By Brother Jim
When faced with picking a title for this book there came some
difficulty. How does one title a book? Should the title describe the
contents? Should the title attract the interest of all readers or
should the title stir the average person to pick up the book just to
see what it contains?
The choice was narrowed down by the Lord and the choice was to
describe the contents along with a curiosity factor. Therefore the
title THE INWARD SOUL IN THE FORTH DIMENSION was chosen.
To answer a few questions before you read any further. It is not
a NEW AGE book nor can it be seen as such. This book is about Our
Lord Jesus and you.
In our world every thing is in one, two, or three dimensions in
God there is no dimension but to say He in non or un dimensional is
untrue of God, but He is FOURTH DIMENSIONAL. Yet the truth is that
to be IN HIM or IN CHRIST is to be in a dimension that does not
exist on this planet.
The INWARD SOUL makes reference to our relationship and
fellowship with and within God or the Fourth Dimension the unseen
realm.
Most believers spend their whole lives searching for deeper
experience or just for the reality of God in an every day setting.
Within these pages you will find a solid bridge built for you to
walk into the depths of the Lord Jesus.
To live in a realm or dimension that is unseen by nonbelievers or
the world or even some believers while you are in the world is the
desire of every child of God. And is within your reach or grasp as
you press for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We who believe are pioneers of Faith and Grace for each one of us
must press into Christ on our own. Yet we can find the hidden
treasure that others have left for us. Thus we have books and
bridges. May the Lord bless you as you seek Him.
Brother Jim
INTRODUCTION
A coined phrase during the Vietnam war by those in the sniper
division "One Bullet, one LIFE."
The thought appeals to me for this is ONE LITTLE BOOK written
to CHANGE ONE LIFE at a time.
The purpose of this LITTLE BOOK is to help you find the WAY into the
Fellowship of the Father and the Son. SO that you may find the TRUTH
of being in Christ and for you to let Christ be your only LIFE. A
HIDDEN PLACE that so many are unable to find, or even know exists.
In my own search for the DEEP THINGS, or the REAL THINGS of God, I
have not found more than a page or two written on the subject.
Christ is being revealed in us in this the Day of the Lord we as His
Church come to remember that ALL of God is a PROGRESSIVE REVELATION
of the Father and the Son by the Holy Spirit to our soul.
Jesus intention is to CHANGE the LIFE (heart) of man, ONE at a
TIME, by being birthed in man until...
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost." Luke 19:10(NAS)
As a son sent by our Lord Christ Jesus to preach, and teach the
Gospel of the Kingdom and the Mystery of the Gospel (which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory), I may never have a chance to see you
face to face.
Yet, there is the responsibility to make those things that have been
revealed available to you. It would be better face to face. You
would then KNOW my voice and my manner as I would speak, and I
should KNOW you also. But, alas that seems to be a bit impossible,
therefore the printed page.
I would much prefer a good cup of Herbal tea or coffee and a couple
of donuts in the comfort of your living room or kitchen.
In having only this one SHOT, or should I say a book, the Lord
desires it to be a CRACK SHOT. One that hits its target and does the
job intended for His Kingdom and Glory. Much like a POLISHED ARROW
that, when released from the bow goes straight to the HEART.
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of
hosts." Zech 4:5(KJV)
In Nam there was a Marine who is called the White Feather. Legend
has it he could make a shot at a distance of over 5,000 feet. He
became famous and much used by the Military for his uncanny
abilities with a rifle. The Vietnamese put a big reward on him if
any body brought in his head. The hunter was also the hunted.
Sometime fame is not so good!
Well, to get to the point, it takes a sniper a lot of hard work to
go into enemy territory. He must get within range of his target.
Then, he must wait till he has the PERFECT SHOT. On top of all that,
after the mission he must then get out and back to safety of his
unit. He has no backup, and no help. He is on his own, and alone.
That's where I am with you now as I begin.
All that has not one thing to do with what this book is about. This
book is a DIVINELY aimed Holy Spirit evoked WORD of the Lord to this
Generation and to your heart, dear reader. It is for a people who
HAVE entered through the rent Vail by the BLOOD of Jesus into the
Glory that is SET BEFORE us. Following the Lord of Glory into Glory
are those whose hearts seek only Him and Him alone. The problem is
most Christians start from the WRONG point, and end up with the
wrong life.
For it is a true saying that if you start wrong you will finish
wrong.
Jesus, our Lord, desires to have each of us come into the knowledge
of the MYSTERY of UNION with Him. He needs that we have a BRIDE'S
FELLOWSHIP with Him and He an HUSBAND'S FELLOWSHIP with us that we
learn to live by His life. His prayer in John 17 is a prayer of
ONENESS with Him and the Father. WE were purchased by Him by His own
BLOOD and He did not make us robots who act at the command of
another...
We have by our CHOICES a part to play in the development of the
relationship and fellowship Jesus has for each of us. You see what
we are today - right now - is the sum total of every choice we have
ever made. Our lives can and are changed simply by choice.
All that is written herein is not some THOUGHT up idea. These pages
come from years spent in the Spirits School of Revelation and hard
knocks. Hard knocks and many mistakes form experience in Christ
Jesus our Lord. Experience and revelation that can be entered into
by you the reader, with out paying the price to "BUILD" the bridge
you will walk on as you read and receive. It requires the help of
the Holy Spirit to teach you to walk on a bridge and reveal Christ
to and in you. Yet remember that anything you receive of, and from,
the Lord comes as a SEED.
All seeds must be planted and then, die to grow, producing an
increased crop. Now let it be known to you that YOUR experience and
mine will be different for our Lord customs tailors our lives and
experiences.
This little book is written only to POINT out to you, dear Reader,
the PATH, or the BRIDGE, that will lead you into the continual
presence and life of the Lord in the depths of your being and His.
That you may fall as deeply in love with your Lord Jesus as He is
with you. That for you "to live is Christ" will indeed be truth in
you..
Please receive that which is within these pages with an open mind in
the Spirit in which it is given. It is our Fathers desire to conform
you and I to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This takes what is known as the working of the CROSS, or the death
to self process, but what ever it is called it takes TIME.
Which to many Christians is a DIRTY word-for we in this age were
raised with TV, Videos, INSTANT POTATOES, and Microwaves, but our
Lord is still in the business of GROWING OAK TREES from ACORNS. A
TIME PROCESS.
And it is by His hand that it comes to those of us who desire to be
like Him. Those who are the called, chosen, and faithful to those
whom He has His eye and heart set upon. Those who make up His Bride
who in that day becomes His Wife, His son's. Those to whom He
desires to be intimate with as a man is with His own wife.
It is my prayer for you that our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
breathe through these few words written. And by His breath will
reveal to you the revelation of Christ and a path that is not taken
by many, but only a few. Where you will find your Lord in that
hidden place. He dwells in your heart waiting for you to come and
fellowship with Him, wanting to be your life. Within this fellowship
you will LET Him take His rightful place as your HUSBAND, Lord, and
Life. Having the Lordship of your life in the heavenly and in the
earth. Also, that the Holy Spirit will be allowed to take His place
in your soul as REVELATOR and TEACHER of the Lord Christ over and in
ALL aspects of life. As you learn to WAIT upon and LISTEN to the
Lord and only respond to the Holy Spirit as He receives from the
Lord Jesus and makes it known to you. So that Christ is formed in
you and you become as He is in this world. Finally that you will be
delivered a chaste VIRGIN BRIDE to your Husband, the Lord Jesus
Christ. So be it Father...
CHAPTER ONE
THE BEGINNING
THE COST
You only paid the cost of the book! But if, and only if, you follow
on through these pages allowing your Lord Jesus to apply these
things written to your life. {also searching them out in the
scriptures to if it's so} will you find the real price and reward.
It will cost you something. The Lord will show you.
The price tag is not according to the information gained or even the
experience entered into, for these things are not eternal in nature.
Only Christ is eternal in nature. It might be something of this
earth that you have gained. It could be to some degree of spiritual
attainment that you do not want to part with. It could be your life.
It could be a ministry... full of zeal and truth, full of fruit, a
great blessing to others. But it will cause you to miss Christ and
fail without it being surrendered, forsaken, and walked away from.
Any price tag only reveals the narrowness and leanness of your soul.
Showing the struggle one has to pass through to WIN CHRIST-- and be
FOUND in Him-- LOVING HIM JUST FOR WHO HE IS. BEING WHO HE IS.
It could be anything... But it will cost you everything for this is
the way of the Cross of our Lord. The end of the lordship of self
and the way of the Lordship of Jesus.
It is only as we abandon all that we have and are, that we gain or
win Christ and all that He is. He is our only life.
It will change your whole being and manner of life for the Glory of
God our Father, and unto God our Father.
How?
By beholding the Fellowship of the Father and the Son within the
Most Holy place or better yet being outside of TIME SPACE existing
in the Life of God. Christ living His life in you and living your
life for you. And this place is inside of you for the Kingdom of God
is within you.
And -
By practical experience of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ
bringing you life into DIVINE ORDER in Him.
And -
By the practical experience of CHURCH LIFE.
MY CONVERSION EXPERIENCE
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18 (KJV)
In my beginning with the Lord, I like you did not know there was a
cost involved. Could it be that you still do not know?
I desire to have you get to know me a bit, I believe that there must
be the sharing of some of my testimony in the Lord to pave the way
into practical experience. Not to boast of myself but of our Lord
Jesus and His love.
In the years BC (before Christ) which is like a dirty bath tub ring
and does not need much explanation except to say I was very good at
sin and sinning for I OBEYED Satan to the max. Which is not hard to
understand for we are the son's of our father Satan in our BC life.
I managed to be up in Canada one day and got arrested, no big deal
for I had been arrested many times before.
Now this time was a bit different for I found there was no way out.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had me dead to rights. I was
charged with enough stuff that added up to several life times if
convicted.
I had this great feeling of peace come over me when the Mountie
pointed the gun in my face. At the time I was arrested, I knew that
I did not have to run any more.
All my life was spent running from reality, and then, escaping it
when coming face to face, no matter what the circumstances. As one
who was a perfectionist who never completed anything I turned to
escape each time when I knew that failure was at the door.
My escape was into everything you can name. Each time it only grew
worse and more desperate.
In Canada at that time they brought you before the Judge
Every week so you could see how things went and to make sure you
got a "birds eye view" of justice. Boy, those Canadian Judges do not
like drug dealers let alone Americans.
There was this young man who was sent up for twelve years for having
two hits of LSD. I knew that I would never see the light of day when
they got through with me. For they said that we had been caught with
the largest amount of drugs ever recovered in a bust.
Ray, the fellow who was my partner, and brother from hell and who I
was arrested with went through some hellish withdrawal from the
drugs we were using and addicted to. Not me I was tough as nails and
thought he was a sissy who could not take it or leave it as I could.
You see if you are your own God then you have every answer to every
question, or circumstance that you get in to. My answer was to
always lie, or run to something new. I was always in CONTROL. Or so
I thought.
I never suffered any drug withdraw symptoms at all and my usage was
more than Ray's. As I think back the wonder of our Lord's love for
me. My eyes fill with tears as His kindness is so evident in our
lives even before we come to him.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8(NAS)
Within the space of six weeks because of my attitude and actions,
they had separated me into the cell block with the murders. As God
began to work Godly sorrow into my being along with the reality of
the "KNOWING" that I was repugnant as a sinner to Him. I reasoned it
out that there was no way I could do any length of time behind bars.
I could not stand being locked up.
There was a foreboding feeling of being lost forever in the "living
hell" of what my life amounted too. My life was put into the words
of a song by writer and singer Freddie Fender "Wasted Days and
Wasted Nights". A perfect description of the uselessness and
hopelessness of my life.
That night fifteen minute before I was planning to hang myself I
uttered a seventeen word last ditch effort out to a "God" that I did
not know even existed. The following words were spoken in the depths
of despair and hopelessness and an "eternal" frustration:
"Lord IF you are REAL show me the way and I
will surrender my life to you".
That was the biggest IF question I had ever asked anybody.
I fell asleep...
THE DAYS OF VISITATIONS
HE IS REAL. The prayer of lost hope uttered to our Father was taken
by Him as Faith in Jesus Christ. He came into me at that instant and
set about showing me the Way into the Truth and the Life.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came to me that night. I perceived Jesus to be
kneeling at my feet as I sat on the cell bunk. He had His Right hand
on my heart and His left hand on my right cheek. He spoke these
words to me " Take my Word to the World and to My Church".
I remember laughing at Him...
A laugh of total unbelief came from my unholy heart and from my
filthy lips for my mind knew that would be was IMPOSSIBLE! Jesus
knew that He was about to introduce Him-self to and in me as the God
of the impossible.
He then placed His left hand on my thigh right at the hip joint and
placed His scared brow on my leg and began to weep. Silently but as
sobs coming from deep within His being. I remember that they racked
like screeching chalk on a chalk board into the deepest part of my
soul.
Yet at the same time part of me began to know a lull and a
refreshing which welt up in tears as I also began to weep...
I did not need any one to tell me He was LORD, I just knew it and
felt it, inside I felt very dirty being in His presence. Weeping
soon changed to deep sobbing and feelings of remorse for all the
terrible things I had done and become. I "KNEW" that I was a SINNER
and needed Jesus forgiveness. But I was afraid He would or could not
forgive me.
After a bit of struggling from deep inside came the words "Lord
forgive me".
I remember how a hot and clean electric feeling starting to flow
through the place He had His right hand on my heart. It was such a
feeling that I never wanted it to stop. It made me feel so good.
I also remember being frightened and shaking a lot.
It was at this time I received from Him His passion for people; the
lost but more so for His Body. Jesus LOVES His Body. I perceived
that IF I did not answer what was happening in my heart at that
instant...
There would be NONE of what He desired to accomplished in me and
through me for His Kingdom and Glory. And that He was grieved in
Himself because of my actions and lack of answering Him.
As He raised His head and locked His eyes into mine and I cried out
to Him - YES LORD - then he said "MAKE ME REAL".
As long as I live I will never forget those tear filled eyes and
what I saw in the depths of them. And how there was a desire that
came into my heart to be able to be just like Him. To be able to see
people the same way He was seeing me.
No, don't even think of asking what color they were cause I only
remember that His eyes SAW and KNEW all there ever was to see or
know about me and yet there was only LOVE. He LOVED me, He knew ALL
there was to know, yet, He LOVED me...
There was born in me a love for Jesus at that second. A love that is
deep and free.
I know how the woman taken in adultery felt.
FRANKIE, A MEMBER of GOD'S CHAIN GANG
The next morning they brought in a CHAIN, that's where they move
prisoners from one facility to another. On this chain was a big
fellow by the name of Frankie in for killing two or three people.
We started playing cards and after three or four hrs I felt a real
drawing for him almost like I was in love with him...
Now after you fail all your life, and then, fail to kill yourself
knowing that you will spend the rest of your days in prison. And
having an encounter with the CREATOR of all things and your new
Father being that you are not sure if it really happened, or if you
were just in a "flashback".
The idea of turning in to a homosexual is not the way you want to
see things work out, but that is how a un-renewed mind works.
Frankie puts his finger right under my nose and yells at the top
of his voice:
"You ask Jesus Christ for help last night, and
I am here to show you the WAY".
Freaked me out...
I went into my cell and sat on the bunk wondering if I was in my
right mind or not. Picking up a pencil I wrote on the wall the
following word for word I had never read or even looked at a Bible.
I just seemed to "KNOW":
I am crucified dead with Christ: now I am still alive; but it is
not me anymore who lives, but Christ who lives in me: and my outward
life of my body which remains I live by and in the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. He NOW lives His life
in me and NOW lives my life for me. (words the Lord gave me that are
found in Gal 2:20)
I had no idea that it was in the Bible but I felt that it was a
"POINT" of my beginnings in God. Those few words, as I read what I
wrote, became precious to my heart and lips.
There was inside of me a feeling of "BEING HOME" and being alive.
You know that there is no feeling like coming home after being away
for a while or never having a home and finding one.
THE STOLEN WORD
Frankie stayed for a week or so and every day he would point his
finger at me and say "God's got his hand on you, you are going to be
like Paul, no use to fight with God, He has the Cross waiting for
you". Freaked me out... I felt pretty good and did not want to die.
Nor did I have any idea who or what this Paul fellow was all about.
He witnessed to me about the Love of Jesus and read a lot of
scripture to me even when I tried to get away from him. I thank God
for his obedience in Jesus. Well, needless to say, I peaked into his
Bible once or twice when he was not looking. I never did want him to
know that I really wanted to read it. I was so driven to "see" what
was in that book that I stole another inmates Bible and tried to
read it at night. I could not get even one thing from that book. The
Bible was a closed book to me. It made no sense at all. My mind
began to tell me I was just in the midst of a FLASHBACK".
I did get a book from the library, Prison to Praise by Melvin
Crothers. This book tells you to PRAISE God for EVERYTHING. Fat
chance my un-renewed criminal mind told me. Then, one day I "felt"
like I was to Praise God for being locked up. It took a while to
come to the place that I could say "Lord, I Praise you for being in
jail". There was a strong feeling that those words must come out of
my mouth. I did not want to say it because it was not what my rotten
old mind felt. When it finally came out it was uttered from between
clenched teeth. Not all beginnings of a new way of life are started
with excitement and assurance.
JESUS APPEARS
Then about ten days later at breakfast an overwhelming urge to be
sure that Jesus really had come into my life came over me. As we sat
there eating I heard a voice behind me say:
"I KEPT MY PART OF THE BARGAIN".
It was as a commander had spoken one with whom there is no question
of His authority. As I turned to see who it was that spoke to me I
perceived that it was the Lord only this time He was much different.
He stood there glistening bright as the sun. The wounds in hands,
feet, head, and side had a greater glistening light brighter than
the sun pouring out of them.
As Jesus reached forth with His right hand fear gripped my heart as
I yelled out to Frankie and said "I believe the LORD is here."
Frankie pray with me I MUST give my life to Jesus NOW and know for
sure!!!
Frankie said, "That's not the problem. What you need is the Holy
Spirit to teach and reveal Christ to you and fill up your soul. Then
you will always know who you belong to." He prayed a simple prayer
with his right hand upon my head:
"Lord, equip Jim with the gifts he needs to
serve you as your prisoner, and if he gets stubborn fix him real
good and make him go on with you".
At that point in TIME I felt and saw the Light and the Glory that
was pouring out of Jesus Right hand pour into me not from Jesus hand
but from Frankie at the same time I began to speak in other tongues
and see visions of the heavenlies.
Never been the same since...
CHAPTER TWO
HEY, LORD, MY WAY IS BETTER
There was the start of an explosion inside. I could
not help but tell everybody about Jesus whether they wanted to hear
or not...
There is much that could be told but is secret between My Lord and
me. Except to say that during this time the Lord was giving me a
revelation of Jesus Christ. I perceived that He took me to the third
heaven three times. Three days, twelve days, and forty days during
which time they put me in the Penezatang mental Hospital for the
criminally insane for talking to Jesus. But that is another story.
Now if it was in the body, or out, I do not know but this I do know
that it was REAL, more REAL than my own breath. I do not remember
much of what went on, but as time goes by, I SEE and KNOW things
that I have seen and known before.
Now you must remember I have no Christian background and not one
preconceived idea about God. I thought every body who got saved had
all the same experiences. My prayer to the Lord in the beginning was
"IF" He showed Himself as real.
On the fortieth day of the third visit to the third heaven in an
audience before the Father my heart burst inside of me as he asked
me for the third time if I trusted Him. There were no more "IF's" in
my being.
My answer was "YES LORD" for the third time.
I perceived Him to say:
"THE JUST SHALL LIVE
BY FAITH".
I felt as though my flesh body was being burned up and that I was
dying. I told Jesus that I believed He was REAL and asked Him to
turn me down. Because I could not stand so much of Him.
