For He rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
I have rescued you from the kingdom of darkness and translated you to the Kingdom of My Beloved Son. Colossians 1:13-14. I redeemed you in My Son by His Blood, the forgiveness of your trespasses according to the riches of My grace, which I have lavished upon you. Ephesians 1:7.
Jesus came as a sacrifice for you sins—to take the divine justice due to you for your sins and trespasses in order to reconcile you to Me as if you had never sinned. And He is still ever making intercession for you to save you to the uttermost. Hebrews 7:25. Save you to the uttermost. That means not only your sins forgiven, but you are healed, provided for, blessed with every spiritual blessing in Heaven, and given the victory over sin and death. It is more than going to Heaven when you die, it is about being an overcome in your daily life now in the world. It is being in the world but not of the world, you have another Kingdom that is yours even now.
Jesus prayed for each of you who believe at the Passover meal the night before He died for your sins. Have you read His prayer? He prayed it as your High Priest and He is still the same yesterday, today and forever. First, let Me show you that YOU were included in this prayer that night though the disciples were the ones around Him who witnessed it, Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.” John 17:20. And that includes everyone who believes in Jesus. Do you see the power of a small number of people to change the world when they have the way, the truth, and the life? Peace, purpose and power. I give you all those in Jesus.
Now, I am sure you will want to know what He prayed for you that night because I have granted His prayer and you can receive it and have it as one who believes in Jesus by the Word of truth, that is, the Gospel.
Jesus prayed to Me, the Father of Glory, saying, “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.” John 17:11. He prayed that I would keep you in My Name, which I had given to Him, and now in Jesus I have given you My Name, Ephesians 3:15, so that we are one in Covenant love, and I have given you the Name which I gave Him which also belongs to Me, for I was in Christ reconciling the world to Myself in His Name, and His Name is Jesus (Yeshuah), which means salvation in Hebrew, and there is no other name given among men by which you must be saved. Acts 4:12. He is able to save you to the uttermost forever.
So, I answered this prayer. Do you remember I foretold this in the Psalms: “I will deliver you, I will protect you, because you know My Name. When you call to Me, I will answer you, I will be with you in trouble. I will rescue you and honor you (presented by Jesus as holy and blameless in My sight and beyond reproach). With long life I will satisfy you (filled with good days) and show you My Salvation (Yeshuah).” Psalm 91:14-16.
He went on with His prayer, “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” Pause there one moment and then I will go on, He gave you His peace at this Passover meal the same night and He gave you His joy so you could have it abundantly in you. John 14:27; John 15:11. Two times that night He told you that by His words His joy will come into you. And I anointed Him as High Priest and King of kings with the oil of joy. And you are in Him so that anointing is on you. You have it, why don’t you partake? It is set there before you so you should make use of it. Jesus came anointed and filled with power so I could give you a garland of beauty for your ashes (sins forgiven and gone), the oil of joy instead of mourning, and the garment of praise instead of a listless, fainting spirit. Isaiah 61:3. But you see, these are all things you have to put on, apply and wear. Put off the old man and put on the new, for I have made you new in Christ. It is the year of My favor, of jubilee, in Him even now. All debts cancelled and lost territory restored. But you notice that the joy came from hearing and taking in His Words, which are My Words, as your own. John 15:11, John 17:13. My Words are life to those who find them and healing to all their flesh. And life abundant gives joy.
Then He continued His prayer for all you who believe, “I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” John 17:14-19. This is packed full of treasures for you and you should ponder on them for I answered every one of His requests. You can have perfect protection from evil, from being tricked into it yourself and from the actions of others, and all of the devil’s schemes to take you captive to do his will and steal your joy and peace, destroy your destiny, and kill your power. But how do you do it? He told you. He gave you My Word. If you will keep My Word and act on it alone as your ultimate truth, you will have the victory no matter what the world, the flesh or the devil throws against you. My Word keeps you and the evil one does not touch you. 1 John 5:18. The world lies under the evil one for now, but you are not of the world. 1 John 5:19.
