What Does It Mean To Be “IN HIM”

 There is therefore no condemnation or judgment for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.  This is a definition of what one will look like if they are “In Him”.    They are walking according to the Holy Spirit and not walking according to the flesh.  There is judgment or same word translated from the Greek “condemnation” for those who walk according to the flesh.  We are to be dead to sin and alive unto righteousness and deny self, our will and our way and pick up our cross and follow Him. Our life is no longer our own.  Judgment starts in the house of the Lord and before the Lord judges the world, He will judge His church and send His angels to gather out of His kingdom all who offend and all workers of iniquity as the bible states will happen before Christ’s return.  The word “angels” here is messenger.  John the Baptist was referred to by this term angel or messenger and he was human and born of a woman so if you are looking for invisible winged beings to deliver a message of judgment before Christ’s return you will miss God and the hour of your visitation.   God will send human messengers with a message of “wake up, repent, and prepare yourself to meet your groom, Jesus.  They will be tearing down strongholds of false beliefs that keep people in bondage to sin like the grace is a license to sin instead of the power of God given to you not to sin gospel.  They will be addressing the false “no condemnation” message for those who continually walk according to the flesh and willfully sin despite the spirit of “empowerment or grace”.  Some have a form of Godliness but “deny” the empowerment thereof.  These angels will be preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and submission to the King.  Their message will lift up Jesus as Lord in order to be Savior.  They will be speaking of judgment or being cut off if you don’t and they will be reminding those who claim to be saved that they can have their name removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life and the bible states that if your name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you will be thrown into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.   So, don’t be afraid to entertain strangers in the land, because some have entertained “angels” or God’s messengers unaware.  Again, not an invisible winged spirit but a human messenger that is new to the area you live in, sent by God with a message .  God counts us as righteous as long as we are making the trip and allowing Him to wash and cleanse us.  We do have a sin nature and we will sin.  It is the willful, habitually sinning “believer” who will not allow Christ to cleanse him because he believes all past, present and future sins are taken care of and he can do as he please without any consequence eternally, that will be judged or cut off.  They may even be spirit filled and speak in tongues so don’t be fooled thinking someone is eternally secure while he treats his wife treacherously as the bible states, or sins willfully.  Many of our sins come from wounds and the Lord heals the wounds of the heart and the sin goes away and this is what He died to do.  This is not who I am talking about and this message is not for them.  I just want to clarify.

As I have taught before, we are only engaged to Christ and are not yet His bride, who will be without spot or wrinkle at His return.  Five virgins were wise and five were foolish.  Wisdom begins with fear and the bible states that the wise speak of judgment.  All ten virgins were asleep, they all had the oil of the Holy Spirit and only half were ready when Christ came for His bride.  The rest left seeking more oil, or the Holy Spirit because they had run out.  The word “sealed” means deposit or engagement ring.  We are sealed by the Holy Spirit or have been given a deposit as an engagement ring with the intention to purchase, just as one would put a deposit on a house.  If the deal falls through, you lose your deposit.  So much for the current gospel being preached today because we do not understand the bible, Jewish traditions, the feasts and other things necessary with which to translate the bible or have the truth.  Jesus, who is the Truth, is faithful to reveal the Truth in the last days, but will we be faithful to receive it because it is not what we have been taught in our church?  Our strongholds of false beliefs are strongly defended, like a fortress.  No one is allowed in without the same beliefs and your name will be cast out as evil for Jesus’ name sake and they will put you out of their company because they want to maintain their stronghold or fortress of wrong thinking and anyone saying anything differently is not welcome and this is why the prophets and Jesus were killed.  The gospel isn’t always “comfortable”.  You have to love Jesus above any other man to speak the truth and tear down strongholds.

Here is something else the Lord showed me.  He will  not return until the “son of perdition be revealed”.  Judas was called a son of perdition.  He was a miracle working follower of Christ who lost salvation because he placed money before Christ.  He was also trying to manipulate Christ into over throwing the Roman rule by putting His back against a wall, so to speak.  The word “son” means a mature child of God.  The word “perdition” means one who went into eternal damnation or who perished.  But you say, aren’t we eternally secure and no one can pluck us out of Christ’s hand that the Father gave to Christ?  When you read things, don’t miss a word.  Some believe they are in Christ’s hand because they recited a little pray and got baptized without ever any intention of being formed into Christ’s image and likeness and being made holy.  Do you think that is someone the Father placed in Jesus’ hand? Some are of their father the devil.  They do the works of their father.  Anyway, Jesus will not return until the sons of perdition be revealed.  These are mature children of God who were judged and cut off and who perished.  That is what is being revealed and this has to be revealed before Christ returns.  The very fact that it is now being revealed in these last days says that His return is at the very door.  Many people think this refers to the anti Christ and I am not saying it doesn’t just apply to the anti Christ.  Just as it applied to Judas who denied Christ for money or prostitued the gospel for financial gain,  so does it apply to the minister today who promise a healing or blessing if you give to their ministry.  Only because they do not understand the Greek meaning of the words and they believe the lies they have been taught.

