Assassins Among Us #31: Provision IS Preparation

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We’ve journeyed far in this session. From the blood applied in bondage to the seal that sends us forward. Today we bring it all together.

THE ARC OF SESSION 2

We started with a question: What does God’s provision actually provide?

Most people think provision means getting what you need for the moment. Food when you’re hungry. Water when you’re thirsty. Shelter when you’re exposed.

But God’s provision is never just about the moment. It’s always about what’s coming.

The blood wasn’t just deliverance FROM Egypt. It was deliverance TO God.

The cloud and fire weren’t just navigation tools. They were the manifest presence of God WITH His people.

The Holy Spirit isn’t just a theological concept. He’s God IN you—access, intimacy, guidance, sustenance.

The seal isn’t just security FOR heaven. It’s authentication and empowerment for the journey NOW.

Every provision pointed forward. Every gift was preparation.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED

Let’s trace the thread.

Posts 17-19: The Blood

The blood was applied while Israel was still in bondage. They didn’t clean themselves up first. They didn’t earn deliverance. The blood came before the freedom—because the blood created the freedom.

And the blood didn’t just purchase escape. It purchased access. We are delivered TO God, not just FROM Egypt.

Posts 20-22: The Cloud and Fire

God’s visible presence covered the tabernacle. Cloud by day, fire by night. Continuously. Not based on Israel’s performance. Not dependent on their feelings.

The cloud wasn’t just direction. It was companionship. The fire wasn’t just light. It was the dwelling of God among His people.

Posts 23-27: The Holy Spirit

What Israel had externally, we have internally. The cloud hovered over the tabernacle. The Spirit dwells within the believer.

This is an upgrade, not a downgrade. They had God WITH them. We have God IN us.

The Spirit gives us access to the Father. The Spirit guides us daily. The Spirit sustains us moment by moment. And when we despise His provision—when we say “nothing but this Spirit,” as if His indwelling were insufficient for real life and obedience—we repeat Israel’s tragic error.

Posts 28-29: The Seal

The assassins murdered the word “sealed.” They told you it meant closed, finished, dormant. Some said the seal could be broken—leaving you striving in fear. Others said the seal was only for safety—leaving you sitting in passivity.

But sealed means guaranteed. Protected. Authenticated. Marked for delivery.

And the seal has children—the truths that flow from it. Security. Ownership. Guarantee. Protection. Authentication.

You are sealed for storage? No. You are sealed for service. Secure AND sent.

Post 30: At the Command of the LORD

The seal enables the following. Because you’re secure, you can move when He moves without fear. Because you’re accepted, you can wait when He waits without anxiety.

Responsive obedience isn’t earning your standing. It’s living from your standing. Watching the cloud. Listening to the Spirit. Moving at His command.

THE PRINCIPLE THAT TIES IT ALL TOGETHER

Here it is. The thread that runs through everything:

God’s provision IS His preparation.

The blood wasn’t just provision for that night. It was preparation for the journey ahead—and preparation for recognizing the Lamb who would come.

The cloud and fire weren’t just provision for the wilderness. They were preparation for understanding God’s manifest presence—and for receiving the Spirit who would dwell within.

The manna wasn’t just provision for hunger. It was preparation for hungering after the true Bread from heaven.

The seal isn’t just provision for assurance. It’s preparation for confident, responsive obedience in the battles ahead.

Every provision was preparing Israel for something greater. Every provision is preparing you for something greater.

YOU ARE READY

This is what Session 2 has been building toward.

You have the blood. Your sin is covered. Your access is secured. You have been delivered TO God, not just FROM bondage.

You have the presence. The Spirit who hovered over creation, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, who empowered the apostles—He dwells in you. Not visiting. Residing.

You have the seal. You cannot be tampered with. You cannot be stolen. You are marked, authenticated, guaranteed for the day of redemption.

You have the pattern. Watch the cloud. Listen to the Spirit. Move when He moves. Stay when He stays. Not earning. Responding.

You are ready.

Not because you’ve perfected yourself. Not because you’ve mastered the formula. Not because you’ve achieved some spiritual level.

You are ready because God has provided. And His provision IS your preparation.

You aren’t just ready to walk. You are armed to fight.

BUT THERE’S A WARNING

You are ready. But ready for what?

Remember what we said at the beginning of this series. There’s a three-front battle:

1. Enemies WITHOUT—External spiritual forces
2. Enemies WITHIN—Our flesh warring against the Spirit
3. Enemies AMONGST US—Those in our own household

We’ve been building. We’ve been receiving provision. We’ve been prepared.

But the enemies haven’t been idle. They’ve been watching.

