Joseph was a forerunner of who we are all called to be in Christ. We are ALL to be His "favourite sons and daughters", who ALL get to wear the "multi-coloured coat of Joseph" as a gift from our Father in heaven. The "baptism of John", by itself, is never enough for a complete work. By itself, it is not a complete work, by a complete God, so that man should be complete. In order that we may all do the GOOD WORKS that God prepared for us to do BEFORE TIME, we need to be made complete, thoroughly equipped for good works, in season and out of season. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God PREPARED BEFOREHAND that we should walk in them.” (EPHESIANS 2:10).

     The "earth’s Noah experience" is a spiritual metaphor for the only way in which man can grow in maturity in Christ. First, the repentance (entering the Noah boat). Then, the water baptism (the flood). And then, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (the rainbow 🌈), which is seven colours for "the seven spirits of the Holy Spirit". “Including the Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirits of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, here are represented the seven Spirits, which are BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD.” (ISAIAH 11:2). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is represented by the dove coming TO REST ON Noah's Ark. Which is the exact same representation of when the Holy Spirit came to rest upon Jesus when Jesus was baptised by the Holy Spirit, immediately after He was baptised by John in water. "...and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (John 3:22).

     In heaven, Jesus is seated on the right hand side next to the Father, but where is the Holy Spirit? There are THREE Persons to the Holy Trinity of the only God that is God in heaven. So where is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the rainbow about them. “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.” (REVELATION 4:3). First, the water baptism of John. Then, the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will REST ON US like Joseph’s multi-coloured coat, like a spiritual mantle. “The Spirit of the LORD will REST ON HIM”. (ISAIAH 11:2). Joseph was a forerunner of who we are ALL called to be in Christ. His favourite sons and daughters, who ALL wear the multi-coloured Joseph coat of "the Holy Spirit" from our Father in heaven.

     The Father of JOHN 3:16 tells us in the identical chapter and verse of Luke, in LUKE 3:16, that: “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” JOHN 3:16 and LUKE 3:16 go together like spiritual siblings. It starts with John 3:16, and ends with Luke 3:16. It's not enough for Jesus to simply get us one step across the safe line or "the starting line", but the amazing love of Jesus, a Father who wants to dress us all in robes of royalty, wants to get us ALL all the way to "the finish line" as well. It all begins with REPENTANCE, and then follows with REDEMPTION, beginning with baptism by water unto "the forgiveness of sins", and then follows with RIGHTEOUSNESS by the baptism of Jesus to walk in the divine nature that gives us "power over sin".

     Do you know the reason why the Holy Spirit is represented by the dove? The dove has NINE wing feathers, which represent the NINE fruits of the Spirit. But also because the dove has no gall bladder. It knows no bitterness. The Holy Spirit represents righteousness, and righteousness keeps no company with bitterness. Bitterness is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The ONLY way we can live and walk in righteousness is if we take upon ourselves the mind of Christ. Which is only available to man through receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The process for receiving the impartation of the mind of Christ is to repent (walk away and enter the Noah boat of trusting God), bury man’s thoughts and ways (water baptism), and take on the mind of Christ, that our ways may be His ways, and that our thoughts may be His thoughts (baptism of the Holy Spirit).

     Instead of just receiving "our first breath" from God, by which we were stood up from dust, the receiving of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like "having our lungs permanently filled" with the breath of God’s lungs. And we receive that first intake of His lungs again when we receive His Forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 JOHN 1:9). Forgiveness is that moment in time when God, once again, bends down on His knees in front of you, and breathes the same breath of life into your lungs that He first breathed when He first stood you up out of dust. Repentance is "the birthing point" of the new creation of man through the receiving of forgiveness. From birth, as a spiritual baby, just as in the natural, the "Christian walk to maturity", which is the pilgrimage back to a Garden of Eden way of living, also known as the pilgrim’s progress by John Bunyan, BEGINS with repentance, and ENDS in righteousness.

REPENTANCE > REDEMPTION > RIGHTEOUSNESS

     REPENTANCE is the beginning of how we are saved from “THE PENALTY” of sin. Repentance is when we present ourselves naked before the LORD, just as in the times of the Garden of Eden. REDEMPTION is when we are being redeemed or saved from the fallen nature (from the need of being right (self-righteousness); from thinking like man), which is to be saved from “THE POWER” of sin. RIGHTEOUSNESS is when we do the right thing (live and walk in the divine nature; think with "the spirit" of the MIND OF GOD), which is to be saved from “THE PRESENCE” of sin. We live and walk free from the presence of sin when we take on the mind of Christ. "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (PROVERBS 23:7). If we think like Jesus, and Jesus only has righteous thoughts, then we will walk in righteousness. For righteousness keeps no company with sin.

     By sending the rainbow after the flood as a covenant to man, God was making a covenant to ALL those sons and daughters who turn away from the world and its ways (enter the Noah's Ark; being a forerunner of the covering of the Blood), and who are then also baptised in the Name of Jesus by full immersion in water (as was Jesus Himself) unto the remission of sins, to give them the gift of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit", so that they they may not only have the penalty of sin removed, but so that they may also then have the power to overcome the PRESENCE of sin. For it is "Not by might, nor by power, (man's strength of hand), but by my Spirit" (Zechariah 4:6). Repentance and water baptism is for the washing away of sin and the PENALTY of sin, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for Spirit of Counsel and Might, of Understanding and Wisdom, of the Knowledge and the Fear of the LORD, that man may be well equipped to not only overcome the POWER and the PRESENCE of sin (live and walk in righteousness), but also do all the GOOD WORKS that the Father prepared for all of us beforehand.

     “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the MIND OF THE LORD so as to instruct him?” BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.” (1 CORINTHIANS 2:14-16)

Thank You, ABBA Father!! May we all have a BIG Holy Spirit!!! That You may be thoroughly glorified by all Your sons and daughters, that we may all glorify you by us all being "like Father like Son"!! “😀🙏 ...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (LUKE 11:3). We ask You, Father, for a BIG Holy Spirit, that we may all start as the mustard seed, and all finish as tall “TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”.

“They will be like A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATER (Holy Spirit) that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (JEREMIAH 17:8). “To appoint unto them that mourn (repent) in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Joseph’s multi-coloured coat of the Holy Spirit); that they might be called TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (ISAIAH 61:3).

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the ONLY God, Be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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