1-800-HEAVEN GET BACK TO THE UPPER ROOM

After Jesus was raised from the dead, something happened that has gone unnoticed and, as far as I know, has not come up for discussion as an important topic. There came an awareness that things had shifted in the spiritual realm, and a greater battle was in progress. Where there was not much resistance to Satan's control and influence, if it was clear his attacks were on the public and not centered on God’s chosen people, it looked like he had free rein to do as he pleased. In these latter days things have turned ugly. Rebellion against God has greatly increased over the past 2000-plus years, and his concentration on the children of God has amplified. 

So, what happened just after Jesus rose from the dead? He walked the earth for a time, revealing Himself to many people in Jerusalem. At one point He told those who had followed Him to gather in the upper room and tarry there for the promise that the Father would send a Comforter. This Comforter will teach us all things and testify of Jesus. A wonderful thing happened in that upper room. First, a mighty wind filled that room. Second, tongues of fire appeared above each person's head. Third, the Holy Spirit filled everyone, and they ALL spoke in other tongues—three supernatural and powerful things. The result was that in the next 70 years, the entire known world at that time heard the good news that the Savior had come to forgive sin and redeem those lost in their rebellion against God. 

So, let's review what happened in a few sentences. Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead because there was no sin in Him, yet He took upon Himself all sin, past, present, and future, so that we may have everlasting life. He sent the Holy Spirit to the 120 who gathered, filling them, and they spoke in other tongues. This was the promise of the Father, coming to reside in everyone who received His forgiveness. The work of the Holy Spirit was to witness of the Son of God who did this great work. And in doing so, the world was evangelized.

Now, hear me out. I will give you the other side of the coin in this writing. The side no one has ever talked about. And with that, I am going to tell you a story to show you what happened one second after Jesus rose from the dead.

Satan instantly understood that his time was up as soon as Jesus died. He knew he had completely lost his position as ruler of this earth and its inhabitants. He knew it was only a matter of time before his eternal judgment was at hand. He knew his days were numbered, so he did the only thing he could do. He called for a gathering of “Satan's Board Room.” There he gathered every evil, disgusting entity he had encouraged to rebel against their creator. He knew he needed to formulate and implement a plan to maintain his power and influence over the inhabitants of this evil world. A plan that would destroy as many individuals as possible who stood against him and his dwindling authority.  He also wanted to increase his influence over those already doing his bidding in sin to maintain control. As for this new army of God, he had to figure out a way to break its unity and faith. They all sat down and planned out Satan's plan with cunning and every evil at their disposal. 

There was a lot to do and a short time to accomplish his goals. But first there was a problem that needed special attention and was put at the top of the list.

On the earth, something was happening that Satan knew, if not crushed, would lessen his harvest of the wicked who were in his camp. This new thing was called the church. Fanatics were gathering in secret places to learn more about this guy named Jesus, who was talked about as their redeemer. Then the Creator sent His own Spirit to live in man to teach them of the Creator's glory. Satan knew he had to curb this power because he certainly knew he could not stop it from becoming the most powerful entity on earth. In contemplating this crisis, he determined that he needed to send his own people, dressed as sheep, to influence those in this new church.

His plan was simple. He would use his old plan that had worked on God's chosen people, which had worked wonderfully before. Back then, he influenced God's people to desire a real, live, present king, like all the nations that they conquered in battle. They opted to replace their King, God, with one man who lived in their nation, named Saul. For that foolishness, they have been suffering for centuries. Yes, that is what he decided to do: replace God’s leadership with man’s leadership. But where would he be able to do this dirty deed? There would have to be a lot of thought put into how to implement this plan. When Satan examined the situation, he determined he would have to lessen the influence and power of God once again. He had to start at the top, eliminating the need for the Holy Spirit among the believers in Christ.

This is where the story gets interesting. His old plan, which worked against the chosen people, was to influence certain individuals in the group to spread dissatisfaction with having only a spiritual being as their King. In this new church, there was a Holy Spirit that needed to be quieted. Satan decided to use the people's desire for a simpler way to receive teaching. In their laziness, it would be easier not to attend several different gatherings where people would share the goodness of God and the individual teaching of what the Lord had taught them during their comings and goings. They wanted to go to just one place and listen to just one individual to learn. Bypass the Holy Spirit, let one man learn from the Spirit, put a sermon together, and they would listen. Simplistic gatherings were a comfort and easier to manage. So, it has been over 2000 years.

The results are obvious in these modern times. It has gotten to the point that there are few people mature enough to evangelize a small farm town in rural Idaho. Sad but true. The pattern of the church today is shameful. Those sitting in the chairs today have no idea that they have the power to turn the world upside down. Everything that was resident in the early church, which evangelized the known world at that time, is resident in all of us today. The difference is that everything done back then was done by the power of the Holy Spirit through individuals who knew who they were and believed the word to be true. We watch men and women today walk into the local church day in and day out with very little change in their lives. There is a lack of teaching, or minimalist teaching, to keep control of the people to keep them seated in the seats. Submissive and continuing to give finance to keep a hireling living a comfortable life and to hold his title. Am I being too harsh? No, I am saying what you are thinking and what you would like answers for. But sorry to say, it is your fault. You are comfortable in Zion and haven’t got the dedication or commitment to study to show yourself approved. Your fire has gone cold, your vision has dimmed, and your prayer life is cold. Wake up and hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches in Revelation. All are equal in their failure, and all have been disappointing entities. Each will be judged and found lacking. Yet they are not lost. There is fair warning, and there is a way out. But it takes one simple thing. Stand in front of the mirror in your room. Look closely at who is looking at you and recognize that you are your own problem. You look in the mirror and see yourself. Now ask God to bypass the love you have for yourself and to show yourself to you plainly. Come to know how you failed yourself, repent, fall into deep sorrow, and call on the Holy Spirit to fill you and help you to find your new language so you can finally fellowship with the Living God. It is time to bypass all the comfort of this world to accept all that the Holy Spirit has for you to be the vessel he has been wanting to use since you were at the foot of the cross. The time is now. You hesitate, and you have lost precious seconds of being in the arms of the God who wants to hold you and teach you about your glorious Savior.

If you think I am off track, please read the Letter of Jude. Jude was written 40 years after Jesus' ascension. Just 40 years, that’s all it took for things in the church to take a hard left turn. Jude was one of Jesus' unbelieving brothers. Jude wrote what broke his heart. Each verse is a full description of the church's progressive fall because of their laziness and unbelief. Repentance must be at the center of a recovery to the power and deliverance of the Holy Spirit. To hear the trumpets, to look up, and to see Jesus in the clouds with his army of believers, the church needs to start all over again and return to the upper room. It must again be as children after the cross and receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The church must allow the Holy Spirit to teach and guide them. We need to see things through His eyes and to hear with His ears what our  God desires. Enough is enough. The time will be lengthened to allow the church time to mature. We must all do our part. Ignore these things, and we will find ourselves going around the mountain once again.