The enemy doesn’t attack the unprepared. He attacks the threats. And you are now a threat—because you are prepared.

In Session 3, the assassins emerge. Not theoretical enemies. Not abstract threats. Real forces that sought to destroy Israel from the inside—and real forces that seek to destroy the church today.

The mixed multitude. The internal rebellion. The spy report that silenced faith with fear.

They were in the camp the whole time. Watching. Waiting. And now that you’re armed, they’ll make their move.

You’ve been prepared. Now you’ll see what you’ve been prepared FOR.

UNTIL THEN

Rest in what you have.

The blood has been applied. You are delivered.

The Spirit has been given. You are indwelt.

The seal has been set. You are secured.

The pattern has been shown. You are equipped to follow.

God’s provision IS His preparation. And you are ready for the journey ahead.

NEXT: SESSION 3 — THE ASSASSINS EMERGE

The preparation is complete. The provision is received. Now the real battle begins.

Who are the assassins among us? Where do they come from? What do they kill? And how do we recognize them before they strike?

Session 3 begins next week.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #30: At the Command of the LORD

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Yesterday we said you are secure AND sent. The seal guarantees your standing. But that standing was never meant to leave you stationary.

So what does it look like to actually follow the One who sealed you?

THE RHYTHM OF THE WILDERNESS

“At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.” — Numbers 9:18 (ESV)

At the command of the LORD they set out. At the command of the LORD they camped.

Not at the command of their impatience. Not at the command of their fear. Not at the command of their plans. Not at the command of their comfort.

At the command of the LORD.

This phrase appears seven times in Numbers 9:18-23. Seven. The number of completion. God wanted Israel to understand: their entire journey depended on one thing—responding to His leading.

TWO WAYS TO MISS IT

Israel could fail in two directions.

Running ahead. Moving before the cloud moved. Impatience disguised as faith. “God is taking too long. We know where we’re going. Let’s get moving.”

Lagging behind. Staying when the cloud lifted. Comfort disguised as caution. “We just got settled. Let’s wait a little longer. Maybe He didn’t really mean for us to move yet.”

Both are disobedience. Both miss the command of the LORD.

And both mirror the two lies we exposed yesterday.

The striving believer runs ahead—trying to prove their standing through activity, afraid that stillness means abandonment.

The passive believer lags behind—so focused on security that they miss the sending, mistaking safety for the destination.

Neither is following. Both are failing to respond to the command of the LORD.

WHAT RESPONDING LOOKS LIKE

“Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out.” — Numbers 9:22 (ESV)

Two days. A month. A longer time.

There was no schedule. No predictable pattern. No way to plan ahead.

Israel couldn’t say, “The cloud always moves on Tuesdays” or “We usually stay three weeks before the next journey.” They had to watch. They had to wait. They had to be ready.

This is what following the Spirit looks like.

Not a program you can master. Not a formula you can follow. Not a schedule you can predict.

Attention. Responsiveness. Obedience when He moves. Patience when He stays.

THE SEAL ENABLES THE FOLLOWING

Here’s what the assassins don’t want you to understand:

The seal doesn’t replace the following. The seal enables the following.

You can only follow with confidence when you know you won’t be abandoned mid-journey. You can only wait patiently when you know your standing isn’t threatened by stillness. You can only move boldly when you know your security doesn’t depend on getting it perfect.

The seal gives you freedom to follow.

Without security, you’re too afraid to move—what if you fail? Without security, you’re too afraid to wait—what if He forgets you?

But with the seal, you can move when He moves because your standing is guaranteed. And you can stay when He stays because your acceptance doesn’t require constant activity.

The seal isn’t the opposite of obedience. The seal is what makes obedience possible without fear.

NOT EARNING, RESPONDING

This is the distinction the assassins blur.

Earning says: I obey so that God will accept me. Responding says: I obey because God has accepted me.

Earning watches the cloud hoping movement will prove I’m really His. Responding watches the cloud because I belong to Him and want to go where He goes.

Earning is terrified of missing the cloud—one failure and I’m out. Responding is attentive to the cloud—not because I’ll be rejected, but because I love the One who leads.

Israel wasn’t following the cloud to earn their deliverance. They were already delivered. The blood was already applied. They were already His people.

They followed because He was leading. Because where He went, they wanted to go. Because His presence was the point.

THE SPIRIT DOES THE SAME

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” — Romans 8:14 (ESV)

Notice: “led by the Spirit.” Not driven. Not dragged. Not forced. Led.

Leading requires following. Following requires attention. Attention requires relationship.

The Spirit doesn’t drive you like cattle. He leads you like sons. He speaks. He prompts. He convicts. He guides.

