Seven Visitations from God
Twelve Revelations from Heaven
KEVIN HOFSAS
MmWp
Seven Visitations from God, Twelve Revelations from Heaven
Copyright © 2009 by Kevin Hofsas
MmWp
Mark My Words Publishing
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All scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
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Disclaimer
None of the advice herein is to be misconstrued as professional counseling. If you know that you require professional counseling or if you believe that you may need professional counseling, please seek professional help.
16
The Song of Salvation
Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. Even though the bible tells us whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Jesus said there will be those who call him Lord, yet they will not enter eternal life.
Why? How could such a catastrophe happen? What reality could be so cruel as to lead one to eternal life, but then let it slip through those same fingers? And let me be quick to add, it doesn’t need to happen.
But concerning what Jesus said, he explained it happens when a soul doesn’t diligently obey him. Something else catches their fancy. In giving worldly things too much importance, these believers inadvertently give Christ secondary importance.
Jesus gave us examples of people coming to God, but then falling away. He illustrates in the parable of the seed and the sower. Circumstances are described where his word begins to work, but is then defeated. The last place he cites before providing the successful example is his word falling among thorns. Mark 4:7, Luke 8:7 and Matthew 13:7 all tell us the wonder working miracle endowed eternal life enabling word of God fell among thorns. These were suffocating, life chocking contaminants that kept these souls from entering eternal life. A fatally dangerous condition.
We also have Jesus’ explanation of what these weeds are. He tells later on in each of those chapters that, ‘the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, chock the word, and it becomes unfruitful.’
These Christians had loved the world. Even though they had found the word of God and began to sow its miraculous power into their lives, something else invaded and took over. It is the same thing which beckons at our doorstep every day. The world.
The world is corrupted by sin and not to be loved. Presently, this world is evil. Jesus died for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world. As Galatians 1:4 says, “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”
Jesus said no man can serve two masters. He said, ‘you cannot serve God and mammon.’ Mammon is simple worldly riches. And riches are all in the eye of the beholder. Any possession that is admired more consistently than we worship God is a weed that will chock out God’s word, if left unchecked. Any behavior that is more important than obedience to Christ is a contaminant. Whatever earthly things appeal to us—these are the things which could cause God’s word to be unfruitful if we are not careful.
It is not the end of the matter but the beginning to say, we must force earthly things into subservience to Christ. Everything our life encompasses is the territory God has given us—to conquer for Christ. Our lives are the arena where we battle for his will to be done. The percentage of focus we put upon Christ verses other things will make or break us.
Jesus gave us the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise and five were foolish. All ten were Christians—but only five obeyed wisely. The foolish ones thought they could mix serving God with worldly distractions. They got bored with Christ and went to find something more interesting. At one time they looked to Jesus as Lord, but then they shifted their focus. The five foolish virgins gave a larger percentage of their attention to worldly things than they should have. When the crucial moment arrived, they were unprepared. They asked the five wise virgins for some of their godliness. They finally saw how important it was.
But godliness is only nurtured by following Christ. It is only acquired through diligent obedience to God. A believer must consecrate himself. Of all of our personal responsibilities, consecration must not be forsaken. We must each seek the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We must each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We must each personally apply Jesus’ sayings to our lives.
Jesus said to hide the kingdom of God within ourselves. Every day we should work more of God into our being. He said, ‘the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.’ Leaven will work its way into whatever it’s mixed with.
In God’s word, leaven is given both positive and negative connotations. Jesus also said, ‘beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.’ So both worldliness and godliness can be worked into our lives—the deciding factor is which we choose.
There are other ways to view God’s word than simply leaven. The New Testament has many different analogies that refer to God’s word. We may also discover new analogies for God’s word. One such analogy is to call God’s word a fulcrum. A seesaw pivots on its fulcrum. Since the word of God is sharper than any sword, and since any knife edge may function as a fulcrum, we too may use God’s word as a fulcrum.
