IF YOU CANNOT SEE THE EVIDENCE OF THE ANTICHRIST YOU MAY BE SPIRITUALLY BLIND! No student of the Holy Scripture who has even a limited knowledge of world events would dare question the eminence of the Antichrist appearance. The “MAN OF SIN” is at the door. Streams of diverse religions are experiencing explosive revival. A recent advertisement in U.S.A. Today announced Mary appearances (called apparitions) throughout the world. The Tara Center Newsletter, called “Network News,” reported appearances of the christ, called “Maitreya” in Kenya and other locations.

A noted New Ager, Benjamin Crème, who claims to be the master for Maitreya gave the following report. “According to BC, Maitreya appears to people in many stations of life, but always in a way that coincides with their concepts of Him. One recent case, that has been reported around the world, occurred in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. There, a charismatic Christian named Sister Mary Akatsa has a faith-healing center where many miraculous cures are said to take place. Last month she announced that an important visitor would come and address the people. On June 11 He appeared suddenly in the crowd and spoke to them in their own language, Swahili, for a time. The visitor, she claimed was Jesus Christ. Photographs were taken and have been show with stories in the Kenya Times, the BBC World Service, CNN and one of the largest newspapers in Japan. Additional stories have appeared in the Manchester Guardian in the UK, National Public Radio in the US, and possibly elsewhere.”

“Through his own Master, Benjamin Crème confirmed that this appearance was truly Maitreya, the Christ in one of His many guises.” He also reported “crosses of light,”which he describes as the sign of the Christ. He claims one was witnessed in Louisiana and another at El Monte, California. Mr. Crème is a devout supporter of the apparitions of Mary and promises that these manifestations will continue to appear. He says of the Madonna’s visions,“the authentic visions of the Madonna are the work of the Master who was the mother of Jesus in that earlier time.” (Benjamin Crème, “Network News”)

There is probably no “Lying Wonder” more prominent and deceiving than the idea of the Virgin Mary apparitions. Catholic friends have warned me not to attack the Mother of Jesus or belittle her appearances. The very idea of this blessed woman being ridiculed seems to many people as a blasphemous thing. What is the real truth behind her elevation in the Catholic theology that would pave the way for such deception? She surely was the virgin maiden whom the Holy Ghost overshadowed and by whom the Son of God was born. She was a saintly and Godly woman, but was not, and is not, “The mother of God,’ without inherent sin, always a virgin who was translated to heaven without death.”

When she is given an idolatrous position as co-redemptrix with Jesus Christ, the Word of God is horribly violated.The hierarchy of Catholicism has twisted the Word of God to create a monstrous lie which will damn a myriad of souls to eternal hell. Satan’s darkest lies are always tied to God’s best truths. The purpose is to make the true prophet of God appear unbalanced and uncaring. The Marian doctrine was no doubt the plan of Satan as much for end time deception as for the dark ages of bondage.

It is becoming clear that the doctrine of Maryology and the deceptive appearances will be one of the major methods for satanic delusion, his lying wonders and his unifying the apostate religious leaders. Key personalities from the Pentecostal and Evangelical world are becoming dedicated supporters of Marian apparitions. In a recent book on “the Madonna of Medjugorje,” the following report was given of a key Pentecostal figure now deceased. He was called “Mr. Pentecost.”

The author’s words as following are scary. “But a well-known American Pentecostal leader, David du Plessis, came away with a quite different impression. Having expected to find unrestrained Mary-worship, he had been amazed to discover the emphasis being placed on Jesus and the New Testament. The whole place,” he concluded, “ is charged with the love of God. You can feel it and you can see it. I told myself that if there had been anything wrong with what was happening here, there would not be the manifestations of the Holy Spirit that I could clearly observe.” “There is a rare kind of unison about the prayers and hymns,” another observer noted, “real attentiveness to the lengthy sermons, tolerance for cold stone floors for hour after hour, long lines of penitents waiting for confession at the head of each aisle and at many other points in the church. I felt personally that I was in the midst of people who were truly raising their minds and hearts to God.” (Spark From Heaven, Mary Craig, page 117)