But you have to be watching. You have to be listening. You have to be willing to move when He moves and stay when He stays.

This is what it means to walk by the Spirit. Not a feeling. Not a formula. A relationship of responsive attention.

WHAT THIS ISN’T

Let’s be clear about what responsive obedience is not.

It’s not anxiety. You’re not waiting for the cloud in fear, worried you’ll miss it and lose your salvation. You’re sealed. The pressure is off.

It’s not performance. You’re not trying to impress God with how quickly you obey. He already loves His children and delights in His Son. Your obedience is response, not résumé.

It’s not perfection. You will misread the cloud sometimes. You’ll move too early or stay too long. But you’re sealed for the day of redemption—not sealed until your first mistake.

It’s not passivity. “Waiting on the LORD” doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means watching actively, ready to respond the moment He moves.

Responsive obedience is the posture of a secure child who loves their Father and wants to be where He is.

THE DESTINATION WAS NEVER THE POINT

Israel wanted the Promised Land. Milk and honey. Rest from wandering.

But God wanted something more for them than a destination. He wanted them to want Him.

The cloud wasn’t just navigation. The cloud was presence. The journey wasn’t just geography. The journey was relationship.

Every day they followed the cloud, they were learning to follow God. Every night they camped under the fire, they were learning to rest in His presence.

The wilderness wasn’t just a route to Canaan. It was forty years of learning that His presence was better than any land.

SECURE AND SENT

You are sealed. That’s settled.

Now follow.

Not to earn what you already have. Not to prove what’s already guaranteed. Not to secure what can’t be lost.

Follow because He’s worth following. Follow because His presence is the treasure. Follow because you’re not just delivered FROM something—you’re delivered TO Someone.

The seal means you’re secure. The sending means you’re not sidelined.

At the command of the LORD, set out. At the command of the LORD, remain.

Watch the cloud. Listen to the Spirit. Respond when He moves.

You bear the King’s seal. Now walk in the King’s way.

TOMORROW: SESSION 2 CONCLUSION

We’ve journeyed from the blood applied in bondage to the seal that guarantees our inheritance. Tomorrow we bring it all together: God’s provision IS His preparation. And you are ready for what’s ahead.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

The Children of the Seal—The Security They Murdered

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Yesterday we uncovered the murder. The assassins took “sealed” and redefined it to mean closed, finished, dormant. But “sealed” meant guaranteed, protected, marked for delivery.

They murdered the word. But they didn’t stop there.

EVERY TRUTH HAS CHILDREN

Every truth has children—the truths that flow from it, the realities it produces, the life it brings.

Every lie has children too.

Jesus Christ warned Thyatira about a false teacher producing spiritual offspring through her deception. His judgment? “I will strike her children dead” (Revelation 2:23).

The offspring of lies will not stand.

But here’s what the assassins don’t want you to know: when they murder a word, they’re trying to murder its children. And when they murdered “sealed,” they went after its whole family.

THE CHILDREN OF THE SEAL

When “sealed” is properly understood, it gives birth to these truths:

Security—You cannot be tampered with. The seal protects. No one breaks God’s seal.

Ownership—You belong to the One whose seal you bear. His name is on you. His authority backs you.

Guarantee—What’s inside WILL be delivered. The seal is God’s promise that He will finish what He started.

Protection—You are preserved until the day of redemption. Kept. Guarded. Held.

Authentication—You are certified genuine. Approved. Accepted. The real thing.

These are the children of “sealed.” This is what flows from the truth.

WHAT THE LIES PRODUCE INSTEAD

When the assassins murder “sealed” and replace it with “breakable,” they birth one family of lies:

Insecurity—Constant doubt about your standing. Am I really saved? Did I do it right? What if I’m not one of the elect?

Orphan spirit—Feeling like you don’t really belong. Like you’re on the outside looking in. Like God tolerates you but doesn’t want you.

Uncertainty—Questioning if God will come through. Maybe He saved me, but will He keep me? Will He finish what He started?

Vulnerability—Believing you can lose what He gave. One bad sin and it’s over. One season of doubt and you’re out.

Self-effort—Trying to prove you’re really His. Working to maintain what only grace can hold. Striving to keep what’s already guaranteed.

But some assassins went the other direction. They affirmed your security—then put you on a shelf. They birth a different family:

Passivity—You’re saved, now wait for heaven. The hard work is done. Just hold on.

Powerlessness—The Spirit sealed you, but don’t expect Him to move. Not like that. Not anymore.

Spectatorship—Watch God work in others. Read about what He did in Acts. Your role is to stay safe until He returns.

Cessation—That was for the apostles. The sign gifts ended. The supernatural sealed up. You have your Bible. That’s enough.