What do we place on each side of this fulcrum? That question is the natural response to this word picture. But instead of utilizing it that way, there is a more perfect way to apply it. It is to allow this fulcrum to center under our heart. Then it will show us where our affections lie.
God’s word will show us we love and desire God and those things precious to him, or we think about, want and love the things of the world. For whatever we do will be judged by God’s word. Which is not saying we don’t need to live in this world. God knows we must be in the world, but he calls us to not be of it.
If anyone is sorrowful to let go the things of the world, listen up. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him. The five wise virgins understood this secret. It may have been the only difference between them and the five other virgins. Their secret could be as simple as, they just understood the value of serving God. Malachi 3:18 says as much. It explains the difference between the righteous and the wicked is a very small difference. It says the difference is between either serving God, or serving God not. To that end, allow me to expound.
Many revelations God has given me. I would like to describe one more of these revelations now. Try to understand what God revealed to me here. This revelation illuminates the immeasurable value of Christ. It reveals the richness of life in Christ. It shows why living for Christ is being alive with the life of God.
When you get a hold of this, you may need to perform a little open heart surgery on yourself and install this into your heart. Right in the middle of the battlefield, you may need to get your scalpel and install this truth into your heart—and may the Holy Ghost guide your hands. It will change you and your tomorrow will be different. You will never be the same after you embrace this truth.
This revelation happened as I was driving home one afternoon. I had just left a job-site where God had wrought a great personal victory. That is not the subject. But the great personal victory caused me to reflect on how far God has brought me. On how great a deliverance he has given me.
I could also see that what God has saved me from is still at the door—my flesh is still susceptible to it. Though he has wrought great godliness in my life, those temptations still desire to destroy me. Or another way to say it would be, those things would consume me if they could.
So I began thanking God, for being a redeemer! I began shouting my praise to the Most High because he is such a wonderful redeemer. I began to weep with thankfulness because Holy God is my redeemer.
As tears rolled down my face, I saw my utter hopelessness if Christ had not been sent to save me. I realized I would never have true life without him. I saw with perfect clarity that life without Christ . . . isn’t truly life at all. For the life of heaven by that point had fully seized me. Though it locked onto only a small part of my heart, like a vise-grip, this small part was wholly converted to and aware of the life from above. It was here that the Holy Spirit gave me the vision.
Transfixed by the Holy Spirit, he opened my perception to the life of heaven. As I drove down the road, I could see the life of heaven reaching above me to infinity. Certain things about it I could grasp, but much more about its immeasurable excellence soared above my perception.
And this is what my perception was like. My perception was like a funnel that increased in width as it reached up. I saw through this funnel the life of heaven, in all its glorious splendor and magnificence. The things towards the bottom of the funnel I could understand. These things at the bottom of the funnel were the lesser things of heaven. But even though they were the lesser things, they still required one to be clothed in that heavenly body to understand.
It’s true that I am not yet clothed in my heavenly body. Yet my exposure to that higher body allows God to impart things to me which only it may receive. The things the Holy Ghost revealed to me during this vision may only be received by that heavenly body.
It’s also true some of the things I have experienced may be experienced by other believers. The strength of Samson and the voice of an angel immediately come to mind. God knows all things and is the only one truly equipped to lecture on this subject. Yet what I know, I know. Though my discovery of the luminous body was illegal and premature, God sees fit to show me things from its level. After giving him control of my life, he also took Lordship over that luminous body. Thankfully. Now he chooses when and what to impart to it. No doubt, so I may tell others of the wonders of the kingdom of God. Which kingdom is coming.
So I perceived things of heaven which may only be perceived by that luminous body. But above these things there were more things, things I could see but in no way grasp—they were much too glorious for me. While the things within my grasp at the bottom of the funnel were infinite prizes in themselves, the more glorious things above these surpassed them exceedingly. I can only describe them as vestiges of the glory of Almighty God. Like wraiths invested with the absolute purity of the holiness of God, they flew past, revealing themselves while at the same time remaining beyond my comprehension.