Things got normal real fast. [I have often wondered what would have
happened if that statement had not been made to Him??]
FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE CROSS
Jesus, then, by His Spirit began to WRESTLE with me over the issue
of the upcoming trial. Jesus was declaring to me that He would have
His way in ALL things and not my way. I kept telling Jesus that
everything had been worked out just the way "I" wanted it to be.
Some one had retained for me one of Canada's best attorneys, Brian
Greenspan, who had NEVER lost a criminal case.
Money will do about anything. Buy sex, food, cars, JUDGES, juries,
and attorneys anything can be bought. It's just a matter of coming
to an agreement on the price. My past had always proven that every
thing and every body had a price. That was how I thought and
functioned in life.
Jesus CAN NOT be bought through arguing with Him, or trying to "buy"
Him off with some kind of deal. I sure tried hard but He will not
budge from His will.
After several days of not "FEELING" the Lord's presence, I asked
what was wrong and Jesus convinced me I should plead guilty to all
charges. Dumb move I told Him cause my Attorney already had a deal
worked out for me to walk out.
When I at last agreed with Jesus a great "FEELING" of His Love
enveloped my being and I knew He had not left me.
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also,
he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose
his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Mark
8:34-35 (KJV)
This was my first run in with this Lord who just comes and DEMANDS
everything and gives you no slack. It MUST be His way.
Nor did I know that this would develop into a way of LIFE. One that
is CRUCIFIED and lived by Him.
Jesus won the argument, but I found that it was up to me to open my
mouth before the Judge. I started to plead guilty and they stopped
the trial. After much fuss between the Judge and my Attorney they
would only let me plead guilty to the least of the charges.
During the trial I felt and knew that the Lord was with me. I was so
overwhelmed with His love for me I forgot where I was. While my life
was being decided by a Judge.
That morning, before dawn, the Lord brought to life a scripture in
Proverbs. I had never had any thing like that happen before. I could
not sleep so I open a small Bible and the words JUMPED OFF the page
into my Heart:
The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water:
He turneth it whithersoever He will. (Pro 21:1 KJV)
Nor will it ever be easy to forget what it felt like to stand before
a JUDGE and tell him without any reservations that I was guilty. And
that I deserved to be justly punished.
At that time I experienced how it would be to be before Jesus the
real JUDGE. Yet He was on my side not against me.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;... Cor
5:10 (KJV)
Got 38 years for it and knew it was going to be alright.
Got transferred to Guelph Correctional Center and got started to get
settled in.
Wow, Lord, 7,000 or so guys who need You!!!
The warden wanted me to work. I said NO Jesus SENT me here to PREACH
the GOSPEL. But the warden had different ideas and decided a bit of
punishment would change my mind.
TO THE HOLE.
The hole is a 5 ft square place with no toilet or
sink or bed or light or heat or anything just a concrete hole! The
only light came through a glass block about six inches square. It
was very dim but you could see if you were kneeling. The object you
wanted to look at had to be right in that square of that dim light.
They would give you one frozen meat loaf sandwich a
day and a cup of cold tea. Ever try to eat frozen meat loaf and
drink cold tea??
A Salvation Army Chaplin, Harold Peckford, would
come to see me about two times a week. When they would open the cell
door he would just stand there and cry. He never said a word. I
always ended up crying too. Always I "felt" like a river of water
had just rushed all over me leaving a refreshing.
I watched the toughest guys crack in three or four
days and cry to get out. Yet, the almost visible presence of the
Lord kept me content and comfortable. His love was overwhelming, He
was always with me loving me and beginning to teach me how to
respond to Him.
Which, to this very day, I am still learning how to
respond to the Life who is within me, Who's ways of the Spirit are
like the WIND.
The Lord visited every day, showing me of His Word I
read the whole Bible while in that cell, Jesus Instructed me in what
I read to the point where He knew I was able to receive at that
time.
I have since found out that no matter how well
you think you know the Living Word or the written Word, both are
always fresh and new and unending.
Before, I was released from the "hole" by the
warden, there was revealed to me the "Mystery" of the ages.
CHAPTER THREE
THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
CHRIST "IN" YOU
According to Jesus after we are Born from Above, we
are His, for He places Himself in us, and us in Himself by birth. We
were bought with the PRICE of His Blood. He is all. No one after
regeneration in Christ is his own.
When we believed in Him we were PLACED in HIM by the
Father's Spirit, and came our place in His Name. We the son's of
God, the Believer-Wife of our Husband, The Lord Christ Jesus MAKE up
His Name. We are Joint Heirs with Him. He is our ALL. We make up His
BODY and His Body IS THE CHURCH. We have become His HOUSE and we are
the household of the Father. We became PARTAKERS of the heavenly
calling.
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession,
Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also
Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy
of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house
hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some
man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was
faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those
things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his
own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and
the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Heb 3:1-6 (KJV)
We are His FAMILY of Sons complete in Him. Each one
who has Christ DWELLING in him as he ABIDES in Christ IS OUR BROTHER
or SISTER. There are no buts about this fact. Since Christ can not
be DIVIDED (it stands to scripture) that His Body, the Church can
not be divided. He states in John 17 that we are ONE with Him and
the Father.
THE GREATEST MYSTERY of ALL:
"that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the
past ages and all generations; but has now been manifested to His
saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles, which
is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man
with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ."
Col 1:26-28 (NAS)
The Christ LIVES in you and the Christ lives in EVERY person who has
been born from above. When two or three of those in whom Christ
LIVES meet He is in the midst, He is seen in the face of those who
believe.
CHRIST OUR ONLY NEED
There is only three things that a human really needs and MUST have.
If you "KNOW" that these three things are ALL in Christ and that
Christ is in you living His Life AS your life and living your life
FOR you. You will do well.
Love
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved
you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9(KJV)
Acceptance
To the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph 1:6(KJV)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom
12:1(KJV)
Worth
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1
John 3:1-2 (KJV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16(KJV)
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. 1 Jn 4:10(KJV)
God LOVED and LOVES the World so much that He Gave His only Begotten
Son. Beloved, we were in the world, this Love is directed to us and
for us.
When we are birthed by the Father by the placing of the SEED, which
is, Christ in us, our old nature of our old father Satan is
DISPLACED out of our being. We become NEW CREATURES, a NEW CREATION
person who is now a BORN SON OF GOD with a NEW LIFE in him.
We are ACCEPTED by the Father because Christ Jesus is the
ACCEPTABLE one, and we are IN HIM and He is IN US. God sees our
worth as He LOOKS UPON His Son.
It is ONLY Jesus the Son of God who pleases the Father. I must
say that there is NOTHING in the human that God loves. There never
was, not even from the beginning. God ONLY loves us as sons because
He PLACED His SON Christ Jesus in us when we were born or birthed
from above. The Father loves the Son.
Our Sonship value IS the VALUE, the WORTH, of the SON of God
Christ Jesus to the Father.
If we believe that we are LOVED, ACCEPTED, and have our WORTH in
Christ Jesus, then, the same is true of ALL who have CALLED on HIS
NAME as we did.
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as
I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 13:34-35(KJV)
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 15:15(KJV)
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved
you. John 15:12(KJV)
Jesus clearly teaches us to SEE and KNOW only CHRIST in EACH
OTHER.
For Love will NOT see anything else but the Lord Christ in
another believer. We will then be giving each other LOVE,
ACCEPTANCE, and WORTH. Beloved, it is the Christ in us LOVING the
Christ in our brethren.
The MORE EXCELLENT WAY
If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned
alive for preaching the Gospel but didn't love others, it would be
of no value whatever.
Love [CHRIST} is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious,
never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love
[CHRIST] does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do
it wrong.
It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth
wins out.
If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the
cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him,
and always stand your ground in defending him.
All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an
end, but love [CHRIST] goes on forever. Someday prophecy and
speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge-- these gifts
will disappear.
Now we know so little, even with our special gifts, and the
preaching of those most gifted is still so poor.
But when we have been made perfect and complete, then the need
for these inadequate special gifts will come to an end, and they
will disappear.
It's like this: when I was a child I spoke and thought and
reasoned as a child does. But when I became a man my thoughts grew
far beyond those of my childhood, and now I have put away the
childish things.
In the same way, we can see and understand only a little about
God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror;
but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face to
face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see
everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my
heart right now.
There are three things that remain-- faith, hope, and love-- and
the greatest of these is love [CHRIST]. 1 Cor 13:3-13(TLB)
THE WORLD'S WAY
We were set free from Satan just by being born from above. He is
no longer our NATURE. Christ lives in us and is our new nature. BUT
a new nature with an OLD mind trained by our OLD father is still
with us. Satan has a way about him; he WILL NOT leave out of our
mind with out a fight.. He is a rebel and a liar. We must fight with
him and DRIVE him out, and away from what he holds over us by
deceit.
Religion will teach you that you need outward ceremonial doings,
to have the above three needs met. Go to Church, READ YOUR BIBLE,
pray, fast, TITHE, witness, and DO MUCH AND MANY THINGS, do... Do do
do do do do do do and then do some more.
But the Holy Spirit will teach you that it is not doing, but
BEING. Being just who you are-a son of God. Christ living His life
in you and living your life for you. You do not need religion, or
any of it's activity.
Every person natural born into the world from the day of birth
seeks for and finds these three intangible items. They are supplied
in abundance by Satan through the world SYSTEM of things and the
RELIGIOUS system. These three things are a driving force that must
be met in each of us, one of our greatest problems lies with the
fact that:
The whole world lieth in wickedness.(KJV)
The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.(NAS)
The whole world is under the control of the evil one.(NIV)
The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.(NKJ)
The rest of the world around us is under Satan's power and
control. 1 John 5:19(TLB)
The world has many ways of supplying these three needs to us.
Power, Booze, Sex, music, Careers, Marriage, Entertainment, Church,
and all else there is that keeps us in the wicked one's grasp.
Yet none of them FULFILL the real need and ALL end up
"UN-FILLING" deep needs. Each leads to a deeper internal knowing
that these three needs still need to be met.
Needless to say that each need not filled by and in Christ is
fulfilled from the wicked one. NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT LOOKS OR FEELS.
Jesus is the only real answer to these needs.
God is LOVE, we ARE accepted in the BELOVED, and our value or
worth is Christ who is our LIFE. We need look no further than to our
Lord Jesus. Do you "KNOW" that you are LOVED, ACCEPTED, and that
your WORTH, or value, is the same as Jesus to the Father?
REVELATION: THE ROCK
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it
unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also
unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.
Matt 16:15-18(KJV)
Jesus declares that He will BUILD HIS Church upon The REVELATION,
or uncovering of the SON of GOD; which comes only to those who have
been birthed as sons and have CHILD like faith in the Lord Jesus.
The Church was not or ever was intended to be built upon Peter.
The Church can only be known as believers have the Son revealed IN
and TO them one at a time.
God choose Paul to reveal this mystery in the only way we can
ever KNOW who we are comes by the same revelation.
The VERY FIRST revelation we come to is that Christ Jesus is the
SON of GOD, and is ONE with the Father. That we are in Him and He
and the Father are in us, the HOPE of GLORY.
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God
would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Col
1:26-27 (KJV)
God is NOT three persons. He is ONE PERSON a man who is known to
us in three different manifestations as Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
It was the Father who decided to REVEAL the Son to the world and
to have Him birthed (placed) in the redeemed. It is the Son Christ
in us who shows us the Father. It is the Holy Spirit who's job it is
to take the things of Jesus Christ, to reveal them to us. It is not
how much of the Bible you know. Nor how many degrees you have from
man. It is purely what our SOVEREIGN God decides for it seems good
to Him.
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so,
Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth
the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matt
11:25-29(KJV)
The yoke is the yoke of a LEARNER, one in whom the Christ lives,
whom He is in UNION with, and in whom He will be revealed in. All
others are disqualified or never were qualified.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
The instant YOU believed in Christ:
You are RECEIVED as a PERSON.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
(KJV) Jn 6:37
You were ACCEPTED in the Beloved.
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved. (KJV) Eph 1:6
YOU RECEIVED a Person.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye
in him: (KJV) Col 2:6
You received the HOLY SPIRIT.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
(KJV) 1 Cor 6:19
YOU were incoporated into THE BODY OF CHRIST.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we
be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all
made to drink into one Spirit. (KJV) 1 Cor 12:13
YOU were BORN FROM ABOVE.
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life.(KJV) Titus 3:6-7
YOU became a CHILD OF GOD.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:(KJV) Jn 1:12
YOU became a PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (KJV) 2
Peter 1:4
YOU became a HEIR OF GOD.
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified together. (KJV) Rom 8:17
YOU received an ETERNAL INHERITANCE.
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (KJV) Col 1:12
YOU received PARDON.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace; (KJV) Eph 1:7
YOU were JUSTIFIED in His sight.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ: (KJV) Rom 5:1
YOU were accounted RIGHTEOUS before God.
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.(KJV) Rom 5:19
YOU became FREE from condemnation.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, (KJV) Rom 8:1
YOU became a SAINT (HOLY ONE) in Christ.
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.(KJV) Rom 1:7
YOU received ETERNAL LIFE.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (KJV) 1 John 5 :11-12
You were RECONCILED to God.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (KJV) Rom 5:11
You became free from the FEAR OF DEATH.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. (KJV) Rom 8:2
YOU were delivered from THE LAW.
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we
were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the
oldness of the letter.(KJV) Rom 7:6
YOU became a SPIRITUAL PRIEST.
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to
him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV) Rev 1:6
YOU became a NEW PERSON.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(KJV) 2 Cor 5:17
God became YOUR FATHER.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father.(KJV) Rom 8:14-15
YOU are God's Handiwork, CREATED in CHRIST to do His work.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.(KJV) Eph 2:10
YOU are SEATED IN HEAVEN RIGHT NOW.
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (KJV) Philippians 3:20
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus:(KJV) Eph 2:6
YOU were HIDDEN IN CHRIST.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
(KJV) Col 3:3
YOU are an expression of the LIFE of Christ because He IS YOUR
LIFE.
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory.(KJV) Col 3:4
YOU became a CHILD OF THE LIGHT.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we
are not of the night, nor of darkness.(KJV) 1 Thes 5:5
YOU became a TEMPORARY visitor to the world YOU live in.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
(KJV) 1 Peter 2:11
YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DEVIL.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
(KJV) 1 Peter 5:8
As an BORN FROM ABOVE SON OF GOD the enemy CAN NOT TOUCH YOU.
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is
begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him
not.(KJV) 1 Jn 5:18
The entire New Testament is filled with what has happened to the
one who beleives. As you read, and listen to the word of God, see
how much more you can add to this list. There is a space provided
for your notes.
Things I found in the word.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE CORN OF WHEAT
LIFE OUT OF DEATH
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit. John 12:24(KJV)
For a few moments let us consider together the CORN of WHEAT and
what it PREACHES to us.
How, Jim, can a corn of wheat PREACH?
Easy! The Word tells us to LOOK at natural things and UNDERSTAND
them, then we can UNDERSTAND spiritual things. There is a LISTENING
involved that requires ears to hear.
Bread is expressive of the ATONEMENT (or forgiveness) of our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the PROCESS it undergoes. From its birth to its
planting in the ground, until it is harvested and consumed, the corn
of wheat preaches LOUDLY. If we can hear it we can receive COMFORT
and LIFE from our Lord Jesus.
THE CORN OF WHEAT MUST DIE.
Just as the farmer must plow and make ready the ground for the
seed and then PLANTS the seed, so it was with our Lord Jesus. If the
farmer does not PLANT the seed he will have NO INCREASE. If the
farmer EATS the seed he will have nothing with which to produce a
crop.
After it is planted there is a DEATH process which the seed MUST
go through. The SEED of its self has NO control over any of the
process it is just at the will of another.
There must of a necessity be the DEATH of the corn of wheat,
before it can bring forth MORE WHEAT. Jesus showed forth the
necessity of HIS death in our beginning scripture - that HE MUST
fall into the GROUND and die.
He would have been ALONE forever in His Holiness and Life, if He
had not died for us and as us; and we should have for ever been
ALONE in our sinfulness and misery.
Without the desire of God the Father and His life being birthed
in the Lord Jesus, coupled with total obedience to the Father by the
Spirit, would we not be forever cut off from Him? When we consider
the goodness of our God in His love, how can we but PRAISE Him?
WHEN THE CORN IS RIPE IT MUST BE CUT DOWN.
Even so, when the fullness of times was come, Jesus Christ was cut OFF out of the land of the LIVING.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare
his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Is 53:8 (KJV)
He was cut off by the JUSTICE of God in becoming the Lamb of God,
for taking away of sin and dying as our sacrifice for sin.
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and
I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. Zech 13:7 (KJV)
He was cut off by DEATH, that He might CONQUER the King of
TERRORS, and overthrow him who HAD the power of death, which is
the Devil.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil; Heb 2:14 (KJV)
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.1 Jn
3:8 (KJV)
You see, children, that ALL the works of the Devil are destroyed.
Even the WORK of DEATH. The work of Satan in the garden, when he
entered Adam and became Adams father, is destroyed.
Jesus knew the only way to DESTROY, or render IDLE, the works of
the devil and that was by submitting Himself to death. Through death
the Father gained the RIGHT to birth His son in any who would but
believe.
THE WHEAT HAS TO BE THRESHED.
How intensely was our Lord Jesus mistreated! He GAVE His back to
the smiters. His cheeks to those who struck Him, and pulled out and
plucked out His beard, and spit in His face.
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Is
50:6KJV)
To a Jewish man it was of the greatest INSULT to cut or pull out
his beard. To spit in the face of another face was a sign of total
rejection.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Is 53:5 (KJV)
Our healing was not purchased by the death of the cross, but by
the beating Jesus received BEFORE He was crucified. It must be
remembered that our healing is a person who lives in us, and lives
our lives for us. Don't seek outwardly that which is inward.
How much our Lord Jesus suffered at the HANDS of wicked men! All
we have to do is read the scripture and the scenes of His Life that
precedes His death come alive to show us the truth.
THE CORN MUST BE GROUND.
If we think of how the CORN was BRUISED between the stone mill
wheels as used in the East. The stone wheels crushed the hard
kernels of corn into powder. Today, huge mills crush the grains for
our bread. We have no chance to see the crushing as did those who
crushed their own grain.
Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it,
nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his
horsemen. Is 53:5(KJV)
Or if we think how it is GROUND in modern mill, we WILL be
reminded of the BRUISING of CHRIST.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Is 53:5 (KJV)
Who can KNOW the depth of statements like:
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor 5:21(KJV)
We know part of what this means that He was MADE the SIN offering
for us. He became all the sin of all mankind past, present and
future. Is there any way we can even come close to imagining how our
Lord felt or what He endured. All the filth of all sin came to Him
concentrated in the cup He took from the Fathers hand and drank.
What a God we serve.
Who can put any weight to what Paul says of Him:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on
a tree: Gal 3:13(KJV)
He was MADE a CURSE for us that we might not be cursed. Who can
find, or understand the depth of that statement?
Do you know HOW He felt in spirit and soul when He cried out from
the depth of His being "MY God, WHY hast thou forsaken me?"
Do you even begin to understand that it WAS God forsaken by God! Jesus was ALL of God in human form. He was all man. He laid
aside His Glory and lived as a man, and fought the battle for us as
a man. He had no more than you have as a born from above Son of God,
Spirit filled believer. He overcame as a man trusting God His
Father, who was in Him.
Jesus KNEW by FAITH who He was from the WORD of God, who He is
not the written word, and the witness of the Spirit. We, also, MUST
come to KNOW by FAITH from the WORD of God and by the Spirit, who we
are IN HIM. We are BIRTHED Sons of God, direct offspring of OUR
Father God.
God IS our Father...