Two lies. Two families of murdered children. One leaves you striving in fear. The other leaves you sitting in safety.

Neither is the life the seal was meant to produce.

THE SEAL WAS NEVER PASSIVE

The assassins want you to think being sealed means being shelved. Locked away. Stored until needed.

But look at how seals worked in Scripture.

The king’s sealed letter (1 Kings 21:8)—Jezebel sealed letters in Ahab’s name, and people acted on them immediately. The seal didn’t make the letter dormant. It made the letter authoritative.

The sealed decree (Esther 8:8)—A decree sealed with the king’s ring could not be revoked. The seal didn’t freeze the decree. It activated it with irrevocable authority.

Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6:17)—The stone was sealed so no one could rescue Daniel. But God was still at work inside that sealed space. The seal didn’t stop God’s activity. It just meant no one else could interfere.

Sealed things weren’t dormant. Sealed things were protected while active.

WHAT THE SEAL CANNOT BE BROKEN BY

Here’s what the children of truth know that the children of lies don’t:

Your sin cannot break the seal. It grieves the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), but it doesn’t unseal you. If your sin could break God’s seal, it would be a pretty weak seal.

Your failures cannot break the seal. You will stumble. You will fall. But you are sealed “for the day of redemption”—not “until you mess up.”

External forces cannot break the seal. “Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Time cannot break the seal. You are sealed “until we acquire possession.” The seal holds across decades, across seasons, across every moment between now and eternity.

Satan cannot break the seal. He can accuse. He can tempt. He can harass. But he cannot unseal what God has sealed.

SEALED INTO, NOT SEALED AWAY FROM

Here’s the final truth the assassins murdered:

You are not sealed away from the Spirit’s work. You are sealed INTO it.

Sealed into Active Relationship

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:15-16)

The seal doesn’t distance you from the Father. It guarantees your access to Him.

Sealed into Active Presence

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

The seal doesn’t mean He finished and left. It means He’s with you—continuously, permanently, actively.

Sealed into Active Power

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

The seal doesn’t mute the Spirit’s power. It guarantees it’s available.

THE DOWN PAYMENT, NOT THE FINAL PAYMENT

Remember the Greek word arrabon—down payment, deposit, first installment.

The Holy Spirit is God’s down payment on your inheritance. Not the final delivery. The guarantee of more to come.

You have received the Spirit. But you haven’t received everything the Spirit guarantees.

The seal doesn’t mean the account is closed. The seal means the account is active, funded, and guaranteed to pay out in full on the day of redemption.

STOP LIVING LIKE AN ORPHAN

The assassins murdered “sealed” because they wanted you neutralized. Either striving in fear or sitting in safety. Either doubting your security or denying your power.

Jesus Christ promised that the children of lies will be struck dead. They will not stand.

But the children of truth—the security, ownership, guarantee, protection, and authentication that flow from being sealed by the Holy Spirit—these are eternal.

These are yours.

Stop living like an orphan—afraid you’ll be abandoned.

And stop living like a pensioner—safe but sidelined, waiting to collect your inheritance while the Kingdom advances without you.

You bear the King’s seal. That seal means you’re secure AND sent.

TOMORROW: AT THE COMMAND OF THE LORD

The seal guarantees your security. But what does it look like to actually follow the One who sealed you?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #28: Sealed—The Word the Assassins Murdered

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Yesterday we asked what it means to be “sealed” if we can grieve and quench the Spirit. Today we dig into that word—and discover the assassins got to it first.

THE THREE-FRONT BATTLE

We’ve been preparing for battle. We’ve examined the elements of preparation, received God’s provision, and been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

But remember the three-front battle we established at the beginning of this series?

1. Enemies WITHOUT—External spiritual forces
2. Enemies WITHIN—Our flesh warring against the Spirit
3. Enemies AMONGST US—Those in our own household

We’ve been building. We’ve been strengthening. We’ve been receiving provision.

But the enemies amongst us haven’t been idle. They’ve been working too. And before they can kill your joy, your faith, your character, or the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life, they have a first weapon.

They murder words.

THE ASSASSINS’ FIRST WEAPON

The serpent’s question in Eden wasn’t a denial. It was a redefinition.

“Did God really say…?”

He didn’t tell Eve that God hadn’t spoken. He made her question what God meant by what He said.

This is the assassins’ first weapon. Before they can kill your joy, your faith, your character, or the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life, they must first murder the meaning of the words that describe those things.

Murder the word. Murder its meaning. And you murder everything that flows from it.

They’ve been doing this for thousands of years.