Beneath this funnel of my perception, like an hour glass, I could look the other way too. What I could see through the other side of this funnel of perception was my life according to this world. And it is the life of this world which God has empowered me to conquer.
This vision revealed two opposing realities. It revealed how these two realities appear unto God. The vision revealed that compared to the life of heaven, this life is only living death. The life of sin which this world beckons with and offers is only living death compared to the life of heaven.
How can life only be living death? I know that is difficult to understand. It’s difficult to understand because it’s a spiritual truth. It’s difficult to understand because it’s only words. And words are only an interpretation of the vision.
But to begin with, why did God allow the vision? Part was because the Holy Ghost, without me asking, must have really thought my worship of my Savior was significant. It may also be that I positioned myself to be able to receive from God. And there is another part which should be mentioned—I allowed myself to be broken for it.
It is not an easy thing for a grown man to cry. You must get so beyond yourself that you no longer care about the world around you. You must discard the opinion of the world outside yourself, and be honest to the world within you, which is the kingdom of God. You must let go of pride and become as a little child, as Jesus said. You cannot worry what people in other cars will think if they see you so undone. You must empty yourself of worldly attitudes, demands and prejudices. Thus spilled out before the Lord, he may impart higher things to you.
For a fact, we don’t see how utterly corrupt this life is because of Satan and sin. We think what is here is normal. But there is proof in God’s word that the truth is otherwise. The truth is, God intended eternal life from the beginning. God’s word agrees death happens, but it wasn’t what God planned. Death only came through sin. God has ordained eternal life, and it will come to the earth and all who dwell thereon. God’s word declares death will be eradicated and the grave will be abolished.
But how do we believe that? How do we live so as to hold onto God’s reality of everlasting life? How do we make the path of life, a path growing brighter and brighter unto the perfect day, the crowning pinnacle of our hearts desire?
To answer, we convert ourselves. We embrace by faith Christ’s sayings.
Allow me to continue. What do we do when water has been contaminated? We discard it or purify it. This world also has been contaminated. Satan, in whom is no truth, has taken hostage the whole world. Sin, his elixir, has touched all of life.
Compared to the life of heaven, when examined within an eternal context, this life is only living death. We are here for a little while and then gone—we make a handful of decisions, a wheeze, a death rattle—and then we’re gone. This life is so corrupted by sin, it’s as if we are all still-born to the true life God intended. And except he sent a Savior to give us real life, that would utterly be the case.
What we don’t understand and what is so difficult to understand is that every breath we breathe is corrupt. Or else we wouldn’t die! We might have all walked into heaven if we weren’t corrupt, but instead, we die. You must look from that finish point, you have to look back from that final breath to see this. You must view life from that death-rattle and back to see that yes—every breath led to this point of death! Sin kills us all in the end, excepting those Christ said wouldn’t taste death because of his return, and it is continually at work within us.
So if it is continually at work within us, why do we think it isn’t? It is deception to think we aren’t living death. It may be necessary for a person to reach maturity and the long downhill to old age to realize this. Children who are still growing into maturity might not comprehend this. But those that have Christ can have peace about this.
Every breath, every move of our eyes, every thought—these are all last acts. Which all point to the same critical need—to serve Christ. For in this life, the only place anyone may find eternal life is in Christ.
But to serve Christ without joy is too hard. We need things in our lives to sooth us. To struggle through this existence without something to give us small comfort is too much to ask.
Behold, the baptism of the Holy Ghost—by Jesus himself. In Acts 1:5 Jesus said, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Hoy Ghost not many days hence.”
Peter said in Acts 2:39, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
And John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”
Thus God sends himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to dwell within us and comfort us. He becomes every believer’s personal tutor. He becomes our inner strength. He becomes the inner elixir with which we overcome. Thus equipped, we face the battles this world throws at us. As Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.