And how does the Word keep you? Jesus told you in what in His prayer, “Sanctify them in truth, Your Word is truth.” John 17:17. The word used for sanctify in the original Greek is hagiazó, which means to make holy and set apart as holy, to consecrate, to set apart, to regard as special, holy and set apart. Purified, sanctified. I wash you and purify you in the Word. It cleans your heart from the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. My Word transforms you from acting solely in the flesh to operating in the spirit. My Words are spirit and life. I sanctified Jesus and sent Him into the world to save the lost and reconcile all to Me. And now He sends you on the same mission. But He has given you His own power, which is My power that I put in Him. For your sake He set Himself apart, consecrated Himself unto you, that you would be sanctified in Him. John 17:19. This is not your own effort or you could never get there. I have put you who believe in Him, sealed you in Him, and He has consecrated Himself, set Himself apart, for you to live through Him. By My doing, you are in Him who became to you wisdom from Me, and righteousness, SANCTIFICATION, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who would boast, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31. As Mary sang, “He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name!” Luke 1:49. You should be singing with her, for in Jesus, you too are sanctified and set apart for a mission, highly favored and beloved.
Then He went on to pray that ALL who believe in Him through the Word of truth would “be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:21-24. Again, a packed prayer full of treasures that are yours if you want to take them and act on them in your life. You know that as a believer I have given you the power to move mountains, but most of you have never even tried. What a waste. Paul calls that receiving grace in vain.
Now let us unpack some of this prayer together, for it is a treasure trove full. This prayer puts you as one in the Godhead by being in Jesus, so you can be filled with all My fullness. Jesus puts man and God in perfect union by being the Son of Man who is also the Son of God and puts you right into My bosom from which all proceeds. John 1:18. My very nature is in you and I am Light. Do you see now why Jesus told you that you are the light of the world? And not to hide that light but to put it out for all to see so they may see your goodness and generosity and give Me glory and praise.
Did you notice He prayed to Me that “the Glory which you gave Me I have given to them that they may be one as we are one, I in them (the mystery of Christ in you, your hope of GLORY) and You in Me, that they may be perfected (made complete, mature, transformed by the renewal of your mind, missing no good thing) in unity (the righteous made perfect, Hebrews 12:23)(perfected in uniting yourself with Christ), so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as you have loved Me.” John 17:22-23. The perfect Man who kept all My commandments and never sinned, that is only My Son but now in Him you become as sinless as He is, for as He is so are you in this world. 1 John 4:17. Jesus has given you His Glory. You are no longer naked like Adam and Eve became after the fall when My glory left them after they transferred out of My Kingdom to the authority and rule of darkness, the father of lies was now their adopted father. And there is no glory there. Only shame and fear.
And then Jesus added even more, “Father, I desire that they also, who you have given Me (when you believe in the good news of your Salvation, I seal you in Christ and give you to Him, and I have told Him that He cannot lose any I have given Him but must raise them up on the last day) be with Me where I am (this I answered to, for I have raised you with Him and seated you with Him in Heaven, Ephesians 2:6), so that they may see My glory (manifested in your own lives as in Christ, Acts 10:38) which you have given Me (I supply all your needs according to My riches in Glory in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:19) which you have given Me, for you loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Just as I chose YOU before the foundation of the world that you would be holy and blameless before Me. In love, I preordained you to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Myself according to the kind intention of My Will to the praise of the GLORY of My grace, which I have freely bestowed on you in the Beloved. In Jesus you have the redemption through His blood (He paid the ransom for ALL), the forgiveness of your trespasses, according to the riches of My grace, which I lavished upon you. Ephesians1:4-8. I have made known to you the mystery of My will, that all may be One with Me in Christ, according to My kind intention which I purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him you have obtained an inheritance, I have made you joint heirs with Christ, and He is the firstborn. In Him, you, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of your inheritance, with a view to the redemption of My own possession, to the praise of My glory. Ephesians 1:9-14.
And how did Jesus conclude His prayer? “I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26. There is power and glory working in you beyond all you can think, ask or imagine. And I have poured My love in your heart by My Spirit, which is My gift to you.
You are My dwelling and the temple of My Holy Spirit. And My Son is in you and you are in Him. Your hope of GLORY, at every moment. And by receiving the abundance of grace that comes in Him and the gift of righteousness you reign in life through Christ Jesus.
Why then, some of you may asking, can you still sin and fall into disobedient behaviors when you have such a great treasure in you? My answer you find in 1 Corinthians 4 from My apostle Paul who had the same question. He seemed to do the very things his spirit did not want to do; he saw a different law at work in his flesh. Jesus told you to pray that you not enter into temptation as your spirit is willing but your flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41. You are still awaiting the redemption of your bodies, when I will do away with death and glorify you so that you have the glorified body that Jesus already enjoys. But until the Last Day, which becomes the Eternal Day, listen to what My Spirit told you through My apostle Paul, a chosen vessel Himself, Acts 9:15, “you have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” In afflictions and trials, he was not crushed; perplexed at times, he never despaired, persecuted, he was never forsaken, and struck down, he was never destroyed. Why? “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.”