THE BODY COUNT

They murdered “faith.” Made it mean mental assent instead of trust and obedience. Now people think they have faith because they believe the right facts.

They murdered “grace.” Made it mean license instead of empowerment. Now people use grace as a cover for continuing in sin.

They murdered “salvation.” Made it mean a transaction instead of a transformation. Now people think they’re saved because they prayed a prayer, not because the Holy Spirit regenerated them into new creatures.

And they murdered “sealed.”

THE WORD THEY KILLED

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” — Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” — Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)

The Greek word is sphragizō (σφραγίζω). And the assassins have buried its meaning under centuries of misunderstanding.

WHAT “SEALED” ACTUALLY MEANT

In the ancient world, a seal meant something specific. It wasn’t abstract theology. It was concrete, practical reality.

Commercial Use: Merchants sealed sacks of grain until full payment was made. The seal was a guarantee of coming payment. It marked objects to show possession, authority, identity, and security.

Royal Use: Kings sealed official documents by pressing their signet ring into hot wax. Roman wills required six witnesses, each placing their seal to ensure no tampering. The seal carried the authority of the one who made it.

Livestock Use: Animals were branded or marked to show ownership. The mark denoting ownership carried with it the protection of the owner. You didn’t mess with a branded animal because you’d answer to its owner.

Religious Use: Sacrificial lambs were examined and sealed if found perfect. The seal marked them as suitable, approved, accepted.

In every case, the seal meant the same thing: this is authentic, this is protected, this belongs to someone with authority, and this is guaranteed.

THE MURDER

Here’s what the assassins did.

They took “sealed” and made it mean “closed.” Finished. Done. Nothing more to expect.

“You were sealed at salvation. The transaction is complete. The Holy Spirit did His work. Now you wait for heaven.”

This is the murder.

THE TRUTH THEY KILLED

They told you “sealed” means the story is over. That the Spirit’s work is done. That you’re locked in a vault until heaven.

But that’s the corpse they left behind. Here’s what “sealed” meant before they killed it.

Sealed doesn’t mean closed. Sealed means guaranteed.

Think about it.

When a Roman sealed his will, was the inheritance finished? No. The inheritance was guaranteed. The seal protected the promise until the day of fulfillment. The will wasn’t activated until the person died. The seal bridged the gap between the promise and the possession.

When a merchant sealed grain for delivery, was the transaction over? No. The seal guaranteed the contents would arrive intact. The seal protected what was coming, not what was finished.

When a king sealed a letter, was the message dormant? No. The seal gave the message authority. The letter was actively delivered, actively read, actively obeyed. People responded because of the seal’s authority.

The seal doesn’t make something inactive. It makes it authoritative, protected, and guaranteed.

WHAT THE ASSASSINS DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

Look at Ephesians 1:14 again.

The Holy Spirit “is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.”

Until. That word matters.

The seal now. The possession later. The seal bridges the gap. The seal guarantees the delivery.

The Greek word for “guarantee” is arrabon. It means a down payment. A deposit. A first installment with more to come.

The Holy Spirit is the down payment, not the final payment.

You haven’t received everything yet. The seal guarantees that you will.

THE CRITICAL DISTINCTION

What the assassins say: Sealed means closed, finished, done, nothing more to happen, the work is complete and now dormant.

What Scripture says: Sealed means guaranteed delivery, protected contents, promised opening at the right time, marked for what’s coming.

The assassins want you to think the seal closed you off from the Spirit’s active work.

The truth is the seal guarantees it.

FOUR RESULTS OF BEING SEALED

1. A Finished Transaction

The payment is complete. The deal is finalized. “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Greek word tetelestai means “paid in full.” Your salvation is not pending. It is accomplished.

2. Ownership Confirmed

You belong to the One whose seal you bear. His name is on you. You are marked as His possession, protected by His authority.

3. Security Guaranteed

You cannot be tampered with. You are protected from theft or damage. You are preserved until opened by the rightful owner on the day of redemption.

4. Authenticity Verified

You are certified genuine. Approved and accepted. Validated as legitimate. The Holy Spirit’s presence is God’s stamp of authenticity on your life.

THE SEAL PROTECTS WHAT’S COMING

The Roman will example makes this clear.

The will was sealed. The inheritance was guaranteed. But the will wasn’t activated until the person died. The seal protected the promise until the day of fulfillment.

You are sealed now. Your inheritance comes later. The seal doesn’t mean nothing more will happen. The seal guarantees that everything God promised will happen.

You are not closed off. You are protected for delivery.

WHAT THEY MURDERED

But the assassins didn’t stop at murdering the word.

Every murdered truth has murdered children. The truths that should have flowed from it. The realities it was meant to produce. The life it was designed to bring.