One of the principal fruits of the Medjugorje event is called the “New Ecumenism.” This “New Ecumenism” as they named it is all inclusive. We are not talking about Christians united together beyond denominational barriers or even Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. That is the old Ecumenism. The new will be inclusive of all the religious expressions including heathens, witch doctors and will eventually embrace WICCA and other Satanist groups. It is clearly the preparation for the false prophet who will be the anti-holy spirit of tribulation.

Here are the words of a Catholic Archbishop. “Within the Church itself, there were those, on the left, who were allergic to the mere mention of apparitions, discussing them as hallucinations, a projection of the subjective unconscious; while the traditionalists on the right would condemn and reject the Ecumenical message of Medjugorje, the new Ecumenism which Archbishop Frane Franic of Split praised as one of Medjugorje’s principal fruits. His observation, that ‘Our Lady is bringing us closer together, uniting us with our brothers from the Orthodox Church, the Muslims and even our Marxist brothers,’ was calculated to sent a shudder down many a conservative Catholic’s spine, but warmly endorsed by a Muslim dervish from Mostar who had been into the apparitions room.” (Ibid.)

These are the words of the Muslim dervish who was mentioned above. “I felt in my heart such energy that I could have cried aloud. I thought that I too would go into ecstasy. I decided to pray the whole night…The world is looking for God. If it looks for Him, it will find Him. If it finds Him, it will cling lovingly to Him, and he who is in love with God cannot ever be separated from Him.” (Ibid.)

The following quotes of a priest even includes the Hindoos.“May the reconciliation in Medjugorje and in the diocese of Mostar become a channel for wider reconciliation between Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims of the region, so that the reconciled people of Hercegovina may become an inspiration to other regions of the world in need of reconciliation: between Jews and Arabs, between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon, between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, between Hindoos and Muslims, between Iraq and Iran, between rich and poor, between oppressors and oppressed everywhere.”

Every Bible believer should watch this idea of a “New Ecumenism.” It will continue to spread and many in our churches that only recently were bastions of Fundamentalism will be swayed into their camp. The only safeguard to the present apostasy is the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, while living under absolute authority to the Word of God.

This “New Ecumenism” has already surfaced in the Pentecostal ranks under the guises of several ideas.Dominion Theology, Restoration, City Church, New Wave are a few names connected with the early stages. The key element in all of these thoughts is an emphasis on prophetic utterances apart from and even superceding the Word of God. These ideas are all based on new subjective theological thinking that leaves the door wide open to deception. The infallible Word of God is the only objective base for truth. Holy Spirit revelation, inspiration, or supernatural activity is always clearly, unquestionably and plainly anchored in Holy Scripture. Not one jot or tittle of departure can be tolerated.

The Apparition Of Fatima! An elaborate figure of “Our Lady of Fatima” is called the “traveling” statue and has been on the circuit since 1947. The picture of this statue was just published in Elkins, West Virginia where it was on display and religious services were being held. This statue is reported to have miraculously shed tears 22 times. Books have been written on the supernatural events and healings connected with this particular apparition in Portugal. The following description of the original event was reported in the Elkins, West Virginia newspaper. “Messages given to the children by the apparition of Mary included, that if certain conditions were met, Russia would be converted and an era of peace will be granted to all people. The conditions included praying the Rosary daily, obeying the Ten Commandments, offering sacrifices demanded by daily duty, and wearing a scapular—two pieces of brown cloth connected by a cord and worn around the shoulders as a symbol of the profession of faith.” (The Inter-Mountain, Elkins, W.Va., Wednesday, October 9, 1991, page 7.)