If you already have Jesus, now you need the Holy Ghost. Ask God to send you the Holy Ghost right now. Ask God to baptize you with the Holy Ghost right now. And if you’re not sure you received him, find a church that believes in the Holy Ghost and ask them to impart him to you. For the Holy Ghost is also imparted by the laying on of hands. One way or the other, make sure you are filled with the Holy Ghost.
Along with the Holy Ghost, to aid us as we follow him, Jesus also sends his holy fire. His holy fire will purify us from within. His holy fire will make us zealous for him. His holy fire will consume and burn away our sinful desires.
Just as God consumed offerings in the Old Testament, God’s holy fire will consume our sinful desires. It may take time, but when we yield to God the things he silently asks, he always takes that place.
By denying yourself, picking up your cross and carrying it daily, you and the Holy Ghost will spiritually excise the sinful part of your flesh. You may need to come to the end of yourself, but if you never settle for less, it will happen. Sinful desires are eventually burned away by the baptism of fire Christ sends. You might feel like God is taking whole forests out of your life, but let him. Because after God’s fire purifies those places, he will then inhabit them.
And when this is done, when God has had free reign within us to do as he pleases, one day we find such joy! We find that the life of heaven has come down, and taken residence in our hearts! That is the joy of the later rain.
The former rain is when we first find Christ, when he calls us to follow. And with what joy we receive salvation! The later rain is after he has purified us through many battles, dangers and snares.
When I first came to Christ, it was all about me. But now I say, ‘somewhere along the way, it became all about you, Jesus.’ As he calls me to die to self, the reward is greater than if I had kept those things he called me to surrender.
~
God has a strange ability to make good things come out of our suffering. When suffering comes, we hate it. We despise it. We would do anything, barring leaving Christ, to escape its clutches. We ask God, why are you letting this happen? It will touch each of us differently, but it produces the same fruit in all of us. It causes us to die to self.
One day, after many dangers, toils and snares, we finally see the beautiful thing suffering has created in us. We see the life of heaven has come down and taken residence in our heart! We say, somewhere along the line, it became all about you, Jesus.
When we finally see what beauty suffering has put in us, we think, that’s not so bad after all. We thank God for letting us suffer. We see how it has transformed us. We eventually see the good suffering has wrought.
And God will not keep us in tribulation any longer than necessary. He is like a goldsmith who won’t keep gold in a fire any longer than he has to. When God can see his perfect reflection in us he has finally purified us, whereupon he removes us from the heat.
When we find suffering creates Christ-likeness, we will look at it with new eyes. After suffering has refined a believer and transformed us on the inside, we are no longer offended by it. It becomes a very peaceful thing to have found suffering to be profitable.
Suffering is a process though. It will walk us through level after level. When we embrace it instead of resisting it, it becomes much less painful. While upon this earth, we will always be forced to contend with undesirable things. As God changes us into his likeness at one level, we then enter new challenges at another level. The experiences we gain as we graduate through these levels fortify us and renew our strength.
If Christ our master learned obedience through suffering, why do we think we should be any different? Nay, we need it more than he. For see how it grieves us to say, he needed suffering. We consider it a transgression to even suggest it. And no, I cannot find it in my heart to think that Christ needed suffering. I must blind-fold myself to the concept. Yet another part of me cannot forget the Holy Scripture saying, Christ learned obedience through suffering.
If Christ learned obedience through suffering, it was the testing part. It was the experiencing part. And passing through his suffering, he conquered all things. Now he reigns supreme—he is the Lamb on the throne. Therefore, having passed through, he proved obedience through suffering. He kept all of God’s law. In hindsight, he proved obedience. He kept God’s law, because we couldn’t. He paid the price, because we couldn’t. How much we owe this Christ! Which leads us to understand, God won’t always give us what we want, but if we submit, he will always give us what we need.