When they murdered “sealed,” they murdered its children too.

TOMORROW: THE CHILDREN OF THE SEAL

What are the children of “sealed” that the assassins murdered? And why does Jesus Christ promise to strike the children of lies dead?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #27: The Tragedy of Despising the Spirit

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we saw Israel complain about manna. They wanted the food of Egypt instead of the bread from heaven.

This wasn’t just ingratitude. It was something far more dangerous.

DESPISING THE PROVISION

“But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” — Numbers 11:6 (ESV)

“Nothing at all but this manna.”

Let that sink in. God was raining bread from heaven every single morning—supernatural provision that had never happened before in human history—and Israel said “nothing at all but this.”

They despised the miracle because it had become familiar.

THE SPIRIT DESPISED

We do the same thing with the Holy Spirit.

The third Person of the Trinity dwells within every believer. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation. The same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. The same Spirit who empowered the apostles at Pentecost.

And we treat Him like He’s not enough.

We want emotional highs, but the Spirit offers transformation. We want miraculous signs, but the Spirit offers the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience. We want spectacular, but the Spirit offers sanctification.

“Nothing at all but this Spirit.”

GRIEVING AND QUENCHING

Scripture gives us two warnings about how we treat the Spirit.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” — Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)

“Do not quench the Spirit.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV)

Grieving is causing Him sorrow through our sin. Quenching is suppressing His work through our resistance. Both are ways of despising His presence.

The Spirit doesn’t leave when we grieve Him—we’re sealed. But His power becomes muted in our experience. His voice becomes harder to hear. His leading becomes easier to ignore.

We still have the Spirit. But we’re living as if we don’t.

WANTING EGYPT BACK

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing.” — Numbers 11:5 (ESV)

Notice what they forgot: Egypt was slavery. The fish didn’t cost money, but it cost everything else. Their freedom. Their dignity. Their children’s lives.

But when the wilderness got hard, slavery started looking good.

This is what happens when we despise the Spirit’s provision. The old life starts looking attractive. The old sins start looking satisfying. The old bondage starts looking like freedom.

“At least in Egypt we had…” Fill in the blank with whatever the flesh is craving.

But Egypt was death. The Spirit is life. Don’t trade life for the memory of slavery.

TOMORROW: SEALED—WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS

If we can grieve and quench the Spirit, what does it mean that we’re “sealed”?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #26: The Spirit as Daily Sustenance

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Yesterday we talked about following the Spirit’s leading. But following requires strength. And strength requires sustenance.

Israel didn’t just need guidance in the wilderness. They needed food.

MANNA FROM HEAVEN

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day.'” — Exodus 16:4 (ESV)

God didn’t give Israel a stockpile of food. He gave them daily bread. Every morning, new manna. Every day, fresh provision. They couldn’t hoard it. They couldn’t store it. They had to depend on God’s faithfulness day after day.

This was intentional.

“…that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.” — Exodus 16:4 (ESV)

The daily provision was a daily test. Would they trust God for tomorrow? Or would they try to secure their own future?

GREATER MANNA

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” — John 6:48-50 (ESV)

Jesus Christ is the true manna. The bread Israel ate sustained their bodies temporarily. The bread Jesus Christ offers sustains the soul eternally.

But here’s what we miss: the pattern is the same. Daily dependence.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” — Matthew 6:11 (ESV)

Jesus Christ didn’t teach us to pray for weekly bread or monthly bread or annual bread. Daily bread. Just like the manna.

THE SPIRIT AS SUSTENANCE

The Holy Spirit is how we receive this daily bread.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” — Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)

“Be filled” is present tense, continuous action. Keep being filled. Be filled again and again. This isn’t a one-time filling at conversion. This is daily sustenance.

Just like Israel gathered manna every morning, we need fresh filling every day. Yesterday’s filling won’t sustain today’s battles. Last week’s encounter won’t fuel this week’s obedience.

The Spirit who dwells in you permanently must fill you continually.

WHY WE RUN DRY

Israel complained about manna. They got bored with it. They wanted meat and garlic and onions from Egypt.

“Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, ‘Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.'” — Numbers 11:4-5 (ESV)

They despised the provision because it wasn’t what they wanted.

We do the same thing with the Spirit. We want excitement, but He offers faithfulness. We want feelings, but He offers fruit. We want spectacular experiences, but He offers daily transformation.

And when He doesn’t give us what we want, we start looking back at Egypt—at the old life, the old patterns, the old sources of satisfaction that were never really satisfying.