Therefore do not lose heart, but though your outer man is decaying, yet your inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for you an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. Do not put your focus on things which are seen, that is, living in the flesh by only what you experience with your five physical senses, but focus on the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 1 Corinthians 4:7-18. For you know that when the earthly tent which is your current home is torn down, you have a building from Me, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in the house of earthly flesh you groan, longing to be clothed with your dwelling from heaven, where there will no longer any place of sin in you. But, even now, when you have put on your garments of Salvation and Robe of Righteousness, you will not be found naked. For indeed while you are in this earthly tent, you groan, being burdened, because you do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. I have prepared you for this very purpose and gave you the Spirit as a pledge, who even now leads you and quickens your mortal bodies with true life. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. I have put eternity in every person’s heart.
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while you are at home in the body you are absent from Me in the sense that you walk by faith, not by sight. But be of good courage, even though you would prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with Me, that is, if you really know Me and My love for you that surpasses all understanding. But even so, even when you feel burdened and close to giving up, do not give up, just make it your ambition, whether at home or absent, whether here or in Heaven, to be pleasing to Me by rejoicing always, praying without ceasing and giving constant thanks for the hope laid before you. For you must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. You are saved in Him but I want to give you your full reward, so don’t draw back no matter what comes against you. I can get you through any storm. I deliver you out of them all. For the love of Christ will give you fortitude to go on when you know that He died for all, so that you who live might no longer live for yourself (controlled by your emotions), but for Him who died and rose again on your behalf. You can do all things in Him who strengthens you. But without Him you are back where Adam put you, naked of glory.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Nothing on earth should happen without your permission. You need to grow up to the maturity of your head, who is Jesus. You may be physically still in the flesh but you can walk in the spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh. Most believers never grow up because they have never been fed My Word, and even if those who have been, often never take authority and act on it. If you are ruled by your flesh (feelings, fears, lusts) you are immature and a slave to sin even though you are the master of all the works of My hands. Just as the first Adam was. Now all these things are from Me, who reconciled you to Myself through Christ and gave each of you who are reconciled the ministry of reconciliation. I was in Christ reconciling the world to myself, not counting your trespasses against you and now I have committed the word of reconciliation to you.
Therefore, think of yourselves as ambassadors for Christ, as though I am making an appeal through you; and walk in a manner worthy of your calling, for I have equipped you to do so. Don’t let people scare you off by saying it is not professional to share the good news of Jesus with others wherever you are. As Peter said to the Jewish religious leaders when they forbade Him to ever speak or preach the Name of Jesus again, that it was better for him to obey Me than to obey them. I am the one who is the ultimate Judge and will reward you for what you have done in the body. People, no matter how much earthly authority they think they have, are not your ultimate Judge. My desire is that ALL people be saved and come to know the truth, for My Son already paid their ransom, they only need someone to help them receive so great a salvation. I made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on your behalf, so that you might become righteousness with My own righteousness in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:1-20. One again with Me, and even more one than Adam ever was. When I restore it is far better than before.
All in an earthen vessel, but did you know that super conductors of electric current are made of ceramic? The clay of the earth can hold a charge for years and convey it at speeds beyond all you can think or imagine. Does it make you think of Paul, my chosen vessel? Even handkerchiefs touched to him cast out demons, healed the sick and raised the dead. Extraordinary miracles took place at his hands. Super conductor. Yes, you hold a glorious treasure now in an earthen vessel but that does not mean you cannot work great miracles, signs and wonders that bring healing, provision, and beauty for the ashes of the world. Just like when Philip showed up in Samaria and proclaimed Christ to them, he did not fear to be politically incorrect, and as the people heard and saw the signs which he was performing– unclean spirits were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. And the result? There was much rejoicing in that city. Acts 8:5-8. Is that what happens when you show up? Philip was not different than you are. He just acted on the Word and found the Word always works. Don’t be the one that sits on the sidelines in shame at what you proclaim, step out and declare. That is where it all begins, in speaking to the mountains. What did Paul tell you his solution was? The spirit of faith. “I believed and so I spoke.” You should try it. All the time, not just once in a while.
I love you. Never fear. I answered all of Jesus’ prayer for you at the Passover meal before He gave His life that you might live. And I have not left you orphans. You have My amazing Spirit in you as your counselor, comfort, strength, wisdom and guide. What are you doing with all that? Time to grow up.