WHEN THE FLOUR HAS BEEN MADE INTO LOAVES, IT HAS
TO BE PUT INTO THE FIRE TO BE BAKED.
The fire makes it into BREAD, so that we can eat it with PLEASURE.
This reminds us of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS undergone the FIRE of God's JUDGEMENT of our sins. He passed through and
came out of the fiery baptism of death.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the
ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which
slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and
went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Matt 27:50-53(KJV)
He was condemned in our PLACE, appointed to be the SACRIFICE for sin.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh: Rom 8:3 (KJV)
It is because the FIRE has fed upon the GOD-MAN, who was the APPOINTED sacrifice that the COALS from off the ALTER have a
CLEANSING virtue, as seen in:
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:
for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his
hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy
lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Is 6:5-7(KJV)
The HOT COALS that were cast into the earth came on the day of
Pentecost and LITE the Church with the FIRE of God. What happened is
that the Son of God was BIRTHED (placed) is each believer who was
present.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it
sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. Acts 2:2-4(KJV)
WHEN BREAD IS EATEN IT BECOMES A PART OF THE
EATER.
When our Lord Jesus Christ is received by FAITH, then we are
birthed by Him into a new realm, and He is birthed (placed) in
us, then we possess Him, and He possess us. He becomes the LIFE of
our being:
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Jn 6:54(KJV)
As we look into the mirror of the word to know our God it is
evident that HE is one who has suffering woven into the very fabric
of His Being. As we gaze upon Him who is we know that the Cross is
the center of His heart and that He ever lives His Uncreated Life
from this center.
WHY?
As a son being brought to glory, I believe that this nature of
the CRUCIFIED will be the center of our fabric, also, as we are
conformed into Him.
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man
that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure
things new and old. Matt 13:52 (KJV)
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for
the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall
find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Jer 6:16 (KJV)
What is the OLD PATH and where are the WAYS we are to stand in to ask for it? Now can we walk therein? Where is this rest that is spoken of? Why will we not walk therein?
Life out of death is not a concept that dwells in a carnal mind.
For the death of the Cross is, and never was, a part of Adam. Life
out of death originates in our UNCREATED God, Who is uncreated LIFE,
Who always existed, Who is Spirit, Who is invisible.
Matter, mass, and dimension all belong to the CREATED realm
called - Time and Space.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE CROSS A PART OF GOD'S NATURE
A SPIRIT STORY
Ponder this: that Our God is Spirit and Spirit is
invisible. In God before the beginning of creation there was nothing
but God, and He is INVISIBLE.
He is SPIRIT.
Ponder that God is LIFE and that He IS UNCREATED LIFE and
in Him ALL things exist. Even before He began to create. God is ALL
yet He is invisible, Spirit, and He is UNCREATED.
To find in our God His center, if such were true of Him,
we must travel back in time to the beginning of things seen. But
first we must prepare for our journey INTO GOD by the simple
understanding given us IN CHRIST. Christ is IN us and we are IN
Christ. We are of His Spirit and He is our Spirit and our only life.
For us to live is Christ.
Christ is not limited to space-time. Nor are we, for we
are in Him.
Our God, who is ALWAYS NOW, at any point in space-time or
in Spirit. We are FREE to travel IN HIM and to FELLOWSHIP with HIM
any where in HIS history. Remember God is uncreated LIFE and His
history is uncreated within Himself. Even though history is a TIME
word there is no time in God, but there is history which is without
time.
Let us begin by His faith:
Well, here we are in a place that is filled with great
expectancy and resembles a giant void of nothingness. LISTEN as God
speaks: do you hear the thunderous sound of SILENCE? we seem to be
rushing forward into time as the activity is almost a blur. We are
slowed as we see the Lord God forming a figure of the dust.
Did you see that as the Lord God breathed into this
created one, he became a living soul? A created being who had the
possibility to contain God? He resembles the Lord God, and us, too!
It seems that this created one has a freedom unknown to
all else created. The Lord God has such keen interest in his
development. That He has prepared a special place for His MAN.
This Garden is so beautiful. But, look, Adam is alone, as
is the Lord God.
As the Lord God speaks to Adam "it is not good for you to
be alone".
Our insides shudder like the chatter of chalk screeching
on a board, for we seem to sense and to feel deep in our being that
it is the Lord God's own heart feelings we are hearing, Yes, we are
hearing God's own heart feelings deep within our being.
Wonder what it is that the Lord God, with His hand, took
out of Adam as he slept?
Did you see the glee on the Lord God's face as He brought
to Adam the she-man? The Lord God's heart seemed to pour fourth
intense glory, and wisdom that filled His whole uncreated being.
Look! over there - see Adam and Eve together? Harmony and
peace is here - yet do you feel the presence of electric excitement
in this place?
LOOK!
There is the Lord God walking towards Adam. Both the Lord
and Adam have a very special glow of warm fellowship about them.
They are talking together as they walk, as though they have known
each other forever. The heart of the Lord is so filled with love for
Adam and Eve. Adam's heart is filled with love for Eve as he beholds
her. We know Adam loves the Lord but he seems taken up with Eve. We
can almost feel the intensity of some glorious happening within the
Lord God.
Could it be a beginning of the fulfillment of a dream?
The Lord God seems to be instructing Adam and Eve about
those two trees in the midst of the garden.
In this garden both time-space and Spirit "OVERLAP", as
though the two realms have become one. God is at home here and so is
Adam. It is an environment that can contain both of them. Adam is at
home in the seen and in the unseen realm of spirit. God is at home
in the seen and the unseen realm for He is Spirit.
Do you SEE any evidence of the Cross here?
NO.
For here there is none to be seen. Yet there is the deep
foreboding feeling that the cross has permeated all that we can see
-- a kind of awareness begins to fill our soul.
This place of the garden is not far back enough into God.
For we are yet in the realm of the created. Let's go a bit further.
There see that DOOR, go through it.
That's right we are now some where in side of God in a
new realm free of all limitations.
Free of time-space.
In the REALM of Spirit.
There see the Lord God creating the Heavens and the
Earth?
Amazing, He starts with the FIRST time He spoke out loud.
LIGHT... Then in less than a heart beat, it is as if the GLORY of
the Lord exploded from the realm of Spirit into the realm of the
seen, which was before He spoke, unseen, but now is seen.
What POWER there is in His word. I wonder...
As wonderful as all of this creation scene is we must
leave. This is not far enough into the depths of God.
Let's go a bit further.
See how the Lord God exalted the angel He called "the
Morning Star."
Wow, see all angelic host that God just created? They
look as if they HAVE the GLORY light we observed when we first saw
Adam and when we heard God speak. What light! What Glory! Listen as
they lift their endless number of voices to Praise Him who IS. All,
of the All that we are in, seems to be filled with a new song.
There is a rumbling, a great disturbance and fury as a
mighty wind storm as one third of the angels disappear. We stand in
great wonder and trembling fear as we witness the wrath of the Lord
God.
What does this mean?
What is this disappointment in the heart of the Lord God?
There is within the Lord God a desire to be a FATHER.
The created son, "the Morning Star", could not respond to
the Lord God. A created being who could never please, love, or obey
his CREATOR: but, became one who wanted to be higher than the
creator himself. One who wanted NO Father, only himself.
Wonderful, and as awe striking as this is we are still
not far back enough to view what we are seeking to find. I am sure
this is not our destination, even if I am not sure what we seek to
find.
A bit later, if there is such a word out side of
time-space in spirit, we will be at our destination in God.
At last we arrive where there is only God, and nothing
else, JUST GOD. God is INVISIBLE for He is Spirit.
God alone.
No angels, devil, heavens, earth, man, realms of
spiritual or physical, death, and no time-space, only God.
JUST GOD.
In Him a fellowship is going on between the Father and
the Son. The Father is beholding the Son. The Son is beholding the
Father. Love is the very essence of each. There are explosions of
glory and light as they in uncreated love behold and exchange love
with each other. We are being apportioned into this great glory of
love and beholding as if to be lost in God.
Could it be we are one with Him?
Let's look deep into this God of ours to see if we can
discover what all this is about, all this Joy and love we feel. As
we gaze our eyes fall upon a scene that will be repeated in time and
space once by the Son, and then over and over again by the Sons.
There in the midst at the very core the center of God's
being, our eyes look upon the most amazing scene ever to be revealed
to a human. It is almost too much for us if it were not for the
Lord's help, I fear we could not go on.
YES.
There is an instrument of DEATH.
It is a DOOR that beckons us to enter...
This strange beckoning has such an attraction to the deep
places in our soul. Yet, there is a fear that grips our hearts.
No, it only LOOKS like a door, but it is the CROSS. Oh!
my GOD! As we dare to look once more and see there upon it a LAMB.
A LAMB which is SLAIN, dripping a pool of Blood.
A dead Lamb and Blood.
This Blood is as no other blood that human eyes have seen
spilt in death. Look! this Blood of the Lamb is LIVING Blood.
As this scene is pressed and burned into the deepest part
of us, a knowing comes that we are in the Lamb.
What can this mean? It seems to be a great mystery. What
has our God HIDDEN in this Lamb?
Everywhere the angels are leaping and praising God, for
Joy unspeakable is abounding in our God and FELLOWSHIP is taking
place within this slain Lamb.
Our minds cannot understand what we see! Death, shed
BLOOD that lives, with life giving power within.
How can this be? What does this mean?
How can our Lord Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of the
Unbgotten God, have ALWAYS been as a LAMB SLAIN?
Remember, that The Son of God, the Lord Christ, ALWAYS
WAS AND IS. He is uncreated life, the only life. Life is an
uncreated SLAIN LAMB without beginning and without end, forever the
SAME.
At this point our God takes notice that we are there
gazing with awe upon this Lamb that was SLAIN. There is a knowing
entering our hearts of destiny within and with the Lamb. A sense of
uneasiness sweeps through us! We have been discovered in our God, by
our God.
Oh no! Could it be that our God will slay us also? Maybe
we should not have come this far. No man has seen what we have seen
and lived!
Another remarkable scene unfolds before our eyes! Can we
take any more?
There in the midst of this SLAIN LAMB appears the very
image of our own FACE in HIM.
As we turn to look at each other's face in wonderment, it
is at that instant we see only the Lamb.
As this unforgettable event continues we see our very
life contained in Him and it is evident that we, too, are as LAMB"S
SLAIN in Him. How amazing it is to our minds that we are found in
Him, ever in Him, and that we too are SLAIN; and that we too have no
beginning, or ending, and that at the center of our being we, too,
find the DEATH of the CROSS to be the DOOR of LIFE.
God the Father seems to take great pleasure in these
things it is as if He has a secret He alone enjoys.
As we continue to ponder what all this means, God moves
us to another place deep in Himself. There He unfolds a scene unlike
anything we have ever dreamed. How much greater can God be? Glory is
flowing in great billows and explosions of revelation as we begin to
behold the Son. We are almost overcome once more by the total
oneness all around us which seems to be in us.
See there that beautiful young woman and there beside her
is her HUSBAND; the SON. See how he looks at her with so much love.
It is a wedding dinner.
Look the bride is changing! She is made up of faces
without number. Each reflecting the Lamb that was slain. Just like
when we saw only the Lamb in each other's face a moment ago. What a
mystery. Do you have any notion as to it's meaning, for it is hidden
from me?
And each one in this young woman is one with the others,
and each has the same love for her husband and for each other, as He
has for her.
Do you see that THRONE?
It seems to be the destiny of this couple.
Now let us come back to today as we look into this matter
of the CROSS. What will we find that is both scriptural and
practical to us to bring us to the place where our God has us
destined to be.
FACTS and TRUTH LINED UP with the
PRACTICAL
We were always in the Lord Jesus Christ. We were always
SLAIN, or crucified in Him who is uncreated. Therefore, a part of us
has the heritage of uncreatedness: our spirit.
Jesus, the WORD, was made FLESH and dwelt among us in the
world.
Jesus was born of a VIRGIN, CRUCIFIED DEAD in time-space
and BURIED in the GRAVE. He ROSE from the DEAD. He is Lord. He is
THE CHRIST of GOD, HE IS ALIVE EVERMORE. He conquered Hell, DEATH,
the GRAVE, and YOU.
Jesus through the death of the CROSS, took away sin,
crucified the OLD MAN, put to death the flesh, and overcame the
world, over came DEATH, HELL, And the GRAVE and through death
destroyed - put to death him who had the power of death: the Devil.
We were in Him ALL the time.
When He died, so did we.
When He was buried, so were we.
When He conquered Hell, Death, the Grave, and the Devil,
SO DID WE. But there was no effort put forth BY US we were just in
Him.
When he Rose form the Dead, so did We.
As He ascended to the Father, so did we.
As He sat down in the Throne with the Father, so did we.
For as He is, so are we.
Now as far as time and space is concerned, all these
events must take place. They are as a confirmation of what already
is truth in our God.
When the Lord Jesus was crucified in time-space, He
opened the living way for God to place (or birth) His Son in the
sinner, so we could receive the life of the Son to be our life. He,
also, took us sinners in Himself, the last Adam to the CROSS and put
us to death with Him. Now we share a CO-DEATH with Him, yet He is
our only LIFE. In Christ we have CO-LIFE with Him, or UNION of LIFE.
If only the Sacrificial side of the Cross was done, then,
we would have only eternal life, God's salvation would be
incomplete.
To be saved is fine, but the saved one still lives in the
WORLD where temptations are many, and the Devil is actively
deceiving people. Plus the sin within the believer stirs itself
making motions in his flesh so that in spite of being saved, he
finds himself not able to overcome sin, to be free from it in this
present world.
This means that our Lord and Savior Jesus had to
accomplish a two fold work to save us from the penalty of sin and to
save us from the power of sin.
He died. He paid the penalty in full.
We died in Him setting us free in death from sin. Free to
be Free in Christ.
When we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
placed His SEED in us which is His SON, The Christ, and the Holy
Spirit placed us IN CHRIST.
It is Christ in us who is our LIFE, the life we now live
is Christ. Christ lives His life in us and lives our life for us,
hence, we are AS Christ, therefore, Christ is as us.
For it is ONLY the Only begotten Son who can please the
Father. Remember that we were not begotten, but, we were BIRTHED
into the Begotten Son and He was PLACED in us. We now live by the
life of another.
According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love: Eph 1:4
The word CHOSEN here means spoken forth. Hence, we are a
word spoken forth from the heart of the Father. Chance had nothing
to do with our being chosen.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me. Gal 2:20 (KJV)
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:3 (KJV)
CHAPTER SIX
SIN DOES NOT COME FROM OUTSIDE!
OR
THE OLD MAN PROBLEM
SIN IS IN US!
If sin came from outside it would have NO power over us.
But sin DWELLS in us in our flesh, which is our body plus sin. Being
the descendants of Adam we inherited his nature which is the spirit
of Satan. There is no such thing as a human nature. This nature is
REBELLIOUS, OLD, CORRUPT, and DEFILED. When temptation comes from
the outside to the mind, SIN responds from the inside. A sin is
committed just as naturally as we breathe in and out. What ever
comes from the outside be it FEAR, PRIDE, ANXIETY, JEALOUSY, any of
the other 100 and 1 thousand things. The sin factor (Satan's
training to our mind), the OLD MAN, responds every time.
SO, ALL SIN which people commit, comes from within. Satan
trained our MINDS by his spirit to be as his mind. Before we are
born from above, we were FATHERED by Satan; but after the placing of
the Son of God in us, we are FATHERED by God, the Father, through
His son Christ Jesus. Our problem lies not with our New life, but
with the spirit of our mind which is not new.
THERE IS NO SIN OUTSIDE!
Adam, who was created, but had no father, chose between
Fathers as he took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. Satan became his father and Adam became like his father,
Satan. It is the NATURE of Satan that we are born with in the
natural "time space" life, comfortably called our "human nature."
This OLD MAN is beyond repair, as the wall of the Holy
City in Nehemiah's time, he is broken down and in ruin, totally
corrupted. God's judgement is DEATH for him. God's dealing with the
OLD MAN is FINAL. God will give us a new nature and a new life, but
the OLD MAN MUST DIE. The old man did die in Christ Jesus. No, he
cannot be raised from the dead. He is as death himself and has met
his end in Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Sin is singular revealing the NATURE. The word SINS is
plural, showing ACTS of sin. As for ACTS of sin we run to the Blood
of Jesus and are washed.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1
John 1:7-9 (KJV)
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,
and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the
kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood, Rev 1:5 (KJV)
The scriptures never command us to wash the OLD MAN, but
to
RECKON yourself dead to sin. Jesus, the one who loves us,
is the one who washed and continues to wash us in His own blood.
All that God has done in this world was done in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He was the LAMB SACRIFICED for us. He was
not put to death in PUNISHMENT for sin in our place; nor was his
death substitutionary as some teach. HE WAS THE SACRIFICE OFFERED BY
GOD. We did not have anything to do with that part. That is His
Glory alone.
It is true that we are worthy of death only, BUT our God
is
wise.
To put the old man to death God CHOSE us in the Lord
Jesus
Christ, and we died WITH Him and AS Him. We must remember
that we are in union with Him as ONE. This union took place BEFORE
the foundation of the world it was ALL of The Father's doing, not
ours. This union became REALITY to us the day we were birthed in
Christ when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus
judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 2 Cor 5:14
(KJV)
There can be no crucifying of the OLD MAN outside of
Jesus
Christ, and - further I might add - none outside of the
CHURCH, or the Life of the Church. Here is a point to understand.
Many try to put to death the OLD MAN under their own power and fail.
Believers try, however, the old man goes down through an experience
that must be entered into by FAITH not works. When we believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ as we HEAR the Gospel - that the Father desires to
place another in us we are born from above. So it is when we believe
into our Co-Death in Him. It is by FAITH not works. And it is NOT
our faith but His and His faithfulness.
Yet on the other HAND we must bring forth the FRUIT of
our faith and this is shown in work.
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily
food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye
warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith,
if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works,
and I will shew thee my faith by my works. James 2:15-18(KJV)
To believe is what God requires of us. As we believe
fruit will be produced by our works which come from ABIDING in Him.
Abiding in His mind and His life flowing through us the branch. He
bears the fruit.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in
me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me
ye can do nothing. John 15:5 (KJV)
All who believe into the Sacrificial death of Jesus are
saved and all who believe in to their CO-DEATH and CO-LIFE with
Christ HAVE OVERCOME. These are the branches on the vine.
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we
should not serve sin. <KJV)
[A short study of the word CRUCIFIED has as its root the
meaning of UNION and COMPLETENESS.
CRUCIFIED SC#4957 sustauroo (soos-tow-ro'-o);from
SC#4862; to impale in company with:-- crucify with.
SC#4862 sun (soon); The primary root(prepositions in
Greek show motion) a primary preposition denoting union; with or together,
including completeness.]
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.
Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as
he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my
rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the
world.
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(KJV)
THE RECKONING
To RECKON is of the most importance. Every one of us want
to "TOUCH and FEEL" that the Old Man is a goner. Yet there is no
room for touch and feel, or seeing that the old man is dead. It is a
matter of FAITH in God's word. Matter of fact if we do try to touch
and feel the OLD MAN will be more active than ever. The Old Man is
crucified by the RECKONING of faith, as being dead to sin not by any
thing else.
Reckoning is in the realm of faith and not of the natural
senses which have nothing to do with it. To reckon is to AGREE or
HARMONIZE with God who says the OLD MAN is already dead in the death
of Jesus. We see in the above scripture that it was a FINISHED work
from BEFORE the foundation of the world. He has been crucified, not
will be at some future date.
The Lamb's death took place before the foundation of the
world in God and was made known in time space on the cross. When
Jesus was crucified it is an accomplished historical fact. He
finished the work He was sent to accomplish on the Cross. When we by
faith believe the Word and do the reckoning, the reality of the NEW
CREATION is unveiled in us. We begin by Christ in us and our UNION
with Him to see that in TRUTH all things are NEW.