Our great high priest has gone before us, allowing his body to be broken, crucified, becoming the punishment for our sin, so that we might live for God. God’s word says Christ learned obedience through suffering. We dare not think ourselves any different.
The five wise virgins understood to carry their crosses. And this blessing we have, that when we suffer in obeying, Christ knows us. For to deny yourself is to forbid that part of you to . . . live. Which makes room for Christ. This may simply be the other side of the coin that the five wise virgins held. That in suffering with Christ, he knew them. As the parable says in Matthew 25:11&12, “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”
As we live for Christ, we are standing on the rock that is the foundation of life in heaven. It lifts us up so that we may walk in the life that is from above. The only danger is climbing back down to those things which are in the world.
For to walk in Christ in this world is to walk so as to embrace him in our next step. It is to ever look forward to reaching him. It is walking and living so as to win Christ. And what are we defeating if we are winning him? We are conquering the world. As the bible says, we are more than conquers through Christ who loves us.
The life of this world only brings death. If our gaze is fixed upon this world, we have seized only that which perishes. Of all the things available to us in the world, only God’s word may give us eternal life.
For life itself has been reduced to the lowest possible denominator by sin. Everything that lives, dies. This is the reason why compared to the life of heaven, this life is only living death. Yet the life of God in Christ Jesus is everlasting.
If we embrace him now—if we take him into our hearts and live for him now—then we stand upon the rock that rises out of this world, so that even in this life, we begin to taste eternal life.
~
If we remind ourselves of the truly poor, their existence is eked out barely making it from one day to the next. Often, part of their family doesn’t make it to the next. Life to them is a fierce struggle in which hopelessness oppresses constantly. Yet in first world nations, having been materially blessed by God through his grace, do we now turn from him to love things? Unfortunately for many, yes.
But everything that is of this life will pass away. Since it is contaminated by the very adversary of God, it will all be undone. Jesus said every stone will be brought down. I’d describe it by saying, like a world that has been created on an Etch-A-Sketch, it will all be erased. Besides which, the word of God point-blank warns us in 1st John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
So why do we love it? Because it appeals to fallen nature. Yet compared to the life of heaven, this life is only living death. True life is only in Christ—and how great that life is! It’s a hidden treasure, worth more than the whole world.
If we simply take God’s word at face value, then we may begin to follow. God’s word is a treasure that brings forth eternal life. God desires to hide it in earthen vessels. And we are those earthen vessels.
Why does God use so many parables in describing eternal life? Because we are so sick from sin—we are so deathly ill from sin, we cannot comprehend how magnificent true life is. Because our very bodies have been corrupted by sin, many don’t know how to feel anything different. Only by exercising faith can we begin to change.
We are like a glass of muddy water. By faith, against the will of our own flesh, we must hold ourselves under the faucet of God, which in this analogy, is his will. If we do that, it’s like a drop of pure water is added each day. Many days we must hold ourselves there to begin to see great change. And still the container is sinful! For the flesh lusts against the spirit—but Christ gave us the remedy—he gave us each a cross. He also demonstrated how to use it. Assuredly, ours is easier.
We must understand the life God has in store is immeasurably magnificent. It is astonishingly beautiful. It is fascinating and awesome and intense and so full of life that in comparison, this short lease we pay for in this world is only . . . living death.
But how do we impart that to ourselves? Only by afflicting yourself will you be able to impart it to yourself. Only by picking up your cross—and carrying it daily—will you be able to follow. And if these other things hold our love, if these material possessions and powers and pleasures of this world secretly hold our love, is that not where our treasure is?
How do we displace these things which so desire to consume us? By setting yourself to obey Christ. By keeping his sayings, you are setting yourself to inherit eternal life.
You succeed by planting the word of life within you, which is God’s word. You must nourish it. Jesus said it must fall on good ground. You must cultivate this ground within yourself. You must till the soil of your own heart. You must remove the rocks and weeds and debris—the cares and riches and pleasures of this life—otherwise they will hinder and chock God’s seed, his word. Then, by keeping and obeying Christ’s sayings, he changes us from the inside out.
