” How does this differ from the Rabbinical “sayings of the elders” that Yahushua so soundly denounced?

The denominations that arose out of the Protestant Reformation embraced the precious rays of Heavenly light on the priesthood of all believers, righteousness by faith, adult baptism by immersion and others but then they stalled. The second and third generations of Protestants were content with the light gained by their parents and grandparents. They did not continue to seek more truth.

Likewise, the various post-Protestant Reformation denominations that arose in the 19^th century progressed beyond what the Protestant reformers accepted as truth. The Seventh-day Baptists accepted the seventh-day Sabbath and shared it with the Seventh-day Adventists. The Mormons embraced healthful living. The Jehovah’s Witnesses sought for Yahuwah’s true name and rejected all the pagan holidays. In addition to accepting the seventh-day Sabbath and the health message, Seventh-day Adventists studied out the vast truths of the sanctuary and the lessons it has to teach about the plan of salvation.

But…

But every single one of those denominations has repeated the mistakes of the past and they, too, have stalled. They have not continued to advance in the light.

To receive new and deeper light, each truth seeker must step free of every man-made tradition. He or she must lay aside every preconceived assumption and be willing to obey whatever the Holy Spirit reveals as truth.

Lay at the door of investigation your preconceived opinions and your hereditary and cultivated ideas. You will never reach the truth if you search the Scriptures to vindicate your own ideas. Leave these at the door, and with a contrite heart go in to hear what [Yahuwah] has to say…

Do not carry your creed to the Bible and read the Word in the light of your former opinions. Do not try to make everything agree with your creed. Search the Word carefully and prayerfully with a mind free from prejudice. If as you read conviction comes, and you see that your most cherished opinions are not in harmony with the Word, do not try to make the Word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. Open the eyes of your mind to behold wondrous things out of the law. Find out what is written, and then plant your feet on the eternal Rock.⁶

Only by doing this, is it possible to rise above ingrained prejudices and follow truth wherever it leads.

To meet the need left by the failures of the churches to follow advancing light, various independent ministries have been raised up to spread Heaven’s truths. These ministries have faithfully shared the light given them, but almost without exception, they have chosen to cling to their one ray of light, refusing to follow on and study out still more truth. Worse, like the various denominations before them, most independent ministries have taught their followers to reject any light beyond what they already have.

This is a great tragedy. It is also a great danger to the souls of those who reject advanced light. Heaven’s truths are to be diligently sought for! They are to be carefully studied and eagerly accepted. Not a single gem, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, is to be carelessly laid aside or discarded. All are to be gathered together, cherished, and obeyed.

Sanctified Through Obedience

“Light” is truth. But more than that, it is the evidence of truth, brought home to the intellect, and lived out in a life of obedience. A mere intellectual assent will never save anyone. The devils acknowledge the power of Yahuwah and tremble, but continuing in rebellion, the truth does not save them. To be fully accepted, truth must be obeyed and it is when the heart determines to obey that the Spirit of Truth sanctifies the soul.

Paul praised Yahuwah for this very truth: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to [Yahuwah] for you, brethren beloved of [Yahushua], because [Yah] hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13, KJV)

The word here translated “belief” in English is quite passive. In Arabic, it is the more active word believing. It is the action of believing (with its accompanying obedience) that sanctifies. Not a passive mental assent. The word comes from the Hebrew pis’tis (#4102) which means conviction, persuasion and assurance.

The soul is sanctified through obedience. This is an extremely important point. New concepts, acted upon, become foundational principles. These foundational principles, in turn, become part of the attitudes and beliefs of the individual. The attitudes and beliefs form the thoughts and feelings. And it is the thoughts and feelings that form the character.

Character is the only thing we take into eternity. No one can risk shunning the smallest ray of light, because each one lays the foundation for still greater light, that is to lead to obedience and sanctify the soul. Even the first step back from fully embracing truth puts the soul at risk.