A reckoning is to do an accounting, or to take an
inventory, which both require MATH. Math is universal and stable for
if 2+2=4 and it is so then it is so ANY WHERE in the world.
You can not ever no matter how hard you try make 2+2=5 or
3 or 6 or any thing else. If you do then you are WRONG and that is
all there is to it. Don't even try to figure out how it came to be 4
you can only believe it and agree with it as fact. When you agree
with 2+2=4, then math will work FOR you not against you.
If you don't agree your money matters will be all messed
up along with all the rest of your life. Just try to build a house
with all your math wrong it will look like the one Jesus spoke of
built on the sand and not the ROCK of TRUTH.
In the eye of God you are dead to sin, it is done. All
you and I have to do is to agree with God. God will then realize in
us what we reckon as agreement with His word. Then in our will,
intellect or mind, and emotions the deciding that we are dead to sin
shall be MADE TRUTH for Christ is truth. As truth we are free from
the bondage of sin. Behold our mind is renewed by the word of Truth.
This reckoning is an attitude as well as an action.
Action is taken once, but the attitude is constantly maintained. An
action taken is a timely move against a matter; an attitude is
maintained as a lasting estimation of a matter.
Action commences - attitude continues!
The OLD MAN IS DEAD but the OLD MAN'S left a real big
load of trash in our MIND which can not be annihilated! Satan is
ever looking for opportunity to move into a relaxed reckoning and
soon the OLD MAN'S MIND will have regained his position in which
Satan can operate.
So the fact of the Cross, the Christ in us and the Holy
Spirit comes in to view. They are inseparable. The cross makes it a
fact in us that we are dead to sin, Christ is the substance or life
within, yet the Holy Spirit builds the substance within our mind by
renewal. As our mind is renewed we no longer will make choices that
honor Satan.
The Father alone accomplishes the fact of the work of the
Cross in our lives. If we are willing to let it work!!! It will only
work as we receive a REVELATION of the MYSTERY of the Gospel of
Christ.
If we want to be delivered from the power of sin, there
can be no provision for the flesh. None.
The death of the Cross is long and painful. It can not be
rushed. Yet, like Jesus we have the power to COME DOWN from the
cross if we yield to the desires of the OLD MAN'S MIND. One MUST
maintain the attitude of reckoning by faith for if it's loosened up
the OLD MAN'S MIND will become active. As long as we hold fast to
the reckoning the OLD MAN'S MIND is rendered powerless; and the NEW
MIND that we have which is the mind of Christ begins to work in us
as our mind.
Death on the Cross for us is now a forever thing as it
always was. When we are negligent in this matter, temptation comes
and the OLD MAN'S MIND responds from within. For God can not be
tempted, nor can the Christ who we are, be tempted.
Temptation only works in the OLD MAN'S MIND. Remember
that renewing the mind takes TIME. During the process there are lots
of places we STILL function from the OLD MEMORIES of the OLD MAN'S
MIND which are against God but for their old father Satan.
What are we to do?
Take all thoughts captive to the Lord Jesus. TURN to the
Christ within and RECKON yourself AS dead, then, the Holy Spirit who
works in and with your mind, teaching you of the Christ who is your
life, will pour the power of the knowledge of the Cross into your
being. The Cross will come a experience not head knowledge.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Cor 10:5
Why do I fail when I have reckoned?
Are you really willing to believe and turn to Him? Here
lies the most fault. If so then it's up to the life in you, Christ,
not you, or the preacher, or any outside influence to cause the Word
of God to be a revelation of reality in you.
Dead to Self
To die to Self is a deeper death than to die to sin. Most
cater only to overcoming sin with out the revelation of
Christ Jesus. Truth is, if we begin from the wrong foundation of
understanding we only COMPOUND the error as we go forward, and we
will end up wrong. There has been much suffering in sin. They know
that their regenerated life grieves much over sin so they reckon and
reckon or better yet they try to keep some LAW by doing. Yet, still
fall in to sin not knowing who they are IN CHRIST.
Here lies the danger, many consider this overcoming of
sin to be the HIGHEST LIFE and nothing more can be added. Religion
has taught by the imposition of obeying, and doing law that one can
overcome. Go to Church, read your Bible, Get Faith, Confess the
promises, deny the reality of the circumstances, Give more, Tithe or
you will not be blessed, oh, yes, and PRAY more. All this always
hinges on doing. Doing outside of the Christ in you being the doer
is a trap of Satan, a trap of the LAW wherein is NO GRACE.
Here a believer by the Holy Spirit will come face to face
with another MONSTER. Each of us will come to this place
for that is the plan of the Father as He prepares Sons for His
House. With out a revelation of the MYSTERY of Christ in you the
hope of glory, a son will struggle and never be any thing but a self
centered son. One who never comes to the knowledge of who he is in
Christ.
To most trapped here, God is a vending machine, or a
extortioner, and an angry God who if you mess up just a little, will
banish you forever. You must WORK to please Him. Yet you never are
sure He is in the least bit pleased. Lack of the knowledge of who
you are in Christ and who Christ is in you DESTROYS you.
One who has no revelation of the mystery, searches and
works to be what is already done in him. Such a one goes his own way
"self" being his-life and not Christ.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE LOCK NESS MONSTER - IS HE REAL
OR
HEY! SELF IS ALIVE!
HOW DO YOU OVERCOME SELF?
Sin and self are not one and the same. Many see self as
sin, yet it is not. We use self-measurements to measure all our
outward actions. Whatever we deem wrong we condemn it as sin. So it
{self} must be sin. Not So.
Self is evil, but not altogether evil. The sin factor
(the Satan nature) manifests this factor through the channel of self
and produces the sin fruit. Yet, self also produces good, decent,
moral and righteous things that appear as good fruit. Because we use
our own measurement device, we throw out the evil and keep what we
see as the GOOD. Calling it GOOD and at the same time calling it of
God.
This is because we do not know the ROOT of self. Self
life is natural life influenced by Adams rebellion, our natural life
is corrupted beyond our ability to comprehend. How corrupt is our
old father Satan? We are just as corrupted. Mankind inherits this
sinful, satanic nature as a result of Adam's rebellion. This sinful,
satanic nature becomes interwoven with our natural life, which is
self.
We before, in Adam, were CHILDREN OF SATAN.
Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye
cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts
of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and
abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it. John 8:43-44 (KJV)
This self of ours, "I", our "I" forms our individual
personality. In other words this is our SOUL. Our soul is made up of
three parts; first, our mind (which is made up of our intellect,
imagination, intuition, and memory) , second, our emotions, and
third, our will.
Since this interweaving is bound so tight, it is
impossible to tell the difference between the former and the latter
in their combined action of sinning.
As soon as the sin factor is stirred, the Self puts
approval on it and executes it with outward action. And a sin is
outwardly committed with inward approval.
Sin and Self cannot be separated clearly by an
unbeliever, they look alike in their union. At first, self made the
first move to sin; but sin gained power and control of self inducing
self to WILL to sin, which we received from Satan.
The rebellious self is in FULL agreement with sin. Sin is
the NATURE of Satan who is the unbeliever's father. Yet, at times
the conscience will raise a feeble protest, but self always wins. In
an unregenerate person sin and self are in full cooperation and are
fully mingled together. Those not born from above ARE a living
manifestation of the life of Satan. They live, move, and have their
being AS the life of their father-Satan. They are AS Satan. They are
Satan's direct offspring. Son's of wrath and disobedience are those
who are the living dead separated from God the Father.
Self is the original LIFE OF SIN.
AND SIN IS SELF.
Self life is the life of the soul. All that is of Satan's
nature is shown forth as a SELF CENTERED LIFE.
Self life is the life of ADAM AFTER the rebellion. After
he became the property and son of Satan. Self life is not spiritual,
it is not carnal, and it has not been transformed into spiritual
life. In other words, it has the ability to contain and love sin.
After conversion, but before the CROSS and the Revelation
of the Mystery: (The mystery opens up the deep spiritual teachings.)
All things operate out of the SELF life will, overcoming
temptation, the sense of the joy of the Lord, the nearness to God's
presence; its affection turns to DEEP intimacy with the Lord Jesus,
its intelligence causes it to seek deep teachings from the
scriptures, as well as METHODS with which to SERVE God. Yet all of
these are done from the self of self not from the self of the SPIRIT
of CHRIST. Self makes a religion of all its activities.
God always grants a special grace to those here. He gives
wonderful gifts to DRAW them away from self to follow the
Lord into the PATH of the CROSS and the revelation of the
mystery of Christ in you the HOPE of GLORY.
By experience this drawing away from self to follow the
path of the cross, we begin to see what the Lord has planned and
what we do with the Gifts is usually very opposite. We use the gifts
for our SELF of self and they become the "LIFESAVER" of SELF. Many
find their identification in the gifts. The gifts for them define
their worth and value to God and to themselves.
Only when we have developed a deep sense of the
wretchedness of self can we deliver it to the CROSS for DEATH.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me. Gal 2:20(KJV)
The "I" here is the EGO, or self of self, and aside from
the Cross there is no putting to death, or rendering powerless the
"I", or ego of self life.
Self life must be put to death allowing the Christ self
life to be lived in our flesh by way of reckoning. But if we turn to
the OLD MAN'S MIND self life instantly takes over, and we are as a
YOYO going up and down. Thank God, that Jesus left us a way called
SELF DENIAL.
SELF IS CRUCIFIED BY DENIAL.
Self was crucified in the death of our Lord Jesus. But it
can not be put to death by us other than DENYING SELF and the taking
up of our CROSS as we follow Jesus.
Yet self remains. It is not annihilated. So the question
is a spiritual one. Dead implied here is a descriptive kind of
process, but from this point on SELF will OBEY God for we
are IN CHRIST and He is living as our self life. Christ is the only
one who can please the Father and the only one who can and is
perfect obedience. Self of self life will no longer be on the THRONE
of the believers life, but Christ who is life.
Self will be crucified by denial and all its selfish
actions will cease. The self life will no longer be permitted to
utilize self, for the self life and its living is now dead. Christ
lives as us. For us to live IS Christ. What is left is a skeleton.
The soul, now, with its contents the will, mind, and emotions are
not destroyed, but now, are being renewed by Christ Jesus, the
living WORD, as the Holy Spirit reveals Christ and the things that
are His to us.
The moment the SELF of self comes down from the CROSS of
self denial, SELF of self returns to its old position - hence comes
the inward battle and the believer has NO power to control the SELF
outside of CHRIST.
This is where the words of Gal 2:20 comes to life for us
and we see the need for the POWER of the crucified Lamb and his
Cross.
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23(KJV)
There are three things we are to do - not three separate
things but- a three part matter. This doing is really a believing
and not a law effort. For our Lord Jesus is the PERSON of SELF
DENIAL - only He accomplished true self denial. Once we Know and
have the Son revealed in us, it is a matter of believing and that
believing is the doing BY the Christ in us, not of our own effort.
1. deny self - forsake self, do not acknowledge any
demand
2. take up the CROSS daily - self denial is a daily
matter
3. follow me [the Lord]
Most of us are willing to deliver our bad, deceitful, and
corrupt self to the cross and let it be crucified. We are most
anxious, in fact, to be rid of this bad part of self.
Yet we have one flaw. We think we must retain the good
part of self. If not, how could "I" continue to exist?
But God sees all of self as corrupt and beyond REPAIR. It
is totally flawed by Adam's Rebellion. It must be crucified with
Christ. There is no other way. He will neither heal nor mend nor
amend our self life. Yet we ("I") live - not us ("I") but Christ who
is life is now me!
We are reluctant to deliver ALL of self to the Cross to
have it crucified. We are more reluctant to DENY SELF. With out the
revelation of the Mystery of Christ in you we will go to the
greatest extremes to produce self denial.
I remember a dear brother, Stacey, who is now with the
Lord. Years ago when he was beginning to learn the things of the
Lord, but before the MYSTERY was revealed to and in him by The Lord,
he was so violent against his self life he hated the self he was.
One time he shaved his head as an act of self denial and humbling
him self before God. Another time to keep his body "under" he sat in
a plowed field and beat his own back with a razor strap till he was
bleeding.
It took years for Stacey to BEGIN to understand those
kind of actions were not self denial. How about you, dear reader,
have or do you behave in similar ways?
Our conclusion is that our "Self" is not ALL bad. This
according to human observation is quite natural.
We do not even INTENTIONALLY retain the good part of self
life, but keep it back UNCONSCIOUSLY and deliver only what SELF
concedes as bad and undesirable to the Cross. That is why there are
so many self help things on the market, and why the New Age movement
grabs so many converts to it.
Do you know that if self life is not totally dead, it is
totally alive! We must learn that both the bad and the good must
go to the Cross of self denial by the life of Christ within.
Those who have Godly attributes have the most trouble
here
delivering the entire self to death. We tend to rely on
things in self life and refuse to have a total dependency on God.
These things we rely on must undergo many changes from God, until {a
time word} we learn the utter uselessness, worthlessness, and
deceitfulness of self.
We do NOT know our self. Nor can we, only God knows how
corrupt we are in self. Until we learn by the Spirit just how
undependable, corrupt, and disobedient self life is, we can not turn
to our Lord.
Can you see why the ministry is so messed up and the
sheep of God are in such a fix as they are today?
How can sweet water come from a salt water source?
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. Rom 10:3 (KJV)
Jesus answer to us
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it;
and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal. John 12:24-26(KJV)
Life is most precious. One is willing to lose everything
excepting his life. Yet, we are invited by Jesus to lose our life
the, life of the soul [self] it is given by God and is legitimate
yet, He calls us to Die.
Yet it is only natural life. The animated life we share
with all living things. Our mind, will, and emotions are controlled
by this life. It is the driving force of our entire being. Since
this life comes from natural birth in sin, and a shaping of that
life by iniquity, its natural, not spiritual. We were born into this
world with the nature of our father Satan who trained or shaped our
mind. If a believer allows through love for this natural life to
direct his earthly activities he will lose his soul.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me. Psalms 51:5 (KJV)
We are shaped in Adam by the things outward and seen.
Self DEPENDS on these things to function. The Cross takes away the
outward. Leaving a total dependency upon the inward life of Christ.
This self life IS attractive.
When we "FALL" into Christ who is the GROUND in which we
die, then He becomes our life. He is a place of darkness, obscurity,
and suffering until {a time word} the work of the Cross is done in
us, and the SELF is rendered dead, thus, Christ is rendered King and
Lord. {Self must still be denied even after all this.}
Here the Self loses all its beauty and all things. It can
no longer be EXHIBITED and PRAISED. Self desperately desires
approval, or to be received by others, for self is filled with
rejection. Adam was rejected by the Father God, and so were we in
him .Self loves to be seen by men. Self loves titles - Pastor,
Apostle, prophet, Reverend, Elder, man of God etc... - titles seem
to be the attraction of an exalted self holiness which makes self
who self is. I know you can add several things to this list.
When we are willing to die and do die. It is here we lose
all praise and admiration of men. Our self of self moans and grieves
for a time and temptation comes to "go back to the old ways".
Our natural emotional excitement in Jesus which creates
great communion and joy will now be dead. Jesus will direct and
control our emotions and excitement. We will no longer need any
outside stimuli nor will we be affected by it. There will not be one
thing that impresses us. Not a man, not even the flow of the
anointing, not miracles, not revelation, not being "used by God",
nothing will impress us, but our Lord Jesus. For Christ in us and us
in Christ and our life lived as Christ, which is a life of union and
completeness. Our lives will be completely enfolded in Christ.
We will henceforth forsake ALL unlawful things and even
all the things that are legitimate of self. The main thing being the
RIGHT to live as a SELF of self letting ANOTHER life live in it's
place.
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matt 7:14 (KJV)
How is this death executed you ask?
It is the death of the CROSS.
We will fall into the Ground and have fellowship with His
Cross willingly. Yet it is not enough to just fall into
the ground. Even though we desire to be hidden and suffer, we
remain one grain without increase if we do not DIE.
DEATH IS THE END OF ALL THINGS.
Do not despise the word DIE or DEATH.
Death is the FINAL decisive step.
DEATH IS THE DOOR to LIFE.
This death is not something forced. The Lord declared we
must HATE LIFE IN THIS WORLD. We are required to have an attitude of
hate for this self life in this world.
Hate sustains this attitude.
Therefore, we must be always willing to deliver this self
life to death. Hating self with ALL OF OUR HEART.
Are you able?
The result of this is MUCH FRUIT.
There is never any outward life of Christ, or out flowing
of His life as you UNTIL {time word} this is accomplished in us by
HIS LIFE within us. There may be a lot of ACTIVITY that has been
created in the spiritual arena by self. Preaching, teaching, large
ministries, building big or little churches, doing of the work of
the Lord.
This is the REASON, the only one, why one is not "used"
of the Lord.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6(KJV)
All that we are in self life, and all that we are capable
of must be delivered to the Cross of Christ; then, shall we see
how Christ who is our life can "use" us. In Christ reality,
He does not "use us" but He lives AS US doing the things Christ
Jesus does. So, it is easy to see and say that Christ Jesus DOES us.
See, beloved, the Local Church has a self life. It comes
from us and we must put it to death just as we do with
our personal self. This takes a people of one mind and heart,
a people who have had the Mystery of the Gospel which is Christ in
you the hope of glory revealed in and to them.
If we are truly empty of ourselves, the living water of
God can and will flow from us without any blockage. And such
fruit bearing as this is out of the ordinary, because we
being IN CHRIST shall bear MUCH fruit. Christ is the MUCH FRUIT. All
the fruit of Christ, the VINE, will come forth by the life of Christ
in the branch. All this hinges on our DEATH, both as individuals and
as a Local Church.
In the past we were filled with SELF and bore the fruit
of our old father, Satan. Let us now be as Christ; otherwise, we
will not have obtained full salvation. The turning point in
anyone's, or any Local Church's, FULL salvation lies in being
delivered from SELF by the revelation of the mystery of the Gospel.
A self centered believer, or Local Church, is prone to fall into
SIN. To be wholly dead to sin DEMANDS we be dead to SELF through
denial of self.
Christ Jesus is not only our savior from sin, but also,
from our self life. How great is the mystery of Christ in us
the hope of glory?
To die to the self life is the only pathway to the life
of Christ who is our only life. Only God can cause us to understand
nobody else is able. We are to believe the WORD and to deny self.
But if we are not willing, and in faith, then even God
cannot cause it to happen. Our Father will never override our will
of choice. We can choose to ignore the Christ in us who is our life,
even as the Holy Spirit is revealing Christ to our minds.
SELF KNOWLEDGE
The self life works are so subtle, they are covered over
or hidden by a spiritual veil. It is beyond the discernment
of the believer or Local Church. So much so that God will
have to use outside circumstances to break through the heavy
veil and cause the believer and the Local Church to KNOW
his/her own self.
I am not talking about knowing that you are in Christ and
Christ is in you, and lives your life for you and His life as you.
But about the knowing or awareness of the SELF of self. To help us
become the Son's He desires, He must DEAL with us in daily life
right where the rubber meets the road.
I call all the dealings of God in our lives FIRE BOXES.
We will stay in each fire box UNTIL {time word} the Father has
purified out of us what that fire box was designed by Him to remove.
The fire box becomes the instruments of the salvation of our soul.
Th us bring the necessary discipline to those of us are difficult to
reform. By God's guidance, troubles are distributed according to
need. The fire box reveals the SELF of self from which a son is
operating and once we SEE then we are delivered.
Many times in my life the Father, has arranged for me to
be in SEVERAL fire boxes at the same time. I seem to be able to get
in them very easily, but find they are hard to get out of UNTIL
{time word} it is the Father's choice. Each fire box brings a bit
more self knowledge.