The children were the actual witnesses. They were 9, 8, and 6 years old. The visions were supposed to have happened once a month from May 13 through October 13, 1917. It’s incredible that an event involving three young children has now grown to be a worldwide phenomenon with a weeping statue and a multi-million dollar enterprise. The secular media would go crazy if a fundamentalist ministry would involve so much elaborate outlay of money and beguile so many elderly or suffering people. It’s a deception on a level that transcends all the modern televangelists put together.

ROMAN SHRINE AT LOURDES! An entire article could be written about Lourdes, France and the religious deception involved. The following was printed in “Midnight Call,” along with the picture of this famous shrine. “The famous Roman shrine is located in southwest France in the city of Lourdes. Here is where mainly Roman Catholics come from the world over climbing the so-called “Holy Stairs” to the shrine to gain indulgence. A posted notice roughly reads, ‘Four times a year, to the days of their choice, all the faithful who climb the stairs gain an indulgence of nine years on the following conditions:”

1. Having confessed and communicated.

2. Ascended on their knees.

3. Prayed for the Pope.

It is significant that while kneeling and ascending to the shrine, they are facing the symbol of Rome and Pontius Pilate. Jesus is a powerless prisoner to the left.” (Midnight Call, October, 1991, page 14.)

MARIAN YEAR PROCLAIMED BY POPE. The explosion of Maryology influence and the worldwide activity of different apparitions is not an accident. It is all clearly calculated to promote the Catholic Church and to seek world dominion by this harlot of Revelation. Pope John Paul was a clever leader playing all sides against the middle. His influence mushroomed and world religious leaders were not about to resist. A “One World Religion” is very near. “1988” was proclaimed by the Pope as the “Marian Year. Connected with this prayer is a short statement by a priest called “Brother Patrick Concidine, C.SS.R. The words of that prayer were blasphemous suggestions that Mary was the savior or protector of Jesus from the fears He experienced. It’s a subtle reduction of the Son of God while Mary is elevated as His savior.

The Harlot is on the ascendancy. I do not believe that ordinary Catholic people are any less sincere or more evil than Protestants. There are many wonderful people in both arms of Christendom, but most are utterly untaught by their shepherds and certainly unaware of the coming cloud. Those churches that were powerful for God a few years ago are now descending into the same confusion. It’s a world of apostasy that is coexisting with loud statements of success and victory. The evidence is in. The Antichrist is at hand!Signs and wonders can tell the loudest lies of all. The hearts of all humankind are so besieged with difficulty that everyone is looking for hope. We tend to grasp those ideas or experiences that give us emotional lifts when we need to fix our heart on Jesus Christ and His clear promises. Emotions are temporary but the promises of Scripture made real by Holy Ghost filled prayer are stable and satisfying. Those who survive this last hour before Jesus appears will be the “hardy” and the “holy.” THE ANTICHRIST IS AT HAND! (TO BE CONTINUED! Next week we will see WONDERS in leading Charismatic circles, WONDERS that cannot be called Biblical

SEVEN LAMPS OF FIRE BURNING

THERE IS AN INVASION OF SATANIC POWERS AND YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR THEM. Our one hope in this infested environment is the Restrainer whom the Bible identifies as the Holy Spirit. The person of the Holy Spirit is the third dynamic and divine member of our Eternal Godhead. To rightly recognize His offices in the Trinity is to trust God with a fresh vibrancy. Most Christians have heard numerous sermons on the Father and the Son but few on the Holy Spirit. Yet, everything the Father and the Son present in life or redemption is manifest in the church and to the saints by the Spirit. God the Father is on His throne and God the Son is seated at His right hand. The Spirit dwells in the church and in the temple of believers and fills the Universe. THESE WORDS FROM REVELATION CHAPTER FOUR,VERSE FIVE IS A PICTURE OF THE HOLY GHOST FROM HEAVEN’S POINT OF VIEW.