I have recently been contacted by Messianic Jewish congregations who ask that I visit with them because they understand what I teach and preach because they know the Jewish traditions, feasts, culture and other things that pertain to how Jesus taught that the gentile church today doesn’t get.  We miss so much and don’t get so much because we do not know the culture, traditions and such that brought the Savior to us and with which He taught.  You would never lead a Jew to Christ with the current gospel of today because they know a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever more who would not tolerate sin being overlooked because of His blood.  God hates sin and would never die and pay a price for sin just so someone could sit in front of their computer watching porn thinking they are free in Christ to do so because their sins, past, present and future are covered under the blood and they can’t be cut off, or judged by Him because of their willful sin.  In the Passover, the blood of a slain sacrificial lamb, symbolizing Christ’s blood that was shed for us, was painted on the doorposts of the Jews home.  Once that was done, they were told not to come out from under the blood covering (IN HIM) until the son (sun) came.  Their obedience to this saved their lives.  Those who disobeyed and left the covering of the blood died.  They were to remain under the covering of the blood or IN HIM to be saved, and this required obedience.  Jews get this and that is why you will not reach a Jew with the gospel today that would have us applying the blood of the sacrificial lamb to save us and then go out and disobey the Lord  by going out and doing as you will.  Also, the Feast of Tabernacles represents what happened after the Jews left Egypt, which symbolized the world, and the Lord then tabernacled or dwelt and communed with them.  Leaving the world and things of the world are necessary for the Lord to dwell with you.  You can be in the world but not of it.  So that is the message of the four blood moons coming at Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.  He proposed to us by offering His blood as a young Jewish man would do when proposing to his bride.  He would place the cup of wine before her and if she drank, she accepted his proposal.  He then went away to prepare a place for her and would return for her.  Jesus, our sacrificial Passover lamb puts a cup of wine, consisting of His blood, before us.  If we accept it and drink His blood and eat of His flesh, which was His body broken for us, we have now accepted His marriage proposal and we are engaged.  The bible also states that many are sick and die among us because they take communion not discerning His body.  Communion is a Holy thing not to be taken lightly or without the knowledge of what you are doing.  You are to remain pure or a legal writ or judgment could sever the engagement in Jewish culture.  The church age that is ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth is the one we are currently living in before Christ returns.  We don’t get the gospel of the kingdom of God, or submission to the King, which Christ commanded us to preach.  We don’t get that Jesus died to empower us not to sin, while we preach eternal security to the porn viewer that destroys his marriage, while Jesus died to save him and empower him not sin.  Between 65 to 85 percent of the men in ministry today view porn and are in the minstry behind the pulpit today, so they don’t want to hear or preach a gospel or repentance or be cut off or judged and they will spoon feed the same stuff to you to your eternal consequence because you chose to believe a stronghold instead of seek the truth yourself.

The bible states that before Jesus returns, there will be a departing from the faith.  This word depart or falling away comes from the Hebrew word which means move away, as in getting farther and farther from the Truth one step at a time so as not to even perceive you have moved.  This is what Jesus said that before He returns He will restore all things to His church for a great final end time harvest.  Our current gospel is the departing gospel.  We are ever learning and never able to come into the knowledged of the truth. We have fallen away or departed and Jesus is trying to bring us back and He is looking for workers in this end time harvest.  Falling away is not someone who goes back into the world and sin.  Departing or falling away is moving away from the true gospel because of deceit the enemy brought in.  The devil doesn’t want us empowered because we will enforce his defeat.  He isn’t going to tell you grace means empowerment not to sin.  He will tell you the opposite, right?  Go ahead do it, just like he told Eve.  You shall not surely die.  This is an old trick of his but it still seems to be working for those who are willfully deceived.  You can be in church and be departed or fallen away.  Just as in some marriages, you can live in the same house, but sleep in separate bedrooms and not have anything to do with each other and you have departed or fallen away.  Actually, where we quote that God hates divorce, it really comes from the same word.  It is not the word divorce, that we quote, that is used.  It is the word depart or moving away from each other and you can still live under the same roof.  What a revelation.  God hates this!  God hates it when we depart from the truth so He will send His angels or messengers to bring us back.  Those that willfully sin are given a writ of divorcement or judgment.  God divorces us if we choose to remain impure before His return after He has awakened us from our slumber.  God does it and He hates doing it, but it is necessary to do because He is coming for a Glorious Church, Without Spot or Wrinkle.