When we come to Christ, he will give us the Holy Spirit. Make sure you are filled with his Spirit. Pray to God. Jesus said in Luke 11:13 “. . . how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” With his Spirit inside us, we have the power to live for him. Don’t quit when a setback occurs. Just pick your cross back up. Each day we follow, we become a little more like him. And we have this benefit, that there is a plasticity to us, and that means we are pliable and that we can change our desires.
His word tells us what right desires are. He told us, ‘follow me.’ Want what Jesus wanted. Go to his word and read it again and again and again until you know exactly what our King wanted. Then you’ll know exactly what he wants you to want.
~
How do we believe the life God has in store is so great no amount of earthly words can describe it? By faith. As Paul taught, we walk by faith, not by sight. When we walk by faith, we are living in the Spirit. The just shall live by faith. By faith, you must let go of this world and take hold of Christ. By faith, dear believer, become one with the saying, “in the world, but not of it.”
~
God has given us his word:
“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:23. Now it’s your turn to give God your word—and stay true.
~
If you want God to save your eternal soul, repeat this out loud:
Lord Jesus,
I repent of my sin.
Please forgive me of my sin.
I believe you died and rose again.
Please come into my heart and
be the Lord of my life.
I give you my life.
Thanks, Jesus.
The Bible says you’re saved now. That step ensures you’ll inherit eternal life if you continue to obey God. Why? Because Jesus is the path of life! Live for God the way the Bible teaches. Remember—you must pursue God—passionately. It’s a devotion to God found throughout the Bible. Everyday commit to serving God. Ask Father God for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name. It way helps. Study the Bible. Find a church with a pastor anointed by, and obedient to the Holy Spirit. Get baptized in water. Make a tithe covenant with God. Tithing long predates the law. Tithing helps you to overcome this world. Tithing alone won’t get you to heaven—but not tithing could keep you out!—because it often defines who or what we trust and who or what we love. See Malachi 3:10 and take God at his word. But do that with faith. And start telling other people about your Jesus! Learn how to worship God. Shout praise to the Lord! Clapping hands is an offering. Make it a daily habit. You must put on the new man, which is Christ-likeness. That’s the only way it works. Let God refine your faith by fiery trial. Stay true. Saturate yourself with godly things. Find and make godly friends. On top of church. Minimize worldly TV and radio. I love to watch Daystar TV. I listen to K-love and 670 KLTT talk radio, too. All three of those are available on-line. (If you e-mail me, I’ll send you a list of my favorites.) Put every sin possible out of your life. Pray. Worship Jesus. And fast. Be holy. Quit sinning. And rejoice. Love God. And again I say, rejoice!
Afterword
When I compare myself to Paul the Apostle, it isn’t because I think I’m worthy to be compared to him; it’s because that’s who my writing reminds me of when I re-read it.
At times I’ve thought, where did I find the audacity to write that?! But even before I get done asking the question, I know the answer—it comes from God.
Concerning the luminous being:
Original Sin derailed humanity from ever being able to properly enter this luminosity. That I briefly experienced it while upon a path of the Devil underlines this. (Because it was him usurping what God created.) Jesus didn’t teach very plainly about the luminous being. Rather, it was, you are the light of the world; let your light so shine; I am the light of the world. That light spoke more of an awareness of right or wrong than physical light. Yet at Paul’s conversion, he testified of a light above the brightness of the sun. And best is the promise in Matthew 13:43 of believers shinning like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
So, though Christ revealed it on the Mount, besides angels who did, it’s not something we’re meant to acquire in this life. Even for myself, I do not anticipate ever experiencing it again—until heaven. The one exception is if God chooses to cause me to see it. But aside from that exception, I am waiting until I enter his presence, get a glorified body, and am made complete.