Self knowledge is extremely rare. We do not know
ourselves, at least not until {time word} we have been tried by
God's hand and been shown the wickedness of our self life.
There are other fire boxes in which the Father seems to
SHOW US OFF to the world. In these we simply overcome with out any
thing of self showing up. In these we are at peace and the Christ we
are lives as king.
If we as individuals, or as a Local Church, have no
experience
of the death of self, our spiritual life will have LITTLE
or NO real progress. However, if we are willing from now on to let
the Spirit of the Lord Christ WORK the DYING of SELF into us through
self denial and the fire boxes He designs then we will be able to
live out of His life being filled with Him who is. As He lives His
LIFE IN us and our lives FOR us. We can say with Paul "For me to
live IS Christ".
CHAPTER EIGHT
EXPERIENCE AND REVELATION
vs
KNOWLEDGE
LISTEN
Let this burn into your spirit and soul -
DO NOT EVER COME TO THE WORD OF GOD TO READ - COME TO LISTEN... just
LISTEN, you will hear HIM who is the WORD speak to you. In our day
people think that knowledge of a thing is the experience of it. Not
so. As a believer you can have great revelation of Christ yet lack
the experience of Christ.
The WORD of God is ALIVE. Jesus is the WORD! He speaks
through written word by His Spirit to your spirit.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. HEB 4:12
(here, the word "Quick: has the meaning: "to live or
living")
Many times the Holy Spirit will give us a tiny bit of the
revelation of Christ following the revelation with a vivid
experience; and other times He will give us the experience, then,
LATER reveal the revelation of the experience. We are never told to
SEEK experience, or to seek revelation or a vision. Some have erred
at this point and were led by another spirit into great error and
then, have led many others into the same error.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt
6:33
When I was in prison Jesus began to Show me His Church as
it is in Him and was from it's BEGINNING - one in Christ. In the
Spirit from within Christ, He began to reveal the Church in ALL of
His and Her Glory.
He desires Her.
Just as any Husband Lover desires His Pure Virgin Bride.
She desires Him.
Just for who He IS.
What I saw in the Spirit in the beginning was a LOVER
husband and His LOVER wife in glory and purity.
A MYSTERY - hidden in God
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female
created He them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and
have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and
there He put the man whom He had formed.
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should
be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
For Adam there was not found an help meet. And the LORD
God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took
one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the
rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and
brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.(Selected verses from
Genesis chapters one and two (KJV))
WHAT COMES OUT OF CHRIST
Just as ONLY that which was hidden in Adam could be built
into a woman. So only that which comes out of Christ can be used to
build the Church.
The desire of God's heart is expressed in creation which
reveals God's purpose.
For God to Create is to determine and initiate His
desire, and purpose.
Redemption is not higher than creation, to redeem is to
recover and restore.
Our relationship to redemption is for man. We are the
redeemed and redemption was and is for us. God has never needed to
be redeemed.
Our relationship to creation is for the economy of God.
SALVATION is relationship, salvation is a recovering, to God's
purpose for us.
Relationship has a two fold meaning. Father to Son by
blood lines or by the genes of God if you will. Better yet blood
relationship for God is our Father for he placed His SEED in us. The
SEED of the Father IS CHRIST.
Satan was our father. When we were born from above by the
Father's will, we became the sons of God because Christ was birthed
in us. Therein lies our relationship: Father to Son. Yet,
relationship is NOT fellowship.
Relationship in this discussion falls into the second
category MARRIAGE, lovers of our God and being loved etc...
JESUS THE LAMB.
Jesus shed blood washes us clean from sin. It is
OUR faith in his birth, life, death, and resurrection
which causes us to be transferred to a place outside of time and
space. As we are related to him by birth - the birth from above or -
should we say the recognition of our death in him. We are part of
the family the direct offspring of God the Father with the Son of
God Birthed (or placed), in us who is our LIFE.
Eve was a sign, or a shadow of the
Church.
Adam, God said it is not good for you to be alone! You
need a help mate.
A shadow of Christ alone.
"Son," the Father said, "it is not good for you to be
alone you need a help meet."
The Church is a help meet to Christ. She came out of His
wounded side. The church was hidden in Christ just like Eve was
hidden in Adam.
Christ the overcomer. Christ Jesus over came ALL...
Church the overthrower. Satan, sin, world, and self...
The church is out of Christ.
The Church and Christ are ONE.
You, AS Christ, are one with the Father and the Son and
the Church.
Christ is in the midst of His Church.
The Church is another FORM of Christ.
The Church is JUST CHRIST.
The Church is the only portion taken out of Christ.
As Adams rib was taken out of him and Eve was formed, or
built out of that rib, so is the Church A bone of the life of
Jesus, whose bones were not broken when He was crucified.
His life is unbroken and we are BONE OF HIS BONE AND
FLESH OF HIS FLESH. The life of God in us is unbroken. There is an
unbroken flow of this life between ALL believers who are His Church.
There is, also, an unbroken flow of this life to a broken and dying
and lost world.
So only the "out of Christ" ones or "Christ Persons"
(Christians) are used to build HIS Church for the Church is Christ.
We the birthed sons are the Church.
Do you see why it is so important to KNOW you are in
Christ. For Christ is the ONLY material used to build the Church. No
clay, no Adam, no nothing but Christ. It is only that man in which
is Christ that is used by the Lord Christ to build His Church. The
Church is an exclusive group of people who never existed on this
planet before but who are a NEW CREATION PEOPLE who are IN Christ. A
MYSTERY people
CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH
Without Christ the Church has:
For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are
all partakers of that one bread. 1 Cor 10:17 (KJV)
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2
Peter 1:4
(The word PARTAKERS:
to share or participate; by implication belong to, eat
(or drink): a sharer, companion, fellowship, partaker, common
partner., (literally) shared by all or several: denoting union; with
or together, companionship, process, resemblance, possession,
showing forth completeness.)
We are partakers of Christ. Christ Jesus, our Lord,
declared we are ONE in Him and the Father.
Yet, we each are our own, but we belong to Jesus. We are
all only one and He is in us as one. As He is so are we in
this world. He is the living bread come down out of heaven and
we are the living bread come out of Christ. We are one loaf, He is
one loaf - eat of Him or eat of us - it is the same for He is in us
and we are in Him. For us to LIVE IS CHRIST.
The Church is not the individual.
The Church is Christ in you, plus every one else who has
a true new birth experience. Jesus is the HEAD of the Body of Christ
the CHURCH, or in other words the NUMBER one, the top person, the
CEO, of the Body of Christ. Christ Jesus ALWAYS has and ALWAYS will
have the NUMBER ONE PLACE He is the Lord Christ.
A man's talents, abilities, wealth, thought, self, and
all
that he has are all outside the Church for they are
outside of Christ, they have no value in the Church or IN CHRIST.
All that man is, and has, and can do, add no spiritual value to the
Church or to Christ.
Well you say so & so is such a great speaker-- well maybe
out side the Church he is but in the Church he is nothing - and has
nothing except it be given to him by God.
Everything man has that comes from outside the Church has
to come from the natural man, which is fathered by the evil
one.
Only that which comes from Christ can be called the
Church.
The question needs always to be asked: What is the source
of a man? What is the source of that which he is, or has?
And has the thing you admire been dealt with by the CROSS
- does this thing have its source in the Christ or in this man? The
Church will be pulled down by these people. Just look on any corner
and see. Those things outside of Christ have only an earthly gravity
pull downward always away from truth.
IS this person or talent under the CONTROL of the Holy
Spirit? (For to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit is to be UNDER His
Control.) Or is this something they originally had and is not of the
Christ? Is it of Adam, natural, flesh, or satanic? IS it a new MIND
or has just the subject been changed?
When the Bible is not LISTENED TO by the New Creation
mind but is studied and ministered with and out of the OLD MAN's
MIND the church suffers loss. Only that which is out of Christ can
be the Church and feed the Church.
We must be dealt with by the CROSS until we come under
the control of the Holy Spirit. Every thing that issues from
the natural life, is not wanted or needed by God. In fact
things of the natural life defile the Church, leading many astray
from the truth of Christ.
It is not repentance, baptism, confession of sin, or even
faith that makes us part of the Church, it is the LIFE OF
CHRIST which he has birthed [Himself] in us that makes us
part of the Church.
The Church is the Church because many share the same life
of Christ. The Church is not a matter of several Christians
coming together with several other Christians. The Church is a
matter of LIFE not "men".
Each of us has within us all of God and all of Christ.
Yet, each of us is only a portion of the whole of God. We are
together the whole [all saints, or portions of all ages]
and we are the Church a living, breathed upon, breathing, spiritual
organism of life. The BODY OF the LIVING CHRIST. The Church is
Christ visible and local in expression.
We must be clear that God does not want INDIVIDUALS as
Christians to be the Church. God created man, male and
female, the male is singular; the female is singular. Christ is
singular and the Church is singular in the sight of God. There is
only one CHRIST AND ONE CHURCH [made up of all who believe] and they
are ONE. We shall see there is only one man in Hades [yet made up of
all the lost] the son of perdition. And only one NEW man is in the
heavenlies. No one else.
Adam the first man, Christ the last man, there are no
others.
The body of Christ, Just as Eve, is one not many!
Even though we have God's life in us, we desperately need
God to work the CROSS in to us to break our self ideals and
our INDIVIDUALISM. God must break the thought out of us that says
I and God are enough.
We need to be one in our mind with the rest of God's
children. There is only one Eve; likewise only one Body of Christ.
All God's children, all who share the LIFE OF CHRIST, are not many
individual men and women, we are one.
God must break this thing you have in you that says "I am
me, an individual". God will crush us each and every day
until we come to know the LIFE OF THE BODY, which IS CHRIST!
Many think they can be Christians by themselves. Are you
one?
If so get on your face before God and plead with Him to
BREAK
YOU NOW. We are no use to the BODY, or to CHRIST, until
this is out of us. You will find your self separated off from of ALL
that God is unless He breaks you. The place to start is... REPENT
!!!
Repentance from the old way of thinking is a CHANGE OF
MIND. Once you make up your mind to something, then, it becomes so
to you, what ever it is. It can be a natural thing, but whatever it
is, it becomes truth to you. Now if what is truth to you is NOT a
TRUTH of God, who is truth and only speaks truth, you have a wrong
MIND SET.
You will believe what ever you make up to believe or SET
your mind on. God the Holy Spirit is upon us, and with us, and in
us, to TEACH us and guide us into ALL TRUTH. The Holy Spirit is our
teacher, comforter, tutor to teach us Christ and reveal Christ in
and to us.
AN INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT
The symptoms are easy to spot in our lives. The following
are some:
-
Not "KNOWING" the mystery of the Gospel.
-
No answer to prayer.
-
No enlightenment when studying the word.
-
No finding of God's will for LIFE.
-
Frustration and anger at and with God.
-
Anger towards the other members of the body.
-
Proud heart.
-
No evidence of experience with God.
-
No deep peace.
-
A toy for the enemy to play with.
-
A blemished spot in the body.
[remove the blemish or remove the person]
We must allow the Christ in us to be Knit together with
the Christ in others. This can not be done unless we are
broken of this plague of INDIVIDUALISM.
Ever have to seek out some one else to pray for you, or
with you, to get through on a matter? When two prayed, or
agreed, on a thing it came to pass. This is a good example of the
individual and the body.
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on
earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done
for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matt
18:19-20 (KJV)
Many of you know the LIFE OF CHRIST IN YOU and experience
Him daily even by the second. But I regret to say do not know the
life of the BODY of Christ. The Body of Christ is the primary way
our Lord has chosen to "help" in this breaking. We must learn to
have interdependence on each other that's why we are a BODY.
Just as the life of Christ is a reality so is the LIFE OF
THE
BODY OF CHRIST a reality. A reality you and I need! We
have an instinct to FLOCK together from the day we receive natural
life. Before we are saved we flock to others in every possible way
and place without even realizing it as fact.
The life of the Body of Christ is much more than us just
meeting on Sunday and Wednesday, as most do in America. It is being
ALL together being IN common with Christ and every believer. Living
together and existing together a family. In touch with the reality
of every day life together. We have not even begun to touch on this
life of the Body, we are short of what God wants and we need to
repent.
In other words because of our "relationship" we, also,
NEED to enter into fellowship of one mind, in one purpose, and with
one accord.
IF you live according to the life in you that is lived in
a place
outside time space you are one with all Christians and
all of God's children. But if you live according to your self, you
have separated yourself from the Christ in you and from all of God's
children. You will have an attitude of only wanting to be near the
ones [Christians] who you FEEL please you and are of a LIKE
separated mind set.
Two no three things are needed if any are to become a
real local CHURCH showing forth the Life of Christ to a sin
infested world -
[1. the spreading or increase of Christ]
[2. the consuming of self on the CROSS]
[3. a COMMITTED MIND TO THE ABOVE]
We must come to the place where our attitude of heart
says "I can of my self do nothing, I only do what I see my Lord
doing and then I only do it in cooperation with the other
members of HIS BODY who are Christ and with their HELP.
All I do is in the reality of FELLOWSHIP, which is the reality of
the BODY. The Church is the body of Christ, only that which issues
from Christ is the Church." All else is self centered man who's
father is the devil.
WHAT IS THE SOURCE
God only considers the source of things. Not if it's
good, evil, or scriptural in itself. God only considers if it comes
from Life which is Christ. Men ask is this good, is this evil? God
asks where does it come from. That which came from Adam was Eve;
that which comes from Christ is the Church.
Christ Jesus must be the source of all things.
Men ask do you love me? God asks where does this need for
love come from? What is the source?
Men say or ask is this not great zeal for God? God asks
where does this zeal come from? What is the source?
We say I will serve the Lord? The lord asks where did
this desire to serve come from? What is the source?
We say I give you my love the very love of God. God asks
where did this love come from? What is the source?
We give to the work of God. God asks what is the source
of the giving? Do you give to get?
What we need is to solve this matter of origin.
The first lesson we need to learn is to discern the
source of things. [the discerning of spirits].
The last lesson is still this matter of source.
The first lesson is that I take EVERY thought captive to
the obedience of Jesus Christ. And reject any thing that is
out of myself or others self, the last lesson is that I still
reject anything that comes from myself or others self.
This does not mean we must not strive with and in the
things of the Lord. But it must be from the Lord. It must come from
within Christ who is in you. It MUST BE initiated by Him. The whole
issue is where does it come from.
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth
the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the
Son likewise. John 5:19(KJV)
The word OF in the original classic Greek language is
translated to mean "from OUT OF, at rest in." {SEE PAGE # for visual
example}****
Jesus could, or would, do nothing out of Himself. Jesus
lived by the LIFE of the Father. He lived out of the Father as His
SOURCE for all things He saw the Father do He did. All things He
heard the Father say, He spoke.
God must bring us to the place where we experience as a
"knowing" continually that we can do nothing of ourselves or out of
our self. These dealings from God take TIME.
Everything must be out of HIM and BY HIM.
IF we do much outwardly, with not much being done
inwardly, though there be a lot done, it counts for nothing.
God wants to bring you to the place where you will do
nothing, or want to do nothing, that is not from the Lord. If the
Lord is not moving we dare not move.
Eve was bone of Adam's bone and flesh of his flesh. Bones
are
inside - flesh is outside. Bones give FORM to the flesh.
Inside the BONE is the marrow where the LIFE is produced. Within the
bone the BLOOD is made which gives life to all the body. Everything
on the inside IS Christ everything on the outside IS OF Christ
[coming out of from at rest in]. NOTHING MUST BE OF OURSELVES. Eve
was out of Adam, the Church is out of Christ.
Remember that the FORM is nothing, but the VESSEL or
CONTAINER of the treasure.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we
have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the
power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor 4:6-7
No matter how well we do or say something it is but
useless in achieving Gods eternal purpose. No matter how good it is,
if it issues out of us, and not Christ in us it can not
GLORIFY GOD.
THE ISSUE
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life. Prov 4:23(KJV)
KEEP
Strong's # 5341 natsar (naw-tsar'); to
guard, in a good sense
(to protect, maintain, obey, etc.), keep,
observe, preserve.
HEART
Strong's # 3820 leb (labe);used
(figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the
intellect; likewise for the center of anything:
ISSUES
Strong's # 8444 towtsa'ah (to-tsaw-aw');exit,
i.e. deliverance, (actively) source:
The Father has only one ISSUE, and that is His Son. The
Son Issued forth from the HEART of the Father. The Church issued
forth from the HEART of the Son.
The first woman came out of Adam, representing the WOMAN
who is after God's heart. Not only was there a man who
expressed God's heart, there is also a she-man.
Adam was the creation of God. Eve was HIDDEN in Adam and
was removed by God, the Father. Eve is OF the same material that
Adam was. Eve cannot be created, she MUST be BUILT by the Father, as
the Church must be BUILT by The Lord Christ.
It is not only Christ who satisfies, God's heart. There
is also
the Church which satisfies His heart. Christ satisfies
God's heart because He allows God the Father to be His head.
It is the same with the Church, God's heart is satisfied
when the Church allows Christ Jesus [in whom the Father
dwells] be the Head of the Church.
God intends to have such a people on this earth and when
He does His hearts desire will be satisfied. The whole purpose of
God can be stated in a simple statement. God is a Father who will
have a HOUSE full of sons, Jesus Christ being the Head. We are the
House of His Son, which is His Bride.
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are
we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope
firm unto the end. Heb 3:6
Let us remember that whatever comes out of man's self is
but dust and is not worthy of being the material for the
helpmeet.
Only that which comes out of Christ is the Church.
Adam was the material of which Eve was made. Christ is
the material for the Church. God used Christ to bring forth or BIRTH
the Church. The Church is birthed, or formed, as the Son is birthed
in those who believe into Christ Jesus and placed in Christ by the
Holy Spirit.
God brought forth the birth of the Church through the
DEATH of Jesus Christ our Lord. The deep sleep, referred to in
Genesis two, of Adam typifies the aspect of Christ's death that was
not for redemption.
BLOOD AND WATER
In the death of Christ there was a portion which was not
for redemption, but for the RELEASE of Himself. A release of Himself
for the BIRTH of PROCREATION of the Church. This aspect of His death
has nothing to do with sin.
Redemption and the receiving of life are two distinct
different and separate things.
Redemption is the negative side of things. We in Adam
sinned and deserved to die for that sin. Jesus was sent by the
Father to be a sacrifice for those sins and for sin. Christ came to
bear our burden of sin. This was accomplished through His death on
the CROSS.
There is another aspect of His death and that is that He
came to give us life or to be our Life. He came to impart Himself to
us so that through His death we might have Life. It is a revealing
of the MYSTERY Christ in you the hope of glory. This has nothing to
do with redemption.
Because Adam slept Eve was able to receive LIFE. His
sleep was not for her redemption.
In the same manner there is a portion of Christ's death
that is for imparting LIFE to the Church.
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that
the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for
that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the
soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which
was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he
was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers
with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood
and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true:
and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these
things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of
him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They
shall look on him whom they pierced. John 19:31-42
When Jesus side was pierced AFTER HIS DEATH, it shows us
that redemption has nothing to do with the creation of the Church.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the spirit is spirit. The Church IS of the Spirit but at the same
time local and visible.
The work of Christ was redemption shown to us by the
flowing out of blood, but He was DEAD when he was pierced and out of
Him flowed Blood that HAD redeemed us from sin and WATER showing the
imparting of life to the Church, which is our only place of
habitation or dwelling.
The water causes us to receive His life.
Remember blood is for redemption and the water is for
life. Because we were sinful, and have, and do commit sins when we
yield to the OLD MAN's MIND. We have areas where our minds are not
renewed. This causes us to act after the fallen spirit of Satan, our
"old father". Who is full of lies and sin and was so from the
beginning. Thanks be to the Father for the BLOOD OF JESUS which is
always before Him cleansing US. As the Father sees us He only sees
Christ Jesus, for we are IN CHRIST.