Jesus Christ was most enthusiastic about returning to Heaven and promised that the Teacher and Comforter would be sent in His place. The Holy Spirit never exalts Himself but exalts the Father and the Son as Jesus promised. He must be honored by the Saints and given the mastery of our lives. Our total dependency on the Holy Ghost has one purpose and that is to allow Him to fulfill His offices assigned by the Father and the Son. We are warned not to quench Him, despise Him, grieve Him, or blaspheme Him. The ultimate sin is to blaspheme the Spirit and to do so is to be lost forever.

How can the saints be careful not to quench or grieve Him unless they understand His many wonderful expressions in our midst? A visitation of the Holy Ghost in today’s church gets scant attention from most in attendance. I remember when everyone honored a very whisper of His presence. The Antichrist has succeeded in providing a false anointing so cheap and giddy that it is laughable. This has resulted in a loss of the sense of the sacred. We need a shattering visitation that breaks the strongholds of religion without the fear of God. The Holy Spirit and His every inspiration must be held in the highest regard.

The shattering phrase, “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,” is the Holy Bible’s most breathtaking description of the Holy Ghost. The complete sentence reads with a clear picture of the many offices of God’s Spirit.“And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thundering and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Revelation 4:5).

The Holy Spirit is eternal, unlimited in power, and Holy in exactly the same degree as the Father and the Son. The most wonderful office of the Spirit is His omnipresence. He adds omnipresence to the Godhead just as Jesus adds grace and forgiveness. The Father is the eternal mind, the Son of God is the eternal word, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal manifestation. There is not anything that can escape God’s thoughts, not anything can escape the Son of God’s redemption, and not anything can escape the Spirit’s presence.

There are six other offices manifested by the Father and the Son’s Spirit. The first is His office of omnipresence and the following six are now listed in what I perceive as their order. The Spirit of Restraint is that great limitation on evil, which keeps Satan, and all darkness on a leash. He is both the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Revelation. He is the Spirit of Conviction of all sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. He is the Spirit of Grace that converts and frees man of sin and evil control. He is the Spirit of Preservation that seals the soul that He has converted to righteousness and sustains them until the glorious hour of perfection. To search those offices of the Holy Spirit and to recognize the divine intent of each is to walk in the meadows of majesty.

The early church was deeply rooted in the meat of the Word. Because of such depth, they turned their world upside down. The awakening that followed on the heels of Pentecost has never been matched. The Holy Ghost created a church world that touched millions without one modern means of communication. They were possessed of the Spirit and needed nothing else. The office of Christ’s Spirit, which came to be called the Holy Ghost, was the vicar of Jesus Christ in His every expression. When Jesus Christ is glorified as the Spirit glorified Him in the early church, nothing can stop the saints, not even the gates of hell.

1. THE SPIRIT OF OMNIPRESENCE! We must understand the incredible office of the Holy Spirit which we call the “Spirit of Omnipresence.” The trinity of God cannot be divided; neither can they be greater than one. These three distinct persons each add incredible dimension to the whole. The one office they hold in common is the perfect Holiness of their character. The Holiness of God must never be considered as acquired but intrinsic. Our God is also eternal, but that is not an office but a fact. The Godhead is also unlimited in power; that is also not an office but is their shared nature.

The Holy Spirit is the all-encompassing part of the Godhead and brings all that God is into the whole of the entire universe. There is not a place where God is not present, and the Spirit makes that so. It matters not how a devoted Christian feels on a given day, God is just as near on the bad days as on the best of days. Life in the plants that line the path we walk would fade in a flash if God were not. All life from the lowest to the highest is upheld by the life principles that fill all space by God’s Divine Spirit.

God’s Old Testament songwriter explained this the best of all. “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” (Psalm 139:7-12).

Our natural world must deal in shadows, but such possibilities do not exist with God. Even our thoughts are known of Him and He tries our reins in all of our ways. The loss of this understanding of His Spirit creates carelessness that robs man of the fear of God.