TOMORROW: THE TRAGEDY OF DESPISING THE SPIRIT

What happens when we reject God’s provision and long for Egypt instead?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #25: The Spirit as Daily Guidance

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we talked about access and intimacy. But intimacy isn’t passive. It leads somewhere.

Israel didn’t just admire the cloud. They followed it.

FOLLOWING THE CLOUD

“At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped.” — Numbers 9:18 (ESV)

When the cloud moved, they moved. When the cloud stayed, they stayed. Their entire journey was dictated by paying attention to God’s presence and responding to His leading.

This is what following the Spirit looks like.

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” — Romans 8:14 (ESV)

Notice: “led by the Spirit.” Not pushed. Not dragged. Not forced. Led.

Leading requires following. And following requires attention.

Israel had to watch the cloud. They had to notice when it lifted. They had to be ready to move or ready to stay based on what the presence was doing.

We have to do the same with the Spirit—except the watching is internal, not external.

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” — Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)

The Spirit speaks. The question is whether we’re listening.

WHAT HINDERS THE LEADING

Israel sometimes complained about where the cloud led them. They grumbled about the route. They questioned the timing. They wanted to go back to Egypt.

We do the same thing.

The Spirit prompts us to forgive, and we argue. The Spirit convicts us of sin, and we justify. The Spirit leads us into uncomfortable obedience, and we look for an easier path.

“Do not quench the Spirit.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (ESV)

Quenching isn’t dramatic rejection. It’s subtle resistance. It’s ignoring the prompting. It’s explaining away the conviction. It’s choosing your own way instead of following His leading.

Israel could see the cloud and still refuse to follow joyfully. We can sense the Spirit and still refuse to respond obediently.

DAILY DEPENDENCE

The cloud moved at unpredictable intervals. Sometimes it stayed for days. Sometimes it lifted after one night. Israel couldn’t plan ahead. They had to depend on God’s leading moment by moment.

This is the life of following the Spirit. Not a one-time decision but daily dependence. Not a map you’ve memorized but a Guide you’re following. Not knowing the whole route but trusting the One who does.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

TOMORROW: THE SPIRIT AS DAILY SUSTENANCE

Following requires fuel. Where does the strength come from?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #24: The Spirit as Access and Intimacy

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we saw the upgrade—from God WITH Israel to God IN us. But having access and using access are two different things.

ACCESS GRANTED, ACCESS IGNORED

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” — Ephesians 2:18 (ESV)

Every believer has access to the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. That’s not a promise for super-Christians. That’s not reserved for pastors and missionaries. That’s the birthright of every person who has been born again.

But here’s the tragedy: most believers live as if the veil was never torn.

They pray at the ceiling instead of the throne room. They approach God like He’s distant instead of dwelling within them. They treat the Holy Spirit like an occasional visitor instead of a permanent resident.

Access has been granted. But access is being ignored.

WHAT INTIMACY LOOKS LIKE

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” — John 15:4 (ESV)

Intimacy with God isn’t a feeling. It’s a position.

The branch doesn’t strain to connect with the vine. It simply stays connected. It abides. It remains. And from that position of connection, life flows naturally.

This is what the Holy Spirit makes possible. Not occasional visits with God. Constant connection. Not working to earn His presence. Resting in the presence you already have.

Israel had to travel to the tabernacle. You ARE the tabernacle. Israel waited for the cloud to descend. The Spirit already descended—at your conversion—and He’s not leaving.

WHY SO FEW EXPERIENCE IT

If every believer has access, why do so few experience intimacy?

Because intimacy requires attention. And attention requires priority.

Israel couldn’t miss the cloud. It was visible, massive, impossible to ignore. But the Spirit’s presence is subtle. He can be grieved. He can be quenched. He won’t force Himself on you.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” — Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)

You can have the Spirit dwelling in you and still live as if He’s not there. You can have access to the throne room and never enter. You can be sealed for redemption and still live like an orphan.

The access is real. The question is whether you’ll use it.

TOMORROW: THE SPIRIT AS DAILY GUIDANCE

Israel followed the cloud. What does it look like to follow the Spirit?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #23: From Cloud and Fire to the Holy Spirit

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we discovered that the riches of His inheritance aren’t things—they’re Him. The treasure isn’t what God gives. The treasure is that God gives Himself.

Israel had the cloud by day and the fire by night. God’s visible presence WITH them. Guiding, protecting, illuminating. But we have something greater.

THE UPGRADE

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” — John 14:16-17 (ESV)

Did you catch it? Jesus Christ said the Spirit “dwells WITH you and will be IN you.”

For Israel, God’s presence was WITH them—external, visible, hovering over the tabernacle.

For us, God’s presence is IN us—internal, invisible to others, dwelling in the temple of our bodies.