The water is the Lord as LIFE. It is Christ, or LIFE in
you. We are FILLED with living water. JOHN's Gospel says: Blood with
the water flowed out of Him. Blood first then Water. In chapter 20
the Lord pointed to his side where he was pierced and told Thomas to
PUT his HAND in the OPEN place where He was wounded. This is not a
chapter of redemption but of the imparting of Life from the wounded
side. I ascend to my Father and your God...
Apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission...
Remember that we can see [Gen 3:21] that it was outside the Garden
that God first shed blood... not in the Garden!
Remember, also, that none of Jesus bones were broken as
was Adam's rib, showing us that the source of His LIFE was pure and
holy.
There was no sin in the building of Eve, nor was there in
the Building of the Church. For there is no sin in Christ Jesus.
Remember it is Christ in you - living His life in you and He is
living your life for you.(Gal 2:20) For you to live is Christ And to
be a part of the Church which is His Body.
CHAPTER NINE
THE PRACTICALITY OF REALITY
or
WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD
CHURCH IN ACTS
As He showed me HER beginning coming out of Christ, then,
from the WORD as SHE is seen in reality from the book of Acts. When
we read this about the Church in Acts today it sounds like a fairy
tale. Our culture and upbringing seems to rule out of our thoughts
any reality of that kind of fellowship or life.
Compared to what one sees, or experiences in the earth
today that calls its self the Church. True it is a Church, but it is
a SYSTEM. That SYSTEM came about when the VIRGIN BRIDE of the Lord
Christ went a whoring with the world and LOST the Revelation of the
MYSTERY of Christ in you, back in about 312 AD or so. [If you want
more details read a book titled "Will the REAL Heretics Please Stand
Up" by David W. Bercot published by Scroll Publishing Co., Rt 19,
Box 890, Suite 210, Tyler, Tx 75706]
When most of us READ about the Church in Acts, we read so
fast and fail to listen to the Word, that there is little or nothing
received into our spirit from the Lord.
Besides we can look at the Church in the earth today for
our example...
Wrong.
What you see today called the Church is not what Jesus
has in His mind, nor is it even close. It comes from a mixed
marriage with the WORLD and has the SMELL of death on and in it. The
believer is separated from the Christ who is in him by religion.
Religion ALWAYS requires that you do something to be who you already
are as a NEW CREATION.
Jesus took me to a place that is outside of TIME SPACE. A
place called the Kingdom of God. He said that many seek to find this
place. Few ever find the WAY and even fewer will enter because of
unbelief and the DEMANDS placed on one who is CHOSEN to be a
disciple. This place of the Kingdom is inside of you, in your SPIRIT
where Christ is placed in you by FAITH.
There is no UP there - up there is IN you.
All of that was to get to this place, so that you, the
reader and beloved friend, can see with me what His Church is to be
like. How far it is now from what He wants and will have. Once we
can SEE and HEAR what our Lord is after, then, we can understand how
to walk with Him, and as Him, to that end.
We must remember that the Church in the earth started
with only one man and one God: Jesus and the Father. Then Jesus
died. And so it is with us. It starts with each of us individually
and Jesus. As He gathers, or draws, us ONE AT A TIME unto [into]
Himself by His Spirit. Then we also MUST die to LIVE.
CHRIST JESUS DEMANDS ALL
After I finally got out of the hole (remember back in
chapter two). The warden made me an offer that gave him what he
wanted and what I wanted. God is so great! He asked me if I would
take charge of thirteen holding cells. It was there, that, the
inmates who were being sent to the hole, to outside court, for more
charges for stuff done in prison, were held.
The warden said, with a slight bit of a smirk on his
face, "Jim you can preach to them ALL you want. It will be your
fishing pond for the next few years." How could I refuse a deal like
that?
I had to distribute food to them three times a day. If
they did not want to listen to the Gospel, I would not give them any
food for a few days. The Bible does tell us to COMPEL them to come
to the feast? It seemed easy to get some saved that way. Could it
have been that they were just hungry?
I began to see that there must also be a real change of
nature, character, and life style of the person saved. When the
going got tough, the ones who only "accepted Jesus" fell away. I
began to ask Jesus what was wrong.
There were a lot of real conversions as the Lord TEMPERED
my ways a bit. Look at the "Church" today is she not guilty of the
same? "Just give you heart to Jesus," they say. "ACCEPT Jesus as
your Savior," they say.
Where is the message that BURNS with conviction from the
Holy Spirit, words that call us to account before God for our
actions, and lifestyle. Where is the message of the Mystery of
Christ? Seems to have been forgotten by this modern day "Church"
which is consumed with buildings, meetings, programs, and just plain
junk. A person today can be a "Church" member having be dipped in
water, baptized in the Spirit and NOT be a BIRTHED Son of God. Oh
yes, don't forget the ONE man pastoral system: while we the FLOCK
are to only file in twice a week, sit down, be quiet, and NEVER
LEARN TO FUNCTION. We just sit looking forward at the back of
someone's head being real quiet while the "PASTOR" over functions.
Will you tell me how a man can be born from above and
NEVER know who he is? Only in a system that does not know, or preach
the Mystery of the Gospel which is NOW made known to His Saint's? By
the GRACE of God many are truly birthed son's, but never have Christ
revealed in them for they are taken up with ANOTHER GOSPEL a social
gospel of deceit made up by the carnal mind.
Where are those WALK THE AISLE converts in two or three
years? Truth is they leave the "Church" faster than they come in.
With out the true Gospel of Christ, there is no repentance and there
is NO true commitment in the heart. How can there be when one is
feed ANOTHER GOSPEL? There is no salvation from the power of sin.
They are those that have hearts like a shallow layer of soil on top
of a limestone bedrock. The seed is sown, but because of the
hardness of the limestone when it grows up no root can go down. The
result is a lot of TOP growth but no root system to hold it up. This
is easily seen as a larger and bigger plant for a season. Until the
day it shrivels up and dies. Pressure always brings out the real
person.
To help me understand the price that must be paid to
"FOLLOW CHRIST" the Lord arranged many trying circumstances, let me
relate a few instances
I was beaten, spit on, and had urine and other not too
good stuff thrown on me. Once someone tried to set me on fire.
Another time two men fell in behind me as I went down a long hall
where at least fifteen or twenty people had been killed. The MASTER
whispered in my spirit "Don't look back just keep on walking and
don't slow down or speed up."
When I turned the "death" corner I felt the air from a
hand with something in it that missed me. There are not enough pages
in this little book to tell of all the times Jesus kept me safe.
There were two standing contracts on my life for
preaching Christ and Him CRUCIFIED. Life in prison is cheap. Those
in prison have NOTHING to loose or fear. What more can be done to
them? A standing contract can be as little as a carton of smokes.
The cost is high to the OLD MAN's MIND to be privileged to live by
the LIFE of ANOTHER to preach the Gospel. Most are not willing to
pay the price for the "Church" has short changed us about the cost.
The real "COST" is all that you are, or ever will be.
Ok, if its a comfortable building, or Bible college, with
all those nice people sitting there like super dummies. What a farce
this "Church" of today is. Try pushing this Gospel most people are
friends with today anywhere in the world. It will not fly!
Comfortable loving people who want to fill up the lust of the flesh
will be right there along with you to GET their health and wealth.
And to be free of any "REAL" commitment. There can be no reality
until a believer has Christ revealed in him and comes to know the
Mystery that was HIDDEN until revealed to the Apostle Paul.
Better yet, try pushing those gospel drugs off on a young
fellow in the game arena in about 100 AD as he is about to be torn
limb from limb by around twenty or so very hungry lions. All he has
to do to get free is DENY his LORD JESUS. He has no royal upbringing
and has known the Lord for only a short period. It is the PRESSURE
of life that causes the REAL us to be made known. The pressure our
young believer is under is intense to say the least. Let us assume
that he was brought to the Lord by Paul. Paul would have made known
the true Gospel (he called it MY GOSPEL Rom 16:25) to this young
lad. Our young man KNOWS that he is IN CHRIST and that Christ is in
him. He also knows that it is Christ AS him in all his life for
Christ is his life. In other words this young man UNDERSTANDS Gal
2:20 by experience.
But love for his Lord is the focal point of his life. Is
it possible that his words before he was condemned to die could have
been, "Jesus my Lord has extended to me life! In his love shall my
lips seek to save me by denying Him who has only given me His LIFE?
Should I deny the Christ in me? Should I deny the one who lives my
life for me? Should I deny the Lord who loves me and gave Himself
for me?"
But there he stands! Hands up in the air singing PRAISE
to his Lord as the lion pens are opened! If you have eyes to see you
will also see the OPEN HEAVEN as he is looking into the face of
Jesus who is about to receive this young man into glory. Take your
fat prosperity and health gospel without the cross and the life of
Christ that people of today love and let them change places and see
what happens.
We have been fed a gospel that is another gospel. One
that says any suffering, pain, or anything negative is not from God.
We have eaten a gospel that declares health and prosperity for the
taking.
Could it be that we are a bit on the deceived side? The
gospel preached today with its lack of demand for the knowledge and
experience of the truth of the Mystery of Christ IN YOU as your life
with the FRUIT of a changed Father and a life style has brought the
Church to its lowest point in its history. In the "Church" today it
is a numbers game and a GAME of promotion of the "pastor's" vision.
Many will find one day as they appear before the Lord that they are
NOT SAVED but deceived and forever lost. Or that they of a truth are
saved, but NEVER knew or experienced the truth of the Mystery -
Christ in you the Hope of Glory.
When was the last time you were pricked in the heart by
the burning, life giving words of the Mystery of Christ and Him
Crucified?
Jesus always placed a high demand on any person who He
asked to Follow Him. The demand is just as high today. Jesus is the
same today, as He was yesterday, and tomorrow He will not change one
bit.
The great difference between the Gospel that Jesus
preached to the Jews, and the Gospel Paul received by revelation is,
that, Jesus's Gospel was to those UNDER the Law to those who knew
the law. Jesus was not yet crucified. The law was not fulfilled.
The Law is ALWAYS CONDITIONAL DOING or NOT DOING. When
Jesus of Nazareth was alive the LAW needed to be explained to the
Jew. Hey, God says after all this time, don't you yet see that YOU
can not keep the law? All LAW requires that YOU do something BEFORE
God will do something: and IF you mess up it costs YOU for you must
bring the life of another to atone for your sin. All men were shown
that in themselves they had NO life or Power to please or obey God.
Not one single man born of a woman could KEEP the whole
Law. Not one single man was able to please God. Jesus, the Son of
God the Son of Man, DID keep and fulfill ALL the LAW. The whole law
is fulfilled in Christ Jesus and He IS our life.
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to
my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world
began, Rom 16:25
Jesus INTRODUCED the mystery to Nicodemus (John 3) but
that was not Jesus message to the world. It was kept HIDDEN until
God could reveal Himself in Paul.
Paul's Gospel of the MYSTERY OF CHRIST Who is IN YOU is
ALL GRACE; for the truth is it is not you who DO anything to keep
the law or to please God. But that the Father who has PLACED His Son
Christ Jesus IN YOU. Christ, not, you lives.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:1-3
When we are saved we receive the PERSON of the Son of
God, Christ Jesus. All of the below mentioned "things" are the
PERSON of Christ who is IN you and IN whom you are.
Christ, not you, pleases the Father.
Christ is NOW your righteousness.
Christ is NOW your Peace.
Christ is NOW your mercy.
Christ is now your Wisdom.
Christ is Now your Salvation.
Christ is NOW your LIFE.
Christ is NOW your sanctification.
Christ is NOW your HOLINESS.
Christ is NOW LIGHT in you.
Your PURITY is NOW Christ.
Christ is NOW your GRACE.
Christ is NOW your NAME.
Christ is NOW your AUTHORITY.
Christ is NOW your HEALING.
Christ is NOW your TRUTH.
Christ is NOW your SELF DENIAL.
Christ is NOW your HUMILITY.
Christ is NOW your LOVE.
Christ is NOW YOUR ALL and IN ALL.
For you to LIVE is CHRIST.
For you to MOVE IS CHRIST.
For you to have any being IS CHRIST.
For you ARE as Christ IS in this world.
When we are saved we receive the PERSON of the Son of
God, Christ Jesus. All of the these "things" are the PERSON of
Christ who is IN you and IN whom you are. The KNOWLEDGE of the SON
of God or the KNOWING of the Mystery Christ in you IS the Power to
BECOME.
As many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:12-14
The power to become is the AUTHORITY which equals the
ABILITY, or a TOKEN of CONTROL, or FORCE to BE POSSIBLE coming from
OUT OF I EXIST. The one who exists is the GODHEAD, this Power is
authority out of God... The word power used here is NOT the DUNIMUS
of Acts 1:8 where it means the ENABLING FORCE but not AUTHORITY.
To be MADE, or to BECOME, is to be GENERATED, or FORMED,
or CONFORMED as son's of God. The word made is a word of ongoing
present force.
It is ALL by Grace plus NOTHING. It is ALL the Fathers
doing.
It ALL took place when you Believed on the Lord Jesus
Christ and were saved. The simple act of SETTING or fixing your mind
to the truth.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God
dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the
love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is,
so are we in this world. 1 John 4:15-17
In the original Greek verse 17 would read:
"In love perfected with us that we boldness in day of
judging that accord as He we in world" Concordant Literal New
Testament
In the original language of the Scripture, a few words of
English are added to help us who are not literate in classical Greek
understand the word. (Thank God for the men and women who have given
them self to the life of Christ within to research and record these
things for us.)
Some English definitions of added words and how they are
used.
(American heritage Dictionary)
AS = To the same extent or degree or quality, equally;
(mostly a preposition) in the role , capacity or function of - A
STATE OF BEING.
IS = (3rd person singular) Present tense of BE, in it's
present tense without change or repair - A STATE OF BEING.
SO = with the result of true or factual.
ARE = present tense of BE - A STATE OF BEING.
AS and IS are IDIOMS in English. IDIOMS = JUST THE WAY IT
IS.
Therefore: AS HE IS SO ARE WE...
He BE as us and WE BE as Him.
CHAPTER
TEN
THE SEVEN BY TWENTY FOUR
THE MODEL GROWS
One of the greatest passions of my life is to see
believers know who they are, and the Church as the Lord Jesus
desires her to be.
We have seen how the Church came out of Christ. We know
that the Church is made up of people. People who BELONG to Jesus by
BIRTH. The SAVED ones make up the Church.
It has been a great blessing of the Lord to be able to
see and hear and to be a part of and to have a hand in building a
7*24 Church in prison. It was from this experience that the passion
in me was feed and grew and grows even now.
Preaching to the ones who I had to take care of was easy.
They could not get away from me. They had to listen. But in the cell
block where I lived it was much different. Those fellows were not on
the other side of the bars from me. I was in their midst. I was the
butt of all their jokes and dirty tricks. You talk about a place to
get discouraged!
In my cell block of twenty eight, there were none saved.
Then one day after about three months of preaching, just about the
time I was beginning to think none of these guys would ever respond
to Jesus, Wayne was saved! Then another, now three, soon it was
twenty or so.
They were in love with our Lord and each other. Craziest
thing you ever saw; these tough cons changed so much that they began
to actually CARE about each other.
When Speaking about those who get saved, it is just not
knowing Jesus as Savior, or as anything else. But it is a total
surrender to Him as Lord, and to His Lordship. The receiving of the
Holy Spirit and the Spirits Lordship of one's life.
It is the CHANGING of a man's heart.
Here is where God began to give me the working model of
the Church in a 24 hr a day - 7 days a week - 365 1/2 days a year
environment.
If your conversion was not real, you could not stand the
pressure brought on by the other 6,??? men in the place.
The toughest of the men turned into caring loving
persons. When our cell block hit twenty eight of twenty eight saved
and filled with the Holy Spirit, peace prevailed all the time.
No, I never saw anybody get saved who did not instantly
talk in tongues. It was in the Bible and it was common to all who
came into the Kingdom. There was never any question about tongues
they just were.
Those men in that cell block banded together in the
brotherhood of Christ and we shared Christ Jesus and His LORDSHIP in
COMMON and all other things also. 24 hr. a day...
You need to get it in your mind that we had no outside
help
at all. Only the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and each other.
No Pastors, Teachers, programs, or buildings, nothing, just our
Lord. As the prison Chaplin got wind of us he could do nothing but
get out a couple of guys at a time to talk to. But it most always
ended up who ever he had out {into his office} he could not help
much for he had something called DOCTRINE that got in the way of
knowing Jesus in the reality of His LORDSHIP and His Love for His
Bride.
Doctrine kills the life of Christ. Doctrine soon becomes
tradition. A sound foundation in the Word can be had by all. The
Holy Spirit is the great teacher. All that is needed is an open mind
and the Holy Spirit will impart what is of Christ Jesus to the
willing vessel.
Jesus always kept it simple.
As we have talked about before the key is knowing that
Christ was birthed in you. And knowing that you are in Him. That He
lives His life IN you and your life FOR you.
It is Hard get it any simpler than Jesus. Yet, some how
the Church system managed to make Jesus difficult to know, and
experience. Head knowing will only set you aside. Reality is Christ.
There was healing, miracles, and angels were seen as a
common occurrence. TV's were shut off and Fellowship in Christ led
to Jesus revealing Himself inwardly. Bible studies were started.
This Jesus thing spread all over the prison.
To try to stop the Gospel from spreading, the officials
began to split us up and put in unsaved guys. Even to the point of
sending saved brothers by two's, threes's, and four's to other
prisons.
At the end of one year the prison system got so mad at
me,
they threw me out sending me back to the States. The
warden said I caused too much trouble in the system making the other
prisoners unruly or some such thing.
This did not happen until after a long struggle with the
Lord about wanting to be free from prison.
THE GREAT ESCAPE ATTEMPT
There is a LAW at work in us called SELF-PRESERVATION or
the desires of self first. It was during this time that the Lord
began to show me just how strong this law rebels against His
Lordship.
There was a guard who had all things prepared for me to
escape. I never asked Gerald to do this, but he did it on his own
for he was a brother in the Lord. He felt that I did not belong
there and wanted to get me out. You talk about temptation I fell
head long into that deal. I also felt that it was wrong for me to be
there. Self never wants to take the accountability for it's actions
There was a guards uniform ready for me all I had to do
was put it on at shift change and walk out in the midst of the
guards. A car was there in the lot. There were several changes of
clothes and a few hundred dollars. There was another car about 20
miles away to switch to. There was a place to go to in the states
and a job waiting.
Nothing like a little self righteous plan to puff up
one's mind. For all intents it looked like God really did not desire
me to be in prison. It was the god of self.
It looked like God was making for me a way out of there.
It felt like God it smelled like God. We prayed about it a lot.
But it was not God.
The Lord spoke to me one day when I was cleaning a cell,
"Do you want to use the hand of man, or would you like to see how I
will deliver you?" It shocked me for I had believed it was God who
set up the escape plans. Besides I had not had Him speak in my
spirit for as long as the escape was first mentioned.
It did not take very long for me to decide that it would
be better for God to get me out, even if He never did. My soul
wanted to get out any way possible. I did not know or trust the
Father as to His making a way out for me. It was about this time in
our Fellowship that He made the following scripture alive to me.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1
John 1:9 (KJV)
PROUD OBEDIENCE
Now I felt real proud that I was walking with God on
this, but the guard, Gerald, did not see it that way. Gerald had
gone to a lot of expense to set up the escape and he was a bit
ticked off. By obeying God and telling Gerald "no way" I now had
made an instant enemy. I thought he would be overjoyed that the Lord
had spoken to me and that "I" was obeying Him. Not so.
And so it will be in your life as you move forward in
obedience to the Spirit of God. You will hear from the Holy Spirit
"this is the way walk in it" and those Christians around you will
think you have gone nuts. They will tell you so! You will upset many
a brother as you obey the Father's leading.