Even Hell and the Lake of Fire are eternal because the eternal Spirit of Omnipresence is present. Unless the Spirit inhabits this dark place of judgment, it would burn itself up and cease to be. The universe must never be without the witness of the cost of sin and rebellion. The eternal Lake of Fire will give inspiration to the things of the cross and to the redemption offered to every soul. The Omnipresence of the Divine Spirit can know no boundaries in the total expanse of the Father’s Universe.

While the “Seven Lamps of Fire” are seen before the throne in Revelation four and seven, He is also seen in Chapter 5 verse six. The last action representing the Spirit is in Chapter 14. After that, the Holy Spirit is seen as going forth from God’s throne and New Jerusalem manifesting the Life and Light to the New Heaven and New Earth. He will be the Omnipresence of the Eternal Father and His Eternal Son. We see His reflection in the following words,“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Revelation 21:23). “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). The Glory of the Father and the Son will forever be made manifest by the reflection of the Spirit.

2. THE SPIRIT OF RESTRAINTS! The Spirit of Restraints is an incredible office held and manifest by the Holy Spirit. This Divine person is indeed the proper person to restrain evil. Being Omnipresent, there is no possibility of the devil or one of his fallen angels acting in secret. We see this marvelous truth as the Father spoke by the Word in Genesis. “…The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:2-3). The Divine Spirit had moved upon the chaotic emptiness to manifest light. He has always been the restrainer of darkness and evil. Isaiah spoke of Him, “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).

This is an awesome truth. God’s entire universe would descend into an irreversible catastrophe if not for this Divine restrainer. Satan has turned many nations and lives into a wilderness. Often, when hope was quickly vanishing, the Spirit of God has moved. Every revival I have studied occurred on the edge of total despair.

Even today the world appears to be heading for collapse. It will not happen because the Spirit of Restraints will act supernaturally on schedule. I am truly expecting a sovereign revival among the remnant of faithful believers.Chaos can never pass the limits that our Creator has designed. The Holy Spirit will act and evil will be put to flight. Jesus stated, “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” (Matthew 16:18).

3. THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH! God’s Eternal truths cannot fail because the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth. Every truth of the Bible is both intellectual and spiritual. So-called scholars that think themselves capable of reinventing the Bible are playing with fire. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17). The Word of God is so powerful that no power can stop one word from being fulfilled.

Apostle Peter gave the Word of God one of its most potent defenses. He stated by the Spirit Himself, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:20-21).

Understanding that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth adds a powerful dimension to both truth and to the Spirit Himself. Truth declares that this Bible is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). There is no other tool in the ministry of the Spirit but truth. He does not use other ideas, imaginations, or schemes. The Word of God is His single instrument and that is all He needs. The Spirit watches over the Word to perform it. The Son of God declares, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).

It’s one thing to know that the Bible is an infallible book, but it is even greater to know that the Spirit of Christ keeps watch over every word that it cannot fail. If our faith can grasp this fact, we will become Saints in the spiritual realm.

4. THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION! The depth of Scripture is impossible for our minds to comprehend.Hidden in this Holy Word are treasures of wisdom. The Spirit that gives truth must be also the Spirit of Revelation of the truth of those hidden treasures. We shall never discover them without His inspiration. Jesus Christ alluded to this as He taught His disciples and all of us about His Kingdom. He said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field” (Matthew 13:44).

Then, He spoke of the scribes that copied the Word, “Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). There is no possibility of one man exploring all of the treasures in the Holy Bible, but each saint can certainly claim their share. The Holy Ghost’s transcribed revelations are like dynamite held in your hands. It is ready to explode in your life if you will delight in its abundance.

The Book of St. John has been labeled as the book that reveals Christ’s divinity and it is indeed. But, it is much more. It is the most Pentecostal gospel of the four gospels. John writes much about the importance of the Spirit’s coming after Jesus is glorified. These quotes are from Christ Himself. The highlights of His words concerning the Holy Spirit are beautiful. He said, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (St. John 16:12-15).