1 John 2 talks about what it looks like to be In Him.  And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments.  He that saith I know Him and keepth not His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.  But whosoever keepeth His word in him is the love of God perfected (matured) hereby know we that we are IN HIM.  He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.

That is pretty clear to me.  If you are IN HIM, you will keep His commandments, His word and walk even as He walked.  That can’t be done unless you are empowered to do so, know His word and commandments and abide in Him.  That can’t be done if you are walking according to the flesh.  Only if you are walking according to the spirit where there is no condemnation because you are IN HIM.   I can hear the legalism screams now.  Jesus didn’t do away with the law.  He fulfilled it.  Look at all the things Jesus Himself commanded us to do.  That isn’t legalism.  By fulfilling the law, you are empowered not to sin and are free from being in bondage to it.  Your debt has been paid and you are empowered, not in your ability but in His, to walk as He walked.

He commanded us to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God.  That is submission to the King.  Only when submitted to the King are we empowered to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons and reach the lost.  Only then do we have the authority behind us that the devil recognizes and obeys.

Let me tell you why I love teaching and preaching the Truth.  The Truth will set you free from the grasp the enemy has in your life by the lies he tells you.  Many have heard me tell this story, but I will tell it here.  Years ago, I was called to go to a public high school in Minnesota to talk to a class.  In the public school, I couldn’t hand out information but I could put it on a table to students to take.  My first year there (yes I was invited back) I spoke on the topic of the supernatural.  We got to the point in the discussion where I was to ask the class if they had questions.  I asked and a young man dressed all in black and gothy slowly put up his hand.  I acknowledged him and he asked a question.  The class laughed and out of my mouth flew “That is a good question”.  This literally by passed my brain.  The Lord revealed to me that the Holy Spirit had given the boy the question.  Trouble was, I didn’t know the answer.  The Lord told me that if He gave him the question, He would give me the answer and I had to be totally dependent on Him.  What a scary place to be and this is all happening in a split second.  The Lord did reveal the answer to me and I got taught in the process.  I said something I didn’t even know and it blew me away.  After answering, now aware that the Holy Spirit was working the crowd as He probably did in Jesus’ day, I turned to the class again asking if anyone had a question.  This time the boy again timidly put up his hand apologetically.  I acknowledged him and he asked another question.  This time the class didn’t laugh and it was apparent the presence of God was there.  Again, the Lord let me know the Holy Spirit had given him the question and again I didn’t know the answer.  The Lord provided the answer and I was taught in the process as well and I was totally dependent on Him and hearing His voice.   I turned to the class a third time asking if anyone had any questions.  The same boy put his hand up again saying, “I am really sorry.  I just need to ask one more question if you will let me”.  He was very polite and apologetic as he sought an answer.  Holy Spirit had given him the question and the Lord provided an answer that I knew nothing about but learned in the process.  As I was answering his third question, the Lord opened my eyes to what was going on in the spirit realm.  An evil spirit was exiting out of the boy through the top of his head wriggling and writhing as if in pain.  The truth had set this boy free from the lies of the devil and it no longer had any place in him.  That is why I teach and preach the Truth as God gives it to me.  Most of the time I get stuff as I teach or write.  Jesus is freeing His church from the grasp of the devil because the gates of hell will not prevail against her.  Truth is who Jesus is and Truth sets the captives free.  Teachers and prophets are put in the body of Christ to perfect the saints or mature them and free them for the work of their ministry.  You don’t always have to go around casting out devils.  Every year my table full of literature got wiped out when I spoke at the high school.  Every year kids would line up afterwards to ask questions and have me pray for them.  Every year my beloved, supportive Christian girlfriends would show up in support and take some of the kids and pray with them as well because I was getting mobbed.  Every year the teachers would prop their chairs up against the doors with late passes and a pen in their hand writing late passes with a smile on their faces.  After the first year, kids were coming back that had already graduated bringing family members when they heard I was going to speak.  It was amazing.  Some kids even called me at home for ministry.  Just give me the opportunity and the Lord will show up.  If there aren’t signs following confirming a message, I am going to press in asking Him where I am off or what I need to know.  The Lord confirms the right gospel with signs, wonders and miracles and if we aren’t seeing them, we are not preaching the right gospel.  I give out what He gives me and He said He would give me more as a result.  I haven’t arrived but this ONE THING I know, I am forgetting what is behind and pressing forward toward the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus and making Him known.

Joanne means God is gracious, or I will supply or empower you with what is needed. I have learned to tap into that empowerment.  It also means divine oracle or God’s mouth piece.  God named me.  My name is my calling.

Marie is my middle name and it is derived from Mary.  It means bitter cup.  Like Jesus’ mother Mary, she had a bitter cup to drink for fulfilling her call.