He made my life miserable for a while, then, the Lord had
mercy on him and me for I had reached the place where I dearly
wanted and had planned to put a contract on him when they
transferred him to another prison.
After he left the Lord began to deal with me about how
the hatred for one of the members of HIS body had eaten away at the
fellowship between He and I. Once more the GRACE and MERCY of our
Lord helped put to death a bit more of the LAW of SELF-PRESERVATION.
A law that includes revenge.
THE CYCLES OF DEALINGS
Every thing in life and in God goes in circles. Something
starts out in one place then goes full circle back to the same
place. So it is with God's dealings in our lives.
One generation passeth away, and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and
the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The
wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it
whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according
to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not
full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they
return again. Eccl 1:4-7 (KJV)
The way you exit one circle or cycle of the Lord's
dealings in your life DETERMINES how you enter the next circle or
cycle.
There is an old saying "what goes around comes around."
In the Lord it is you that go around in a dealing. When you come
around if there is not the workings in you that the Lord desires,
you get to enter a new cycle in that shape. It will seem as if you
are never getting anywhere with the Lord.
If there is progress made by the Lord in the cycle, you
still get to enter a new cycle. A different cycle and a different
set of dealings from the Lord of Glory.
After a while the Lord asked me IF I was willing to stay
in prison and serve Him. I did not answer Him for awhile. Nor did He
speak to me during that time. Now a lot of things happened every day
in prison pertaining to Jesus, and there was much fellowship, and
many were added to the Church.
Those deep feelings of wanting freedom from prison began
to stir in me, and next thing I knew I was in the midst of a raging
battle inside. If He had just not asked that question...
Then it came around full circle.
The prison system uses convict labor for profit, and
there was a bunch of stuff they were shipping out, some boxes about
10*10 on a large industrial dolly.
I had collected up the food trays, and put the stuff back
in the kitchen hot cart, and was returning from taking it back to
the kitchen. Kind of minding my own business when a guard stopped
me. He told me to push the other cart down the long hall that leads
to the front of the prison. I did as he said cursing him under my
breath.
It takes a LONG time for one to become a willing, and
glad servant of the Lord Jesus.
To shorten a long story I pushed it out to the front door
through about six sets of check points. When I got to the last gate
a solid set of double doors the guard just opened it up and motioned
me out. There was no guard with me.
I pushed the cart down a ramp outside of the prison
walls. There was a van truck, with the motor running, sitting there
and I saw some of the same boxes in it.
It was in the middle of February and it was cold as all
get out. I only had on regular clothes and a thin jacket, no gloves,
and I was freezing. I unloaded the cart, stacking the boxes in the
back with the rest.
Then I looked at the truck sitting there running, and me
outside of the prison, and NO ONE AROUND. The Lord spoke
in a still small voice to me "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?"
I was afraid of the Lord at that moment. Deep in my being
I knew He had set this up, so that, I could see how I was going to
react.
I wanted to go and I wanted to stay. Oh, how the Lord
troubled me. Or was it just my self life reacting to God's mercy? I
knew that I would be in deep trouble when the guards found me
outside, with out a guard. I wanted to drive away.
For a short time it seemed that if I took off all I had
to face was the Lord who would chasten me big time. At least if I
did that I would not have to face the guards. I was afraid of either
way of action. I remember telling Jesus that I would just as soon
not be in this pickle. "Why can't I just be left alone?"
I remember the Lord impressing me to PRAISE Him for ALL
THINGS, and to receive ALL THINGS from His hand. But, I also
remember what ever I uttered as praise was very weakly spoken. I do
not think there was a spirit of being overjoyed about it. It was
gritted teeth praise. But it was praise.
The guards are for the most part worse characters than
those they guard!!!
They can get down right mean when they have to do a bit
extra on the job. They always liked to take it out on prisoners. You
could get an extra two years for just threatening a guard and five
to ten if you hit one of those characters. They loved to see if they
could get you provoked enough to strike out at one of them.
I climbed in the van and sat next to the heater for a bit
as temptation worked hard on me to just take off. I knew that if I
left, God's Spirit would leave me. In side of my being I knew that
this was a CHOICE that would SEAL my destiny in God.
After a bit too long I finally went back to the prison
doors and rang the bell to get in. Never let it be said that
heathens don't get mad those guards sure did. I remember how strong
the presence of God was with me.
I got a few days in isolation for it, but was not charged
with escape, thanks to the Lord. In isolation Jesus came to me and
afterward He just filled me with His love and comfort. He began to
let me know that He was pleased that I had overcome the temptation.
I sure did not feel like much of an overcomer. I was just
scared for myself in the whole thing. I remember that the following
verse came to my mind:
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Ps 56:3
(KJV)
And this verse came to me also at that time I was out
side.
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a
covenant with me by sacrifice. Psalms 50:5 (KJV)
As the Lord's presence grew stronger, I just opened up a
pocket Bible and this verse JUMPED off the page into my mind and
into my spirit.
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his
name. Heb 13:15 (KJV)
HOMEWARD BOUND
The Lord gave me a date and hour that they would come for
me to send me out of the prison a free man. It was forty days later
on the exact date that a guard came to my cell and opened up saying
"GET YOUR STUFF YOU ARE GOING HOME".
That was one of the saddest days of my life being sent
away from the Church in prison. To this day it brings tears to my
eyes.
Twenty Two years [in 1997] have come and gone since then.
The thing that has KEPT me is knowing that he SENT me. Knowing that
He is with me has been my provision. And knowing that the Church
will be a reality and fill the earth with His Glory. Just like the
model He built in that prison. There were close to one thousand five
hundred men brought to Jesus during that year I was there. No, I did
not bring them all by my self, but I did start the FIRE.
I have no idea what is or has happened since then to
those men. But this I know that the LAW of the SEED is a work in
every life that BELIEVED into Jesus as Lord and Savior, They were
hearts who believed in falling into the ground and dying.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it;
and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am,
there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my
Father honour. John 12:24-26(KJV)
All of what happened in prison would take up several
thousand pages. Now you may have some idea of what causes me to tick
as I do.
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I
unto the world. Gal 6:14 (KJV)
MINISTERING MEMBERS
In Church life the REAL purpose of God's gift to the
Church of MINISTERING MEMBERS is to feed and equip the SHEEP of
God's pasture, that they will become strong, vital,
healthy, and reproductive. These ministering members are set in the
Body by the Lord to bring about the FRUITFUL ministry of other
members.
Man's way is to build buildings that are only used a few
hours a week and store up the seed and keep the SHEEP fenced in.
Man's system for the Church uses all kinds of gimmicks, rock music,
entertainment, dance troops, pantomime, if you can name it, it's
there to try to make the Church productive.
God's way is a lot different. It has purpose and
direction. He gave gifts to the Church.
He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of
the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:11-15(KJV)
IT TAKES SHEEP
Healthy SHEEP will bring forth lambs. Trust me, I saw
this thing work on a farm many years ago. And, as in prison and out,
as only sheep of the Lord can bring forth sheep of the Lord.
If the ministering members, Apostles, Prophets, Teachers,
pastors, and Evangelists minister life from a REALM that is out side
of time and space, the realm is the Spirit of God, and EQUIPS the
sheep so that they will be ABLE to bring forth after their own kind.
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn,
which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and
none is barren among them. SoS 4:2 (KJV)
Just give this a thought for a second: to what the
results would be if each sheep brought forth only two lambs into the
Kingdom of God? Lambs who were after the same kind of LIFE as the
strong, healthy, vital, Holy Ghost controlled inward one who bore
them.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed
after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in
itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Gen 1:12 (KJV)
The SEED of Christ is in us, and as we mature, we become
LIKE Him thus, we can only reproduce after the SEED that is in us,
that, we are.
The Gospel of the Kingdom is to be seeded forth by
relationship, fellowship, word of mouth.
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts
2:47(KJV)
And the word of God increased; and the number of the
disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of
the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7 (KJV)
But the word of God grew and multiplied. Acts 12:24(KJV)
CHURCH LIFE A WORKING MODEL
When will those caught in the Man made System of the
Church wake up, and realize that they are the CHURCH?
When the early Church ASSEMBLED or gathered together,
like we did in prison, all was marked by simplicity. They were just
where they were and did only what the Holy Spirit lead them to do -
no more, no less.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts
2:42(KJV)
Homes became the meeting places and places to SHARE with
others less fortunate. Love for each other marked their WAY of life.
All through the land they met in HOMES or where ever they could.
THEY WERE THE CHURCH, and they had the LIFE of CHRIST, and they
lived in a different realm than most do today.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Cor 12:13 (KJV)
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called
in one hope of your calling; Eph 4:4 (KJV)
They needed FELLOWSHIP; and KNEW, that, if there was two
or three of them that Jesus was in the MIDST, of them, COMMON to all
in His Lordship. They knew by the Spirit of God, that, they were one
with each other, for the Lord had joined them together by his
Spirit.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them. Matt 18:20 (KJV)
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.1 Cor
6:17 (KJV)
He was not just encouraging a little bunch who meet on
Wednesday night at 7:00 and Sunday morning at 10:30 for an hour and
a half.
If TWO were there they could have FELLOWSHIP, with each
other, in the GOD HEAD.
In the city of Jerusalem the 8,000 or so may have met in
hundreds of homes. True, they had access to the to Solomon's porch,
but I bet that it was seldom if ever that they were all there at one
time.
They were one, and loved each other, and walked in the
truth.
You see beloved Church Life is a 24 hr a day life style.
We have what I call inverted thinking. We think real
stupid because we are westerners. When you read about the Pentecost
experience in the book of Acts. When you are done what did you SEE.
Did you see the following?
Jerusalem was a SMALL city, but every so often it SWELLED
up with PILGRIMS who came to different feasts. It was kind of like a
sleepy little city in Florida. In the summer not too many people but
let the Snow and Cold hit up North. Then, here come the snowbirds.
The little sleepy city becomes so full of people you can not find a
place to stay, let alone park you car or EAT.
These people came to Jerusalem from all over, most of the
8,000 converts were probably OUT OF TOWNER'S, who got
saved and DECIDED, that, this thing was so real that they would stay
and be a part of it. That's the way it started. They did not care about
buildings, programs, or any thing else but Jesus and each other.
They knew that when just two people were in Christ they
were in harmony with the Holy Spirit and the power of the Kingdom
that binds evil and loosens all heavenly stores and forces was in
operation. He was in the midst and He was their LORD.
A hand full meeting in a home here, and a handful meeting
in a home there. Hundreds of homes with handfuls in each one
meeting. ONE in fellowship with the Father and the Son and each
other. What if that happened in your city, state or country?????
Just think, Jesus there in their midst in the FULLNESS of
His PRESENCE and the FULLNESS of His LORDSHIP.
The day of man's programs and the SYSTEM of Church he has
devised is JUST on the BRINK of being over. It is not working...
Man is the one who departed from the Lord's way. The Lord
never left His plan or purpose in and for the Church. A return to
the Lord's way for the Church is not back to primitive things, but
to FIRST things.
What the early Church had, WORKED! What I was a part of
in Prison WORKED. What is as a small seed today in the earth, works.
Call it the home Church if you need a name for it. The Lord desires
His people to be together in a most simple and informal way. Just
like being with your family.
This is not to say we can not RENT or BUILD a structure
of some kind, IF LEAD BY THE SPIRIT OF GO TO DO SO. We can use what
is provided by God, but must be willing and able to ABANDON it on
the Spirit of God's notice. In other words we MUST be able to walk
away as if it never existed.
He wants and designed us to be PILGRIM in character,
reproductive by nature and CHRIST-PROPAGATING. You can sleep safely
tonight knowing that buildings and promotions have not one thing to
do with the Kingdom of God or His life in you.
In prison we met where we could, in the halls, in the
cafeteria, in the gym, in the yard, in the laundry, and any where
else we could find each other. The Lord was always there in our
midst and He was always the HEAD, and the Holy Spirit always had the
freedom to move in us as He willed. So it should be today because we
knew we were the CHURCH, yet without the formality of "Church."
Matter of fact some of us LIVED together 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. We could not get away from each other if we had
wanted to. Now, in that kind of environment every body gets to know
ALL there is to know about you real fast.
How well do you know that guy you sit back of staring at
his head every time you go to Church ? Bet you don't even know his
name and if you do it's most of what you know of him.
If there is much fellowship in the "Church" building it
is as shallow as a dried up creek bed. Try being together in a 7*24
situation and you will find life and more life! You will be known to
others and you will know others. You will become a part of their
lives, hurts, desires, dreams; yes, and all else there is to know.
Not to know to be nosey, but to know as a part of life - life in a
sharing and caring experience of the fellowship of the SAINTS.
Rest assured that God IS going to bring forth this kind
of a Church in the earth no matter what it takes. In China the
Church is taking much persecution. No don't get the idea you are
flying out of here to escape this kind of thing. That is inverted
thinking. You and I are going to stay right here and GROW up into
the HEAD and be a FULL GROWN Body.
It is true that if the Father can not get us there during
times of peace, He will send persecution.
The Father has some very definite plans for a VIRGIN
BRIDE, who is in UNION with the Spirit, and waiting for Her Lord.
We had NO outside help, very few Bibles, a lot of
persecution and ridicule; NO WHERE TO MEET, no MONEY, and lots of
FAITH and love for Jesus and each other. The Church just started
with one other brother, but it GREW, and GREW, and GREW, and GREW,
and spread, and spread, and spread.
Why ?
Because: the Lord Jesus Christ was with us, and in us,
and in our MIDST as our LORD and KING.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE VOICE OF THE FATHER IN THE SON
THE FATHER'S HEART
What I experienced in the MODEL of the Church that Jesus
built and allowed me to WORK in comes from His HEART and the Heart
of the Father.
And any thing we are going to find out about God we MUST
go back into the Godhead before the beginning of time and space into
the Fellowship of the Father and Son.
KEY TEXT
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was
manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you
that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,
that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship
is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 Jn 1:1-3 (KJV)
Now if you are interested in finishing this book. We will
get into the HEART of the Father and the Son. Which will help point
you to the way of finding that narrow way that leads to life.
In the Tabernacle of Moses there are three dimensions or
realms. The Outer Court, The Holy Place, and The Most Holy Place in
which the presence of God dwelt. Here we find three kinds of light.
The outer court has only naturel light of the sun. The Holy Place
has God's light, an artificial light because man has to keep it
burning. In the Most Holy Place there is true light the Schekina
Glory of God.
In the Outer Court it is all the work of many priests or
the work of man. In the Most Holy Place a few priest work or the
work of the Spirit here we meet the Holy Sprit, the enemy, and self.
In the Most Holy Place only one priest works and here we meet the
Father in Glory.
We find all through the Bible that God does things in
threes. Father, Son, Spirit, 30 fold, 60 fold, 100 fold, and many
other places where you will find God working in threes.
PUT PIX OF TABERNACLE HERE
Each of the "realms" of the Tabernacle of Moses had
different furniture in them. Each "place" had a unique function. In
the third room, or realm, or the third dimension, was where God
dwelt. It was from there He spoke to His people.
Yet, it was a place of His presence and not a place of IN
HIM, but before Him. God had not made a way yet for Him to be in
man. To be in Him is another dimension or the fourth dimension.
We can relate to the Human being as a three part person.
We are like God who is ONE but is known to us in three
manifestations as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The following
drawing relates how we are almost the same as the tabernacle in our
make up.
The Human Being is Spirit, Soul, and Body.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray
God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thes 5:23(KJV)
We will use these three circles to "illustrate" Spirit,
Soul, And Body.
PUT DRAWING OF THREE CIRCLES HERE
BEFORE SAVED
AFTER SAVED YET OUTWARD
THE SHAPING
The Soul is made up of our MIND, our EMOTIONS, and our WILL
which comprises or makes up our "I"( or personality). Our NATURE is
that of our former father - Satan. We were conceived in sin and
formed, or shaped BY iniquity.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me. Ps 51:5(KJV)
Reader, you may want to review Romans chapter seven where
the "self or I" was discussed.
We are the sum total of all things that have filled and
guided our lives. Our SOUL was trained by the evil one. We think
like Satan. We act like Satan. Our will is Satan's will. We are self
preservers. Remember where the WHOLE WORLD LIES.
Jesus set us FREE from sin by His Blood! We are MADE free
by the truth. Our faith in Jesus's Life, Death, Burial, and
Resurrection.
BUT we must be RETRAINED and RENEWED to our Father's way.
Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom 12:2 (KJV)
"Father KNOWS best."
We shall find something "greater" as we continue to seek
this "inward place."
Hey! don't think for one second that just because you are
saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, talk in tongues a bunch that
you have arrived. Not so! for God is progressive. So is our
salvation which we must work out.
God has a way of processing us in His Royal Son
processor. Which includes large doses of the Cross, and a lot of
self denial. It is a way which is easily found if you want HIM and
HIM alone. If all you need or want, is FIG LEAF religion, chances
are you will come under great self condemnation if you read any
farther.
INWARD OR OUTWARD the CHOICE is YOURS
You can be either INWARD or OUTWARD the choice really is
yours.
OUTWARD Christians enjoy the following:
"Service", "Church", "Acceptance", "Popularity", "Ease",
"Health", "Prosperity", "Doing", and "Promotions".
INWARD Christians enjoy the following:
"HIM", Ecclesia", "Misunderstanding", Cast Out",
"Tribulation",
"Life", "Food and Drink", "Being", and Each other".
OUTWARD LIVED LIFE
One of the FIRST lessons a Christian MUST learn is that
he can NOT live the Christian life. Some times a believer lives his
whole life TRYING to live the Christian life. Only coming to great
frustration.
The MORE one learns from the Bible the harder one tries
to live it, the more failure there is in the DOING. Many turn back
because of this very thing: not knowing that our Father designed it
that way.
The Bible, then, serves to put us under great conviction
and condemnation because we find that we can not live up to it's
standard. I am referring to those of us who are born from above and
spirit filled.
We live and walk in this life of our experience of the
New Birth and the Baptism of the Spirit. One day there comes a
realization that the beginning enthusiasm we started with is cooling
off. Much of the time we make RENEWED vows and pile on a lot of
DOING for God. Often we settle down to a "STRUCTURED" life in some
"Church" of our liking. We take to our heart that "Churches"
teaching as ALL the truth of life. Yet it is lacking the POWER of
the Gospel. The CROSS.
One reason this happens is because as we read the WORD of
God we tried to attain to it by OUTWARD ways. We were taught by our
"Church" to READ THE BIBLE, ATTEND EVERY MEETING, DRESS or ACT a
CERTAIN WAY, WITNESS, TITHE, PRAY, and all sorts of other outward
things. In our desperate effort to PLEASE God we found ourselves
always falling short of the mark.
Ever try FORCED reading just to please some creed or your
"Pastor"? Or forced PRAYER? How about forced Witnessing or forced
"Church" ATTENDANCE? By forced I mean through the force and power of
the SOUL to please, or rather appease God and the fallen conscience.
All of the OUTWARD things we do are proceeding from the
spirit of Adam's first born son - Cain, who REFUSED to come to God
the way God demanded. Cain offered the FRUIT of his own hands'
labor. He did not offer a BLOOD sacrifice. His offering came from
the GROUND which was CURSED. Cain raised up in jealousy and killed
his brother Able who offered God a sacrifice of BLOOD. Cain was
cursed by God for his act. (read Gen. 4:1-12)
The truth is that our Soul rises up and tries to murder
our Spirit! UNTIL {time word} we are matured by the WORD and the
Spirit of God, we can not tell the difference between the two.
Remember the matter of SOURCE we discussed in a previous chapter?