This isn’t a downgrade. This is an upgrade.

EXTERNAL TO INTERNAL

Think about what Israel experienced. They could look up and see the cloud. They could point to the fire. But they couldn’t carry it with them into their tents. They couldn’t take it into battle. They couldn’t have it with them in their private moments.

The presence was visible but external.

Now think about what we have. No one can see the Spirit hovering over us. We can’t point to a pillar of fire. But we carry Him everywhere we go. Into our homes. Into our workplaces. Into our battles. Into our darkest moments.

The presence is invisible but internal.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” — 1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)

You ARE the tabernacle now. The cloud and fire don’t hover over a tent in the wilderness. The Spirit dwells in you.

WHAT THIS MEANS

Israel had to go to the tabernacle to meet with God. You don’t.

Israel had to wait for the priests to mediate. You don’t.

Israel had to watch from a distance as the cloud descended. You don’t.

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” — Ephesians 2:18 (ESV)

Access. Direct access. Not through a priest, not through a building, not through a ritual. Through Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, to the Father.

This is what the cloud and fire were pointing to all along. Not just God WITH His people. God IN His people.

TOMORROW: THE SPIRIT AS ACCESS AND INTIMACY

What does this access actually look like? And why do so few believers experience it?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #22: The Riches of His Inheritance

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we said the cloud and fire represented something greater than protection and guidance. They represented the treasure of God’s presence itself.

But that raises a question: Why did Israel follow?

THE QUESTION THAT REVEALS YOUR HEART

“Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” — Ephesians 1:18 (ESV)

Paul prays that believers would have enlightened eyes—eyes that see what’s actually valuable.

What are “the riches of his glorious inheritance”?

Most people read this and think: mansions in heaven. Streets of gold. Eternal rewards.

But look closer. Paul doesn’t say “the riches of YOUR inheritance.” He says “the riches of HIS inheritance IN THE SAINTS.”

God’s inheritance. In us.

The treasure isn’t what we GET from God. The treasure is what God GETS in us. And the only way He gets anything in us is through His presence dwelling within us by the Holy Spirit.

WHAT THE RICHES ACTUALLY ARE

The riches of His inheritance are not the Promised Land, not manna, not victory, not health, wealth, or comfort.

The riches are ACCESS TO HIM and INTIMACY WITH HIM.

The riches are not what He GIVES. The riches are WHO HE IS.

This is what counterfeit Christianity gets catastrophically wrong. It turns God into a means to an end. Follow God and get blessings. Obey God and get prosperity. Worship God and get your problems solved.

But what if God IS the blessing? What if HE is the prosperity? What if intimacy with Him is the solution to every problem that actually matters?

WHY DID THEY FOLLOW THE CLOUD?

Israel had two options every time the cloud moved.

They could follow the cloud because it’s leading to the Promised Land, and the Promised Land has milk and honey and rest from wandering.

Or they could follow the cloud because that’s where God is, and being with God is better than any land, any provision, any destination.

The first option treats God as a GPS system. The second option treats God as the destination.

Most of Israel chose option one. That’s why they complained constantly. The cloud was taking too long. The route was too hard. The wilderness was too uncomfortable. They wanted what God was leading them TO more than they wanted God Himself.

THE QUESTION YOU MUST ANSWER

Do you follow God’s timing because you want His gifts? Or because you want Him?

Be honest.

When you pray, are you mostly asking for things? Or are you seeking His face?

When you obey, is it because you expect a reward? Or because you love Him?

When the path gets hard and the blessings don’t come, do you keep following? Or do you start looking for an easier route?

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” — Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV)

The psalmist got it. God wasn’t his means to something better. God WAS the something better. The inheritance wasn’t a place or a thing. The inheritance was a Person.

HIS PRESENCE IS THE PROVISION

Here’s what we’ve been building to through these posts on the Passover and the Cloud and Fire:

The blood brings you TO God, not just away from Egypt. The cloud and fire ARE God’s presence, not just navigation tools. The greatest provision isn’t what God gives. The greatest provision is that God gives HIMSELF.

When you understand this, everything changes.

You stop following God for what you can get. You start following God because He’s worth following.

You stop treating prayer as a vending machine. You start treating it as a conversation with Someone you love.

You stop measuring your spiritual life by circumstances. You start measuring it by intimacy.

The riches of His inheritance? They’re not waiting for you in heaven. They’re available right now. The Holy Spirit IN you. Access to the Father THROUGH the Son. Intimacy with the God of the universe.

That’s the treasure. Everything else burns.

COMING NEXT: FROM CLOUD AND FIRE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Israel had the cloud and fire WITH them. We have something greater—the Spirit IN us.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org