5. THE SPIRIT OF CONVICTION! The spirit in man is the only door by which God can enter into the human life. This spirit of man is kin to God, was imparted by God, and is ordained as a place of Divine activity by the Spirit of Conviction. The Holy Spirit will seize the first opening that the spirit of man allows. The Holy Ghost is never slack to convict of sin. This is His office work. No man can come to God; neither can God go to man except at this level. A multitude will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire because they closed their spirit’s door to the Holy Spirit.

This is one of the key teachings of Christ in St. John’s gospel. Jesus made it plain that it was expedient that He return to His Father and send back the convictor of sin. It’s beautiful to see how aware of the Spirit of Conviction Jesus was. He knew this was the Spirit’s role. He is grace manifested, but the Spirit takes that grace into the human spirit and marks the desperate need on man’s conscience.The emphasis that our Lord placed on this subject gives great credit to this office that He and His Father have given to the Holy Ghost.

His words to the disciples are powerful. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (St. John 16:7-11). There is no “born again” life without conviction of sin in that life.

6. THE SPIRIT OF CONVERSION! The Spirit that convicts man of His lost condition is fully ready to transform and convert the same life to Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus, “ye must be born again.” When Nicodemus did not understand, Jesus explained it to Him. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (St. John 3:5). Without question, the Lord Himself identified this office of conversion as the work of the Holy Spirit. The Lord adds, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (St. John 3:16).

The greatest need in Christ’s church is a new emphasis on the miracle of “being born again.” Our church world is full of unconverted men and women that are convinced that a little religious persuasion is sufficient. The whole spirit, soul, and body becomes a new creature when the power of the Holy Ghost can be turned loose to do His work of regeneration. Anything less is not Bible Christianity.

Apostle Paul described what happens in the powerful work of God’s Holy Spirit and the redemptive experience. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:1-6). The Holy Spirit does a supernatural work in the New Birth.

7. THE SPIRIT OF PRESERVATION! The final expression of the “Seven Lamps of Fire” or the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s offices is this marvelous preservation of the Saints. I’m so close to being a “once saved, always saved” believer that it scares my friends. Someone of the Calvinistic persuasion asked me recently, “Can a man lose his salvation?” My answer was, “absolutely not.” Of course, after a pause I said, “But he can leave it.” Even to “leave it” is not easy. This whole argument is the most fruitless argument of the church world.

When a soul is truly “born again,” they are sealed by the Holy Ghost and identified for the world and the devil to see as God’s property. It is impossible for them to backslide unless that seal is broken. The only power that can break that seal is a willful return to sin and a willful rejection of the pleading, persevering power of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul gave us a picture of this pathway to backsliding. Here is his powerful expression, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

The preserving ministry of the Spirit is one of the Bible’s most breathtaking pictures. Peter said “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5). Later in II Peter, this apostle said some powerful words concerning the soul that willfully turns back to sin. “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire “ (II Peter 2:20-22).

It takes a stubborn soul to reject this marvelous salvation once they have experienced the heart of an utterly transformed life. The Holy Spirit is our best friend and He abides in our very temple to preserve us for righteousness. We must not “quench Him,” “grieve Him,” or “resist Him.”Romans say, ”Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9b).

CONCLUSION! The Seven Lamps of the Fire before the throne of God show us clearly the great breath of the Person of the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ alone is the Lord of the church and of every saint of God; but, His Spirit is present to be our Pope or Vicar for Christ. Every saint and every local church must develop a Biblical sensitivity to this Divine Person abiding in our midst. Our spirits can be so tuned to Him that we hear His whisper and yield immediately to His presence. THE SEVEN LAMPS OF FIRE ARE PRESENTLY BURNING IN HIS CHURCH BUT IN REVELATION FOUR THEY WILL BE BURNING BEFORE THE THRONE.