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12(KJV)
Now remember that we HAVE COME to Jesus with boldness by
His Blood. But the LIFE of our SOUL is CURSED just like the ground
was cursed for Cain's sake. Any thing that proceeds from out of our
Soul ALWAYS ends up in OUTWARD activities. The SOUL fights to the
very end to keep from the CROSS. To many Christian's ACTIVITY looks
and smells like life. But in truth it is but an OUTWARD running from
God. Activity from the soul ALWAYS ends up empty and void.
We too can offer to God many things that have the STENCH
of the Soul upon them. He will reject them just as he did Cain's
offering. We also can face rejecting God as did Cain through anger
and indignation towards God and the Word. The movements of the Soul
DO NOT please God and are NOT acceptable to Him. When our Soul (our
minds, emotions, will) is in control and that control is not
detected, surely, sin is in our soul and sin's desire is for us. But
we can master it.
CHRIST DOES ALL THINGS
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth
me. Phil 4:13(KJV)
We as Christians MUST learn that we can do NOTHING of or
OUT OF ourselves, that is our soul. But that through Christ, we as
Christ can do all things. Jesus LIVED by the LIFE of the FATHER; and
only did and spoke those things He saw and heard in the Father.
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son
of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of
myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. John
8:28 (KJV)
I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do
that which ye have seen with your father. John 8:38 (KJV)
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would
love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of
myself, but he sent me. John 8:42(KJV)
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which
sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I
should speak. John 12:49 (KJV)
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:
but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
John 14:10(KJV)
We ARE as He is, He has declared we shall be LIKE Him.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. I Jn 3:2(KJV)
He is PURE.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself, even as He is pure. I Jn 3:3 (KJV)
HE is RIGHTEOUS.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. I Jn 3:7 (KJV)
WE ARE like He is in this world.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have
boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this
world.
I Jn 4:17 (KJV)
He is in the Father and the Father IS in Him and He is in
us. We are ONE.
UNDERSTANDING LIFE
Once we REPENT of trying to live the Christian life we
are free to enter into the LIFE of CHRIST. Knowing that He and He
alone it is who can live His own life best in us and LIVE OUR LIFE
{which is Christ} FOR US.
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I
who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and
delivered Himself up for me." I do not nullify the grace of God; for
if righteousness {comes} through the Law, then Christ died
needlessly." Gal 2:20-21 (NAS)
If Christ LIVES in me then I no longer exist. For me to
live IS CHRIST. By faith in God my life in the flesh {this earthen
vessel in which the real me is enveloped in} is lived BY the Son of
God for me.
My surrender to the Word of God through the teaching of
the Holy Spirit brings me to understand LIFE. Jesus is the WAY, the
TRUTH, and the Life you and I ARE dead, and our life is HIDDEN with
Christ in God. Jesus could boldly say "if you have seen ME you HAVE
seen the Father." So you and I can as boldly say "if you have seen
me you HAVE seen Christ Jesus."
You see Beloved, God desires the divine revelation of His
LIFE be made known IN you by His Son Christ Jesus who is IN you.
UN-CREATED Life existed always.
Jesus lives the UN-CREATED Christian Life. NOT YOU.
Jesus lives YOUR CREATED life. NOT YOU.
What the Father IS to the Son Jesus IS to you.
What the Father WAS to the Son Jesus WAS to you.
The Father INDWELLS the SON.
The Father and the Son ARE ONE.
The Son DWELLS in you.
The Son and you ARE ONE.
You and I are ONE [so is EVERY one ELSE who believes].
Jesus had the HABIT of the CHRIST(ian) LIFE.
Jesus had the HABIT of living LIFE from within His
Spirit.
The Son existed in the Father BEFORE the beginning of
creation in SPIRIT. This was an UNKNOWN UN-CREATED forever. It was a
happening in God. This EXPERIENCE of FELLOWSHIP between the Father
and the Son was passed into the Son when He veiled Himself in flesh
as Jesus, the man.
For thirty three and one half years the SON of MAN,
Jesus, experienced the Father in Him as a MAN. After His death,
burial, resurrection, and ascension, He was BIRTHED in each one who
believed and called on His NAME. When He and the Father came to take
up residence in each NEW CREATION, He passed to us ALL HIS
experience in the Father. That came from before the beginning of
creation, up to the time He became a man, and as a man totally
dependent on the Father, and for of all of eternity. All of Christ
dwells in you and ALL of His experience is IN you even now.
Jesus had HABITUAL FELLOWSHIP with the Father. Jesus had
the habit of the life in the Father.
GOD DEMANDS NOTHING OF US OUTSIDE OF CHRIST JESUS
EXPERIENCE.
There is only one way this can be. Your SPIRIT is out
side of time and space, belonging in the realm of the Heavenly
places.
When God opens your eyes to see that ALL of the
EXPERIENCE of the Christian LIFE takes place OUT SIDE OF TIME AND
SPACE, you will "KNOW" that the CHRISTIAN life is NOT subject to the
REALM of limitations. Your spirit is not subject to the Laws of time
and space.
God has no PAST, or FUTURE, He is only NOW.
Everything created is but a SHADOW of His PERSON and
GLORY. Created things are a REPLICA of REALITY. Created things are
PICTURES of the real. Light reveals Him who is LIGHT. Love reveals
Him who is LOVE. Fire reveals Him who is FIRE. Life reveals Him who
is LIFE.
The uncreated LIFE of God has NO beginning nor ending.
Those things created have a beginning and go only forward. We do not
just JUMP into space and time life fully grown. We come to this
temporal life as babies. We only go forward in growth and age. Yet
we can remember some of the things of our past, but we can not go
backwards into them.
CHOICE OR CHANCE
We are born with NATURAL life and we are BORN FROM ABOVE
into Eternal Life. Eternal Life is not how long it lasts, but
describes God's life. God who is LIFE, ALWAYS was, and will be, and
ALWAYS IS.
God CHOOSE us IN Him before the foundation of the world.
We were CHOSEN or SPOKEN forth out of God. We are a WORD of God. Our
choosing was not from out of a lot of different choices like we
would choose an apple at the store. We were spoken out of the mouth
of Jehovah. We will not return to Him void, or empty, but we will be
that which He has spoken.
According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love: Eph 1:4(KJV)
God's life, as a figure of speech, goes both directions
<----> but is ALWAYS NOW.
On the day in time and space that you answered the
drawing of the Holy Spirit, conviction came granting repentance
Then, your response in faith to the Divine UN-CREATED LIFE, this
same LIFE entered into you as the SON of GOD and you were birthed
from above. You became a NEW CREATION. A son of God with His LIFE in
dwelling in you.
Christ's spirit becomes our spirit.
With the entrance of the Lord Jesus Christ into your
being came ALL that He is and ALL that the Father is. There is now a
Kingdom in you and a King. The Kingdom of God IS within you. God's
Kingdom is an INWARD realm. Out side of time and space in Spirit
without limitations or boundaries and after the power of an endless
life.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt
6:33 (KJV)
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for,
behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21 (KJV)
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Rom 14:17 (KJV)
The question arises since we now know that God's kingdom
is in us and our soul is ALWAYS outward, in distraction, how do we
turn our soul inward to God?
Jesus said if you ask any thing in my name - the key
being that we outside of time space make up His name, we are
HIS name. When we believed into Christ Jesus we were
generated into His name. His name is made up of all those who have
believed. We were taken out of the world and placed or birthed in
Him, at the same time He was placed in us.
To say "in the name of Jesus Christ" commanding something
is fine, but to know that you ARE and make up the Name of Jesus
Christ is quite another thing. Our Lord's name has been used as a
formula by many who do not know Him in the depths.
You see beloved, there is a big difference between a
formula and being. Look at a cherry tree some day, it's just what it
is, it does not have to try to be a cherry tree.
When we do not know (experience) who we are and who our
Lord is we are at a loss to just be, so, we must use formulas and
do. Yet we must speak in the NAME OF JESUS because as we do it
cleans the air. At the same time it creates an arena of GLORY for
the Lord to move in.
You can and do talk to your soul. If you would listen to
yourself for just one day, you will find that, you speak to many
"things" including yourself (soul).
In the following scriptures we see that King David would
talk to his soul, encouraging and directing himself in the ways of
God.
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me,
bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all
his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all
thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth
thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Psalms 103:1-4 (KJV)
Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very
great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Psalms 104:1 (KJV)
David blessed the Lord outside time and space. He spoke
to his soul in time and space. David spoke to his Soul "Soul, why
are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God."
*** Do the three circles and the commanding of the soul
JOHN 13 -17
Knowing that we are His name, plus, knowing that we can
talk to our soul; we are in a position to command our soul in His
Name by faith from the outward realm of death to the inward realm of
life. Into experience and into Him to live by His life, which is the
Life of the Father.
Here is a sample prayer that I used and do use with
others:
Father: I desire to turn my Soul inward to you.
Soul, in the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, who before
Poncirus Pilot testified a good Testimony, I command you to turn
inward into my spirit. Into the Spirit of Christ who dwells in me
and to ABIDE, DWELL, and stay there by the FAITH of my Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus I forever abandon, walk away from, and desert all MY
need's Spirit, Soul and Body. You are all to me and I love you and I
know you love me. Amen
CHAPTER TWELVE
SOME AFTER THOUGHTS
FROM THE FATHER'S HEART
In the beginning ...
Is the beginning of Atoms, Protons, Mass, and dimension.
This is the beginning of time and creation, things which
are seen.
In the beginning...
This lets us know that there was a before the beginning
when
there was not Atoms, Protons Mass, or Massless, Time,
Space, Angles, Physical, Spiritual, Realms, Death,
Thinking, Words, Reason, Bible study, Church, Fried Chicken or
anything else.
There was no mass.
There was nothing Visible or invisible in the PRE
BEGINNING.
(The Pre-beginning being the all of God before He
created.)
There was not the physical or spiritual.
There was only GOD.
Before the beginning GOD was the only REALITY.
He existed.
He is Spirit.
He Loved.
He was alive.
He was the only life.
He was life.
Nothing else had life.
There was nothing else.
Inside of GOD was a FELLOWSHIP based on relationship...
The Son and the Father Fellowship and loving together
inside of God...
They exchanged life with each other.
The Father to the Son.
The Son exchanged the life back to the Father....
This has gone on ALWAYS and Always and ALWAYS ....
Jesus in his 33 1/2 yrs. of earthly life always drew on
that fellowship and relationship with his Father. He had in
him ALL the experience, fellowship, relationship, wisdom,
knowledge, holiness, grace, truth, and mercy of the PRE
BEGINNING.
Jesus lives and has always lived by the LIFE OF THE
FATHER. we are to live by the life of the SON, who was BIRTHED in us
and who has given us all things in him. We have all of the things
stated in scripture in us, also, PLUS we have His 33 1/2 yr to of
life on earth... He gives us His life as the Father gives Him
life... We give this life back to Him. He gives it back to the
Father... The Father gives it back to Him ... He gives it back to
us... We give it to others... and the cycle goes on on and on....
Every word Jesus heard or saw the Father do, he gave to
us ...
Eternal life is a commandment.
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which
sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what
I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life
everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said
unto me, so I speak. John 12:49-50(KJV)
S O N P A S S M Y L I F E T O M A N K I N D
[Son pour my life into mankind]
We are to do for others as Jesus did for us WE ARE A
BUNCH OF LOSERS WHO --- BY COMMANDMENT GIVE THIS LIFE TO OTHERS
--- wash feet -- HOW DO WE DO THIS -- from out side time and
space with in the FELLOWSHIP OF THE FATHER AND SON AND YOU.
M A N P A S S M Y L I F E T O O T H E R S
Man pour out your life for others life as my Son pours
out his life for you!
POUR... POUR... POUR.... and POUR some more
Let's go on continuing to look at another commandment
given by Jesus....
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth
whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me
receiveth him that sent me. John 13:20 (KJV)
Jesus received this commandment from his Father He now
"passes" the life in the commandment to the believers.
We were sent as He was sent.
Sent to be HIM for others.
Sent for a creation that looks for us with an out
stretched neck - sent to be His church, saviors, lords, kings,
priests, gods, men of renown.
We are giants in a realm of death - Giants of life.
We are the champions of our God, chosen by Him for Him
and to Him.
Do you see the exchange of the life of the Fellowship
between the Father and the Son and us who are sent?
Do you see the relationship, the fellowship, and the life
of those sent. We are sent to pour out this life [our life which is
the life of Christ] into others, in to creation. Creation is
waiting for the ones who will be led by Him, the ones who
can pour out and never cease.
Just try to pour out and not be outside time and space.
It is impossible. It just cannot be done no matter how hard you
try...
It ends up your stinking rotten self that comes out...
No cross...
No life...
No Jesus...
No nothing...
Let us continue with John 13:32-38
If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in
himself, and shall straight way glorify him. Little
children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek
me: [only my physical presence for in my being near you have
comfort] and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come;
so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love
one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love
one to another. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou?
Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but
thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why
cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast
denied me thrice. (KJV)
A NEW COMMANDMENT I [AM] GIVE TO YOU, THAT YOU LOVE ONE
ANOTHER;
AS I have LOVED YOU --- Give my life to each other give
my life --- give my life
Where did the concept of LOVE ONE ANOTHER COME FROM?
His experience was that of being loved by His Father...
Jesus has a LOVING father. This experience is ingrained in his
being.
He Was passionately loved by his Father.
So he in turn passionately loved His Disciples.
He was passing along his experience in
-
Receiving love from the Father
-
Loving the Father
-
Loving the Disciples
[I love you EVEN as the Father has loved me]
Have you ever really ever fallen in love with other
Christians? If you have you have been indwelt by Jesus
Christ. And you have touched HIM.
Jesus had nothing more to pass on to those twelve men
than this enormous energy of love He received from the Father.
In this you will see the Christian life at work - Jesus
passed on to His followers the passionate love that the
Father has for Him and He for the Father - this same love
allows us to love Him and the Father and each other. Like
the light that shines in the diamond it returns to the
source of the light - one to the other and back again.
We cannot stop this love in us, once we get out side of
time and space, and outside of our narrow focus that is of
ourselves.
I am sure that you have experienced this with other
believers at least once. No other people on earth have
this fellowship this intermixing or intermingling, an exchange of
this amazing love that believers feel one for another.
There are no prejudices when this happens between
Christians, no walls, nothing but the divine exchange of life, an
experience received from Him and given to one another. This was
passed to all of us...
All these experiences of love and commerce and exchange
of Christian fellowship has gone on forever in the past and in the
pre beginning in the other realm ...
Remember this in UNCREATED FELLOWSHIP AND LOVE THAT HAS
ALWAYS BEEN... and is just past the door - a portable moveable door
to the other realm.
All of this is nothing more than men laying hold of that
which was going on in their spirits of that which has been going on
between the Father and Son, in God, out side of time and space, in
Nazareth, Galilee. and Judah.
Jesus said the Father GAVE me a commandment and that
commandment IS eternal life...
Now the Son says "Love one another" this is love going on
between the Father and Son.
There has to be a connection between having LIFE... The
interchange and exchange of that life ... and loving one another?
I believe that if we take one more look through the rip
in the fabric of time and space at the vastness of Christ, we may
just see the secret to the Christian life a bit clearer.
See and hear the Father tell the Son - Tell them to love
one another the WAY we love one another... this means there is only
one WAY that we can love one another...
Got any ideas as to how they love one another?
Brother, I give to you my love - you return that love to
me that is all there is to it! So simple and we make it so
complicated!
The Son gives us his love [He got it from the Father
mixed His love with it and gave it to us and we do the same] We
really do love one another as long as preachers stay away and don't
tell us that we have DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES. Just leave Christians
alone and they will love one another it's in their nature, it can
not be stopped.
No one does anything ...
We only touch the living God ...
The God of Jim.
The God of Tom.
The God of Frank.
The living God not someone else's God, but Your God.
Not the God of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, or any one else's
God, but Your God.
The God of [fill in your name] you do not have to go to
some one else's God you don't know.
He Lives in you.
His kingdom is in you.
You are in Him.
GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU.
You are where HE rules and is Lord.
Gathered together we are His kingdom a place where the
fabric of time and space has a rip in it and the other realm is
evident.
You can not tell people to love one another any more than
you can tell a dog to moo like a cow.
Show and tell others how to touch the life inside of them
from there it will just happen.
Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God: believe
also in me. In my Fathers abode, are many abodes; if it were not
so I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU! I go and prepare a place for
you [in him] I will come again and receive you unto myself
that where I am you will be also. John 14:1-2
Where I am not where I am going - where in the Father ...
I will bring you there... where is this place I AM - in the Father -
I WILL COME FOR YOU - I am GOING TO PUT YOU WHERE I AM
At the resurrection and ascension He did it! He took us
and put us in the Father. A re-experience first Christ in the
Father; now, He puts us in the Father.
I AM in the Father and I am coming to get YOU and put you
where I AM this very second.... in OUR Father.
Thomas - I do not know the WAY where you are going - how
can I know the way?
Jesus replied I AM THE WAY.
Beloved the REALM OF THE ETERNAL belongs to you but -
only in Christ.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to
the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ
Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the
Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ: Eph 1:1-3(KJV)
In your daily experience, touching Christ and touching
the experience of ALL CHRIST IS - is determined by your willingness
to be IN Christ.
I AM THE WAY.
I AM REALITY.
I AM THAT LIFE.
Who - THE FATHER [Jesus did nothing of himself]
I AM THE RESURRECTION.
I AM THE ONLY LIFE THAT CAN LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Jesus became that portion of life by which the Father
Lives.
I AM GOING TO GET YOU AND PUT YOU WHERE I AM.
BUT:
No one can get to the Father but by passing through ME. I
AM THE DOOR to the Father. Beloved you are already in HIM and
the only WAY you can enter that Fellowship of the Father
and Son is to accept the fact that you are already there.
Jesus Christ is your Door.
Stephen, Isaiah, John and all the others went through
Christ into the other realm. Christ is the door and the only way you
can get to the other realm is through Christ.
No one is going to get to the Father unless they are
inside Christ, and Christ is inside of them.
If you had known me you would have known the Father
also...
[another passage or re passage] You know me, you know the
Father. Now you know me, and because you know me you HAVE
SEEN the Father.
If you see the Lord in your spirit you HAVE seen the
Father.
If you see Jesus in another you Have seen the Father and
you HAVE or ARE seeing and experiencing the reciprocation of life.
The interchange between the Father and Son has grown so
close in 33 1/2 yr that the line of distinction between them has
blurred. you can not tell where one starts and the other finishes
they have become ONE.
If ever one who sees the BODY of Christ the Corporate
expression of Believers - you will have an IDEA of what it is like
to behold the Son - if you ever behold His Bride in all her beauty,
you will fall in love with her - for when you see the body - you
will see the Head - when you have experienced the body - you have
experienced the Head.
The experimental nature of God is reflective and is
passed down Father > Son > Body, much like the sun to the moon.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father And the Father
in me? Well then believe the WORKS - Greater works shall you do-
that you is plural - for us that YOU is the ECCLESIA.
THE CHURCH
The Church has and will continue to greater works than
Jesus did.
You make up the Church, I make up the Church, We are the
Church.
The Church must not to be looked for where man is, but
where God is. She is the mistress and mother of the believers, the
Bride of the coming Messiah, the Eve of the Heavenly Adam, the Body
of Christ, which has in reality the Spirit. The Lord is the Spirit.
The Spirit is the Church. Thus, Christ in the members becomes the
Church. He becomes the Church as "the coming Messiah". This shaping
is individual, human communities of Christians is in the very image
of the Church that has being in God alone: this shaping is nothing
less than the action of God turned towards mankind. Here is the
religious and social manifestation of the Spirit at work now on the
earth.
How do we end this little book? I do not know! The only
thing I can think of is just stop and jump out. I have enjoyed this
time with you, dear Reader. In His Grace, and time I believe we will
meet again.
Glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ!!
God Bless You!
Brother Jim
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