As we are in a place of looking at some of the ways that church history effects us today and because there are so many questions about the book, The Da Vinci Code, which makes many assertions about church history, I think we need to address some of these questions before proceeding. (NOTE: This is basically covered in a recent Special Bulletin also posted on this website.)

We are spending a bit more time on this aspect of the fruit of the Spirit because it is so crucial to abiding in the Spirit, and is becoming increasingly crucial for our times.

As we have addressed in detail before that the highest purpose of man is to be the dwelling place of God. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us. Therefore, this should be the highest goal for each of us. It should be the greatest focus that we have every day. The true success of our life in every way will be dependent on this one thing.

Last week we focused on the mark of the beast and how it will reveal the true worshipers of God, distinguishing them from those whose hope and trust is in this present world, more than God. We covered these last year, but I feel this is an increasingly important issue that we should review before addressing how God’s people will be given the wealth of the wicked, which we will proceed with next week. Thank you for bearing with me in this.

Before going on to our next verse in this study, it would be appropriate to briefly look at the way some of the issues concerning spiritual warfare and the armor of God are being widely misunderstood. I personally did not feel these issues were so crucial until I had the visions that I wrote about in The Final Quest where I saw the army of God. In this vision only a few members of this army had on their armor, and many of them would only have on a single piece or two. The result was that they were easily defeated by the enemy.

Last week we discussed, "...the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might" (Ephesians 1:19). It should be the ultimate goal of every Christian to live by the strength of His might and not just our own strength. The next four verses direct us to the way in which we do this:

     We continue our study of some of the greatest Christian lives with one from more recent times, Leonard Ravenhill. I was privileged to get to know him in his final years, and I count him as one of the great Christians I have known.  

Leonard Ravenhill

Last year I received a word that we were in the Valley of Decision, and that those who were not maturing in Christ and daily seeking Him would begin to backslide and turn away from Him. We must be intentional about our spiritual maturity, or it won’t happen. Even biology teaches us that when we stop growing, we start dying.

By Rick Joyner